Meios de vida, estratégias econômicas e dependência de recursos naturais em comunidades nas áreas de ocorrência de babaçuais.

A multiplicidade de estratégias econômicas adotadas em comunidades tradicionais e de agricultores familiares demonstra interações dinâmicas visando aumentar a resiliência de grupos vulneráveis. Neste artigo focalizamos situações em que produtos derivados da palmeira babaçu constituem fontes relevantes de sustento para comunidades no Maranhão. A renda média anual de 168 famílias em três comunidades atingiu R$7.234,00. Transferências sociais e trabalho assalariado representaram mais da metade da renda reportada pelos domicílios, enquanto produtos derivados do babaçu atingiram 12,5% da renda anual. Examinamos padrões de associação entre indicadores de renda, bem-estar, e dependência de atividades extrativas ou agrícolas. Adotamos uma tipologia de domicílios conforme estratégias econômicas, sendo a dependência definida por proporções relativas da renda agrícola e florestal/extrativa. A análise de variância indica diferenças estatisticamente significativas apenas entre domicílios com maior dependência de transferências sociais e trabalho assalariado, cuja renda anual é superior aos de orientação extrativista e diversificados

A novel kinematics analysis method using quaternion interpolation – a case study in frog jumping

Spherical Linear Interpolation (SLERP) has long been used in computer animation to interpolate movements between two 3D orientations. We developed a forward kinematics (FK) approach using quaternions and SLERP to predict how frogs modulate jump kinematics between start posture and takeoff. Frog limb kinematics have been studied during various activities, yet the causal link between differences in joint kinematics and locomotor variation remains unknown. We varied 1) takeoff angle from 8 to 60 degrees; 2) turn angle from 0 to 18 degrees; and 3) initial body pitch from 0 to 70 degrees. Simulations were similar to experimentally observed frog kinematics. Findings suggest a fundamental mechanism whereby limb elevation is modulated by thigh and shank adduction. Forward thrust is produced by thigh and proximal foot retraction with little contribution from the shank except to induce asymmetries for turning. Kinematic shifts causing turns were subtle, marked only by slight counter-rotation of the left versus right shank as well as a 10% timing offset in proximal foot adduction. Additionally, inclining initial body tilt influenced the centre of mass trajectory to determine direction of travel at takeoff. Most importantly, our theory suggests firstly that the convergence of leg segment rotation axes toward a common orientation is crucial both for limb extension and for coordinating jump direction; and, secondly, the challenge of simulating 3D kinematics is simplified using SLERP because frog limbs approximately follow linear paths in unit quaternion space. Our methodology can be applied more broadly to study living and fossil frog taxa as well as to inspire new control algorithms for robotic limbs

Halorubrum chaoviator sp. nov., a haloarchaeon isolated from sea salt in Baja California, Mexico, Western Australia and Naxos, Greece

hree halophilic isolates, strains Halo-G*T, AUS-1 and Naxos II, were compared. Halo-G* was isolated from an evaporitic salt crystal from Baja California, Mexico, whereas AUS-1 and Naxos II were isolated from salt pools in Western Australia and the Greek island of Naxos, respectively. Halo-G*T had been exposed previously to conditions of outer space and survived 2 weeks on the Biopan facility. Chemotaxonomic and molecular comparisons suggested high similarity between the three strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strains clustered with Halorubrum species, showing sequence similarities of 99.2–97.1 %. The DNA–DNA hybridization values of strain Halo-G*T and strains AUS-1 and Naxos II are 73 and 75 %, respectively, indicating that they constitute a single species. The DNA relatedness between strain Halo-G*T and the type strains of 13 closely related species of the genus Halorubrum ranged from 39 to 2 %, suggesting that the three isolates constitute a different genospecies. The G+C content of the DNA of the three strains was 65.5–66.5 mol%. All three strains contained C20C20 derivatives of diethers of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglyceromethylphosphate and phosphatidylglycerolsulfate, together with a sulfated glycolipid. On the basis of these results, a novel species that includes the three strains is proposed, with the name Halorubrum chaoviator sp. nov. The type strain is strain Halo-G*T (=DSM 19316T =NCIMB 14426T =ATCC BAA-1602T)

Gaze-contingent flicker pupil perimetry detects scotomas in patients with cerebral visual impairments or glaucoma

The pupillary light reflex is weaker for stimuli presented inside as compared to outside absolute scotomas. Pupillograph perimetry could thus be an objective measure of impaired visual processing. However, the diagnostic accuracy in detecting scotomas has remained unclear. We quantitatively investigated the accuracy of a novel form of pupil perimetry. The new perimetry method, termed gaze-contingent flicker pupil perimetry, consists of the repetitive on, and off flickering of a bright disk (2 hz; 320 cd/m; 4° diameter) on a gray background (160 cd/m) for 4 seconds per stimulus location. The disk evokes continuous pupil oscillations at the same rate as its flicker frequency, and the oscillatory power of the pupil reflects visual sensitivity. We monocularly presented the disk at a total of 80 locations in the central visual field (max. 15°). The location of the flickering disk moved along with gaze to reduce confounds of eye movements (gaze-contingent paradigm). The test lasted ~5 min per eye and was performed on 7 patients with cerebral visual impairment (CVI), 8 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (age >45), and 14 healthy, age/gender-matched controls. For all patients, pupil oscillation power (FFT based response amplitude to flicker) was significantly weaker when the flickering disk was presented in the impaired as compared to the intact visual field (CVI: 12%, AUC = 0.73; glaucoma: 9%, AUC = 0.63). Differences in power values between impaired and intact visual fields of patients were larger than differences in power values at corresponding locations in the visual fields of the healthy control group (CVI: AUC = 0.95; glaucoma: AUC = 0.87). Pupil sensitivity maps highlighted large field scotomas and indicated the type of visual field defect (VFD) as initially diagnosed with standard automated perimetry (SAP) fairly accurately in CVI patients but less accurately in glaucoma patients. We provide the first quantitative and objective evidence of flicker pupil perimetry's potential in detecting CVI-and glaucoma-induced VFDs. Gaze-contingent flicker pupil perimetry is a useful form of objective perimetry and results suggest it can be used to assess large VFDs with young CVI patients whom are unable to perform SAP

In vivo cranial bone strain and bite force in the agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri

In vivo bone strain data are the most direct evidence of deformation and strain regimes in the vertebrate cranium during feeding and can provide important insights into skull morphology. Strain data have been collected during feeding across a wide range of mammals; in contrast, in vivo cranial bone strain data have been collected from few sauropsid taxa. Here we present bone strain data recorded from the jugal of the herbivorous agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri along with simultaneously recorded bite force. Principal and shear strain magnitudes in Uromastyx geyri were lower than cranial bone strains recorded in Alligator mississippiensis, but higher than those reported from herbivorous mammals. Our results suggest that variations in principal strain orientations in the facial skeleton are largely due to differences in feeding behavior and bite location, whereas food type has little impact on strain orientations. Furthermore, mean principal strain orientations differ between male and female Uromastyx during feeding, potentially because of sexual dimorphism in skull morphology

Laser Shock Microformingof Thin Metal Sheets with ns Lasers

Continuous and long-pulse lasers have been used for the forming of metal sheets in macroscopic mechanical applications. However, for the manufacturing of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), the use of ns laser pulses provides a suitable parameter matching over an important range of sheet components that, preserving the short interaction time scale required for the predominantly mechanical (shock) induction of deformation residual stresses, allows for the successful processing of components in a medium range of miniaturization without appreciable thermal deformation.. In the present paper, the physics of laser shock microforming and the influence of the different experimental parameters on the net bending angle are presented

The Clash between Global Master-plans and Local Contexts: conflicts and contradictions within initiatives for payment of ecosystem services in Brazil and Nepal.

With the development of large-scale international agreements, such as REDD (United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries), it is becoming increasingly important to examine the synergy between global masterplans, national endeavors and local actions in relation to environmental services provision and to mitigation and adaption to climate change. This paper will draw on a comparative study of two countries?, Brazil and Nepal, strategies and practices to deal with carbon emissions, i.e. examining the tensions and contradictions between mitigation agendas and the roles, practices and interests of the actors in the programmes and projects related to REDD. The data has been collected from contrasting case studies within the two countries (REDD and nonREDD cases). Preliminary evidence suggests that while the lack of synergy between global plans and local practices might be seen as simply a matter of ?coordination?, it actually reflects competing interests and agendas, both at national and local levels. The REDD plans are guided by a generic template, but how these plans are interpreted and implemented at national and local levels varies greatly, both between and within participating countries. The complexity of the REDD schemes creates a demand for actors who can plan and broker the processes. This complexity and the lack of an overarching reflexivity create a number of problems linked to transparency, complexity, lack of accountability and room for exploitation by powerful economic and political actors. This paper argues that these aspects often transform the planned results into unintended outcomes, depending on the particular configuration of local contextual factors and processes

Validation of the Predictive Model of the European Society of Cardiology for Early Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background \u2003Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is burdened by high mortality, especially within 30 days from the diagnosis. The development and the validation of predictive models for the risk of early mortality allow to differentiate patients who can undergo home treatment from those who need admission into intensive care units. Methods \u2003To validate the prognostic model for early mortality after PE diagnosis proposed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2014, we analyzed data of a cohort of 272 consecutive patients with acute PE, observed in our hospital during a 10-year period. Moreover, we evaluated the additional contribution of D-dimer, measured at PE diagnosis, in improving the prognostic ability of the model. All cases of PE were objectively diagnosed by angiography chest CT scan or perfusion lung scan. Results \u2003The overall mortality rate within 30 days from PE diagnosis was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.4-13.5%). According to the ESC prognostic model, the risk of death increased 3.23 times in the intermediate-low-risk category, 5.55 times in the intermediate-high-risk category, and 23.78 times in the high-risk category, as compared with the low-risk category. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed a good discriminatory power of the model (area under the curve [AUC]\u2009=\u20090.77 [95% CI: 0.67-0.87]), which further increased when D-dimer was added (AUC\u2009=\u20090.85 [95% CI: 0.73-0.96]). Conclusion \u2003This study represents a good validation of the ESC predictive model whose performance can be further improved by adding D-dimer plasma levels measured at PE diagnosis

Efficient homolactic fermentation by Kluyveromyces lactis strains defective in pyruvate utilization and transformed with heterologous LDH gene

A high yield of lactic acid per gram of glucose consumed and the absence of additional metabolites in the fermentation broth are two important goals of lactic acid production by microrganisms. Both purposes have been previously approached by using a Kluyveromyces lactis yeast strain lacking the single pyruvate decarboxylase gene (KlPDC1) and transformed with the heterologous lactate dehydrogenase gene (LDH). The LDH gene was placed under the control the KlPDC1 promoter, which has allowed very high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, due to the absence of autoregulation by KlPdc1p. The maximal yield obtained was 0.58 g/g, suggesting that a large fraction of the glucose consumed was not converted into pyruvate. In a different attempt to redirect pyruvate flux toward homolactic fermentation, we used K. lactis LDH transformant strains deleted of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) E1alpha subunit gene. A great process improvement was obtained by the use of producing strains lacking both PDH and pyruvate decarboxylase activities, which showed yield levels of as high as 0.85 g/g (maximum theoretical yield, 1 g/g), and with high LDH activity