Revisão da distribuição do vite-vite-de-cabeça-cinza Hylophilus pectoralis (Passeriformes: Vireonidae), com notificação de sua ocorrência no Triângulo Mineiro e noroeste de São Paulo

The Ashy-headed Greenlet has a spotty distribution over a broad area in Amazonia, both north and south of the Solimões-Amazonas river. It is mostly found second-growth, forest edge and water-edge habitats, including mangroves and gallery and varzea forests. The species also occurs in the Pantanal, the Chiquitano Forests, and in the Cerrado of central and northeastern Brazil, including the Brazilian states of Goiás, Maranhão and Piauí. This paper presents new records extending its distribution to the south, including southwest Minas Gerais (the "Triângulo Mineiro" region), southern Goiás, northwest São Paulo and eastern Mato Grosso do Sul, suggesting a recent colonization of those regions parallel to the one shown by the closely related H. thoracicus in southeastern Brazil

A Comparative Structural Bioinformatics Analysis of the Insulin Receptor Family Ectodomain Based on Phylogenetic Information

The insulin receptor (IR), the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and the insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) are covalently-linked homodimers made up of several structural domains. The molecular mechanism of ligand binding to the ectodomain of these receptors and the resulting activation of their tyrosine kinase domain is still not well understood. We have carried out an amino acid residue conservation analysis in order to reconstruct the phylogeny of the IR Family. We have confirmed the location of ligand binding site 1 of the IGF1R and IR. Importantly, we have also predicted the likely location of the insulin binding site 2 on the surface of the fibronectin type III domains of the IR. An evolutionary conserved surface on the second leucine-rich domain that may interact with the ligand could not be detected. We suggest a possible mechanical trigger of the activation of the IR that involves a slight ‘twist’ rotation of the last two fibronectin type III domains in order to face the likely location of insulin. Finally, a strong selective pressure was found amongst the IRR orthologous sequences, suggesting that this orphan receptor has a yet unknown physiological role which may be conserved from amphibians to mammals

On the validity of the Half-collared Sparrow Arremon semitorquatus Swainson, 1837

Volume: 117Start Page: 294End Page: 29

Congenital oral mucosal abnormalities in true umbilical cord knots

5siObjective: The pathogenesis and clinical significance of true umbilical cord knots remain controversial. Here, we tested the hypothesis of the presence of congenital oral mucosal changes in newborns with true umbilical cord knots. Study design: Seven consecutive infants with true umbilical cord knots and 50 gestational age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. The proportion of oral frenulum abnormalities and the two-dimensional vascular network geometry [fractal dimension, D, at two scales: D(1–46), and D(1–15), with the relative LempelZiv complexity, (L-Z)], were analyzed. Results: Infants with true umbilical cord knots showed significantly higher proportions of mandibular frenulum agenesis compared to controls (p = 0.000006). The oral vascular networks of these infants exhibited a significantly higher D(1–46) and D(1–15) (p !0.0001, respectively), and higher L-Z values (p !0.0001) than control networks. . Conclusion: These findings indicate the presence of significant congenital oral mucosal changes in newborn infants with true umbilical cord knots, thus suggesting a previously unrecognized association between true umbilical cord knots and a subclinical extracellular matrix disorder.reservedmixedC. DE FELICE; G. BIANCIARDI; S. PARRINI; R.N. LAURINI; G. LATINIDE FELICE, C.; Bianciardi, G.; Parrini, S.; Laurini, R. N.; Latini, G

Altitudinal distribution of birds in a mountainous region in southeastern Brazil

We studied the altitudinal distribution of 426 bird species in the Serra dos Órgãos, a mountainous region in southeastern Brazil. Thirty-four localities were visited between 1991 and 2009. Our study revealed a decline in bird species richness with elevation, although a smaller number of species was recorded at lower altitudes (below 300 m) possibly due to local extinctions caused by the intense human occupation of the region. A less diverse avifauna was found above 2,000 m, with only one species (Caprimulgus longirostris) recorded exclusively in this altitudinal range. Most endemic species were found between 300 and 1,200 m, but the endemism was more significant at higher altitudes. Nearly half of the birds found above 1,400 m were endemic species. Most of the threatened species from the state of Rio de Janeiro recorded in our study were found below 1,200 m, but no significant difference was found between the proportions of threatened species among different altitudinal ranges. Species of seventeen genera have exhibited some replacement (sometimes with partial overlap) along altitudinal gradients