Modelagem hierárquica multi-espécies para dados de comunidades : benefícios e aplicações

A biodiversidade é moldada por distintos processos ecológicos e evolutivos, atuais e passados, e entender como ela se distribui no espaço e no tempo é uma das questões centrais da ecologia de comunidades. Para entender a biodiversidade, precisamos formas de representá-la, para tanto utilizamos métricas de diversidade. As métricas de diversidade descrevem um padrão, seja na ocorrência das espécies ou de riqueza, e é a partir desses padrões que inferimos os principais processos que moldam as comunidades. Distintos processos podem gerar um mesmo padrão, e discriminar quais processos são mais relevantes nos permite compreender a montagem das comunidades, além de aumentar nossa capacidade de predizer como alterações ambientais afetam a biodiversidade. Independente do processo que estrutura as comunidades, quando medimos a biodiversidade contamos com um erro inerente a qualquer estudo ecológico: a detecção imperfeita. Nessa tese, usamos modelos hierárquicos multi-espécies tanto para acessar como a detecção imperfeita pode afetar os padrões de diversidade (Capítulo 1), como para avaliar processos que estruturam as comunidades em escalas distintas (Capítulo 2 e Capítulo 3). Como organismo modelo, utilizamos a guilda de borboletas frugívoras, as quais são representativas das respostas da diversidade às alterações ambientais. Utilizando dados de comunidades de borboletas frugívoras em escala local, no Capítulo 1, avaliamos como falhas na detecção de indivíduos podem confundir o padrão observado em distintas métricas de diversidade, ressaltando a importância do uso desses modelos para avaliar a diversidade sempre que possível. Nos capítulos 2 e 3, apesar de não considerarmos a detecção imperfeita, acessamos como o filtro ambiental (determinado por variáveis climáticas e de paisagem) e biótico modelam a distribuição das espécies. Enquanto no capítulo 2, avaliamos esses processos para comunidades de borboletas frugívoras do Pampa gaúcho, um dos biomas mais desprotegidos do Brasil, no Capítulo 3 usamos um conjunto de dados de comunidades de borboletas frugívoras da Mata Atlântica, a qual é considerada hotspot de diversidade. De maneira geral, demonstro nessa tese a importância da utilização de ferramentas de modelagem que considerem a detecção imperfeita, bem como a não independência (coocorrência) das espécies em modelos de ecologia de comunidade, como os modelos hierárquicos multi- espécies. Dentre as principais vantagens desses modelos destaco a propagação de erro nas estimativas dos parâmetros e a resposta compartilhada das respostas entre as espécies, que permite tanto modelar espécies raras e melhorar a estimativa dos parâmetros quando a confiabilidade da estimativa. Dentre as limitações, destaco a complexidade que esses modelos podem assumir, sendo dispendiosos de tempo e de informações a priori, e também da natureza dos dados, já que modelos como o de detecção precisam de réplicas temporais ou espaciais. Apesar disso, o desenvolvimento de abordagens mais generalizadas e a popularização dos modelos hierárquicos multi- espécies têm muito a contribuir para o entendimento da biodiversidade e dos principais processos que a mantém no tempo e no espaço.Biodiversity is shaped by current and past ecological and evolutionary processes, and understanding how it is distributed in space and time is one of the central questions of community ecology. To understand biodiversity, we need ways of representing it, such as diversity metrics. Diversity metrics describe a pattern, either in species occurrence or richness, and it is from these patterns that we infer the main processes that shape communities. Different processes can generate the same pattern, and decoupling which processes are most relevant gives us a better understanding of community assembly and increases our ability to predict how environmental changes affect biodiversity. Regardless of the process that structures communities, when we measure biodiversity, we rely on an inherent error in all ecological work: imperfect detection. In this thesis, I employ hierarchical multi-species models to assess how imperfect detection affects diversity patterns (Chapter 1) and also to evaluate which processes are responsible for structuring communities in different scales (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3). For this, I use the guild of fruit-feeding butterflies as a model organism, which is highly diverse and sensitive to environmental changes. Using data from local-scale fruit-feeding butterfly communities, in Chapter 1, we evaluated how failures to detect individuals can bias diversity patterns observed in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, highlighting the importance of using these models to obtain more reliable estimates of diversity whenever possible. In Chapters 2 and 3, we assessed how the environmental (determined by climate and landscape variables) and biotic filter shape species distribution. While in Chapter 2, we evaluated these processes for distinct communities of fruit-feeding butterflies in Pampa gaucho, one of the most unprotected biomes in Brazil, in Chapter 3, we used a dataset of fruit-feeding butterfly communities in the Atlantic Forest, which is among the world’s top five biodiversity hotspots. Overall, I demonstrate in this thesis the importance of using modeling tools that consider imperfect detection and species' non-independence (cooccurrence) in community ecology models, such as hierarchical multi-species models. We demonstrated that hierarchical multi-species models are flexible and robust tools and provide an important direction for community analyses. Among its main advantages is the propagation of errors in parameter estimates and the sharing of information among species, allowing both modeling of rare species and improving parameter estimates and estimate uncertainty. Limitations include the complexity that these models can take on, being costly in time and prior information, and the nature of the data, since models, such as N- mixture models, need temporal or spatial replicates. Nevertheless, the development of more generalized approaches and the popularization of hierarchical multi-species models has much to contribute to understanding biodiversity and the main processes that maintain it in time and space

Instalação da sala “ambiente de negócios” em Guaíra-PR

A lei geral da micro e pequena empresa objetiva proporcionar condição de sobrevivência e proteção às pequenas empresas, promovendo a desburocratização e a simplificação a fim de proporcionar um ambiente de negócios favorável, restando aos municípios desenvolverem políticas públicas a fim de dar resolutividade a essa questão. O problema de pesquisa que orientou a investigação apresenta a seguinte especificação: Como organizar um serviço centralizado de atendimento público no âmbito municipal direcionado à formalização e apoio aos empresários de pequeno porte? Para tanto, optou-se pela abordagem qualitativa diante da natureza do problema, sendo utilizadas como técnicas de coleta de dados a observação participante, a entrevista, a pesquisa bibliográfica e a documental. Diante deste cenário, apresentamos a criação do serviço público municipal denominado Sala Ambiente de Negócios, na qual foram reunidos serviços como Sala do Empreendedor, Unidade do Incra, Banco Social, Fiscalização, Tributação e Meio Ambiente, Nota do Produtor e Rede Fácil. Os resultados apontam um aumento em 2018 de 12% no cadastro de pequenas empresas ativas em relação à 2015. Portanto, pode-se considerar que a implantação da Sala Ambiente de Negócios foi determinante para a formalização e sobrevivência das MPE no município de Guaíra

Characterizing and Diminishing Autofluorescence in Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Human Respiratory Tissue

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1369/0022155414531549Tissue autofluorescence frequently hampers visualization of immunofluorescent markers in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded respiratory tissues. We assessed nine treatments reported to have efficacy in reducing autofluorescence in other tissue types. The three most efficacious were Eriochrome black T, Sudan black B and sodium borohydride, as measured using white light laser confocal Ʌ² (multi-lambda) analysis. We also assessed the impact of steam antigen retrieval and serum application on human tracheal tissue autofluorescence. Functionally fitting this Ʌ² data to 2-dimensional Gaussian surfaces revealed that steam antigen retrieval and serum application contribute minimally to autofluorescence and that the three treatments are disparately efficacious. Together, these studies provide a set of guidelines for diminishing autofluorescence in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human respiratory tissue. Additionally, these characterization techniques are transferable to similar questions in other tissue types, as demonstrated on frozen human liver tissue and paraffin-embedded mouse lung tissue fixed in different fixatives.NIHNIAI

Resting state networks of the canine brain under sevoflurane anaesthesia

Resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) has become an established technique in humans and reliably determines several resting state networks (RSNs) simultaneously. Limited data exist about RSN in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the RSNs in 10 healthy beagle dogs using a 3 tesla MRI scanner and subsequently perform group-level independent component analysis (ICA) to identify functionally connected brain networks. Rs-fMRI sequences were performed under steady state sevoflurane inhalation anaesthesia. Anaesthetic depth was titrated to the minimum level needed for immobilisation and mechanical ventilation of the patient. This required a sevoflurane MAC between 0.8 to 1.2. Group-level ICA dimensionality of 20 components revealed distributed sensory, motor and higher-order networks in the dogs’ brain. We identified in total 7 RSNs (default mode, primary and higher order visual, auditory, two putative motor-somatosensory and one putative somatosensory), which are common to other mammals including humans. Identified RSN are remarkably similar to those identified in awake dogs. This study proves the feasibility of rs-fMRI in anesthetized dogs and describes several RSNs, which may set the basis for investigating pathophysiological characteristics of various canine brain diseases

Avaliação de parâmetros oxidativos em tecidos periféricos de ratos wistar adultos machos e fêmeas submetidos à administração subaguda ao manganês

Introdução: O manganês (Mn) é um oligo elemento essencial para o bom funcionamento de diversos sistemas biológicos. Entretanto, quando em excesso no organismo é eminentemente citotóxico, podendo ainda induzir a produção de moléculas reativas capazes de causar ação deletéria. No sistema nervoso central, a desordem neurológica causada é conhecida como manganismo, doença degenerativa, incapacitante e irreversível. Porém, os tecidos periféricos, apesar de potencialmente capazes de acumular o metal, não foram alvos de estudos que pudessem trazer informações das reais consequências dessa exposição. Objetivos: Avaliar parâmetros oxidativos em ratos Wistar adultos, machos e fêmeas, após indução de toxicidade subaguda ao Mn. Metodologia: Os animais foram subdivididos em seis grupos experimentais e receberam doses intraperitoneais de volumes padronizados de salina estéril (controle macho e fêmea), baixa dose (6 mg/Kg de cloreto de Mn macho e fêmea) e alta dose (15 mg/Kg de cloreto de Mn macho e fêmea) por cinco dias da semana em quatro semanas consecutivas. Os parâmetros oxidativos analisados foram a peroxidação lipídica (concentração de TBA-RS) e a molécula antioxidante glutationa (GSH). Resultados: Os resultados obtidos demonstram um aumento na peroxidação lipídica e uma diminuição significativa na concentração de GSH no músculo cardíaco dos animais expostos às diferentes doses de Mn, quando comparados ao grupo controle, em ambos os sexos. No fígado, a presença de peroxidação lipídica foi mais evidente no grupo que recebeu baixa dose de Mn, além de um aumento na concentração de GSH principalmente nas fêmeas, o que pode ser atribuído a sua alta capacidade antioxidante. O tecido renal apresentou significativa diminuição na capacidade antioxidante representada pela diminuição na concentração de GSH. Por outro lado, não foram observadas diferenças desses parâmetros no músculo esquelético. Conclusão: Em suma, o conjunto dos dados demonstra a participação do estresse oxidativo nos possíveis danos celulares ocasionados pela administração subaguda de Mn na maioria dos tecidos periféricos analisados, com maior evidência nos tecidos renal e hepático.Palavras-chave: Manganês. Estresse oxidativo. Toxicidade

COMT and MAO-A Polymorphisms and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Family-Based Association Study

ObjectiveObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common and debilitating psychiatric illness. Although a genetic component contributes to its etiology, no single gene or mechanism has been identified to the OCD susceptibility. the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) genes have been investigated in previous OCD studies, but the results are still unclear. More recently, Taylor (2013) in a comprehensive meta-analysis of genetic association studies has identified COMT and MAO-A polymorphisms involved with OCD. in an effort to clarify the role of these two genes in OCD vulnerability, a family-based association investigation was performed as an alternative strategy to the classical case-control design.MethodsTransmission disequilibrium analyses were performed after genotyping 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (eight in COMT and five in MAO-A) in 783 OCD trios (probands and their parents). Four different OCD phenotypes (from narrow to broad OCD definitions) and a SNP x SNP epistasis were also analyzed.ResultsOCD, broad and narrow phenotypes, were not associated with any of the investigated COMT and MAO-A polymorphisms. in addition, the analyses of gene-gene interaction did not show significant epistatic influences on phenotype between COMT and MAO-A.ConclusionsThe findings do not support an association between DSM-IV OCD and the variants of COMT or MAO-A. However, results from this study cannot exclude the contribution of these genes in the manifestation of OCD. the evaluation of broader spectrum phenotypes could help to understand the role of these and other genes in the pathophysiology of OCD and its spectrum disorders.Brazilian governmental agenciesConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundo de Aprimoramento Academico (FUAA-Grant for Academic Improvement)Department of Psychiatry University of São Paulo School of MedicineUniv São Paulo, Fac Med, Dept & Inst Psychiat, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Bahia, Serv Med Univ, Salvador, BA, BrazilUniv Pernambuco, Fac Ciencias Med, Recife, PE, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilBritish Columbia Mental Hlth & Addict Res Inst, Vancouver, BC, CanadaMassachusetts Gen Hosp, PNGU, Boston, MA 02114 USAMassachusetts Gen Hosp, Ctr Human Genet Res, Boston, MA 02114 USAUniv Calif San Francisco, Dept Psychiat, San Francisco, CA USAHosp Sick Children, Program Genet & Genome Biol, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, CanadaUniv Michigan, Dept Psychiat, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USASunnybrook Hlth Sci Ctr, Frederick W Thompson Anxiety Disorders Ctr, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaUniv Toronto, Ctr Addict & Mental Hlth, Toronto, ON, CanadaUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Psiquiatria, IPUB, Programa Ansiedade & Depressao, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Math & Stat, Dept Stat, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilCNPq: 573974/2008-0FAPESP: 2005/55628-08FAPESP: 2008/57896-8Web of Scienc

Prospective Follow-up of Adolescents with and at Risk for Depression::Protocol and Methods of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo) Longitudinal Assessments

Objective: To present the protocol and methods for the prospective longitudinal assessments — including clinical and digital phenotyping approaches — of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo) study, which comprises Brazilian adolescents stratified at baseline by risk of developing depression or presence of depression. Method: Of 7,720 screened adolescents aged 14-16, we recruited 150 participants (75 boys, 75 girls) based on a composite risk score: 50 with low risk for developing depression (LR), 50 with high risk for developing depression (HR), and 50 with an active untreated major depressive episode (MDD). Three annual follow-up assessments were conducted, involving clinical measures (parent and adolescent-reported questionnaires and psychiatrist assessments), active and passive data sensing via smartphones, and neurobiological measures (neuroimaging and biological material samples). Retention rates were 96% (Wave 1), 94% (Wave 2), and 88% (Wave 3), with no significant differences by sex or group (p &gt; 0.05). Participants highlighted their familiarity with the research team and assessment process as a motivator for sustained engagement.Discussion: This protocol relied on novel aspects, such as the use of a WhatsApp bot, which is particularly pertinent for low-to-middle-income countries, and the collection of information from diverse sources in a longitudinal design, encompassing clinical data, self-reports, parental reports, GPS data, and ecological momentary assessments. The study engaged adolescents over an extensive period and demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a prospective follow-up study with a risk-enriched cohort of adolescents in a middle-income country, integrating mobile technology with traditional methodologies to enhance longitudinal data collection. <br/

A Multilaboratory Comparison of Calibration Accuracy and the Performance of External References in Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304 ± 0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of ± 0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies

A multilaboratory comparison of calibration accuracy and the performance of external references in analytical ultracentrifugation.

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304 ± 0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of ± 0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies