Are isomeric alkenes used in species recognition among neo-tropical stingless bees (Melipona spp)

The majority of our understanding of the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) in recognition is based largely on temperate ant species and honey bees. The stingless bees remain relatively poorly studied, despite being the largest group of eusocial bees, comprising more than 400 species in some 60 genera. The Meliponini and Apini diverged between 80-130 Myr B.P. so the evolutionary trajectories that shaped the chemical communication systems in ants, honeybees and stingless bees may be very different. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to study if a unique species CHC signal existed in Neotropical stingless bees, as shown for many temperate species, and if so what compounds are involved. This was achieved by collecting CHC data from 24 colonies belonging to six species of Melipona from North-eastern Brazil and comparing this new data with all previously published CHC studies on Melipona. We found that each of the eleven Melipona species studied so far each produced a unique species CHC signal based around their alkene isomer production. A remarkable number of alkene isomers, up to 25 in M. asilvai, indicated the diversification of alkene positional isomers among the stingless bees. The only other group to have really diversified in alkene isomer production are the primitively eusocial Bumblebees (Bombus spp), which are the sister group of the stingless bees. Furthermore, among the eleven Neotropical Melipona species we could detect no effect of the environment on the proportion of alkane production as has been suggested for some other species

Simulação da difusão do zinco e do oxigênio, e análise da durabilidade de varistor de ZnO utilizando o planejamento fatorial

A durabilidade do varistor de ZnO está relacionada com suas características elétricas, microestruturais, térmicas e com o fenômeno de transporte de massa nos contornos de grão durante o processo de operação do varistor. O estado de polarização nos contornos de grão está relacionado com a difusão do zinco, do oxigênio e dos dopantes durante a aplicação do potencial elétrico e/ou da temperatura. Quando o potencial elétrico é retirado e o estado de polarização não recupera seu estado natural, significa que o dispositivo adquire os piores parâmetros e o varistor sofre degradação, comprometendo sua durabilidade. Neste trabalho, foi simulada a difusão do zinco intersticial e das vacâncias de oxigênio em ZnO. Foi também simulada a durabilidade do varistor, através do planejamento fatorial dos parâmetros elétricos, térmicos e geométricos que caracterizam o dispositivo. Através destes resultados, verificou-se que a difusão do zinco intersticial controla principalmente as propriedades elétricas. Observou-se, também, que quando aumenta a temperatura e a queda de tensão registrada em 0,5 mA/cm², a durabilidade do varistor fica comprometida

Microstructure and electric properties of a SnO 2 based varistor

Abstract High non-linear J Â E electrical characteristic (a=41) were obtained in the Nb 2 O 5 and Cr 2 O 3 doped CoO highly densi®ed SnO 2 ceramics. X-ray diraction analysis showed that these ceramics are apparently single phase. Electrical properties and microstructure are highly dependent on the Cr 2 O 3 concentration and on the sintering temperature. Excess of Cr 2 O 3 leads to porous ceramics destroying the material's electrical characteristics probably due to precipitation of second phase of CoCr 2 O 4 . Dopant segregation and/or solid solution formation at the grain boundaries can be responsible for the formation of the electrical barriers which originate the varistor behaviour.