Espécies de aves não nativas no Brasil

Many non-native species of birds have been introduced beyond the limits of their natural geographic ranges, where they may subsequently establish viable populations and perhaps become invasive. Much attention in the literature has been devoted to the study of bird introductions, but relatively little of that attention has been focused on introductions to the continental tropics. Here, we compile published data on records of non-native bird species introduced to the wild in Brazil, with the aim of organizing and standardizing available information to facilitate future studies in this context. A total of 59 bird species were classified as introduced in Brazil, with one further species believed to be a recent natural colonist. Published information implies that 14 species have established or probably established non-native populations in Brazil, while a further 10 species have possibly established non-native populations. In this context, we map the non-native distributions of non-native species of birds in Brazil. Additional research is needed to confirm the status of these species, as well as to establish practical measures to combat and control introductions.Key words: alien birds, biological invasions, exotic species.Muitas espécies não nativas de aves têm sido introduzidas para além dos seus limites geográficos naturais, onde elas posteriormente podem estabelecer populações viáveis e tornarem-se invasoras. Muita atenção tem sido dedicada a estudos com introdução de aves na literatura, mas relativamente pouca atenção tem sido focada em introduções nos continentes tropicais. No presente trabalho, compilamos os dados publicados sobre os registros de espécies de aves não nativas introduzidas à vida selvagem no Brasil, com o objetivo de organizar e padronizar as informações disponíveis para facilitar futuros estudos nesse contexto. Um total de 59 espécies de aves foi considerado introduzido no Brasil. Há, ainda, uma espécie adicional que acreditamos ser um recente colonizador natural. As informações publicadas indicam que 14 espécies têm estabelecido ou provavelmente estabeleceram populações não nativas no Brasil, enquanto outras 10 espécies têm a possibilidade de estabelecerem populações não nativas. Nesse contexto, mapeamos a distribuição das espécies não nativas de aves no Brasil. Pesquisas adicionais são necessárias para confirmar a situação dessas espécies, bem como para estabelecer medidas práticas para combater e controlar as introduções. Palavras-chave: aves invasoras, invasões biológicas, espécies exóticas

1.4 GHz HIGH-RESOLUTION FLUX-ACCURATE IMAGES OF SN 1006

We present interferometric+single-dish images, constructed from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and VLA observations, of the supernova remnant SN 1006. The image was created using a Multiscale CLEAN algorithm in conjunction with a novel approach for correcting the effect of the non-coplanar baselines. We demonstrate that integrating with a single dish to the confusion limit of the highest resolution interferometric element is not required. Instead, the noise in the map is limited by the signal-to-noise ratio in each observation. The noise in the combined map at the full resolution is dominated by uncertainties in the VLA data, not by uncertainties in our short GBT observation. The resulting image is a significant improvement over images missing short spacing information, and paves the way for future joint GBT+VLA proposals that need to accurately image objects ranging from galaxies to H II regions

Jefferson Village Downtown District Plan

Jefferson Village is an incorporated municipality in Northeastern Ohio, with a population in 2000 of about 4000 residents. Originally founded in 1803 and incorporated in 1836, the Village has been the county seat for Ashtabula County since 1807. The Village is centrally located in Ashtabula County, 10 miles south of Lake Erie, and 10 miles west of the Pennsylvania border. Interstate highway 90 runs parallel to the lake shore, about 6 miles north of the village; and State Route 11 is a major north-south connector located about 2 miles east of the village. The primary employment locations in the Village are the downtown County administration and the independent professional offices that serve county-related needs, and a light industrial park to the southeast of downtown. The County fairground is also located within the village limits. While residential, commercial and retail growth have occurred over the years, the village still retains much of its original Western Reserve town character. Over 25% of the buildings in the downtown district have historic merit, and both Chestnut and Jefferson Streets are lined with older brick commercial buildings, as well as large, well-kept residences of Western Reserve, Georgian and Victorian architectural styles. Village administration is still based in the original Town Hall, and residents take much pride in the small town charm of the community. In 2006, new commercial development was proposed for Chestnut Street that would have required removal of a residence of historic character, replacing it with a new, generic commercial structure and a typical street-frontage parking lot. Residents were concerned, and public discourse in the local newspaper and at Town Hall led to withdrawal of the proposal. Village leadership felt that it was time to explore the historic character and economic future of the downtown district, and establish policy that could guide future decision making for the downtown

Jefferson Village Downtown District Plan

Jefferson Village is an incorporated municipality in Northeastern Ohio, with a population in 2000 of about 4000 residents. Originally founded in 1803 and incorporated in 1836, the Village has been the county seat for Ashtabula County since 1807. The Village is centrally located in Ashtabula County, 10 miles south of Lake Erie, and 10 miles west of the Pennsylvania border. Interstate highway 90 runs parallel to the lake shore, about 6 miles north of the village; and State Route 11 is a major north-south connector located about 2 miles east of the village. The primary employment locations in the Village are the downtown County administration and the independent professional offices that serve county-related needs, and a light industrial park to the southeast of downtown. The County fairground is also located within the village limits. While residential, commercial and retail growth have occurred over the years, the village still retains much of its original Western Reserve town character. Over 25% of the buildings in the downtown district have historic merit, and both Chestnut and Jefferson Streets are lined with older brick commercial buildings, as well as large, well-kept residences of Western Reserve, Georgian and Victorian architectural styles. Village administration is still based in the original Town Hall, and residents take much pride in the small town charm of the community. In 2006, new commercial development was proposed for Chestnut Street that would have required removal of a residence of historic character, replacing it with a new, generic commercial structure and a typical street-frontage parking lot. Residents were concerned, and public discourse in the local newspaper and at Town Hall led to withdrawal of the proposal. Village leadership felt that it was time to explore the historic character and economic future of the downtown district, and establish policy that could guide future decision making for the downtown

No saturation in the accumulation of alien species worldwide

Although research on human-mediated exchanges of species has substantially intensified during the last centuries, we know surprisingly little about temporal dynamics of alien species accumulations across regions and taxa. Using a novel database of 45,813 first records of 16,926 established alien species, we show that the annual rate of first records worldwide has increased during the last 200 years, with 37% of all first records reported most recently (1970–2014). Inter-continental and inter-taxonomic variation can be largely attributed to the diaspora of European settlers in the nineteenth century and to the acceleration in trade in the twentieth century. For all taxonomic groups, the increase in numbers of alien species does not show any sign of saturation and most taxa even show increases in the rate of first records over time. This highlights that past efforts to mitigate invasions have not been effective enough to keep up with increasing globalization

State of Utah Space Environment & Contamination Study (SUSpECS) MISSE-6 Payload to Investigate Their Effects on Electron Emission and Resistivity of Spacecraft Materials

A study of the effects of prolonged exposure to the space environment and of charge-enhanced contamination on the electron emission and resistivity of spacecraft materials, the State of Utah Space Environment & Contamination Study (SUSpECS), is planned for flight aboard the MISSE-6 payload. The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-6) program is designed to characterize the performance of candidate new space materials over the course of approximately four to eight month exposure periods on-orbit on the International Space Station, with a target flight date of mid-2006. The study is conducted by the Utah State University Materials Physics Group, in cooperation with the USU Get-Away Special Program and ATK Thiokol. Electron emission and transport properties of materials are key in determining the likelihood of deleterious spacecraft charging effects and are essential parameters in modeling these effects with engineering tools like NASCAP-2K code. While preliminary ground-based studies have shown that contamination can lead to catastrophic charging effects under certain circumstances, little direct information is presently available on the effects of sample deterioration and contamination on emission properties for materials flown in space. Approximately 40 samples will be mounted on panels on both the ram and wake sides of the ISS. They have been carefully chosen to provide needed information for different ongoing studies and a broad cross-section of prototypical materials used on the exteriors of spacecrafts. Much of the pre-flight testing has already been done in conjunction with previous studies through the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program and other projects. The materials will be tested for resistivity and dielectric strength, and for electron-, ion-, and photon-induced electron emission yield curves and emission spectra. Characterization measurements include optical and electron microscopy, reflection spectroscopy, resistivity and Auger electron spectroscopy. In addition, studies of the service life of composite and ceramic materials of the ATK Thermal Protection Systems and Lightweight Structure System

Comparison of the behavior of fungal and plant cell wall during gastrointestinal digestion and resulting health effects: A review

Background; The structure of many plant- and fungal-based foods is determined by cell walls which are the primary source of dietary fiber. Several studies have shown that consumption of cell wall fibers from plants and fungi can modulate digestion leading to health-promoting effects such as increasing satiety and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. Scope and Approach; We focus on the impact of the food structure determined by plant and fungal cell walls on digestion and subsequent physiological responses. The underlying mechanisms promoting health effects may differ between plant and fungal cell walls, considering their different structural and biochemical organizations. Fungal cell walls have been vastly understudied compared to plant cell walls in this regard. Therefore, we highlight differences and similarities of plant- and fungal-based foods that may underlie the observed health benefits. Key Findings and Conclusions; The ability of the plant cell walls in our diet to influence digestion and improve human health has been intensely investigated over many years. The health outcomes observed following plants and fungi consumption appear similar, despite fundamental differences between the two kingdoms of life. The possible mechanisms underlying the health effects are the control of nutrient bioaccessibility, binding and sequestration of digestive components, increasing viscosity, and colonic fermentation. Mechanisms by which cell walls influence bioaccessibility of nutrients from fungal and plant cell walls are discussed. Moreover, consistent evidence for the fungal counterpart is still lacking, and further studies focusing on the whole structure of fungi are required

Equine synovial fluid small non-coding RNA signatures in early osteoarthritis

Background Osteoarthritis remains one of the greatest causes of morbidity and mortality in the equine population. The inability to detect pre-clinical changes in osteoarthritis has been a significant impediment to the development of effective therapies against this disease. Synovial fluid represents a potential source of disease-specific small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that could aid in the understanding of the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. We hypothesised that early stages of osteoarthritis would alter the expression of sncRNAs, facilitating the understanding of the underlying pathogenesis and potentially provide early biomarkers. Methods Small RNA sequencing was performed using synovial fluid from the metacarpophalangeal joints of both control and early osteoarthritic horses. A group of differentially expressed sncRNAs was selected for further validation through qRT-PCR using an independent cohort of synovial fluid samples from control and early osteoarthritic horses. Bioinformatic analysis was performed in order to identify putative targets of the differentially expressed microRNAs and to explore potential associations with specific biological processes. Results Results revealed 22 differentially expressed sncRNAs including 13 microRNAs; miR-10a, miR-223, let7a, miR-99a, miR-23b, miR-378, miR-143 (and six novel microRNAs), four small nuclear RNAs; U2, U5, U11, U12, three small nucleolar RNAs; U13, snoR38, snord96, and one small cajal body-specific RNA; scarna3. Five sncRNAs were validated; miR-223 was significantly reduced in early osteoarthritis and miR-23b, let-7a-2, snord96A and snord13 were significantly upregulated. Significant cellular actions deduced by the differentially expressed microRNAs included apoptosis (P < 0.0003), necrosis (P < 0.0009), autophagy (P < 0.0007) and inflammation (P < 0.00001). A conservatively filtered list of 57 messenger RNA targets was obtained; the top biological processes associated were regulation of cell population proliferation (P < 0.000001), cellular response to chemical stimulus (P < 0.000001) and cell surface receptor signalling pathway (P < 0.000001). Conclusions Synovial fluid sncRNAs may be used as molecular biomarkers for early disease in equine osteoarthritic joints. The biological processes they regulate may play an important role in understanding early osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Characterising these dynamic molecular changes could provide novel insights on the process and mechanism of early osteoarthritis development and is critical for the development of new therapeutic approaches

The impact of land use on non-native species incidence and number in local assemblages worldwide.

While the regional distribution of non-native species is increasingly well documented for some taxa, global analyses of non-native species in local assemblages are still missing. Here, we use a worldwide collection of assemblages from five taxa - ants, birds, mammals, spiders and vascular plants - to assess whether the incidence, frequency and proportions of naturalised non-native species depend on type and intensity of land use. In plants, assemblages of primary vegetation are least invaded. In the other taxa, primary vegetation is among the least invaded land-use types, but one or several other types have equally low levels of occurrence, frequency and proportions of non-native species. High land use intensity is associated with higher non-native incidence and frequency in primary vegetation, while intensity effects are inconsistent for other land-use types. These findings highlight the potential dual role of unused primary vegetation in preserving native biodiversity and in conferring resistance against biological invasions

Ambient Temperature Influences Australian Native Stingless Bee (Trigona carbonaria) Preference for Warm Nectar

The interaction between flowers and insect pollinators is an important aspect of the reproductive mechanisms of many plant species. Several laboratory and field studies indicate that raising flower temperature above ambient can be an advantage in attracting pollinators. Here we demonstrate that this preference for warmer flowers is, in fact, context-dependent. Using an Australian native bee as a model, we demonstrate for the first time a significant shift in behaviour when the ambient temperature reaches 34°C, at which point bees prefer ambient temperature nectar over warmer nectar. We then use thermal imaging techniques to show warmer nectar maintains the flight temperature of bees during the period of rest on flowers at lower ambient temperatures but the behavioural switch is associated with the body temperature rising above that maintained during flight. These findings suggest that flower-pollinator interactions are dependent upon ambient temperature and may therefore alter in different thermal environments