Numerical investigation of the three-dimensional secondary instabilities in the time-developing compressible mixing layer

Mixing layers are present in very different types of physical situations such as atmospheric flows, aerodynamics and combustion. It is, therefore, a well researched subject, but there are aspects that require further studies. Here the instability of two-and three-dimensional perturbations in the compressible mixing layer was investigated by numerical simulations. In the numerical code, the derivatives were discretized using high-order compact finite-difference schemes. A stretching in the normal direction was implemented with both the objective of reducing the sound waves generated by the shear region and improving the resolution near the center. The compact schemes were modified to work with non-uniform grids. Numerical tests started with an analysis of the growth rate in the linear regime to verify the code implementation. Tests were also performed in the non-linear regime and it was possible to reproduce the vortex roll-up and pairing, both in two-and three-dimensional situations. Amplification rate analysis was also performed for the secondary instability of this flow. It was found that, for essentially incompressible flow, maximum growth rates occurred for a spanwise wavelength of approximately 2/3 of the streamwise spacing of the vortices. The result demonstrated the applicability of the theory developed by Pierrehumbet and Widnall. Compressibility effects were then considered and the maximum growth rates obtained for relatively high Mach numbers (typically under 0.8) were also presented.AFOSR Air Force Office of Scientific Research[FA9550-07-1-0055]FAPES

Xenodon pulcher (Jan, 1863) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) first record for Brazil and a distribution extension

Xenodon is a South American snake genus with 11 species distributed from Guyanas, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Xenodon pulcher is known from Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, associated to Chaco ecoregion. After a revision of material located in the Coleção Zoológica de Referência da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (ZUFMS) we found specimens of Xenodon sp. from Porto Murtinho municipality bordering Paraguay, a small area in Brazil harboring chaco vegetation. Ventral, subcaudales, pre-oculars scales and complete triads in the body and tail of 23 specimens of X. pulcher from Paraguay, 32 of X. mattogrossensis from Brazilian pantanal and four specimens of Xenodon sp. collected in Porto Murtinho, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. There is a high variation and overlap between the characters of X. pulcher and X. mattogrossensis; however X. mattogrossensis differs from X. pulcher and X. semicinctus in the presence of lateral white spots on the black rings, and the specimens from Porto Murtinho do not have these spots. This is the first record of the species in Brazil.Fil: Cabral, Hugo. Asociación Guyra; Paraguay. Instituto de Investigación Biológica del Paraguay; ParaguayFil: Piatti, Liliana. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: de Souza, Franco Leandro. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso Do Sul; BrasilFil: Scrocchi Manfrini, Gustavo Jose. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Dirección de Zoología. Instituto de Herpetología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ferreira, Vánda Lucía. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso Do Sul; Brasi

Princípios didáticos e movimentos para uma “Obutchénie por Unidades”

The formation of a theoretical thinking with scientific concepts in school education finds its constitutive unit in the dialectical relation of the obutchénie-development process. However, such objectification implies teacher didactic-pedagogical appropriation and student self-transformation. In the text, we approach didactic movements and principles, as possible syntheses, resulting from this process in a set of theoretical-practical research in public schools of MG, developed in the light of historical-cultural theory, developmental didactics, historical-dialectical method and didactic-formative intervention. Results point out that the essence of this process operates through "units" (Longarezi, 2017).La formación de un pensamiento teórico con conceptos científicos en la educación escolar encuentra su unidad constitutiva en la relación dialéctica del proceso obutchénie-desarrollo. Sin embargo, tal objetivación implica apropiación didáctica-pedagógica del profesor y autotransformación del estudiante. En el texto, abordamos movimientos y principios didácticos, como síntesis posibles, resultantes de este proceso en un conjunto de investigaciones teórico-prácticas en escuelas públicas de MG, desarrollado a la luz de la teoría histórico-cultural, didáctica desarrolladora, método histórico-dialéctico e intervención didáctico-formativo. Los resultados apuntan que la esencia de este proceso se opera por las "unidad" (Longarezi, 2017).La formation d'une pensée théorique avec des concepts scientifiques dans l'enseignement scolaire trouve son unité constitutive dans la relation dialectique du processus d'obutchénie-développement. Cependant, cette objectivation implique une appropriation didactique-pédagogique des enseignants et une auto-transformation des élèves. Dans ce texte, nous abordons les mouvements et les principes didactiques comme des synthèses possibles résultant de ce processus dans un ensemble de recherches théorico-pratiques auprès des écoles publiques de MG, développées à la lumière de la théorie historico-culturelle, de la didactique développementale, et de la méthode didactique formatif.  Les résultats soulignent que l'essence de ce processus passe par des "unités" (Longarezi, 2017).A formação de um pensar teórico com conceitos científicos na educação escolar encontra sua unidade constitutiva na relação dialética do processo “obutchénie- desenvolvimento”. Entretanto, tal objetivação implica apropriação didático-pedagógica do professor e autotransformação do estudante. No texto, abordamos movimentos e princípios didáticos, como sínteses possíveis, decorrentes desse processo em um conjunto de pesquisas teórico-práticas em escolas públicas de MG, desenvolvido à luz da teoria histórico-cultural, didática desenvolvimental, método histórico-dialético e intervenção didático-formativa. Resultados apontam que a essência desse processo opera-se pelas “unidades” (Longarezi, 2017)

Species composition and richness of anurans in Cerrado urban forests from central Brazil

Brazil harbors the greatest diversity of amphibians on the planet although there are few studies dealing with urban fauna. The objective of this study is to describe the species composition and richness of anurans in urban Cerrado fragments from Campo Grande municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul state, central Brazil. The specimens were sampled in three stages through pitfall traps and visual/acoustic surveys. Seventeen species were recorded (17.7% of anuran species registered in Mato Grosso do Sul), with Leptodactylidae and Hylidae being the most represented families. The existence of a high number of green areas and water bodies in the urban area likely favors anuran species in the region. The anuran communities in urban areas of Campo Grande were dominated by species which use a broad range of habitats. In this study there was the record of a new species of anuran, Proceratophrys dibernardoi, for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The forest fragments that had the highest similarity for species composition were those with similar environmental conditions. The knowledge of the fauna that occurs in urban areas is important because natural habitats suffer severe fragmentation and degradation and species present in these areas may disappear in a shorter period of time

Incorporating costs, thresholds and spatial extents for selecting stream bioindicators in an ecotone between two Brazilian biodiversity hotspots

Biomonitoring is critical for characterizing and monitoring status, spatial patterns, and long-term trends in the ecological condition of freshwater ecosystems. The selection of cost-effective bioindicators is a critical step in establishing such monitoring programs. Key indicator considerations are a reliable response to anthropogenic disturbances, a high benefit-cost-ratio and sensitivity at multiple spatial extents. We evaluated non-linear responses of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) and fish to the effects of native vegetation loss within buffers of 100 m and 1000 m and assessed the sampling and processing costs involved for each assemblage. We sampled 37 neotropical stream sites in the Formoso River network, a karstic region of the Bodoquena Plateau, midwest Brazil, lying in the ecotone between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biological hotspots. We used TITAN (threshold indicator taxa analysis) to identify six indicator taxa, four EPT genera and two fish species. The four EPT genera had low negative thresholds to native vegetation loss, whereas the two fish species had positive thresholds. Thresholds were lower for the 100 m buffers than the 1000 m buffers for EPT. The most sensitive taxon (Macronema, Trichoptera) had a threshold of 0% native vegetation loss in the 100 m buffers and nearly 40% in the 1000 m buffers. For taxa richness, we found no non-linear response to the effects of native vegetation loss for buffer extent nor assemblage. The total cost for EPT biomonitoring was US$3,616; whereas for fish, the total was US$ 1,901. Although fish were less expensive than EPT, they did not respond negatively to native vegetation loss and their positive threshold started at 48%, a level of vegetation loss that was highly disruptive of EPT. Therefore, we do not recommend using fish to monitor the effects of native vegetation loss on headwater streams in the Bodoquena Plateau. Although EPT monitoring costs 52% more than fish assemblage monitoring, it detected earlier impacts of the effects of native vegetation loss on stream biota, especially in the 100 m buffer. Therefore, EPT are more cost-effective early warning indicators for monitoring the effects of native vegetation loss in Bodoquena Plateau headwaters

Loss of Cultural and Functional Diversity Associated With Birds Across the Urbanization Gradient in a Tropical City

Birds provide many ecosystem services to people, including provisioning, regulating and cultural services. People attribute multiple cultural values to ecosystems and biodiversity and the diversity of these cultural values can be considered as cultural diversity. While human-nature interactions occur more frequently in cities and urbanization negatively affects different facets of avian biodiversity, little is known about its consequence for cultural diversity. Here, we assess how the urbanization gradient in Campo Grande, a Brazilian city in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot, affects functional and cultural diversity associated with birds and if functional and cultural diversity are congruent. We also investigate the relation between urbanization gradient with functional traits and cultural values, weighted by species abundance. We used a dataset based on bird surveyed in 61 landscapes along a gradient of impervious surface cover. To estimate functional and cultural diversity, we used indices that estimate richness and divergence of functional traits and cultural values. We found that urbanization affected functional and cultural richness negatively, while there was no effect on functional and cultural divergence. Functional and cultural richness and functional and cultural divergence were weakly, but significantly correlated. Bird species that nest on trees decreased and those that nest in artificial structures and on the ground increased along the impervious surface gradient. Body size, diet, habitat, mating system, flock behavior, and all cultural values (number of times the species was mentioned by football teams, music or poetry, city flags and anthems, and folklore tales) were not significantly affected by impervious surface. The negative relationship between impervious surface and bird cultural richness may indicate that people living in more urbanized areas experience nature less compared to people in less urbanized areas, which can affect their psychological well-being. In these highly urbanized areas, contact with culturally valued birds and cultural services provided by birds may also diminish. The negative relationship between functional richness and urbanization also indicate that highly urbanized areas may be losing important ecosystems services provided by birds

Percepção de acadêmicos de medicina sobre a relação entre espiritualidade, religiosidade e saúde / Perception of medical students about the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and health

Introdução: Em virtude da comprovação das pesquisas científicas acerca dos resultados positivos no processo saúde-doença, religiosidade e espiritualidade na saúde do indivíduo tornaram-se temas de discussões cada vez mais frequentes. Objetivo: conhecer a percepção dos acadêmicos de medicina da Universidade do Estado do Pará sobre a relação entre espiritualidade, religiosidade e saúde. Método: Trata-se de estudo transversal, pautado na pesquisa Spirituality and Brazilian Medical Education, com a participação de 288 discentes. Resultados: Encontrou-se que 63,9% entende que a espiritualidade é uma “crença em algo que transcende a matéria” e que a relação entre espiritualidade e religiosidade influenciam “muito” na saúde de seus pacientes. A maioria também acredita que os acadêmicos devem estar preparados para abordar as questões espirituais com seus pacientes, apesar das escolas médicas brasileiras pouco abordarem o tema. Por isso, acreditam que esse conteúdo deve ser incluído no currículo. Conclusão: conclui-se que os estudantes de medicina reconhecem a relevância da espiritualidade e religiosidade na promoção da saúde dos pacientes. Discute-se ampliar este tema no âmbito da graduação, para que o estudante possa ter contato com esses valores e possam abordar a espiritualidade de seus pacientes como ponto fundamental do processo saúde-doença e da relação médico-paciente

MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF VERTEBRATE COPULATORY ORGANS: A REVIEW

Estudos de morfologia comparativa e não comparativa do sistema reprodutor de vertebrados têm dado ênfase aos aspectos morfofuncionais das gônadas ou demais estruturas da genitália interna, principalmente de fêmeas. No entanto, poucos estudos discorrem acerca das modificações e adaptações morfológicas dos órgãos copulatórios masculinos, cuja principal função é a transferência e o direcionamento do esperma através do trato reprodutor feminino. Assim, a presente revisão sistematiza e compara aspectos morfológicos dos órgãos copulatórios, com foco especial nos vertebrados, bem como associa estas estruturas sob uma perspectiva filogenética, e quando possível destaca as principais estratégias reprodutivas masculinas com vistas ao sucesso reprodutivo.Palavras-chave: reprodução, morfologia comparativa, cópula, seleção sexual.Studies of comparative and non comparative morphology of the reproductive system of vertebrates emphasize the morphofunctional aspects of the gonads or other organs of internal genitalia, mainly in females. However, few studies deal about the morphological adaptations and modifications of the male copulatory organ, whose main function is transfer and direct the sperm through the female reproductive tract. Thus, this review systematizes and compares morphology of copulatory organs, with special focus on vertebrates, as well as associates these structures under a phylogenetic perspective, and where possible highlights mainly male reproductive strategies with a view to reproductive success.Keywords: Reproduction; comparative morphology; copulation; sexual selection.