No sex-biased dispersal in a primate with an uncommon social system-cooperative polyandry.

An influential hypothesis proposed by Greenwood (1980) suggests that different mating systems result in female and male-biased dispersal, respectively, in birds and mammals. However, other aspects of social structure and behavior can also shape sex-biased dispersal. Although sex-specific patterns of kin cooperation are expected to affect the benefits of philopatry and dispersal patterns, empirical evidence is scarce. Unlike many mammals, Saguinus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's tamarin) has a breeding system in which typically multiple males mate with a single breeding female. Males typically form cooperative reproductive partnerships between relatives, whereas females generally compete for reproductive opportunities. This system of cooperative polyandry is predicted to result in female-biased dispersal, providing an opportunity to test the current hypotheses of sex-biased dispersal. Here we test for evidence of sex-biased dispersal in S. geoffroyi using demographic and genetic data from three populations. We find no sex bias in natal dispersal, contrary to the prediction based on the mating patterns. This pattern was consistent after controlling for the effects of historical population structure. Limited breeding opportunities within social groups likely drive both males and females to disperse, suggesting that dispersal is intimately related to the social context. The integration of genetic and field data revealed that tamarins are another exception to the presumed pattern of male-biased dispersal in mammals. A shift in focus from mating systems to social behavior, which plays a role in most all processes expected to influence sex-bias in dispersal, will be a fruitful target for research both within species and across taxa

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? Socioeconomic Status and Morbidity/Mortality

No abstract.

Ecological and evolutionary processes in two southern African endemic birds

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.In this dissertation, I propose a population-level framework that integrates ecology and population genetics to rethink the mechanisms that promote divergence. To accomplish that I studied two southern African endemic Cercotrichas scrub-robins: C. coryphaeus and C. signata. Despite its phylogenetic proximity the two study species occupy the two ends of the habitat spectrum available in southern Africa: semi-arid Karoo vs. Forest

Mapping Wide Row Crops with Video Sequences Acquired from a Tractor Moving at Treatment Speed

This paper presents a mapping method for wide row crop fields. The resulting map shows the crop rows and weeds present in the inter-row spacing. Because field videos are acquired with a camera mounted on top of an agricultural vehicle, a method for image sequence stabilization was needed and consequently designed and developed. The proposed stabilization method uses the centers of some crop rows in the image sequence as features to be tracked, which compensates for the lateral movement (sway) of the camera and leaves the pitch unchanged. A region of interest is selected using the tracked features, and an inverse perspective technique transforms the selected region into a bird’s-eye view that is centered on the image and that enables map generation. The algorithm developed has been tested on several video sequences of different fields recorded at different times and under different lighting conditions, with good initial results. Indeed, lateral displacements of up to 66% of the inter-row spacing were suppressed through the stabilization process, and crop rows in the resulting maps appear straight

Study of Pt/MCM-22 based catalysts in the transformation of n-hexane: effect of rare earth elements and mode of platinum introduction

The bifunctional transformation of n-hexane was carried out over Pt/MCM-22 based catalysts. MCM-22 was synthesized and submitted to ion exchange with rare earth nitrate solutions of La, Nd and Yb, followed by Pt introduction. Three different methods were used to introduce about 1 wt% of Pt in the zeolite: ion exchange, incipient wetness impregnation and mechanical mixture with Pt/Al(2)O(3). The bifunctional catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by the model reaction of toluene hydrogenation. These experiments showed that, in the ion exchanged sample, Pt is located both within the inner micropores and on the outer surface, whereas in the impregnated one, the metal is essentially located on the outer surface under the form of large particles. The presence of RE elements increases the hydrogenating activity of Pt/MCM-22 since the location of these species at the vicinity of metal particles causes modification on its electronic properties. Whatever the mode of Pt introduction, a fast initial decrease in conversion is observed for n-hexane transformation, followed by a plateau related to the occurrence of the catalytic transformations at the hemicages located at the outer surface of the crystals. The effect of rare earth elements on the hydrogenating function leads to a lower selectivity in dibranched isomers and increased amounts of light products

Incorporation of niobium in SAPO-11 materials: Synthesis and characterization

The present work concerns a new synthesis approach to prepare niobium based SAPO materials with AEL structure and the characterization ofNb species incorporated within the inorganic matrixes. The SAPO-11 materials were synthesized with or without the help of a small amine, methylamine (MA) as co-template, while Nb was added directly during the preparation of the initial gel. Structural, textural and acidic properties of the different supports were evaluated by XRD, TPR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, pyridine adsorption followed by IR spectroscopy and thermal analyses. Pure and well crystalline Nb based SAPO-11 materials were obtained, either with or without MA, using in the initial gel a low Si content of about 0.6. Increasing the Si content of the gel up to 0.9 led to an important decrease of the samples crystallinity. Niobium was found to incorporate the AEL pores support as small Nb2O5 oxide particles and also as extra framework cationic species (Nb5+), compensating the negative charges from the matrix and generating new Lewis acid sites. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Quantum Theory of Multisubband Plasmon-Phonon Coupling

We present a theoretical description of the coupling between longitudinal optical phonons and collective excitations of a two-dimensional electron gas. By diagonalizing the Hamiltonian of the system, including Coulomb electron-electron and Fr\"ohlich interactions, we observe the formation of multisubband polarons, mixed states partially phonon and partially multisubband plasmon, characterized by a coupling energy which is a significant fraction, up to ~40%, of the phonon energy. We demonstrate that multisubband plasmons and longitudinal optical phonons are in the ultra-strong coupling regime in several III-V and II-VI material systems.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Merchandising no cinema: estudo de caso do filme Náufrago

O merchandising é uma das ferramentas de marketing mais poderosas. Com uma inserção imperceptível de forma delicada essa ferramenta pode trazer muito mais resultados que um vendedor bem treinado. A sensação transmitida ao telespectador desperta um desejo, uma necessidade de consumo. Há várias formas de transmitir uma mensagem, no entanto deve-se estar atento as novas tecnologias e inovações criativas sempre em busca de dominar a atenção do consumidor. Na indústria do cinema hollywoodiano o produto não é só o filme, mas tudo que se vende relacionado a ele. O filme Náufrago explora de maneira impressionante essa ferramenta poderosa durante seu enredo. O merchandising produzido na cena de um grande filme gera grandes resultados e pode contribuir com boa parte do orçamento do filme, tendo em vista que tais inserções têm seu custo elevado