Repositório RCAAP

This paper supply subsidies for Quaternary geological reconstruction of the southeastern State of Santa Catarina coast in Brazil, being based on detailed geological mapping supported by a series of drilling data, which allowed to establish a stratigraphical hierarchy of the sedimentary deposits. Among the mapped geological units stand out the extensive Pleistocene shallow marine sandy sediments, which are commonly referred as a barrier island - lagoonal depositional system. A drilling campaign done in the domain permitted the sampling of material for 14C datings, and the obtained data confirmed some previously assumed ages. The sequence of events, that originated the Holocene deposits, has been also reconstructed through drilling and 14C dating of the collected peat and shell samples. Finally, the main characteristics of the most promising mineral prospect of the area, represented by voluminous calcareous shell deposits associated with Holocene sediments, are also presented.

Using the average directions of the main wave-fronts which approach the coast of Bahia State - coinciding with that of the main wind occurring in the area - and of their periods, we define a wave climate model based on the construction of refraction diagrams. The resulting model of sediment transport was able to reproduce, in a general way, the sediment dispersion patterns furnished by geomorphic indicators of the littoral drift. These dispersion patterns control the generation of different types of sediment accumulations and of coastal stretches under erosion. We demonstrate that the presence of the Abrolhos and Corumbaú Point coral reefs is an important factor controlling the sediment dispersion patterns, since them act as a large protection against the waves action.

By using the nodal domains of some natural function arising in the study of hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature we obtain some Bernstein-type theorems.

The author gives a brief description of the studies that led to the eclosion of the weak forces model of unification of Electromagnetic interactions with weak interactions.

There exists an extensive literature on the possible roles of minerals in the prebiotic stages of the chemical evolution of life (Bernal 1951, Cairns-Smith 1982, Wächtershäuser 1992, Vieyra et al. 1995, Tessis et al. 1999, see Lahav (1994) for a review). Among the original proposals, minerals have been considered in: (a) processes that would discriminate molecular chirality; (b) condensation reactions of biomolecular precursors; (c) prebiotic catalysis; (d) biochemical templates; and (e) autocatalytic metabolism. In this communication it is emphazised the complex properties of both surface reactions and interfaces between minerals and aqueous solutions simulating Archean scenarios. The properties of pyrite surface net charge and of its interface with a solution simulating primitive seawater are discussed and their implications to the autocatalytic model (Wächtershäuser 1988a 1992) are presented in order to demonstrate their relevance. The proposed roles of iron-sulfide minerals (mainly pyrite) as physical support for primitive bidimensional metabolism and chiral discriminator (Wächtershäuser 1988a, Huber & Wächtershäuser 1998) are revised. It is shown that: (a) the net surface charge can be modulated by the pyrite-aqueous solution interface; (b) mononucleotides attachment to pyrite require a cationic bridge; and (c) direct absorption of acetate - a molecule proposed as carbon source in primitive aqueous environments - also modulates the interface properties and would have masked pyrite's bulk structure. These results indicate that physicochemical changes of mineral surfaces - caused by environments simulating Archean aqueous scenarios - should be taken into account in the proposals of mineral prebiotic roles.

This short review presents the results obtained in several localities of Brazil on the composition of forest bird communities. Data were collected since the late 80's, after we introduced a new methodology of quantitative survey, based on acoustic identification and unlimited-radius point census. Although these data are still scattered, they show uniquely precise and coherently comparative patterns of composition of forest bird communities. Our methodology has the advantage of being absolutely non-disturbing, highly efficient in the field and immediately processed. Results confirm that the structure of a bird community is a good indicator of biodiversity, particularly useful where biodiversity is high. Many of these data are available only in unpublished dissertations and abstracts of congress communications, or are being analysed. A cooperative program is needed to promote new surveys and publish their results, as a contribution for measuring and monitoring biodiversity, especially in complex endangered habitats.

Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter responsible for the transmission of impulses from cholinergic neurons to cells of innervated tissues. Its biosynthesis is catalyzed by the enzyme Choline acetyltransferase that is considered to be a phenotypically specific marker for cholinergic system. It is well known that the regulation of Choline acetyltransferase activity under physiological and pathological conditions is important for development and neuronal activities of cholinergic functions. We observed the distribution of Choline acetyltransferase in sections from the normal and denervated main electric organ sections of Electrophorus electricus (L.) by immunofluorescence using a anti-Choline acetyltransferase antibody. The animals were submitted to a surgical procedure to remove about 20 nerves and after 30 and 60 days, they were sacrificed. After 30 days, the results from immunohistochemistry demonstrated an increase on the Choline acetyltransferase distribution at denervated tissue sections when compared with the sections from the normal contralateral organ. A very similar labeling was observed between normal and denervated tissue sections of the animals after 60 days. However, Choline acetyltransferase activity (nmolesACh/ min/ mg of protein) in extracts obtained from electrocyte microsomal preparation, estimated by Fonnun's method (Fonnun 1975), was 70% lower in the denervated extracts.

The electric eel Electrophorus electricus is a fresh water teleost showing an electrogenic tissue that produces electric discharges. This electrogenic tissue is distributed in three well-defined electric organs which may be found symmetrically along both sides of the eel. These electric organs develop from muscle and exhibit several biochemical properties and morphological features of the muscle sarcolema. This review examines the contribution of the cytoskeletal meshwork to the maintenance of the polarized organization of the electrocyte, the cell that contains all electric properties of each electric organ. The cytoskeletal filaments display an important role in the establishment and maintenance of the highly specialized membrane model system of the electrocyte. As a muscular tissue, these electric organs expresses actin and desmin. The studies that characterized these cytoskeletal proteins and their implications on the electrophysiology of the electric tissues are revisited.

Since William James (1890) first distinguished primary from secondary memory, equivalent to short- and long-term memory, respectively, it has been assumed that short-term memory processes are in charge of cognition while long-term memory is being consolidated. From those days a major question has been whether short-term memory is merely a initial phase of long-term memory, or a separate phenomena. Recent experiments have shown that many treatments with specific molecular actions given into the hippocampus and related brain areas after one-trial avoidance learning can effectively cancel short-term memory without affecting long-term memory formation. This shows that short-term memory and long-term memory involve separate mechanisms and are independently processed. Other treatments, however, influence both memory types similarly, suggesting links between both at the receptor and at the post-receptor level, which should not be surprising as they both deal with nearly the same sensorimotor representations. This review examines recent advances in short- and long-term memory mechanisms based on the effect of intra-hippocampal infusion of drugs acting upon neurotransmitter and signal transduction systems on both memory types.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle retains a membrane bound Ca2+-ATPase which is able to interconvert different forms of energy. A part of the chemical energy released during ATP hydrolysis is converted into heat and in the bibliography it is assumed that the amount of heat produced during the hydrolysis of an ATP molecule is always the same, as if the energy released during ATP cleavage were divided in two non-interchangeable parts: one would be converted into heat, and the other used for Ca2+ transport. Data obtained in our laboratory during the past three years indicate that the amount of heat released during the hydrolysis of ATP may vary between 7 and 32 Kcal/mol depending on whether or not a transmembrane Ca2+ gradient is formed across the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. Drugs such as heparin and dimethyl sulfoxide are able to modify the fraction of the chemical energy released during ATP hydrolysis which is used for Ca2+ transport and the fraction which is dissipated in the surrounding medium as heat.

The cell adhesion molecule Rst-irreC is a transmembrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily involved in several important developmental processes in Drosophila, including axonal pathfinding in the optic lobe and programmed cell death and pigment cell differentiation in the pupal retina. As an initial step towards the "in vivo'' functional analysis of this protein we have generated transgenic fly stocks carrying a truncated cDNA construct encoding only the extracellular domain of Rst-IrreC under the transcriptional control of the heat shock inducible promoter hsp70. We show that heat-shocking embryos bearing the transgene during the first 8hs of development lead to a 3-4 fold reduction in their viability compared to wild type controls. The embryonic lethality can already be produced by applying the heat pulse in the first 3hs of embryonic development, does not seem to be suppressed in the absence of wildtype product and is progressively reduced as the heat treatment is applied later in embryogenesis. These results are compatible with the hypothesis of the lethal phenotype being primarily due to heterophilic interactions between Rst-IrreC extracellular domain and an yet unknown ligand.

The review is concerned with a progress in genetic modification of a mammalian genome in vitro and in vivo at chromosomal level. Recently three new approaches for the chromosome biotechnology have been developed: Using Cre/loxP-system a researcher is able to produce targeted rearrangements of whole chromosomes or their segments or particular genes within the genome, and therefore to modify the set, position and copy number of the endogenous elements of the genome. Mammalian artificial chromosomes (MACs) provide a possibility to introduce into genome relatively large segments of alien chromosome material, either artificially constructed or derived from the genome of different species. Using ES-somatic cell hybrids allows to transfer whole chromosomes or their fragments between different genomes within and between species. Advantages and limitations of these approaches are discussed.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) is a Cl- channel. Mutations of this transporter lead to a defect of chloride secretion by epithelial cells causing the Cystic Fibrosis disease (CF). In spite of the high expression of CFTR in the kidney, patients with CF do not show major renal dysfunction, but it is known that both the urinary excretion of drugs and the renal capacity to concentrate and dilute urine is deficient. CFTR mRNA is expressed in all nephron segments and its protein is involved with chloride secretion in the distal tubule, and the principal cells of the cortical (CCD) and medullary (IMCD) collecting ducts. Several studies have demonstrated that CFTR does not only transport Cl- but also secretes ATP and, thus, controls other conductances such as Na+ (ENaC) and K+ (ROMK2) channels, especially in CCD. In the polycystic kidney the secretion of chloride through CFTR contributes to the cyst enlargement. This review is focused on the role of CFTR in the kidney and the implications of extracellular volume regulators, such as hormones, on its function and expression.

Malpighian tubule of Rhodnius sp. express two sodium pumps: the classical ouabain-sensitive (Na+ + K+)ATPase and an ouabain-insensitive, furosemide-sensitive Na+-ATPase. In insects, 5-hydroxitryptamine is a diuretic hormone released during meals. It inhibits the (Na+ + K+)ATPase and Na+ -ATPase activities indicating that these enzymes are involved in fluid secretion. Furthermore, in Rhodnius neglectus, proximal cells of Malpighian tubule exposed to hyperosmotic medium, regulate their volume through a mechanism called regulatory volume increase. This regulatory response involves inhibition of the (Na+ + K+)ATPase activity that could lead to accumulation of active osmotic solute inside the cell, influx of water and return to the normal cell volume. Adenosine, a compound produced in stress conditions, also inhibits the (Na+ + K+)ATPase activity. Taken together these data indicate that (Na+ + K+)ATPase is a target of the regulatory mechanisms of water and ions transport responsible for homeostasis in Rhodnius sp.

Chagas' disease is a debilitating and often fatal disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The great majority of surface molecules in trypanosomes are either inositol-containing phospholipids or glycoproteins that are anchored into the plasma membrane by glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors. The polyalcohol myo-inositol is the precursor for the biosynthesis of these molecules. In this brief review, recent findings on some aspects of the molecular and cellular fate of inositol in T. cruzi life cycle are discussed and identified some points that could be targets for the development of parasite-specific therapeutic agents.

We review here two unique organelles from Trypanosoma cruzi. One of them is the acidocalcisome, cytoplasmic vacuoles containing a very high Ca2+ concentration and a Ca2+ - H+ translocating ATPase activity, present in all trypanosomatids. The other organelle is the reservosome, site of accumulation of endocytosed macromolecules, very rich in cysteine proteinase, that is present only in epimastigote forms of trypanosomes belonging to the Schyzotrypanum sub-genus.

Let Mn be a complete spacelike hypersurface with constant normalized scalar curvature R in the de Sitter Space S1n + 1. Let H the mean curvature and suppose that <img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img1.gif" ALT="$ \overline{R}$"> = (R - 1) > 0 and <img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img1.gif" ALT="$ \overline{R}$"> <= sup H² <= C<img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img3.gif" ALT="$\scriptstyle \overline{R}$">, where C<img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img3.gif" ALT="$\scriptstyle \overline{R}$"> is a constant depending only on R and n. It is proved that either sup H² = <img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img1.gif" ALT="$ \overline{R}$"> and Mn is totally umbilical, or sup H² = C<img ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" SRC="http:/img/fbpe/aabc/v72n4/0045img3.gif" ALT="$\scriptstyle \overline{R}$"> and Mn is the hyperbolic cylinder H¹(1 - coth²r) x Sn - 1 (1 - tanh²r).

In this paper we treat the question of the existence of solutions of boundary value problems for systems of nonlinear elliptic equations of the form - deltau = f (x, u, v,<FONT FACE="Symbol">Ñ</FONT>u,<FONT FACE="Symbol">Ñ</FONT>v), - deltav = g(x, u, v, <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ñ</FONT>u, <FONT FACE="Symbol">Ñ</FONT>v), in omega, We discuss several classes of such systems using both variational and topological methods. The notion of criticality takes into consideration the coupling, which plays important roles in both a priori estimates for the solutions and Palais-Smale conditions for the associated functional in the variational case.

Crystalline aluminium hydroxiacetate was prepared by reaction between aluminium powder (ALCOA 123) and aqueous solution of acetic acid at 96ºC ±1ºC. The white powder of Al(OH)(CH3COO)2 is constituted by agglomerates of crystalline plates, having size about 10mum. The crystals were fired from 200ºC to 1550ºC, in oxidizing atmosphere and the products characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and surface area measurements by BET-nitrogen method. Transition aluminas are formed from heating at the following temperatures: gamma (300ºC); delta (750ºC); alpha (1050ºC). The aluminas maintain the original morphology of the Al(OH)Ac2 crystal agglomerates, up to 1050ºC, when sintering and coalescence of the alpha-alumina crystals start and proceed up to 1550ºC. High surface area aluminas are formed in the temperature range of 700ºC to 1100ºC; the maximum value of 198m²/g is obtained at 900ºC, with delta-alumina structure. The formation sequence of transition aluminas is similar to the sequence from well ordered boehmite, but with differences in the transition temperatures and in the development of high surface areas. It is suggested that the causes for these diversities between the two sequences from Al(OH) Ac2 and boehmite are due to the different particle sizes, shapes and textures of the gamma-Al2O3 which acts as precursor for the sequence gamma- to alpha-Al2O3.

The mercury rejected in the water system, from mining operations and lixiviation of soils after deforestation, is considered to be the main contributors to the contamination of the ecosystem in the Amazon Basin. The objectives of the present study were to examine cytogenetic functions in peripheral lymphocytes within a population living on the banks of the Tapajós River with respect to methylmercury (MeHg) contamination, using hair mercury as a biological indicator of exposure. Our investigation shows a clear relation between methylmercury contamination and cytogenetic damage in lymphocytes at levels well below 50 micrograms/gram, the level at which initial clinical signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning occur. The first apparent biological effect with increasing MeHg hair level was the impairment of lymphocyte proliferation measured as mitotic index (MI). The relation between mercury concentration in hair and MI suggests that this parameter, an indicator of changes in lymphocytes and their ability to respond to culture conditions, may be an early marker of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in humans and should be taken into account in the preliminary evaluation of the risks to populations exposed in vivo. This is the first report showing clear cytotoxic effects of long-term exposure to MeHg. Although the results strongly suggest that, under the conditions examined here, MeHg is both a spindle poison and a clastogen, the biological significance of these observations are as yet unknown. A long-term follow-up of these subjects should be undertaken.