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Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2016-04-07T20:05:13Z (GMT) / Submitted by KELY REGINA MAXIMO VIEIRA null (kely_eng@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-07T20:34:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Kely UNESP FEG.pdf: 6196946 bytes, checksum: bf09868facff4fd8869dde5f2fcde047 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-08T16:21:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 vieira_krm_me_guara.pdf: 6196946 bytes, checksum: bf09868facff4fd8869dde5f2fcde047 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-08T16:21:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 vieira_krm_me_guara.pdf: 6196946 bytes, checksum: bf09868facff4fd8869dde5f2fcde047 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nesta dissertação, investiga-se a reação de dissolução ácida de rochas silicatos brasileiras visando a aplicação em um processo de captura e sequestro de carbono denominado por Carbonatação Mineral. Na carbonatação mineral pela rota indireta utiliza-se ácidos, bases ou sais de amônia para a extração do magnésio, principalmente, presente na rocha silicato a fim de a formar carbonatos estáveis. Destaca-se que a etapa de dissolução ácida é uma fase limitante para o processo de carbonatação mineral, principalmente por apresentar baixa taxa de reação. O objetivo deste trabalho é utilizar o ácido clorídrico (HCl) e dois serpentinitos oriundos do estado de Goiás e Minas Gerais para avaliar o processo de dissolução ácida. Os serpentinitos foram preparados, selecionados e caracterizados para determinar a composição elementar. Aplicou-se o planejamento experimental e arranjo L9 de Taguchi na avaliação dos fatores que influenciam o processo de dissolução, tais como, temperatura do processo, concentração do HCl, tamanho médio das partículas da matéria prima e excesso de ácido. Os 9 ensaios previstos na matriz de planejamento para cada serpentinito foram executados de forma aleatória e em duplicata. Os produtos finais, resíduo sólido retido no papel filtro e solução contendo os elementos de interesse, foram analisados obtendo-se a composição elementar das soluções. Considerando-se os testes previstos na matriz de planejamento, a condição de melhor ajuste para extração de Mg foi utilizando-se a granulometria média de 69 µm, temperatura de 70°C, HCl 2 M com quatro vezes a quantidade estequiométrica. Nas soluções foram obtidas as concentrações de 29 % e 76 % de Mg para as amostras de serpentinito de Minas Gerais e de Goiás, respectivamente. Foram também avaliadas as melhores condições para extração de Fe e Ca e menor extração de Si, uma vez que o Si diminui a conversão no processo. Na análise estatística verificou-se que para a amostra de Minas Gerais todos os fatores apresentaram significância. No caso da a amostra de Goiás a temperatura no nível alto (70°C) apresentou maior significância. / In this dissertation, acid dissolution reaction of Brazilian silicate rocks was investigated aiming the implementation in a Carbon Capture and Storage process named Mineral Carbonation. In the mineral carbonation by indirect route, acids, bases or salts of ammonia are used for magnesium extraction, mainly, present in the silicate rock in order to form stable carbonates. It is noteworthy that the acid dissolution step is a limiting step in the process of mineral carbonation, mainly because of its low reaction rate. The objective of this study was to use hydrochloric acid (HCl) and two serpentinites from Goiás and Minas Gerais states to evaluate the acid dissolution process. The serpentinites were prepared, selected, and characterized to determine the elemental composition. The L9 experimental design and Taguchi arrangement were applied to evaluate the factors that influence in the dissolution process, such as process temperature, HCl concentration, average particle size of material and acid excess. The nine tests prescribed in planning matrix for each serpentinite were performed at random and in duplicate. The end products, solid residue retained on the filter paper and the solution containing the elements of interest were analyzed obtaining the elemental composition of the solutions. Considering the prevised tests on planning matrix, the best adjust condition for Mg extraction was using the average particle size of 69 µm temperature of 70°C, 2 M HCl with four times the stoichiometric amount. In the solutions, the concentrations obtained were 29 % and 76 % Mg for samples of serpentinite from Minas Gerais and Goiás, respectively. The best conditions for the extraction of Fe and Ca and lower extraction of Si were evaluated, since Si decreases the conversion in the process. In the statistical analysis was found that in Minas Gerais sample all factors were significant. In the case of Goiás sample, the temperature at the high level (70°C) showed greater significance.

No description available.

Premise of research. The duration and intensity of flowering overlap among plants are the first determiners of the potential for pollinator-mediated plant-plant interactions. Yet, our ability to describe community-wide patterns of coflowering, and thus understand its impact on the structure of plant-pollinator communities, is limited. Methodology. We present a conceptual framework for how network theory can reveal structural properties that are ecologically relevant in diverse coflowering communities. Coflowering modules, in particular, may suggest that groups of species coflower more strongly (clustering) with each other than with other species (over-dispersion) in the community. Such a finding would indicate that competitive and facilitative interactions do not act alone but instead act simultaneously to mediate the assembly of coflowering communities. We illustrate our conceptual framework in four diverse coflowering communities in the serpentine seeps in northern California. Pivotal results. Our coflowering networks vary in size and degree but not in overall connectance, suggesting that both intrinsic community features (species richness) and ecological constraints (length of flowering season) play a role in mediating coflowering community structure (distribution of frequency and intensity of flowering overlap among plant species). We show, for the first time, that groups of species tend to coflower more strongly with each other than with other species in a community, supporting the idea that competition and facilitation are not mutually exclusive processes mediating coflowering community assembly. Our results show that the degree of modularity is not sensitive to the number of coflowering species within each community, suggesting that ecological factors may be more important in driving this pattern. Conclusions. Coflowering networks have the potential to advance our understanding of the causes and consequences of flowering overlap in diverse plant communities by revealing a more in-depth and novel characterization of coflowering community structure. Such characterization will allow for a better understanding of the importance of coflowering patterns in mediating the structure of plant-pollinator interactions.

Premise of the Study: There is growing interest in understanding plant–plant interactions via pollen transfer at the community level. Studies on the structure and spatial variability of pollen transfer networks have been valuable to this understanding. However, there is high variability in the intensity of sampling used to characterize pollen transfer interactions, which could influence network structure. To date, there is no knowledge of how sampling effort influences the richness of pollen on stigmas and thereby transfer interactions observed, nor how this may vary across species and study sites. Methods: We use rarefaction curves on 16 species to characterize the relationship between sampling effort (number of stigmas analyzed) and the richness of pollen transfer interactions recorded. We further assess variability in this relationship among species, plant community types, and sites within a single plant community. Key Results: We show high among-species variation in the amount of sampling required to sufficiently characterize interspecific pollen transfer. We further reveal variability in the sampling effort-interaction richness relationship among different plant communities and even for the same species growing in different sites. Conclusions: The wide heterogeneity in the sampling effort required to accurately characterize pollen transfer interactions observed has the potential to influence the characterization of pollen transfer dynamics. Thus, sampling completeness should be considered in future studies to avoid overestimation of modularity and specialization in pollen transfer networks that may bias the predicted causes and expected consequences of such processes for plant–plant interactions.

Serpentine areas in the Czech Republic form minor but important islands in the landscape with specific chemical properties such as high content of magnesium and other heavy metals. Due to this, serpentine is toxic for most plants. Increased demands on the survival and occurrence of plants lead to the emergence of serpentine specialists obligatorily specialized in these extreme habitats. Currently, serpentine areas are threatened by gradual overgrowth of sites, insufficient or poor site management and fragmentation or shrinkage of sites due to anthropogenic activities. Along with the disappearing localities, the serpentine specialists, are becoming highly endangered. Minuartia smejkalii is highly endangered serpentine specialist with an endemic occurrence in the Czech Republic with great need of its conservation. The aim of the work was to collect data on population dynamics of the species and identify habitat and climatic factors affecting population growth. We studied dynamics in all existing 7 populations during the period from 2006 to 2020 were collected. We linked these data to information on population dynamics, habitat and climatic factors and analysed them using Integral projection models (IPM). The study presents the importance of individual habitat and climatic conditions on the dynamics...

No description available.

É proposto que vias de sinalização controlem a sobrevivência e adaptação do Plasmodium, nos diferentes hospedeiros. No presente trabalho buscamos por diferentes abordagens estudar a via de sinalização de melatonina em P. falciparum. Para isso, avaliamos os níveis de RNA mensageiro de genes do sistema-ubiquitina proteossomo (UPS) bem como o perfil de ubiquitinação resultante do tratamento de parasitas com melatonina. Mostramos que a proteína quinase 7 de P. falciparum (PfPK7) atua na modulação dos genes do UPS em resposta a melatonina. Avaliamos também se o parasita é responsivo ao ácido indol-3-acético (AIA). Sabendo-se da importância de receptores de membrana na regulação de diversas funções celulares incluindo a percepção do meio externo, buscamos caracterizar um receptor serpentino putativo identificado previamente pelo grupo. Pudemos concluir que a via de sinalização por melatonina em P. falciparum envolve a participação da PfPK7, uma vez que em parasitas nocautes para pfpk7 são irresponsivos à melatonina quando comparados ao parental. / It is proposed that signaling pathways can control the parasite survival and adaptation into the hosts. In the present work we inquire about to study the melatonin signaling pathway trhough different metodologies. For this purpose we have analized post-translational modification of melatonin signaling, through ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) mRNA levels as well as the profile of ubiquitination resulted of melatonin treatment when compared with control. Moreover, we have found here that the P. falciparum protein kinase 7 (PfPK7) plays a major role in ubiquitin-proteasome system mRNA modulation in response to melatonin since parasites knockout to pfpk7 gene do not upregulate the UPS genes in response to melatonin. As for melatonin we have evaluated if P. falciparum parasites were responsive to indoleacetic acid. Last but not least, we made an effort to characterize a putative serpentine receptor previously identified by our group. We conclude that melatonin signaling pathway involves PK7 participation since pfpk- parasites are irresponsives to melatonin.

Les serpentinites sont un composant important de la lithosphère océanique formée niveau de rides lentes à ultra-lentes. Ces roches représentant un vaste réservoir de l'eau, d'éléments mobiles dans les fluides (FME), halogènes et volatils, il a été proposé qu'elles jouent un rôle important pendant l'échange chimique se produisant entre la lithosphère subduite et le coin mantellique dans des zones de subduction. L'objectif de mon doctorat a été de caractériser la nature et la composition des fluides transférés depuis la plaque plongeante jusqu'au coin mantellique en étudiant des ophiolites alpines métamorphiques. Celles-ci se composent en grande partie de serpentinites et ont enregistré différentes conditions métamorphiques modélisant un gradient de subduction. Les études pétrologiques des ophiolites alpines montrent que celles-ci ont enregistré différentes étapes de serpentinisation et de déserpentinisation : (1) serpentinisation océanique et la formation d'assemblages à lizardite et à chrysotile ; (2) déstabilisation prograde de la serpentine océanique en antigorite, à la transition des faciès schistes verts - schistes bleus ; (3)déshydratation de l'antigorite en olivine secondaire dans les conditions du facies d'éclogite. Les analyses chimiques des éléments en trace par LA-ICPMS et constituants volatils et halogènes par SIMS prouvent que, pendant la subduction, les processus de serpentinisation se sont réalisés sans contamination significative par des fluides externes provenant de la déshydratation des sédiments. Dans la partie la superficielle de la lithosphère océanique, la déformation augmente la mobilité des éléments en trace et permet leur redistribution et l'homogénéisation de la composition d'antigorite à l'échelle kilométrique. Au contraire, dans la partie la plus profonde de la lithosphère serpentinisée, la mobilité des éléments en trace est réduite et localisée dans des veines métamorphiques qui constituent des chenaux de circulation des fluides. Les cristallisations successives de l'antigorite et de l'olivine secondaire sont accompagnés d'une diminution des concentrations en FME (B, Li, As, Sb, Ba, Rb, Cs...), halogènes (F, Cl) et volatils (S). La quantification de Fe3+/FeTotal, par chimie humide et spectroscopie XANES, des serpentinites et serpentines montrent que, dans les premières phases de subduction, la transition de lizardite en antigorite est accompagnée d'une réduction forte du fer. Cette réduction est non linéaire avec le degré métamorphique, mais dépend également de la chimie initiale du protolithe péridotitique. À un degré métamorphique plus élevée, le début du processus de déserpentinisation se produit dans un environnement ferreux, menant à une nouvelle oxydation de l'antigorite résiduelle. En conclusion, les serpentinites sont un vecteur de transfert d'éléments depuis la ride jusqu'aux zones de subduction. Pendant la subduction et pendant les changements de phases de la serpentine, les teneurs en FME, en éléments volatils et halogènes de la serpentine diminuent, suggérant que ces éléments sont soustraits dans une phase fluide qui peut potentiellement contaminer le coin mantellique. La nature de ce fluide varie au cours de la subduction. Dans les premiers kilomètres de la subduction, lors de la transition lizardite vers antigorite, les fluides relâchés sont riches en FME, volatils et halogènes. Ils pourraient oxyder le coin mantellique (e.g. SOX, H2O ou CO2) où ils initieraient la cristallisation d'une serpentine riche en ces éléments. A l'inverse, à plus grande profondeur, la déshydratation de l'antigorite libère une quantité moindre de FME, volatils et halogènes. De plus, l'observation d'antigorite riche en Fe3+ associée à l'olivine de déserpentinisation pourrait suggérer la production d'hydrogène lors de la déshydratation de la plaque plongeante.

In this thesis, an intelligent controller architecture for gait selection of a serpentine robot intended to be used in search and rescue tasks is designed, developed and simulated. The architecture is independent of the configuration of the robot and the robot is allowed to make different kind of movements, similar to grasping. Moreover, it is applicable to parallel processing in several aspects and it is an implementation of a controller network on robot segment network. In the architecture several behaviors are defined for each of the segments. Every behavior is realized in the form of Fuzzy Actor-Critic Learning agents based on fuzzy networks and reinforcement learning. Each segment controller determines the next suitable position in the sensory space acquired using ultrasound sensors, a genetic algorithm implementation then tries to find the change of the joint angles to achieve the desired movement in a given amount of time. This allows optimization on different criteria, during motion. Simulations are performed and presented to introduce the efficiency of the developed controller architecture. Moreover a simplified mathematical analysis is performed to gain insight of the controller dynamics.

Η Εύβοια είναι το δεύτερο μεγαλύτερο σε έκταση νησί της Ελλάδας, στο οποίο απαντάται μεγάλη ποικιλομορφία αναγλύφου, γεωλογικού υποστρώματος και υψομέτρου, ιδιαίτερα στο βόρειο τμήμα του. Σε συνδυασμό με το κλίμα που επικρατεί, δημιουργούνται κατάλληλες συνθήκες, οι οποίες ευνοούν την ανάπτυξη σπανίων ή απειλούμενων φυτικών ειδών και υποειδών μεγάλου επιστημονικού ενδιαφέροντος. Το Quercus trojana subsp. euboica, η ευβοϊκή δρυς όπως ονομάζεται κοινώς, είναι ένα από τα ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέροντα φυτικά taxa, τα οποία φύονται στη βόρεια Εύβοια. Μάλιστα, είναι ένα από τα στενότοπα ενδημικά taxa της Εύβοιας και ταυτόχρονα το μοναδικό ενδημικό υποείδος του γένους Quercus στην Ελλάδα. Έχει χαρακτηριστεί ως Τρωτό (VU) βάσει της κατηγοριοποίησης της IUCN (2001) σύμφωνα με το κριτήριο C1, όμως οι περιοχές εξάπλωσής του δεν υπόκεινται ακόμη σε καθεστώς νομικής προστασίας. Υφίσταται πιέσεις από ανθρωπογενείς επιδράσεις όπως πυρκαγιές, βόσκηση και υλοτομίες. Στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας εργασίας ξεκίνησε η διαδικασία παρακολούθησης (monitoring) της κατάστασης στη φύση του ενδημικού taxon Quercus trojana subsp. euboica. Ως “monitoring” ορίζονται οι επανειλημμένες μετρήσεις διαφόρων παραγόντων και μεταβλητών (αριθμός ατόμων εκάστοτε taxon, ύψος-διάμετρος κορμού, εδαφοκάλυψη, ανθοφορία, καρποφορία, φυτρωτικότητα ατόμων, βιωσιμότητα αρτιφύτρων κ.ά.) σε βάθος χρόνου και σε έκταση. Τοποθετήθηκαν δέκα συνολικά επιφάνειες παρακολούθησης επιφάνειας 25 m2 η καθεμία στις περιοχές εξάπλωσής του, με επιμέρους υποτετράγωνα 1 m2. Πραγματοποιήθηκε έρευνα επί τρία έτη και καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια του έτους. Πάρθηκαν ποικίλες μετρήσεις (γεωγραφικό μήκος-πλάτος, υψόμετρο, κλίση-έκθεση, εδαφολογικές παρατηρήσεις), ενώ συλλέχθηκαν φυτικά δείγματα για την πλήρη χλωριδική ανάλυση και φωτογραφήθηκε λεπτομερώς κάθε επιφάνεια. Πραγματοποιήθηκε ταξινομικός προσδιορισμός των δειγμάτων βάσει της πλέον πρόσφατης βιβλιογραφίας, έγινε προσδιορισμός των βιομορφών, διάκριση των χωρολογικών στοιχείων και φυτοκοινωνιολογική ανάλυση σύμφωνα με τη μέθοδο Braun-Blanquet. Έτσι, βρέθηκαν 93 taxa στις περιοχές εξάπλωσης της ευβοϊκής δρυός, με κυρίαρχες οικογένειες την Asteraceae (17%) και την Poaceae (6%). Τα Ημικρυπτόφυτα αποτελούν σχεδόν το 41% του συνόλου, ενώ το 44,1% είναι Μεσογειακά taxa. Επίσης, παρατηρήθηκαν 18 ελληνικά ενδημικά taxa, εκ των οποίων τα 6 είναι στενότοπα ενδημικά. Έπειτα, όλες οι δειγματοληπτικές επιφάνειες καταχωρήθηκαν στη βάση δεδομένων Turboveg και χρησιμοποιήθηκε το πρόγραμμα TWINSPAN (two-way indicator species analysis) για να ομαδοποιηθούν οι φυτοληψίες. Ακόμη, χρησιμοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος DCA (Detrended Correspondence Analysis-DECORANA) για τη δημιουργία γραφικής απεικόνισης του πίνακα των φυτοκοινωνιολογικών δεδομένων. Επιπλέον, χρησιμοποιώντας το πρόγραμμα SPSS 13.0 πραγματοποιήθηκε Ανάλυση Ομαδοποίησης (Cluster Analysis) με τη μέθοδο Σύνδεσης Γειτόνων (Neighbor Joining) για τις δέκα επιφάνειες παρακολούθησης. Ο δείκτης που χρησιμοποιήθηκε είναι αυτός της παρουσίας-απουσίας ειδών Jaccard. Όπως προκύπτει από τη μελέτη αυτή, οι περιοχές εξάπλωσης της ευβοϊκής δρυός φαίνεται να έχουν υποστεί συρρίκνωση από την πυρκαγιά του 1977, ενώ οι πληθυσμοί της κινδυνεύουν από τη διαρκή πίεση της βόσκησης. Τέλος, προτείνονται μέτρα για την καλύτερη πρoστασία του Quercus trojana subsp. euboica. / Evvia is the second largest greek island, which is characterized by a great variety of terrain, geologic substrate and altitude, especially in its northern part. In combination with the climate, the appropriate conditions are met that favor the evolvement of rare or endangered plant species and subspecies of great scientific interest. Quercus trojana subsp. euboica, the euboean oak as it is commonly reffered to, is one of the most interesting plant taxa that grow in northern Evvia. Not only is it one of the local endemic taxa of northern Evvia, but it is the unique endemic subspecies of the Quercus genus in Greece. It has been characterized as vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN (2001) categories and the C1 criteria, though it has yet not been included in a protectin law regime. It has been under the constant pressure of human impact such as fire, browsing and timbering. During this study, monitoring the status of the endemic taxon Quercus trojana subsp. euboica has begun. The monitoring process involves the repeated measurement of multiple factors and variables (such as measurement of height/diameter, soil-coverage, florescence, fruition, germination/viability of individuals etc.) in a length of time and area extent. A number of ten monitoring plots was set, each plot occupying a surface of 25 m2 in total, with 25 subplots of 1 m2. The study lasted three years and was conducted throughout the year. Multiple measurements took place (geographic length and width, altitude, gradient, exposure etc.), while plant samples were collected in the framework of a full floristic analysis and each monitoring plot was thoroughly photographed. A taxonomic assessment of the plant samples was conducted according to the latest bibliography, as well as a distinction of biomorphs and geographic elements. Moreover, a phytosociologic analysis was conducted according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Thus, 93 different taxa were found in the vicinity of the territories that Quercus trojana subsp. euboica takes up. Asteraceae and Poaceae families were found to be dominant in the plots with a percentage of 17% and 6% respectively. Hemicryptophyts represent 41%, while the Mediterranean elements dominate with a percentage of 44,1%. Nevertheless, 18 greek endemic plant taxa were found, 6 of which are local endemics of Evvia. Thereinafter, all of the monitoring plots were registered in the TurboVeg database and the TWINSPAN (Two-way indicator species analysis) program was used in order to group the plots. Furthermore, the DCA method (Detrended Correspondence Analysis-DECORANA) was used for the creation of a graphic display of the phytosociologic data index. The SPSS 13.0 program was used so that a Cluster Analysis was conducted, using the Neighbor Joining Method for the 10 plots. The Jaccard presence-absence indicator was used. In a nutshell, this study showed that Quercus trojana subsp. euboica territories of appearance have been reduced after the 1977 wildfire, while the taxon’s population is in danger due to the constant pressure of goat grazing. Concluding, measures for better protection of the taxon are proposed.