Vertebrate development requires the activity of multiple members of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (mef2) gene family for muscle cell specification and subsequent differentiation. Additionally, it is thought that several muscle-specific functions of MEF2 family proteins require binding additional co-factors including members of the Transcription Enhancing Factor-1 (TEF-1) and Vestigial-like protein families. In Drosophila there is a single mef2 (Dmef2) gene as well single homologues of TEF-1 and vestigial-like; sd and vg, respectively. To help clarify the role(s) of these factors, we examined the requirements for Vg and Sd during Drosophila muscle specification. Analysis of loss of Vg or Sd function mutations confirms that both are required for muscle differentiation, as loss of sd or vg leads to a reproducible loss of a subset of cardiac or somatic muscle cells in developing embryos. However, the requirement for Sd or Vg is cell specific, as over-expression of each of these proteins in other muscle cells also has a deleterious effect on muscle differentiation. Finally, I determined that Sd, Vg and Dmef2 can interact directly. Thus, the muscle specific phenotypes associated with loss or ectopic Vg or Sd expression may be a consequence of alternative binding of Vg and Sd to Dmef2 to form alternative protein complexes that modify Dmef2 activity. The somatic muscles of Drosophila develop in a complex pattern that is repeated in each embryonic hemi-segment. Initial communication between somatic muscles and the epidermal tendon cells is critical for formation of this muscle pattern. However, later establishment of attachments between longitudinal muscles at the segmental borders is largely independent of the muscle-epidermal attachment signals, and relatively little is known about how this event is regulated. Here I show that expression of the transcription factor Vg is required in ventral longitudinal muscles (VL1-4) to make them competent to form stable inter-muscular attachments. Further, the cell-specific differentiation events induced by Vg in two muscles fated to form attachments appear to be coordinated by Drosophila Epidermal Growth Factor (DER) signalling. / Molecular Biology and Genetics

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O tubarão-martelo, Sphyrna lewini é um dos mais valiosos recursos marinhos, e o preço pago por suas barbatanas no mercado Asiático pode atingir acima dos U$ 100,00/kg. A análise da composição de tamanhos e idades nas capturas, o estudo do crescimento desta espécie de grande porte e a evolução temporal dos desembarques, indicaram que este recurso se encontra sobreexplotado no sudeste e sul do Brasil, como reflexo de diferentes modalidades pesqueiras atuando ao longo de todo o seu ciclo de vida e à baixa resiliência desta espécie à pesca, por apresentar um crescimento lento (L&#8734 = 329,12 cm; K = 0,071 ano-1; to = -2,37 ano; sexos combinados), longevidade acima dos 40 anos e mortalidade natural baixa (M = 0,1 ano-1 na fase adulta), padrões estes típicos de uma espécie K-estrategista . A sobrepesca de recrutamento, ocorre nas áreas costeiras, principalmente pela pesca de arrasto e emalhe costeiro, não havendo a proteção das áreas de parto na primavera-verão. Neste caso há grandes capturas de neonatos e juvenis até 8 anos de idade. A tração adulta por sua vez é reduzida pela pesca de espinheI e de emalhe de superfície principalmente na zona de talude. Modelos de análise de covariância indicaram maiores capturas desta espécie na pesca de espinheI de monofilamento de superfície durante os meses de primavera-verão, na zona de talude (200 e 3000 m) e a existência de uma relação linear positiva entre a captura em peso e o esforço em número de anzóis. Medidas de manejo e conservação para esta espécie são sugeridas. / The scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini is one of the most valuable marine resources, due to its high-priced fins in the Asian market, which can reach U$ 100,00/kg. The analysis of the length and age composition in the catches, growth studies, and the annual development of its landings in southern Brazil, showed signs of overexploitation for the species. This effect was mainly caused by different fishing gears exploiting all the phases of its life-cycle and its low resilience to fishing pressure due to its slow-growing strategy (L&#8734 = 329,12 cm; K = 0,071 yr-1; to = -2,37 ano; both sexes), longevity (> 40 yrs.) and low natural mortality (M = 0,1 yr-1, during adult phase), which means a K\'strategic typical pattern. Recruitment overfishing use to happen in coastal areas by trawls and anchored gillnets activities which destroy the nurseries and juvenile grounds for the species, mainly in spring-summer months when the parturition occurs. On the other hand, the adult fraction of the stock is reduced by surface longline and driftnets activities along the continental slope. For the surface monofilament longline fisheries, covariance models detected the highest catches of scalloped hammerhead sharks along the slope (between 200 - 3000 m depth), during spring-summer months. There was also a positive linear relationship between catch (in weight) and effort (hook number). Management and conservation measures are recommended for this species.

O tubarão-martelo, Sphyrna lewini é um dos mais valiosos recursos marinhos, e o preço pago por suas barbatanas no mercado Asiático pode atingir acima dos U$ 100,00/kg. A análise da composição de tamanhos e idades nas capturas, o estudo do crescimento desta espécie de grande porte e a evolução temporal dos desembarques, indicaram que este recurso se encontra sobreexplotado no sudeste e sul do Brasil, como reflexo de diferentes modalidades pesqueiras atuando ao longo de todo o seu ciclo de vida e à baixa resiliência desta espécie à pesca, por apresentar um crescimento lento (L&#8734 = 329,12 cm; K = 0,071 ano-1; to = -2,37 ano; sexos combinados), longevidade acima dos 40 anos e mortalidade natural baixa (M = 0,1 ano-1 na fase adulta), padrões estes típicos de uma espécie K-estrategista . A sobrepesca de recrutamento, ocorre nas áreas costeiras, principalmente pela pesca de arrasto e emalhe costeiro, não havendo a proteção das áreas de parto na primavera-verão. Neste caso há grandes capturas de neonatos e juvenis até 8 anos de idade. A tração adulta por sua vez é reduzida pela pesca de espinheI e de emalhe de superfície principalmente na zona de talude. Modelos de análise de covariância indicaram maiores capturas desta espécie na pesca de espinheI de monofilamento de superfície durante os meses de primavera-verão, na zona de talude (200 e 3000 m) e a existência de uma relação linear positiva entre a captura em peso e o esforço em número de anzóis. Medidas de manejo e conservação para esta espécie são sugeridas. / The scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini is one of the most valuable marine resources, due to its high-priced fins in the Asian market, which can reach U$ 100,00/kg. The analysis of the length and age composition in the catches, growth studies, and the annual development of its landings in southern Brazil, showed signs of overexploitation for the species. This effect was mainly caused by different fishing gears exploiting all the phases of its life-cycle and its low resilience to fishing pressure due to its slow-growing strategy (L&#8734 = 329,12 cm; K = 0,071 yr-1; to = -2,37 ano; both sexes), longevity (> 40 yrs.) and low natural mortality (M = 0,1 yr-1, during adult phase), which means a K\'strategic typical pattern. Recruitment overfishing use to happen in coastal areas by trawls and anchored gillnets activities which destroy the nurseries and juvenile grounds for the species, mainly in spring-summer months when the parturition occurs. On the other hand, the adult fraction of the stock is reduced by surface longline and driftnets activities along the continental slope. For the surface monofilament longline fisheries, covariance models detected the highest catches of scalloped hammerhead sharks along the slope (between 200 - 3000 m depth), during spring-summer months. There was also a positive linear relationship between catch (in weight) and effort (hook number). Management and conservation measures are recommended for this species.

As a musical instrument construction material, wood is both musically and aesthetically pleasing. Easy to work and abundant, it has traditionally been the material of choice. Unfortunately, wood is also a very inconsistent material. Due to great environmental and climatic variations, wooden specimens present large variations in their mechanical properties, even within species of a similar region. Surprisingly, an industry based entirely on acoustics has done very little to account for these variations. For this reason, manufactured wooden guitars are acoustically inconsistent. Previous work has shown that varying the dimensions of a guitar soundboard brace is a good method for taking into account variations in the mechanical properties of the wooden soundboard plate. In this thesis, the effects of a scalloped-shaped brace on the natural frequencies of a brace-plate system have been studied and tools have been developed in order to calculate the dimensions of the brace required to account for variations in the mechanical properties of the plate. It has been shown that scalloped braces can be used to modify two natural frequencies of a brace-plate system simultaneously. Furthermore, the most important criteria in modifying any given frequency of a brace-plate system is the mass and stiffness properties of the brace at the antinode of the given frequency’s associated modeshape. Subsequently, designing a brace for desired system natural frequencies, by taking into account the mechanical properties of the wooden plate, is an inverse eigenvalue problem. Since few methods exist for solving the inverse eigenvalue problem of general matrices, a new method based on the generalized Cayley-Hamilton theorem was proposed in the thesis. A further method, based on the determinant of the generalized eigenvalue problem was also presented. Both methods work well, although the determinant method is shown to be more efficient for partially described systems. Finally, experimental results were obtained for the natural frequencies of simply supported wooden plates, with and without a brace, as well as the inverse eigenvalue determinant method. Good correlation was found between theoretical and experimental results.

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