Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso

About: Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso is a education organization based out in Cuiabá, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Species richness. The organization has 7748 authors who have published 10181 publications receiving 89994 citations.

Is Chickpea a Potential Substitute for Soybean? Phenolic Bioactives and Potential Health Benefits

Abstract: Legume seeds are rich sources of protein, fiber, and minerals. In addition, their phenolic compounds as secondary metabolites render health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Lowering apolipoprotein B secretion from HepG2 cells and decreasing the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol oxidation are mechanisms related to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Likewise, low-level chronic inflammation and related disorders of the immune system are clinical predictors of cardiovascular pathology. Furthermore, DNA-damage signaling and repair are crucial pathways to the etiology of human cancers. Along CVD and cancer, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is constantly increasing. Screening the ability of polyphenols in inactivating digestive enzymes is a good option in pre-clinical studies. In addition, in vivo studies support the role of polyphenols in the prevention and/or management of diabetes and obesity. Soybean, a well-recognized source of phenolic isoflavones, exerts health benefits by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation related to the above-mentioned chronic ailments. Similar to soybeans, chickpeas are good sources of nutrients and phenolic compounds, especially isoflavones. This review summarizes the potential of chickpea as a substitute for soybean in terms of health beneficial outcomes. Therefore, this contribution may guide the industry in manufacturing functional foods and/or ingredients by using an undervalued feedstock.

Climate classification and climatic water balance in Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

Abstract: This paper proposes the climatic water balance and climatic classification for 13 conventional meteorological stations (CMS's, from National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) networks, located in Mato Grosso State (MT) and in the state division between MT and Goias State (GO). The evaluated stations are named: Caceres, Canarana, Diamantino, Gleba Celeste, Matupa, Nova Xavantina, Padre Ricardo Remetter, Poxoreo, Rondonopolis, Sao Jose do Rio Claro, Sao Vicente, and the Aragarcas station (GO). The annual temperature average ranged between 23.00 and 26.84 °C for Cuiaba and Sao Vicente, respectively. The total annual precipitation ranging from approximately 1200 to 2000 mm in the evaluated seasons, with higher levels in the North and Central North and in the regions with altitudes close to 800m. By Koppen climate classification, the 13 stations have only two climatic types: Aw (other stations) and Cwa (Sao Vicente). By Thornthwaite classification occurred greater climatic variability, however, the predominant features of megathermic climatic with concentrations of ETP in the summer less than 40%. Observe the influence of latitude and altitude on weather patterns of Mato Grosso State.

The structure of ant–plant ecological networks: Is abundance enough?

Abstract: Knowledge of the mechanisms that shape biodiversity is essential to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of interacting species. Recent studies posit that most of the organization of mutualistic networks is shaped by differences in species abundance among interacting species. In this study, we examined the mutualism involving plants with extrafloral nectaries and their associated ants. We show empirically that the difference in abundance among ants on vegetation partially explains the network structure of mutualistic interactions and that it is independent of ant species compositions: an ant species that is abundant usually interacts with more plant species. Moreover, nested networks are generated by simple variation in ant abundance on foliage. However, in ant-plant mutualistic networks, nestedness was higher than in networks describing the occurrence of ants on plants without a food resource. Additionally, the plant and ant species with the highest number of interactions within these networks interacted more among themselves than expected under the assumption of an abundance-based, random mixing of individuals. We hypothesize that the dominance of these ant species occurs because these ants are able to outcompete other ant species when feeding on extrafloral nectaries and because of the presence of ecophysiological adaptations to utilize liquid food.

Fabry-Perot interferometer with quantum mirrors: nonlinear light transport and rectification.

Abstract: Optical transport represents a natural route towards fast communications, and it is currently used in large scale data transfer. The progressive miniaturization of devices for information processing calls for the microscopic tailoring of light transport and confinement at length scales appropriate for upcoming technologies. With this goal in mind, we present a theoretical analysis of a one-dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometer built with two highly saturable nonlinear mirrors: a pair of two-level systems. Our approach captures nonlinear and nonreciprocal effects of light transport that were not reported previously. Remarkably, we show that such an elementary device can operate as a microscopic integrated optical rectifier.