Showing papers by "Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina published in 2013"

Worldwide Epidemiology of Fibromyalgia

Abstract: Studying the epidemiology of fibromyalgia (FM) is very important to understand the impact of this disorder on persons, families and society. The recent modified 2010 classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), without the need of tender points palpation, allows that larger and nationwide surveys may be done, worldwide. This article reviews the prevalence and incidence studies done in the general population, in several countries/continents, the prevalence of FM in special groups/settings, the association of FM with some sociodemographic characteristics of the population, and the comorbidity of FM with others disorders, especially with headaches.

Semantic trajectories modeling and analysis

Abstract: Focus on movement data has increased as a consequence of the larger availability of such data due to current GPS, GSM, RFID, and sensors techniques. In parallel, interest in movement has shifted from raw movement data analysis to more application-oriented ways of analyzing segments of movement suitable for the specific purposes of the application. This trend has promoted semantically rich trajectories, rather than raw movement, as the core object of interest in mobility studies. This survey provides the definitions of the basic concepts about mobility data, an analysis of the issues in mobility data management, and a survey of the approaches and techniques for: (i) constructing trajectories from movement tracks, (ii) enriching trajectories with semantic information to enable the desired interpretations of movements, and (iii) using data mining to analyze semantic trajectories and extract knowledge about their characteristics, in particular the behavioral patterns of the moving objects. Last but not least, the article surveys the new privacy issues that arise due to the semantic aspects of trajectories.

The child with Down syndrome: risk and protective factors from the perspective of the Bioecological Theory of Human Development

Abstract: The birth of a child requires a rearrangement of roles in the family. However, if this birth is marked by the arrival of a child with a disability, it may cause instability in the family, due to the break of parental expectations about an ideal baby. The present article aims at presenting a review of research findings and discussing them in order to promote a reflection on the characteristics of Down syndrome (DS) and its impact on child development and family, focusing on the risk and protection factors that affect this population ́s health. The Bioecological theory of Human Development, which establishes inter relationship of individual and environmental factors, has been used as theoretical framework for the discussions of the results.From this theory, the Birth of a child with Down syndrome requires an adaptation of the family context, since children with DS are exposed to environmental factors that may influence their development. Nevertheless, scientific literature points out to the advances of knowledge in the area, and it identifies risk and protective factors that can work for the development of children with DS. In conclusion, the risk and protection factors potentially of children with DS are very similar to the children without disabilities. An important emphasis should be placed on factors of the macrosystem for the population with disabilities, more specifically for people with DS, as the advancement of knowledge about this syndrome and the development of specific public policies can increase life quality and

Mass-metallicity relation explored with CALIFA I. Is there a dependence on the star-formation rate?

Abstract: We studied the global and local ℳ-Z relation based on the first data available from the CALIFA survey (150 galaxies). This survey provides integral field spectroscopy of the complete optical extent of each galaxy (up to 2−3 effective radii), with a resolution high enough to separate individual H II regions and/or aggregations. About 3000 individual H II regions have been detected. The spectra cover the wavelength range between [OII]3727 and [SII]6731, with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to derive the oxygen abundance and star-formation rate associated with each region. In addition, we computed the integrated and spatially resolved stellar masses (and surface densities) based on SDSS photometric data. We explore the relations between the stellar mass, oxygen abundance and star-formation rate using this dataset. We derive a tight relation between the integrated stellar mass and the gas-phase abundance, with a dispersion lower than the one already reported in the literature (σ_Δlog (O/H) = 0.07 dex). Indeed, this dispersion is only slightly higher than the typical error derived for our oxygen abundances. However, we found no secondary relation with the star-formation rate other than the one induced by the primary relation of this quantity with the stellar mass. The analysis for our sample of ~3000 individual H II regions confirms (i) a local mass-metallicity relation and (ii) the lack of a secondary relation with the star-formation rate. The same analysis was performed with similar results for the specific star-formation rate. Our results agree with the scenario in which gas recycling in galaxies, both locally and globally, is much faster than other typical timescales, such like that of gas accretion by inflow and/or metal loss due to outflows. In essence, late-type/disk-dominated galaxies seem to be in a quasi-steady situation, with a behavior similar to the one expected from an instantaneous recycling/closed-box model.

CALIFA, the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey

Abstract: We present the first public data release (DR1) of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. It consists of science-grade optical datacubes for the first 100 of eventually 600 nearby (0.005 < z < 0.03) galaxies, obtained with the integral-field spectrograph PMAS/PPak mounted on the 3.5 m telescope at the Calar Alto observatory. The galaxies in DR1 already cover a wide range of properties in color-magnitude space, morphological type, stellar mass, and gas ionization conditions. This offers the potential to tackle a variety of open questions in galaxy evolution using spatially resolved spectroscopy. Two different spectral setups are available for each galaxy, (i) a low-resolution V500 setup covering the nominal wavelength range 3745-7500 angstrom with a spectral resolution of 6.0 angstrom (FWHM), and (ii) a medium-resolution V1200 setup covering the nominal wavelength range 3650-4840 angstrom with a spectral resolution of 2.3 angstrom (FWHM). We present the characteristics and data structure of the CALIFA datasets that should be taken into account for scientific exploitation of the data, in particular the effects of vignetting, bad pixels and spatially correlated noise. The data quality test for all 100 galaxies showed that we reach a median limiting continuum sensitivity of 1.0 x 10(-18) erg s(-1) cm(-2) angstrom(-1) arcsec(-2) at 5635 angstrom and 2.2 x 10(-18) erg s(-1) cm(-2) angstrom(-1) arcsec(-2) at 4500 angstrom for the V500 and V1200 setup respectively, which corresponds to limiting r and g band surface brightnesses of 23.6 mag arcsec(-2) and 23.4 mag arcsec(-2), or an unresolved emission-line flux detection limit of roughly 1 x 10(-17) erg s(-1) cm(-2) arcsec(-2) and 0.6 x 10(-17) erg s(-1) cm(-2) arcsec(-2), respectively. The median spatial resolution is 3 ''.7, and the absolute spectrophotometric calibration is better than 15% (1 sigma). We also describe the available interfaces and tools that allow easy access to this first public CALIFA data at http://califa.caha.es/DR1.

The nature of LINER galaxies: - Ubiquitous hot old stars and rare accreting black holes

Abstract: Context. Galaxies, which often contain ionised gas, sometimes also exhibit a so-called low-ionisation nuclear emission line region (LINER). For 30 years, this was attributed to a central mass-accreting supermassive black hole (more commonly known as active galactic nucleus, AGN) of low luminosity, making LINER galaxies the largest AGN sub-population, which dominate in numbers over higher luminosity Seyfert galaxies and quasars. This, however, poses a serious problem. While the inferred energy balance is plausible, many LINERs clearly do not contain any other independent signatures of an AGN. Aims. Using integral field spectroscopic data from the CALIFA survey, we compare the observed radial surface brightness profiles with what is expected from illumination by an AGN. Methods. Essential for this analysis is a proper extraction of emission lines, especially weak lines, such as Balmer H beta lines, which are superposed on an absorption trough. To accomplish this, we use the GANDALF code, which simultaneously fits the underlying stellar continuum and emission lines. Results. For 48 galaxies with LINER-like emission, we show that the radial emission-line surface brightness profiles are inconsistent with ionisation by a central point-source and hence cannot be due to an AGN alone. Conclusions. The most probable explanation for the excess LINER-like emission is ionisation by evolved stars during the short but very hot and energetic phase known as post-AGB. This leads us to an entirely new interpretation. Post-AGB stars are ubiquitous and their ionising effect should be potentially observable in every galaxy with the gas present and with stars older than ~1 Gyr unless a stronger radiation field from young hot stars or an AGN outshines them. This means that galaxies with LINER-like emission are not a class defined by a property but rather by the absence of a property. It also explains why LINER emission is observed mostly in massive galaxies with old stars and little star formation.

The evolution of galaxies resolved in space and time: a view of inside-out growth from the califa survey

Abstract: The growth of galaxies is one of the key problems in understanding the structure and evolution of the universe and its constituents. Galaxies can grow their stellar mass by accretion of halo or intergalactic gas clouds, or by merging with smaller or similar mass galaxies. The gas available translates into a rate of star formation, which controls the generation of metals in the universe. The spatially resolved history of their stellar mass assembly has not been obtained so far for any given galaxy beyond the Local Group. Here we demonstrate how massive galaxies grow their stellar mass inside-out. We report the results from the analysis of the first 105 galaxies of the largest three-dimensional spectroscopic survey to date of galaxies in the local universe (CALIFA). We apply the fossil record method of stellar population spectral synthesis to recover the spatially and time resolved star formation history of each galaxy. We show, for the first time, that the signal of downsizing is spatially preserved, with both inner and outer regions growing faster for more massive galaxies. Further, we show that the relative growth rate of the spheroidal component, nucleus, and inner galaxy, which happened 5-7 Gyr ago, shows a maximum at a critical stellar mass ~7 × 1010 M ☉. We also find that galaxies less massive than ~1010 M ☉ show a transition to outside-in growth, thus connecting with results from resolved studies of the growth of low-mass galaxies.

CALIFA, the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey - III. Second public data release

Abstract: This paper describes the Second Public Data Release (DR2) of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey. The data for 200 objects are made public, including the 100 galaxies of the First Public Data Release (DR1). Data were obtained with the integral-field spectrograph PMAS /PPak mounted on the 3.5 m telescope at the Calar Alto observatory. Two different spectral setups are available for each galaxy, (i) a low-resolution V500 setup covering the wavelength range 3745-7500 A with a spectral resolution of 6.0 A (FWHM); and (ii) a medium-resolution V1200 setup covering the wavelength range 3650-4840 A with a spectral resolution of 2.3 A (FWHM). The sample covers a redshift range between 0.005 and 0.03, with a wide range of properties in the color-magnitude diagram, stellar mass, ionization conditions, and morphological types. All the cubes in the data release were reduced with the latest pipeline, which includes improved spectrophotometric calibration, spatial registration, and spatial resolution. The spectrophotometric calibration is better than 6% and the median spatial resolution is 2´´ 4. In total, the second data release contains over 1.5 million spectra.

Polymorphic Sites at the 3’ Untranslated Region of the HLA-G Gene Are Associated with Differential hla-g Soluble Levels in the Brazilian and French Population

Abstract: HLA-G molecule has well-recognized tolerogenic properties, and the encoding gene shows lower frequency of polymorphism at the coding region but higher variability at regulatory 5’ and 3’ untranslated (3’UTR) regions. At least three 3’UTR polymorphic sites have been associated with HLA-G mRNA regulation, including the 14 base pair (14bp) Insertion/Deletion, +3142C-G and +3187A-G. We studied the association of polymorphic sites at 3’UTR (sequencing analysis, encompassing the 14bp Ins-Del/+3003T-C/+3010C-G/+3027C-A/+3035C-T/+3142C-G/+3187A-G/+3196C-G polymorphic sites) with plasma soluble HLA-G levels (sHLA-G, detected by ELISA) in 187 French and 153 Brazilian healthy individuals. Allele and genotype frequencies were closely similar in both populations; however, Brazilians showed a higher HLA-G 3’UTR haplotype diversity. Considering sHLA-G levels in both populations altogether, individuals presenting 14bp Del/Del showed higher levels compared to 14bpIns/Ins genotype (P <0.05); those presenting +3010C/G showed higher levels compared to the +3010C-C genotype (P< 0.05); those presenting +3027C-C showed higher levels than the +3027A-A genotype (P< 0.05); and those bearing +3035C-C showed higher levels compared to the +3035C-T (P < 0.01) and +3035T-T (P < 0.05) genotypes. The analyses of 3’UTR haplotypes showed that UTR-1 (DelTGCCCGC) was associated with higher expression of sHLA-G, whereas UTR-5 (InsTCCTGAC) and UTR-7 (InsTCATGAC) with lower expression and other UTRs (UTR-2/3/4/6) exhibited intermediate levels. Since the differential expression of HLA-G may be beneficial or harmful depending on the underlying condition, the identification of individuals genetically programmed to differentially express HLA-G may help on defining novel strategies to control the immune response against the underlying disorder.

Resolving galaxies in time and space - I. Applying STARLIGHT to CALIFA datacubes

Abstract: Fossil record methods based on spectral synthesis techniques have matured over the past decade, and their application to integrated galaxy spectra fostered substantial advances on the understanding of galaxies and their evolution. Yet, because of the lack of spatial resolution, these studies are limited to a global view, providing no information about the internal physics of galaxies. Motivated by the CALIFA survey, which is gathering Integral Field Spectroscopy over the full optical extent of 600 galaxies, we have developed an end-to-end pipeline which: (i) partitions the observed data cube into Voronoi zones in order to, when necessary and taking due account of correlated errors, increase the S/N, (ii) extracts spectra, including propagated errors and bad-pixel flags, (iii) feeds the spectra into the STARLIGHT spectral synthesis code, (iv) packs the results for all galaxy zones into a single file, (v) performs a series of post-processing operations, including zone-to-pixel image reconstruction and unpacking the spectral and stellar population properties into multi-dimensional time, metallicity, and spatial coordinates. This paper provides an illustrated description of this whole pipeline and its products. Using data for the nearby spiral NGC 2916 as a show case, we go through each of the steps involved, presenting ways of visualizing and analyzing this manifold. These include 2D maps of properties such as the v-field, stellar extinction, mean ages and metallicities, mass surface densities, star formation rates on different time scales and normalized in different ways, 1D averages in the temporal and spatial dimensions, projections of the stellar light and mass growth (x,y,t) cubes onto radius-age diagrams, etc. The results illustrate the richness of the combination of IFS data with spectral synthesis, providing a glimpse of what is to come from CALIFA and future surveys. (Abridged)

Global Biogeography of Reef Fishes: A Hierarchical Quantitative Delineation of Regions

Abstract: Delineating regions is an important first step in understanding the evolution and biogeography of faunas. However, quantitative approaches are often limited at a global scale, particularly in the marine realm. Reef fishes are the most diversified group of marine fishes, and compared to most other phyla, their taxonomy and geographical distributions are relatively well known. Based on 169 checklists spread across all tropical oceans, the present work aims to quantitatively delineate biogeographical entities for reef fishes at a global scale. Four different classifications were used to account for uncertainty related to species identification and the quality of checklists. The four classifications delivered converging results, with biogeographical entities that can be hierarchically delineated into realms, regions and provinces. All classifications indicated that the Indo-Pacific has a weak internal structure, with a high similarity from east to west. In contrast, the Atlantic and the Eastern Tropical Pacific were more strongly structured, which may be related to the higher levels of endemism in these two realms. The “Coral Triangle”, an area of the Indo-Pacific which contains the highest species diversity for reef fishes, was not clearly delineated by its species composition. Our results show a global concordance with recent works based upon endemism, environmental factors, expert knowledge, or their combination. Our quantitative delineation of biogeographical entities, however, tests the robustness of the results and yields easily replicated patterns. The similarity between our results and those from other phyla, such as corals, suggests that our approach may be of broad utility in describing and understanding global marine biodiversity patterns.

A reactive controller framework for quadrupedal locomotion on challenging terrain

Abstract: We propose a reactive controller framework for robust quadrupedal locomotion, designed to cope with terrain irregularities, trajectory tracking errors and poor state estimation. The framework comprises two main modules: One related to the generation of elliptic trajectories for the feet and the other for control of the stability of the whole robot. We propose a task space CPG-based trajectory generation that can be modulated according to terrain irregularities and the posture of the robot trunk. To improve the robot's stability, we implemented a null space based attitude control for the trunk and a push recovery algorithm based on the concept of capture points. Simulations and experimental results on the hydraulically actuated quadruped robot HyQ will be presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework.

Magnetic white dwarf stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Abstract: To obtain better statistics on the occurrence of magnetism among white dwarfs, we searched the spectra of the hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf stars (DAs) in the Data Release 7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for Zeeman splittings and estimated the magnetic fields. We found 521 DAs with detectable Zeeman splittings, with fields in the range from around 1 MG to 733 MG, which amounts to 4% of all DAs observed. As the SDSS spectra has low signal-to-noise ratios, we carefully investigated by simulations with theoretical spectra how reliable our detection of magnetic field was.

Maresin 1, a Proresolving Lipid Mediator Derived from Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Exerts Protective Actions in Murine Models of Colitis

Abstract: It has been previously reported that dietary fish oils, which are rich in the polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, can exert beneficial effects in inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of docosahexaenoic acid-derived lipid mediator maresin 1 (MaR1) in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)- and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis in mice. Systemic treatment with MaR1 significantly attenuated both DSS- and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colonic inflammation by improving the disease activity index and reducing body weight loss and colonic tissue damage. MaR1 treatment also induced a significant decrease in levels of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ, in the acute protocol, as well as IL-1β and IL-6, but not TNF-α and INF-γ, in the chronic DSS colitis protocol. Additionally, MaR1 decreased ICAM-1 mRNA expression in both the acute and chronic protocols of DSS-induced colitis. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of MaR1 seem to be associated with inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. Moreover, incubation of LPS-stimulated bone marrow-derived macrophage cultures with MaR1 reduced neutrophil migration and reactive oxygen species production, besides decreasing IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and INF-γ production. Interestingly, macrophages incubated only with MaR1 showed a significant upregulation of mannose receptor C, type 1 mRNA expression, an M2 macrophage phenotype marker. These results indicate that MaR1 consistently protects mice against different models of experimental colitis, possibly by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and consequently multiple inflammatory mediators, as well as by enhancing the macrophage M2 phenotype.

Adult and larval traits as determinants of geographic range size among tropical reef fishes

Abstract: Most marine organisms disperse via ocean currents as larvae, so it is often assumed that larval-stage duration is the primary determinant of geographic range size. However, empirical tests of this relationship have yielded mixed results, and alternative hypotheses have rarely been considered. Here we assess the relative influence of adult and larval-traits on geographic range size using a global dataset encompassing 590 species of tropical reef fishes in 47 families, the largest compilation of such data to date for any marine group. We analyze this database using linear mixed-effect models to control for phylogeny and geographical limits on range size. Our analysis indicates that three adult traits likely to affect the capacity of new colonizers to survive and establish reproductive populations (body size, schooling behavior, and nocturnal activity) are equal or better predictors of geographic range size than pelagic larval duration. We conclude that adult life-history traits that affect the postdispersal persistence of new populations are primary determinants of successful range extension and, consequently, of geographic range size among tropical reef fishes.

What do we know about the yeast strains from the Brazilian fuel ethanol industry

Abstract: The production of fuel ethanol from sugarcane-based raw materials in Brazil is a successful example of a large-scale bioprocess that delivers an advanced biofuel at competitive prices and low environmental impact. Two to three fed-batch fermentations per day, with acid treatment of the yeast cream between consecutive cycles, during 6–8 months of uninterrupted production in a nonaseptic environment are some of the features that make the Brazilian process quite peculiar. Along the past decades, some wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were isolated, identified, characterized, and eventually, reintroduced into the process, enabling us to build up knowledge on these organisms. This information, combined with physiological studies in the laboratory and, more recently, genome sequencing data, has allowed us to start clarifying why and how these strains behave differently from the better known laboratory, wine, beer, and baker's strains. All these issues are covered in this minireview, which also presents a brief discussion on future directions in the field and on the perspectives of introducing genetically modified strains in this industrial process.