University of Madeira

About: University of Madeira is a education organization based out in Funchal, Portugal. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Dendrimer. The organization has 1014 authors who have published 2759 publications receiving 59457 citations.

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic identification and record verification of Gambierdiscus excentricus (Dinophyceae) from Madeira Island (NE Atlantic Ocean)

Abstract: The marine benthic dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus currently contains ~ 16 species that can be highly morphologically similar to one another, and therefore molecular genetic characterization is necessary to complement the morphological species determination. Gambierdiscus species can produce ciguatoxins, which can accumulate through the food chain and cause ciguatera fish poisoning. Recent studies have suggested that Gambierdiscus excentricus may be one of the main species responsible for ciguatoxin production in the temperate and tropical regions of the eastern Atlantic. The present study definitively identifies the species, G. excentricus, from Madeira Island, Northeast-Atlantic Ocean (32° 38′ N 16° 56′ W) by examining the morphology of a strain using light and scanning electron microscopy and sequencing regions of the ribosomal DNA (D8-D10 LSU, SSU rDNA). Variability in the shape of the apical pore and the microarchitecture of the apical pore plate were documented for the first time, as well as variability in the width of the second antapical plate. The first SSU rDNA sequence for the species is reported. Because G. excentricus is known to produce high levels of CTX-like compounds, its presence and toxicity should be regularly monitored to establish whether it is the primary cause of the ciguatera poisoning events on Madeira Island.

Stable isotopes in rain and cloud water in Madeira: contribution for the hydrogeologic framework of a volcanic island

Abstract: Madeira is a volcanic island whose economy is highly dependent on groundwater. Previous studies suggest that, besides precipitation, cloud water interception contributes to groundwater recharge. As such, the isotopic characterization of the sources of recharge is useful for the hydrogeological framework of the island. The δ 18O and δ 2H content of rain and cloud water was analyzed during three campaigns. Rain plots over a local meteoric water line (LMWL) whose equation is δ 2H = 7.92 δ 18O + 10.49 (R 2 = 0.97, n = 43). The volume-weighted average meteoric line (WLMWL) is given by δ 2H = 7.97 δ 18O + 10.57 (R 2 = 0.98, n = 20). Both are similar to the global meteoric water line which indicates, along with the d-excess values (10.8 and 11 ‰ for the LMWL and WLMWL, respectively), that rain originates, essentially in the Atlantic. Seasonal variations were also observed and rain in Campaign II was isotopically enriched and had a higher d-excess (δ 18Omean −3.63 ‰; δ 2Hmean −16.3 ‰; d-excess 12.7 ‰), than rain in Campaign III (δ 18Omean −7.01 ‰; δ 2Hmean −46.5 ‰; d-excess 9.5 ‰). Campaign I stood in between. These variations were probably the result of differences in temperature, water vapor source areas and rain forming processes. Rain was found to become increasingly depleted with altitude (δ 18O), at a rate of −0.15 ‰/100 m and −0.11 ‰/100 m in the windward and leeward sides, respectively. Cloud water was always isotopically enriched when compared with rain at the same altitude. This was related to constant water vapor replenishment of orographic clouds, to the fact that it usually represents an early stage condensation from air moisture and to the smaller size of cloud water droplets when compared to rain droplets. These results will be useful to refine Madeira’s hydrogeological conceptual model. Future extended sampling during more years, with smaller sampling periods and single rainfall events should be useful to support the conclusions of this study.

1S_0 Pairing in Neutron Matter

Abstract: We report calculations of the superfluid pairing gap in neutron matter for the $$^1S_0$$ components of the Reid soft-core $$V_6$$ and the Argonne $$V_{4}'$$ two-nucleon interactions. Ground-state calculations have been carried out using the central part of the operator-basis representation of these interactions to determine optimal Jastrow–Feenberg correlations and corresponding effective pairing interactions within the correlated basis formalism, the required matrix elements in the correlated basis being evaluated by Fermi hypernetted-chain (FHNC) techniques. Different implementations of the Fermi hypernetted-chain Euler–Lagrange (FHNC-EL) method agree at the percent level up to nuclear matter saturation density. For the assumed interactions, which are realistic within the low density range involved in $$^1S_0$$ neutron pairing, we did not find a dimerization instability arising from divergence of the in-medium scattering length, as was reported recently for simple square-well and Lennard–Jones potential models (Fan et al. in Phys Rev A 92:023640, 2015).

ToyVision: a toolkit to support the creation of innovative board-games with tangible interaction

Abstract: This paper presents "ToyVision": a software toolkit developed to facilitate the implementation of tangible games in visual-based tabletop devices. Compared to other toolkits for tabletops which offer very limited and tag-centered tangible possibilities, ToyVision provides designers with tools for modeling and implementing innovative tangible playing pieces with a high level of abstraction from the hardware. For this purpose, a new abstraction layer (the Widget layer) has been included in an already existing tabletop framework (ReacTIVision), providing the host application with high processed data about each playing piece involved in the game. To support the framework application, a Graphic Assistant tool enables the designer to visually model all the playing pieces into tangible tokens that can be tracked and controlled by the framework software. As a practical example, the complete process of prototyping a tangible game is described.

New records of Chironomidae (Diptera: Insecta) from the Azores, Macaronesia

Abstract: Collections of Chironomidae from aquatic habitats on the Azores islands of Sao Miguel and Flores during August 1997 and on Sao Miguel, Terceira and Graciosa in September-October 1998, yielded 33 species-level taxa. Representatives of 16 taxa in three subfamilies are new generic / species records for the Azores archipelago: Tanypodinae - Procladius (Holotanypus) choreus (Meigen), Paramerina sp. griechenland, Zavrelimyia sp.; Orthocladiinae - Metriocnemus (Inermipupa) carmencitabertarum Langton et Cobo, Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) sp., Psectrocladius limbatellus (Holmgren), Psectrocladius sp., Pseudorthocladius sp., Smittia contingens (Walker); Chironominae - Chironomus cingulatus Meigen, Chironomus cf annularius (De Geer), Glyptotendipes barbipes (Staeger), Glyptotendipes pallens (Meigen), Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse), Micropsectra sp. (cf lindrothi Goetghebuer), Paratanytarsus grimmii (Schneider). A revised checklist is provided, incorporating and updating previous records.