Heterochromatin and the molecular mechanisms of 'parent-of-origin' effects in animals.

Twenty five years ago it was proposed that conserved components of constitutive heterochromatin assemble heterochromatinlike complexes in euchromatin and this could provide a general mechanism for regulating heritable (cell-to-cell) changes in gene expressibility. As a special case, differences in the assembly of heterochromatin-like complexes on homologous chromosomes might also regulate the parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression observed in placental mammals. Here, the progress made in the intervening period with emphasis on the role of heterochromatin and heterochromatin-like complexes in parent-of-origin effects in animals is reviewed

Considerations on Communication Infrastructures for Cooperative Operation of Smart Inverters

The presence of distributed generation systems spread over low-voltage electrical networks is boosting the development of control methodologies aiming at coordinating and cooperatively managing the existing smart inverters. Although low-bandwidth data transmission links are constantly described to be required for a considerable number of centralized and decentralized control methodologies, there is a gap in literature concerning the plain understanding of the features of the related communication protocols available for such application. Thus, this paper brings considerations on some of the most relevant communication protocols that can be applied to the cooperative control of multiple smart inverters, taking into account the recent updates on interoperability requirements recommended by the IEEE 1547-2018 standard. The communication infrastructure, topology and features of a low-bandwidth data transmission link are discussed in this paper focusing on the SunSpec, DNP3 and SEP2 protocols. Yet, some critical comments are made regarding the practical interoperability of commercial inverters, also bordering cyber security matters.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)NFRCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Sao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, G Automat & Int Syst GASI, Sorocaba, BrazilFed Univ Minas Gerais UFMG, Grad Program Elect Engn, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilNorwegian Univ Sci & Technol NTNU, Dept Elect Power Engn, Trondheim, NorwaySao Paulo State Univ, UNESP, G Automat & Int Syst GASI, Sorocaba, BrazilFAPESP: 2018/22172-1FAPESP: 2017/24652-8FAPESP: 2016/08645-9NFR: f261735/H3

3-Phase Multi-Functional Grid-Tied Inverter for Compensation of Oscillating Instantaneous Power

The primary objective of this paper is to present the basic terms of Conservative Power Theory (CPT) and its applications for compensating instantaneous power oscillations in three-phase three-wire systems. The reference signals for a three-phase multi-functional grid-tied inverter are derived using the instantaneous power and the instantaneous reactive energy terms defined by CPT, having the oscillating power components defined directly in a-b-c coordinates. The compensation method proposed in this study is validated through simulations based on practical power system modeling. The results presented here show the feasibility and singularities of the proposed method.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Sao Paulo State Univ Unesp, Grp Automat & Integrated Syst GASI, Sorocaba, BrazilNorwegian Univ Sci & Technol NTNU, Dept Elect Power Engn, Trondheim, NorwayFed Univ Mato Grosso UFMT, Dept Elect Engn, Cuiaba, BrazilColorado Sch Mines, Elect Engn Dept, Golden, CO 80401 USASao Paulo State Univ Unesp, Grp Automat & Integrated Syst GASI, Sorocaba, BrazilFAPESP: 2017/22629-9FAPESP: 2017/20987-5FAPESP: 2018/22172-1FAPESP: 2016/08645-9CNPq: 311332/2018-

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Funder: Brazilian Program for Biodiversity ResearchFunder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004916Funder: National Institute for Amazonian BiodiversityAbstract: Aim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser‐availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource‐availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree‐inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree‐inventory plots across terra‐firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance‐weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra‐firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser‐availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types

One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains

Amazonia’s floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region’s floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon’s tree diversity and its function