CCD Photometry of the Globular Cluster NGC 5897

We report CCD photometric observations of the globular cluster NGC 5897, in the Johnson system filters B, V , R, and I. With the values for these magnitudes we obtain various colour indices and produce several colour-magnitude diagrams. We present eight colour-magnitude diagrams: V vs B-V , B vs B-V , V vs V-I, I vs V-I, R vs R-I, I vs R-I, V vs V-R, and R vs V-R. In all of these diagrams we can clearly see the Giant Branch, the Horizontal Branch and the beginning of the Main Sequence. To the left of the Main Sequence turn-off point we detect a somewhat large number of Blue Straggler stars. We determine the mean value of the visual magnitude of the HB as $16.60 \pm 0.46$. This value is fainter than the value found by other authors.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication RevMexAA, vol. 60-1, April 2024. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1606.0452

Intervención mediante feedback auditivo para la mejora del equilibrio en mujeres que realizan actividad física

El equilibrio es un aspecto fundamental para las actividades de la vida diaria y para el deporte. El deterioro en esta capacidad puede ocasionar trastornos o lesiones por caídas. El objetivo de esta intervención es determinar la influencia de un programa de ejercicios propioceptivos con feedback externo auditivo sobre la mejora del equilibrio. Participaron ocho mujeres (M = 38 años, DE = 11.45) que realizaban ejercicio constante, dividas en dos grupos. Grupo 1 programa y feedback auditivo, grupo 2 solo programa. Se creó un equipo de feedback auditivo que fue utilizado para el grupo 1. En los resultados el Grupo 1 tuvo la mejoría significativa en equilibrio medido con los siguientes test: Functional Reach (p = .036), Get Up and Go (p = .021) y Test Dinámico en Barra (p = .044). De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, los dos grupos presentan una mejoría en el equilibrio por el programa propioceptivo, pero es el grupo 1 con feedback auditivo, el que tuvo la mayor mejoría. El programa propioceptivo unido a feedback auditivo puede mejorar significativamente el equilibrio.Balance is an essential aspect of daily living and sport appearance. The deterioration of this capacity may cause disorder or injury from falls. The objective of this intervention is to determine the influence of proprioceptive exercise program with external auditory feedback on balance improvement. It involved eight women (M = 38 years, SD = 11.45) who performed constant exercise, divided into two groups. Group 1 program and auditory feedback, group 2 single program. A team of auditory feedback that was used for group 1 was created. Results in Group 1 had a significant improvement in measured equilibrium with the following tests: Functional Reach (p = .036), Get Up and Go (p = .021) and Dynamic Bar test (p = .044). According to the results, the two groups displayed an improvement in the balance by the proprioceptive program, but it was group 1, with auditory feedback, which shown the greatest improvement. The proprioceptive program along with auditory feedback can improve balance significantly.O equilíbrio é um aspecto fundamental para as actividades da vida diária e para o desporto. A deterioração desta capacidade pode originar perturbações ou lesões devido a quedas. O objectivo desta intervenção é determinar a influência de um programa de exercícios propioceptivos com feedback auditivo externo sobre a melhoria do equilíbrio. Participaram no estudo oito mulheres (M = 38 anos, DP = 11.45) que realizavam exercício constante, divididas em dois grupos. Grupo 1 programa e feedback auditivo, Grupo 2 apenas programa. Foi criada uma equipa de feedback auditivo que foi utilizada para o Grupo 1. Os resultados indicam que o Grupo 1 apresentou uma melhoria significativa do equilíbrio medid através dos seguintes testes: Functional Reach (p = .036), Get Up and Go (p = .021) e Teste Dinâmico em Barra (p = .044). De acordo com os resultados obtidos, ambos os grupos apresentam uma melhoria no equilíbrio através do programa propioceptivo, contudo, o Grupo 1 com feedback auditivo, foi o que teve uma melhoria superior. O programa propioceptivo, juntamente com o feedback auditivo, pode melhorar significativamente o equilíbrio

Occurrence Patterns of Afrotropical Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Climate Space Are Not Correlated with Their Taxonomic Relationships

Foci of tick species occur at large spatial scales. They are intrinsically difficult to detect because the effect of geographical factors affecting conceptual influence of climate gradients. Here we use a large dataset of occurrences of ticks in the Afrotropical region to outline the main associations of those tick species with the climate space. Using a principal components reduction of monthly temperature and rainfall values over the Afrotropical region, we describe and compare the climate spaces of ticks in a gridded climate space. The dendrogram of distances among taxa according to occurrences in the climate niche is used to draw functional groups, or clusters of species with similar occurrences in the climate space, as different from morphologically derived (taxonomical) groups. We aim to further define the drivers of species richness and endemism at such a grid as well as niche similarities (climate space overlap) among species. Groups of species, as defined from morphological traits alone, are uncorrelated with functional clusters. Taxonomically related species occur separately in the climate gradients. Species belonging to the same functional group share more niche among them than with species in other functional groups. However, niche equivalency is also low for species within the same taxonomic cluster. Thus, taxa evolving from the same lineage tend to maximize the occupancy of the climate space and avoid overlaps with other species of the same taxonomic group. Richness values are drawn across the gradient of seasonal variation of temperature, higher values observed in a portion of the climate space with low thermal seasonality. Richness and endemism values are weakly correlated with mean values of temperature and rainfall. The most parsimonious explanation for the different taxonomic groups that exhibit common patterns of climate space subdivision is that they have a shared biogeographic history acting over a group of ancestrally co-distributed organisms

Electrostatic microturbulence in W7-X: comparison of local gyrokinetic simulations with Doppler reflectometry measurements

The first experimental campaigns of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) have shown that turbulence plays a decisive role in the performance of neoclassically optimized stellarators. This stresses the importance of understanding microturbulence from the theoretical and experimental points of view. To this end, this paper addresses a comprehensive characterization of the turbulent fluctuations by means of nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations performed with the code stella in two W7-X scenarios. In the first part of the paper, the amplitude of the density fluctuations is calculated and compared with measurements obtained by Doppler reflectometry (DR) in the OP1 experimental campaigns. It is found that the trend of the fluctuations along the radius is explained by the access of the DR system to different regions of the turbulence wavenumber spectrum. In the second part of the article, frequency spectra of the density fluctuations and the zonal component of the turbulent flow are numerically characterized for comparisons against future experimental analyses. Both quantities feature broad frequency spectra with dominant frequencies of O(1)–O(10) kHz

Efficient plant regeneration from leaf explants of Solanum americanum

A very efficient system for direct plant regeneration from in vitro–derived leaf explants of Solanum americanum was developed. S. americanum is a tropical plant with important medical properties. The in vitro procedure that was established consists of (i) induction of shoots from leaf tissue, (ii) elongation of shoots, and (iii) rooting of plantlets. The induction of shoots was achieved on Murashige and Skoog solid medium supplemented with different combinations of zeatin riboside and 1–naphthalene acetic acid or 6–benzylaminopurine and 1–naphthalene acetic acid. The best combination for plant regeneration was MS with 5.7 mM zeatin riboside and 0.11 mM 1–naphthalene acetic acid. In the second step, the shoot clumps were transferred to MS basal medium without plant growth regulators, resulting in the differentiation of most of the shoot initials into well developed shoots. In the third stage, plantlets were efficiently rooted on half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with 58.5 mM sucrose. The rooted plants were established in soil with a 100% success rate. This system can be useful to perform further experiments to obtain transgenic plants of this species as well as for other biotechnological approaches.Keywords: American nightshade, organogenesis, shoots regeneration, in vitro culture, zeatin riboside, 1–naphthalene acetic acid, medicinal plant speciesAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(36), pp. 5830-5835, 6 September, 201

The IBdata Web System for Biological Collections: Design Focused on Usability

The software design process must put users at the core of the process to enable them to meet their specific objectives effectively, efficiently, and successfully. Thus, a software design for a computing system to consult biological collections guided by the concept of usability will result in an effective and efficient biodiversity informatics tool. Here, we introduce IBdata, a web system to consult biological collections, developed using a design approach based on the architecture of three layers: database, business rules, and user interface. The user interface design was guided by the concept of usability focused on four core concepts: simplicity, adaptability, guide the user through the journey, and feedback. The IBdata web system that we developed is composed of three modules (query, capture and editing, and administration), permitting it to query a database with about 1.7 million specimen records. Biodiversity data query systems must be effective and efficient and should meet the user’s expectations. Software design methodologies play a central role in achieving these goals, and, in this context, interface design techniques that put the user at the core of development are valuable, as in the development of the IBdata web system

Properties of biopolymer dispersions and films used as carriers of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1

[EN] The use of biocontrol agents (BCA) for controlling plant diseases is an alternative to reduce the use of pesticides. Their performance can be improved when applied in combination with coatings. Films and coatings formulated from different biopolymers were characterized as to their barrier and optical properties to analyse their impact on fruit when applied as carriers of the BCA Candida sake CPA-1. The properties of the film-forming dispersions were more affected by the type of polymer than by the incorporation of surfactants. Sodium caseinate formed the thickest coatings, but these were very thin in every case, which led to there being no predicted relevant effect on the gas exchanges of the fruit. The cell viability in the films was good during film drying, especially in the case of protein films; however, it decreased after storage.The authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support through project RTA2012-00067-0O2 and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant (VALi+d 2013). The authors are also thankful to IRTA group, headed by Dra. Neus Teixido, for their assistance in the microbiological study.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Chiralt, A. (2017). Properties of biopolymer dispersions and films used as carriers of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 79:60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2017.01.024S60697

PRODUCCIÓN DE TOMATE EN INVERNADERO CON COMPOSTA Y VERMICOMPOSTA COMO SUSTRATO

The organic production of food is an alternative for consumers that prefer food free of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, and with a high nutritional value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate substrates prepared with mixtures of compost and vermicompost with sand, at various levels, under greenhouse conditions. The tomato hybrid SUN-7705 (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) was analized in four substrates that included compost and vermicompost mixed at three different proportions (100, 75 y 50 %). The treatments were distributed in a completely randomised design with a factorial arrangement of 4x3 and five replicates. The greatest average yield (39.811 t ha) was obtained with the compost generated by decomposing bovine manure, corn stover (Zea mays L.), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumacher) and black earth (CEMZT) at 75% + sand, and with the vermicompost generated by manure, bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) and black earth (VEPT) at 100 and 50% + sand. This yield was greater than that recorded for organic tomato production in the field, without affecting the quality of the fruit