Validation of spallation neutron production and propagation within Geant4

Using simulations to understand backgrounds from muon-induced neutrons is important in designing next-generation low-background underground experiments. Validation of relevant physics within the Geant4 simulation package has been completed by comparing to data from two recent experiments. Verification focused on the production and propagation of neutrons at energies important to underground experiments. Discrepancies were observed between experimental data and the simulation. Techniques were explored to correct for these discrepancies.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables, submitted to NIM A. 6 Aug 200

Variation in quality of newly hatched chicks from Japanese breeder quail fed guava extract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of guava extract as a dietary supplement for Japanese quail hens on incubation parameters, intestinal development, and the quality of newly hatched chicks. Six hundred and forty-eight eggs were collected from Japanese quail hens fed diets with 0.0, 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 g/kg of guava extract. The study consisted of four treatments, six replicates, and 27 eggs per replicate. The guava extract contained 2% ellagic acid. The eggs were incubated at 37.5 °C and 65% relative air humidity. The hatch window, hatchability, embryo development in unhatched eggs, quality of newly hatched quails, and intestinal histomorphometry of a duodenum segment were evaluated. Differences among the treatments in hatchability and the hatch window were not significant. The guava extract did not affect mortality rate, live pecking, dead pecking, and contaminated and inverted eggs. The number of infertile eggs was lower in the groups that received 3.0 and 9.0 g/kg of extract in their diets. Use of up to 3.0 g/kg of guava extract in the diet increased the weight of both eggs and newly hatched chicks. The quality score of newly hatched quail was similar across treatments. The inclusion of 3.0 g/kg of guava extract in the diet of Japanese quail breeder hens increased the hatchling weight of the chicks and improved the villus to crypt ratio of their duodenum. Keywords: embryology, embryo metabolism, hatchery, incubation, breeder nutritio

A Raman Study of Morphotropic Phase Boundary in PbZr1-xTixO3 at low temperatures

Raman spectra of PbZr1-xTixO3 ceramics with titanium concentration varying between 0.40 and 0.60 were measured at 7 K. By observing the concentration-frequency dependence of vibrational modes, we identified the boundaries among rhombohedral, monoclinic, and tetragonal ferroelectric phases. The analysis of the spectra was made in the view of theory group analysis making possible the assignment of some modes for the monoclinic phase.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Testing the Copernican Principle via Cosmological Observations

Observations of distances to Type-Ia supernovae can be explained by cosmological models that include either a gigaparsec-scale void, or a cosmic flow, without the need for Dark Energy. Instead of invoking dark energy, these inhomogeneous models instead violate the Copernican Principle. we show that current cosmological observations (Supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and estimates of the Hubble parameters based on the age of the oldest stars) are not able to rule out inhomogeneous anti-Copernican models. The next generation of surveys for baryonic acoustic oscillations will be sufficiently precise to either validate the Copernican Principle or determine the existence of a local Gpc scale inhomogeneity.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in JCA

Gravitational Wave Emission from Galactic Radio Pulsars

We consider in this work continuous gravitational wave (GW) emission from non-axisymmetric radio pulsars. We treat in some detail the observational issues related to the known radio pulsar sample with the aim of unveiling the actual number of sources contributing to GW, which are likely to be the main contributors of GWs. It is shown that the operation of spheroidal GW detectors and full-size interferometers could detect this component of the radiation or impose useful limits on the effective oblateness of young radio pulsars.Comment: 7 pages, RevTex , no figures , to appear in Phys. Rev.

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene of Moniliophthoraperniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom disease of Theobroma cacao

This report describes the cloning, sequence and expression analysis of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene of Moniliophthora perniciosa, the most important pathogen of cocoa in Brazil. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of a single copy of the GAPDH gene in the M. perniciosa genome (MpGAPDH). The complete MpGAPDH coding sequence contained 1,461 bp with eight introns that were conserved in the GAPDH genes of other basidiomycete species. The cis-elements in the promoter region of the MpGAPDH gene were similar to those of other basidiomycetes. Likewise, the MpGAPDH gene encoded a putative 339 amino acid protein that shared significant sequence similarity with other GAPDH proteins in fungi, plants, and metazoans. Phylogenetic analyses clustered the MPGAPDH protein with other homobasidiomycete fungi of the family Tricholomataceae. Expression analysis of the MpGAPDH gene by real-time PCR showed that this gene was more expressed (~1.3X) in the saprotrophic stage of this hemibiotrophic plant pathogen than in the biotrophic stage when grown in cacao extracts