Determinação de Algumas Propriedades Térmicas de Cerâmicas Avançadas Dopadas Com o Íon Terra Rara Ce4+

Estudamos algumas propriedades térmicas de cerâmicas com estrutura de dupla perovskita do tipo A_2 BB'O_6, relacionando essa propriedades com suas características microestruturais. Os resultados obtidos definem parâmetros importantes sobre a durabilidade em altas temperaturas, resistência à fluência e maior compreensão do transporte de calor em meios porosos. As amostras, 〖Ca〗_2 MnReO_6 e 〖Ca〗_1,8 〖Ce〗_0,2 MnReO_6, preparadas através da técnica de reação no estado sólido, foram estudadas aqui. Descrevem-se os utilizados pelo grupo de pesquisa para sintetizar a estrutura cristalina, que foram comprovadas pelas análises de padrões de raios X. Imagens de MEV possibilitaram avaliar o tamanho médio de junções entre grãos . Para avaliar esse tamanho médio das partículas realizou-se um levantamento estatístico do tamanho das junções entre grão. Tomando os histogramas produzidos, ajustou-se uma curva estatística de uma densidade de distribuição gama. Informações sobre as concentrações atômicas nas regiões de interior e contorno do grão foram obtidas através das análises dos espectros de EDS - Energy Dispersive Spectrometry. Observamos que a amostra não dopada apresentou maior tamanho médio de junções e uma maior concentração do átomos de rênio no contorno de grão diferentemente da amostra dopada na qual não foram observadas grandes mudanças de concentrações nas regiões estudadas. Usamos o método Flash Laser para realizar um estudo da difusividade térmica. Esse método tem como vantagem a determinação simultânea de importantes parâmetros termodinâmicos em um intervalo de tempo muito curto. Um baixo valor de difusividade térmica foi observado para amostra não dopada, ao contrário da amostra dopada com cério que apresentou valores 5 vezes maior. Essa diferença foi associada a alta porosidade observada na amostra 〖Ca〗_2 MnReO_6. Palavras chave: cerâmica, perovskitas duplas, método Flash Laser, propriedades térmicas, terras raras, cério

Data from: Experimental evidence that density mediates negative frequency-dependent selection on aggression

1. Aggression can be beneficial in competitive environments if aggressive individuals are more likely to access resources than non-aggressive individuals. However, variation in aggressive behaviour persists within populations, suggesting that high levels of aggression might not always be favoured. 2. The goal of this study was to experimentally assess the effects of population density and phenotypic frequency on selection on aggression in a competitive environment. 3. We compared survival of two strains of Drosophila melanogaster that differ in aggression across three density treatments and five frequency treatments (single strain groups, equal numbers of each strain, and strains mixed at 3:1 and 1:3 ratios) during a period of limited resources. 4. While there was no difference in survival across single-strain treatments, survival was strongly density-dependent, with declining survival as density increased. Furthermore, at medium and high densities, there was evidence of negative frequency-dependent selection, where rare strains experienced greater survival than common strains. However, there was no evidence of negative frequency-dependent selection at low density. 5. Our results indicate that the benefits of aggression during periods of limited resources can depend on the interaction between the phenotypic composition of populations and population density, both of which are mechanisms that could maintain variation in aggressive behaviours within natural populations

Data from: Experimental evidence that density mediates negative frequency-dependent selection on aggression

1. Aggression can be beneficial in competitive environments if aggressive individuals are more likely to access resources than non-aggressive individuals. However, variation in aggressive behaviour persists within populations, suggesting that high levels of aggression might not always be favoured. 2. The goal of this study was to experimentally assess the effects of population density and phenotypic frequency on selection on aggression in a competitive environment. 3. We compared survival of two strains of Drosophila melanogaster that differ in aggression across three density treatments and five frequency treatments (single strain groups, equal numbers of each strain, and strains mixed at 3:1 and 1:3 ratios) during a period of limited resources. 4. While there was no difference in survival across single-strain treatments, survival was strongly density-dependent, with declining survival as density increased. Furthermore, at medium and high densities, there was evidence of negative frequency-dependent selection, where rare strains experienced greater survival than common strains. However, there was no evidence of negative frequency-dependent selection at low density. 5. Our results indicate that the benefits of aggression during periods of limited resources can depend on the interaction between the phenotypic composition of populations and population density, both of which are mechanisms that could maintain variation in aggressive behaviours within natural populations