Coupled magnetic and elastic properties in LaPr(CaSr)MnO manganites

We investigate a series of manganese oxides, the La0.225Pr0.4(Ca1-xSrx)0.375MnO3 system. The x = 0 sample is a prototype compound for the study of phase separation in manganites, where ferromagnetic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic phases coexist. Replacing Ca2+ by Sr2+ gradually turns the system into a homogeneous ferromagnet. Our results show that the material structure plays a major role in the observed magnetic properties. On cooling, at temperatures below 100 K, a strong contraction of the lattice is followed by an increase in the magnetization. This is observed both through thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements, providing distinct evidence of magneto-elastic coupling in these phase separated compounds

A morphometric and karyological study of Onobrychis calabrica (Fabaceae), a neglected species endemic to Calabria, S Italy

A morphometric (multivariate and univariate) and karyological study of Onobrychis calabrica Sirj. (Fabaceae), compared to O. alba subsp. echinata (Guss.) P. W. Ball and O. supina (Chaix ex Vill.) DC., was carried out. According to our results, twelve morphological characters clearly support the distinctiveness of O. calabrica. In addition, the latter species is tetraploid with 2n = 4x = 28 chromosomes, whereas the other two taxa are diploid with 2n = 2x = 14 chromosomes. The names O. calabrica and O. handel-mazzettii Sirj. (a heterotypic synonym of O. supina) are lectotypified here. Onobrychis calabrica, a narrow endemic to SE Calabria, S Italy, is here assessed as Critically Endangered CR B1ab(iii)+B2ab(iii) following IUCN Red List categories and criteria

Body Shame in 7–12-Year-Old Girls and Boys: The Role of Parental Attention to Children’s Appearance

Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model and Objectification Theory, we examined whether parents’ attention to their children’s appearance was related to higher body shame in girls and boys. In Study 1 (N = 195) and 2 (N = 163), we investigated 7-12-year-old children’s metaperceptions about parents’ attention to their appearance and its association with children’s body shame. In Study 3, we examined the link between parents’ self-reported attention to their children’s appearance and children’s body shame among parent-child triads (N = 70). Results demonstrated that both children’s metaperceptions and fathers’ self-reported attention to children’s appearance were associated with body shame in children. Furthermore, when mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward their children were analyzed simultaneously, only fathers’ attention to their children’s appearance was associated with greater body shame in girls and boys. Notably, no gender differences emerged, suggesting that parents’ attention to their children’s appearance was not differentially related to body shame in girls and boys. These results remained significant when controlling for other sources of influence, namely peer and media influence, both of which were found to have a strong association with body shame in children. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed

Influência da irrigação intermitente sobre o avanço e infiltração de água em sulcos, num Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro álico.

Conduziu-se uma pesquisa para avaliar as caracteristicas de avanco e infiltracao de agua em sulcos, num Latossolo Vermelho Escuro alico, utilizando-se irrigacao continua e intermitente. Foram testadas as vazoes de 0,4; 0,8; 1,2/s-1, bem como os tempos ciclicos de 20; 40 e 60 min, com taxa ciclica de 0,5. A velocidade de avanco da agua aumentou com a vazao de 0,4ls-1, nos tres tempos ciclicos, e com a vazao de 0,8ls-1, nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min, em relacao ao escoamento continuo. Entretanto, nao houve diferenca entre os tempos de avanco, quando se fizeram irrigacoes continua e intermitente, com a vazao de 1,2ls-1. Na primeira aplicacao de agua nos sulcos, os efeitos da irrigacao intermitente foram mais acentuados. Os volumes de agua aplicada, para a conclusao do avanco, foram menores no escoamento intermitente, com a vazao de 0,8ls-1 e nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min

Estudo das características de avanço e infiltração da água em sulcos, em um Latossolo Vermelho-Escuro alico, com aplicação de água contínua e intermitente.

Conduziu-se uma pesquisa com a finalidade de estudar as caracteristicas de avanco e infiltracao da agua em sulcos com aplicacao de agua continua e intermitente. Foram testadas as vazoes de 0,4, 0,8 e 1,2 1.s-1 e tempos ciclicos de 20, 40 e 60 min com taxa ciclica de 0,5. A velocidade de avanco aumentou, para a vazao de 0,4 1.s-1, nos tres tempos ciclicos, em relacao ao escoamento continuo, e para a vazao de 0,8 1.s-1, nos tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min. Entretanto, nao houve diferenca entre os tempos de avanco com irrigacao continua e intermitente para a vazao de 1,2 1.s-1. Os efeitos da irrigacao intermitente foram mais acentuados durante a primeira irrigacao. Os volumes de agua aplicada para conclusao do avanco foram menores no escoamento intermitente com vazao de 0,8 1.s-1 e tempos ciclicos de 40 e 60 min

Bayesian estimation of one-parameter qubit gates

We address estimation of one-parameter unitary gates for qubit systems and seek for optimal probes and measurements. Single- and two-qubit probes are analyzed in details focusing on precision and stability of the estimation procedure. Bayesian inference is employed and compared with the ultimate quantum limits to precision, taking into account the biased nature of Bayes estimator in the non asymptotic regime. Besides, through the evaluation of the asymptotic a posteriori distribution for the gate parameter and the comparison with the results of Monte Carlo simulated experiments, we show that asymptotic optimality of Bayes estimator is actually achieved after a limited number of runs. The robustness of the estimation procedure against fluctuations of the measurement settings is investigated and the use of entanglement to improve the overall stability of the estimation scheme is also analyzed in some details.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Hydrogen bonding and coordination in normal and supercritical water from X-ray inelastic scattering

A direct measure of hydrogen bonding in water under conditions ranging from the normal state to the supercritical regime is derived from the Compton scattering of inelastically-scattered X-rays. First, we show that a measure of the number of electrons $n_e$ involved in hydrogen bonding at varying thermodynamic conditions can be directly obtained from Compton profile differences. Then, we use first-principles simulations to provide a connection between $n_e$ and the number of hydrogen bonds $n_{HB}$. Our study shows that over the broad range studied the relationship between $n_e$ and $n_{HB}$ is linear, allowing for a direct experimental measure of bonding and coordination in water. In particular, the transition to supercritical state is characterized by a sharp increase in the number of water monomers, but also displays a significant number of residual dimers and trimers.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Characterization of a bean landrace from Sicily: the ‘fagiolo Badda di Polizzi'

Inside the project “Piano per la Produzione di Proteine Vegetali in Sicilia” investigations were carried out to characterize a bean population cultivated in the Parco delle Madonie area, the ‘Fagiolo Badda di Polizzi’. The producers’ interest for this landrace and the appreciation of the consumers could justify the start up of a valorization program through a product certification. Researches on the morpho-physiological aspects and on the nutritional profile were made in trials conducted between 2005 and 2007. All the Badda bean accessions showed an indeterminate plant growth habit, white flowers and a very delayed flowering time. In particular, a certain variability was seen and described for the size and shape of pods and seeds. Two types of Badda are cultivated, differentiated by the secondary seed colour: the “white Badda” and the “black Badda”. Both have ivory has a primary seed coat colour, but the “white Badda” has a brownish spot on the hilum, whereas the “black Badda” shows a black spot. In addition, the secondary colour of the seed coat of the “black Badda” showed two different pigmentations: violet and black, that suggested a genetic differentiation into different sub-populations. Finally, the “black Badda” resulted less susceptible to viral infections than the “white” one. At the molecular level, three accessions of Badda bean (two ‘white’ and one ‘black’) have been compared with control varieties, including one accessions of ‘Fagiolo del Purgatorio’ from Gradoli (VT), seven landraces of the Borlotto type collected in the Marche region and the cultivars Bat, Jalo, Clio and Big Borlotto. The analyses were carried out using 12 Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) primers yielding a total of 140 bands. Although no specific band for the Badda landrace were detected, two amplicons were found only in the accessions of Badda and in Monachello, a bicol-seeded type from the Marche region, morphologically similar to the “black Badda”. The dendrogram obtained from the genetic distances based on ISSRs indicated that the Badda type belongs to the Andean gene pool and that it is distinguishable from the tested controls being grouped into a separate cluster. Within the Badda type, the ‘white’ accessions were not separated from the ‘black’ one