Age-related differences during visual search: the role of contextual expectations and cognitive control mechanisms

We explored the efficacy of drawing pictures as an encoding strategy to enhance memory performance in healthy older adults and individuals with probable dementia. In an incidental encoding phase, participants were asked to either draw a picture or write out each word from a set of 30 common nouns for 40 seconds each. Episodic memory for the target words was compared in a group of healthy older adults to individuals with probable dementia (MMSE/MOCA range 4 to 25). In two experiments we showed that recall and recognition performance was higher for words that were drawn than written out during encoding, for both participant groups. We suggest that incorporating visuo-perceptual information into memory enhanced performance by increasing reliance on visual-sensory brain regions, which are relatively intact in these populations. Our findings demonstrate that drawing is a valuable technique leading to measurable gains in memory performance for individuals with probable dementia

Reunion overseas: introduced wild boars and cultivated orange trees interact in the Brazilian Atlantic forest

Little is known concerning novel interactions between species that typically interact in their native range but, as a consequence of human activity, are also interacting out of their original distribution under new ecological conditions. Objective: We investigate the interaction between the orange tree and wild boar, both of which share Asian origins and have been introduced to the Americas (i.e. the overseas). Methods: Specifically, we assessed whether i) wild boars consume orange (Citrus sinensis) fruits and seeds in orchards adjacent to a remnant of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, ii) the orange seeds are viable after passing through boar’s digestive tract and iii) whether the orange tree may naturalise in the forest remnant assisted by wild boars. Results: Our camera surveys indicated that wild boar was by far the most frequent consumer of orange fruits (40.5 % of camera trap-days). A considerable proportion of sown orange seeds extracted from fresh boar feces emerged seedlings (27.8 %, N = 386) under controlled greenhouse conditions. Further, 37.6 % of sown seeds (N = 500) in the forest remnant emerged seedlings in July 2015; however, after ~4 years (March 2019) only 9 seedlings survived (i.e. 4.8 %, N = 188). Finally, 52 sweet orange seedlings were found during surveys within the forest remnant which is intensively used by wild boars. This study indicates a high potential of boars to act as effective seed dispersers of the sweet orange. However, harsh competition with native vegetation and the incidence of lethal diseases, which quickly kill sweet orange trees under non-agricultural conditions, could seriously limit orange tree establishment in the forest. Conclusions: Our results have important implications not only because the wild boar could be a vector of potential invasive species, but also because they disperse seeds of some native species (e.g. the queen palm, Syagrus romanzofiana) in defaunated forests, where large native seed dispersers are missing; thus, wild boars could exert critical ecological functions lost due to human activityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eficácia de Beauveria bassiana para o controle de Hedypathes betulinus em erva-mate, Ilex paraguariensis.

O controle das pragas da erva-mate, dentre as quais a broca-da-erva-mate, Hedypathes betulinus, é limitado principalmente a técnicas silviculturais e catação manual, pois não é permitida a aplicação de agroquímicos nessa cultura. A fim de contribuir com informações para o controle biológico de H. betulinus, o presente trabalho teve por objetivos determinar a eficácia e o número de aplicações anuais do micoinseticida à base do fungo entomopatogênico Beauveria bassiana para o controle dessa praga. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em uma área de erva-mate em monocultura, no município de Campo Alegre, SC, Brasil. O formulado foi pulverizado no tronco e na base das árvores, de acordo com um cronograma de duas ou três aplicações, em diferentes meses do ano. Constatou-se a eficácia com a utilização do formulado, sendo que os dados de captura das áreas tratadas diferiram estatisticamente da testemunha e do tratamento com catação manual. Contudo, não houve diferença estatística entre os tratamentos com duas e três aplicações, sendo capturados, respectivamente, 18,4% e 17,7% dos insetos marcados. Assim, apenas duas pulverizações com B. bassiana realizadas nos meses de novembro e fevereiro são eficientes para o controle de H. betulinus e manutenção do inóculo na área de erva-mate em monocultur

An infrared diagnostic for magnetism in hot stars

Magnetospheric observational proxies are used for indirect detection of magnetic fields in hot stars in the X-ray, UV, optical, and radio wavelength ranges. To determine the viability of infrared (IR) hydrogen recombination lines as a magnetic diagnostic for these stars, we have obtained low-resolution (R~1200), near-IR spectra of the known magnetic B2V stars HR 5907 and HR 7355, taken with the Ohio State Infrared Imager/Spectrometer (OSIRIS) attached to the 4.1m Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope. Both stars show definite variable emission features in IR hydrogen lines of the Brackett series, with similar properties as those found in optical spectra, including the derived location of the detected magnetospheric plasma. These features also have the added advantage of a lowered contribution of stellar flux at these wavelengths, making circumstellar material more easily detectable. IR diagnostics will be useful for the future study of magnetic hot stars, to detect and analyze lower-density environments, and to detect magnetic candidates in areas obscured from UV and optical observations, increasing the number of known magnetic stars to determine basic formation properties and investigate the origin of their magnetic fields.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for publication in A&

Enhancing the Sensitivity of SMS Fiber Sensors by the Use of High Refractive Index Coatings

This paper presents a study on the behavior of single-mode/multimode/single-mode sensors with diamond-like carbon coating of high refractive index. Spectra and response for different values of the external medium refractive index are recorded and analyzed

Improving the Knowledge on Seismogenic Sources in the Lower Tagus Valley for Seismic Hazard Purposes

The Lower Tagus Valley, that includes the metropolitan area of Lisbon, has been struck by several earthquakes which produced significant material damage and loss of lives. Their exact location remains unknown. Our goal is to shed some light into the seismogenic sources in the area using seismic reflection and geological data. In areas with no seismic coverage, potential-field data interpretation was carried out. Seismicity was overlaid to the potential seismogenic structures and high-resolution data was acquired in order to confirm which structures have been active into the Quaternary. Three major fault-zones affecting the Neogene were identified: V. F. Xira, Samora-Alcochete and Pinhal Novo. For the first fault, strong evidences suggest it is active. The other two fault-zones and other structures previously unknown can be correlated with several epicentres. Empirical relationships between maximum moment magnitude and fault area indicate that MW > 6.5 earthquakes can be expected for the larger structures

Radial abundance gradients in the outer Galactic disk as traced by main-sequence OB stars

Using a sample of 31 main-sequence OB stars located between galactocentric distances 8.4 - 15.6 kpc, we aim to probe the present-day radial abundance gradients of the Galactic disk. The analysis is based on high-resolution spectra obtained with the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan Clay 6.5-m telescope on Las Campanas. We used a non-NLTE analysis in a self-consistent semi-automatic routine based on TLUSTY and SYNSPEC to determine atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances. Stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, projected rotational velocity, microturbulence, and macroturbulence) and silicon and oxygen abundances are presented for 28 stars located beyond 9 kpc from the Galactic centre plus three stars in the solar neighborhood. The stars of our sample are mostly on the main-sequence, with effective temperatures between 20800 - 31300 K, and surface gravities between 3.23 - 4.45 dex. The radial oxygen and silicon abundance gradients are negative and have slopes of -0.07 dex/kpc and -0.09 dex/kpc, respectively, in the region $8.4 \leq R_G \leq 15.6$\,kpc. The obtained gradients are compatible with the present-day oxygen and silicon abundances measured in the solar neighborhood and are consistent with radial metallicity gradients predicted by chemodynamical models of Galaxy Evolution for a subsample of young stars located close to the Galactic plane.Comment: Accepted for publication in the A&

Chaotic properties of an FIR filtered H\'enon map

When chaotic signals are used in practical communication systems, it is essential to control and eventually limit the spectral bandwidth occupied by these signals. One way to achieve this goal is to insert a discrete-time filter into a nonlinear map that generates chaotic signals. However, this can completely change the dynamic properties of the original map. Considering this situation, this paper presents a series of numerical experiments aimed at obtaining the Lyapunov exponents of the signals generated by the two-dimensional H\'enon map with a set of prototypical finite impulse response (FIR) filters added in the feedback loop. Our results show that the number of filter coefficients and the location of the zeros have a significant and complex impact on the behavior of the generated signals. Therefore, FIR filters should be carefully designed to preserve or suppress chaos in practical applications.Comment: Published at Communications in Nonlinear Science and Numerical Simulation (Elsevier) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnsns.2024.10784