MARTA: A high-energy cosmic-ray detector concept with high-accuracy muon measurement

A new concept for the direct measurement of muons in air showers is presented. The concept is based on resistive plate chambers (RPCs), which can directly measure muons with very good space and time resolution. The muon detector is shielded by placing it under another detector able to absorb and measure the electromagnetic component of the showers such as a water-Cherenkov detector, commonly used in air shower arrays. The combination of the two detectors in a single, compact detector unit provides a unique measurement that opens rich possibilities in the study of air showers.Comment: 11 page

Criação e manutenção de colônias de Ceratitis capitata e Anastrepha obliqua para estudos de biologia e ecologia da praga na Bahia.

As moscas-das-frutas são consideradas pragas agrícolas de uma extensa variedade de frutíferas apresentando algumas características biológicas que as favorecem, como elevado potencial biótico, habilidade de se dispersarem no meio ambiente e de se adaptarem a novos hospedeiros (GALLO et al., 1993). Essas espécies são responsáveis por danos diretos e indiretos, sendo consideradas um dos principais problemas fitossanitários da fruticultura brasileira e mundial (MORGANTE, 1991).Em paralelo aconteceram também os seguintes eventos: V Seminário de Pesquisa do Recôncavo da Bahia; V Seminário Estudantil de Pesquisa da UFRB; V Seminário da Pós-Graduação da UFRB; II Seminário Regional de Pesquisa da EBDA; 5ª Jornada Científica da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura; VIII Seminário Estudantil de Pesquisa e Extensão da FAMAM; Semana de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação no Agronegócio; Fórum de Gestores de Iniciação Científica e Tecnológica da Bahia; II Simpósio Baiano de Defesa Agropecuária; I Semana de Educação Tutorial da UFRB

Evaluation of Vegetation Indices at Livestock Integrated Systems using Remote Sensing Data

Livestock systems? economic importance and a growing demand for production efficiency of Brazilian pastures have been fostering researches about the performance of livestock systems under different types of management. Integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems aim at greater sustainability at the farm, and incorporate agricultural, livestock and/or forestry components within the same area under crop rotation, double cropping or sequential cropping (BALBINO et al., 2011). Thus, in this study we evaluated the effect of different livestock production systems on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). On one side, the greenness represented by NDVI values correlates with plant production to indicate stronger or weaker production, and also to act as an indicator to distinguish the types of management of livestock systems (ALVARENGA et al., 2015). On the other side, biomass production in pastures correlates with potential for carbon storage in the soil (OLIVEIRA, 2015)

Physiological study of cupuaçu [Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex. Spreng.) Schum.,] tree progenies subjected to water deficiency.

Aims: The study aimed to investigate the physiological behaviour of cupuaçu tree progenies subjected to water deficiency; Study Design: The experimental design was completely randomised, in a 2x7 factorial scheme (2 water regimes: with and without water deficiency and 7 cupuaçu tree genotypes), totalling 14 treatments with 5 replications; Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out from March to November 2016, in a greenhouse of Embrapa Eastern Amazon in the municipality of Belém, State of Pará, Brazil, located at the geographic coordinates 01º 27' of South Latitude and 48º 30' of West Longitude; Methodology: The following parameters were evaluated: predawn water potential (Ψpd), water potential of xylem (Ψx), stomatal conductance (GS), transpiration (E), photosynthesis (PS), internal carbon concentration (CI), internal and external carbon ratio (CI/CA), chlorophyll a (Chl a), b (Chl b), total (Chl total), anthocyanin (ANT), carotenoids (CAR), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (ICE), and water-use efficiency (WUE). The variables were submitted to multivariate analysis; Results: Two distinct groups were resulted. Group 1 retained the treatments with water deficiency and group 2 retained the control treatments. This result occurred because the water conditions were different. The MC1 was influenced by PS because photosynthetic pigments are essential for photosynthesis. PS, GS, Chl total, Chl a, CAR, CI, CI/CA, Ψpd, Ψx, E, and ICEresulted with greater intensity in the control treatments, and with less intensity in the genotypes submitted to water deficiency; This behaviour is because of water deficiency that reduces photosynthesis. The MC2 was influenced by Chl b, ANT, and WUE. In water deficiency, the distinction in the physiological behaviour of cupuaçu tree progenies occurs in relation to the progenies that did not undergo water stress; Conclusion: The cupuaçu tree progenies under water restriction condition have a positive effect on water-use efficiency

Report on Tests and Measurements of Hadronic Interaction Properties with Air Showers

We present a summary of recent tests and measurements of hadronic interaction properties with air showers. This report has a special focus on muon density measurements. Several experiments reported deviations between simulated and recorded muon densities in extensive air showers, while others reported no discrepancies. We combine data from eight leading air shower experiments to cover shower energies from PeV to tens of EeV. Data are combined using the z-scale, a unified reference scale based on simulated air showers. Energy-scales of experiments are cross-calibrated. Above 10 PeV, we find a muon deficit in simulated air showers for each of the six considered hadronic interaction models. The deficit is increasing with shower energy. For the models EPOS-LHC and QGSJet-II.04, the slope is found significant at 8 sigma.Comment: Submitted to the Proceedings of UHECR201

Nanoemulsion from essential oil of Pterodon emarginatus (Fabaceae) shows in vitro efficacy against monogeneans of Colossoma macropomum (Pisces: Serrasalmidae).

Outbreaks of diseases pose a major threat to sustainable aquaculture development worldwide. Application of herbal products to combat parasitic diseases provides an alternative approach for sustainable aquaculture. This study investigated the in vitro antiparasitic effects of an oil-in-water nanoemulsion prepared using the essential oil from Pterodon emarginatus, against monogeneans infesting Colossoma macropomum. Gill arches from C. macropomum (47.6 14.5 g and 13.5 1.4 cm) that were naturally parasitized by Anacanthorus spathulatus, Notozothecium janauachensis and Mymarothecium boegeri were immersed in different dispersions of the P. emarginatus nanoemulsions (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/L). The major compounds presented in the essential oil of P. emarginatus were b-elemene, b-caryophyllene and ahumulene. Characterization of these nanoemulsions showed that they have a small mean droplet size and low polydispersity index, which is concordant with stable systems. In this in vitro trial, the P. emarginatus nanoemulsion concentrations of 100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/L presented 100% helminthic efficacy against monogeneans of the gills of C. macropomum. The highest two concentrations used (400 and 600 mg/L) were seen to immobilize the parasites after only 15 min. Therefore, it would be worthwhile testing these concentrations in therapeutic baths against monogeneans of C. macropomum