Storage and Retrieval of a Microwave Field in a Spin Ensemble

We report the storage and retrieval of a small microwave field from a superconducting resonator into collective excitations of a spin ensemble. The spins are nitrogen-vacancy centers in a diamond crystal. The storage time of the order of 30 ns is limited by inhomogeneous broadening of the spin ensemble.Comment: 4 pages + supplementary material. Submitted to PR

Avaliação das cultivares brasileiras de arroz irrigado em várzeas do Estado de Goiás.

A EMATER-GO em parceria com a Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, teve a iniciativa de avaliar o conjunto de cultivares em utilização pelos produtores, a fim de identificar as melhores opções para as várzeas do Estado de Goiás

BRSGO Serra Dourada: cultivar de arroz para a agricultura familiar de Goiás.

A Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), juntamente com a Secretaria de Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento do Estado de Goiás (SEAGRO) e a Embrapa, implementam desde 2004 uma proposta de intervenção nas comunidades de pequenos produtores, desenvolvendo, validando e difundindo, de forma participativa, novas cultivares de arroz de terras altas, além de conhecimentos específicos, visando a sustentabilidade do cultivo do arroz como uma atividade econômica. A cultivar BRS Serra Dourada representa o primeiro resultado concreto dessa parceria

Condensed Tannins and Total Phenols in \u3ci\u3eStylosanthes\u3c/i\u3e spp.

Rangelands, such as the species of the genus Stylosanthes, are plants highly selected by animals and represent an important forage source for livestock in the Northeast region of Brazil. Plants of this genus are naturally occurring in several places in Brazil and other semi-arid areas. The variability of condensed tannins and total phenols in different Stylosanthes accessions is still poorly characterized. Based on that, the objective of this study was to quantify the content of condensed tannins and total phenols of Stylosanthes accessions collected in different physiographic zones of the State of Pernambuco and cultivated in germplasm banks. The work was carried out in two germplasm banks in the municipalities of Serra Talhada and Carpina in Pernambuco-Brazil. These regions have different edaphoclimatic characteristics. The analyzes were performed on samples of the whole plant (leaves and stems) collected at 20 cm height. The design was completely randomized, with accessions representing the fixed effects treatments. The data were submitted for analysis of variance, and the means were compared by the Scott-Knott test at a level of 5%. The Stylosanthes accessions cultivated in the active germplasm banks of the municipalities of Carpina and Serra Talhada showed statistically significant differences (P \u3c 0.05) among accessions in their concentrations of condensed tannins and total phenols. For the accessions cultivated in the active germplasm bank of Serra Talhada, six groups were formed. The concentrations of condensed tannins ranged from 5.6 to 63.3 mg g-1, and the total phenols ranged from 13.7 to 100.0 mg g-1in the cultivars from Serra Talhada. Likewise, condensed tannins ranged between 16.6 and 142.1 mg g-1, and total phenols ranged from 38.4 and 294.1 mg g-1 for the three groups from the municipality of Carpina. There is variability in the contents of condensed tannins and total phenols among accessions of Stylosanthes spp

Serum folic acid is reduced in patients with Alzheimer's disease

CONTEXTO: Deficiência de vitaminas do complexo B tem sido associada a deterioração cognitiva e quadros demenciais em idosos. OBJETIVO: Neste trabalho, foi avaliado se pacientes com doença de Alzheimer (DA) e com comprometimento cognitivo leve (CCL) apresentam níveis séricos de ácido fólico e cobalamina (vitamina B12) menores que idosos controles. MÉTODOS: Foram recrutados 146 idosos (40 com DA, 56 com CCL e 49 idosos controles) para este estudo. Os níveis séricos de ácido fólico e vitamina B12 foram avaliados pelo método de eletroquimioluminescência. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes com DA apresentaram redução estatisticamente significativa nos níveis de ácido fólico em relação aos idosos com CCL e controles (p = 0,02). Esses resultados mantiveram-se estatisticamente significativos após controlar por variáveis sociodemográficas e desempenho cognitivo. Não se observaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos níveis de vitamina B12 nem em variáveis hematológicas entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: Esses resultados reforçam a importância de anormalidades em aspectos nutricionais, em particular do metabolismo de um-carbono, na fisiopatologia da DA.BACKGROUND: Complex B vitamin deficiency has been associated to cognitive impairment and dementing disorders in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to assess whether patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have lower levels of folic acid and cobalamin (vitamin B12) compared to age and gender-matched controls. METHODS: One hundred and forty six elderly subjects (40 AD, 56 MCI and 49 healthy older adults) were recruited for this study. Serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels were measured by electrochemoluminescence. RESULTS: Compared to MCI and healthy controls a statistically significant reduction in serum concentrations of folic acid in AD patients was found (p = 0.02). This result remained statistically significant after controlling for socio-demographic and cognitive performance variables (p = 0.01). No significant differences were found in serum concentrations of vitamin B12 in patients with AD, MCI and healthy controls. No significant changes in hematologic parameters were observed across these diagnostic groups. DISCUSSION: The present study provides additional evidence that folic acid is reduced in patients with AD and reinforces the importance of nutritional changes, in particular the one-carbon metabolism, in the physiopathology of AD

Paternity testing and behavioral ecology: a case study of jaguars (Panthera onca) in Emas National Park, Central Brazil.

We used microsatellite loci to test the paternity of two male jaguars involved in an infanticide event recorded during a long-term monitoring program of this species. Seven microsatellite primers originally developed for domestic cats and previously selected for Panthera oncawere used. In order to deal with uncertainty in the mother?s genotypes for some of the loci, 10000 values of Wwere derived by simulation procedures. The male that killed the two cubs was assigned as the true sire. Although the reasons for this behavior remain obscure, it shows, in principle, a low recognition of paternity and kinship in the species. Since the two cubs were not very young, one possibility is that the adult male did not recognize the cubs and killed them for simple territorial reasons. Thus, ecological stress in this local population becomes a very plausible explanation for this infanticide, without further sociobiological implications

ESTUDO DO EFEITO DA SECAGEM POR RADIAÇÃO ULTRAVIOLETA NAS PROPRIEDADES TECNOLÓGICAS DA FÉCULA DE MANDIOCA FERMENTADA

O processo de produção de polvilho azedo consiste, basicamente, da fermentação natural da fécula de mandioca seguida pela secagem solar. Este processo está sujeito a variações decorrentes das condições ambientas o que pode ocasionar uma falta de padronização do produto além da contaminação por microrganismos. Desta forma, este trabalho objetivou o estudo do comportamento de fécula de mandioca fermentada submetida à secagem por estufa com radiação ultravioleta (UVB e UVC). As propriedades físico-químicas e tecnológicas avaliadas foram: o conteúdo de umidade final; pH; acidez titulável; absorção de água, expansão e propriedades de pasta (viscosidade). A produção de polvilho azedo por secagem em estufa com UVB mostrou-se promissora, levando aos mesmos resultados de expansão em forno que a fécula fermentada e seca ao sol, possibilitando, ainda, um maior controle de qualidade do produto final

Effect of an extract of Centella asiatica on the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate (Na^99mTcO₄) and on the fixation of radioactivity on blood constituents

This study evaluates the effects of an acute treatment with a Centella asiatica (CA) extract on the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical Na99mTcO4 and on the fixation of technetium-99m on blood constituents. Wistar rats were treated with CA extract and, 1 hour after, Na99mTcO4 was administered; organs/tissues were withdrawn and weighted. The radioactivity was counted to calculate the percentage of activity per gram (%ATI/g). Also, blood samples were withdrawn, plasma (P), blood cells (BC), insoluble fraction (IF) and soluble fractions of P and BC were isolated and the radioactivity was counted to calculate the percentage of activity (%ATI). Data indicated that the acute treatment with CA extract changed significantly (p99mTcO4 and the fixation of the technetium-99m on blood constituents in an acute treatment