Mass-luminosity relation for FGK main sequence stars: metallicity and age contributions

The stellar mass-luminosity relation (MLR) is one of the most famous empirical "laws", discovered in the beginning of the 20th century. MLR is still used to estimate stellar masses for nearby stars, particularly for those that are not binary systems, hence the mass cannot be derived directly from the observations. It's well known that the MLR has a statistical dispersion which cannot be explained exclusively due to the observational errors in luminosity (or mass). It is an intrinsic dispersion caused by the differences in age and chemical composition from star to star. In this work we discuss the impact of age and metallicity on the MLR. Using the recent data on mass, luminosity, metallicity, and age for 26 FGK stars (all members of binary systems, with observational mass-errors <= 3%), including the Sun, we derive the MLR taking into account, separately, mass-luminosity, mass-luminosity-metallicity, and mass-luminosity-metallicity-age. Our results show that the inclusion of age and metallicity in the MLR, for FGK stars, improves the individual mass estimation by 5% to 15%.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Soil biochemistry and microbial activity in vineyards under conventional and organic management at Northeast Brazil.

The São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that orgThe São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that organic fertilization can improve soil quality, we compared the effects of conventional and organic soil management on microbial activity and mycorrhization of seedless grape crops. We measured glomerospores number, most probable number (MPN) of propagules, richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, AMF root colonization, EE-BRSP production, carbon microbial biomass (C-MB), microbial respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity (FDA) and metabolic coefficient (qCO2). The organic management led to an increase in all variables with the exception of EE-BRSP and qCO2. Mycorrhizal colonization increased from 4.7% in conventional crops to 15.9% in organic crops. Spore number ranged from 4.1 to 12.4 per 50 g-1 soil in both management systems. The most probable number of AMF propagules increased from 79 cm-3 soil in the conventional system to 110 cm-3 soil in the organic system. Microbial carbon, CO2 emission, and FDA activity were increased by 100 to 200% in the organic crop. Thirteen species of AMF were identified, the majority in the organic cultivation system. Acaulospora excavata, Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus sp.3 and Scutellospora sp. were found only in the organically managed crop. S. gregaria was found only in the conventional crop. Organically managed vineyards increased mycorrhization and general soil microbial activity

Overcoming barriers to climate smart agriculture in India

Purpose: This paper aims to report on a case in which encouraging climate-smart agriculture in the form of better irrigation techniques in India can contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation goals by improving resource-use efficiency. It provides grounded institutional analysis on how these transformations can occur. Design/methodology/approach: The authors based their research on three complementary approaches: institutional, sociological and technical. The institutional approach analyzed actors and interests in the water-energy nexus in India via over 25 semi-structured key informant interviews. The sociological approach surveyed over 50 farmers and equipment suppliers for insight into technology adoption. The technical component analyzed water and energy consumption data to calculate potential benefits from transitioning to more efficient techniques. Findings: Because policymakers have a preference for voluntary policy instruments over coercive reforms, distortions in policy and market arenas can provide opportunities for embedded actors to leverage technology and craft policy bargains which facilitate Pareto superior reforms and, thereby, avoid stalemates in addressing climate change. Enlarging the solution space to include more actors and interests can facilitate such bargains more than traditional bilateral exchanges. Practical implications: The analysis provides insights into crafting successful climate action policies in an inhospitable institutional terrain. Originality/value: Studies about climate change politics generally focus on stalemates and portray the private sector as resistant and a barrier to climate action. This paper analyzes a contrary phenomenon, showing how reforms can be packaged in Pareto superior formats to overcome policy stalemates and generate technology-based climate and environmental co-benefits in even unpromising terrain such as technologically laggard and economically constrained populations

Morphological Aspects And Cox-2 Expression After Exposure To 780-nm Laser Therapy In Injured Skeletal Muscle: An In Vivo Study

Background: The effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in muscle regeneration is still not well known. Objective: To investigate the effects of laser irradiation during muscle healing. Method: For this purpose, 63 rats were distributed to 3 groups: non-irradiated control group (CG); group irradiated at 10 J/cm² (G10); and group irradiated at 50 J/cm² (G50). Each group was divided into 3 different subgroups (n=7), and on days 7, 14 and 21 post-injury the rats were sacrificed. Results: Seven days post-surgery, the CG showed destroyed zones and extensive myofibrillar degeneration. For both treated groups, the necrosis area was smaller compared to the CG. On day 14 post-injury, treated groups demonstrated better tissue organization, with newly formed muscle fibers compared to the CG. On the 21st day, the irradiated groups showed similar patterns of tissue repair, with improved muscle structure at the site of the injury, resembling uninjured muscle tissue organization. Regarding collagen deposition, the G10 showed an increase in collagen synthesis. In the last period evaluated, both treated groups showed statistically higher values in comparison with the CG. Furthermore, laser irradiation at 10 J/cm2 produced a down-regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2) immunoexpression on day 7 post-injury. Moreover, Cox-2 immunoexpression was decreased in both treated groups on day 14. Conclusions: Laser therapy at both fluencies stimulated muscle repair through the formation of new muscle fiber, increase in collagen synthesis, and down-regulation of Cox-2 expression.185395401Minamoto, V.B., Bunho, S.R., Salvini, T.F., Regenerated rat skeletal muscle after periodic contusions (2001) Braz J Med Biol Res, 34 (11), pp. 1447-1452. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0100-879X2001001100012, PMid:11668355Baptista, J., Martins, M.D., Pavesi, V.C., Bussadori, S.K., Fernandes, K.P., Pinto, D.S., Jr., Influence of laser photobiomodulation on collagen IV during skeletal muscle tissue remodeling after injury in rats (2011) Photomed Laser Surg, 29 (1), pp. 11-17. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/pho.2009.2737, PMid:20701543Renno, A.C., Toma, R.L., Feitosa, S.M., Fernandes, K., Bossini, P.S., De Oliveira, P., Comparative effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and low-level laser therapy on injured skeletal muscle (2011) Photomed Laser Surg, 29 (1), pp. 5-10. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/pho.2009.2715, PMid:21166589Pinheiro, A.L., Soares, L.G., Aciole, G.T., Correia, N.A., Barbosa, A.F., Ramalho, L.M., Light microscopic description of the effects of laser phototherapy on bone defects grafted with mineral trioxide aggregate, bone morphogenetic proteins, and guided bone regeneration in a rodent model (2011) J Biomed Mater Res A, 98 (2), pp. 212-221. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.33107, PMid:21548072Amaral, A.C., Parizotto, N.A., Salvini, T.F., Dose-dependency of low-energy HeNe laser effect in regeneration of skeletal muscle in mice (2001) Lasers Med Sci, 16 (1), pp. 44-51. , PMid:11486338Cressoni, M.D., Dib Giusti, H.H., Casarotto, R.A., Anaruma, C.A., The effects of a 785-nm AlGaInP laser on the regeneration of rat anterior tibialis muscle after surgicallyinduced injury (2008) Photomed Laser Surg, 26 (5), pp. 461-466. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/pho.2007.2150, PMid:18800950Pires, D., Xavier, M., Araújo, T., Silva, J.A., Jr., Aimbire, F., Albertini, R., Low-level laser therapy (LLLT780 nm) acts differently on mRNA expression of antiand pro-inflammatory mediators in an experimental model of collagenaseinducel tendinitis in rat (2011) Lasers Med Sci, 26, pp. 85-94. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-010-0811-zAlves, A.N., Fernandes, K.P.S., Melo, C.A.V., Yamaguchi, R.Y., França, C.M., Teixeira, D.F., Modulating effect of Low-level laser therapy on fibrosis in the repair process of the tibialis anterior muscle in rats (2014) Lasers Med Sci, 29 (2), pp. 813-821. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1428-9, PMid:23982721Almeida, P., Lopes-Martins, R.A.B., De Marchi, T., Tomazoni, S.S., Albertini, R., Correa, J.C.F., Red (660nm) and infrared (830nm) low-level laser therapy in skeletal muscle fatigue in humans: What is better? (2012) Lasers Med Sci, 27, pp. 453-458. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-011-0957-3Brunelli, R.M., Rodrigues, N.C., Ribeiro, D.A., Fernandes, K., Magri, A., Assis, L., The effects of 780-nm low-level laser therapy on muscle healing process after cryolesion (2014) Lasers Med Sci, 29 (1), pp. 91-96. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1277-6, PMid:23407900Rodrigues, N.C., Brunelli, R., De Araújo, H.S., Parizotto, N.A., Renno, A.C., Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) (660nm) alters gene expression during muscle healing in rats (2013) J Photochem Photobiol B, 120, pp. 29-35. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2013.01.002, PMid:23416710Shefer, G., Partridge, T.A., Heslop, L., Gross, J.G., Oron, U., Halevy, O., Low-energy laser irradiation promotes the survival and cell cycle entry of skeletal muscle satellite cells (2002) J Cell Sci, 115, pp. 1461-1469. , PMid:11896194Bossini, P.S., Renno, A.C., Ribeiro, D.A., Fangel, R., Peitl, O., Zanotto, E.D., Biosilicate(R) and low-level laser therapy improve bone repair in osteoporotic rats (2011) J Tissue Eng Regen Med, 5 (3), pp. 229-237. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/term.309, PMid:20925130Silveira, P.C., Silva, L.A., Fraga, D.B., Freitas, T.P., Streck, E.L., Pinho, R., Evaluation of mitochondrial respiratory chain activity in muscle healing by low-level laser therapy (2009) J Photochem Photobiol B, 95 (2), pp. 89-92. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2009.01.004, PMid:19232497Tim, C.R., Pinto, K.N., Rossi, B.R., Fernandes, K., Matsumoto, M.A., Parizotto, N.A., Low-level laser therapy enhances the expression of osteogenic factors during bone repair in rats (2014) Lasers Med Sci, 29 (1), pp. 147-156. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-013-1302-9, PMid:23515631Rizzi, C.F., Mauriz, J.L., Freitas Correa, D.S., Moreira, A.J., Zettler, C.G., Filippin, L.I., Effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling pathway in traumatized muscle (2006) Lasers Surg Med, 38 (7), pp. 704-713. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20371, PMid:16799998Carmeli, E., Moas, M., Reznick, A.Z., Coleman, R., Matrix metalloproteinases and skeletal muscle: A brief review (2004) Muscle Nerve, 29 (2), pp. 191-197. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mus.10529, PMid:14755482Matsumoto, M.A., Ferino, R.V., Monteleone, G.F., Ribeiro, D.A., Low-level laser therapy modulates cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression during bone repair in rats (2009) Lasers Med Sci, 24 (2), pp. 195-201. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10103-008-0544-4, PMid:18309458Albertini, R., Aimbire, F., Villaverde, A.B., Silva, J.A., Jr., Costa, M.S., COX-2 mRNA expression decreases in the subplantar muscle of rat paw subjected to carrageenan-induced inflammation after low level laser therapy (2007) Inflamm Res, 56 (6), pp. 228-229. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00011-007-6211-6, PMid:17607546Byrnes, K.R., Wu, X., Waynant, R.W., Ilev, I.K., Anders, J.J., Low power laser irradiation alters gene expression of olfactory ensheathing cells in vitro (2005) Lasers Surg Med, 37 (2), pp. 161-171. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20202, PMid:16037971Moore, P., Ridgway, T.D., Higbee, R.G., Howard, E.W., Lucroy, M.D., Effect of wavelength on low-intensity laser irradiation-stimulated cell proliferation in vitro (2005) Lasers Surg Med, 36 (1), pp. 8-12. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20117, PMid:15662631Demidova-Rice, T.N., Salomatina, E.V., Yaroslavsky, A.N., Herman, I.M., Hamblin, M.R., Low-level light stimulates excisional wound healing in mice (2007) Lasers Surg Med, 39 (9), pp. 706-715. , http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.20549, PMid:17960752 PMCid:PMC293579

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR

On the mechanisms governing gas penetration into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection

A new 1D radial fluid code, IMAGINE, is used to simulate the penetration of gas into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection (MGI). The main result is that the gas is in general strongly braked as it reaches the plasma, due to mechanisms related to charge exchange and (to a smaller extent) recombination. As a result, only a fraction of the gas penetrates into the plasma. Also, a shock wave is created in the gas which propagates away from the plasma, braking and compressing the incoming gas. Simulation results are quantitatively consistent, at least in terms of orders of magnitude, with experimental data for a D 2 MGI into a JET Ohmic plasma. Simulations of MGI into the background plasma surrounding a runaway electron beam show that if the background electron density is too high, the gas may not penetrate, suggesting a possible explanation for the recent results of Reux et al in JET (2015 Nucl. Fusion 55 093013)