10,254 research outputs found
Control of the apple sawfly Hoplocampa testudinea Klug in organic fruit growing and possible side effects of control strategies on Aphelinus mali Haldeman and other beneficial insects
The effect of Quassia extract on eggs and larvae of the apple sawfly Hoplocampa testudinea
was studied. The efficacy of this extract is mainly due to an oral toxicity to the
neonate sawfly larvae. The main active ingredients, Quassin and Neoquassin, were
tested separately. Wheras Quassin has a considerable efficacy also on older larvae,
Neoquassin is less efficient in this case. While Quassin and Neoquassin are found in
different Quassia sources in varying relations to each other and have different efficacy,
they have to be considered separately in the definition of extract quality by the content of
active ingredients. These findings mean, that the âegg maturityâ is not important for application
date. Nevertheless, the application must take place before the larvae hatch. It
was shown that low rates of Quassin (4-6 g/ha) can show very good results in the field,
in other cases the rates necessary for good efficacy are much higher. This corresponds
to farmers experience. Several factors as application technique and the condition of the
blossom must be taken in consideration and will be object of further studies.
The side effects of Quassin, Neoquassin and Quassia extract on Aphelinus mali and
other beneficial arthropods were tested. Quassia is harmless to all organisms tested
Nuclear suppression of heavy quark production at forward rapidities in relativistic heavy ion collisions
We calculate nuclear suppression of heavy quarks produced from the
initial fusion of partons in nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC and LHC
energies. We take the shadowing as well as the energy loss suffered by them
while passing through Quark Gluon Plasma into account. We obtain results for
charm and bottom quarks at several rapidities using different mechanisms for
energy loss, to see if we can distinguish between them.Comment: 21 pages including 13 figures. To appear in J. Phys.
Transverse energy distributions and production in Pb+Pb collisions
We have analyzed the latest NA50 data on transverse energy distributions and
suppression in Pb+Pb collisions. The transverse energy distribution
was analysed in the geometric model of AA collisions. In the geometric model,
fluctuations in the number of NN collisions at fixed impact parameter are taken
into account. Analysis suggests that in Pb+Pb collisions, individual NN
collisions produces less , than in other AA collisions. The nucleons are
more transparent in Pb+Pb collisions. The transverse energy dependence of the
suppression was obtained following the model of Blaizot et al, where
charmonium suppression is assumed to be 100% effective above a threshold
density. With fluctuations in number of NN collisions taken into account, good
fit to the data is obtained, with a single parameter, the threshold density.Comment: Revised version with better E_T fit. 4 pages, 2 figure
Statistical hadronization of charm at SPS, RHIC and LHC
We study the production of charmonia and charmed hadrons for nucleus-nucleus
collisions at SPS, RHIC, and LHC energies within the framework of the
statistical hadronization model. Results from this model are compared to the
observed centrality dependence of J/psi production at SPS energy. We further
provide predictions for the centrality dependence of the production of open and
hidden charm mesons at RHIC and LHC.Comment: Contribution to Quark Matter 2002, 4 pages, 3 figures; revised
version including charmed hyperons (omitted in v1
Screening and Anti-Screening Effects in J/psi Production on Nuclei
The nuclear effects in J/psi hadro- and electroproduction on nuclei are
considered in framework of reggeon approach. It is shown that screening regime
which holds for electroproduction at x_F > 0.7 and for hadroproduction at x_F >
-(0.3-0.4) is changed with anti-screening regime for smaller x_F values.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. Small changes in wordin
Heavy Quarkonia Production in p+p Collisions from the PHENIX Experiment
Quarkonia provide a sensitive probe of the properties of the hot dense medium
created in high energy heavy ion collisions. Hard scattering processes result
in the production of heavy quark pairs that interact with the collision medium
during hadronization. These in-medium interactions convey information about the
fundamental properties of the medium itself and can be used to examine the
modification of the QCD confining potential in the collision environment.
Baseline measurements from p+p and d+Au collision systems are used to
distinguish cold nuclear matter effects while measurements from heavy ion
collision systems are used to quantify in-medium effects. The PHENIX experiment
has the capability of detecting heavy quarkonia at via the
decay channel and at via the decay channel.
Recent runs have resulted in the collection of high statistics p+p data sets
that provide an essential baseline reference for heavy ion measurements and
allow for further critical evaluation of heavy quarkonia production mechanisms.
The latest PHENIX results for the production of the in p+p collisions
are presented and future prospects for , and
measurements are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings for Quark Matter 200
Parton distributions of real and virtual photons
Recent progress on the parton distribution functions of the photon, both real
and virtual, is briefly reviewed and experimental possibilities at HERA are
discussed.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, 4 eps figures included in file using filecontents
environment
Determination of pulsation periods and other parameters of 2875 stars classified as MIRA in the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)
We have developed an interactive PYTHON code and derived crucial ephemeris
data of 99.4% of all stars classified as 'Mira' in the ASAS data base,
referring to pulsation periods, mean maximum magnitudes and, whenever possible,
the amplitudes among others. We present a statistical comparison between our
results and those given by the AAVSO International Variable Star Index (VSX),
as well as those determined with the machine learning automatic procedure of
Richards et al. 2012. Our periods are in good agreement with those of the VSX
in more than 95% of the stars. However, when comparing our periods with those
of Richards et al, the coincidence rate is only 76% and most of the remaining
cases refer to aliases. We conclude that automatic codes require still more
refinements in order to provide reliable period values. Period distributions of
the target stars show three local maxima around 215, 275 and 330 d, apparently
of universal validity, their relative strength seems to depend on galactic
longitude. Our visual amplitude distribution turns out to be bimodal, however
1/3 of the targets have rather small amplitudes (A 2.5) and could
refer to semi-regular variables (SR). We estimate that about 20% of our targets
belong to the SR class. We also provide a list of 63 candidates for period
variations and a sample of 35 multiperiodic stars which seem to confirm the
universal validity of typical sequences in the double period and in the
Petersen diagramsComment: 14 pages, 14 figures, and 8 tables. Accepted to The Astrophysical
Journal Supplement Series, September 201
Vulnerability of tropical forest ecosystems and forest dependent communities to droughts
Energy captured by and flowing through a forest ecosystem can be indexed by its total Net Primary Productivity (NPP). This forest NPP can also be a reflection of its sensitivity to, and its ability to adapt to, any climate change while also being harvested by humans. However detecting and identifying the vulnerability of forest and human ecosystems to climate change requires information on whether these coupled social and ecological systems are able to maintain functionality while responding to environmental variability.
To better understand what parameters might be representative of environmental variability, we compiled a metadata analysis of 96 tropical forest sites. We found that three soil textural classes (i.e., sand, sandy loam and clay) had significant but different relationships between NPP and precipitation levels. Therefore, assessing the vulnerability of forests and forest dependent communities to drought was carried out using data from those sites that had one of those three soil textural classes. For example, forests growing on soil textures of sand and clay had NPP levels decreasing as precipitation levels increased, in contrast to those forest sites that had sandy loam soils where NPP levels increased. Also, forests growing on sandy loam soil textures appeared better adapted to grow at lower precipitation levels compared to the sand and clay textured soils. In fact in our tropical database the lowest precipitation level found for the sandy loam soils was 821 mm yrâ1 compared to sand at 1739 mm yrâ1 and clay at 1771 mm yrâ1. Soil texture also determined the level of NPP reached by a forest, i.e., forest growing on sandy loam and clay reached low-medium NPP levels while higher NPP levels (i.e., medium, high) were found on sand-textured soils. Intermediate precipitation levels (>1800â3000 mm yrâ1) were needed to grow forests at the medium and high NPP levels. Low thresholds of NPP were identified at both low (âŒ750 mm) and high precipitation (>3500 mm) levels.
By combining data on the ratios of precipitation to the amount of biomass produced in a year with how much less precipitation input occurs during a drought year, it is possible to estimate whether productivity levels are sufficient to support forest growth and forest dependent communities following a drought. In this study, the ratios of annual precipitation inputs required to produce 1 Mg haâ1 yrâ1 biomass by soil texture class varied across the three soil textural classes. By using a conservative estimate of 20% of productivity collected or harvested by people and 30% precipitation reduction level as triggering a drought, it was possible to estimate a potential loss of annual productivity due to a drought. In this study, the total NPP unavailable due to drought and harvest by forest dependent communities per year was 10.2 Mg haâ1 yrâ1 for the sandy textured soils (64% of NPP still available), 8.4 Mg haâ1 yrâ1 for the sandy loam textured soils (60% available) and 12.7 Mg haâ1 yrâ1 for the clay textured soils (29% available). Forests growing on clay textured soils would be most vulnerable to drought triggered reductions in productivity so NPP levels would be inadequate to maintain ecosystem functions and would potentially cause a forest-to-savanna shift. Further, these forests would not be able to provide sufficient NPP to satisfy the requirements of forest dependent communities. By predicting the productivity responses of different tropical forest ecosystems to changes in precipitation patterns coupled with edaphic data, it could be possible to spatially identify where tropical forests are most vulnerable to climate change impacts and where mitigation efforts should be concentrated
- âŠ