Duality through the symplectic embedding formalism

In this work we show that we can obtain dual equivalent actions following the symplectic formalism with the introduction of extra variables which enlarge the phase space. We show that the results are equal as the one obtained with the recently developed gauging iterative Noether dualization method (NDM). We believe that, with the arbitrariness property of the zero mode, the symplectic embedding method (SEM) is more profound since it can reveal a whole family of dual equivalent actions. We illustrate the method demonstrating that the gauge-invariance of the electromagnetic Maxwell Lagrangian broken by the introduction of an explicit mass term and a topological term can be restored to obtain the dual equivalent and gauge-invariant version of the theory.Comment: RevTeX4, 10 pages. To appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Prevalência do Pineapple Mealybug Wilt-Associated Virus (PMWaV) nas principais regiões produtoras de abacaxi no Brasil.

A produtividade do abacaxizeiro (Ananas comosus var. comosus) é prejudicada pelo Pineapple Mealybug Wilt-associated Virus (PMWaV), cuja presença acarreta o desenvolvimento da murcha do abacaxi, doença que leva ao definhamento da planta e culmina na não frutificação ou em sua morte. O PMWaV é transmitido pela cochonilha Dysmicoccus brevipes

Ultrasound enhances lipase-catalyzed synthesis of poly (ethylene glutarate)

The present work explores the best conditions for the enzymatic synthesis of poly (ethylene glutarate) for the first time. The start-up materials are the liquids; diethyl glutarate and ethylene glycol diacetate, without the need of addition of extra solvent. The reactions are catalyzed by lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized on glycidyl methacrylate-ter-divinylbenzene-ter-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate at 40 °C during 18 h in water bath with mechanical stirring or 1 h in ultrasonic bath followed by 6 h in vacuum in both the cases for evaporation of ethyl acetate. The application of ultrasound significantly intensified the polyesterification reaction with reduction of the processing time from 24 to 7 h. The same degree of polymerization was obtained for the same enzyme loading in less time of reaction when using the ultrasound treatment. The degree of polymerization for long-term polyesterification was improved approximately 8-fold due to the presence of sonication during the reaction. The highest degree of polymerization achieved was 31, with a monomer conversion of 96.77%. The ultrasound treatment demonstrated to be an effective green approach to intensify the polyesterification reaction with enhanced initial kinetics and high degree of polymerization.This study was supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684). The work was also supported by Bioprocess and Bionanotechnology Research Group (BBRG) of Minho University and the Post Graduate Funding Program of Jiangnan University for Overseas Study. All authors also acknowledge the funding of Department of Science and Technology and Portuguese Science Foundation under the Indo-Portuguese collaborative program

Viabilidade de sementes de feijão comum do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma da Embrapa Arroz e Feijão.

O Banco Ativo de Germoplasma (BAG) da Embrapa Arroz e Feijão possui 15.720 acessos de feijão, sendo a maioria deles acessos de feijão comum (Phaseolus vulgaris). Em 2009, foi iniciada uma reestruturação física, que incluía o inventário de todo acervo. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a viabilidade de parte dos acessos de feijão comum do BAG.Pôster - graduação

Equine infectious anaemia in equids of Southern Pantanal, Brazil: seroprevalence and evaluation of the adoption of a control programme.

The working equid population in Corumbá, Southern Pantanal, is very large and has a crucial role in the main economic activity of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, the beef cattle industry. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in working equids of ranches in the municipality of Corumbá, by the official agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, and evaluate the adoption of the Programme for the Prevention and Control of Equine Infectious Anaemia proposed by Embrapa Pantanal and official entities in the 1990s. From September to November 2009, forty ranches distributed through the area of the municipality were visited, and serum samples were obtained from 721 equines and 232 mules. According to previous publications and the present data, it was concluded that the prevalence of EIA in this population has increased from 18.17% to 38.60%, which represents at this time approximately 13,000 infected animals. There was no significant difference between the apparent prevalence of equines and mules. It was also verified that the control programme was not known by the greater part of the interviewed ranch owners, managers and foremen and, in their perception, EIA is not a primary threat to address. Among the studied variables, the serologic testing practice significantly reduced the risk for the presence of EIA seropositivity, as well as the separation of riding equipment and segregation of seropositives.Título em português: Anemia infecciosa equina em equídeos do Pantanal Sul, Brasil: soroprevalência e avaliação da adoção de um programa de controle

Embryos produced in vitro with sexed semen - technique application for superior beef calves production.

Due the relevance of the Zebu and the increasing use of production in vitro (PIV) of embryo in Brazil, we evaluated the pregnancy rates of Nelore recipients inovulated with fresh or vitrified IVP embryos obtained from Nelore donor oocytes from slaughterhouse (SLAUGHTER, n = 66 embryos) or OPU in vivo (VIVO, n = 299 embryos).Proceedings of the 30th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Embryo Technology Society (SBTE); Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil, August 25th to 27th, 2016, and 32nd Meeting of the European Embryo Transfer Association (AETE); Barcelona, Spain, September 9th and 10th, 2016. A040. Título em português: Utilização de embriões produzidos in vitro com sêmen sexado ? aplicação da técnica para produção de bezerros de corte superiores. Na publicação: Juliana Correa Borges

Effects of pollution on adolescent mental health: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Whilst there is little uncertainty about the deleterious impact of pollution on human and planetary health, pollution's impact on adolescent mental health is less well understood. This is particularly true for young people in underdeveloped and developing world contexts, about whom research is generally lacking. Furthermore, although adolescent resilience continues to be a research priority, little attention has been paid to adolescent pathways of resilience in the face or aftermath of pollution exposure. The objective of this study will be to examine the associations between pollution and mental health in 10- to 24-year-olds (i.e. adolescents). METHODS: We designed and registered a study protocol for a systematic review of studies which link pollution and mental health in adolescents. We will include observational studies (e.g. cohort, case-control, time series analyses) that assess the associations between exposure to any form of pollution and the mental health of 10- to 24-year-olds. The primary outcome will be symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders; disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders; depressive disorders; anxiety disorders; substance disorders; and schizophrenia. No secondary outcomes will be considered. Literature searches will be conducted in multiple electronic databases (from inception onwards), including PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SciELO, ERIC, and Africa-Wide. Two investigators will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. The methodological quality (or bias) of included studies will be appraised using appropriate tools. We will provide a narrative synthesis of the evidence. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will evaluate the evidence on the associations between pollution and the mental health of 10- to 24-year-olds. Our findings will be of potential interest to multiple audiences (including adolescent patients/clients, their families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, scientists, and policy makers) and could be used to develop prevention and intervention strategies as well as focus future research. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020176664

Bounds on the mass of the b' quark, revisited

Recent results from the DELPHI collaboration led us to review the present bounds on the b' quark mass. We use all available experimental data for m_b' > 96 GeV to constrain the b' quark mass as a function of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa elements in a sequential four generations model. We find that there is still room for a b' with a mass larger than 96 GeV.Comment: 9 pages and 7 figures. REVTEX