13,177 research outputs found
Electromagnetism and multiple-valued loop-dependent wave functionals
We quantize the Maxwell theory in the presence of a electric charge in a
"dual" Loop Representation, i.e. a geometric representation of magnetic
Faraday's lines. It is found that the theory can be seen as a theory without
sources, except by the fact that the wave functional becomes multivalued. This
can be seen as the dual counterpart of what occurs in Maxwell theory with a
magnetic pole, when it is quantized in the ordinary Loop Representation. The
multivaluedness can be seen as a result of the multiply-connectedness of the
configuration space of the quantum theory.Comment: 5 page
Attraction of Culex mosquitoes to aldehydes from human emanations.
Anecdotes related to preferential mosquito bites are very common, but to date there is no complete explanation as to why one out of two people systematically receives more mosquito bites than the other when both are equally accessible. Here we tested the hypothesis that two constituents of skin emanations, 6-methyl-5-heptan-2-one (6-MHO) and geranylacetone (GA), are natural repellents and may account for differential attraction in different ratios. We studied skin emanations from two human subjects, confirmed in behavioral assays that female southern house mosquitoes are significantly more attracted to subject A (attractant) than to subject N (non-attractant), and tested their 6-MHO/GA ratios in a dual-choice olfactometer. Although repelling at high doses, 6-MHO/GA mixtures were not active at the levels emitted by human skin. We found, however, differential attraction elicited by the aldehydes in the ratios produced by subjects A and N. When tested in a dose commensurate with the level released from human skin and in the ratio produced by subject A, the aldehyde mixture significantly attracted mosquitoes. By contrast, an aldehyde mixture at the same ratio released by subject N did not attract mosquitoes. We, therefore, hypothesized that aldehydes may play a role in the commonly observed differential attraction
Spatially resolved physical and chemical properties of the planetary nebula NGC 3242
Optical integral-field spectroscopy was used to investigate the planetary
nebula NGC 3242. We analysed the main morphological components of this source,
including its knots, but not the halo. In addition to revealing the properties
ofthe physical and chemical nature of this nebula, we also provided reliable
spatially resolved constraints that can be used for future photoionisation
modelling of the nebula. The latter is ultimately necessary to obtain a fully
self-consistent 3D picture of the physical and chemical properties of the
object. The observations were obtained with the VIMOS instrument attached to
VLT-UT3. Maps and values for specific morphological zones for the detected
emission-lines were obtained and analysed with routines developed by the
authors to derive physical and chemical conditions of the ionised gas in a 2D
fashion. We obtained spatially resolved maps and mean values of the electron
densities, temperatures, and chemical abundances, for specific morphological
structures in NGC 3242. These results show the pixel-to-pixel variations of the
the small- and large-scale structures of the source. These diagnostic maps
provide information free from the biases introduced by traditional single
long-slit observations. In general, our results are consistent with a uniform
abundance distribution for the object, whether we look at abundance maps or
integrated fluxes from specified morphological structures. The results indicate
that special care should be taken with the calibration of the data and that
only data with extremely good signal-to-noise ratio and spectral coverage
should be used to ensure the detection of possible spatial variations.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
A redução de antihelmĂnticos no controle da verminose em caprinos e ovinos.
bitstream/item/32417/1/Reducao.pd
Investigation of the Function of the First Epicentral Intermuscular Bone and the First Anal-fin Radial Bone in Polymixia lowei
Beardfishes, members of the genus Polymixia, are seen as living
fossils, as they are the sole survivors of a Late Cretaceous marine fish
radiation. In this genus, the first intermuscular bone differs from the
rest by lying in the horizontal septum and by being distinctively
larger. In addition, the first anal-fin radial bone is distinctively
enlarged. To investigate the function of these unique characteristics of
Polymixia, we examined multiple specimens and perfected a method
for staining nerves to reveal the innervation of the unique structures.
In doing so, we hypothesize that the function of these structures is
related to sound production involving the swim bladder, and that the
nerves will reveal important clues to their functions
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