Solar-like oscillations of semiregular variables

Oscillations of the Sun and solar-like stars are believed to be excited stochastically by convection near the stellar surface. Theoretical modeling predicts that the resulting amplitude increases rapidly with the luminosity of the star. Thus one might expect oscillations of substantial amplitudes in red giants with high luminosities and vigorous convection. Here we present evidence that such oscillations may in fact have been detected in the so-called semiregular variables, extensive observations of which have been made by amateur astronomers in the American Association for Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). This may offer a new opportunity for studying the physical processes that give rise to the oscillations, possibly leading to further information about the properties of convection in these stars.Comment: Astrophys. J. Lett., in the press. Processed with aastex and emulateap

Influência da adubação nitrogenada e da idade de corte sobre o rendimento forrageiro do capim-elefante.

Resumo: O experimento foi realizado em Parnaíba, para avaliar os efeitos de três doses de nitrogênio (150; 300 e 450 kg de N.ha-1) e cinco idades de corte (28; 35; 42; 56 e 84 dias) sobre a altura, teores de matéria seca e rendimento forrageiro do capim-elefante cv. Napier. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. A altura da planta recebeu influência significativa da idade e da aplicação de 450 kg de N.ha-1, enquanto os teores de matéria seca foram influenciados apenas pela idade da planta. Os rendimentos de matéria seca foram significativamente incrementados (P 0,05) da produção aos 28 dias (3,28 t.ha-1). A aplicação de 450 kg de N.ha-1 implicou no maior rendimento de forragem (8,82 t.ha-1), tendo sido estatisticamente semelhante à aplicação de 300 kg de N.ha-1 (7,84 t.ha-1 ), a qual não diferiu (P > 0,05) da aplicação de 150 kg de N.ha-1 (7,75 t.ha-1). A eficiência do nitrogênio aplicado, independentemente da idade de corte, foi inversamente proporcional às doses aplicadas: 51,66; 26,13 e 19,6 kg de MS.kg-1 de N, respectivamente para 150, 300 e 450 kg de N.ha-1. Influence of the nitrogen fertilization and of the cut age on the forage yield of the elephant grass. Abstract - The study was carried out in Parnaíba, Brazil, aiming to evaluate the effects of three levels of nitrogen doses (150; 300 and 450 kgN.ha -1 ) and five plant age at cutting (28; 35; 42; 56 and 84 days) on height, dry matter, and biomass yield of elephant grass, cv. Napier. The experimental design was in complete randomized blocks, with 4 replications. Plant height was significantly influenced by plant age and nitrogen dose (450 kgN.ha -1 ). Plant dry matter, however, was influenced only by plant age. Plant dry matter yield significantly increased (P < 0.05) in line with plant age at cutting, with age at cutting of 84 days yielding the best results (18.93 t.ha -1 ), followed by 56 days (9.48 t.ha -1 ), and 42 days (5.02 t.ha -1 ). Plant biomass obtained by cutting at 35 days (3.96 t.ha -1 ) did not differ from cutting at 28 days (3.28 t.ha -1 ). Application of 450 kgN.ha -1 resulted in greater biomass yield (8.82 t.ha -1 ), and did not differ (P < 0.05) from 300 kgN.ha -1 (7.84 t.ha -1 ), which in turn did not differ (P < 0.05) from 150 kgN.ha -1 (7.75 t.ha -1 ). Nitrogen application efficiency (51.66; 26.13 and 19.6 kgDM.kg -1 .N), regardless of plant age at cutting, was inversely proportional to nitrogen doses (150; 300 and 450 kgN.ha -1 )

Complexity of Manipulative Actions When Voting with Ties

Most of the computational study of election problems has assumed that each voter's preferences are, or should be extended to, a total order. However in practice voters may have preferences with ties. We study the complexity of manipulative actions on elections where voters can have ties, extending the definitions of the election systems (when necessary) to handle voters with ties. We show that for natural election systems allowing ties can both increase and decrease the complexity of manipulation and bribery, and we state a general result on the effect of voters with ties on the complexity of control.Comment: A version of this paper will appear in ADT-201

Determinação da taxa de emissão de amônia em cama de aves pelo método da espuma.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 02.10.06.002

Responders to Wide-Pulse, High-Frequency Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Show Reduced Metabolic Demand: A 31P-MRS Study in Humans.

Conventional (CONV) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) (i.e., short pulse duration, low frequencies) induces a higher energetic response as compared to voluntary contractions (VOL). In contrast, wide-pulse, high-frequency (WPHF) NMES might elicit-at least in some subjects (i.e., responders)-a different motor unit recruitment compared to CONV that resembles the physiological muscle activation pattern of VOL. We therefore hypothesized that for these responder subjects, the metabolic demand of WPHF would be lower than CONV and comparable to VOL. 18 healthy subjects performed isometric plantar flexions at 10% of their maximal voluntary contraction force for CONV (25 Hz, 0.05 ms), WPHF (100 Hz, 1 ms) and VOL protocols. For each protocol, force time integral (FTI) was quantified and subjects were classified as responders and non-responders to WPHF based on k-means clustering analysis. Furthermore, a fatigue index based on FTI loss at the end of each protocol compared with the beginning of the protocol was calculated. Phosphocreatine depletion (ΔPCr) was assessed using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Responders developed four times higher FTI's during WPHF (99 ± 37 ×103 N.s) than non-responders (26 ± 12 ×103 N.s). For both responders and non-responders, CONV was metabolically more demanding than VOL when ΔPCr was expressed relative to the FTI. Only for the responder group, the ∆PCr/FTI ratio of WPHF (0.74 ± 0.19 M/N.s) was significantly lower compared to CONV (1.48 ± 0.46 M/N.s) but similar to VOL (0.65 ± 0.21 M/N.s). Moreover, the fatigue index was not different between WPHF (-16%) and CONV (-25%) for the responders. WPHF could therefore be considered as the less demanding NMES modality-at least in this subgroup of subjects-by possibly exhibiting a muscle activation pattern similar to VOL contractions

Elaboração de embutido fermentado adicionado de carne de frango.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 11.11.11.111

The October 1985 Long Outburst of U Geminorum: Revealing the Viscous Time Scale in Long Orbital Period Dwarf Novae

We examine the AAVSO light curve of U Geminorum from 1908 to 2002, with particular focus on the October 1985 outburst. This outburst was longer than any other seen in U Gem by about a factor of 2, and appears to be unique among all dwarf nova outbursts seen in systems with orbital periods longer than 3 hr in that one can measure the decay time scale during the initial slow decay. This rate is ~26+-6 d/mag. Using estimates of the rate of accretion during outburst taken from Froning et al., one can show that ~1e24 g of gas was accreted onto the white dwarf during the outburst. When coupled with the viscous time inferred from the (short orbital period) SU UMa stars, the U Gem viscous time scale lends support to the standard model in which the decays in dwarf novae can either be viscous or thermal, with the ratio between them being roughly h/r where h is the vertical pressure scale height in the disk.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Flickering in FU Orionis

We analyze new and published optical photometric data of FU Orionis, an eruptive pre-main sequence star. The outburst consists of a 5.5 mag rise at B with an e-folding timescale of roughly 50 days. The rates of decline at B and V are identical, 0.015 +- 0.001 mag per yr. Random fluctuations superimposed on this decline have an amplitude of 0.035 +- 0.005 mag at V and occur on timescales of 1 day or less. Correlations between V and the color indices U-B, B-V, and V-R indicate that the variable source has the optical colors of a G0 supergiant. We associate this behavior with small amplitude flickering of the inner accretion disk.Comment: 19 pages of text, 3 tables, and 6 figures to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, 10 March 200