MAD@VLT: Deep into the Madding Crowd of Omega Centauri

We present deep and accurate Near-Infrared (NIR) photometry of the Galactic Globular Cluster (GC) Omega Cen. Data were collected using the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator (MAD) on VLT (ESO). The unprecedented quality of the images provided the opportunity to perform accurate photometry in the central crowded regions. Preliminary results indicate that the spread in age among the different stellar populations in Omega Cen is limited.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Springer Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, "Science with the VLT in the ELT era", ed. A. Moorwoo

Histomorfologia funcional do intestino do pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Cuvier, 1829).

Este trabalho avaliou a histomorfologia do intestino de juvenis de pirarucu, visando elucidar a dinâmica de absorção e aproveitamento de nutrientes pela espécie e subsidiar futuras pesquisas abrangendo sua nutrição e saúde.Organizado por: Sílvio Ricardo Maurano; AQUACIÊNCIA 2012

Crude glycerol in the diets of the juveniles ofAmazon catfish(female Pseudoplatystoma punctifer x male Leiarius marmoratus)

This research aimed to determine the best inclusion level of crude glycerol in the diet of the Amazon catfish (Pintado), through zootechnical performance, body composition, metabolic profile and histopathology. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Morphophysiology and Biochemistry of Neotropical Fishes of the Federal University of Tocantins. There was used 150 juvenilles of pintado, these with initial weight of 6,83 ± 1,11 (g) and 10,06 ± 0,57 (cm) lenght in a completely randomised design, with 3 replications (10 animals in each one). They were fed with five diets containing increasing levels of glycerol (0 g kg-1, 50 g kg-1, 75 g kg-1, 100 g kg-1, and 125 g kg-1) during 90 days (30 days of adaption and 60 experimental days). The indexes were evaluated and they did not present statistical difference between each other, except for the specific growth rate, which showed a moderate linear behavior and muscular glycogen that at the level of 125 g kg-1 presented a lower concentration compared with the control diet (0 g kg-1). Regarding histology, the crude glycerin did not cause significant hepatic and renal changes in the referred specie, since the alterations found in the two tissues were considered lesions that did not compromise the functioning of the organ or that are reversible. Finally, it was indicated that the juveniles of Amazon Pintado are able to metabolize the crude glycerin up to 100 g kg-1level

Antenatal corticosteroid treatment for the prevention of peri-intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm newborns: a retrospective cohort study using transfontanelle ultrasonography

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the correlation between antenatal corticosteroids and peri-intraventricular haemorrhage (PIVH) using transfontanelle ultrasonography, as well as to evaluate the risk factors for its incidence. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using medical records of preterm newborns. The protocol for maternal corticoid administration for foetal lung maturation included dexamethasone 4 mg (intramuscular) 8/8 hours per 48 hours, with one cycle per week. The diagnosis of periintraventricular haemorrhage was based on transfontanelle ultrasonography, using the Papile's classification. The following risk factors for peri-intraventricular haemorrhage were assessed: birth weight, gestational age at delivery, type of delivery, newborn's sex, surfactant administration, premature rupture of membranes and previous history of infection during the current pregnancy. The student's t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Our sample population included 184 preterm newborns. Transfontanelle ultrasonography revealed peri-intraventricular haemorrhage in 32 (74.4%) and periventricular leukomalacia in 11 (25.6%) newborns. Grade I haemorrhage was found in 20 (62.5%), grade II in five (15.6%), and grade III in seven (21.8%) newborns, as in accordance with Papile's classification. Vaginal delivery (p = 0.010), birth weight <1500 g (p = 0.024), gestational age at delivery ≤32 weeks (p = 0.018), and previous history of infection during pregnancy (p = 0.013) were considered risk factors for peri-intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm newborns. Conclusion: Maternal corticoid administration for foetal lung maturation showed a protective effect against peri-intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm newborns. The risk factors for peri-intraventricular haemorrhage were determined

Measurement of shower development and its Moli\`ere radius with a four-plane LumiCal test set-up

A prototype of a luminometer, designed for a future e+e- collider detector, and consisting at present of a four-plane module, was tested in the CERN PS accelerator T9 beam. The objective of this beam test was to demonstrate a multi-plane tungsten/silicon operation, to study the development of the electromagnetic shower and to compare it with MC simulations. The Moli\`ere radius has been determined to be 24.0 +/- 0.6 (stat.) +/- 1.5 (syst.) mm using a parametrization of the shower shape. Very good agreement was found between data and a detailed Geant4 simulation.Comment: Paper published in Eur. Phys. J., includes 25 figures and 3 Table

Performance of fully instrumented detector planes of the forward calorimeter of a Linear Collider detector

Detector-plane prototypes of the very forward calorimetry of a future detector at an e+e- collider have been built and their performance was measured in an electron beam. The detector plane comprises silicon or GaAs pad sensors, dedicated front-end and ADC ASICs, and an FPGA for data concentration. Measurements of the signal-to-noise ratio and the response as a function of the position of the sensor are presented. A deconvolution method is successfully applied, and a comparison of the measured shower shape as a function of the absorber depth with a Monte-Carlo simulation is given.Comment: 25 pages, 32 figures, revised version following comments from referee