Energy-lowering and constant-energy spin flips : emergence of the percolating cluster in the kinetic Ising model

After a sudden quench from the disordered high-temperature T0 → ∞ phase to a final temperature well below the critical point TF Tc, the nonconserved order parameter dynamics of the two-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model on a square lattice initially approaches the critical percolation state before entering the coarsening regime. This approach involves two timescales associated with the first appearance (at time tp1 > 0) and stabilization (at time tp > tp1 ) of a giant percolation cluster, as previously reported. However, the microscopic mechanisms that control such timescales are not yet fully understood. In this paper, to study their role on each time regime after the quench (TF = 0), we distinguish between spin flips that decrease the total energy of the system from those that keep it constant, the latter being parametrized by the probability p. We show that observables such as the cluster size heterogeneity H(t, p) and the typical domain size (t, p) have no dependence on p in the first time regime up to tp1 . Furthermore, when energy-decreasing flips are forbidden while allowing constant-energy flips, the kinetics is essentially frozen after the quench and there is no percolation event whatsoever. Taken together, these results indicate that the emergence of the first percolating cluster at tp1 is completely driven by energy decreasing flips. However, the time for stabilizing a percolating cluster is controlled by the acceptance probability of constant-energy flips: tp(p) ∼ p−1 for p 1 (at p = 0, the dynamics gets stuck in a metastable state). These flips are also the relevant ones in the later coarsening regime where dynamical scaling takes place. Because the phenomenology on the approach to the percolation point seems to be shared by many 2D systems with a nonconserved order parameter dynamics (and certain cases of conserved ones as well), our results may suggest a simple and eff Because the phenomenology on the approach to the percolation point seems to be shared by many 2D systems with a nonconserved order parameter dynamics (and certain cases of conserved ones as well), our results may suggest a simple and effective way to set, through the dynamics itself, tp1 and tp in such systems

Impact of percentage and particle size of sugarcane biochar on the sorption behavior of clomazone in Red Latosol

Biochar is a carbonaceous material that has excellent potential as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. However, there is a lack of information concerning the effects of the amount and particle size of this pyrogenic material on the soil sorption capacity. In this work, evaluation was made of changes in clomazone (CMZ) sorption in a Red Latosol following soil conditioning using different percentages (0.25, 0.5, and 1% w/w) of sugarcane biochar in three particle sizes (<106, 106-508, and 508-610 μm). The conditioned soils presented apparent sorption coefficients (Kd) up to 1300 times higher than that of pure soil, besides changes in the behavior of CMZ sorption. The biochar particle size and percentage influenced sorption of the herbicide as well as its retention in the amended soil during desorption processes. Both sorption and desorption Freundlich constants were linearly correlated with the external surface area of the biochar present in the soil

Redes de Sensores sem Fio Aplicadas à Fisioterapia: Implementação e Validação de um Sistema de Monitoramento de Amplitude de Movimento

A amplitude de movimento é um parâmetro importante utilizado na avaliação e durante o tratamento fisioterapêutico. Sistemas disponíveis e utilizados atualmente possuem atuação limitada. A principal contribuição deste trabalho é a especificação, implementação e validação de um sistema de monitoramento, em tempo real, de ângulos articulares baseado em redes de sensores sem fio: FlexMeter. Os nós sensores utilizam acelerômetros para obter as informações de ângulos articulares, e a rede sem fio dá mobilidade ao paciente e ao fisioterapeuta. A validação do sistema incluiu três etapas: validação das medidas com os sensores, validação de usabilidade, e validação de medidas em articulação de joelho. Os resultados da validação demonstraram como o uso do sistema pode facilitar o trabalho do fisioterapeuta

Produção orgânica de rabanete em plantio direto sobre cobertura morta e viva.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de plantas espontâneas e cobertura viva de amendoim forrageiro(Arachis pintoi), associado à aplicação de composto orgânico na produção orgânica do rabanete em plantio direto. O experimento foi instalado na Universidade Federal do Acre, em Rio Branco-AC, de 15/06 a 14/07/2007. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas 4x3, em quatro repetições. As parcelas corresponderam ao sistema de plantio direto com cobertura viva de amendoim forrageiro, cobertura viva de planta espontânea, cobertura morta de planta espontânea e sistema de plantio em canteiro com solo descoberto. As subparcelas foram compostas pelas doses de composto orgânico de 5, 10 e 15 t ha-1 (base seca). O plantio direto na palha de plantas espontâneas teve desempenho semelhante ao preparo convencional do solo, ambos superiores ao plantio sobre as coberturas vivas. A produtividade do rabanete cv. Cometo, não foi afetada pelas doses crescentes de composto orgânico, podendo aplicar-se apenas 5 t ha-1, enquanto em preparo convencional do solo, o aumento da produtividade ultrapassa o plantio direto na palha apenas na dose maior de composto (15 t ha-1)

Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests.

Tropical forests are known for their high diversity. Yet, forest patches do occur in the tropics where a single tree species is dominant. Such "monodominant" forests are known from all of the main tropical regions. For Amazonia, we sampled the occurrence of monodominance in a massive, basin-wide database of forest-inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network (ATDN). Utilizing a simple defining metric of at least half of the trees ≥ 10 cm diameter belonging to one species, we found only a few occurrences of monodominance in Amazonia, and the phenomenon was not significantly linked to previously hypothesized life history traits such wood density, seed mass, ectomycorrhizal associations, or Rhizobium nodulation. In our analysis, coppicing (the formation of sprouts at the base of the tree or on roots) was the only trait significantly linked to monodominance. While at specific locales coppicing or ectomycorrhizal associations may confer a considerable advantage to a tree species and lead to its monodominance, very few species have these traits. Mining of the ATDN dataset suggests that monodominance is quite rare in Amazonia, and may be linked primarily to edaphic factors

Erratum to: The study of cardiovascular risk in adolescents – ERICA: rationale, design and sample characteristics of a national survey examining cardiovascular risk factor profile in Brazilian adolescents

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