Parâmetros biológicos dos estágios imaturos de Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), em condições controladas.

O gênero Spodoptera (Guenée, 1852) é cosmopolita e abriga grande parte das lagartas de importância agrícola. Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) é uma espécie polífaga que se alimenta de plantas de 57 famílias, incluindo muitas de importância econômica. Este estudo objetivou detalhar parâmetros biológicos de desenvolvimento dos estágios imaturos de S. eridania, em condições controladas (25 ± 1ºC, 70 ± 10% UR e fotofase de 14 horas). Foram avaliados 4.454 ovos provenientes de 16 posturas e 298 larvas neonatas, individualmente, alimentadas com dieta artificial modificada de Grenee et al. A viabilidade dos ovos, larvas, pré-pupas e pupas foi de 97,82; 93,62; 96,42; 97,03%, com duração de 4,00; 16,18; 1,58 e 9,17 dias, respectivamente. Observou-se que 93% das fêmeas e 100% dos machos passaram por seis e 7% das fêmeas passaram por sete instares larvais. A partir do quinto ínstar observou-se diferenciação no tamanho das cápsulas entre machos e fêmeas de seis instares e, entre fêmeas com as de sete instares, a diferenciação iniciou no quarto ínstar, com razão de crescimento menor que as demais, no entanto o tamanho final foi maior que nas larvas de seis instares, compensado pelo ínstar adicional. O tamanho final das cápsulas foi significativamente diferente entre fêmeas (2,64mm) e machos (2,50mm), bem como entre as fêmeas que passaram por seis (2,64mm) e sete ínstares (2,72mm). Nas larvas femininas e masculinas de seis instares a razão média de crescimento foi de 1,52 e 1,51, respectivamente; nas de sete ínstares foi de 1,44. As pupas femininas das larvas que passaram por seis instares foram significativamente maiores (377,53mg) do que os machos (329,45mg), porém, menores que as provenientes de larvas que passaram por sete ínstares (435,11mg). Tanto a metodologia de criação quanto a dieta larval foram adequadas, pois permitiram 85,87% de sobrevivência e um detalhamento muito maior das observações, especialmente, quando larvas

Detecting structural variances of Co_3O_4 catalysts by controlling beam-induced sample alterations in the vacuum of a transmission electron microscope

This article summarizes core aspects of beam-sample interactions in research that aims at exploiting the ability to detect single atoms at atomic resolution by mid-voltage transmission electron microscopy. Investigating the atomic structure of catalytic Co_3O_4 nanocrystals underscores how indispensable it is to rigorously control electron dose rates and total doses to understand native material properties on this scale. We apply in-line holography with variable dose rates to achieve this goal. Genuine object structures can be maintained if dose rates below ~100 e/Å^2s are used and the contrast required for detection of single atoms is generated by capturing large image series. Threshold doses for the detection of single atoms are estimated. An increase of electron dose rates and total doses to common values for high resolution imaging of solids stimulates object excitations that restructure surfaces, interfaces, and defects and cause grain reorientation or growth. We observe a variety of previously unknown atom configurations in surface proximity of the Co_3O_4 spinel structure. These are hidden behind broadened diffraction patterns in reciprocal space but become visible in real space by solving the phase problem. An exposure of the Co_3O_4 spinel structure to water vapor or other gases induces drastic structure alterations that can be captured in this manner

Efeito do tamanho e de múltiplos casais sobre o potencial reprodutivo de Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Entre os lepidópteros de importância agrícola, Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) tem despertado atenção por atingir níveis de dano econômico em culturas de importância como algodão e soja. Entretanto, existem poucos estudos detalhados de biologia, especialmente relacionados a aspectos reprodutivos. Visando determinar a capacidade máxima reprodutiva desta espécie avaliou-se o efeito do tamanho, empregando como parâmetro o peso pupal, e o número de casais por gaiola (um e três) sobre o número de cópulas, fecundidade e fertilidade. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em sala climatizada (25 ± 1ºC, 70 ± 10% UR e fotofase de 14 horas) com observações diárias. Adultos, emergidos no mesmo dia, classificados de acordo com a massa pupal, como pequenos, médios e grandes foram dispostos em gaiolas plásticas, (10 x 15cm), alimentados com dieta artificial e água estéril. Foram formadas 15 gaiolas com um casal cada, todos de tamanho médio, cinco gaiolas com 3 casais de tamanho pequeno e médio e 4 com três casais de tamanho grande. O número médio de cópulas dos casais de tamanho médio mantidos individualmente (1,13) foi significativamente menor do que o dos insetos pequenos (2,58), médios (2,47) e grandes (2,33),mantidos a três por gaiola. A fecundidade média dos casais individuais (1.398,00) também foi significativamente menor que a dos mantidos a três por gaiola, tanto de tamanho pequeno (1.709,07), médio (2.044,27) e grande (2.469,92). Entre estes últimos observou-se efeito positivo entre o tamanho da pupa e a fecundidade, com diferenças significativas entre todos os tamanhos. A fertilidade média dos casais individuais (67,45) foi muito inferior a observada para os casais pequenos (97,32%), médios (96,43%) e grandes (98,91%), mantidos a três por gaiola. Estes resultados indicam que em estudos que estimam o potencial reprodutivo devem ser utilizados pelo menos três casais por gaiola e que sejam descritos os pesos das pupas que originaram os adultos

Low Mass Dimuon Production in Indium-Indium Collisions at the CERN SPS

NA60 is a fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS which measured dimuon production in nucleus-nucleus and proton-nucleus collisions. In this paper we report on a precision measurement of low-mass muon pairs in 158 AGeV indium-indium collisions. A significant excess of pairs is observed above the yield expected from neutral meson decays. The excess can be isolated by subtraction of expected sources, thanks to the excellent mass resolution and large sample size.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Contribution at XLIst Rencontres de Moriond, "QCD and High Energy Hadronic Interactions

Evidence for radial flow of thermal dileptons in high-energy nuclear collisions

The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS has studied low-mass dimuon production in 158 AGeV In-In collisions. An excess of pairs above the known meson decays has been reported before. We now present precision results on the associated transverse momentum spectra. The slope parameter Teff extracted from the spectra rises with dimuon mass up to the rho, followed by a sudden decline above. While the initial rise is consistent with the expectations for radial flow of a hadronic decay source, the decline signals a transition to an emission source with much smaller flow. This may well represent the first direct evidence for thermal radiation of partonic origin in nuclear collisions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

First Measurement of the rho Spectral Function in High-Energy Nuclear Collisions

We report on a precision measurement of low-mass muon pairs in 158 AGeV indium-indium collisions at the CERN SPS. A significant excess of pairs is observed above the yield expected from neutral meson decays. The unprecedented sample size of 360 000 dimuons and the good mass resolution of about 2% allow us to isolate the excess by subtraction of the decay sources. The shape of the resulting mass spectrum is consistent with a dominant contribution from pi+pi-->rho-->mu+mu- annihilation. The associated space-time averaged rho spectral function shows a strong broadening, but essentially no shift in mass. This may rule out theoretical models linking hadron masse

ϕ\phi Meson Production in In-In Collisions and the ϕ\phi Puzzle

The NA60 experiment measured dimuon production in In-In collisions at 158 AGeV. This paper presents a high statistics measurement of $\phi\to\mu\mu$ with the specific objective to provide insight on the $\phi$ puzzle, i.e. the difference in the inverse $T$ slopes and absolute yields measured by NA49 and NA50 in the kaon and lepton channel, respectively. Transverse momentum distributions were studied as a function of centrality. The slope parameter $T$ shows a rapid increase with centrality, followed by a saturation. Variations of $T$ with the fit range of the order of 15 MeV were observed, possibly as a consequence of radial flow. The $\phi$ meson yield normalized to the number of participants increases with centrality and is consistently higher than the yield measured by the NA49 experiment at any centrality.Comment: 4 Pages, 2 Figures. Proceedings of the 20$^{th}$ International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus Nucleus Collision

Thermal dileptons at SPS energies

Clear signs of excess dileptons above the known sources were found at the SPS since long. However, a real clarification of these observations was only recently achieved by NA60, measuring dimuons with unprecedented precision in 158A GeV, In-In collisions. The excess mass spectrum in the region M<1 GeV is consistent with a dominant contribution from pi+pi- -> rho -> mu+mu- annihilation. The associated rho spectral function shows a strong broadening, but essentially no shift in mass. In the region M>1 GeV, the excess is found to be prompt, not due to enhanced charm production. The inverse slope parameter Teff associated with the transverse momentum spectra rises with mass up to the rho, followed by a sudden decline above. While the initial rise, coupled to a hierarchy in hadron freeze-out, points to radial flow of a hadronic decay source, the decline above signals a transition to a low-flow source, presumably of partonic origin. The mass spectra show at low transverse momenta the steep rise towards low masses characteristic for Planck-like radiation. The polarization of the excess referred to the Collins Soper frame is found to be isotropic. All observations are consistent with the interpretation of the excess as thermal radiation.Comment: Prepared for 20th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions: Quark Matter 2008 (QM2008), Jaipur, India, 4-10 Feb. 200

Generalized Involution Models for Wreath Products

We prove that if a finite group $H$ has a generalized involution model, as defined by Bump and Ginzburg, then the wreath product $H \wr S_n$ also has a generalized involution model. This extends the work of Baddeley concerning involution models for wreath products. As an application, we construct a Gelfand model for wreath products of the form $A \wr S_n$ with $A$ abelian, and give an alternate proof of a recent result due to Adin, Postnikov, and Roichman describing a particularly elegant Gelfand model for the wreath product \ZZ_r \wr S_n. We conclude by discussing some notable properties of this representation and its decomposition into irreducible constituents, proving a conjecture of Adin, Roichman, and Postnikov's.Comment: 29 page

NA60 results on thermal dimuons

The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS has measured muon pairs with unprecedented precision in 158A GeV In-In collisions. A strong excess of pairs above the known sources is observed in the whole mass region 0.2<M<2.6 GeV. The mass spectrum for M<1 GeV is consistent with a dominant contribution from pi+pi- -> rho -> mu+mu- annihilation. The associated rho spectral function shows a strong broadening, but essentially no shift in mass. For M>1 GeV, the excess is found to be prompt, not due to enhanced charm production, with pronounced differences to Drell-Yan pairs. The slope parameter Teff associated with the transverse momentum spectra rises with mass up to the rho, followed by a sudden decline above. The rise for M<1 GeV is consistent with radial flow of a hadronic emission source. The seeming absence of significant flow for M>1 GeV and its relation to parton-hadron duality is discussed in detail, suggesting a dominantly partonic emission source in this region. A comparison of the data to the present status of theoretical modeling is also contained. The accumulated empirical evidence, including also a Planck-like shape of the mass spectra at low pT and the lack of polarization, is consistent with a global interpretation of the excess dimuons as thermal radiation. We conclude with first results on omega in-medium effects.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J.