WARP: a WIMP double phase Argon detector

The WARP programme for dark matter search with a double phase argon detector is presented. In such a detector both excitation and ionization produced by an impinging particle are evaluated by the contemporary measurement of primary scintillation and secondary (proportional) light signal, this latter being produced by extracting and accelerating ionization electrons in the gas phase. The proposed technique, verified on a 2.3 liters prototype, could be used to efficiently discriminate nuclear recoils, induced by WIMP's interactions, and measure their energy spectrum. An overview of the 2.3 liters results and of the proposed 100 liters detector is shown.Comment: Proceeding for IDM200

Expressed sequenced tags profiling of resistant and susceptible Gyr x Holstein cattle infested with the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

Tick resistance in cattle is mainly found in zebu (Bos indicus) animals, although it is also present in some taurine (B. taurus) breeds. In order to characterize functional genes involved in tick resistance/susceptibility in cattle, two cDNA libraries were generated using skin tissues of selected Holstein x Gyr animals. A total of 2700 high-quality reads from both resistant and susceptible cDNA were assembled into 458 sequences (contigs) and 834 singletons, with a mean size of 447.7 nucleotides. Assignment of homologous proteins by BLASTX revealed 790 (61.1%) and 300 (23.2%) hits in resistant and susceptible cDNA, respectively; 121 of these hits matched bovine proteins. A total of 502 (38.9%) unique sequences were found to have no significant homology with known sequences and were classified as novel sequences. In general, the most abundant sequences consisted of those coding for hypothetical proteins whose function had not yet been determined, in addition to ribosomal proteins, binding proteins and structural proteins, such as keratin and collagen. The most abundant protein found was collagen type III alpha, although ribosomal proteins accounted for half of the 40 most frequent hits. In addition, five matches within the top 40 best hits corresponded to immune response proteins. These sequences could be used for future studies on functional genomics of cattle tick resistance as well as for genomic sequencing projects.Projeto/Plano de Ação: 02.10.60.300-01

Measurement of Through-Going Particle Momentum By Means Of Multiple Scattering With The ICARUS T600 TPC

The ICARUS collaboration has demonstrated, following the operation of a 600 ton (T600) detector at shallow depth, that the technique based on liquid Argon TPCs is now mature. The study of rare events, not contemplated in the Standard Model, can greatly benefit from the use of this kind of detectors. In particular, a deeper understanding of atmospheric neutrino properties will be obtained thanks to the unprecedented quality of the data ICARUS provides. However if we concentrate on the T600 performance, most of the $\nu_\mu$ charged current sample will be partially contained, due to the reduced dimensions of the detector. In this article, we address the problem of how well we can determine the kinematics of events having partially contained tracks. The analysis of a large sample of atmospheric muons collected during the T600 test run demonstrate that, in case the recorded track is at least one meter long, the muon momentum can be reconstructed by an algorithm that measures the Multiple Coulomb Scattering along the particle's path. Moreover, we show that momentum resolution can be improved by a factor two using an algorithm based on the Kalman Filtering technique

Grupos climáticos para implantação de experimentos de melhoramento e plantio de Pinus taeda no Sul do Brasil.

Pinus taeda L. é uma das espécies mais cultivadas no mundo e no Brasil e, por isso, há diversos programas de melhoramento genético que são conduzidos para demandas específicas, tanto para as empresas de reflorestamento como para as indústrias. Estes programas de melhoramento são possíveis devido à alta variabilidade genética e ampla distribuição geográfica natural desta espécie. Devido à importância do clima na interação genótipo x ambiente; da ampla variabilidade genética das sementes e pelo fato das empresas reflorestadoras possuírem plantios de P. taeda em diversos locais da região Sul e Sudeste do Brasil a proposta deste trabalho foi delimitar e caracterizar grupos de áreas climáticas semelhantes e distintas, onde existem o plantio de P. taeda no Sul do Brasil, para subsidiar o melhoramento genético desta espécie. Como resultado, foram obtidos grupos climáticos que podem ser utilizados ao melhoramento da espécie, de forma mais assertiva em relação ao clima. A troca de informações sobre o desempenho em produção e crescimento dos plantios, divulgada entre as empresas, irá colaborar com os programas de melhoramento genético. Além disso, este aprofundamento na questão climática, associada ao melhoramento genético, torna este trabalho bastante importante, sobretudo como instrumento de auxílio no entendimento do comportamento desta espécie em relação às mudanças climáticas e na seleção de populações para atender à demanda do mercado decorrente de uma possível alteração do clima e impactos na produtividade, seja devido à seca, temperaturas mais elevadas e, ou pragas que possam ocorrer. Este trabalho apresenta aderência a diferentes metas dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) estabelecidos pela Agenda 2030 da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), representando os ODS 8, 12, 13, 15 e 17, por ser direcionado ao aumento da produtividade, à gestão sustentável dos recursos florestais e ao incremento da capacidade de adaptação aos riscos climáticos. A valorização das parcerias multi-institucionais estão presentes em diferentes fases do trabalho, mostrando a importância de se estabelecer demandas e metas conjuntas, para resultados mais efetivos.ODS

Genome wide scan for quantitative trait loci affecting tick resistance in cattle (Bos taurus × Bos indicus)

<p><b>Abstract</b></p> <p><b>Background</b></p> <p>In tropical countries, losses caused by bovine tick <it>Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus</it> infestation have a tremendous economic impact on cattle production systems. Genetic variation between <it>Bos taurus</it> and <it>Bos indicus</it> to tick resistance and molecular biology tools might allow for the identification of molecular markers linked to resistance traits that could be used as an auxiliary tool in selection programs. The objective of this work was to identify QTL associated with tick resistance/susceptibility in a bovine F2 population derived from the Gyr (<it>Bos indicus</it>) × Holstein (<it>Bos taurus</it>) cross.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Through a whole genome scan with microsatellite markers, we were able to map six genomic regions associated with bovine tick resistance. For most QTL, we have found that depending on the tick evaluation season (dry and rainy) different sets of genes could be involved in the resistance mechanism. We identified dry season specific QTL on BTA 2 and 10, rainy season specific QTL on BTA 5, 11 and 27. We also found a highly significant genome wide QTL for both dry and rainy seasons in the central region of BTA 23.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The experimental F2 population derived from Gyr × Holstein cross successfully allowed the identification of six highly significant QTL associated with tick resistance in cattle. QTL located on BTA 23 might be related with the bovine histocompatibility complex. Further investigation of these QTL will help to isolate candidate genes involved with tick resistance in cattle.</p

Comparison between modified Gordon & Whitlock and Centrifugal Fluctuation techniques for diagnosis of helminths in cattle.

The present study aimed to verify the degree of correlation between the modified Gordon & Whitlock (GW) and Centrifugal Fluctuation (CF) techniques in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal endoparasites in cattle, and to compile a table with the degree of helminth infection of the Strongyloidea Superfamily, measured by number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) using the two techniques. Feces samples were collected directly from the rectal bulb of 12 females, ¾ Dutch / zebu, from six months of age, weighing between 100 and 150 kg, naturally parasitized by gastrointestinal nematodes, at Santa Mônica Dairy Station, Embrapa/Gado de Leite, in the Municipality of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Samples were collected every 21 days in a period of 28 months. EPG counts were performed at the Parasitology Laboratory of Embrapa, in the Municipality of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil. The CF technique detected 80.81% of positive samples, against 15.17% of the GW technique, demonstrating that the CF technique is more sensitive than the GW for EPG count in cattle. The GW technique showed a higher Coefficient of Variation (CV = 237%) than CF (CV = 68%). However, there was a significant agreement between them (rho = 0.12), confirming the existence of a correlation between them. This confirmation allowed the elaboration of a table of the degree of helminth infection of the Strongyloidea Superfamily based on the two techniques, which will aid in the determination of the treatment threshold. Thus, the absence of parameters in the decision making for the treatment of helminths in cattle, from the degree of infection, considered the great disadvantage of the CF technique, was eliminated