Generalising the logistic map through the qq-product

We investigate a generalisation of the logistic map as $x_{n+1}=1-ax_{n}\otimes_{q_{map}} x_{n}$ ($-1 \le x_{n} \le 1$, $0<a\le2$) where $\otimes_q$ stands for a generalisation of the ordinary product, known as $q$-product [Borges, E.P. Physica A {\bf 340}, 95 (2004)]. The usual product, and consequently the usual logistic map, is recovered in the limit $q\to 1$, The tent map is also a particular case for $q_{map}\to\infty$. The generalisation of this (and others) algebraic operator has been widely used within nonextensive statistical mechanics context (see C. Tsallis, {\em Introduction to Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics}, Springer, NY, 2009). We focus the analysis for $q_{map}>1$ at the edge of chaos, particularly at the first critical point $a_c$, that depends on the value of $q_{map}$. Bifurcation diagrams, sensitivity to initial conditions, fractal dimension and rate of entropy growth are evaluated at $a_c(q_{map})$, and connections with nonextensive statistical mechanics are explored.Comment: 12 pages, 23 figures, Dynamics Days South America. To be published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS - IOP

Aquisys - A computer system to support good practices of management for Brazilian tilapiculture.

Brazilian pisciculture has been increasing about 30% per year, having as main factors its profitability and source of quality protein. Its strong interaction with water resources and its interference on the biodiversity turns it both potentially exposed to, as well as, source of negative environmental impacts, requiring the adoption of less impactant management practices. The producer needs information on these practices and computer tools that allow access to them in a single repository could motivate the fast incorporation of these activities to the property. Despite of African origin, the tilapiculture is nowadays present at a large part of Brazilian territory, under pressure for greater product quality and sustainable practices. Embrapa Environment has identified Good Practices of Management (GPM) for tilapia that can be immediately used by producer, from his observation on the property. Aquisys Computer System was developed in PHP, HTML and MySQL computer languages and made use of Apache server in order to make information available, via dynamic Web access, for the diagnosis of these assessment, as well as, economic, production, management and water quality indicators. The present work presents the Aquisys tools for tilapiculture on Brazilian environment

Coupling in-depth genome annotations with genome editing technology for harnessing genomic variation to promote precision breeding in tropical soybean.

ABSTRACT: Directional selection during crop domestication and advanced breeding has resulted in significant changes in plant genomes. The extent of intraspecific variation in a crop documents domestication and highlights variants underlying complex traits. Studies demonstrate that most naturally occurring variants in crops are low frequency, and only a small fraction of those might have important functions to trait variation. To understand the inheritance of quantitative traits, diversity panels have become available by crossing inbred lines to produce genomic maps that relate phenotypic variation to recombination and ultimately to genome structure. Using these resources, genomics studies have suggested that selection performs poorly in pericentromeric regions because of reduced recombination frequency (RF). Thus, manipulating RF and meiotic crossover location is an appealing issue to advance crop breeding. In our study, we are using genomic analysis to characterize intragenomic diversity of tropical elite soybean lines in terms of heterozygosity, RF, chromatin structure and accessibility. Our results to date include the generation of draft genome assemblies for two soybean advanced lines using PACBIO long-read sequencing, Chromium Linked-Reads sequencing and an approach rooted in polymer physics that determines the most likely genome structure using chromosomal contact data. In-depth genome-wide characterization is ongoing using ATAC-Seq and Parent-Progeny resequencing. We also present our efforts to apply DNA-free editing tools in implementing genetic alterations that are expected to engineer desirable traits in soybeans by modifying meiotic specific expression. These changes are expected to increase genetic and epigenetic variations with favorable outcomes in seed oil and protein pathway regulation. Financial support: Embrapa-Monsanto Fund/Project:03.17.03.002.00.0

Genomic analysis in the study of drought tolerance using recombinant inbred lines and recurrent selection.

Plant breeding for drought tolerance is one of the approaches that can be applied in order to improve water use efficiency in agriculture

Informatização de indicadores para uso em práticas de manejo sustentável da aquicultura.

Apesar da produção anual brasileira de pescado, a atividade ainda não representa o potencial esperado para o país em função de seus aspectos naturais favoráveis. Entretanto, a expansão aquicola deve atentar a práticas que minimizem seus impactos ambientais negativos, incluindo-se aqueles registrados nos ecossistemas aquáticos marinhos. A identificação de boas práticas de manejo e o desenvolvimento de recursos informatizados passíveis de rápida observação na propriedade toma-se fundamental à sustentabilidade ambiental da aquicultura. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo principal apresentar indicadores informatizados que favorecem tanto o monitoramento da qualidade da água por indicadores macroinvertebrado bentônicos,fundamentados em índices BMWP e ASPT, quanto a avaliação do manejo e produção de tilápia por meio de estimativas de biometria. Foram elaborados em linguagens HTML e PHP, em servidor Apache, como parte integrante do Aquisys

Rendimentos de cultivares de macaxeira fertirrigada no tabuleiro de russas, Ceará

A obtenção de raízes de mandioca de mesa ou macaxeira que permita atender mercado diversificado e durante o ano todo, pode ser alcançado inserindo novas cultivares e a fertirrigação no sistema de produção. O objetivo deste trabalho identificar cultivares de macaxeira superiores em cultivo fertirrigado no Tabuleiro de Russas, CE. Avaliaram-se as cultivares Cacau Manteiga, Manteiga, Cacauzinho, Gema de Ovo, Amarelinha, Paraná, Dourada, Eucalipto, Santo Antônio e Kiriris, Recife e Mojuí dos Campos. Os manejos da adubação e irrigação foram semelhantes aos utilizados pelo produtor. Foram avaliadas as biomassas frescas da parte aérea e de raízes, as dimensões de raízes e o índice de colheita, quando em plantas com sete meses de idade. As cultivares Kiriris, Dourada, Manteiga, Gema de Ovo, Amarelinha, Paraná e Recife foram as mais produtivas

Phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of Annona vepretorum Mart (Annonaceae) leaf extracts

Purpose: To investigate the phytochemistry, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of leaf extracts from Annona vepretorum.Methods: The crude extracts were obtained by maceration with hexane and  methanol. The crude methanol extract was suspended in a 3:7 (v/v) mixture of methanol (MeOH) and water (H2O) and partitioned with hexane, chloroform (CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (AcOEt) in ascending order of polarity to obtain the respective  extracts. In the investigation of phytochemical profile, the extracts were evaluated on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates of silica gel. Cytotoxicity was tested using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assays against tumor cell lines, viz,HCT-116 (colon), SF-295 (brain), HL-60 (leukemic) and Sarcoma-180. Acute toxicity study was performed by administration of a single oral dose of 2 g/kg body weight of the extracts to mice and the animals were observed for 14 days.Results: Phytochemical screening results showed that A. vepretorum extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenes. Methanol and chloroform extracts exhibited high cytotoxic activity against HCT-116, HL-60 and Sarcoma-180. Moreover, the extracts displayed low toxicity in mice, as no deaths and pronounced toxic effects were observed.Conclusion: A. vepretorum contains a variety of secondary metabolites which may confer on this species high cytotoxic activity. In addition, the oral administration of the extracts produced low toxicity in mice.Keywords: Annonaceae, Annona vepretorum, Phytochemistry, Tumor cell lines, Acute toxicit