Agronomic Evaluation of 324 Intraspecific Hybrids of \u3cem\u3eBrachiaria decumbens\u3c/em\u3e in Brazil

Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk is the most planted pasture grass in the tropics owing to its adaptation to poor and acid soils, typical of the tropics, plus good animal performance. This cultivar was responsible for a radical change of scenario in central Brazil in the early 1970s and is the only cultivar available commercially. Efforts to breed this species have been recent, as the successful somatic chromosome duplication of sexually reproducing diploid plants of B. decumbens was accomplished only in 2009 (Simioni and Valle 2009). Subsequently, intraspecific crosses with natural apomictic tetraploid accessions were carried out. Breeding is needed since cv. Basilisk is susceptible to grassland spittlebugs, which limit its widespread use. A recurrent selection scheme has been devised to improve the species and the first progeny are now under evaluation. This paper reports the preliminary results of the agronomic evaluation of 324 intraspecific hybrids of B. decumbens

Microscopic model of critical current noise in Josephson-junction qubits: Subgap resonances and Andreev bound states

We propose a microscopic model of critical current noise in Josephson-junctions based on individual trapping-centers in the tunnel barrier hybridized with electrons in the superconducting leads. We calculate the noise exactly in the limit of no on-site Coulomb repulsion. Our result reveals a noise spectrum that is dramatically different from the usual Lorentzian assumed in simple models. We show that the noise is dominated by sharp subgap resonances associated to the formation of pairs of Andreev bound states, thus providing a possible explanation for the spurious two-level systems (microresonators) observed in Josephson junction qubits [R.W. Simmonds et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 077003 (2004)]. Another implication of our model is that each trapping-center will contribute a sharp dielectric resonance only in the superconducting phase, providing an effective way to validate our results experimentally. We derive an effective Hamiltonian for a qubit interacting with Andreev bound states, establishing a direct connection between phenomenological models and the microscopic parameters of a Fermionic bath.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Enhanced optical gain clamping for upstream packet based traffic on hybrid WDM/TDM-PON using fiber bragg grating

In this paper, we propose a method to mitigate the temporal power transients arising from Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) on packeted/bursty scenario. The technique, applicable on hybrid WDM/TDM-PON for extended reach, is based on a low power clamping provided by a distributed feedback (DFB) laser and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). An mprovement in the data signal Q factor was achieved keeping the clamping control signal with a low power, accompanied by a maximum reduction in the gain excursion of 1.12 d

Splicing Factors in Breast Cancer: Drivers of the Breast Tumor Fate

Splicing is a critical step in gene expression, responsible for the excision of introns, producing the mature form of mRNA. Also, the possible arrangements of exons enlarge the proteome in 80%, enabling one gene to encode more than one protein isoform, thus increasing proteome. Growing data show deregulation of splicing events in cancer, being breast cancer the most studied. This aberrant pattern of splicing has an important role in breast tumor progression. These alterations are mainly caused by misexpression of some critical alternative splicing factors. The behavior of these splicing factors is implicated with important clinical features, such as chemoresistance, aggressiveness, and also metastases. In this chapter, the role of five splicing factors is discussed in the light of relevant data about in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies to construct a representative scheme of their behavior in breast cancer progression. Although the presented five splicing factors have important role in breast cancer, only three of them (ESRP1, RBFOX2, and SRSF1) have a more prominent role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. These concepts will elucidate their role in tumorigenesis and a prospective use as biomarkers in breast cancer

C+L band gain equalization for extended reach WDM-ring PON using hybrid Raman/in line EDFA amplification

“Copyright © [2010] IEEE. Reprinted from ICTON 2010. ISBN 978-1-4244-7798-2. This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to [email protected]. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it.”In this paper, we investigate by simulation the feasibility of gain enlargement and equalization on extended reach WDM-ring PON by means of hybrid Raman/EDFA amplification. The system under analysis is composed by a bidirectional pump at 1480 nm and 16 channels (8 C band + 8 L band). The simulation describes an 80 km WDM ring with 8 nodes in which 2 channels are added/dropped. The results demonstrate gain equalization with a ripple of 2.54 dB over a bandwidth of 50 nm by using a 1480 nm bidirectional pump with 1 W and spans of EDF with a total length of 22 m

Qualidade da carcaça de ovinos terminados em confinamento com níveis de bagana de carnaúba na dieta.

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos da utilização da bagana de carnaúba (Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore) (BC), como fonte de volumoso, sobre as características da carcaça de cordeiros terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 30 cordeiros mestiços Santa Inês x SRD desmamados, com peso corporal médio de 16,9 + 1,56 kg e idade média de 80 dias. Foram formuladas dietas com cinco níveis de substituição do feno de capim-tyfton 85 (Cynodon spp.) (FT) pela BC: 0%BC e 100%FT (testemunha); 25%BC e 75%FT; 50%BC e 50%FT; 75%BC e 25%FT; 100%BC e 0%FT. Os teores de umidade, proteína e cinzas da carne não foram influenciados pelas dietas. O peso ao abate, peso de carcaça quente, peso de carcaça fria e os rendimentos de carcaça quente e de carcaça fria diminuíram à medida que o FT era substituído pela BC. Os itens quebra ao resfriamento e perda ao jejum não foram influenciados pelas dietas. Os valores mais elevados para comprimentos de carcaça e de pernil, peso de pernil, peso de paleta e pesos de pernil, de paleta e de lombo foram observados no tratamento testemunha, enquanto os valores mais baixos foram observados no tratamento que recebeu apenas BC. Verificou-se o efeito das dietas sobre as porcentagens de tecido ósseo no pernil e na paleta e sobre as porcentagens de tecido ósseo, conectivo e adiposo do lombo. Conclui-se que a inclusão da bagana de carnaúba na dieta interfere negativamente no consumo e, consequentemente, nas características qualitativas da carcaça de cordeiros em terminação

Viabilidade econômica da terminação de cordeiros em pastagem cultivada.

O presente trabalho, realizado na Embrapa Caprinos, em Sobral - CE, avaliou a terminação de cordeiros em pastagem de capim gramão e capim tanzânia, sob duas taxas de lotação. O período de terminação foi de 83 dias. O lucro obtido com a terminação de cordeiros em pastagem de gramão (Cynodon dactylon) e venda dos animais em pé foi de R$1,58/cordeiro e R$ 3,77/cordeiro, para taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 animais/h a, respectivamente. Nas áreas de tanzânia (Panicum maximum), o lucro obtido foi de R$4,31/cordeiro e R$ 2,64/cordeiro, para taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 animais/ha, respectivamente. Entretanto, cada ha permitiu a terminação de 4,4 lotes por ano. Com isso, o lucro anual da terminação no gramão foi de R$277,30/ha e R$ 995,66/ha nas taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 animais/ha, respectivamente. A terminação à pasto no tanzânia proporcionou um lucro anual de R$758,64/ha e R$ 697,65/ha nas taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 animais/ha, respectivamente. A venda dos animais abatidos proporcionou um lucro anual de R$94,79/ha e de R$ 233,23/ha para taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 animais/ha, respectivamente, no gramão. Já em pastagem de tanzânia, a venda dos animais abatidos proporcionou um lucro anual de R$198,79/ha e R$ 891 ,95/ha para as taxas de lotação de 40 e 60 anímais/ha, respectivamente. Economic viability of lamb finishing on cultivated pasture. Abstract: The present work carried out at Embrapa Caprinos, Sobral-CE, evaluated lamb finishing on cultivated pastureof coast-cross (Cynodon dactylon) and tanzania grass (Panicum maximum cv. tanzania) with two stocking rates. Finishing took 83 days. The profit obtained with lamb finishing on coast-cross grass was of R$1.58/lamb and R$ 3.77/lamb for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively. In the areas of tanzania grass the achieved profit was of R$4.31/lamb and R$ 2.64/lamb for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively. However, each ha allowed the termination of 4.4 flocks per year. With this, the annual profit of the termination on pasture of coast-cross was of R$277.30/ha and R$ 995.66/ha for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively. The termination in pasture of tanzania grass enabled an annual profit of R$758.64/ha and R$ 697.65/ha for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively. When commercializing carcass, the yearly profit obtainable was of R$94.79/ha and R$ 233.23/ha for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively, on coast-cross. On tanzania grass, the yearly obtainable profit was of R$198.79/ha and R$ 891.95/ha for stocking rates of 40 and 60 lambs/ha, respectively. Lamb finishing on pasture was economically vi able