Dynamical demixing of a binary mixture under sedimentation

We investigate the sedimentation dynamics of a binary mixture, the species of which differ by their Stokes coefficients but are identical otherwise. We analyze the sedimentation dynamics and the morphology of the final deposits using Brownian dynamics simulations for mixtures with a range of sedimentation velocities of both species. We found a threshold in the sedimentation velocities difference above which the species in the final deposit are segregated. The degree of segregation increases with the difference in the Stokes coefficients or the sedimentation velocities above the threshold. We propose a simple mean-field model that captures the main features of the simulated deposits

Semiclassical back reaction around a cosmic dislocation

The energy-momentum vacuum average of a conformally coupled massless scalar field vibrating around a cosmic dislocation (a cosmic string with a dislocation along its axis) is taken as source of the linearized semiclassical Einstein equations. The solution up to first order in the Planck constant is derived. Motion of a test particle is then discussed, showing that under certain circumstances a helical-like dragging effect, with no classical analogue around the cosmic dislocation, is induced by back reaction.Comment: Published version, 4 pages, no figures, REVTeX4 fil

Fur controls iron homeostasis and oxidative stress defense in the oligotrophic alpha-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus

In most bacteria, the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global regulator that controls iron homeostasis and other cellular processes, such as oxidative stress defense. In this work, we apply a combination of bioinformatics, in vitro and in vivo assays to identify the Caulobacter crescentus Fur regulon. A C. crescentus fur deletion mutant showed a slow growth phenotype, and was hypersensitive to H2O2 and organic peroxide. Using a position weight matrix approach, several predicted Fur-binding sites were detected in the genome of C. crescentus, located in regulatory regions of genes not only involved in iron uptake and usage but also in other functions. Selected Fur-binding sites were validated using electrophoretic mobility shift assay and DNAse I footprinting analysis. Gene expression assays revealed that genes involved in iron uptake were repressed by iron-Fur and induced under conditions of iron limitation, whereas genes encoding iron-using proteins were activated by Fur under conditions of iron sufficiency. Furthermore, several genes that are regulated via small RNAs in other bacteria were found to be directly regulated by Fur in C. crescentus. In conclusion, Fur functions as an activator and as a repressor, integrating iron metabolism and oxidative stress response in C. crescentus

Fur controls iron homeostasis and oxidative stress defense in the oligotrophic alpha-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus

In most bacteria, the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global regulator that controls iron homeostasis and other cellular processes, such as oxidative stress defense. In this work, we apply a combination of bioinformatics, in vitro and in vivo assays to identify the Caulobacter crescentus Fur regulon. A C. crescentus fur deletion mutant showed a slow growth phenotype, and was hypersensitive to H2O2 and organic peroxide. Using a position weight matrix approach, several predicted Fur-binding sites were detected in the genome of C. crescentus, located in regulatory regions of genes not only involved in iron uptake and usage but also in other functions. Selected Fur-binding sites were validated using electrophoretic mobility shift assay and DNAse I footprinting analysis. Gene expression assays revealed that genes involved in iron uptake were repressed by iron-Fur and induced under conditions of iron limitation, whereas genes encoding iron-using proteins were activated by Fur under conditions of iron sufficiency. Furthermore, several genes that are regulated via small RNAs in other bacteria were found to be directly regulated by Fur in C. crescentus. In conclusion, Fur functions as an activator and as a repressor, integrating iron metabolism and oxidative stress response in C. crescentus

Níveis e frequências de irrigação na limeira 'Tahiti' no Estado do Piauí.

Trabalhos de manejo de irrigação no Brasil com a limeira ácida ?Tahiti? são escassos, especialmente no Estado do Piauí. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a produção e os componentes de produção da limeira ácida ?Tahiti? em resposta à aplicação de cinco lâminas (68, 80, 100, 124 e 136% da evapotranspiração da cultura ? ETc) e duas frequências de irrigação (um e dois dias). O experimento foi realizado em um pomar comercial, com espaçamento de 6 x 5 m e irrigado por microaspersão, localizado em José de Freitas, PI. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, e esquema de parcelas subdivididas (frequências ? parcelas e lâminas ? subparcelas). O manejo diário da irrigação foi realizado pelo balanço de água no solo, com o auxílio do programa computacional Irriplus. O manejo de irrigação com turno de rega diário e reposição de 100% da ETc foi o mais indicado, por proporcionar maiores níveis de produtividade (2.709 kg ha-1), peso médio dos frutos (105,2 g) e máxima EUA (299 g m-3)

Mechanical activation of pre-alloyed NiTi2 and elemental Ni for the synthesis of NiTi alloys

ABSTRACT: This work reports on an efficient powder metallurgy method for the synthesis of NiTi alloys, involving mechanical activation of pre-alloyed NiTi2 and elemental Ni powders (NiTi2-Ni) followed by a press-and-sinter step. The idea is to take advantage of the brittle nature of NiTi2 to promote a better efficiency of the mechanical activation process. The conventional mechanical activation route using elemental Ti and Ni powders (Ti-Ni) was also used for comparative purposes. Starting with (NiTi2-Ni) powder mixtures resulted in the formation of a predominant amorphous structure after mechanical activation at 300 rpm for 2 h. A sintered specimen consisting mainly of NiTi phase was obtained after vacuum sintering at 1050 degrees C for 0.5 h. The produced NiTi phase exhibited the martensitic transformation behavior. Using elemental Ti powders instead of pre-alloyed NiTi2 powders, the structural homogenization of the synthesized NiTi alloys was delayed. Performing the mechanical activation at 300 rpm for the (Ti-Ni) powder mixtures gave rise to the formation of composite particles consisting in dense areas of alternate fine layers of Ni and Ti. However, no significant structural modification was observed even after 16 h of mechanical activation. Only after vacuum sintering at 1050 degrees C for 6 h, the NiTi phase was observed to be the predominant phase. The higher reactivity of the mechanically activated (NiTi2-Ni) powder particles can explain the different sintering behavior of those powders compared with the mechanically activated (Ti-Ni) powders. It is demonstrated that this innovative approach allows an effective time reduction in the mechanical activation and of the vacuum sintering step.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic parameters of agronomic characters in Panicum maximum hybrids.

This study was carried out with the objective of estimating the genetic parameters of agronomic traits in Panicum maximum hybrids. Genotypes obtained from the crosses between the sexual plants S10 and S12 and cultivars Tanzania and Mombasa were evaluated. The design was an incomplete blocks design with two replicates (clones) and 33 blocks. Each block was constituted by three lines or plots with nine plants each, which were evaluated in six harvests. All the characters presented low broad sense heritabilities for both the individual harvest and for the mean of harvests and a large difference between the heritability and the individual repeatability coefficient, which may be due to the high permanent environmental variance, mainly for forage dry matter and leaf dry matter. On the other hand, the percentage of leaves also presented low repeatability and permanent environmental variance. The genotypic coefficients of variation were high, except for leaf percentage, but they were also associated with high residual coefficients of variation. Both the broad sense heritabilities per harvest and for the mean of harvests were of moderate magnitude for the agronomic traits evaluated in hybrid individuals of P. maximum. On the other hand, there is variability for selection of important characters such as total and leaf dry matter yields and selection for leaf percentage needs a greater number of harvests to improve selection efficiency. The genotypes presented great variability for Bipolaris maydis leaf spot incidence and this character can be included in the P. maximum breeding program

Genetic parameters of agronomic characters in Panicum maximum hybrids.

This study was carried out with the objective of estimating the genetic parameters of agronomic traits in Panicum maximum hybrids. Genotypes obtained from the crosses between the sexual plants S10 and S12 and cultivars Tanzania and Mombasa were evaluated. The design was an incomplete blocks design with two replicates (clones) and 33 blocks. Each block was constituted by three lines or plots with nine plants each, which were evaluated in six harvests. All the characters presented low broad sense heritabilities for both the individual harvest and for the mean of harvests and a large difference between the heritability and the individual repeatability coefficient, which may be due to the high permanent environmental variance, mainly for forage dry matter and leaf dry matter. On the other hand, the percentage of leaves also presented low repeatability and permanent environmental variance. The genotypic coefficients of variation were high, except for leaf percentage, but they were also associated with high residual coefficients of variation. Both the broad sense heritabilities per harvest and for the mean of harvests were of moderate magnitude for the agronomic traits evaluated in hybrid individuals of P. maximum. On the other hand, there is variability for selection of important characters such as total and leaf dry matter yields and selection for leaf percentage needs a greater number of harvests to improve selection efficiency. The genotypes presented great variability for Bipolaris maydis leaf spot incidence and this character can be included in the P. maximum breeding program

A new bianthron glycoside as inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity

A phytochemical investigation of the ethanolic extract of stalks of Senna martiana Benth. (Leguminoseae), native specie of northeast Brazil, resulted in the isolation and spectroscopic characterization of a new bianthrone glycoside, martianine 1 (10,10'-il-chrysophanol-10-oxi10,10'-bi-glucosyl). Its identification was established by HRMS, IR and 2D NMR experiments. The evaluation of martianine trypanocidal activity was carried out against gliceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme from Trypanosoma cruzi. Its inhibitory constant (Ki) is in the low micromolar concentration and it was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry to be 27.3 ± 2.47 µmol L-1. The non-competitive mechanism is asserted to be putative of the mode of action martianine displays against T. cruzi GAPDH. Results show that martianine has a great potential to become new lead molecule by inhibiting this key enzyme and for the development of new drugs against Chagas disease.A investigação fitoquímica do extrato etanólico do caule de Senna martiana Benth. (Leguminoseae), espécie nativa do nordeste do Brasil, permitiu o isolamento e caracterização espectroscópica de uma biantrona inédita denominada martianina (1), 10,10'-H-bicrisofanol10-ox-10,10'-biglucosil. Sua identificação estrutural inequívoca foi estabelecida por HRMS, IV e RMN de ¹H e 13C uni e bi-dimensional. A atividade tripanocida de martianina foi avaliada por seu comportamento frente à enzima GAPDH Tc através da obtenção de sua constante de inibição (Ki) determinada por titulação calorimétrica isotérmica (27,3 ± 2,47 µmol L-1). Estes resultados sugerem que esta classe de molécula tem potencial no desenvolvimento de novos fármacos a serem utilizados contra a doença de Chagas.Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - FCFRPFUNCAPFAPES

­Genotypic value in hybrid progenies of Panicum maximum Jacq.

Genetic breeding of forage plants has increasingly contributed to the release of more productive plants. In this regard, evaluating the genotypic value is essential when aiming to rank genotypes based on the mean free of environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to predict the genotypic value of agronomic and nutritive value characters of three progenies of Panicum maximum. Hybrids were evaluated in a clonal test in an incomplete-randomized design with three treatments (progenies 1, 2, and 3) and two replications (clones). Six harvests were performed at 25cm from the ground level throughout one year. Progeny 2 provided better results for total and leaf dry mass yield, regrowth, and height, and lower incidence of leaf spot. Progenies 1 and 3 had a better response for qualitative characters such as higher crude protein and digestibility and lower lignin and fiber content. Hybrid progenies of P. maximum have forage characters of interest for breeding, and when using ?Mombaça? grass as parents, the progeny stands out for leaf production and resistance to leaf spot and for ?Tanzania? grass as parent has resulted in better forage quality