Afenestrata axonopi n. sp. (Nemata : Heteroderidae) from Brazil

#Afenestrata axonopi n. sp. parasite #Axonopus marginatus (#Poaceae), une graminée pérenne, indigène du Brésil. Cette nouvelle espèce, proche d'#A. sacchari Kaushal & Swarup, 1988 et d'#A. koreana$ Vovlas, Lamberti & Choo, 1992, est caractérisée par la grande distance vulve-anus, la vulve fermée, la fente vulvaire légèrement encaissée, des rides dorso-ventrales sur le cône vulvaire, l'absence de sous-pont et par la présence de certains kystes à cuticule amincie au niveau du cône. Les juvéniles de deuxième stade présentent deux anneaux céphaliques et un champ latéral ponctué comportant trois incisures. (Résumé d'auteur

Description of Atalodera gibbosa n. sp. and synonymization of Thecavermiculatus Robbins, 1978 to Atalodera Wouts and Sher, 1971 (Nemata : Heteroderidae)

#Atalodera gibbosa n. sp. est parasite de la graminée #Trachypogon montufori Nees (Poacées) au Brésil. Cette nouvelle espèce est caractérisée par : la grande longueur du stylet, des spicules, de la fente vulvaire et de la distance vulve-anus, ainsi que par le profil variable de la région vulvaire - continu, faible protubérance ou cône vulvaire typique - les oeufs et les juvéniles de deuxième stade (J2) éclos conservés dans le corps de la femelle, la présence d'un tube cloacal, les glandes oesophagiennes remplissant la cavité du corps des J2 enfin le champ latéral constitué de trois lignes atypiques. #Thecavermiculatus Robbins, 1978 est synonymisé à #Atalodera Wouts & Sher, 1971. Au champ, les populations du nématode sont élevées et fluctuantes pendant la saison humide, tandis qu'elles sont faibles et la reproduction réduite durant la saison sèche pendant laquelle les J2 survivent à l'intérieur du corps de la femelle (dans les oeufs ou libres après éclosion). (Résumé d'auteur

Finite field transforms and symmetry groups

AbstractDecoding methods for error-correcting codes which are based on syndrome look-up tables are of limited use due to the rapidly increasing amount of storage that they require as the number of check digits of the code increases. A method is described which uses shortened syndrome look-up tables in an efficient way, thus providing an improvement with respect to classical syndrome decoding methods. The algorithm can be characterised in general as a type of permutation decoding which uses transform domain information, with the interesting variation that permutations not preserving the code are also allowed

The Beta Generalized Exponential Distribution

We introduce the beta generalized exponential distribution that includes the beta exponential and generalized exponential distributions as special cases. We provide a comprehensive mathematical treatment of this distribution. We derive the moment generating function and the $r$th moment thus generalizing some results in the literature. Expressions for the density, moment generating function and $r$th moment of the order statistics also are obtained. We discuss estimation of the parameters by maximum likelihood and provide the information matrix. We observe in one application to real data set that this model is quite flexible and can be used quite effectively in analyzing positive data in place of the beta exponential and generalized exponential distributions

Physicochemical and microbial analysis of feces from horses fed diets containing citrus pulp.

This study aimed to evaluate the e ect of diets containing increasing levels of citrus pulp on the physic-chemical and microbiological characteristics of horses feces. Five mares, at an average age of 3.5 years old and body weight of 492 ± 44.5 kg were arranged in a 5 x 5 Latin Square. The experimental diet consisted of 60% coast-cross hay and 40 % of concentrate with increasing levels of citrus pulp (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 %). To determine the fecal pH, samples were collected directly from the oor, immediately after defecation, in the rst feces the day at 07:00 a.m., and color and fecal consistency were evaluated. For microbiological analysis, an aliquot was reserved in plastic bags, frozen, and sent to the microbiological laboratory for further analysis. Lactic acid bacteria were counted for Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. from fecal samples under anaerobic conditions. The diet produced di erences (P0.05) on pH and on the number of Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. The inclusion of up to 28% citrus pulp concentrates for horses did not promote change in the physio-chemical characteristics and on the population of lactic acid-producing bacteria in feces

Environmental heterogeneity caused by anthropogenic disturbance drives forest structure and dynamics in Brazilian Atlantic Forest

We evaluated how tree community floristic composition, forest structure and dynamics varied over a period of 13 years across a topographic gradient of ravines created by anthropic disturbance in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The study area is located within a fragment of Atlantic Forest (21° 09' S, 44° 54' W), in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This work was based on data of tree diameter at 1.3 m from the soil, collected in four inventories. Each individual was recorded as being in one of three stratified topographic classes: hilltop, slope and bottom. We used direct gradient analysis to evaluate floristic compositional changes, phytosociological analysis to evaluate structural variations, and assessed demographic and biomass changes over time through analysis of rates of forest dynamics. The results did not reflect modifications in the patterns of floristic composition and species diversity along the topographic gradient, while differences in forest structural attributes and dynamics may be detected at these smaller spatial scales. Thus, the same species group may employ different strategies against different restrictive environmental factors. Finally, we suggest that floristic composition and species diversity may be less sensitive parameters for post-disturbance responses than forest dynamics and structure

The role of serum levels of vitamin D in children’s muscle strength: A systematic review

This review aims to investigate the different levels of vitamin D and its role in muscle strength in healthy children and non-athletes. A search conducted in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Psycinfo) resulted in 655 articles, which were systematically analyzed and selected based on the following criteria: (a) original cross-sectional studies and clinical trials; (b) healthy children aged 5-11 years; (c) no language restriction or year of publication; and (d) studies that assessed the possible relationship between vitamin D levels and muscle strength. Six studies were included because they met all the inclusion criteria. According to the findings of this review, factors such as sex, skin color, and vitamin D supplementation early in life modulate the levels of vitamin D in the body, and there is a relationship between muscle strength and vitamin D levels. Interestingly, vitamin D supplementation is not always significantly associated with increased muscle grip strength. However, there is a scarcity of studies that aim to analyze the possible effects of different levels of vitamin D on muscle function and neuromuscular variables in physically inactive children and non-athletes without previously diagnosed disease. Further studies are warranted in the future to address the gap in the literature

Current-Density Functional Theory of the Response of Solids

The response of an extended periodic system to a homogeneous field (of wave-vector $q=0$) cannot be obtained from a $q=0$ time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculation, because the Runge-Gross theorem does not apply. Time-dependent {\em current}-density functional theory is needed and demonstrates that one key ingredient missing from TDDFT is the macroscopic current. In the low-frequency limit, in certain cases, density polarization functional theory is recovered and a formally exact expression for the polarization functional is given.Comment: 5 pages, accepted in PR

Dark energy, non-minimal couplings and the origin of cosmic magnetic fields

In this work we consider the most general electromagnetic theory in curved space-time leading to linear second order differential equations, including non-minimal couplings to the space-time curvature. We assume the presence of a temporal electromagnetic background whose energy density plays the role of dark energy, as has been recently suggested. Imposing the consistency of the theory in the weak-field limit, we show that it reduces to standard electromagnetism in the presence of an effective electromagnetic current which is generated by the momentum density of the matter/energy distribution, even for neutral sources. This implies that in the presence of dark energy, the motion of large-scale structures generates magnetic fields. Estimates of the present amplitude of the generated seed fields for typical spiral galaxies could reach $10^{-9}$ G without any amplification. In the case of compact rotating objects, the theory predicts their magnetic moments to be related to their angular momenta in the way suggested by the so called Schuster-Blackett conjecture.Comment: 5 pages, no figure