Double-core evolution and the formation of neutron-star binaries with compact companions

We present the results of a systematic exploration of an alternative evolutionary scenario to form double neutron-star binaries, first proposed by Brown (1995), which does not involve a neutron star passing through a common envelope. In this scenario, the initial binary components have very similar masses, and both components have left the main sequence before they evolve into contact; preferably the primary has already developed a CO core. We have performed population synthesis simulations to study the formation of double neutron star binaries via this channel and to predict the orbital properties and system velocities of such systems. We obtain a merger rate for DNSs in this channel in the range of 0.1 - 12/Myr. These rates are still subject to substantial uncertainties such as the modelling of the contact phase.Comment: MNRAS, accepte

Metodologia com base em imagens binárias obtidas com limiar fixo para classificação de plantas de milho atacadas por Spodoptera frugiperda.

Na agricultura os diagnósticos visuais são muito utilizados para tomada de decisão por parte do produtor. Acredita-se que os sistemas de visão artificial apresentam um grande potencial de utilização, especialmente na área de agricultura de precisão. Um passo muito importante no processamento de imagens é a segmentação dos objetivos de interesse e uma das técnicas mais empregadas para geração de imagens binárias é a limiarização. O objetivo deste trabalho foi propor e avaliar uma metodologia para criação de imagens binárias utilizando um limiar fixo a partir de imagens processadas pelo indice do excesso de verde normalizado. Foram utilizados imagens de plantas atacadas e não atacadas pela lagarta do cartucho obtidas em três intensidades de iluminação. As imagens criadas com o limiar fixo foram comparadas com as imagens criadas pelo metodo interativo de limiarização e apresentaram exatidão global superior a 99% em 720 imagens. As imagens binárias do limiar fixo permitiram a classificação das plantas como atacadas e não atacadas com exatidão acima de 95%

\u3cem\u3ePhytophthora cinnamomi\u3c/em\u3e Colonized Reclaimed Surface Mined Sites in Eastern Kentucky: Implications for the Restoration of Susceptible Species

Appalachian forests are threatened by a number of factors, especially introduced pests and pathogens. Among these is Phytophthora cinnamomi, a soil-borne oomycete pathogen known to cause root rot in American chestnut, shortleaf pine, and other native tree species. This study was initiated to characterize the incidence of P. cinnamomi on surface mined lands in eastern Kentucky, USA, representing a range of time since reclamation (10, 12, 15, and 20 years since reclamation). Incidence of P. cinnamomi was correlated to soil properties including overall soil development, as indicated by a variety of measured soil physical and chemical parameters, especially the accumulation of soil organic carbon. P. cinnamomi was detected in only two of the four sites studied, aged 15 and 20 years since reclamation. These sites were generally characterized by higher organic matter accumulation than the younger sites in which P. cinnamomi was not detected. These results demonstrate that P. cinnamomi is capable of colonizing reclaimed mine sites in Appalachia; additional research is necessary to determine the impact of P. cinnamomi on susceptible tree species at these sites

Localization of a Virtual Wall by Means of Active Echolocation by Untrained Sighted Persons

The active sensing and perception of the environment by auditory means is typically known as echolocation and it can be acquired by humans, who can profit from it in the absence of vision. We investigated the ability of twentyone untrained sighted participants to use echolocation with self-generated oral clicks for aligning themselves within the horizontal plane towards a virtual wall, emulated with an acoustic virtual reality system, at distances between 1 and 32 m, in the absence of background noise and reverberation. Participants were able to detect the virtual wall on 61% of the trials, although with large di↵erences across individuals and distances. The use of louder and shorter clicks led to an increased performance, whereas the use of clicks with lower frequency content allowed for the use of interaural time di↵erences to improve the accuracy of reflection localization at very long distances. The distance of 2 m was the most difficult to detect and localize, whereas the furthest distances of 16 and 32 m were the easiest ones. Thus, echolocation may be used e↵ectively to identify large distant environmental landmarks such as buildings

Anti-Ri-associated paraneoplastic ophthalmoplegia-ataxia syndrome in a woman with breast cancer. A case report and review of the literature

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. However, in the management of breast cancer, paraneoplastic neurological syndromes represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes is difficult due to the heterogeneity of symptoms, the timing of presentation, and the absence of antibodies, and it generally occurs before the diagnosis of breast cancer in 80% of patients who develop paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. We describe a 72-year-old woman with subacute ophthalmoplegia-ataxia syndrome who was subsequently diagnosed as having breast cancer and anti-Ri antibodies. Case presentation: A 72-year-old post-menopausal Caucasian woman, with a positive medical history for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, presented with a 3-month onset of blurred vision, diplopia, and progressive gait disturbance. Serological tests were positive for well-characterized onconeural antibodies (anti-Ri). A whole-body computed tomography scan revealed a nodular opacity under her left nipple and axillary adenopathy. A biopsy of her left breast was performed, and histological examination showed ductal carcinoma. She underwent a superoexternal quadrantectomy with left axillary dissection. The final diagnosis showed infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast (T1c N1 M0, stage IIA) associated with paraneoplastic ophthalmoplegia-ataxia syndrome. At a 6-month follow-up, she showed no clinical or instrumental evidence of neoplastic recurrence with partial clinical improvement of neurological symptoms, such as ataxia and diplopia. Conclusion: The diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes is often late, as in this patient, but treatment at an early stage may provide a good prognosis. Furthermore, this is one of several cases of an anti-Ri paraneoplastic neurological syndrome not associated with myoclonus, which reinforces the belief that opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome is not pathognomonic of the associated anti-Ri paraneoplastic neurological syndromes

Avaliação de métodos automáticos de limiarização para imagens de plantas de milho atacadas por Spodoptera frugiperda.

Um dos passos fundamentais no processamento de imagens para um sistema de visão artificial é a segmentação dos objetos de interesse na cena, e um dos métodos mais utilizados é a limiarização, em especial quando o objetivo é agrupar os pixels em duas classes. Neste método, o valor do limiar determina o número de pixels atribuídos a cada classe, além de influenciar a dimensão e a forma dos objetos nas imagens segmentadas. A utilização de métodos automáticos para definição do limiar, não só evitaria a influência de operadores mas, também, tornaria mais rápida a escolha dos limiares no campo, onde a variação da iluminação influencia os valores dos pixels. Este trabalho objetivou implementar e avaliar dois métodos automáticos de limiarização para identificação de plantas de milho atacadas pela lagarta do cartucho. Foram utilizadas imagens de plantas atacadas e não-atacadas, em três épocas, correspondendo a diferentes dias após a infestação. As plantas foram reunidas em três grupos de 10, sendo as imagens de cada grupo obtidas sob uma intensidade luminosa diferente. As imagens processadas com o índice do excesso de verde normalizado foram limiarizadas, automaticamente, e comparadas com a limiarização manual das mesmas imagens. Os resultados obtidos pelos dois métodos automáticos de limiarização foram satisfatórios, apresentando média acima de 99% de exatidão global, evidenciando-se, portanto, que ambos os métodos têm potencial para serem utilizados em um sistema de identificação de plantas de milho atacadas pela lagarta do cartucho

Algoritmo para classificação de plantas de milho atacadas pela lagarta do cartucho (Spodoptera frugiperda, Smith) em imagens digitais.

Foi desenvolvido e testado, no presente estudo, um algoritmo de processamento e análise de imagens digitais para identificação de plantas de milho atacadas pela lagarta do cartucho, o qual consistiu em duas etapas de classificação dos objetos presentes na cena de uma lavoura de milho. Na primeira etapa, denominada classificação grosseira, utilizou-se a técnica de limiarização em blocos da imagem com 60 x 60 pixels de dimensão e, na segunda etapa, denominada classificação refinada, utilizaram-se redes neurais artificiais em blocos com 3 x 3 pixels de dimensão.A exatidão de cada etapa do algoritmo foi acessada através da determinação da matriz de contingência, com base em 80 e 75 blocos, para a classificação grosseira e refinada, respectivamente. O algoritmo apresentou índice de exatidão global de 80,74%

Seleção de bucha vegetal por agricultores familiares.

Este trabalho consistiu em dois ensaios de seleção participativa de bucha vegetal. O primeiro ensaio foi implantado na comunidade Cacimba do Baltazar, Petrolina, PE sendo avaliadas quatro variedades locais (VLs) em canteiros de diversidade com seis plantas por VL. O outro ensaio foi conduzido no Campo Experimental de Bebedouro da Embrapa Semiárido com seis VLs em blocos ao acaso com três repetições e seis plantas por parcela. As avaliações foram realizadas por agricultores familiares das comunidades Cacimba do Baltazar, Tanque Novo, Casa Nova, BA e Lagoa do Mari, Sento Sé, BA, usando as ferramentas participativas seleção com espetos de madeira, tempestade de ideias e matriz de classificação. As características definidas pelos agricultores das três comunidades para a seleção foram praticamente as mesmas, ou seja, tamanho do fruto, textura da fibra, produtividade e adequação para artesanato. Os agricultores familiares da Cacimba do Baltazar selecionaram a VL2, seguida pela VL3, VL4 e VL5. No entanto a VL4 recebeu mais votos para tamanho do fruto. Os agricultores familiares da Lagoa do Mari e Tanque Novo selecionaram a VL6, seguida pela VL4, VL7, VL8, VL3 e VL5. As VLs selecionadas serão usadas em programas de melhoramento participativo conforme interesse dos agricultores familiare

Development of Mine Soils in a Chronosequence of Forestry-Reclaimed Sites in Eastern Kentucky

Surface mining for coal has contributed to widespread deforestation and soil loss in coal mining regions around the world, and particularly in Appalachia, USA. Mined land reforestation is of interest in this and other regions where forests are the dominant pre-mining land use. This study evaluated mine soil development on surface-mined sites reforested according to the Forestry Reclamation Approach, representing a chronosequence of time ranging from 0 to 19 years after reclamation. Soils were sampled in depth increments to 50 cm and analyzed for a suite of soil physical and chemical characteristics. Overall, soil fines (silt + clay) tended to increase over time since reclamation (17% silt at year 0 increasing to 35% at year 11; 3.2% clay at year 0 increasing to 5.7% at year 14) while concentrations of metals (e.g., Al, Mg, Mn, Na) demonstrated varied relationships with time since reclamation. Concentrations of organic carbon (OC) tended to increase with time (0.9% OC at year 0 increasing to 2.3% at year 14), and were most enriched in near-surface soils. Some soil characteristics (e.g., Na, OC, Ca) demonstrated patterns of increasing similarity to the forest control, while others were distinct from the forest control throughout the chronosequence (e.g., Al, clay, Mn, gravel). Future surveys of these soils over time will elucidate longer-term patterns in soil development, and better characterize the time scales over which these soils might be expected to approximate forest soil conditions

Homeostasis of common bean populations with different genetic structures.

Eight lines of common bean, a mixture in equal proportions (MP) and the F2 generation of the multiple hybrids (MH) between them were analyzed to verify whether they differ in homeostasis and phenotypic plasticity. The experiments were conducted in 20 environments (seasons and locations) from November 2004 to December 2005, in Alto Paranaíba and the south of Minas Gerais state. Based on the mean yield of the environments the stability was evaluated by the ecovalence values (Wi 2). To estimate the repeatability of the stability parameters the 20 environments were separated in two groups of 10, simulating 1000 possibilities. The MH and MP were the most stable. Nevertheless, high stability was also identified in some pure lines. The repeatability of mean grain yield (rk 2=0.73) was higher than Wi 2 (rk 2=0.18). The chances of success of selection for the smallest contribution to the G x E interaction are small