Scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of ornamental plants from Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

A list of 35 scale insects collected from 72 ornamental plant species in Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil is provided. Regarding host specificity, 30 scale insects were polyphagous, 4 oligophagous, and 1 monophagous. A total of 102 coccoid/plant associations are recorded, 29 of which are new host records for the species; 60 are new host records for the species in Brazil. Pulvinaria urbicola Cockerell, 1893 (Coccidae), Phenacoccus similis Granara de Willink, 1983 (Pseudococcidae), and Orthezia molinarii (Morrison, 1952) (Ortheziidae) are recorded for the first time in Brazil. In addition, we describe the injury caused by scale insects on ornamental plants

Uso de sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth) para valorização de sistemas agroextrativistas em babaçuais no Maranhão.

Este artigo apresenta a iniciativa de uma família agroextrativista em área de assentamento no município de São Luís Gonzaga do Maranhão, na busca de sistemas e práticas de manejo para produção de madeira associada ao extrativismo do babaçu, valorizando os babaçuais, fortalecendo a renda monetária e ampliando o leque de produtos para uso no estabelecimento. A experiência aponta para alternativas de cultivo que dispensam queimadas, contribuindo para a intensificação sustentável de sistemas tradicionais, proporcionando a conservação e utilização racional dos recursos naturais. Numa área de 1 ha, representativa da situação geral das terras do município, contendo 132 palmeiras de babaçu, foram plantadas 4.000 mudas de sabiá em fileiras com espaçamento de 5 metros. O experimento avalia o número e diâmetro das hastes de sabiá, e a altura do fuste. As observações até o momento apontam para resultados econômicos, ambientais e sociais promissores: viabiliza-se a recuperação de áreas degradadas, gera-se renda monetária liquida superior a R$18.000 em ciclo de cinco anos, por meio da produção de madeira (estacas para cercas) e babaçu, potencializam-se oportunidades para integração de atividades como a criação de abelhas melíferas e a introdução de espécies frutíferas intercalares, assim como constata-se o aumento na produção de babaçu, comparado a capoeiras utilizadas no sistema tradicional

Graviton resonances on two-field thick branes

This work presents new results about the graviton massive spectrum in two-field thick branes. Analyzing the massive spectra with a relative probability method we have firstly showed the presence of resonance structures and obtained a connection between the thickness of the defect and the lifetimes of such resonances. We obtain another interesting results considering the degenerate Bloch brane solutions. In these thick brane models, we have the emergence of a splitting effect controlled by a degeneracy parameter. When the degeneracy constant tends to a critical value, we have found massive resonances to the gravitational field indicating the existence of modes highly coupled to the brane. We also discussed the influence of the brane splitting effect over the resonance lifetimes.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

The influence of managerial ownership on bank market value, performance, and risk: evidence from banks listed on the stoxx global index

WOS:000305692200002 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)We follow agency theory to assess the influence of managerial ownership on the market value, performance, and risk of 123 listed banks in 23 countries included in the STOXX Global Index in 2007 and 2010. After controlling for bank characteristics, regulatory restrictions, and macroeconomic conditions, our findings show a positive relation between managerial ownership and both market value (Tobin's Q) and performance (ROA and ROE). Moreover, we find a negative relation between managerial ownership and risk (EDF, NPL/L, and Z-SCORE). Bank market value and performance is a non-linear, inverse U-shaped function of managerial ownership. The negative relation between managerial ownership and bank risk is also non-linear and U-shaped. Our results remain robust to reverse causality. In their effort to immunize the global financial system from systemic risks, central banks and practitioners should find our results relevant for regulation purposes