I-R-O-N - That Yellow in Your Water

Is your water yellow and murky? Do you have problems with iron in your water? Here are some facts on what causes it, how it can be removed, and what precaustions can be taken to keep your water free of iron

Composição e sazonalidade de bandos mistos de Aves da Floresta Atlântica da Serra do Tabuleiro, SC, Sul do Brasil

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Biologia.Bandos mistos de aves são associações entre duas ou mais espécies, que dependem de respostas comportamentais mútuas entre seus integrantes. Tais bandos podem sofrer variações sazonais em termos de freqüência, composição e estrutura em função da disponibilidade de recursos alimentares e de atividades reprodutivas. O número de estudos com bandos mistos no sul do Brasil vem crescendo, no entanto poucos são os que avaliam as variações sazonais sofridas pelos mesmos. Em função disso, foi desenvolvido um estudo avaliando a composição, estrutura e sazonalidade dos bandos mistos em uma área de Floresta Atlântica na Serra do Tabuleiro, SC, sul do Brasil, entre junho de 2009 e maio de 2011. Foram registradas 60 espécies em um total de 126 contatos com bandos mistos, sendo que a média de espécies e de indivíduos por bando foi de 4,74 e 13,83, respectivamente. Dentre as espécies registradas apenas Tangara cyanocephala foi considerada espécie nuclear, com freqüência de ocorrência superior a 50% dos bandos. Outras 14 espécies foram regulares (entre 10 e 49%), e 45 foram consideradas espécies ocasionais, sendo registradas em menos de 10% dos contatos. Avaliando os dados de freqüência, comportamento, riqueza e tamanho médio dos bandos ao longo do período de amostragem, foi detectada uma variação sazonal similar nos dois anos de estudo, sendo que os bandos foram mais freqüentes, maiores, mais ricos e coesos fora da estação reprodutiva (entre março e setembro).Mixed flocks of birds are associations between two or more species that depend on mutual behavior responses among their members. These flocks may experience seasonal variations in terms of frequency, composition and structure depending on the availability of food resources and reproductive activities. Despite the increasing number of studies on mixed flocks in the south of Brazil, only a few focus on the seasonal variations experienced by them. Due to this fact, a study was developed evaluating the composition, structure and seasonality of mixed flocks in an area of Atlantic Forest in Serra do Tabuleiro, SC, southern Brazil, between June 2009 and May 2011. Sixty species were reported in a total of 126 contacts with mixed flocks, presenting an average of species and individuals per flock of 4.74 and 13.83, respectively. Among the species found, only Tangara cyanocephala was considered a nuclear species, with a frequency of occurrence in the flocks higher than 50%. Other 14 species were regular (10-49%), and 45 were considered occasional species, being recorded in less than 10% of the contacts. Evaluating the data of frequency, behavior, average size and richness of flocks throughout the studied period, it was detected a similar seasonal variation in the two years of the study, being observed that the flocks were more frequent, larger, richer and more cohesive in the non-breeding season (between March and September)

Pisano Periods: A Comparison Study

The Pisano period, denoted π(n), is the period during which the Fibonacci sequence repeats after reducing the original sequence modulo n. More generally, one can similarly define Pisano periods for any linear recurrence sequence; in this paper we compare the Pisano periods of certain linear recurrence sequences with the Pisano periods of the Fibonacci sequence. We first construct recurrence sequences, defining the initial values as integers from 2 to 1000 and second values as 1. This paper discusses how the constructed sequences are related to the matrix M = [(first row) 1 1 (second row) 1 0] reduced modulo n. We offer a proof to show that the order of M is equal to the Pisano period of the Fibonacci sequence reduced modulo n. Further, we provide data showing that there are few discrepancies between the order of M and the Pisano periods of the constructed sequences reduced modulo n, for n from 2 to 1000. Finally, we detail progress made in the analysis of the comparison between the Pisano periods of the Fibonacci and Lucas sequences

The Art of Branding

The world is more visual-oriented than ever before, making a company’s logo a crucial factor in the success of branding as the logo serves as the first impression and visual indicator of the experience and value the brand will deliver. The purpose of this project is to better understand how people respond to brand design, and more specifically make judgments about the company based on the first impression they get from a logo. The brand of focus is The Habit, an American restaurant chain recognized for its excellence in product quality, but also has weaknesses in its overall brand negatively impacting The Habit\u27s brand recognition. After analyzing what connotes strong branding and exploring the significance behind the significant visual element of brand design, I designed two new, potential logos for The Habit. To test their effectiveness, a survey was conducted to collect consumer perceptions of the two redesigns as well as the original logo. The research provides insight into how consumers think, feel, and act toward brands based on their visual brand elements, proving that symbols play a major role in consumer perceptions

Evaluation of injury and management strategies for stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.

The effects of brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), and southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), feeding on pre-flowering, flowering, and senescing cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., plants were evaluated in field studies. Vegetative stage seedlings and flower buds (squares) were not significantly injured by adults or nymphs of either species in no-choice studies. Brown stink bug adults induced boll abscission, and reduced seedcotton yield and seed germination in bolls accumulating „T 350, „T 550, and 101 to „T 600 heat units beyond anthesis, respectively. In free-choice tests, boll preference was evaluated during each of the initial five weeks of flowering. Boll density increased from 5.1 to 6.6-fold from week one to week five. There was a corresponding 4.6 to 6.2-fold increase in total bolls injured. Boll injury ranged from 10.7% (week 4) to 27.4% (week 2) and 9.2% (week 3) to 16.0% (week 2) in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The frequency of injured bolls was highest for bolls accumulating 165.2 through 672 heat units beyond anthesis (1.161 to 3.586 cm diameter). However, brown stink bug significantly reduced seedcotton yields during weeks four and five due to the inability of cotton plants to compensate for injured bolls. Infestations of southern green stink bug during boll maturation, in combination with persistent rainfall and humidity, increased the proportion of rotted (2.0-fold) and ¡§hard locked¡¨ (1.4-fold) bolls compared to a non-infested treatment. Although stink bug injury was observed in hard locked (35.8%) and harvestable (20.3%) bolls, other abiotic and/or biotic factors are contributing to late-season harvest losses. In laboratory and field studies, the order of susceptibility (least to most) of stink bug species and life stages to insecticides commonly used for management was adult Euschistus spp. \u3c late-instar nymphs \u3c southern green stink bug adults. These studies defined brown stink bug and southern green stink bug to be significant pests of cotton during boll development stages. Stink bug management strategies should consider species, life stages, and the characteristics of specific insecticides

Is It GOOD WATER?

This comprehensive article tells you not only how to find out if your well has good water, but what to do if problems arise