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

Magnetic monopole and string excitations in a two-dimensional spin ice

We study the magnetic excitations of a square lattice spin-ice recently produced in an artificial form, as an array of nanoscale magnets. Our analysis, based upon the dipolar interaction between the nanomagnetic islands, correctly reproduces the ground-state observed experimentally. In addition, we find magnetic monopole-like excitations effectively interacting by means of the usual Coulombic plus a linear confining potential, the latter being related to a string-like excitation binding the monopoles pairs, what indicates that the fractionalization of magnetic dipoles may not be so easy in two dimensions. These findings contrast this material with the three-dimensional analogue, where such monopoles experience only the Coulombic interaction. We discuss, however, two entropic effects that affect the monopole interactions: firstly, the string configurational entropy may loose the string tension and then, free magnetic monopoles should also be found in lower dimensional spin ices; secondly, in contrast to the string configurational entropy, an entropically driven Coulomb force, which increases with temperature, has the opposite effect of confining the magnetic defects.Comment: 8 pages. Accepted by Journal of Applied Physics (2009

Germinação de sementes de melancia sob diferentes métodos de tratamento com reguladores vegetais.

A melancia é uma cultura importante para o Brasil pela demanda intensiva de mão-de-obra rural, perfil predominante pela produção familiar e retorno em torno de 85 dias em relação às outras oleráceas. O uso de reguladores de crescimento pode favorecer o desempenho das plântulas, acelerando a velocidade de emergência de sementes de várias espécies. Acredita-se que possam desempenhar um papel importante na regulação de certos aspectos das sementes, além de estarem envolvidas no crescimento de frutos e outros determinados fenômenos fisiológicos. Sementes de melancia cv. Crimson Sweet foram submetidas a dois métodos de tratamento com regulador: a) sementes embebidas: embebição das sementes em regulador por 8 horas; b) substrato embebido em regulador sendo utilizados os reguladores: ácido salicílico (0; 0,5; 5; 25 e 50 ?mol.L-1); putrescina (0; 50; 100; 500 e 1000 ?mol.L-1) e ácido giberélico (0, 50, 100 e 500 ?g.g-1). Para ácido salicílico e putrescina utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 x 5 (métodos de tratamento x concentrações do regulador), com ácido giberélico foi utilizado esquema fatorial 2 x 4, com quatro repetições de 50 sementes cada. O método mais eficiente com ácido salicílico foi o uso de substrato embebido, juntamente com 0, 25 e 50 ?mol.L-1.A concentração de 1000 ?mol.L-1 de putrescina teve efeito negativo sobre as raízes das plântulas.50 e 100 ?g.g-1deGA3 promoveu maior desenvolvimento da parte aérea das plântulas.500 ?g.g-1 de GA3 teve efeito fitotóxico sobre as sementes e posteriormente sobre as plântulas de melancia

Diagnóstico agroambiental do Município de Jatobá, Estado de Pernambuco.

bitstream/CNPS/11863/1/circtec20_2003_jatoba.pd

Notes on the Two-brane Model with Variable Tension

Motivated by possible extensions of the braneworld models with two branes, we investigate some consequences of a variable brane tension using the well established results on consistency conditions. By a slight modification of the usual stress-tensor used in order to derive the braneworld sum rules, we find out some important constraints obeyed by time dependent brane tensions. In particular it is shown that the tensions of two Randall-Sundrum like branes obeying, at the same time, an Eotvos law, aggravate the fine tuning problem. Also, it is shown that if the hidden brane tension obeys an Eotvos law, then the visible brane has a mixed behavior allowing a bouncing-like period at early times while it is dominated by an Eotvos law nowadays. To finalize, we discuss some qualitative characteristics which may arise in the scope of dynamical brane tensions, as anisotropic background and branons production.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Community-based savings groups: An alternative model for resilience

This study explores the potential of internal and contextual factors that contribute to the formation of village savings and loan associations and provides a testimonial of individuals that benefit from those groups in northern Mozambique, part of the community-based savings groups (CBSG). The CBSG is the improved mechanism of that community initiative aiming to facilitate the expansion of these groups; promote a savings culture through raising awareness around the importance of saving and borrowing practices as well as creating linkages for the groups to undertake other development activities. Therefore, the groups are an integrated initiative that is distinct from but complementary to common microfinance initiatives. The groups not only can enable people to access to financial services but also serves as a space for members to participate in community issues and to discuss challenges in a collective manner. The main findings of the research show a replication effect resulting from the increase of members and new groups contributes to the promotion of effective financial inclusion.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio