Fluorescência da clorofila-a e variação da simetria como ferramentas de investigação de plantas sob estresse

Environmental disturbances in various systems and individuals can result in a tendency for fluctuating asymmetry, which consists of a non-directional deviation from symmetry of a bilateral structure in a normally distributed population. Individuals unable to exhibit plastic responses to developmental disorders that occur at random, either genetic or environmental, may exhibit slight deviations from symmetry in organs with bilateral structure such as leaves. Thus analyzing plants by the morphological pattern of symmetry of the leaves has become an effective tool to describe the developmental of plants under stress conditions. This study aimed to analyze if the pattern of symmetry can be used as a tool to investigate the stress level to which a plant is subjected, using ultraviolet-C radiation (UV-C) as source of stress. We determined the leaf symmetry deviations (sd), the average length (AL) and the maximum width of the lamina (MWL) and the fluorescence parameters of chlorophyll-a in leaves of young plants of G. max subjected to 0, 30, 60, 120 or 240 minutes per week of UV-C during four weeks, submitting the values to ANOVA and Tukey test (p <0.05). The results showed significant reductions in AL and MWL, significant increase in sd in leaves irradiated and a drop in potential quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) and in the photosynthesis performance index (IP). The analysis of leaf symmetry showed high correlation with the stress level to which plants were submitted, being an important analysis to ascertain the fitness of the plant because it is a noninvasive method and easy to perform.

Calculable lepton masses, seesaw relations, and four neutrino mixings in a 3-3-1 model with an extra U(1) symmetry

We propose a scheme in which the masses of the heavier leptons obey seesaw type relations. The light lepton masses, except the electron and the electron neutrino ones, are generated by one loop level radiative corrections. We work in a version of the 3-3-1 electroweak model that predicts singlets (charged and neutral) of heavy leptons beyond the known ones. An extra U(1)(Omega) symmetry is introduced in order to avoid the light leptons getting masses at the tree level. The electron mass induces an explicit symmetry breaking at U(1)(Omega). We discuss also the mixing matrix among four neutrinos. The new energy scale required is not higher than a few TeV.

Wannier functions of a one-dimensional photonic crystal with inversion symmetry

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Pressure-induced electrical and structural anomalies in Pb1-xCaxTiO3 thin films grown at various oxygen pressures by chemical solution route

Lead calcium titanate (Pb1-xCaxTiO3 or PCT) thin films have been thermally treated under different oxygen pressures, 10, 40 and 80 bar, by using the so-called chemical solution deposition method. The structural, morphological, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were characterized by x-ray diffraction, FT-infrared and Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and polarization-electric-field hysteresis loop measurements. By annealing at a controlled pressure of around 10 and 40 bar, well-crystallized PCT thin films were successfully prepared. For the sample submitted to 80 bar, the x-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed-infrared and Raman data indicated deviation from the tetragonal symmetry. The most interesting feature in the Raman spectra is the occurrence of intense vibrational modes at frequencies of around 747 and 820 cm(-1), whose presence depends strongly on the amount of the pyrochlore phase. In addition, the Raman spectrum indicates the presence of symmetry-breaking disorder, which would be expected for an amorphous (disorder) and mixed pyrochlore-perovskite phase. During the high-pressure annealing process, the crystallinity and the grain size of the annealed film decreased. This process effectively suppressed both the dielectric and ferroelectric behaviour. Ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurements performed on these PCT films exhibited a clear decrease in the remanent polarization with increasing oxygen pressure.

Tensor coupling and pseudospin symmetry in nuclei

In this work we study the contribution of the isoscalar tensor coupling to the realization of pseudospin symmetry in nuclei. Using realistic values for the tensor coupling strength, we show that this coupling reduces noticeably the pseudospin splittings, especially for single-particle levels near the Fermi surface. By using an energy. decomposition of the pseudospin energy splittings, we show that the changes in these splittings come mainly through the changes induced in the lower radial wave function for the low-lying pseudospin partners and through changes in the expectation value of the pseudospin-orbit coupling term for surface partners. This allows us to confirm the conclusion already reached in previous studies, namely that the pseudospin symmetry in nuclei is of a dynamical nature.

Massive and massless spin-1 particles with gauge symmetry without Stueckelberg fields

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Unitarity of spin-2 theories with linearized Weyl symmetry in D=2+1 dimensions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Mitigation of symmetry condition in positive realness for adaptive control

Feasibility of nonlinear and adaptive control methodologies in multivariable linear time-invariant systems with state-space realization (A, B, C) is apparently limited by the standard strictly positive realness conditions that imply that the product CB must be positive definite symmetric. This paper expands the applicability of the strictly positive realness conditions used for the proofs of stability of adaptive control or control with uncertainty by showing that the not necessarily symmetric CB is only required to have a diagonal Jordan form and positive eigenvalues. The paper also shows that under the new condition any minimum-phase systems can be made strictly positive real via constant output feedback. The paper illustrates the usefulness of these extended properties with an adaptive control example. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alternative proposal for Modal Representation of a Non-transposed Three-Phase Transmission Line with a Vertical Symmetry Plane

The objective of this paper is to show an alternative representation in time domain of a non-transposed three-phase transmission line decomposed in its exact modes by using two transformation matrices. The first matrix is Clarke's matrix that is real, frequency independent, easily represented in computational transient programs (EMTP) and separates the line into quasi-modes a, b and zero. After that, Quasi-modes a and zero are decomposed into their exact modes by using a modal transformation matrix whose elements can be synthesized in time domain through standard curve-fitting techniques. The main advantage of this alternative representation is to reduce the processing time because a frequency dependent modal transformation matrix of a three-phase line has nine elements to be represented in time domain while a modal transformation matrix of a two-phase line has only four elements. This paper shows modal decomposition process and eigenvectors of a non-transposed three-phase line with a vertical symmetry plane whose nominal voltage is 440 kV and line length is 500 km.

Change of the vortex lattice symmetry in the vicinity of the macro-to-mesoscopic threshold

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Follicular deviation and acquisition of ovulatory capacity in bovine follicles

Selection of dominant follicles in cattle is associated with a deviation in growth rate between the dominant and largest subordinate follicle of a wave (diameter deviation). To determine whether acquisition of ovulatory capacity is temporally associated with diameter deviation, cows were challenged with purified LH at known times after a GnRH-induced LH surge (experiment 1) or at known follicular diameters (experiments 2 and 3). A 4-mg dose of LH induced ovulation in all cows when the largest follicle was greater than or equal to 12 mm (16 of 16), in 17% (1 of 6) when it was 11 mm, and no ovulation when it was less than or equal to 10 mm (0 of 19). To determine the effect of LH dose on ovulatory capacity, follicular dynamics were monitored every 12 h, and cows received either 4 or 24 mg of LH when the largest follicle first achieved 10 mm in diameter (experiment 2). The proportion of cows ovulating was greater (P < 0.05) for the 24-mg (9 of 13; 69.2%) compared with the 4-mg (1 of 13; 7.7%) LH dose. To determine the effect of a higher LH dose on follicles near diameter deviation, follicular dynamics were monitored every 8 h, and cows received 40 mg of LH when the largest follicle first achieved 7.0, 8.5, or 10.0 mm (experiment 3). No cows with a follicle of 7 mm (0 of 9) or 8.5 mm (0 of 9) ovulated, compared with 80% (8 of 10) of cows with 10-mm follicles. Thus, follicles acquired ovulatory capacity at about 10 mm, corresponding to about 1 day after the start of follicular deviation, but they required a greater LH dose to induce ovulation compared with larger follicles. We speculate that acquisition of ovulatory capacity may involve an increased expression of LH receptors on granulosa cells of the dominant follicle and that this change may also be important for further growth of the dominant follicle.

Ultrasonographic and endocrine aspects of follicle deviation, and acquisition of ovulatory capacity in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) heifers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)