Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis can enhance plant nutrition through improved access to discrete organic nutrient patches of high resource quality

It is known that roots can respond to patches of fertility; however, root proliferation is often too slow to exploit resources fully, and organic nutrient patches may be broken down and leached, immobilized or chemically fixed before they are invaded by the root system. The ability of fungal hyphae to exploit resource patches is far greater than that of roots due to their innate physiological and morphological plasticity, which allows comprehensive exploration and rapid colonization of resource patches in soils. The fungal symbionts of ectomycorrhizal plants excrete significant quantities of enzymes such as chitinases, phosphatases and proteases. These might allow the organic residue to be tapped directly for nutrients such as N and P. Pot experiments conducted with nutrient-stressed ectomycorrhizal and control willow plants showed that when high quality organic nutrient patches were added, they were colonized rapidly by the ectomycorrhizal mycelium. These established willows (0.5 m tall) were colonized by Hebeloma syrjense P. Karst. for 1 year prior to nutrient patch addition. Within days after patch addition, colour changes in the leaves of the mycorrhizal plants (reflecting improved nutrition) were apparent, and after I month the concentration of N and P in the foliage of mycorrhizal plants was significantly greater than that in non-mycorrhizal plants subject to the same nutrient addition. It seems likely that the mycorrhizal plants were able to compete effectively with the wider soil microbiota and tap directly into the high quality organic resource patch via their extra-radical mycelium. We hypothesize that ectomycorrhizal plants may reclaim some of the N and P invested in seed production by direct recycling from failed seeds in the soil. The rapid exploitation of similar discrete, transient, high-quality nutrient patches may have led to underestimations when determining the nutritional benefits of ectomycorrhizal colonization.

Earth's ion upflow associated with polar cap patches: global and in-situ observations

We report simultaneous global monitoring of a patch of ionization and in situ observation of ion upflow at the center of the polar cap region during a geomagnetic storm. Our observations indicate strong fluxes of upwelling O+ ions originating from frictional heating produced by rapid antisunward flow of the plasma patch. The statistical results from the crossings of the central polar cap region by Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F16–F18 from 2010 to 2013 confirm that the field-aligned flow can turn upward when rapid antisunward flows appear, with consequent significant frictional heating of the ions, which overcomes the gravity effect. We suggest that such rapidly moving patches can provide an important source of upwelling ions in a region where downward flows are usually expected. These observations give new insight into the processes of ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling.

BIRD FORAGING IN ANACARDIUM PATCHES IN CENTRAL BRAZILIAN FIRE BREAKS: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOCK SIZE AND PATCH SIZE

Fire management ran increase the biomass of some plant species at fire breaks in reserves of the Cerrado. For example, numerous and large patches of monkey-nuts (Anacardium humile, Anacardiaceae) provide abundant food resources for wildlife in the lower strata of savanna woodlands managed by fire. The objective of this study was to examine the exploitation of A. humile patches by birds in managed savanna woodlands (fire breaks) at Emas National Park, southwest Brazil. The relationship between flock size and the size of Anacardium patches were also investigated. Fire breaks were sampled in September and October 2006, when fruits and flowers were abundant. Ara ararauna was often recorded exploiting resources of Anacardium patches. This species and other psittacids (Amazona aestiva, Alipiopsittaca xanthops, and Diopsittaca nobilis) consumed seeds usually on the ground around fruiting patches. Members of Aratinga aurea flocks and Ramphastos toco consumed pseudo-fruits. Larger flocks detected were those of A. aurea and A. ararauna. Groups of A. ararauna that exploited larger patches tended to be larger than flocks that exploited smaller patches. This study suggests that intra- and interspecific interactions and characteristics of Anacardium patches and of the surrounding vegetation are involved in the feeding ecology of birds in the lower stratum of managed woodlands. Fruiting Anacardium patches attract numerous frugivorous birds to fire breaks at Emas National Park. Further research is needed to a better understanding of the influence of fire management on birds in the Cerrado. Accepted 31 July 2009.

Estudo de antenas patches de microfita miniaturizadas em banda larga para aplicação em dispositivos móveis e portáteis

This work presents techniques used to design and manufacture microstrip patch antennas for applications in portable and mobile devices. To do so, are evaluated several factors that can influence the performance of microstrip patch antennas. Miniaturization techniques are studied and employed in order to apply this type of antenna in mobile and / or mobile. The theories of microstrip patch antennas are addressed by analyzing characteristics such as constitution, kinds of patches, substrates, feeding methods, analysis methods, the main advantages and disadvantages and others. Techniques for obtaining broadband microstrip patch antennas were surveyed in literature and exemplified mainly by means of simulations and measurements. For simulations of the antennas was used the commercial software . In addition, antenna miniaturization techniques have been studied as a main concern the fundamental limits of antennas with special attention to electrically small antennas because they are directly linked to the microstrip patch antennas. Five design antennas are proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of techniques used to obtain the microstrip patch antennas broadband and miniaturized for use in mobile devices and/or portable. For this, the proposed antennas were simulated, built and measured. The antennas are proposed to be used in modern systems of wireless communications such as DTV, GPS, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.11, etc. The simulations of the antennas were made in business and computer programs. The measured results were obtained with a parser Vector of networks of the Rhode and Schwarz model ZVB 14

Desenvolvimento de antenas de microfita com aberturas nos patches condutores através do método da segmentação

Microstrip antennas are widely used in modern telecommunication systems. This is particularly due to the great variety of geometries and because they are easily built and integrated to other high frequency devices and circuits. This work presents a study of the properties of the microstrip antenna with an aperture impressed in the conducting patch. Besides, the analysis is performed for isotropic and anisotropic dielectric substrates. The Multiport Network Model MNM is used in combination with the Segmentation Method and the Greens function technique in the analysis of the considered microstrip antenna geometries. The numerical analysis is performed by using the boundary value problem solution, by considering separately the impedance matrix of the structure segments. The analysis for the complete structure is implemented by choosing properly the number and location of the neighboor element ports. The numerial analysis is performed for the following antenna geometries: resonant cavity, microstrip rectangular patch antenna, and microstrip rectangular patch antenna with aperture. The analysis is firstly developed for microstrip antennas on isotropic substrates, and then extended to the case of microstrip antennas on anisotropic substrates by using a Mapping Method. The experimental work is described and related to the development of several prototypes of rectangular microstrip patch antennas wtih and without rectangular apertures. A good agreement was observed between the simulated and measured results. Thereafter, a good agreement was also observed between the results of this work and those shown in literature for microstrip antennas on isotropic substrates. Furthermore, results are proposed for rectangular microstrip patch antennas wtih rectangular apertures in the conducting patch

Análise de antenas de microfita com patches circulares sobre substratos anisotrópicos usando o método dos potenciais de Hertz

This work consists on the theoretical and numerical analysis of some properties of circular microstrip patch antennas on isotropic and uniaxial anisotropic substrates. For this purpose, a full wave analysis is performed, using Hertz Vector Potentials method in the Hankel Transform domain. In the numerical analysis, the moment method is also used in order to determine some characteristics of the antenna, such as: resonant frequency and radiation pattern. The definition of Hertz potentials in the Hankel domain is used in association with Maxwell´s equations and the boundary conditions of the structures to obtain the Green´s functions, relating the components of the current density on the patch and the tangential electric field components. Then, the Galerkin method is used to generate a matrix equation whose nontrivial solution is the complex resonant frequency of the structure. In the analysis, a microstrip antenna with only one isotropic dielectric layer is initially considered. For this structure, the effect of using superconductor patches is also analyzed. An analysis of a circular microstrip antenna on an uniaxial anisotropic dielectric layer is performed, using the Hertz vector potentials oriented along the optical axis of the material, that is perpendicular to the microstrip ground plane. Afterwards, the circular microstrip antenna using two uniaxial anisotropic dielectric layers is investigated, considering the particular case in which the inferior layer is filled by air. In this study, numerical results for resonant frequency and radiation pattern for circular microstrip antennas on isotropic and uniaxial anisotropic substrates are presented and compared with measured and calculated results found in the literature

Synthesis, optical and ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films: experimental and theoretical investigation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of strontium addition on ferroelectric phase transition of PZT thin films prepared by chemical route

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

A New Impedance Measurement System for PZT-Based Structural Health Monitoring

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Transducer Loading Effect on the Performance of PZT-Based SHM Systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Optimal Frequency Range Selection for PZT Transducers in Impedance-Based SHM Systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Real-time multi-sensors measurement system with temperature effects compensation for impedance-based structural health monitoring

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of crystallization conditions on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films

This paper reports studies on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films crystallized by conventional thermal annealing (CTA) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in air, oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres to better understand, control and optimize these properties. The dielectric constant (epsilon) and dissipation factor (tan delta) values, at a frequency of 100 kHz; for film crystallized in air by CTA process, were 358 and 0.039, respectively. Considering the same frequency for film crystallized in air by RTA, these values were 611 and 0.026, respectively. The different dielectric values were justified by a space-charge or interfacial polarization in films, often characterized as Maxwell-Wagner type. This effect was also responsible to dispersion at frequencies above 1 MHz in film crystallized in air by CTA process and film crystallized by RTA in oxygen atmosphere. The film crystallized by RTA under nitrogen atmosphere presented an evident dispersion at frequencies around 100 Hz, characterized by an increase in both epsilon and tan delta. This dispersion was attributed to conductivity effects. The remanent polarization (P-r) and coercive field (E-c) were also obtained for all films. Films obtained from RTA in air presented higher P-r (17.8 muC cm(-2)) than film crystallized from CTA (7.8 muC cm(-2)). As a function of the crystallization atmospheres, films crystallized by RTA in air and nitrogen presented essentially the same P-r values (around 18 muC cm(-2)) but the P-r (3.9 muC cm(-2)) obtained from film crystallized under oxygen atmosphere was profoundly influenced.