An analytical treatment of the effect of axial inhomogeneity on femtosecond solitary waves near the zero dispersion point

A perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger equation, valid for femtosecond pulse propagation in axially inhomogeneous optical fibers near the zero dispersion point, is considered. It is found that for a weak axial nonuniformity, and under certain conditions, this equation can be treated analytically. Exact bright and dark solitary wave solutions are derived and their behavior in the presence of the inhomogeneity is analyzed. The nonuniformity induced time shift of the solitary waves is also obtained. The potential use of this parameter as a diagnostic tool for estimating characteristic parameters of the axial variations is discussed and its range of values is investigated

Phytopathogenic, morphological, genetic and molecular characterization of a Verticillium dahliae population from Crete, Greece

A population of 84 V. dahliae isolates mainly originating from Crete, Greece, was characterized in terms of pathogenicity and virulence on different hosts, in parallel with morphological/physiological characterization, vegetative compatibility grouping and mating type determination. Tomato race 2 was found to have supplanted race 1 and was more virulent on a tomato-susceptible cultivar than race 1. Using a differential host classification system which tests pathogenicity to tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper and turnip, 59 isolates were assigned to tomato, 19 to eggplant, one to sweet pepper and five to tomato-sweet pepper pathogenicity groups. All isolates from Crete fell into VCG subgroups 2A, 2B and 4B, while a remarkably high incidence of bridging isolates (compatible with two or more VCGs) was recorded. The tomato-sweet pepper pathogenicity group was morphologically quite distinct from the others, while conidial length and pigment intensity were discriminatory parameters among VCGs 2A, 2B and 4B. PCR-based molecular marker Tr1/Tr2 was reliable in race prediction among tomato-pathogenic isolates, except for members of VCG 4B, while the application of markers Tm5/Tm7 and 35-1/35-2 was highly successful for tomato-pathogenic isolates. E10 marker was related to VCG 2B, rather than to pathogenicity groups. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the ITS2 region, and two novel molecular markers, M1 and M2, proved useful for the fast and accurate determination of major VCGs 2A, 2B and 4B, and can be used for high-throughput population analyses in future studies. The mating type was unrelated to VCG classification and probably does not control heterokaryon incompatibility in V. dahliae. © 2013 KNPV

Yucca schidigera e zeólita em alimento para gatos adultos e seus efeitos na excreção de minerais

Avaliou-se efeito da inclusão de Yucca schidigera e zeólita (Clinoptilolita) em alimento comercial úmido para gatos sobre a aceitabilidade da dieta, produção fecal diária e porcentagem de águas nas fezes, e sobre o coeficiente de indigestibilidade aparente de cálcio, fósforo, magnésio, sódio, potásso, ferro e manganês. Foram utilizados 21 gatos adultos, sem raça definida, com quatro anos e meio de idade e peso médio de 3,56kg, distribuídos em sete tratamentos - dieta úmida denominada controle, e dietas controle com adição de 125, 250 e 375ppm de Yucca schidigera e 0,5%, 0,75% e 1,0% de zeólita - em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas na aceitabilidade das dietas, na produção fecal diária, na porcentagem de água nas fezes e no coeficiente de indigestibilidade aparente nos minerais avaliados (P>0,05). A inclusão dos aditivos que apresentam como função principal a redução de odor fecal pode ser realizada sem interferências sobre a saúde dos animais, do ponto de vista da nutrição mineral