Supermassive Black Hole Binaries: The Search Continues

Gravitationally bound supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) are thought to be a natural product of galactic mergers and growth of the large scale structure in the universe. They however remain observationally elusive, thus raising a question about characteristic observational signatures associated with these systems. In this conference proceeding I discuss current theoretical understanding and latest advances and prospects in observational searches for SBHBs.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of 2014 Sant Cugat Forum on Astrophysics. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, ed. C.Sopuerta (Berlin: Springer-Verlag

Aspectos microscópicos da interação feijoeiro-Colletotrichum lindemuthianum mediados pelo silício

A antracnose, causada pelo fungo Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, é uma das doenças mais destrutivas que afetam a cultura do feijoeiro. Com o objetivo de encontrar alternativas para o controle dessa doença, o presente trabalho investigou, em nível microscópico, o efeito do silício (Si) na resistência do feijoeiro à infecção por C. lindemuthianum. Plantas de feijoeiro (cv. Pérola) foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva contendo 0 (-Si) ou 2 mM (+Si) de Si e inoculadas no estádio de crescimento V4 com uma suspensão de conídios de C. lindemuthianum. A severidade da antracnose decresceu cerca de 52% nas folhas das plantas supridas com Si (4,4%) em relação às folhas das plantas não supridas (8,5%). Observações de folhas de feijoeiro das plantas não supridas com Si no microscópio eletrônico de varredura revelaram alterações morfológicas nas nervuras em contraste com as folhas de plantas supridas com Si. Utilizando-se a microanálise de raios-X, verificou-se maior concentração dos minerais enxofre, potássio e Si nas folhas das plantas supridas com Si. Em conclusão, o suprimento de Si em plantas de feijoeiro foi importante para reduzir os sintomas da antracnose

Spatiotemporal Spectroscopy of Molecular Sieves : Interplay between Hydrothermal Treatments and the Methanol-To-Hydrocarbons reaction

Unraveling the influence that heterogeneities within a catalytic material may have on its overall performance is far from trivial and still represents a scientific challenge. It requires the development and use of advanced in-situ characterization techniques, capable of bridging the different length scales, ranging from the level of the reactor down to the catalytically active phase. Moreover, such a selection of techniques should be applied under relevant reaction conditions, being able to characterize the inorganic as well as the organic phases present in the catalyst material and desirably causing the least possible interference with its working principles. Within this context, an array of bulk and micro-spectroscopic characterization techniques has been used in this PhD thesis to increase our understanding of the effect of a hydrothermal treatment on the physicochemical properties and related reactivity of the archetypal molecular sieves, namely ZSM-5 and SAPO-34, for the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction. For this purpose, two different catalyst systems have been investigated, namely large zeolite ZSM-5 crystals and commercially available ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 catalyst powders. The former materials have been used as model systems to elucidate the effect of steaming on the porosity, pore accessibility, acidity and MTH reactivity of these catalytic solids. On the other hand, commercially available ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 powders have been used as practical catalyst systems to elucidate the effect of a hydrothermal treatment on both the physicochemical properties and reactivity at the level of a single catalyst particle. In this manner, new insights in the origin and impact of spatiotemporal heterogeneities on MTH catalysis have been obtained

Spatiotemporal Spectroscopy of Molecular Sieves : Interplay between Hydrothermal Treatments and the Methanol-To-Hydrocarbons reaction

Unraveling the influence that heterogeneities within a catalytic material may have on its overall performance is far from trivial and still represents a scientific challenge. It requires the development and use of advanced in-situ characterization techniques, capable of bridging the different length scales, ranging from the level of the reactor down to the catalytically active phase. Moreover, such a selection of techniques should be applied under relevant reaction conditions, being able to characterize the inorganic as well as the organic phases present in the catalyst material and desirably causing the least possible interference with its working principles. Within this context, an array of bulk and micro-spectroscopic characterization techniques has been used in this PhD thesis to increase our understanding of the effect of a hydrothermal treatment on the physicochemical properties and related reactivity of the archetypal molecular sieves, namely ZSM-5 and SAPO-34, for the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction. For this purpose, two different catalyst systems have been investigated, namely large zeolite ZSM-5 crystals and commercially available ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 catalyst powders. The former materials have been used as model systems to elucidate the effect of steaming on the porosity, pore accessibility, acidity and MTH reactivity of these catalytic solids. On the other hand, commercially available ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 powders have been used as practical catalyst systems to elucidate the effect of a hydrothermal treatment on both the physicochemical properties and reactivity at the level of a single catalyst particle. In this manner, new insights in the origin and impact of spatiotemporal heterogeneities on MTH catalysis have been obtained

Lack of Association Between ZHX2, Lepr, Gckr and ASCL1 and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Carotid Plaques and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease