Sorovares de Salmonella isolados de humanos no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, 1996-2003

A salmonelose permanece uma importante causa de doença diarréica em humanos no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Nesse estudo foram identificados 3554 isolados de Salmonella de infecções humanas, durante o período 1996-2003. Entre os 68 diferentes sorovares determinados, S. Enteritidis foi predominante em infecções gastrointestinais e extra-intestinais, responsável por 67.4% de todos os isolados. S. Typhimurium e S. enterica subsp. enterica (4,5,12:i:-) foram mais freqüentemente isolados de crianças com idade de < 1 a 4 anos, em contraste, infecções por S. Enteritidis foram predominantes em pessoas entre 20 e 50 anos. A contínua vigilância laboratorial das salmoneloses, incluindo a sorotipagem, tem evidenciado os sorovares de Salmonella causando infecções humanas em nossa área geográfica ao longo do tempo.Salmonellosis remains an important cause of diarrheal illness in humans in São Paulo State, Brazil. In this study were identified 3554 Salmonella isolates from human infections, during the period 1996-2003. Among 68 different serovars determined, S. Enteritidis was the most frequent one in gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal infections accounting for 67.4% of all isolates. S. Typhimurium and S. enterica subsp. enterica (4,5,12:i:-) were most frequently isolated from children aged < 1-4 year-old, in contrast, people with S. Enteritidis infections were most likely to be 20-50 year-old. In our geographic area the continued laboratorial surveillance of salmonellosis, including serotyping, has showed the trends in Salmonella serovars causing infections in humans throughout the time

Common Proper Motion Search for Faint Companions Around Early-Type Field Stars - Progress Report

The multiplicity of early-type stars is still not well established. The derived binary fraction is different for individual star forming regions, suggesting a connection with the age and the environment conditions. The few studies that have investigated this connection do not provide conclusive results. To fill in this gap, we started the first detailed adaptive-optic-assisted imaging survey of early-type field stars to derive their multiplicity in a homogeneous way. The sample has been extracted from the Hipparcos Catalog and consists of 341 BA-type stars within ~300 pc from the Sun. We report the current status of the survey and describe a Monte-Carlo simulation that estimates the completeness of our companion detection.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, conference proc. Syros 200

THERMAL AND OXIDATION STABILITY OF SUNFLOWER METHANOLIC BIODIESEL AND BLENDS OF BIODIESEL/DIESEL

Resumo   A utilização de energias renováveis como o biodiesel tem despertado grande interesse industrial e ambiental. Neste trabalho foram avaliadas as propriedades físico-químicas de diesel, biodiesel, e de suas misturas nas proporções: B5 a B70, através de ensaios de ponto de fulgor, massa específica, viscosidade cinemática. Além de estudar a estabilidade térmica e oxidativa por TG/DTA. Como resultado foi observado que com o aumento do teor de biodiesel adicionado ao diesel foi observada uma melhoria na sua estabilidade térmica e um aumento do resíduo e através do DTA que misturas que contém biodiesel são mais voláteis que o diesel. Palavras-chave: Biodiesel, Girassol e Termogravimetria.   Abstract   The using of renewable energy like biodiesel has attracted great industrial interest and the environment. In this work we evaluate the physicochemical properties of diesel, biodiesel and their mixtures in proportions: B5 to B70, by testing the flash point, density, kinematic viscosity. Also, thermal and oxidative stability by TGA / DTA. It was verified that by increasing the content of biodiesel added to diesel was observed an improvement in thermal stability and an increase of the residue by DTA and the mixtures containing biodiesel which are more volatile than diesel. Key-words: Biodiesel, Sunflower, Thermogravimetry

Desmídias filamentosas (Conjugatophyceae) de um lago de inundação de águas pretas na Amazônia Central

Com base em 109 amostras coletadas em diferentes fases do ciclo hidrológico nos anos de 2002 a 2004 no lago Cutiuaú, um ambiente de águas pretas localizado no Parque Nacional do Jaú na bacia do rio Negro, foi realizado um levantamento taxonômico das espécies de desmídias filamentosas. Foram identificadas 15 espécies distribuídas em sete gêneros, sendo Desmidium C. Agardh ex Ralfs, com sete espécies, o gênero que apresentou a maior riqueza específica, incluindo D. quadratum citado pela primeira vez para o estado do Amazonas. O gênero Groenbladia Teiling apresentou três espécies, enquanto os gêneros Bambusina Kützing ex Kützing, Hyalotheca Ehrenberg ex Ralfs, Phymatodocis Nordstedt, Spondylosium Brébisson ex Kützing e Teilingia Bourrelly, apresentaram uma única espécie. Em relação aos períodos do ciclo hidrológico, três táxons foram registrados no período de águas baixas, seis no de vazante, oito no de águas altas e 15, ou seja, todos foram observados no período de enchente.A taxonomic survey regarding the filamentous desmids species was carried out made based on 109 samples collected in different phases of the hydrological cycle between the years of 2002 and 2004 in Cutiuaú lake, an black water system located in Jau National Park in the Negro river basin. A total of 15 filamentous desmids species distributed in seven genera were identified. Desmidium C. Agardh ex Ralfs, with seven species, was the genera with more species richness, being D. quadratum mentioned for first time in Amazonas State. Three Groenbladia Teiling species and one of Bambusina Kützing ex Kützing, Hyalotheca Ehrenberg ex Ralfs, Phymatodocis Nordstedt, Spondylosium Brébisson ex Kützing and Teilingia Bourrelly were registered. In relation to hydrological cycle, three taxa were registered in the low water period, six in the decreasing water period, eight in the high water period and 15, all of identified taxa, in the increasing water period

Consistent treatment of spin-1 mesons in the light-front formalism

We analyze the matrix element of the electroweak current between q \qb vector meson states in the framework of a covariant extension of the light-front formalism. The light-front matrix element of a one-body current is naturally associated with zero modes, which affect some of the form factors that are necessary to represent the Lorentz structure of the light-front integral. The angular condition contains some information on zero modes, i.e., only if the effect of zero modes is accounted for correctly, is it satisfied. With plausible assumptions we derive from the angular condition several consistency conditions which can be used quite generally to determine the zero mode contribution of form factors. The correctness of this method is tested by the phenomenological success of the derived form factors. We compare the predictions of our formalism with those of the standard light-front approach and with available data. As examples we discuss the magnetic moment of the $\rho$, the coupling constant $g_{D^\ast D \pi}$, and the coupling constants of the pseudoscalar density, $g_\pi$ and $g_K$, which provide a phenomenological link between constituent and current quark masses.Comment: 36 pages, figure 1 is include

Anisotropy studies around the galactic centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory

Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for anisotropies near the direction of the Galactic Centre at EeV energies. The exposure of the surface array in this part of the sky is already significantly larger than that of the fore-runner experiments. Our results do not support previous findings of localized excesses in the AGASA and SUGAR data. We set an upper bound on a point-like flux of cosmic rays arriving from the Galactic Centre which excludes several scenarios predicting sources of EeV neutrons from Sagittarius $A$. Also the events detected simultaneously by the surface and fluorescence detectors (the `hybrid' data set), which have better pointing accuracy but are less numerous than those of the surface array alone, do not show any significant localized excess from this direction.Comment: Matches published versio

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density, affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It consists of a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level and a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The "hybrid" detection mode combines the information from the two subsystems. We describe the determination of the hybrid exposure for events observed by the fluorescence telescopes in coincidence with at least one water-Cherenkov detector of the surface array. A detailed knowledge of the time dependence of the detection operations is crucial for an accurate evaluation of the exposure. We discuss the relevance of monitoring data collected during operations, such as the status of the fluorescence detector, background light and atmospheric conditions, that are used in both simulation and reconstruction.Comment: Paper accepted by Astroparticle Physic