Multiple plasmon resonances in naturally-occurring multiwall nanotubes: infrared spectra of chrysotile asbestos

Chrysotile asbestos is formed by densely packed bundles of multiwall hollow nanotubes. Each wall in the nanotubes is a cylindrically wrapped layer of $Mg_3 Si_2 O_5 (OH)_4$. We show by experiment and theory that the infrared spectrum of chrysotile presents multiple plasmon resonances in the Si-O stretching bands. These collective charge excitations are universal features of the nanotubes that are obtained by cylindrically wrapping an anisotropic material. The multiple plasmons can be observed if the width of the resonances is sufficiently small as in chrysotile.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Revtex4 compuscript. Misprint in Eq.(6) correcte

Serializing the Parallelism in Parallel Communicating Pushdown Automata Systems

We consider parallel communicating pushdown automata systems (PCPA) and define a property called known communication for it. We use this property to prove that the power of a variant of PCPA, called returning centralized parallel communicating pushdown automata (RCPCPA), is equivalent to that of multi-head pushdown automata. The above result presents a new sub-class of returning parallel communicating pushdown automata systems (RPCPA) called simple-RPCPA and we show that it can be written as a finite intersection of multi-head pushdown automata systems

Calf contouring with endoscopic fascial release, calf implant, and structural fat grafting

Departamentul de Chirurgie Plastică, Spitalul Memorial Ataşehir, Istanbul, Turcia, Departamentul de Chirurgie Plastică, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Statele Unite ale Americii, Departamentul de Chirurgie Plastică, Spitalul International Medpark, Chişinău, Republica Moldova, Al XII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova cu participare internațională 23-25 septembrie 2015Introducere: Gambele curbe sunt cauza unui stres psihologic pentru femei. După evaluarea aspectului estetic şi formei gambelor, dacă grosimea excesivă este factorul ce contribuie cel mai mult, sunt considerate procedurile de lipoplastie şi reducere musculară. Dacă picioarele sunt zvelte, nu prezintă hipertrofie musculară dar totuşi au o identaţie şi proeminenţă laterală traduse printr-un neajuns estetic, care ar fi opţiunile? Răspunsul la această întrebare este discutat în această lucrare. Material şi metode: Douăzeci şi două de paciente, operate timp de 5 ani (2007-2012), au fost incluse în acest studiu. O tehnică operatorie nouă a fost introdusă în practică. Pentru a obţine rezultate optime această metodă necesită eliberarea endoscopică a fasciei ce acoperă partea medială a muşchilor gambieni cu augmentare simultană cu implanturi gambiene, liposucţie şi grefă structurală de grăsime. Rezultate: Toate pacientele au fost urmărite în perioada postoperatorie pe parcursul unei perioade medii de 31 de luni. Procedura a fost bine tolerată, cu disconfort minim în perioada postoperatorie. Creşterea proximală şi distală în diametru a gambelor a fost măsurată la 6 luni după intervenţie. Modificarea medie a diametrului gambian proximal a constituit 2,16 cm şi 1,77 cm a celui distal. Concluzii: A fost aplicată o metodă nouă endoscopică pentru conturarea gambelor. Tehnica fasciotomiei endoscopice cu implanturi gambiene şi grefă structurală de grăsime pentru îmbunătăţirea estetică a acestei parţi a piciorului este simplă, efectivă, de încredere şi previzibilă pentru conturarea gambelor.Introduction: Curved lower legs cause psychological stress for women. In evaluating the shape, if thickness is the main contributing factor of leg aesthetic, then lipoplasty or calf reducing procedures will be the option. If the legs are slender and have no muscle hypertrophy but still have some indentation or bulges on both sides and lack an aesthetic shape what will be the options? The answer to the question above is discussed in detail in this article. Material and methods: Twenty-two patients, operated over a period of 5 years from 2007 to 2012, were included in the study. A novel technique has been introduced. This method requires release of fascia covering muscles of the inner leg bulge via endoscopic approach and simultaneous calf augmentation with calf implant, liposuction, and structural fat grafting to optimize the results. Results: Patients were followed on a regular basis with a mean follow-up of 31 months. The procedure was well tolerated with minimal discomfort during the postoperative period. Increase in diameter of proximal and distal lower legs was measured at least 6 months after surgery. Mean diameter change of proximal lower legs was 2.16 cm and 1.77 cm in distal lower legs. Conclusions: A novel endoscopic approach for lower leg contouring is discussed. Endoscopic fasciotomy technique with calf implant and structural fat grafting for improved lower leg aesthetics is a simple, effective, reliable, and predictable technique for calf contouring

Adaptação de ferramenta de relatório geoespacial para Zoneamento Ecológico-Econômico da Amazônia Legal.

A ferramenta "relatório", objeto deste trabalho, foi programada originalmente para realizar consultas de terras particulares no Mato Grosso do Sul, via um sistema de informação geográfica web chamado Sistema Interativo de Suporte ao Licenciamento Ambiental (Sisla). O objetivo deste trabalho é adaptá-la para uma função similar no Projeto de Zoneamento Ecológico-Econômico da Amazônia Legal (ZEEAL)

Comparing the fermentation performance of Escherichia coli KO11, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A(LNH-ST) and Zymomonas mobilis AX101 for cellulosic ethanol production

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fermentations using <it>Escherichia coli </it>KO11, <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>424A(LNH-ST), and <it>Zymomonas mobilis </it>AX101 are compared side-by-side on corn steep liquor (CSL) media and the water extract and enzymatic hydrolysate from ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX)-pretreated corn stover.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The three ethanologens are able produce ethanol from a CSL-supplemented co-fermentation at a metabolic yield, final concentration and rate greater than 0.42 g/g consumed sugars, 40 g/L and 0.7 g/L/h (0-48 h), respectively. Xylose-only fermentation of the tested ethanologenic bacteria are five to eight times faster than 424A(LNH-ST) in the CSL fermentation.</p> <p>All tested strains grow and co-ferment sugars at 15% w/v solids loading equivalent of ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX)-pretreated corn stover water extract. However, both KO11 and 424A(LNH-ST) exhibit higher growth robustness than AX101. In 18% w/w solids loading lignocellulosic hydrolysate from AFEX pretreatment, complete glucose fermentations can be achieved at a rate greater than 0.77 g/L/h. In contrast to results from fermentation in CSL, <it>S. cerevisiae </it>424A(LNH-ST) consumed xylose at the greatest extent and rate in the hydrolysate compared to the bacteria tested.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results confirm that glucose fermentations among the tested strains are effective even at high solids loading (18% by weight). However, xylose consumption in the lignocellulosic hydrolysate is the major bottleneck affecting overall yield, titer or rate of the process. In comparison, <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>424A(LNH-ST) is the most relevant strains for industrial production for its ability to ferment both glucose and xylose from undetoxified and unsupplemented hydrolysate from AFEX-pretreated corn stover at high yield.</p

Evolution of the macromolecular structure of sporopollenin during thermal degradation

AbstractReconstructing the original biogeochemistry of organic microfossils requires quantifying the extent of the chemical transformations they experienced during burial and maturation processes. In the present study, fossilization experiments have been performed using modern sporopollenin chosen as an analogue for the resistant biocompounds possibly constituting the wall of many organic microfossils. Sporopollenin powder has been processed thermally under argon atmosphere at different temperatures (up to 1000 °C) for varying durations (up to 900 min). Solid residues of each experiment have been characterized using infrared, Raman and synchrotron-based XANES spectroscopies. Results indicate that significant defunctionalisation and aromatization affect the molecular structure of sporopollenin with increasing temperature. Two distinct stages of evolution with temperature are observed: in a first stage, sporopollenin experiences dehydrogenation and deoxygenation simultaneously (below 500 °C); in a second stage (above 500 °C) an increasing concentration in aromatic groups and a lateral growth of aromatic layers are observed. With increasing heating duration (up to 900 min) at a constant temperature (360 °C), oxygen is progressively lost and conjugated carbon–carbon chains or domains grow progressively, following a log-linear kinetic behavior. Based on the comparison with natural spores fossilized within metasediments which experienced intense metamorphism, we show that the present experimental simulations may not perfectly mimic natural diagenesis and metamorphism. Yet, performing such laboratory experiments provides key insights on the processes transforming biogenic molecules into molecular fossils