Is Small Perfect? Size Limit to Defect Formation in Pyramidal Pt Nanocontacts

We report high resolution transmission electron microscopy and ab initio calculation results for the defect formation in Pt nanocontacts (NCs). Our results show that there is a size limit to the existence of twins (extended structural defects). Defects are always present but blocked away from the tip axes. The twins may act as scattering plane, influencing contact electron transmission for Pt NC at room temperature and Ag/Au NC at low temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

An overview of COST Action TU1406, quality specifications for roadway bridges (BridgeSpec)

Publicado em "Life-cycle of engineering systems: emphasis on sustainable civil infrastructure: proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE 2016), ISBN 978-1-138-02847-0"Life-cycle analyses are used in condition assessment of new and existing bridges as well as for evaluation of maintenance strategies. During the implementation of asset management strategies, maintenance actions are required to keep assets at desired performance levels. In case of roadway bridges, performance indicators, which can be obtained by inspections, non-destructive tests or monitoring systems, are established for components. These indicators, along with the definition of standardized performance goals, allow to assess the accomplishment of quality control plans. In Europe there is a large disparity regarding the way performance indicators are quantified and goals specified. Therefore, a discussion at a European networking level, seeking to achieve a standardized approach in this subject, will bring significant benefits. COST Action TU1406 aims to bring together research and practicing communities in order to establish a European guideline in this issue, based on the existing practices across the involved European countries.COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology

Tripartite entanglement and quantum relative entropy

We establish relations between tripartite pure state entanglement and additivity properties of the bipartite relative entropy of entanglement. Our results pertain to the asymptotic limit of local manipulations on a large number of copies of the state. We show that additivity of the relative entropy would imply that there are at least two inequivalent types of asymptotic tripartite entanglement. The methods used include the application of some useful lemmas that enable us to analytically calculate the relative entropy for some classes of bipartite states.Comment: 7 pages, revtex, no figures. v2: discussion about recent results, 2 refs. added. Published versio

Coleta de germoplasma de arroz no Amazonas e Acre.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-13T22:25:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LavouraArrozeira.pdf: 2810472 bytes, checksum: 7b83068120ac389365800fd3e0f65e41 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-06198

Effect of oxygen reducing atmospheres on the quality and safety of stored shelled Brazil nut packs

High moisture content, relative humidity, temperature and environment rich in oxygen (O2) are the main factors for tree nuts to get infected by fungi and so aflatoxins (AFLs) contaminated. During storage and commercialization dry Brazil nuts packs need to maintain their safety and quality. Modified atmospheres in storage (macro-environment) and packaging (micro-environment) have been used to prolong food shelf life by reducing O2 concentration with inhibitory gases or, more recently, by adding O2 absorber pads. This work reports the application of O2 atmosphere reducing methods on stored shelled Brazil nut packs aiming fungi and AFL degradation as well as hygienic conditions improvements. The methods applied were: (a) ozone - O3, (b) carbon dioxide - CO2 and (c) O2 absorber pads with and without vacuum. Nuts were submitted to microbiological tests (fungi, aflatoxigenic strains, yeast and bacteria), moisture content and AFLs analysis. From all O2 reducing atmosphere evaluated, the best performance was obtained with O3. A reduction on fungi growth (1.8 x 104 cfu.g-1 to 2.6 x 10 cfu.g-1) and yeast destruction after the first month of storage were registered. Also O3 was the only nut treatment that was able to degrade AFLs. None of the spiked (AFLs: 15 ppb) nut samples O3 treated had AFLs detected up to the LOQ of the method (0.36 μg.kg-1 for AFB1+AFB2+AFG1+AFG2) i.e., much lower than the allowed by the European Union regulation (MRL: 4 and 2 ppb for total and AFB1, respectively), thus producing safer nuts. All other treatments stabilized and/or inhibited microorganisms growth. Add CO2 and O2 pads played an important role on nut quality. Further study will be carried out in order to adjust O3 concentration and application conditions for longer period of storage

Exercise intervention and sexual function in advanced prostate cancer: a randomised controlled trial.

ObjectivesTreatments for prostate cancer such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), surgery and radiation therapy can adversely affect sexual, urinary and bowel function. Preliminary research has demonstrated the efficacy of exercise to preserve sexual function in men with localised prostate cancer receiving ADT, though this has yet to be investigated in a metastatic setting. We examined the effects of a 12-week exercise programme comprising resistance, aerobic and flexibility training on sexual health and function in men with advanced prostate cancer.MethodsPatients with prostate cancer (70.0±8.4 year; body mass index 28.7±4.0 kg/m2) with bone metastases (rib/thoracic spine, 66.7%; lumbar spine, 43.9%; pelvis, 75.4%; femur, 40.4%; humerus, 24.6%; other sites, 70.2%) were randomly assigned to supervised exercise 3 days/week (n=28) or usual care (n=29). Sexual health and function were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and the EORTC-PR25 at baseline and 12 weeks.ResultsPatients attended 89% of planned sessions and there were no adverse events. After adjusting for baseline values, there was no significant difference between groups for any measure of sexual function and activity (p>0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference between groups for urinary and bowel function assessed by the EORTC-PR25 (p>0.05).ConclusionsA short-term programme of supervised exercise does not appear to enhance indices of sexual health and function in men with advanced prostate cancer. Limitations of the intervention included the conservative modular exercise programme, which deliberately avoided loading bone metastatic sites.Trial registration numberACTRN12611001158954

Aptidão natural dos solos para cultura da pimenta longa no estado do Acre.

O Acre é região endêmica da Pimenta Longa. A partir de sua identificação realizada na década de 1970, houve grande interesse pela cultura, sobretudo, pelo alto teor de safrol. O objetivo deste trabalho foi elaborar o mapa de aptidão natural da cultura em áreas desmatadas do Estado do Acre, em nível de reconhecimento de média intensidade. O estudo foi desenvolvido nas áreas convertidas do Estado, com base nas exigências edáficas da cultura, classes de relevo, mapa pedológico e características gerais do clima do Acre, assim definiu-se o estudo de aptidão dos solos acreanos para a cultura da pimenta longa em escala de trabalho 1:250.000. As áreas alteradas do Estado apresentam 29%, ou seja, 607.190,4 ha com aptidão preferencial para o cultivo da pimenta longa, se acrescentado a este número as áreas com potencial preferencial/restrita, tem-se 38% (796.677,9 ha), contabilizando 67,8%, ou seja, 1.403.868,3 ha. A regional com maior potencial em termos de área e, aptidão natural é a do Baixo Acre com 38% da sua área desmatada, ou seja, 393.487,6 hectares de área preferencial

Influence of bamboo Guadua aff. paraguayana Doll (Poaceae) on the radial increment of Sebastiana commersoniana trees in remnant of a Mixed Ombrophilous Alluvial forests in southern Brazil.

WorldDendro 2010