Assessment of Cement Durability in Repository Environment

Portland cement paste is proposed as the material to filling in the annulus between the casing of a borehole and the geological formation in a deep repository for spent sealed radiation sources in Brazil. The cement paste is intended to function as structural material, an additional barrier against the migration of radionuclides outside the repository, and as a blockage against the transport of water between the different strata of the geological setting. The objective of this research is to investigate the behavior of the cement paste and to estimate its service life. In this paper we present the results of mechanical strength measurements and chemical and mineralogical analysis of samples to detect the changes caused by radiation, temperature and aggressive chemicals of groundwater to which the material will be exposed. Methods of analysis included Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, Ion Chromatography, XRay Diffraction, and Thermo Gravimetric Analysi

Changes in Biomarkers of Redox Status in Saliva of Pigs after an Experimental Sepsis Induction

Saliva from pigs is gaining attention as an easy sample to obtain, being a source of biomarkers that can provide information on animal health and welfare. This study aimed to evaluate the changes that can occur in salivary biomarkers of the redox status of pigs with an experimentally induced sepsis. For that, the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing ability of saliva (FRAS), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX), peroxide activity (POX-Act), and reactive oxygen-derived compounds (d-ROMs) were measured in the saliva of pigs with experimentally induced sepsis by endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), non-septic inflammation induced by turpentine, and in healthy individuals before and after 3 h, 6 h, 24 h, and 48 h. AOPP, POX-Act, and d-ROMs in the sepsis group were higher than in the control from 3 h to 24 h after the inoculation. CUPRAC, FRAS, and TEAC were higher in sepsis than the control group at 24 h. These changes were of higher magnitude than those that occurred in the turpentine group. In conclusion, our findings reveal that sepsis produces changes in salivary biomarkers of redox status, which opens the possibility of using them as potential biomarkers in this species

The influence of ortho- and para-diphenoloxidase substrates on pigment formation in black yeast-like fungi

Dothideaceous black yeast-like fungi (BYF) are known to synthesise DHN-melanin that is inhibited by the systemic fungicide tricyclazole. The final step of the DHN melanin pathway is the conjoining of 1,8-DHN molecules to form the melanin polymer. There are several candidate enzymes for this step, including phenoloxidases such as tyrosinase and laccases, peroxidases, and perhaps also catalases. We analysed the type polyphenoloxidases that are involved in biosynthesis of BYF melanins. For that purpose we used substrates of o-diphenoloxidases (EC 1.10.3.1.): 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvic acid, L-β-phenyllactic acid, tyrosine, pyrocatechol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and homogentisic acid, as well as substrates of p-diphenoloxidases (EC 1.10.3.2.): syringaldazine, resorcinol, p-phenylenediamine, phloroglucinol, guaiacol and pyrogallic acid. Fourteen strains of black yeasts originating from different natural biotopes were investigated. The tested strains could be divided into four groups based on their ability to produce dark pigments when cultivated on aromatic substrates of o- and on p-diphenoloxidases. It was established that syringaldazine, pyrogallic acid and 4-hydrophenyl-pyruvic acid, β-phenyllactic acid optimally promote melanin biosynthesis. Average intensity of pigmentation of all strains studied was minimal when guaiacol was used as a substrate. The present investigation indicates that the melanisation process may involve more enzymes and more substrates than those commonly recognised. Black yeasts are likely to contain a multipotent polyphenoloxidase

Morphology and magnetism of multifunctional nanostructured γ\gamma-Fe2_2O3_3 films: Simulation and experiments

This paper introduces a new approach for simulating magnetic properties of nanocomposites comprising magnetic particles embedded in a non-magnetic matrix, taking into account the 3D structure of the system in which particles' positions correctly mimic real samples. The proposed approach develops a multistage simulation procedure in which the size and distribution of particles within the hosting matrix is firstly attained by means of the Cell Dynamic System (CDS) model. The 3D structure provided by the CDS step is further employed in a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of zero-field-cooled/field-cooled (ZFC/FC) and magnetic hysteresis loops ($M \times H$ curves) for the system. Simulations are aimed to draw a realistic picture of the as-produced ultra-thin films comprising maghemite nanoparticles dispersed in polyaniline. Comparison (ZFC/FC and $M \times H$ curves) between experiments and simulations regarding the maximum of the ZFC curve ($T_{\scriptsize MAX}$), remanence ($M_R/M_s$) and coercivity ($H_C$) revealed the great accuracy of the multistage approach proposed here while providing information about the system's morphology and magnetic properties. For a typical sample the value we found experimentally for $T_{\scriptsize MAX}$ (54 K) was very close to the value provided by the simulation (53 K). For the parameters depending on the nanoparticle clustering the experimental values were consistently lower ($M_R/M_s$ = 0.32 and $H_C$ = 210 Oe) than the values we found in the simulation ($M_R/M_s$ = 0.53 and $H_C$ = 274 Oe). Indeed, the approach introduced here is very promising for the design of real magnetic nanocomposite samples with optimized features.Comment: 19 pages (one column), 5 figure

Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2

A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 48 pb^{-1} at an e^+e^- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV and about 20 pb^{-1} equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172 GeV and 161 GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95% confidence level mass limits in the region between 70 GeV/c^2 and 90 GeV/c^2, depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited fermio

Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV

An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Search for lightest neutralino and stau pair production in light gravitino scenarios with stau NLSP

Promptly decaying lightest neutralinos and long-lived staus are searched for in the context of light gravitino scenarios. It is assumed that the stau is the next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) and that the lightest neutralino is the next to NLSP (NNLSP). Data collected with the Delphi detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 183 \GeV are analysed. No evidence of the production of these particles is found. Hence, lower mass limits for both kinds of particles are set at 95% C.L.. The mass of gaugino-like neutralinos is found to be greater than 71.5 GeV/c^2. In the search for long-lived stau, masses less than 70.0 to 77.5 \GeVcc are excluded for gravitino masses from 10 to 150 \eVcc . Combining this search with the searches for stable heavy leptons and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model staus a lower limit of 68.5 \GeVcc may be set for the stau mas

Hadronization properties of b quarks compared to light quarks in e+e- -> q qbar from 183 to 200 GeV

The DELPHI detector at LEP has collected 54 pb^{-1} of data at a centre-of-mass energy around 183 GeV during 1997, 158 pb^{-1} around 189 GeV during 1998, and 187 pb^{-1} between 192 and 200 GeV during 1999. These data were used to measure the average charged particle multiplicity in e+e- -> b bbar events, _{bb}, and the difference delta_{bl} between _{bb} and the multiplicity, _{ll}, in generic light quark (u,d,s) events: delta_{bl}(183 GeV) = 4.55 +/- 1.31 (stat) +/- 0.73 (syst) delta_{bl}(189 GeV) = 4.43 +/- 0.85 (stat) +/- 0.61 (syst) delta_{bl}(200 GeV) = 3.39 +/- 0.89 (stat) +/- 1.01 (syst). This result is consistent with QCD predictions, while it is inconsistent with calculations assuming that the multiplicity accompanying the decay of a heavy quark is independent of the mass of the quark itself.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter