16,700 research outputs found
Optimal configuration of microstructure in ferroelectric materials by stochastic optimization
An optimization procedure determining the ideal configuration at the
microstructural level of ferroelectric (FE) materials is applied to maximize
piezoelectricity. Piezoelectricity in ceramic FEs differ significantly from
that of single crystals because of the presence of crystallites (grains)
possessing crystallographic axes aligned imperfectly. The piezoelectric
properties of a polycrystalline (ceramic) FE is inextricably related to the
grain orientation distribution (texture). The set of combination of variables,
known as solution space, which dictates the texture of a ceramic is unlimited
and hence the choice of the optimal solution which maximizes the
piezoelectricity is complicated. Thus a stochastic global optimization combined
with homogenization is employed for the identification of the optimal granular
configuration of the FE ceramic microstructure with optimum piezoelectric
properties. The macroscopic equilibrium piezoelectric properties of
polycrystalline FE is calculated using mathematical homogenization at each
iteration step. The configuration of grains characterised by its orientations
at each iteration is generated using a randomly selected set of orientation
distribution parameters. Apparent enhancement of piezoelectric coefficient
is observed in an optimally oriented BaTiO single crystal. A
configuration of crystallites, simultaneously constraining the orientation
distribution of the c-axis (polar axis) while incorporating ab-plane
randomness, which would multiply the overall piezoelectricity in ceramic
BaTiO is also identified. The orientation distribution of the c-axes is
found to be a narrow Gaussian distribution centred around . The
piezoelectric coefficient in such a ceramic is found to be nearly three times
as that of the single crystal.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
Environment, morphology and stellar populations of bulgeless low surface brightness galaxies
Based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR 7, we investigate the environment,
morphology and stellar population of bulgeless low surface brightness (LSB)
galaxies in a volume-limited sample with redshift ranging from 0.024 to 0.04
and . The local density parameter is used to
trace their environments. We find that, for bulgeless galaxies, the surface
brightness does not depend on the environment. The stellar populations are
compared for bulgeless LSB galaxies in different environments and for bulgeless
LSB galaxies with different morphologies. The stellar populations of LSB
galaxies in low density regions are similar to those of LSB galaxies in high
density regions. Irregular LSB galaxies have more young stars and are more
metal-poor than regular LSB galaxies. These results suggest that the evolution
of LSB galaxies may be driven by their dynamics including mergers rather than
by their large scale environment.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, Accepted by A&
Cold black holes and conformal continuations
We study Einstein gravity minimally coupled to a scalar field in a static,
spherically symmetric space-time in four dimensions. Black hole solutions are
shown to exist for a phantom scalar field whose kinetic energy is negative.
These ``scalar black holes'' have an infinite horizon area and zero Hawking
temperature and are termed ``cold black holes'' (CBHs). The relevant explicit
solutions are well-known in the massless case (the so-called anti-Fisher
solution), and we have found a particular example of a CBH with a nonzero
potential . All CBHs with are shown to behave
near the horizon quite similarly to those with a massless field. The above
solutions can be converted by a conformal transformation to Jordan frames of a
general class of scalar-tensor theories of gravity, but CBH horizons in one
frame are in many cases converted to singularities in the other, which gives
rise to a new type of conformal continuation.Comment: 15 pages, late
Rigorous Formulation of Duality in Gravitational Theories
In this paper we evince a rigorous formulation of duality in gravitational
theories where an Einstein like equation is valid, by providing the conditions
under which the Hodge duals (with respect to the metric tensor g) of T^a and
R_b^a may be considered as the torsion and curvature 2-forms associated with a
connection D', part of a Riemann-Cartan structure (M,g',D'), in the cases g =
g' and g does not equal g', once T^a and R_b^a are the torsion and curvature
2-forms associated with a connection D part of a Riemann-Cartan structure
(M,g,D). A new form for the Einstein equation involving the dual of the Riemann
tensor of D is also provided, and the result is compared with others appearing
in the literature.Comment: 15 page
A systematic review of natural products for skin applications: targeting inflammation, wound healing, and photo-aging
Background: Every day the skin is constantly exposed to several harmful factors that induce oxidative stress. When the cells are incapable to maintain the balance between antioxidant defenses and reactive oxygen species, the skin no longer can keep its integrity and homeostasis. Chronic inflammation, premature skin aging, tissue damage, and immunosuppression are possible consequences induced by sustained exposure to environmental and endogenous reactive oxygen species. Skin immune and non-immune cells together with the microbiome are essential to efficiently trigger skin immune responses to stress. For this reason, an ever-increasing demand for novel molecules capable of modulating immune functions in the skin has risen the level of their development, particularly in the field of natural product-derived molecules. Purpose: In this review, we explore different classes of molecules that showed evidence in modulate skin immune responses, as well as their target receptors and signaling pathways. Moreover, we describe the role of polyphenols, polysaccharides, fatty acids, peptides, and probiotics as possible treatments for skin conditions, including wound healing, infection, inflammation, allergies, and premature skin aging. Methods: Literature was searched, analyzed, and collected using databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The search terms used included “Skin”, “wound healing”, “natural products”, “skin microbiome”, “immunomodulation”, “anti-inflammatory”, “antioxidant”, “infection”, “UV radiation”, “polyphenols”, “polysaccharides”, “fatty acids”, “plant oils”, “peptides”, “antimicrobial peptides”, “probiotics”, “atopic dermatitis”, “psoriasis”, “auto-immunity”, “dry skin”, “aging”, etc., and several combinations of these keywords. Results: Natural products offer different solutions as possible treatments for several skin conditions. Significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were reported, followed by the ability to modulate immune functions in the skin. Several membrane-bound immune receptors in the skin recognize diverse types of natural-derived molecules, promoting different immune responses that can improve skin conditions. Conclusion: Despite the increasing progress in drug discovery, several limiting factors need future clarification. Understanding the safety, biological activities, and precise mechanisms of action is a priority as well as the characterization of the active compounds responsible for that. This review provides directions for future studies in the development of new molecules with important pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical value.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The Collective Field Theory of a Singular Supersymmetric Matrix Model
The supersymmetric collective field theory with the potential is studied, motivated by the matrix model proposed by Jevicki
and Yoneya to describe two dimensional string theory in a black hole
background. Consistency with supersymmetry enforces a two band solution. A
supersymmetric classical configuration is found, and interpreted in terms of
the density of zeros of certain Laguerre polynomials. The spectrum of the model
is then studied and is seen to correspond to a massless scalar and a majorana
fermion. The space eigenfunctions are constructed and expressed in terms of
Chebyshev polynomials. Higher order interactions are also discussed.Comment: Revtex 8 pages, Submitted to Phys. Rev. D. References and preprint
numbers have been adde
Production, breeding and potential of cowpea crop in Brazil.
About 50 years ago cowpea was reported as a relatively minor tropical legume. However, in the last years, it has been emerging as one of the most important food legume of the 21st century (SINGH, 2010). Brazil is not out of this panorama. Brazilian agriculture is undergoing major technological changes and, in addition, globalization in agribusiness has caused impacts on the production chain of several crops, particularly those heavily dependent on the use of a large volume of agricultural inputs, mainly fertilizers and pesticides. Such crops have had a higher production cost each year. On the other hand, this situation has brought new opportunities. Business farmers have sought new alternatives for their production arrangements. In this context cowpea constitutes one of the best options.bitstream/item/85620/1/Doc-216-Production.pd
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