Tecnologias apropriadas para o desenvolvimento sustentado da bovinocultura de corte no Pantanal.

O sistema tradicional de producao; A cadeia produtiva da pecuaria de corte no Pantanal; Distribuicao e evolucao dos principais aspectos agropecuarios nas sub-regioes do Pantanal; Introducao de tecnologias na criacao de bovinos de corte no Pantanal.bitstream/item/37741/1/DOC24.pd

Mass spectrometric comparison of swift heavy ion-induced and anaerobic thermal degradation of polymers

The study of polymers irradiated by highly energetic ions and the resulting radiation-induced degradation is of major importance for space and particle accelerator applications. The mechanism of ion-induced molecular fragmentation of polyethylene, polyethyleneimine and polyamide was investigated by means of mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the introduction of nitrogen and oxygen into the polymer influences the stability rendering aliphatic polymers with heteroatoms less stable. A comparison to thermal decomposition data from literature reveals that ion-induced degradation is different in its bond fracture mechanism. While thermal degradation starts at the weakest bond, which is usually the carbon-heteroatom bond, energetic ion irradiation leads in the first step to scission of all types of bonds creating smaller molecular fragments. This is due to the localized extreme energy input under non-equilibrium conditions when the ions transfer kinetic energy onto electrons. These findings are of relevance for the choice of polymers for long-term application in both space and accelerator facilities.We would like to thank the GSI for financial support and the material research group at GSI for given advice

Efficient total energy calculations from self-energy models

We propose a new method for calculating total energies of systems of interacting electrons, which requires little more computational resources than standard density-functional theories. The total energy is calculated within the framework of many-body perturbation theory by using an efficient model of the self-energy, that nevertheless retains the main features of the exact operator. The method shows promising performance when tested against quantum Monte Carlo results for the linear response of the homogeneous electron gas and structural properties of bulk silicon

Homozygous CREM-IbΔC-X Overexpressing Mice Are a Reliable and Effective Disease Model for Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality with foreseeably increasing prevalence. While large animal models of the disease are well established but resource intensive, transgenic AF mouse models are not yet widely used to develop or validate novel therapeutics for AF. Hemizygous mice with a cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of the human cAMP response element modulator (CREM) isoform IbΔC-X spontaneously develop AF on grounds of an arrhythmogenic substrate consisting of alterations in structure, conduction, and calcium handling.Objective: We investigated if homozygous expression of the CREM-IbΔC-X transgene in mice alters the time course of AF development, and if homozygous CREM-IbΔC-X transgenics could be suitable as a disease model of AF.Methods: Southern Blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and immunoblotting were used to identify and verify homozygous transgenics. Cardiac gravimetry, quantitative real-time RT-PCR, histology, survival analysis, and repeated ECG recordings allowed assessment of phenotypic development and effects of antiarrhythmic drugs.Results: Homozygous animals could be identified by Southern blot and quantitative PCR, showing a strong trend to increased transgenic protein expression. In homozygous animals, atrial hypertrophy appeared earlier and more pronounced than in hemizygous animals, going along with an earlier onset of spontaneous AF, while no increased early mortality was observed. Application of a rate-controlling drug (esmolol) led to the expected result of a decreased heart rate. Application of a rhythm-controlling drug (flecainide) showed effects on heart rate variability, but did not lead to a definitive conversion to sinus rhythm.Conclusion: We suggest homozygous CREM-IbΔC-X overexpressing mice as a reliable model of early onset, rapidly progressive AF

Arbitrary Choice of Basic Variables in Density Functional Theory. II. Illustrative Applications

Our recent theory (Ref. 1) enables us to choose arbitrary quantities as the basic variables of the density functional theory. In this paper we apply it to several cases. In the case where the occupation matrix of localized orbitals is chosen as a basic variable, we can obtain the single-particle equation which is equivalent to that of the LDA+U method. The theory also leads to the Hartree-Fock-Kohn-Sham equation by letting the exchange energy be a basic variable. Furthermore, if the quantity associated with the density of states near the Fermi level is chosen as a basic variable, the resulting single-particle equation includes the additional potential which could mainly modify the energy-band structures near the Fermi level.Comment: 27 page