479 research outputs found
Dengue Virus 3 Genotype I in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes and Eggs, Brazil, 2005â2006
Dengue virus type 3 genotype I was detected in Brazil during epidemics in 2002â2004. To confirm this finding, we identified this virus genotype in naturally infected field-caught Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and eggs. Results showed usefulness of virus investigations in vectors as a component of active epidemiologic surveillance
A mathematical analysis of the evolution of perturbations in a modified Chaplygin gas model
One approach in modern cosmology consists in supposing that dark matter and
dark energy are different manifestations of a single `quartessential' fluid.
Following such idea, this work presents a study of the evolution of
perturbations of density in a flat cosmological model with a modified Chaplygin
gas acting as a single component. Our goal is to obtain properties of the model
which can be used to distinguish it from another cosmological models which have
the same solutions for the general evolution of the scale factor of the
universe, without the construction of the power spectrum. Our analytical
results, which alone can be used to uniquely characterize the specific model
studied in our work, show that the evolution of the density contrast can be
seen, at least in one particular case, as composed by a spheroidal wave
function. We also present a numerical analysis which clearly indicates as one
interesting feature of the model the appearence of peaks in the evolution of
the density constrast.Comment: 21 pages, accepted for publication in General Relativity and
Gravitatio
Human toxocariasis: contribution by Brazilian researchers
In the present paper the main aspects of the natural history of human infection by Toxocara larvae that occasionally result in the occurrence of visceral and/or ocular larva migrans syndrome were reviewed. The contribution by Brazilian researchers was emphasized, especially the staff of the Tropical Medicine Institute of SĂŁo Paulo (IMT)
Characterization of large area avalanche photodiodes in X-ray and VUV-light detection
The present manuscript summarizes novel studies on the application of large
area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPDs) to the detection of X-rays and vacuum
ultraviolet (VUV) light. The operational characteristics of four different
LAAPDs manufactured by Advanced Photonix Inc., with active areas of 80 and 200
mm^2 were investigated for X-ray detection at room temperature. The best energy
resolution was found to be in the 10-18% range for 5.9 keV X-rays. The LAAPD,
being compact, simple to operate and with high counting rate capability (up to
about 10^5/s), proved to be useful in several applications, such as low-energy
X-ray detection, where they can reach better performance than proportional
counters. Since X-rays are used as reference in light measurements, the gain
non-linearity between 5.9 keV X-rays and light pulses was investigated. The
gain ratio between X-rays and VUV light decreases with gain, reaching 10 and 6%
variations for VUV light produced in argon (~128 nm) and xenon (~172 nm),
respectively, for a gain 200, while for visible light (~635 nm) the variation
is lower than 1%. The effect of temperature on the LAAPD performance was
investigated. Relative gain variations of about -5% per Celsius degree were
observed for the highest gains. The excess noise factor was found to be
independent on temperature, being between 1.8 and 2.3 for gains from 50 to 300.
The energy resolution is better for decreasing temperatures due mainly to the
dark current. LAAPDs were tested under intense magnetic fields up to 5 T, being
insensitive when used in X-ray and visible-light detection, while for VUV light
a significant amplitude reduction was observed at 5 T.Comment: 25 pages, 40 figures, submitted to JINS
Characterization of large area avalanche photodiodes in X-ray and VUV-light detection
The present manuscript summarizes novel studies on the application of large
area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPDs) to the detection of X-rays and vacuum
ultraviolet (VUV) light. The operational characteristics of four different
LAAPDs manufactured by Advanced Photonix Inc., with active areas of 80 and 200
mm^2 were investigated for X-ray detection at room temperature. The best energy
resolution was found to be in the 10-18% range for 5.9 keV X-rays. The LAAPD,
being compact, simple to operate and with high counting rate capability (up to
about 10^5/s), proved to be useful in several applications, such as low-energy
X-ray detection, where they can reach better performance than proportional
counters. Since X-rays are used as reference in light measurements, the gain
non-linearity between 5.9 keV X-rays and light pulses was investigated. The
gain ratio between X-rays and VUV light decreases with gain, reaching 10 and 6%
variations for VUV light produced in argon (~128 nm) and xenon (~172 nm),
respectively, for a gain 200, while for visible light (~635 nm) the variation
is lower than 1%. The effect of temperature on the LAAPD performance was
investigated. Relative gain variations of about -5% per Celsius degree were
observed for the highest gains. The excess noise factor was found to be
independent on temperature, being between 1.8 and 2.3 for gains from 50 to 300.
The energy resolution is better for decreasing temperatures due mainly to the
dark current. LAAPDs were tested under intense magnetic fields up to 5 T, being
insensitive when used in X-ray and visible-light detection, while for VUV light
a significant amplitude reduction was observed at 5 T.Comment: 25 pages, 40 figures, submitted to JINS
Characterization of large area avalanche photodiodes in X-ray and VUV-light detection
The present manuscript summarizes novel studies on the application of large
area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPDs) to the detection of X-rays and vacuum
ultraviolet (VUV) light. The operational characteristics of four different
LAAPDs manufactured by Advanced Photonix Inc., with active areas of 80 and 200
mm^2 were investigated for X-ray detection at room temperature. The best energy
resolution was found to be in the 10-18% range for 5.9 keV X-rays. The LAAPD,
being compact, simple to operate and with high counting rate capability (up to
about 10^5/s), proved to be useful in several applications, such as low-energy
X-ray detection, where they can reach better performance than proportional
counters. Since X-rays are used as reference in light measurements, the gain
non-linearity between 5.9 keV X-rays and light pulses was investigated. The
gain ratio between X-rays and VUV light decreases with gain, reaching 10 and 6%
variations for VUV light produced in argon (~128 nm) and xenon (~172 nm),
respectively, for a gain 200, while for visible light (~635 nm) the variation
is lower than 1%. The effect of temperature on the LAAPD performance was
investigated. Relative gain variations of about -5% per Celsius degree were
observed for the highest gains. The excess noise factor was found to be
independent on temperature, being between 1.8 and 2.3 for gains from 50 to 300.
The energy resolution is better for decreasing temperatures due mainly to the
dark current. LAAPDs were tested under intense magnetic fields up to 5 T, being
insensitive when used in X-ray and visible-light detection, while for VUV light
a significant amplitude reduction was observed at 5 T.Comment: 25 pages, 40 figures, submitted to JINS
Assessment of penetration of Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate into biological membranes by molecular dynamics
The present work, involves the simulation of the transport of a vitamin C derivative, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (ATI), through human skin by molecular dynamics. Percutaneous absorption of the ATI molecule through the infundibulum, an important route of absorption into the hair follicle of the human skin, has been modeled and compared with the stratum corneum membrane. The comparative study was done, using molecular dynamics with Martini force field. In infundibulum, a single ATI molecule require more time to penetrate, and the data obtained suggested that a high concentration of ATI molecule accelerated the process of penetration. In conclusion, the ATI molecule was found to have more affinity towards the stratum corneum as compared towards the infundibulum and it followed a straight pathway to penetrate (until 600 ns of simulation). In infundibulum, it showed less affinity, more mobility and followed a lateral pathway. Thus, this work contributes to a better understanding of the different molecular interactions during percutaneous absorption of active molecules in these two different types of biological membranes.The authors acknowledge financial support from the Brazilian agencies CAPES, Finep and Fapesp (Project FINEP 01.10.0661-00, FAPESP 2011/13250-0, FAPESP 2013/17247-9, FAPESP 2014/05975-2, CAPES 88887068264/2014-00), of Institute of Research and Development, University of Vale ParaĂba
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