Local boron doping quantification in homoepitaxial diamond structures

The capability of transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM) using the high angle annular dark fieldmode (HAADF,also labelled Z-contrast) to quantify boron concentration, in the high doping range between 1019cm−3 and 1021cm−3, is demonstrated. Thanks to the large relative variation of atomic number Z between carbon and boron, doping concentration maps and profiles are obtained with a nanometer-scale resolution. A novel numerical simulation procedure allows the boron concentration quantification and demonstrates the high sensitivity and spatial resolution of the technique.4 page

Development of a fretting-fatigue mapping concept: The effect of material properties and surface treatments

Fretting-fatigue induced by combined localized cyclic contact motion and external bulk fatigue loadings may result in premature and dramatic failure of the contacting components. Depending on fretting and fatigue loading conditions, crack nucleation and possibly crack propagation can be activated. This paper proposes a procedure for estimating these two damage thresholds. The crack nucleation boundary is formalized by applying the Crossland high cycle fatigue criterion, taking into account the stress gradient and the ensuing #size##effect#. The prediction of the crack propagation condition is formalized using a short crack arrest description. Applied to an AISI 1034 steel, this methodology allows the development of an original material response fretting-fatigue map (FFM). The impact of material properties and surface treatments is investigated

Training program about the therapeutical intervention relaxation, mental images and spirituality (RIME) to resignify the spiritual pain of terminal patients

BACKGROUND: This article presents a training program for a therapeutic intervention involving relaxation, mental images and spirituality (RIME), which can be administered to help terminal patients to resignify their spiritual pain. OBJECTIVE: Analysis of a training program based on the understanding of the experience of professionals in the use of RIME intervention and of patients in their resignification of spiritual pain, as revealed during the administration of RIME by trained professionals. METHOD: The participants were a nurse, a female doctor, three psychologists and a volunteer alternative therapist, all experienced in or studying palliative care; they were invited to participate in the training program and were later in charge of caring for eleven terminal inpatients in public hospitals of Campinas, Piracicaba and São Paulo. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study involves action-research and phenomenology. Qualitative results were analyzed by the content analysis utilizing the thematic analysis technique. Quantitative results were analyzed descriptively using the Wilcoxon Test. RESULTS: In the analysis of the professionals, experiences, five categories and fifteen sub-categories were found. In the analysis of the constitution of spiritual pain, we found the idea of fear of death to be the most prevalent, either expressed by negation of the gravity of the clinical prognosis or by the perception of this gravity. After the administration of RIME, statistically significant differences in perceived level of well being (p < 0.0001) were expressed after sessions of RIME. CONCLUSION: The proposed training program proved to be effective in preparing health area professionals for the use of RIME intervention, qualifying them to provide spiritual assistance within an academic perspective. The results suggested that RIME promoted the resignification of spiritual pain in terminal patients.CONTEXTO: Neste artigo, apresentamos um programa de treinamento sobre a intervenção terapêutica relaxamento, imagens mentais e espiritualidade (RIME) para profissionais de saúde, que objetiva re-significar a dor espiritual de pacientes terminais. OBJETIVO: Analisar um programa de treinamento por meio da compreensão da experiência de profissionais na utilização da Intervenção RIME e da compreensão da experiência dos doentes na re-significação da dor espiritual, manifestada durante a aplicação do RIME por profissionais treinados. MÉTODOS: Os sujeitos foram uma enfermeira, uma médica, três psicólogos e uma terapeuta alternativa voluntária, todos experientes ou estudiosos em cuidados paliativos, selecionados por convite e que atenderam 11 pacientes terminais internados em hospitais públicos das cidades de Campinas, Piracicaba e São Paulo (SP). A metodologia utilizada teve como base a pesquisa-ação e a fenomenologia. Os resultados qualitativos foram analisados pelo método análise do conteúdo por meio da técnica análise temática e os quantitativos foram analisados pelo método descritivo, utilizando-se o teste de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: Na análise da vivência dos profissionais, encontramos cinco categorias e 15 subcategorias. Na análise da natureza da dor espiritual, encontramos como categorias mais prevalentes os medos da morte expresso pela negação e pela percepção do quadro clínico. Na aplicação do RIME, observamos diferença estatisticamente significativa (p < 0,0001), isto é, no final das sessões os doentes relataram maior nível de bem-estar que no início das sessões. CONCLUSÃO: O programa de treinamento proposto mostrou-se eficaz para preparar profissionais de saúde para o uso da intervenção RIME, capacitando-os para o processo de cuidar e prestar assistência espiritual segundo uma perspectiva acadêmica. Os resultados sugeriram que o RIME favoreceu a re-significação da dor espiritual de pacientes terminais.607

A combined wear-fatigue design methodology for fretting in the pressure armour layer of flexible marine risers

This paper presents a combined experimental and computational methodology for fretting wear-fatigue prediction of pressure armour wire in flexible marine risers. Fretting wear, friction and fatigue parameters of pressure armour material have been characterised experimentally. A combined fretting wear-fatigue finite element model has been developed using an adaptive meshing technique and the effect of bending-induced tangential slip has been characterised. It has been shown that a surface damage parameter combined with a multiaxial fatigue parameter can accurately predict the beneficial effect of fretting wear on fatigue predictions. This provides a computationally efficient design tool for fretting in the pressure armour layer of flexible marine risers

Investigation into impact of train speed for behaviour of ballasted railway track foundations

Traffic congestion of highways in many countries around the world has led railways to become the most popular means of public transportation, which increased the demand for faster and heavier trains. High-speed trains and heavy train loads are normally accompanied with strong vibrations in the track-ground system, which increases the risk of train derailment and track damages. Therefore, to allow for safer and reliable operation of high-speed trains, an investigation into the behavior of ballasted railway track foundations subjected to train moving loads at various speeds is a subject of prime importance in design of railway tracks. In the current study, sophisticated three dimensional (3D) finite elements (FE) numerical modelling was developed to investigate the impact of train speed on the dynamic response of track-ground system. In addition, some factors of the track-ground system affecting the critical speed including the modulus and thickness of track subgrade and ballast materials, and amplitude of train loading were investigated. The results were analyzed and presented, and their practical implications were discussed

The Temporal Pattern of Mating Behavior of the Fruit Fly, Anastrepha zenildae in the Laboratory

The state of Rio Grande do Norte is an important fruit-producing and exporting area in northeastern Brazil. The success of this industry depends on fruit fly population control, especially in fly-free exporting zones. However, many fruits are not exported because of quarantine restrictions imposed by importing countries. A survey in the state has detected a considerable increase of the fruit fly, Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi (Diptera: Tephritidae), probably a result of the introduction of irrigated guava orchards that make fruit available all year. Knowledge of the sexual behavior of Tephritidae has great importance to pest control programs, particularly those that employ the Sterile Insect Technique. In order to characterize the reproductive behavior of A. zenildae, 32 individuals (16 males; 16 females) in each of six generations were submitted to an artificial 12:12 L:D cycle (750: < 1 lux, lights on 07:00–19:00) and observed over their lifetimes. The courtship and copulation occurred in leks and the episodes varied with the time of day, courtship being most frequent between Zeitgeber time (ZT) 3 and ZT 7, peaking at ZT 5–6. Copulations occurred between ZT 2 and ZT 8, with a higher frequency between ZT 5–7 and a peak at ZT 6. Mean duration was 0.28 ± 0.03 min/male (range: 5–163 min). Males in the leks attempted to copulate mainly between ZT 3 and ZT 7 with a peak at ZT 6, and males outside leks peaked at ZT 7. The different timing of sexual behaviors among related sympatric species, including A. zenildae, may contribute to species isolation

A Raman Study of Morphotropic Phase Boundary in PbZr1-xTixO3 at low temperatures

Raman spectra of PbZr1-xTixO3 ceramics with titanium concentration varying between 0.40 and 0.60 were measured at 7 K. By observing the concentration-frequency dependence of vibrational modes, we identified the boundaries among rhombohedral, monoclinic, and tetragonal ferroelectric phases. The analysis of the spectra was made in the view of theory group analysis making possible the assignment of some modes for the monoclinic phase.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Dynamic culture of osteogenic cells in biomimetically coated poly(caprolactone) nanofibre mesh constructs

In our previous work, biomimetic calcium phosphate-coated poly(caprolactone) nanofibre meshes (BCP-NMs) were demonstrated to be more effective for supporting cell attachment and proliferation under static conditions, when compared with poly(caprolactone) nanofibre meshes (PCL-NMs). In many applications, in vitro cultivation of constructs using bioreactors that support efficient nutrition of cells has appeared as an important step toward the development of functional grafts. This work aimed at studying the effects of dynamic culture conditions and biomimetic coating on bone cells grown on the nanofibre meshes. BCP-NM and PCL-NM were seeded with osteoblast-like cells (MG63--human osteosarcoma-derived cell line). The cell-seeded constructs were cultured within a rotating bioreactor that simulated microgravity, at a fixed rotating speed, for different time periods, and then characterized. Cell morphology, viability, and phenotype were assessed. PCL-NM constructs presented a higher number of dead cells than BCP-NM constructs. Under dynamic conditions, the production of proteins associated with the extracellular matrix of bone was higher on BCP-NM constructs than in the PCL-NM ones, which indicates that coated samples may provide cells with a better environment for tissue growth. It is suggested that improved mass transfer in the bioreactor in combination with the appropriate substrate were decisive factors for this highly positive outcome for generating bone.This work was developed under the scope of the EU Project Network of Excellence "Expertissues'' (NMP3-CT-2004-500283) and supported by Alea jacta est Marie Curie Actions (MEST-CT-2004-008104). M. Alves da Silva would like to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for her grant (SFRH-BD-28708-2006). Jose V. Araujo is grateful to S. Rathbone, H. Sura, I. Wimpenny, I. Dublon, G. Jones, and E. D. Pinho for useful technical discussions

Structural and functional stabilization of bacteriophage particles within the aqueous core of a W/O/W multiple emulsion: a potential biotherapeutic system for the inhalational treatment of bacterial pneumonia

The increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is growing every day, most likely associated with the indiscriminate use of these antimicrobials or even with evolutionary adaptability of bacteria to their environment. This situation brings a need to develop new alternatives to conventional antibiotics, and thus the application of strictly lytic bacteriophages has been proposed as an alternative (or complement) to the former, allowing release of the natural predators of bacteria directly where they are needed the most: the infection site. The main advantages of bacteriophages to treat infections is the maintenance of a high concentration of bacteriophage particles in the action site while any viable target bacteria still exist, coupled to the production of enzymes that hydrolyze the polymeric matrix of bacterial biofilms promoting penetration and antibacterial action. In the research effort entertained herein, the potential for protection and stabilization of strictly lytic bacteriophages with broad spectrum capable of infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, so as to maintain their structure and functionality, was investigated via encapsulation within the aqueous-core of lipid nanodroplets integrating a W/O/W multiple emulsion system, aiming at developing isotonic derivative solutions thereof for administration by nebulization.Project funding by FAPESP (São Paulo, Brazil; Refs. No. 2013/ 03181-6 (Project PneumoPhageKill), 2016/08884-3 (Project PneumoPhageColor) and 2016/12234-4 (Project TransAppIL)), is hereby gratefully acknowledged. This work also received support from CNPq, in the form of a Research Productivity (PQ)fellowship granted to Victor M. Balcão (Ref. No. 306113/2014-7). The authors are grateful to the LME facility at LNNano/CNPEM (Campinas, Brazil) for the use of the TEM microscope. The authors have no conflicts of interest whatsoever to declare.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

PERFIL SENSORIAL E ACEITABILIDADE DE AMOSTRAS DE ÁGUA-DE-COCO OBTIDAS POR DIFERENTES PROCESSOS DE FABRICAÇÃO

O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar amostras de água-de-coco, comercializadas em grandes supermercados e hipermercados da região sudeste e correlacionar tais características com os diferentes tipos de tecnologia de fabricação empregados. Utilizou-se a análise descritiva quantitativa para levantar o perfil sensorial de três marcas comerciais de água-de-coco (resfriada, congelada e esterilizada), disponíveis no mercado de Campinas, SP (BRASIL), e avaliou-se a aceitação das amostras pelos consumidores mediante teste afetivo. Observou-se que as águas-de-coco estavam sensorialmente descaracterizadas, apresentando sabores e aromas estranhos descritos como água tônica, ferrugem e pútrido, além de baixa aceitação. Tal resultado pode estar diretamente relacionado ao tipo de processamento aplicado ao produto, evidenciando a necessidade de rápida melhoria das linhas de processamento de água-de-coco