Gauge fields in a string-cigar braneworld

In this work we investigate the properties of an Abelian gauge vector field in a thin and in a smoothed string-like braneworld, the so-called string-cigar model. This thick brane scenario satisfies the regularity conditions and it can be regarded as an interior and exterior string-like solution. The source undergoes a geometric Ricci flow which is connected to a variation of the bulk cosmological constant. The Ricci flow changes the width and amplitude of the massless mode at the brane core and recover the usual thin string-like behavior at large distances. By numerical means we obtain the Kaluza-Klein (KK) spectrum for both the thin brane and the string-cigar. It turns out that both models exhibit a mass gap between the massless and the massive modes and between the high and the low mass regimes. The KK modes are smooth near the brane and their amplitude are enhanced by the string-cigar core. The analogue Schr\"odinger potential is also tuned by the geometric flow.Comment: The discussion about the Kaluza-Klein spectrum of the gauge field was improved. Numerical analysis was adapted to the conventional notation on Kaluza-Klein number. Some graphics were modified for considering other notation. Results unchanged. References added. Corrected typos. 17 pages. 6 figures. To match version to appears in Physics Letters

Rheological Behaviour of PP Nanocomposites by Extrusion Process

The effect of organophilic clay (C15A) in PP compatibilized polymer (PP/PP-g-MA) through rheological experimental results is presented. This study focusses on the description of the rheological behaviour of the organophilic layers along the screws of a twin screw extruder by melting process, varying the screw profile as well as the processing conditions, namely screw speed, temperature and feed rate. Different levels of dispersion were found along the screws for all conditions and positions analyzed by rheology. The qualitative analysis of the images obtained by transmission electron microscopy, reinforced the results. Furthermore, the effects of the processing conditions on dispersion of C15A layers along the screw profile are analyzed using multiple linear regression techniques. The results show statistically significant differences of all rheology measures for all the processing conditions and positions along the extruder.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tunnel 4 (Porto) : three-dimensional finite element analysis

Neste trabalho apresenta-se os principais resultados da aplicação de modelos de elementos finitos a um túnel superficial escavado em solos residuais graníticos, no Porto. Os cálculos foram efectuados através de análises tridimensionais, nas quais se tentou reproduzir a sequência completa da construção (fase de escavação e aplicação do suporte). O comportamento mecânico dos solos foi reproduzido usando um modelo elástico perfeitamente plástico, tendo os respectivos parâmetros definidores sido estimados com base em resultados de ensaios de campo realizados durante a prospecção e de ensaios laboratoriais. O comportamento observado é comparado com os resultados decorrentes dos cálculos numéricos, tendo-se obtido uma boa concordância.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - Programa POCTI/ECM/2521/95 - Concepção, Projecto e Reabilitação de Túneis em Obras Viárias

Análise tridimensional de um túnel aberto num maciço de solo residual do granito

Neste trabalho são apresentados, e confrontados com os fornecidos pela instrumentação, alguns resultados de uma análise tridimensional, através de modelos de elementos finitos, de um túnel superficial escavado em solos residuais graníticos na cidade do Porto, Portugal. Nessa análise tentou-se reproduzir a sequência completa da construção (fase de escavação e aplicação do suporte), tendo sido o comportamento mecânico dos solos reproduzido através de um modelo elástico perfeitamente plástico.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – Programa POCTI/ECM/2521/95 – Concepção, Projecto e Reabilitação de Túneis em Obras Viárias

Environments for sonic ecologies

This paper outlines a current lack of consideration for the environmental context of Evolutionary Algorithms used for the generation of music. We attempt to readdress this balance by outlining the benefits of developing strong coupling strategies between agent and en- vironment. It goes on to discuss the relationship between artistic process and the viewer and suggests a placement of the viewer and agent in a shared environmental context to facilitate understanding of the artistic process and a feeling of participation in the work. The paper then goes on to outline the installation ‘Excuse Me and how it attempts to achieve a level of Sonic Ecology through the use of a shared environmental context

Scrap production of extruded aluminum alloys by direct extrusion

The growing globalization of the different types of market requires that companies invest, in a recurrent way, to optimize and improve all the processes inherent to their activities. Aluminium extrusion is the main industrial process used to create profiles of a fixed cross-section. This process requires appropriate processing parameters to be used, in order to produce diverse profiles and high-quality products. The company’s ability to adapt and improve the productive process are differentiating factors against the competition. Thus, understand the main operations and dynamics of the companies is crucial. This work presents an empirical study concerning the extrusion process of a Portuguese company in the aluminium sector. By analysing a real data base provided by the company, the main objective is to model the aluminium extrusion process. Taking into account the variables that most influence the extrusion of different profiles, the aim is to minimize the production of scrap. First, by studying the literature in the subject, the variables that most contribute to scrap production were identified. Since the database provided by the company did not present all the variables described in literature, proxy variables were considered. Next, a multivariate linear regression model for explaining the amount of scrap taking as explanatory the identified variables was estimated. With this analysis, it was possible to identify levels of significance of the variables under study, and therefore understand how each of the variables contributes to the increase or decrease of the amount of scrap on the production of aluminium profiles. The results show that variables concerning with extrusion temperature, time, speed, pressure and die geometry are crucial to improve and control the scrap production. The obtained model will be improved, in future work, by including further variables of the extrusion process. Furthermore, factor analysis and GHML methodologies will also be considered for explaining the production of scrap and therefore improve the production process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Under-expression Of Chemosensory Genes In Domiciliary Bugs Of The Chagas Disease Vector Triatoma Brasiliensis

In Latin America, the bloodsucking bugs Triatominae are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Chemical elimination programs have been launched to control Chagas disease vectors. However, the disease persists because native vectors from sylvatic habitats are able to (re)colonize houses—a process called domiciliation. Triatoma brasiliensis is one example. Because the chemosensory system allows insects to interact with their environment and plays a key role in insect adaption, we conducted a descriptive and comparative study of the chemosensory transcriptome of T. brasiliensis samples from different ecotopes. Methodology/Principal Finding: In a reference transcriptome built using de novo assembly, we found transcripts encoding 27 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 17 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 3 odorant receptors (ORs), 5 transient receptor potential channel (TRPs), 1 sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMPs), 25 takeout proteins, 72 cytochrome P450s, 5 gluthatione S-transferases, and 49 cuticular proteins. Using protein phylogenies, we showed that most of the OBPs and CSPs for T. brasiliensis had well supported orthologs in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus. We also showed a higher number of these genes within the bloodsucking bugs and more generally within all Hemipterans compared to the other species in the super-order Paraneoptera. Using both DESeq2 and EdgeR software, we performed differential expression analyses between samples of T. brasiliensis, taking into account their environment (sylvatic, peridomiciliary and domiciliary) and sex. We also searched clusters of co-expressed contigs using HTSCluster. Among differentially expressed (DE) contigs, most were under-expressed in the chemosensory organs of the domiciliary bugs compared to the other samples and in females compared to males. We clearly identified DE genes that play a role in the chemosensory system. Conclusion/Significance: Chemosensory genes could be good candidates for genes that contribute to adaptation or plastic rearrangement to an anthropogenic system. The domiciliary environment probably includes less diversity of xenobiotics and probably has more stable abiotic parameters than do sylvatic and peridomiciliary environments. This could explain why both detoxification and cuticle protein genes are less expressed in domiciliary bugs. Understanding the molecular basis for how vectors adapt to human dwellings may reveal new tools to control disease vectors; for example, by disrupting chemical communication. © 2016 Marchant et al.101

Permeability coefficients and vapor pressure determination for fragrance materials

Objective This study aims to correlate new experimental data relevant to the description of the combined evaporation/permeation process of a perfume applied onto the skin. Methods The vapor pressure data was measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TG‐DTA). The Antoine constants and the Clarke & Glew parameters were determined for the same set of fragrance molecules to describe its low vapor pressures at new temperature ranges. The permeability coefficient of a set of 14 fragrance molecules in ethanolic solution was determined by Franz diffusion cell experiments, using porcine skin. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV visible detector (HPLC/UV). A QSAR model was proposed to correlate the experimental data. Results The Antoine constants were determined and presented low standard deviations. The Clarke & Glew physically significant parameters were obtained along with its statistical analysis. The fitting is good since the magnitude order is in accordance with the literature, associated with the low correlation between the estimated parameters and low standard deviations. The presented correlation, based on a mixture using only ethanol as solvent, showed better results than previous QSAR models with a standard relative deviation (σr) of 0.190, a standard error (SE) of 0.397, and a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.7786. Conclusion The dataset is still small compared to larger and more general QSAR models; however, it is much more specific as to the type of solvent and class of materials studied. This work represents an advance for the modeling of the perfume diffusion process since it specifies important properties that until then had been treated in a more general way.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Structural and optical characterization of WO3 deposited on glass and ITO

Electrochromic materials exhibit variable and reversible optical properties under the action of voltage pulses. The interest in these materials has increased in the last few years due to their potential application in a wide variety of optical modulation devices. Tungsten oxide (WO3) is typical in such devices. In this work, we present a study of the structural and optical properties of tungsten oxide films deposited on glass and indium tin oxide. The films were produced by reactive dc magnetron sputtering at different temperatures (room temperature and 200°C) and bias voltage (−60 to +60 V). The sputtering atmosphere was composed of an Ar+O2 mixture so that sample could be deposited with different oxygen partial pressure (0.2⩽ p(O2)⩽0.8). Spectral transmission in the visible and near infrared was measured using a double-beam spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction was used in order to characterize the film structure. The surface microtopography was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). XRD results show that for low p(O2) the films present an amorphous WO3 phase, while for high oxygen partial pressure they present a mixture of a more crystalline WO3 phase and a W20O58 phase. The structure change is for p(O2)=0.5–0.6. A corresponding minimum was observed in the transmission and in the optical band gap, at these oxygen partial pressures. These results show that the optical properties of the films are dependent on the presence of oxygen deficient regions on the films. This was also observed in the samples deposited with an applied bias voltage. Microstructure (AFM) and X-ray measurements in these samples show that electron bombardment (positive bias) favors crystallinity and ion bombardment (negative bias) favors amorphization of the tungsten oxide phases present on the films