A concentration phenomenon for semilinear elliptic equations

For a domain \Omega\subset\dR^N we consider the equation -\Delta u + V(x)u = Q_n(x)\abs{u}^{p-2}u with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions and $p\in(2,2^*)$. Here $V\ge 0$ and $Q_n$ are bounded functions that are positive in a region contained in $\Omega$ and negative outside, and such that the sets $\{Q_n>0\}$ shrink to a point $x_0\in\Omega$ as $n\to\infty$. We show that if $u_n$ is a nontrivial solution corresponding to $Q_n$, then the sequence $(u_n)$ concentrates at $x_0$ with respect to the $H^1$ and certain $L^q$-norms. We also show that if the sets $\{Q_n>0\}$ shrink to two points and $u_n$ are ground state solutions, then they concentrate at one of these points

R&D, structural change and productivity: the role of high and medium-high technology industries

This paper investigates the potential impact of increased R&D efforts and structural change in Portugal on labour productivity. Based on existing literature on the relation between R&D expenditures, structural change and productivity, we evaluate the contribution of R&D and hightech industries to productivity over the last 30 years. Our results confirm the importance of business R&D in the medium to high-tech sectors and of public R&D, as they stimulate productivity growth. However, we cannot support the hypothosis that productivity growth was primarily rooted in the development of medium-high technology industries.Este artigo investiga o potencial impacto do aumento de I&D e de mudanças estruturais na produtividade do trabalho em Portugal. Com base na literatura sobre a relação entre despesas em I&D, mudança estrutural e produtividade, avaliamos a contribuição da I&D e das indústrias de alta tecnologia neste cenário durante os últimos 30 anos. Os resultados obtidos confirmam a importância dos investimentos em I&D das empresas de indústrias de alta e média-alta tecnologia e I&D público no crescimento da produtividade. Não obstante, não podemos afirmar que este fenômeno tenha como esteio principal o crescente relevo destas indústrias

Aging alters the production of iNOS, arginase and cytokines in murine macrophages

The limited amount of information on the primary age-related deficiencies in the innate immune system led us to study the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), arginase, and cytokines in macrophages of young (8 weeks old) and old (72 weeks old) female BALB/c mice. We first evaluated iNOS and arginase inducers on peritoneal (PMΦ) and bone marrow-derived (BMMΦ) macrophages of young BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, and then investigated their effects on macrophages of old mice. Upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), resident and thioglycolate-elicited PMΦ from young mice presented higher iNOS activity than those from old mice (54.4%). However, LPS-stimulated BMMΦ from old mice showed the highest NO levels (50.1%). Identical NO levels were produced by PMΦ and BMMΦ of both young and old mice stimulated with interferon-γ. Arginase activity was higher in resident and elicited PMΦ of young mice stimulated with LPS (48.8 and 32.7%, respectively) and in resident PMΦ stimulated with interleukin (IL)-4 (64%). BMMΦ of old mice, however, showed higher arginase activity after treatment with IL-4 (46.5%). In response to LPS, PMΦ from old mice showed the highest levels of IL-1α (772.3 ± 51.9 pg/mL), whereas, those from young mice produced the highest amounts of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (937.2 ± 132.1 pg/mL). Only TNF-α was expressed in LPS-treated BMMΦ, and cells from old mice showed the highest levels of this cytokine (994.1 ± 49.42 pg/mL). Overall, these results suggest that macrophages from young and old mice respond differently to inflammatory stimuli, depending on the source and maturity of the cell donors.67168

Somatotipo, Composição Corporal E Desempenho Em Ultramaratona

This study aimed to characterize somatotype, analyze anthropometric indicators associated with body composition during the race and verify possible relationships with the performance of athletes in a 217-km ultramarathon. For this, ten male volunteers (42.8 ± 3.5 years; 171.4 ± 1.9 cm height, 70.7 ± 3.1 kg body mass; 15 ± 3 years of running exercise) performed a critical velocity (CV) test one week before the competition and were submitted to anthropometric measurements before, at 84 km of the race and at the end of the race. Volunteers finished the race in 46.8 ± 3.4 h (4.9 ± 0.4 km/h; 33.4 ± 1.8% CV). Mean values equivalent to somatotype components accounted for 3.4 ± 0.4 for endomorphy, 5.2 ± 0.4 for mesomorphy and 1.7 ± 0.3 for ectomorphy. Body mass, body mass index, fat-free mass and chest circumference decreased (P <0.05) after 84 and 217 km compared to baseline. Pre-race values of thigh skinfold thickness (R = 0.79) and waist circumference (R = 0.64) were significantly correlated (P <0.05) with final race time. Thus, we concluded that ultramarathoners had mean endo-mesomorph somatotype and reductions in both body mass and fat-free mass during and after the race. Furthermore, the results suggest that increased body fat deposits concentrated in the lower limbs and abdominal region may have a negative impact on the performance of the athletes in 217-km ultramarathon. © 2016, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. All rights reserved.18212713

Evidence based practice in radiology: the radiographer perspective

This study is included in the exploratory-descriptive type, since it aims to analyze the applicability of knowledge and evidence based radiology by radiographers during their daily work and their academic education

Astrophysics from data analysis of spherical gravitational wave detectors

The direct detection of gravitational waves will provide valuable astrophysical information about many celestial objects. Also, it will be an important test to general relativity and other theories of gravitation. The gravitational wave detector SCHENBERG has recently undergone its first test run. It is expected to have its first scientific run soon. In this work the data analysis system of this spherical, resonant mass detector is tested through the simulation of the detection of gravitational waves generated during the inspiralling phase of a binary system. It is shown from the simulated data that it is not necessary to have all six transducers operational in order to determine the source's direction and the wave's amplitudes.Comment: 8 pages and 3 figure

Andrological, pathologic, morphometric, and ultrasonographic findings in rams experimentally infected with Brucella ovis

AbstractBrucella ovis is considered the most important infectious cause of reproductive disorders in sheep. The disease is characterized by epididymitis, subfertility and infertility in rams. B. ovis occasionally results in abortion in ewes, as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate kinetic changes in the reproductive organs of rams experimentally infected with B. ovis. Nine rams were experimentally inoculated intrapreputially with 2mL of a suspension containing 1.2×109CFU (colony-forming units)/mL of B. ovis (strain ATCC25840). In addition, 50μL of a suspension containing 1.2×1010CFU/mL of the same B. ovis strain was inoculated into each conjunctival sac, resulting in 3.6×109CFU total per ram. Six of nine infected rams had developed clinical changes in the tail of the epididymis at 30 days post-infection (dpi), but these changes regressed in 50% of these rams. Ultrasound demonstrated an increase in the area of the tail of the epididymis (P<0.001), reduction in the area of the testes (P<0.001), and an increased length and width of the seminal vesicles (P<0.001) during the course of infection. A sperm granuloma was diagnosed on the basis of ultrasonography findings. Microscopically, there was epididymitis, testicular degeneration, and seminal vesiculitis. Inflammatory cells were detected in the semen even before the development of epididymitis. Moreover, inflammatory cells were also found in the semen of asymptomatic rams, indicating that the presence of leukocytes in the ejaculate is a valuable method for screening potential carriers of infections in the genital tract

A New Cosmological Scenario in String Theory

We consider new cosmological solutions with a collapsing, an intermediate and an expanding phase. The boundary between the expanding (collapsing) phase and the intermediate phase is seen by comoving observers as a cosmological past (future) horizon. The solutions are naturally embedded in string and M-theory. In the particular case of a two-dimensional cosmology, space-time is flat with an identification under boost and translation transformations. We consider the corresponding string theory orbifold and calculate the modular invariant one-loop partition function. In this case there is a strong parallel with the BTZ black hole. The higher dimensional cosmologies have a time-like curvature singularity in the intermediate region. In some cases the string coupling can be made small throughout all of space-time but string corrections become important at the singularity. This happens where string winding modes become light which could resolve the singularity. The new proposed space-time casual structure could have implications for cosmology, independently of string theory.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures; v2: Added new subsection relating two-dimensional model to BTZ black hole, typos corrected and references added; v3: minor corrections, PRD versio