Programmed buckling by controlled lateral swelling in a thin elastic sheet

Recent experiments have imposed controlled swelling patterns on thin polymer films, which subsequently buckle into three-dimensional shapes. We develop a solution to the design problem suggested by such systems, namely, if and how one can generate particular three-dimensional shapes from thin elastic sheets by mere imposition of a two-dimensional pattern of locally isotropic growth. Not every shape is possible. Several types of obstruction can arise, some of which depend on the sheet thickness. We provide some examples using the axisymmetric form of the problem, which is analytically tractable.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Perturbation theory for plasmonic eigenvalues

We develop a perturbative approach for calculating, within the quasistatic approximation, the shift of surface resonances in response to a deformation of a dielectric volume. Our strategy is based on the conversion of the homogeneous system for the potential which determines the plasmonic eigenvalues into an inhomogeneous system for the potential's derivative with respect to the deformation strength, and on the exploitation of the corresponding compatibility condition. The resulting general expression for the first-order shift is verified for two explicitly solvable cases, and for a realistic example of a deformed nanosphere. It can be used for scanning the huge parameter space of possible shape fluctuations with only quite small computational effort

How to determine local elastic properties of lipid bilayer membranes from atomic-force-microscope measurements: A theoretical analysis

Measurements with an atomic force microscope (AFM) offer a direct way to probe elastic properties of lipid bilayer membranes locally: provided the underlying stress-strain relation is known, material parameters such as surface tension or bending rigidity may be deduced. In a recent experiment a pore-spanning membrane was poked with an AFM tip, yielding a linear behavior of the force-indentation curves. A theoretical model for this case is presented here which describes these curves in the framework of Helfrich theory. The linear behavior of the measurements is reproduced if one neglects the influence of adhesion between tip and membrane. Including it via an adhesion balance changes the situation significantly: force-distance curves cease to be linear, hysteresis and nonzero detachment forces can show up. The characteristics of this rich scenario are discussed in detail in this article.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, REVTeX4 style. New version corresponds to the one accepted by PRE. The result section is restructured: a comparison to experimental findings is included; the discussion on the influence of adhesion between AFM tip and membrane is extende

Primary and secondary scintillation measurements in a xenon Gas Proportional Scintillation Counter

NEXT is a new experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a 100 kg radio-pure high-pressure gaseous xenon TPC. The detector requires excellent energy resolution, which can be achieved in a Xe TPC with electroluminescence readout. Hamamatsu R8520-06SEL photomultipliers are good candidates for the scintillation readout. The performance of this photomultiplier, used as VUV photosensor in a gas proportional scintillation counter, was investigated. Initial results for the detection of primary and secondary scintillation produced as a result of the interaction of 5.9 keV X-rays in gaseous xenon, at room temperature and at pressures up to 3 bar, are presented. An energy resolution of 8.0% was obtained for secondary scintillation produced by 5.9 keV X-rays. No significant variation of the primary scintillation was observed for different pressures (1, 2 and 3 bar) and for electric fields up to 0.8 V cm-1 torr-1 in the drift region, demonstrating negligible recombination luminescence. A primary scintillation yield of 81 \pm 7 photons was obtained for 5.9 keV X-rays, corresponding to a mean energy of 72 \pm 6 eV to produce a primary scintillation photon in xenon.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in JINS

Análise da radiação fotossinteticamente ativa em um vinhedo durante duas épocas produtivas no Submédio do Vale São Francisco: resultados preliminares.

Este trabalho objetivou determinar a incidência da radiação fotossinteticamente ativa (PAR) na altura dos cachos posicionados do leste (E) e oeste (W) em um vinhedo cultivado com a variedade Syrah no Submédio do Vale São Francisco. Para isso foram realizadas medições microclimáticas durante o primeiro e o segundo semestre de 2010 a fim de quantificar a radiação PAR incidente nos lados leste e oeste das fileiras de videira ?Syrah?, conduzida em sistema de espaldeira, com orientação norte-sul. Foram estudados dois tratamentos: T1: desfolha no início da maturação dos cachos (mudança de cor das bagas), eliminando-se todas as folhas basais até a folha acima do último cacho (35 DAP e 30 DAP) nos respectivos ciclos, e T2: desponte de ramos realizada em duas fases distintas: no início do crescimento da baga ou fase de 'ervilha' e na fase de início de maturação dos cachos ou mudança de cor das bagas, (45 DAP e 39 DAP) (fase 1) e (10 dias após a fase 1) (fase 2) nos respectivos ciclos. Os resultados mostraram que a razão entre a radiação fotossinteticamente ativa e a radiação solar global incidente sobre o vinhedo foi igual a 40% no primeiro semetre e 36% no segundo semestre. Em ambos os casos, durante o início do ciclo, os cachos de uva voltados para face leste ficaram mais expostos à radiação PAR do que aqueles voltados para o oeste. No primeiro ciclo este comportamento perdurou até o final do ciclo, fato que não ocorreu no segundo ciclo

Aharonov-Bohm-like effect for light propagating in nematics with disclinations

Using a geometric approach for the propagation of light in anisotropic media, we investigate what effect the director field of disclinations may have on the polarization state of light. Parallel transport around the defect, of the spinor describing the polarization, indicates the acquisition of a topological phase, in analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in Europhysics Letter

Assessment of the Kinematic Adaptations in Parkinson’s Disease Using the Gait Profile Score: Influences of Trunk Posture, a Pilot Study

Introduction: Postural abnormalities are common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and lead to gait abnormalities. Relationships between changes in the trunk posture of PD patients and gait profile score (GPS) and gait spatiotemporal parameters are poorly investigated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships between trunk posture, GPS, and gait spatiotemporal parameters, in patients with PD. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three people with PD and nineteen age-matched healthy people participated in this study. A 3D gait kinematical analysis was applied to all participants using the Plug-In Gait Full Body™ tool. Trunk and limb kinematics patterns and gait spatio-temporal parameters of patients with PD and the control group were compared. Additionally, correlations between trunk kinematics patterns, gait spatio-temporal parameters, and GPS of the PD group were tested. Results: Cadence, opposite foot off, step time, single support, double support, foot off, gait speed, trunk kinematics, and GPS showed significant differences between the two groups (p ≤ 0.05). Posture of the trunk during gait was not related to the spatio-temporal parameters and gait profile score in the PD group. The trunk flexor pattern influenced GPS domains, mainly of the ankle and the knee. Discussion and Conclusions: Flexed posture of the trunk in patients with PD seems to influence both ankle and knee movement patterns during the gait. The GPS analysis provided direct and simplified kinematic information for the PD group. These results may have implications for understanding the importance of considering the positioning of the trunk during gait

Diagnostico do estado nutricional de seringais implantados na regiao da zona da mata de Minas Gerais.

bitstream/item/62881/1/CNPS-PESQ.-AND.-5-98.pd

Interface mediated interactions between particles -- a geometrical approach

Particles bound to an interface interact because they deform its shape. The stresses that result are fully encoded in the geometry and described by a divergence-free surface stress tensor. This stress tensor can be used to express the force on a particle as a line integral along any conveniently chosen closed contour that surrounds the particle. The resulting expression is exact (i.e., free of any "smallness" assumptions) and independent of the chosen surface parametrization. Additional surface degrees of freedom, such as vector fields describing lipid tilt, are readily included in this formalism. As an illustration, we derive the exact force for several important surface Hamiltonians in various symmetric two-particle configurations in terms of the midplane geometry; its sign is evident in certain interesting limits. Specializing to the linear regime, where the shape can be analytically determined, these general expressions yield force-distance relations, several of which have originally been derived by using an energy based approach.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, REVTeX4 style; final version, as appeared in Phys. Rev. E. Compared to v2 several minor mistakes, as well as one important minus sign in Eqn. (18a) have been cured. Compared to v1, this version is significantly extended: Lipid tilt degrees of freedom for membranes are included in the stress framework, more technical details are given, estimates for the magnitude of forces are mad

Bioprospecção de bactérias com potencial antagônico a fusarium spp. associado à morte de brachiaria brizantha

Há uma crescente busca nos últimos tempos por sistemas agropecuários que sejam produtivos, econômicos e sustentáveis. A síndrome da morte do capim Marandu (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) é um problema que vem crescendo nos últimos anos, um dos principais sinais de baixa sustentabilidade da pecuária brasileira. A morte das plantas forrageiras ocorre na época chuvosa, geralmente em solos mal drenados, devido a falta de adaptação da planta à baixa oxigenação das raízes, deixando-a suscetível ao ataque de fitopatógenos oportunistas. Diante da problemática, objetivou-se isolar e selecionar bactérias com potencial antagônico a Fusarium spp., um dos agentes fitopatogênicos que participam desse processo. Foram avaliados 10 sistemas, no período de chuva e seca: 1-F: floresta; 2-L: lavoura; 3-P: pecuária; 4-iPL: integração pecuária-lavoura; 5-iLP: integração lavoura-pecuária; 6-iLF: integração lavoura-floresta; 7-iPF: integração pecuária-floresta; 8-iLPF: lavoura e floresta por 2 anos e após pecuária e floresta por 2 anos; 9iLPF: pecuária e floresta por 2 anos e lavoura e floresta por 2 anos; 10-iLPF: integração lavoura-pecuária-floresta; além da mata nativa e área de pousio, distribuídos em blocos casualizados com 4 repetições. Os isolados bacterianos foram obtidos de amostras de solo diluídas, aplicadas em meio de cultura TSA 10% (Triptona soja ágar) e incubadas a 28ºC. Após a purificação os isolados foram armazenados em solução de glicerol 20% a -80°C. Foram testadas 20 bactérias em cada sistema. O método para avaliação de antagonismo foi o de cultura pareada em placa de Petri, por confronto direto, e em meio sólido BDA (Batata dextrose ágar). Na avaliação, foi considerado como positivo as bactérias que formaram halo de inibição ou quando o crescimento do corpo fúngico não encostou na bactéria. Dois isolados foram testados, Fusarium spp. isolado de planta de soja acometida (1) e Fusarium spp. isolado de solo onde ocorreu a morte da forrageira (2). Primeiramente, todos os isolados bacterianos foram testados contra o patógeno 1 e então, somente as bactérias antagônicas foram testadas contra o patógeno 2. Para o patógeno 1, na época da chuva, 7,5% dos isolados testados apresentaram antagonismo enquanto na seca esse valor foi maior (15%). Para o patógeno 2, nem todos os isolados positivos para o patógeno 1 foram eficientes no controle, demonstrando a ocorrência de interações entre isolados bacterianos e Fusarium spp. Quando considerados os sistemas, na chuva, para o patógeno 1, a mata apresentou maior número de isolados positivos (20%). Na seca, mata, 1-F e 8-iLPF para o patógeno 1, foram os que apresentaram maior número de positivos (25%). Dentre as épocas avaliadas, a seca teve mais bactérias antagonistas, e o tratamento 8-iLPF apresentou melhores resultados. O que demonstra possibilidade de encontrar um controlador biológico à Fusarium spp. neste sistema. Os sistemas mais biodiversos parecem favorecer o equilíbrio entre os microrganismos (antagonismo), o que pode reduzir ação do Fusarium spp. no capim Marandu. Isso deve ser evidenciado em análises posteriores com testes in vivo, a fim de comprovar e desenvolver novas biotecnologias. Palavras-chave: controle biológico, forragem, microbiologia