NJL-type models in the presence of intense magnetic fields: The role of the regularization prescription

We study the regularization dependence of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model (NJL) predictions for some properties of magnetized quark matter at zero temperature (and baryonic density) in the mean field approximation. The model parameter dependence for each regularization procedure is also analyzed in detail. We calculate the average and difference of the quark condensates using different regularization methods and compare with recent lattice results. In this context, the reliability of the different regularization procedures is discussed.Fil: Avancini, Sidney S.. Universidade Federal Da Santa Catarina. Cent.de Cs Físicas E Matemáticas; BrasilFil: Farias, Ricardo L. S.. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; BrasilFil: Scoccola, Norberto Nerio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Tavares, William R.. Universidade Federal Da Santa Catarina. Cent.de Cs Físicas E Matemáticas; Brasi

Identification of mosquito repellent odours from Ocimum forskolei

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Native mosquito repellent plants have a good potential for integrated mosquito control in local settings. <it>Ocimum forskolei</it>, Lamiaceae, is used in Eritrea as a spatial mosquito repellent inside houses, either through crushing fresh plants or burning dry plants. We verified whether active repellent compounds could be identified using gas-chromatography coupled electroantennogram recordings (GC-EAD) with headspace extracts of crushed plants.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>EAD active compounds included (R)-(-)-linalool, (S)-(+)-1-octen-3-ol, trans-caryophyllene, naphthalene, methyl salicylate, (R)-(-)-α-copaene, methyl cinnamate and (E)-ocimene. Of these compounds (R)-(-)-linalool, methyl cinnamate and methyl salicylate reduced landing of female <it>Aedes aegypti </it>on human skin-odor baited tubes. The latter two are novel mosquito repellent compounds.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The identification of mosquito repellent compounds contributes to deciphering the mechanisms underlying repulsion, supporting the rational design of novel repellents. The three mosquito repellent compounds identified in this study are structurally dissimilar, which may indicate involvement of different sensory neurons in repulsion. Repulsion may well be enhanced through combining different repellent plants (or their synthetic mimics), and can be a locally sustainable part in mosquito control efforts.</p

Exploring Mexican adolescents' perceptions of environmental health risks: a photographic approach to risk analysis

The objective of this study was to explore Mexican adolescents' perceptions of environmental health risks in contaminated urban areas, and to test the environmental photography technique as a research tool for engaging adolescents in community-based health research. The study was conducted with 74 adolescents from two communities in the city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Participants were provided with disposable cameras and asked to take photographs of elements and situations which they believed affected their personal health both at home and outside their homes. They were also asked to describe each photograph in writing. Photographs and written explanations were analyzed by using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Risk perception plays a crucial role in the development of Risk Communication Programs (RCPs) aimed at the improvement of community health. The photography technique opens up a promising field for environmental health research since it affords a realistic and concise impression of the perceived risks. Adolescents in both communities perceived different environmental health risks as detrimental to their well-being, e.g. waste, air pollution, and lack of hygiene. Yet, some knowledge gaps remain which need to be addressed

A closed-form equation for the local buckling moment of pultruded FRP I-beams in major-axis bending

A new closed-form equation for the local instability of pultruded fibre-reinforced plastic beams in bending is derived by substituting suitable buckling approximating functions for compression flange and web into the total potential energy functional. Being obtained from a full-section approach, the equation does not require independent calculations for web and compression flange, which are typical of discrete plate analysis. Moreover, the contribution of the elastic restraint stiffness commonly used to reproduce the web–flange junction behavior naturally arises in the proposed formulation because of the assumed buckling shape. From comparisons with available experiments on 10 beams and FE solutions for 55 beams, the proposed equation appears to be accurate and reliable