TESTING THE DISTANCE-DUALITY RELATION WITH GALAXY CLUSTERS AND TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

In this Letter, we propose a new and model-independent cosmological test for the distance-duality (DD) relation, eta = D(L)(z)(1 + z)(-2)/D(A)(z) = 1, where D(L) and D(A) are, respectively, the luminosity and angular diameter distances. For D(L) we consider two sub-samples of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) taken from Constitution data whereas D(A) distances are provided by two samples of galaxy clusters compiled by De Filippis et al. and Bonamente et al. by combining Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect and X-ray surface brightness. The SNe Ia redshifts of each sub-sample were carefully chosen to coincide with the ones of the associated galaxy cluster sample (Delta z < 0.005), thereby allowing a direct test of the DD relation. Since for very low redshifts, D(A)(z) approximate to D(L)(z), we have tested the DD relation by assuming that. is a function of the redshift parameterized by two different expressions: eta(z) = 1 + eta(0)z and eta(z) = 1 +eta(0)z/(1 + z), where eta(0) is a constant parameter quantifying a possible departure from the strict validity of the reciprocity relation (eta(0) = 0). In the best scenario (linear parameterization), we obtain eta(0) = -0.28(-0.44)(+0.44) (2 sigma, statistical + systematic errors) for the De Filippis et al. sample (elliptical geometry), a result only marginally compatible with the DD relation. However, for the Bonamente et al. sample (spherical geometry) the constraint is eta(0) = -0.42(-0.34)(+0.34) (3 sigma, statistical + systematic errors), which is clearly incompatible with the duality-distance relation.

Carbide lime and industrial hydrated lime characterization

This paper focuses on the characterization of carbide lime (CL) - a by-product of acetylene production, composed mainly of calcium hydroxide with minor parts of carbonate - and compares its features to those of ""dry"" hydrated lime (HL) commonly used as a building material. Chemical, thermogravimetric and X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that the limes are similar in chemical and mineralogical compositions. except for the presence of carbon in the waste. Morphological and elemental chemical analyses by SEM and EDS revealed that CL particles differ from HL ones in their morphology and by the presence of carbon formations, Physical characterization included density and BET surface area of the materials. as well as, their particle size distributions in deionized water at diverse time periods. CL underwent agglomeration after approximately 60 min in water, whereas HL progressively became finer with time as determined by laser diffraction. In addition, water retention and squeeze flow tests were used to assess the pastes` fresh properties. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EFFECT OF CHEMICAL INTERESTERIFICATION ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF CANOLA OIL AND FULLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL BLENDS

Blends of canola oil (CO) and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil (FHCSO), with 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40% FHCSO (w/w) were interesterified under the following conditions: 0.4% sodium methoxide, 500 rpm stirring, 100C, 20 min. The original and interesterified blends were examined for triacylglycerol composition, melting point, solid fat content (SFC) and consistency. Interesterification caused considerable rearrangement of triacylglycerol species, reduction of trisaturated triacylglycerol content and increase in disaturated-monounsaturated and monosaturated-diunsaturated triacylglycerols in all blends, resulting in lowering of respective melting points. The interesterified blends showed reduced SFC at all temperatures and more linear melting profiles if compared with the original blends. Consistency, expressed as yield value, significantly decreased after the reaction. Iso-solid curves indicated eutectic interactions for the original blends, which were eliminated after randomization. The 80:20, 75:25, 70:30 and 65:35 (w/w) CO: FHCSO interesterified blends showed characteristics which are appropriate for their application as soft margarines, spreads, fat for bakery/all-purpose shortenings, and icing shortenings, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Recently, a number of studies have suggested a direct relationship between trans isomers and increased risk of vascular disease. In response, many health organizations have recommended reducing consumption of foods containing trans fatty acids. In this connection, chemical interesterification has proven the main alternative for obtaining plastic fats that have low trans isomer content or are even trans isomer free. This work proposes to evaluate the chemical interesterification of binary blends of canola oil and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil and the specific potential application of these interesterified blends in food products.

Hyperfine and magnetic properties of Fe-Cu clusters and Fe precipitates embedded in a Cu matrix

Using the first-principles real-space linear muffin-tin orbital method within the atomic sphere approximation (RS-LMTO-ASA) we study hyperfine and local magnetic properties of substituted pure Fe and Fe-Cu clusters in an fcc Cu matrix. Spin and orbital contributions to magnetic moments, hyperfine fields and the Mossbauer isomer shifts at the Fe sites in Fe precipitates and Fe-Cu alloy clusters of sizes up to 60 Fe atoms embedded in the Cu matrix are calculated and the influence of the local environment on these properties is discussed.

Kinematic parameters and membership probabilities of open clusters in the Bordeaux PM2000 catalogue

Aims. We derive lists of proper-motions and kinematic membership probabilities for 49 open clusters and possible open clusters in the zone of the Bordeaux PM2000 proper motion catalogue (+ 11 degrees <= delta <= + 18 degrees). We test different parametrisations of the proper motion and position distribution functions and select the most successful one. In the light of those results, we analyse some objects individually. Methods. We differenciate between cluster and field member stars, and assign membership probabilities, by applying a new and fully automated method based on both parametrisations of the proper motion and position distribution functions, and genetic algorithm optimization heuristics associated with a derivative-based hill climbing algorithm for the likelihood optimization. Results. We present a catalogue comprising kinematic parameters and associated membership probability lists for 49 open clusters and possible open clusters in the Bordeaux PM2000 catalogue region. We note that this is the first determination of proper motions for five open clusters. We confirm the non-existence of two kinematic populations in the region of 15 previously suspected non-existent objects.

Measurement of the epicycle frequency in the Galactic disc and initial velocities of open clusters

A new method to measure the epicycle frequency kappa in the Galactic disc is presented. We make use of the large data base on open clusters completed by our group to derive the observed velocity vector (amplitude and direction) of the clusters in the Galactic plane. In the epicycle approximation, this velocity is equal to the circular velocity given by the rotation curve, plus a residual or perturbation velocity, of which the direction rotates as a function of time with the frequency kappa. Due to the non-random direction of the perturbation velocity at the birth time of the clusters, a plot of the present-day direction angle of this velocity as a function of the age of the clusters reveals systematic trends from which the epicycle frequency can be obtained. Our analysis considers that the Galactic potential is mainly axis-symmetric, or in other words, that the effect of the spiral arms on the Galactic orbits is small; in this sense, our results do not depend on any specific model of the spiral structure. The values of kappa that we obtain provide constraints on the rotation velocity of the in particular, V(0) is found to be 230 +/- 15 km s(-1) even if the scale (R(0) = 7.5 kpc) of the Galaxy is adopted. The measured kappa at the solar radius is 43 +/- 5 km s(-1) kpc(-1). The distribution of initial velocities of open clusters is discussed.

Population-based multicentric survey of hepatitis B infection and risk factor differences among three regions in Brazil

This multicentric population-based study in Brazil is the first national effort to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV) and risk factors in the capital cities of the Northeast, Central-West, and Federal Districts (2004-2005). Random multistage cluster sampling was used to select persons 13-69 years of age. Markers for HBV were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The HBV genotypes were determined by sequencing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Multivariate analyses and simple catalytic model were performed. Overall, 7,881 persons were included; < 70 per cent were not vaccinated. Positivity for HBsAg was less than 1 per cent among non-vaccinated persons and genotypes A, D, and F co-circulated. The incidence of infection increased with age with similar force of infection in all regions. Males and persons having initiated sexual activity were associated with HBV infection in the two settings; healthcare jobs and prior hospitalization were risk factors in the Federal District. Our survey classified these regions as areas with HBV endemicity and highlighted the risk factors differences among the settings

Detection of metallo-'beta'-lactamases-encoding genes in environmental isolates of Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas jandaei

Aims: To determine the prevalence and expression of metallo-beta-lactamases (MBL)-encoding genes in Aeromonas species recovered from natural water reservoirs in southeastern Brazil. Methods and Results: Eighty-seven Aeromonas isolates belonging to Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 41) and Aer. jandaei (n = 46) species were tested for MBL production by the combined disk test using imipenem and meropenem disks as substrates and EDTA or thioglycolic acid as inhibitors. The presence of MBL genes was investigated by PCR and sequencing using new consensus primer pairs designed in this study. The cphA gene was found in 97.6% and 100% of Aer. hydrophila and Aer. jandaei isolates, respectively, whereas the acquired MBL genes bla(IMP), bla(VIM) and bla(SPM-1) were not detected. On the other hand, production of MBL activity was detectable in 87.8% and 10.9% of the cphA-positive Aer. hydrophila and Aer. jandaei isolates respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that cphA seems to be intrinsic in the environmental isolates of Aer. hydrophila and Aer. jandaei in southeastern Brazil, although, based on the combined disk test, not all of them are apparently able to express the enzymatic activity. Significance and Impact of the Study: These data confirm the presence of MBL-producing Aeromonas species in natural water reservoirs. Risk of water-borne diseases owing to domestic and industrial uses of freshwater should be re-examined from the increase of bacterial resistance point of view

Avaliação tecnológica de painéis MDF de madeira de Eucalyptus grandis confeccionados em laboratório e em linha de produção industrial

MDF panels of Eucalyptus grandis wood fibers were made in either experimentally in a laboratory or on an industrial production line. In order to analyze the influence of the production condition, the anatomical, physical and mechanical properties of the panels were determined. The wood refining induced the transversal rupture of the transversal fiber wall. The MDF panels obtained from the industrial production line presented less swelling in thickness and absorption values and improved mechanical properties in the requirements of bending strength, module of elasticity and surface resistance. For laboratory MDF panels, it was possible to verify a statistically significant correlation between bending strength and module of elasticity, medium density and internal bond and swelling in thickness and absorption. This tendency was also true for the MDF panels obtained in real conditions of production, however without statistical significance. By comparing the quality properties of MDF panels produced in the laboratory with those obtained in real conditions of production, it was sought to standardize the established variables for obtaining panels on a small scale, as well to make possible the safe transfer and divulgation of information obtained in the laboratory.

Beam-energy and system-size dependence of dynamical net charge fluctuations

We present measurements of net charge fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV, Cu+Cu collisions at s(NN)=62.4 and 200 GeV, and p+p collisions at s=200 GeV using the dynamical net charge fluctuations measure nu(+-,dyn). We observe that the dynamical fluctuations are nonzero at all energies and exhibit a modest dependence on beam energy. A weak system size dependence is also observed. We examine the collision centrality dependence of the net charge fluctuations and find that dynamical net charge fluctuations violate 1/N(ch) scaling but display approximate 1/N(part) scaling. We also study the azimuthal and rapidity dependence of the net charge correlation strength and observe strong dependence on the azimuthal angular range and pseudorapidity widths integrated to measure the correlation.

The characteristics of depressive symptoms in medical students during medical education and training: a cross-sectional study

Background: Medical education and training can contribute to the development of depressive symptoms that might lead to possible academic and professional consequences. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of depressive symptoms among 481 medical students (79.8% of the total who matriculated). Methods: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and cluster analyses were used in order to better describe the characteristics of depressive symptoms. Medical education and training in Brazil is divided into basic (1(st) and 2(nd) years), intermediate (3(rd) and 4(th) years), and internship (5(th) and 6(th) years) periods. The study organized each item from the BDI into the following three clusters: affective, cognitive, and somatic. Statistical analyses were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc Tukey corrected for multiple comparisons. Results: There were 184 (38.2%) students with depressive symptoms (BDI > 9). The internship period resulted in the highest BDI scores in comparison to both the basic (p < .001) and intermediate (p < .001) periods. Affective, cognitive, and somatic clusters were significantly higher in the internship period. An exploratory analysis of possible risk factors showed that females (p = .020) not having a parent who practiced medicine (p = .016), and the internship period (p = .001) were factors for the development of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence towards depressive symptoms among medical students, particularly females, in the internship level, mainly involving the somatic and affective clusters, and not having a parent who practiced medicine. The active assessment of these students in evaluating their depressive symptoms is important in order to prevent the development of co-morbidities and suicide risk.

First Report of the Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Rickettsia amblyommii and Rickettsia felis in Central America

During 2010, 15 adult ticks, identified as Amblyomma cajennense, were collected from horses in Cahuita and Turrialba districts, whereas 7 fleas, identified as Ctenocephalides felis, were collected from a dog in San Jose city, Costa Rica. In the laboratory, three A. cajennense specimens, two from Cahuita and one from Turrialba, were individually processed for rickettsial isolation in cell culture, as was a pool of seven fleas. Rickettsiae were successfully isolated and established in Vero cell culture from the three ticks and from a pool of seven fleas in C6/36 cell culture. The three tick isolates were genotypically identified as Rickettsia amblyommii, and the flea isolate was identified as Rickettsia felis through DNA sequencing of portions of the rickettsial genes gltA, ompA, and ompB of each isolate. In addition, other seven ticks were shown to contain rickettsial DNA. Polymerase chain reaction products of at least two of these ticks were sequenced and also showed to correspond to R. amblyommii. Overall, 66.7% (10/15) of the A. cajennense adult ticks were found to be infected with rickettsiae. This is the first report of a successful isolation in cell culture of R. amblyommii and R. felis from Central America.

SSSPM J1102-3431 brown dwarf characterization from accurate proper motion and trigonometric parallax

Context. In 2005, Scholz and collaborators discovered, in a proper motion survey, a young brown dwarf SSSPM J1102-3431 (SSSPM J1102) of spectral type M8.5, probable member of the TW Hydrae Association and possible companion of the T Tauri star TWHya. The physical characterization of SSSPM J1102 was based on the hypothesis that it forms a binary system with TWHya. The recent discovery of a probable giant planet with a very short-period inside the TW Hya protoplanetary disk, as well as a disk around SSSPM J1102, make it especially interesting and important to measure well the physical parameters of SSSPM J1102. Aims. Trigonometric parallax and proper motion measurements of SSSPM J1102 are necessary to test for TWA membership and, thus, to determine the mass and age of this young brown dwarf and the possibility that it forms a wide binary system with TW Hya. Methods. Two years of regular observations at the ESO NTT/SUSI2 telescope have enabled us to determine the trigonometric parallax and proper motion of SSSPM J1102. Results. With our accurate distance determination of 55.2(-1.4)(+1.6) pc and proper motions of (-67.2, -14.0) +/- 0.6 mas/yr, we could confirm SSSPM J1102 as a very probable member of TWA. Assuming the TW Hydrae association age of 5-10 Myr, the evolutionary models compared to the photometry of this young brown dwarf indicate a mass of M = 25 +/- 5 M(Jup) and an effective temperature T(eff) = 2550 +/- 100 K. Conclusions. Our parallax and proper motion determination allow us to precisely describe the physical properties of this low mass object and to confirm its TWA membership. Our results indicate that SSSPMJ1102 may be a very wide separation companion of the star TW Hya.

New constraints on the chemical evolution of the solar neighbourhood and Galactic disc(s) Improved astrophysical parameters for the Geneva-Copenhagen Survey

We present a re-analysis of the Geneva-Copenhagen survey, which benefits from the infrared flux method to improve the accuracy of the derived stellar effective temperatures and uses the latter to build a consistent and improved metallicity scale. Metallicities are calibrated on high-resolution spectroscopy and checked against four open clusters and a moving group, showing excellent consistency. The new temperature and metallicity scales provide a better match to theoretical isochrones, which are used for a Bayesian analysis of stellar ages. With respect to previous analyses, our stars are on average 100 K hotter and 0.1 dex more metal rich, which shift the peak of the metallicity distribution function around the solar value. From Stromgren photometry we are able to derive for the first time a proxy for [alpha/Fe] abundances, which enables us to perform a tentative dissection of the chemical thin and thick disc. We find evidence for the latter being composed of an old, mildly but systematically alpha-enhanced population that extends to super solar metallicities, in agreement with spectroscopic studies. Our revision offers the largest existing kinematically unbiased sample of the solar neighbourhood that contains full information on kinematics, metallicities, and ages and thus provides better constraints on the physical processes relevant in the build-up of the Milky Way disc, enabling a better understanding of the Sun in a Galactic context.

REVISITING THE FOSSIL GROUP CANDIDATES UGC 842 AND NGC 6034

We present a new insight on NGC 6034 and UGC 842, two groups of galaxies previously reported in the literature as being fossil groups. The study is based on optical photometry and spectroscopy obtained with the CTIO Blanco telescope and Sloan Digital Sky Survey archival data. We find that NGC 6034 is embedded in a large structure, dominated by three rich clusters and other small groups. Its first and next four ranked galaxies have magnitude differences in the r band and projected distances which violate the optical criteria to classify it as a fossil group. We confirm that the UGC 842 group is a fossil group, but with about half the velocity dispersion that is reported in previous works. The velocity distribution of its galaxies reveals the existence of two structures in its line of sight, one with sigma(nu) similar to 223 km s(-1) and another with sigma(nu) similar to 235 km s(-1), with a difference in velocity of similar to 820 km s(-1). The main structure is dominated by passive galaxies, while these represent similar to 60% of the second structure. The X-ray temperature for the intragroup medium of a group with such a velocity dispersion is expected to be kT similar to 0.5-1 keV, against the observed value of kT similar to 1.9 keV reported in the literature. This result makes UGC 842 a special case among fossil groups because (1) it represents more likely the interaction between two small groups, which warms the intragroup medium and/or (2) it could constitute evidence that member galaxies lost energy in the process of spiraling toward the group center, and decreased the velocity dispersion of the system. As far as we know, UGC 842 is the first low-mass fossil group studied in detail.