Energy and system size dependence of phi meson production in Cu plus Cu and Au plus Au collisions

We study the beam-energy and system-size dependence of phi meson production (using the hadronic decay mode phi -> K(+) K(-)) by comparing the new results from Cu + Cu collisions and previously reported Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 62.4 and 200 GeV measured in the STAR experiment at RHIC. Data presented in this Letter are from mid-rapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5) for 0.4 < p(T) < 5 GeV/c. At a given beam energy, the transverse momentum distributions for phi mesons are observed to be similar in yield and shape for Cu + Cu and Au + Au colliding systems with similar average numbers of participating nucleons. The phi meson yields in nucleus-nucleus collisions, normalized by the average number of participating nucleons, are found to be enhanced relative to those from p + p collisions. The enhancement for phi mesons lies between strange hadrons having net strangeness = 1 (K(-) and <(A)over bar>) and net strangeness = 2 (Xi). The enhancement for phi mesons is observed to be higher at root s(NN) = 200 GeV compared to 62.4 GeV. These observations for the produced phi(s (s) over bar) mesons clearly suggest that, at these collision energies, the source of enhancement of strange hadrons is related to the formation of a dense partonic medium in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions and cannot be alone due to canonical suppression of their production in smaller systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Caracterização e quantificação de resíduos de construção e demolição na Região Autónoma da Madeira

Esta dissertação foi desenvolvida tendo como objetivo principal quantificar e qualificar a produção dos Resíduos de Construção e Demolição (RCD) na Região Autónoma da Madeira (RAM). Estes resíduos são provenientes de atividades de construção civil, nomeadamente de obras de construção, reconstrução, ampliação, alteração, conservação e demolição e da derrocada de edificações. Os RCD devem ser, sempre que possível, reduzidos, reutilizados e/ou reciclados (3 R’s). Caso não seja exequível a aplicação direta em obra de um dos 3 R’s, estes deverão ser encaminhados para um operador de gestão licenciado com o intuito de os valorizar e/ou eliminar. Uma das opções mais usuais de eliminação de resíduos na RAM é a deposição legal em aterro. No entanto, ainda há resíduos que têm como destino a deposição não controlada, causando a degradação geral do ambiente da Região. Neste trabalho foram identificados os vários operadores de gestão de resíduos presentes na Região Autónoma da Madeira e quais os destinos finais de cada resíduo, classificado por código de acordo com a Lista Europeia de Resíduos (LER), segundo a Portaria n.º209/2004, de 3 de março. A informação da quantidade dos resíduos encaminhados para os operadores licenciados é transmitida, anualmente, à Direção Regional do Ordenamento do Território e Ambiente (DROTA), sendo possível determinar a tipologia e a quantidade de resíduos recebidos com respetivo destino final. Foi analisada bibliografia nacional e internacional sobre RCD com o objetivo de selecionar indicadores, em kg/m2 (quantidade de resíduos produzidos por área bruta de construção/demolição), mais ajustados às caraterísticas do edificado regional e respetivos processos construtivos. Da comparação entre os valores estimados de RCD produzidos com a quantidade de resíduos recebidos pelos operadores licenciados na RAM, foi possível estimar as quantidades recicladas e reutilizadas em obra e/ou depositadas ilegalmente. O resíduo estudado mais produzido foi o referente ao código LER 170107. Foi ainda, estimado um intervalo de produção total de RCD para a RAM, situado entre 93 e 507 kg/ano/habitante.

Estrutura da população de Microcerotermes exiguus ( Isoptera: Termitidae) e sua partuicipação no consumo de madeira em uma área de caatinga, Nordeste, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Mutagênese induzida por flavonóides presentes do decocto das cascas da aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius, Raddi)

The decoction of Brazilian pepper tree barks (Schinus terebinthifolius, Raddi), is used in medicine as wound healing and antiinflamatory. Once extracts from this plant are used for acceleration of scar s process, it is important to study their mutagenic and genotoxic potential. In previous works in our laboratory, it was observed mutagenicity caused by the decoction when in high concentrations. Among the chemical compounds of this plant that could be able to induce mutation, the flavonoids were the only group that was referred to have either an oxidant or antioxidant potential. The flavonoids were isolated, purified and quantified by adsorptive column chromatography under silica gel, bacterial and in vitro genotoxic tests were realized to determine if the flavonoids were the responsible agents for this mutagenicity found. The tests realized with plasmidial DNA were indicative that the flavonoids are probably genotoxic, due to the presence of correlation between increase of the flavonoid concentration and in plasmidial DNA double strand breakage visualized in agarose gel, as well as they were capable to generated abasic sites shown by the in vitro treatment with exonuclease III. The same tests with plasmidial DNA in the presence of copper [10 µM] and of a Tris-HCl pH 7.5 [10 µM] buffer were realized with the isolated flavonoids to determine if there would be or not participation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The transformation of plasmidial DNA in different bacterial strains proficient and deficient in DNA repair enzymes in the presence or not of a Tris-HCl buffer, suggests that the enzymes that repair oxidative lesions are necessary to repair the lesions generated by the flavonoids and that ROS are generated and are necessary to promote the lesions. Bacterial tests with Escherichia coli strains of the CC collection (deficient or not for DNA repair enzymes), showed that the flavonoids are able to increase the frequency of mutations, mainly in strains mutated in repair enzymes (MutM, MutY-glicosylases and double mutant), suggesting that these agents are responsible for the enhancement in the mutation rate. In order to determine the mutation spectrum caused by the flavonoids of the Brazilian pepper tree stem bark, plasmidial DNA previously treated with the flavonoids were transformed in bacterial strains deficient and proficient in the DNA repair enzymes, followed by a blue-white selection with X-gal, DNA amplification by PCR and sequencing the positive mutant clones. Analysis of the mutants obtained from strains CC104, CC104mutM, CC104mutY, CC104mutMmutY, BW9101, BW9109 indicated a predominance of some mutations like G:C to C:G that can be correlated with the origin of 8-oxoG, due to oxidative lesions caused by the flavonoids. So it can concluded that the flavonoid isolated or in fractions enriched on them are genotoxic and mutagenic, and their mutations are predominantly oxidative, mediated by ROS, and the lesions are recognized by the BER system. In this way it is proposed that the flavonoids can act in two different ways to generate the DNA lesion: 1. in a Fenton-like reaction, when the flavonoid are in the presence of metal ions and that together with the water generate ROS that promotes the DNA lesions; 2. in another way the lesions can be generated by the formation of ROS due to the internal chemical structure of the flavonoid molecule due to the quantity and location of hydroxyl groups, and so producing the DNA lesions, those lesions can be directly (suggested by the in vitro experiments) or indirectly done (supported by the experiments using the CC bacterial strains)

Uma proposta para o ensino de eletromagnetismo no nível médio

This paper aims at building a proposal for teaching of electromagnetism in the secondary level in the state public school in Natal, RN, encompassing at the most possible comprehensive manner the fundamental aspects of electromagnetism. The methodology employed here is prioritize physical concepts rather than instruments (such as the mathematics), which should have the connotation of just tools, or of aids in the context of physics teaching in the referred teaching level. The proposal is to give teachers a consultation resource, from differentiated lesson plans, which have as main focus activities based primarily in texts and active participation of students in the teaching- learning process and the implementation of the PCN+ proposals (BRAZIL, 2000), which suggest alternative ways to make the practice in the classroom more exciting, targeting a significant teaching-learning process for both the teacher and the student. This material was applied during the 3rd and 4th term (i.e., bimester) throughout the school year of 2007, in the State School Teacher Varela Barca in two classes (3V1 and 3V2) of 3rd grade of secondary level. As evaluation of the implementation of this proposal one can cite that students were more secure when to apply the concepts, when conducting the experiments, and less anxious when formal evaluation of the evidence, showing greater motivation when presented to electromagnetism contextualized in their everyday situations. The product of this educational work includes, besides the dissertation, the lesson plans, itineraries and experimental assessment of the instruments used (Annex E to I)

Effect of silica coating combined to a MDP-based primer on the resin bond to Y-TZP ceramic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of silica coating and 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP)-based primer applications upon the bonding durability of a MDP-based resin cement to a yttrium stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) ceramic. Ninety-six Y-TZP tabs were embedded in an acrylic resin (free surface for adhesion: 5 x 5 mm(2)), ground finished and randomly divided into four groups (N = 24) according to the ceramic surface conditioning: (1) cleaning with isopropanol (ALC); (2) ALC + phosphoric acid etching + MDP-based primer application (MDP-primer); (3) silica coating + 3-methacryloyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS)-based coupling agent application (SiO(2) + MPS-Sil); and (4) SiO(2) + MDP-primer. The MDP-based resin cement was applied on the treated surface using a cylindrical mold (diameter=3 mm). Half of the specimens from each surface conditioning were stored in distilled water (37 C, 24 h) before testing. Another half of the specimens were stored (90 days) and thermo-cycled (12,000x) during this period (90d/TC) before testing. A shear bond strength (SBS) test was performed at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Two factors composed the experimental design: ceramic conditioning strategy (in four levels) and storage condition (in two levels), totaling eight groups. After 90d/TC (Tukey; p < 0.05), SiO(2) + MDP-primer (24.40 MPa) promoted the highest SBS. The ALC and MDP-primer groups debonded spontaneously during 90d/TC. Bonding values were higher and more stable in the SiO2 groups. The use of MDP-primer after silica coating increased the bond strength. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part 8: Appl Biomater 95B: 69-74, 2010.

Search for narrow resonances in dilepton mass spectra in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV CMS Collaboration

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to bottom quarks in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

First measurement of hadronic event shapes in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for charge-asymmetric production of W ' bosons in t(t)over-bar + jet events from pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for physics beyond the standard model using multilepton signatures in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Study of W boson production in PbPb and pp collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)