Erbium and Ytterbium Codoped Titanoniobophosphate Glasses for Ion-Exchange-Based Planar Waveguides

This work presents the optical properties of erbium-doped and erbium/ytterbium codoped Na(2)O-Al(2)O(3)-TiO(2)-Nb(2)O(5)-P(2)O(5) glass systems and also the characterization of planar waveguides obtained by typical thermally assisted Ag+<-> Na+ ion-exchange process. The glass systems allow the preparation of single mode and multimode planar waveguides presenting a strong and relatively broad emission at 1536 nm. The emission signal in the infrared region is intensified for silver-containing samples when compared with free-silver samples. The emission signal intensification may be attributed to a nonplasmonic energy transfer from silver species to Er3+ ions as no bands related to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of silver nanoparticles were observed.

Neuropsychological Assessment of Current and Past Crack Cocaine Users

Background: Cognitive changes due to crack cocaine consumption remain unclear Methods: For clarification, 55 subjects were assigned to three groups: control group, crack cocaine current users, and ex-users. Participants were submitted to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and tasks evaluating executive functioning and verbal memory Mood state was also measured. Intergroup comparisons were carried out. Results: Control group performance on the MMSE was better than that of users and ex-users. Verbal memory performance for logical memory of users was impaired. Ex-users scored lower on DSST and Trail Making Test (Part B). Conclusion: Chronic crack cocaine use seems to disrupt general cognitive functioning (MMSE), verbal memory, and attentional resources, but findings suggest that some of these effects could be reversed by abstinence.

Fabrication and integration of planar electrodes for contactless conductivity detection on polyester-toner electrophoresis microchips

In this report, we describe the microfabrication and integration of planar electrodes for contactless conductivity detection on polyester-toner (PT) electrophoresis microchips using toner masks. Planar electrodes were fabricated by three simple steps: (i) drawing and laser-printing the electrode geometry on polyester films, (ii) sputtering deposition onto substrates, and (iii) removal of toner layer by a lift-off process. The polyester film with anchored electrodes was integrated to PT electrophoresis microchannels by lamination at 120 degrees C in less than 1 min. The electrodes were designed in an antiparallel configuration with 750 mu m width and 750 gm gap between them. The best results were recorded with a frequency of 400 kHz and 10 V-PP using a sinusoidal wave. The analytical performance of the proposed microchip was evaluated by electrophoretic separation of potassium, sodium and lithium in 150 mu m wide x 6 mu m deep microchannels. Under an electric field of 250 V/cm the analytes were successfully separated in less than 90 s with efficiencies ranging from 7000 to 13 000 plates. The detection limits (S/N = 3) found for K+, Na+, and Li+ were 3.1, 4.3, and 7.2 mu mol/L, respectively. Besides the low-cost and instrumental simplicity, the integrated PT chip eliminates the problem of manual alignment and gluing of the electrodes, permitting more robustness and better reproducibility, therefore, more suitable for mass production of electrophoresis microchips.

Estudo de um atuador planar

Um novo atuador planar eletromagnético multifase foi investigado. Este tipo de atuador pode ser utilizado em sistemas que requeiram movimento bidirecional sobre o plano como, por exemplo, em máquinas operatrizes industriais. O dispositivo em estudo possui uma armadura plana, estacionária, sem ranhuras e um carro com mobilidade planar. O núcleo da armadura é composto de uma chapa de material ferromagnético macio, em torno da qual estão montados os dois enrolamentos da armadura, que são ortogonais entre si. Cada enrolamento está dividido em seções ou fases. O carro, que possui dois ímãs permanentes de NdFeB de alto produto energético, está mecanicamente conectado a um sistema de suspensão, composto de rolamentos lineares e de trilhos, que permitem o seu deslocamento sobre a superfície da armadura, com dois graus de liberdade. Quando os ímãs permanentes estão localizados sobre as fases do enrolamento da armadura energizado com corrente, uma força eletromagnética planar de propulsão atuará sobre o carro, provocando seu deslocamento paralelamente à superfície da armadura. O atuador planar foi modelado analítica e teoricamente, com vistas a prever seu comportamento estático. O primeiro protótipo construído foi testado com a finalidade de avaliar suas características estáticas de funcionamento e de validar os modelos analítico e numérico. Os valores de densidade de fluxo no entreferro, de força normal e de força planar de propulsão, obtidos através dos ensaios, apresentaram uma boa aproximação em relação aos valores obtidos através dos modelos teóricos Tanto nos modelos teóricos, como no protótipo construído, foram avaliados dois casos distintos: no caso 1 foram utilizados no carro ímãs permanentes de 6,0 mm de comprimento axial e no caso 2, ímãs permanentes de 8,0 mm de comprimento axial. Os testes indicaram que a sensibilidade média do atuador planar para o caso 1 é de 3,61 N/A e para o caso 2 é de 5,37 N/A, quando as duas fases do enrolamento x localizadas sob os ímãs permanentes, foram percorridas por corrente.

Desistência ao tratamento de usuários de crack no centro de atenção pssicosocial em Campina Grande/PB

This study aimed to analyze the phenomenon of abdication of monitoring/treatment of crack users in a CAPS AD in Campina Grande-PB. That s an exploratory , description approach ,whose theoretical focus was historical-dialect of public politics on alcohol and drugs. The information collected was realized by using the technique of semi-structured interviews, combined with the crack users registered in CAPS AD in Campina Grande between 2007 and 2011.The material collected was subjected to thematic analysis method, obtaining the extraction of the following categories and subcategories of analysis: CATEGORY 1: Factors of abdication of monitoring/treatment in CAPS AD in Campina Grande PB with subcategory 1.1. Abdication on their own , 1.2. To take work/employment, 1.3 . Search for more intensive treatment , 1.4. Due to relapse; CATEGORY 2 : Treatment/monitoring in CAPS AD to the subcategory, 2.1. The dependence of crack and family support as reasons that led to frequent CAPS AD. CATEGORY 3: Living with crack addiction without treatment/monitoring in CAPS AD with the subcategory, 3.1. Religiosity as a therapeutic tool .The results showed a distance between priority for community treatment and the reality where there is lack of information about this kind of treatment and the admission as a solution. The discourse about the abdication of treatment of crack users make reference to the importance of family support, to the influence for the phenomenon of relapse and the affection to religious conceptions. Although the subjects recognize the qualifications of CAPS AD treatment, they try by themselves or by family influence, another ways of hospitalization. This leads us to conclude that it is necessary reflection and assessment of the work of CAPS AD. Counting on the social changes and the need of answers that the phenomenon requires

Antenas monopolo planar com patch em anel circular para sistemas UWB

The microstrip antennas are largely used in wireless communication systems due to their low cost, weight, less complex construction and manufacturing, in addition to its versatility. UWB systems have emerged as an alternative to wireless communications over short distances because they offer of higher capacity and lower multipath distortion than other systems with the same purpose. Combining the advantages of microstrip antennas to the characteristics of UWB, it is possible to develop more and more smaller devices, with diverse geometries to operate satisfactorily in these systems. This paper aims to propose alternatives to microstrip antennas for UWB systems operate in the range between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz, with a patch on circular ring. Some techniques are analyzed and employed to increase the bandwidth of proposed antenna: the insertion of a parasitic elements and a rectangular slit in the displaced ground plane. For this, key issues are presented as the basic principles of UWB systems, the fundamental theory of antennas and microstrip antennas. The simulations and experimental characterization of constructed antennas are presented, as well as analysis of parameters such as bandwidth and radiation pattern

Resonances and subharmonic bifurcations of large amplitude periodic orbits of planar polynomial vector fields

In this work are studied periodic perturbations, depending on two parameters, of planar polynomial vector fields having an annulus of large amplitude periodic orbits, which accumulate on a symmetric infinite heteroclinic cycle. Such periodic orbits and the heteroclinic trajectory can be seen only by the global consideration of the polynomial vector fields on the whole plane, and not by their restriction to any compact set. The global study involving infinity is performed via the Poincare Compactification. It is shown that, for certain types of periodic perturbations, one can seek, in a neighborhood of the origin in the parameter plane, curves C-(m) of subharmonic bifurcations, for which the periodically perturbed system has subharmonics of order m, for any integer m.

Periodic perturbations of quadratic planar polynomial vector fields

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