Modificação química de amido de mandioca e aplicação em emulsão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Constraining H-0 in general dark energy models from Sunyaev-Zeldovich/X-ray technique and complementary probes

In accelerating dark energy models, the estimates of the Hubble constant, Ho, from Sunyaev-Zerdovich effect (SZE) and X-ray surface brightness of galaxy clusters may depend on the matter content (Omega(M)), the curvature (Omega(K)) and the equation of state parameter GO. In this article, by using a sample of 25 angular diameter distances of galaxy clusters described by the elliptical beta model obtained through the SZE/X-ray technique, we constrain Ho in the framework of a general ACDM model (arbitrary curvature) and a flat XCDM model with a constant equation of state parameter omega = p(x)/rho(x). In order to avoid the use of priors in the cosmological parameters, we apply a joint analysis involving the baryon acoustic oscillations (BA()) and the (MB Shift Parameter signature. By taking into account the statistical and systematic errors of the SZE/X-ray technique we obtain for nonflat ACDM model H-0 = 74(-4.0)(+5.0) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) (1 sigma) whereas for a fiat universe with constant equation of state parameter we find H-0 = 72(-4.0)(+5.5) km s(-1) Mpc(-1)(1 sigma). By assuming that galaxy clusters are described by a spherical beta model these results change to H-0 = 6(-7.0)(+8.0) and H-0 = 59(-6.0)(+9.0) km s(-1) Mpc(-1)(1 sigma), respectively. The results from elliptical description are in good agreement with independent studies from the Hubble Space Telescope key project and recent estimates based on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, thereby suggesting that the combination of these three independent phenomena provides an interesting method to constrain the Bubble constant. As an extra bonus, the adoption of the elliptical description is revealed to be a quite realistic assumption. Finally, by comparing these results with a recent determination for a, flat ACDM model using only the SZE/X-ray technique and BAO, we see that the geometry has a very weak influence on H-0 estimates for this combination of data.

A NEW METHOD TO QUANTIFY X-RAY SUBSTRUCTURES IN CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

We present a new method to quantify substructures in clusters of galaxies, based on the analysis of the intensity of structures. This analysis is done in a residual image that is the result of the subtraction of a surface brightness model, obtained by fitting a two-dimensional analytical model (beta-model or Sersic profile) with elliptical symmetry, from the X-ray image. Our method is applied to 34 clusters observed by the Chandra Space Telescope that are in the redshift range z is an element of [0.02, 0.2] and have a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) greater than 100. We present the calibration of the method and the relations between the substructure level with physical quantities, such as the mass, X-ray luminosity, temperature, and cluster redshift. We use our method to separate the clusters in two sub-samples of high-and low-substructure levels. We conclude, using Monte Carlo simulations, that the method recuperates very well the true amount of substructure for small angular core radii clusters (with respect to the whole image size) and good S/N observations. We find no evidence of correlation between the substructure level and physical properties of the clusters such as gas temperature, X-ray luminosity, and redshift; however, analysis suggest a trend between the substructure level and cluster mass. The scaling relations for the two sub-samples (high-and low-substructure level clusters) are different (they present an offset, i. e., given a fixed mass or temperature, low-substructure clusters tend to be more X-ray luminous), which is an important result for cosmological tests using the mass-luminosity relation to obtain the cluster mass function, since they rely on the assumption that clusters do not present different scaling relations according to their dynamical state.

He II lambda 4686 IN eta CARINAE: COLLAPSE OF THE WIND-WIND COLLISION REGION DURING PERIASTRON PASSAGE

The periodic spectroscopic events in eta Carinae are now well established and occur near the periastron passage of two massive stars in a very eccentric orbit. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the variations of different spectral features, such as an eclipse by the wind-wind collision (WWC) boundary, a shell ejection from the primary star or accretion of its wind onto the secondary. All of them have problems explaining all the observed phenomena. To better understand the nature of the cyclic events, we performed a dense monitoring of eta Carinae with five Southern telescopes during the 2009 low-excitation event, resulting in a set of data of unprecedented quality and sampling. The intrinsic luminosity of the He II lambda 4686 emission line (L similar to 310 L-circle dot) just before periastron reveals the presence of a very luminous transient source of extreme UV radiation emitted in the WWC region. Clumps in the primary's wind probably explain the flare-like behavior of both the X-ray and He II lambda 4686 light curves. After a short-lived minimum, He II lambda 4686 emission rises again to a new maximum, when X-rays are still absent or very weak. We interpret this as a collapse of the WWC onto the "surface" of the secondary star, switching off the hard X-ray source and diminishing the WWC shock cone. The recovery from this state is controlled by the momentum balance between the secondary's wind and the clumps in the primary's wind.

FINDING FOSSIL GROUPS: OPTICAL IDENTIFICATION AND X-RAY CONFIRMATION

We report the discovery of 12 new fossil groups (FGs) of galaxies, systems dominated by a single giant elliptical galaxy and cluster-scale gravitational potential, but lacking the population of bright galaxies typically seen in galaxy clusters. These FGs, selected from the maxBCG optical cluster catalog, were detected in snapshot observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We detail the highly successful selection method, with an 80% success rate in identifying 12 FGs from our target sample of 15 candidates. For 11 of the systems, we determine the X-ray luminosity, temperature, and hydrostatic mass, which do not deviate significantly from expectations for normal systems, spanning a range typical of rich groups and poor clusters of galaxies. A small number of detected FGs are morphologically irregular, possibly due to past mergers, interaction of the intra-group medium with a central active galactic nucleus (AGN), or superposition of multiple massive halos. Two-thirds of the X-ray-detected FGs exhibit X-ray emission associated with the central brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), although we are unable to distinguish between AGN and extended thermal galaxy emission using the current data. This sample representing a large increase in the number of known FGs, will be invaluable for future planned observations to determine FG temperature, gas density, metal abundance, and mass distributions, and to compare to normal (non-fossil) systems. Finally, the presence of a population of galaxy-poor systems may bias mass function determinations that measure richness from galaxy counts. When used to constrain power spectrum normalization and Omega(m), these biased mass functions may in turn bias these results.

The peculiar isolated neutron star in the Carina Nebula Deep XMM-Newton and ESO-VLT observations of 2XMM J104608.7-594306

While fewer in number than the dominant rotation-powered radio pulsar population, peculiar classes of isolated neutron stars (INSs) which include magnetars, the ROSAT-discovered "Magnificent Seven" (M7), rotating radio transients (RRATs), and central compact objects in supernova remnants (CCOs) - represent a key element in understanding the neutron star phenomenology. We report the results of an observational campaign to study the properties of the source 2XMM J104608.7-594306, a newly discovered thermally emitting INS. The evolutionary state of the neutron star is investigated by means of deep dedicated observations obtained with the XMM-Newton Observatory, the ESO Very Large Telescope, as well as publicly available gamma-ray data from the Fermi Space Telescope and the AGILE Mission. The observations confirm previous expectations and reveal a unique type of object. The source, which is likely within the Carina Nebula (N-H = 2.6x10(21) cm(-2)), has a spectrum that is both thermal and soft, with kT(infinity) = 135 eV. Non-thermal (magnetospheric) emission is not detected down to 1% (3 sigma, 0.1-12 keV) of the source luminosity. Significant deviations (absorption features) from a simple blackbody model are identified in the spectrum of the source around energies 0.6 keV and 1.35 keV. While the former deviation is likely related to a local oxygen overabundance in the Carina Nebula, the latter can only be accounted for by an additional spectral component, which is modelled as a Gaussian line in absorption with EW = 91 eV and sigma = 0.14 keV (1 sigma). Furthermore, the optical counterpart is fainter than m(V) = 27 (2 sigma) and no gamma-ray emission is significantly detected by either the Fermi or AGILE missions. Very interestingly, while these characteristics are remarkably similar to those of the M7 or the only RRAT so far detected in X-rays, which all have spin periods of a few seconds, we found intriguing evidence of very rapid rotation, P = 18.6ms, at the 4 sigma confidence level. We interpret these new results in the light of the observed properties of the currently known neutron star population, in particular those of standard rotation-powered pulsars, recycled objects, and CCOs. We find that none of these scenarios can satisfactorily explain the collective properties of 2XMM J104608.7-594306, although it may be related to the still poorly known class of Galactic anti-magnetars. Future XMM-Newton data, granted for the next cycle of observations (AO11), will help us to improve our current observational interpretation of the source, enabling us to significantly constrain the rate of pulsar spin down.

Probing the cosmic distance-duality relation with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, X-ray observations and supernovae Ia

Context. The angular diameter distances toward galaxy clusters can be determined with measurements of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and X-ray surface brightness combined with the validity of the distance-duality relation, D-L(z)(1 + z)(2)/D-A(z) = 1, where D-L(z) and D-A(z) are, respectively, the luminosity and angular diameter distances. This combination enables us to probe galaxy cluster physics or even to test the validity of the distance-duality relation itself. Aims. We explore these possibilities based on two different, but complementary approaches. Firstly, in order to constrain the possible galaxy cluster morphologies, the validity of the distance-duality relation (DD relation) is assumed in the Lambda CDM framework (WMAP7). Secondly, by adopting a cosmological-model-independent test, we directly confront the angular diameters from galaxy clusters with two supernovae Ia (SNe Ia) subsamples (carefully chosen to coincide with the cluster positions). The influence of the different SNe Ia light-curve fitters in the previous analysis are also discussed. Methods. We assumed that eta is a function of the redshift parametrized by two different relations: eta(z) = 1 +eta(0)z, and eta(z) = 1 + eta(0)z/(1 + z), where eta(0) is a constant parameter quantifying the possible departure from the strict validity of the DD relation. In order to determine the probability density function (PDF) of eta(0), we considered the angular diameter distances from galaxy clusters recently studied by two different groups by assuming elliptical and spherical isothermal beta models and spherical non-isothermal beta model. The strict validity of the DD relation will occur only if the maximum value of eta(0) PDF is centered on eta(0) = 0. Results. For both approaches we find that the elliptical beta model agrees with the distance-duality relation, whereas the non-isothermal spherical description is, in the best scenario, only marginally compatible. We find that the two-light curve fitters (SALT2 and MLCS2K2) present a statistically significant conflict, and a joint analysis involving the different approaches suggests that clusters are endowed with an elliptical geometry as previously assumed. Conclusions. The statistical analysis presented here provides new evidence that the true geometry of clusters is elliptical. In principle, it is remarkable that a local property such as the geometry of galaxy clusters might be constrained by a global argument like the one provided by the cosmological distance-duality relation.

Funzionalizzazione della mandibola dopo ricostruzione con lembo libero rivascolarizzato di fibula "single strut". Al di là del deficit di verticalità.

Obiettivi: Valutare la modalità  più efficace per la riabilitazione funzionale del limbo libero di fibula "single strut", dopo ampie resezioni per patologia neoplastica maligna del cavo orale. Metodi: Da una casistica di 62 ricostruzioni microvascolari con limbo libero di fibula, 11 casi sono stati selezionati per essere riabilitati mediante protesi dentale a supporto implantare. 6 casi sono stati trattati senza ulteriori procedure chirurgiche ad eccezione dell'implantologia (gruppo 1), affrontando il deficit di verticalità  della fibula attraverso la protesi dentaria, mentre i restanti casi sono stati trattati con la distrazione osteogenetica (DO) della fibula prima della riabilitazione protesica (gruppo 2). Il deficit di verticalità  fibula/mandibola è stato misurato. I criteri di valutazione utilizzati includono la misurazione clinica e radiografica del livello osseo e dei tessuti molli peri-implantari, ed il livello di soddisfazione del paziente attraverso un questionario appositamente redatto. Risultati: Tutte le riabilitazioni protesiche sono costituite da protesi dentali avvitate su impianti. L'età  media è di 52 anni, il rapporto uomini/donne è di 6/5. Il numero medio di impianti inseriti nelle fibule è di 5. Il periodo massimo di follow-up dopo il carico masticatorio è stato di 30 mesi per il gruppo 1 e di 38.5 mesi (17-81) di media per il gruppo 2. Non abbiamo riportato complicazioni chirurgiche. Nessun impianto è stato rimosso dai pazienti del gruppo 1, la perdita media di osso peri-implantare registrata è stata di 1,5 mm. Nel gruppo 2 sono stati riportati un caso di tipping linguale del vettore di distrazione durante la fase di consolidazione e un caso di frattura della corticale basale in assenza di formazione di nuovo osso. L'incremento medio di osso in verticalità è stato di 13,6 mm (12-15). 4 impianti su 32 (12.5%) sono andati persi dopo il periodo di follow-up. Il riassorbimento medio peri-implantare, è stato di 2,5 mm. Conclusioni: Le soluzioni più utilizzate per superare il deficit di verticalità  del limbo libero di fibula consistono nell'allestimento del lembo libero di cresta iliaca, nel posizionare la fibula in posizione ideale da un punto di vista protesico a discapito del profilo osseo basale, l'utilizzo del lembo di fibula nella versione descritta come "double barrel", nella distrazione osteogenetica della fibula. La nostra esperienza concerne il lembo libero di fibula che nella patologia neoplastica maligna utilizziamo nella versione "single strut", per mantenere disponibili tutte le potenzialità  di lunghezza del peduncolo vascolare, senza necessità  di innesti di vena. Entrambe le soluzioni, la protesi dentale ortopedica e la distrazione osteogenetica seguita da protesi, entrambe avvitate su impianti, costituiscono soluzioni soddisfacenti per la riabilitazione funzionale della fibula al di là  del suo deficit di verticalità . La prima soluzione ha preso spunto dall'osservazione dei buoni risultati della protesi dentale su impianti corti, avendo un paragonabile rapporto corona/radice, la DO applicata alla fibula, sebbene sia risultata una metodica con un numero di complicazioni più elevato ed un maggior livello di riassorbimento di osso peri-implantare, costituisce in ogni caso una valida opzione riabilitativa, specialmente in caso di notevole discrepanza mandibulo/fibulare. Decisiva è la scelta del percorso terapeutico dopo una accurata valutazione di ogni singolo caso. Vengono illustrati i criteri di selezione provenienti dalla nostra esperienza.

X-ray properties and evolution of high-redshift AGN, and the gas content of host galaxies

In this thesis, I have investigated the evolution of the high-redshift (z > 3) AGN population by collecting data from some of the major Chandra and XMM-Newton surveys. The final sample (141 sources) is one of the largest selected at z> 3 in the X- rays and it is characterised by a very high redshift completeness (98%). I derived the spectral slopes and obscurations through a spectral anaysis and I assessed the high-z evolution by deriving the luminosity function and the number counts of the sample. The best representation of the AGN evolution is a pure density evolution (PDE) model: the AGN space density is found to decrease by a factor of 10 from z=3 to z=5. I also found that about 50% of AGN are obscured by large column densities (logNH > 23). By comparing these data with those in the Local Universe, I found a positive evolution of the obscured AGN fraction with redshift, especially for luminous (logLx > 44) AGN. I also studied the gas content of z < 1 AGN-hosting galaxies and compared it with that of inactive galaxies. For the first time, I applied to AGN a method to derive the gas mass previously used for inactive galaxies only. AGN are found to live preferentially in gas-rich galaxies. This result on the one hand can help us in understanding the AGN triggering mechanisms, on the other hand explains why AGN are preferentially hosted by star-forming galaxies.

Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of bulk and thin films of Heusler compounds

X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) is one of the most universal and powerful tools for investigation of chemical states and electronic structures of materials. The application of hard x-rays increases the inelastic mean free path of the emitted electrons within the solid and thus makes hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) a bulk sensitive probe for solid state research and especially a very effective nondestructive technique to study buried layers.rnThis thesis focuses on the investigation of multilayer structures, used in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), by a number of techniques applying HAXPES. MTJs are the most important components of novel nanoscale devices employed in spintronics. rnThe investigation and deep understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the high performance of such devices and properties of employed magnetic materials that are, in turn, defined by their electronic structure becomes feasible applying HAXPES. Thus the process of B diffusion in CoFeB-based MTJs was investigated with respect to the annealing temperature and its influence on the changes in the electronic structure of CoFeB electrodes that clarify the behaviour and huge TMR ratio values obtained in such devices. These results are presented in chapter 6. The results of investigation of the changes in the valence states of buried off-stoichiometric Co2MnSi electrodes were investigated with respect to the Mn content α and its influence on the observed TMR ratio are described in chapter 7.rnrnMagnetoelectronic properties such as exchange splitting in ferromagnetic materials as well as the macroscopic magnetic ordering can be studied by magnetic circular dichroism in photoemission (MCDAD). It is characterized by the appearance of an asymmetry in the photoemission spectra taken either from the magnetized sample with the reversal of the photon helicity or by reversal of magnetization direction of the sample when the photon helicity direction is fixed. Though recently it has been widely applied for the characterization of surfaces using low energy photons, the bulk properties have stayed inaccessible. Therefore in this work this method was integrated to HAXPES to provide an access to exploration of magnetic phenomena in the buried layers of the complex multilayer structures. Chapter 8 contains the results of the MCDAD measurements employing hard x-rays for exploration of magnetic properties of the common CoFe-based band-ferromagnets as well as half-metallic ferromagnet Co2FeAl-based MTJs.rnrnInasmuch as the magnetoresistive characteristics in spintronic devices are fully defined by the electron spins of ferromagnetic materials their direct measurements always attracted much attention but up to date have been limited by the surface sensitivity of the developed techniques. Chapter 9 presents the results on the successfully performed spin-resolved HAXPES experiment using a spin polarimeter of the SPLEED-type on a buried Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 magnetic layer. The measurements prove that a spin polarization of about 50 % is retained during the transmission of the photoelectrons emitted from the Fe 2p3/2 state through a 3-nm-thick oxide capping layer.rn

Characterization of X-ray detectors based on organic semiconducting single crystals

Negli anni recenti, lo sviluppo dell’elettronica organica ha condotto all’impiego di materiali organici alla base di numerosi dispositivi elettronici, quali i diodi ad emissione di luce, i transistor ad effetto di campo, le celle solari e i rivelatori di radiazione. Riguardo quest’ultimi, gli studi riportati in letteratura si riferiscono per la maggiore a dispositivi basati su materiali organici a film sottile, che tuttavia presentano problemi relativi ad instabilità e degradazione. Come verrà illustrato, l’impiego di singoli cristalli organici come materiali alla base di questi dispositivi permette il superamento delle principali limitazioni che caratterizzano i rivelatori basati su film sottili. In questa attività sperimentale, dispositivi basati su cristalli organici semiconduttori verranno caratterizzati in base alle principali figure di merito dei rivelatori. Tra i campioni testati, alcuni dispositivi basati su singoli cristalli di 6,13-bis (triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene (TIPS-Pentacene) e 5,6,11,12-tetraphenyltetracene (Rubrene) hanno mostrato interessanti proprietà e sono stati quindi maggiormente studiati.

A double-blind, randomized study comparing pure chromated glycerin with chromated glycerin with 1% lidocaine and epinephrine for sclerotherapy of telangiectasias and reticular veins

Chromated glycerin (CG) is an effective, although painful, sclerosing agent for telangiectasias and reticular leg veins treatment.

A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Titanium-13Zirconium versus Titanium Grade IV Small-Diameter Bone Level Implants in Edentulous Mandibles - Results from a 1-Year Observation Period

Background: The use of endosseous dental implants has become common practice for the rehabilitation of edentulous patients, and a two-implant overdenture has been recommended as the standard of care. The use of small-diameter implants may extend treatment options and reduce the necessity for bone augmentation. However, the mechanical strength of titanium is limited, so titanium alloys with greater tensile and fatigue strength may be preferable. Purpose: This randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter study investigated in a split-mouth model whether small-diameter implants made from Titanium-13Zirconium alloy (TiZr, Roxolid™) perform at least as well as Titanium Grade IV implants. Methods and Materials: Patients with an edentulous mandible received one TiZr and one Ti Grade IV small-diameter bone level implant (3.3 mm, SLActive®) in the interforaminal region. The site distribution was randomized and double-blinded. Outcome measures included change in radiological peri-implant bone level from surgery to 12 months post-insertion (primary), implant survival, success, soft tissue conditions, and safety (secondary). Results: Of 91 treated patients, 87 were available for the 12-month follow-up. Peri-implant bone level change (-0.3 ± 0.5 mm vs -0.3 ± 0.6 mm), plaque, and sulcus bleeding indices were not significantly different between TiZr and Ti Grade IV implants. Implant survival rates were 98.9 percent and 97.8 percent, success rates were 96.6 percent and 94.4 percent, respectively. Nineteen minor and no serious adverse events were related to the study devices. Conclusion: This study confirms that TiZr small-diameter bone level implants provide at least the same outcomes after 12 months as Ti Grade IV bone level implants. The improved mechanical properties of TiZr implants may extend implant therapy to more challenging clinical situations.

Response of the rat spinal cord to X-ray microbeams

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To quantify the late dose-related responses of the rat cervical spinal cord to X-ray irradiations by an array of microbeams or by a single millimeter beam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Necks of anesthetized rats were irradiated transversely by an 11mm wide array of 52 parallel, 35μm wide, vertical X-ray microbeams, separated by 210μm intervals between centers. Comparison was made with rats irradiated with a 1.35mm wide single beam of similar X-rays. Rats were killed when paresis developed, or up to 383days post irradiation (dpi). RESULTS: Microbeam peak/valley doses of ≈357/12.7Gy to 715/25.4Gy to an 11mm long segment of the spinal cord, or single beam doses of ≈146-454Gy to a 1.35mm long segment caused foreleg paresis and histopathologically verified spinal cord damage; rats exposed to peak/valley doses up to 253/9Gy were paresis-free at 383dpi. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas microbeam radiation therapy [MRT] for malignant gliomas implanted in rat brains can be safe, palliative or curative, the high tolerance of normal rat spinal cords to similar microbeam exposures justifies testing MRT for autochthonous malignancies in the central nervous system of larger animals with a view to subsequent clinical applications.

Synchrotron X-ray interlaced microbeams suppress paroxysmal oscillations in neuronal networks initiating generalized epilepsy

Radiotherapy has shown some efficacy for epilepsies but the insufficient confinement of the radiation dose to the pathological target reduces its indications. Synchrotron-generated X-rays overcome this limitation and allow the delivery of focalized radiation doses to discrete brain volumes via interlaced arrays of microbeams (IntMRT). Here, we used IntMRT to target brain structures involved in seizure generation in a rat model of absence epilepsy (GAERS). We addressed the issue of whether and how synchrotron radiotherapeutic treatment suppresses epileptic activities in neuronal networks. IntMRT was used to target the somatosensory cortex (S1Cx), a region involved in seizure generation in the GAERS. The antiepileptic mechanisms were investigated by recording multisite local-field potentials and the intracellular activity of irradiated S1Cx pyramidal neurons in vivo. MRI and histopathological images displayed precise and sharp dose deposition and revealed no impairment of surrounding tissues. Local-field potentials from behaving animals demonstrated a quasi-total abolition of epileptiform activities within the target. The irradiated S1Cx was unable to initiate seizures, whereas neighboring non-irradiated cortical and thalamic regions could still produce pathological oscillations. In vivo intracellular recordings showed that irradiated pyramidal neurons were strongly hyperpolarized and displayed a decreased excitability and a reduction of spontaneous synaptic activities. These functional alterations explain the suppression of large-scale synchronization within irradiated cortical networks. Our work provides the first post-irradiation electrophysiological recordings of individual neurons. Altogether, our data are a critical step towards understanding how X-ray radiation impacts neuronal physiology and epileptogenic processes.