Analytical and semi-analytical analysis of an artificial satellite's rotational motion

The rotational motion of an artificial satellite is studied by considering torques produced by gravity gradient and direct solar radiation pressure. A satellite of circular cylinder shape is considered here, and Andoyers variables are used to describe the rotational motion. Expressions for direct solar radiation torque are derived. When the earth's shadow is not considered, an analytical solution is obtained using Lagrange's method of variation of parameters. A semi-analytical procedure is proposed to predict the satellite's attitude under the influence of the earth's shadow. The analytical solution shows that angular variables are linear and periodic functions of time while their conjugates suffer only periodic variations. When compared, numerical and analytical solutions have a good agreement during the time range considered.

Environmental torques acting on a low Earth orbiter cylindrical spacecraft

Classical models of gravity gradient, solar radiation, aerodynamic and magnetic torques acting on a circular cylinder satellite. The magnitude of each such are compared with parameterization in terms of the dimensions of the satellite and its altitude in relation to the Earth's surface. Two different satellite data are considered. The results agree with the classical results and show that for altitude between 0 and 800 km the gravity gradient, aerodynamic and magnetic torques decrease with altitude while the solar radiation torque is almost independent of the altitude. The relative importance of these torques depends on the size, mass, moments of inertia and altitude of the satellite. The results can be useful to propagate the satellite attitude, to satellite missions analysis and to validate the analytical approaches. (C) 2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aerial stem and leaf morphoanatomy of some species of Smilax

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Crossover between macroscopic and mesoscopic regimes of vortex interactions in type-II superconductors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evolução termocronológica do sistema de falhas Senador Pompeu-CE

The region of the Senador Pompeu Shear Zone (SPSZ), in the North Tectonic Domain of the Borborema Province (BP), has its recent history associated with to South Atlantic Ocean formation event at the Jurassic. A lot of geologics models have discussed about crustal axis elevation in local scale and large scale (Borborema Province), relative to importants regionals tectonics directions of it. The identification and the relationship among this surfaces, stepped in many topographyc levels by tectonics mecanisms, is dificult because of the erosion process on it. Over there, sedimentary deposits is complex and it has not biostratigraphyc record in continental deposits. The analysis metodology on apatita fission-track, in the region of the SPSZ, purpose the more knowledge about morphotectonics mecanisms of the area and the impruvement of its morphotectonics models. For this, it was moleled the age and thermal history of the 11 apatites samples collected on both sides of this shear zone, taking relationships among other results of the thermochronology studies in the BP. Based on the thermal studies in this search, the region of the BP developed on two distint cooling events, separated for one period of relative stabilited. The first episode occur between 130 and 90 M.y., has been began when the samples cross the 120°C isoterm for last time and fineshed at 70°C. The second moment of the cooling process was began about 30 M.y., when the temperature was 90°C, from this to the equlibrium with present surface temperature at 30°C. Some evidences indicated a relacionship between thermal episodes and uplift events of the regional relief. The fundaments of the interpretation was based mainly on comparatives studies among results of the thermochronology analysis and geologics studies about BP. Nóbrega et al.(2005), e.g., on studies about the Portalegre Shear Zone, got similar results on SPSZ, with some details relative to local tectonic activity. Morais Neto et al. (2000) interpreted two importants cooling events in the BP based on their regional studies, that can be associated to regional uplift events. When Assine (1992) studied the stratigraphyc sequences of the Araripe Basin, in the south of Ceará state, conclude that the abrupt return to continentals condictions from the last sedimentar sequency (albiano-cenomaniane) indicate a regional uplift of the NE region of the Brazil at the 100 M.y., in the Albiano Intermediate/Superior. This ages are compatible to termal model of the SPSZ. This two periods of the thermal history of the BP are completely registered in the apatites samples just one age groups of the fission-track, that it is the most ancient age groups. This one suggest it has happened in response to heating before 75 M.y and it has erased the last report of the first moment relief evolution of the BP. The NNE-SSW and E-W structure reativation can have created ideal condictions for heating and local elevations of the geothermal gradients. The equilibrium between the apatites temperatures of this groups and the regionais temperatures took place about 50 M.y., when the samples of the two ages groups had a simillar evolution to present surfaces temperatures

Metodologia para estudo do volume e densidade absoluta da placenta humana de termo

OBJETIVO: comparar duas metodologias para o cálculo do volume placentário em gestações normais de termo: a do princípio de Arquimedes e a do volume do cilindro, para estimar a densidade absoluta da placenta. Definir a metodologia mais adequada para o cálculo do volume e densidade placentários, que se relacione com o peso e classificação do recém-nascido. MÉTODOS: foram estudadas 50 placentas provenientes de gestações de termo sem complicações e calculados o volume e a densidade absoluta placentários: a) pelo princípio de Arquimedes e b) na suposição de que a placenta seria uma secção de cilindro com duas alturas diferentes do bolo placentário: com a altura média e com a altura da média aritmética do centro e extremidades. As densidades absolutas placentárias foram calculadas pelo quociente entre o peso ao ar da placenta e os diferentes volumes. RESULTADOS: a maioria das gestantes eram multíparas, idade média de 25,4 anos, volume placentário médio entre 547,8 e 610 cm³ e densidade média entre 0,94 e 1,14 g/cm³, dependendo da metodologia empregada. CONCLUSÕES: a metodologia mais adequada para estimar o volume placentário no termo foi a do princípio de Arquimedes, pela melhor correlação com o peso dos recém-nascidos, o índice placentário e a classificação do peso dos recém-nascidos em relação à idade gestacional.

Prevalence of Refractive Errors in a Brazilian Population: The Botucatu Eye Study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Loss of samples in the tissue microarray technique: comparison between slides using adhesive tape and silanized slides

The tissue microarray (TMA) technique allows multiple tissue samples in a single block. Commercial adhesive tape is used to avoid the loss of tissue samples during the immunostaining process. Few reports exist in the literature comparing the use of these adhesive tapes to other adhesive techniques. The objective of this study was to compare loss of sections adhered to slides using commercial adhesive tapes versus using silanized only slides. TMA was constructed with varying tissues using a fixed-base device (Beecher Instruments), placing 108 cylinders of 1 mm diameter in duplicate, spaced 1.2 mm apart. Section of 4 mu m were cut from the TMA block and adhered to 30 silanized slides and 30 commercial glass slides using adhesive tape, according to manufacturer's recommendations. Vimentin immunoexpression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Antigenic recovery was realized in citrate buffer using a microwave oven. Cylinder loss in the immunohistochemical process was quantified and expressed as: total (>80%), almost complete (75-79%), or partial (50-74%). The commercial adhesive tape group presented lesser total loss (1.1 versus 6.4%), almost complete loss (2.2 versus 3.5%), and partial loss (2.1 versus 3.8%) than the silanized slide group (ANOVA, P < 0.05). The sum of total and almost complete losses in the silanized slide group was 9.9%, greater than the losses in slides using commercial adhesive tapes (3.3%) and less than reported and considered acceptable in the literature (10-30%). In conclusion, the use of silanized only slides presents very satisfactory results, requires less training, and reduces costs significantly, thus justifying their use in research.

ESTUDO da RETENÇÃO ENTRE RESINA ACRÍLICA PARA BASE DE DENTADURA E DENTES DE RESINA ACRÍLICA

Foi avaliada a resistência de união entre dentes e base de dentadura, ambos de resina acrílica. Os dentes foram incluídos em blocos cilíndricos de resina e, posteriormente, torneados, para se obterem cilindros de 5mm de diâmetro. Sobre a extremidade do dente, era adaptado um padrão de cera de mesmo diâmetro, que, após inclusão na mufla, era substituído por resina acrílica termicamente ativada pelo método de processamento convencional de base de dentadura. Como variáveis, usaram-se duas marcas de dentes, duas fases de inclusão (plástica e borrachóide) e aplicação ou não de detergente e monômero sobre os dentes. Os corpos-de-prova, antes dos ensaios de ruptura por tração, foram armazenados em água destilada, a 37ºC, por 2 semanas. Os resultados mostraram que: marca de dente e fase de condensação não influíram nos resultados; somente o uso de detergente ou de monômero aumenta a retentividade e o seu uso conjunto apresenta efeito acumulativo.

Biomechanical evaluation of internal and external hexagon platform switched implant-abutment connections: An in vitro laboratory and three-dimensional finite element analysis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Some experiments with high order compact methods using a computer algebra software - Part II (non-uniform grid)

We generalize a procedure proposed by Mancera and Hunt [P.F.A. Mancera, R. Hunt, Some experiments with high order compact methods using a computer algebra software-Part 1, Appl. Math. Comput., in press, doi: 10.1016/j.amc.2005.05.015] for obtaining a compact fourth-order method to the steady 2D Navier-Stokes equations in the streamfunction formulation-vorticity using the computer algebra system Maple, which includes conformal mappings and non-uniform grids. To analyse the procedure we have solved a constricted stepped channel problem, where a fine grid is placed near the re-entrant corner by transformation of the independent variables. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morfoanatomia do sistema caulinar de Canna edulis Kerr-Gawler (Cannaceae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Intracellular papillae of Actinocephalus (Eriocaulaceae-Poales) roots and their interaction with fungi: A light and transmission electron microscopy study

The genus Actinocephalus comprises 25 species and is restricted to Brazil, occurring mainly in the Espinhaco Mountains of Minas Gerais and Bahia States. Previous anatomical studies have reported the occurrence of intracellular papillae in the Actinocephalus roots, without dealing with their ultrastructure and function. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure, the composition and the probable function of the intracellular papillae of Actinocephalus roots, based on light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and histochemical tests. The intracellular papillae occurred in all root tissues, from the rhizodermis to the vascular cylinder; they presented different forms and sizes and, ultrastructurally, they corresponded to material deposited between the cell wall and the plasma membrane. The histochemical tests carried out were positive for cellulose, pectin and callose. The intracellular papillae are responses of the plant cells to the interaction with fungi. They work as a physical barrier restricting fungal penetration, and they may also favor the supply of water and nutrients to the plant, since they increase root absorption surface. This might explain why the species of Actinocephalus are among the tallest Eriocaulaceae despite their reduced radicular system and the nutritional deficiency of the soil in which they grow. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anatomia de raízes de nove espécies de Bromeliaceae (Poales) da região amazônica do estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anatomia de espécies anfíbias de Cyperaceae de lagoas do semi-árido, BA, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)