Development of an enhanced hydro-geochemical model to address mercury-speciation fate and transport in aquatic environments

An awareness of mercury (Hg) contamination in various aquatic environments around the world has increased over the past decade, mostly due to its ability to concentrate in the biota. Because the presence and distribution of Hg in aquatic systems depend on many factors (e.g., pe, pH, salinity, temperature, organic and inorganic ligands, sorbents, etc.), it is crucial to understand its fate and transport in the presence of complexing constituents and natural sorbents, under those different factors. An improved understanding of the subject will support the selection of monitoring, remediation, and restoration technologies. The coupling of equilibrium chemical reactions with transport processes in the model PHREEQC offers an advantage in simulating and predicting the fate and transport of aqueous chemical species of interest. Thus, a great variety of reactive transport problems could be addressed in aquatic systems with boundary conditions of specific interest. Nevertheless, PHREEQC lacks a comprehensive thermodynamic database for Hg. Therefore, in order to use PHREEQC to address the fate and transport of Hg in aquatic environments, it is necessary to expand its thermodynamic database, confirm it and then evaluate it in applications where potential exists for its calibration and continued validation. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to develop, expand, and confirm the Hg database of the hydrogeochemical PHREEQC to enhance its capability to simulate the fate of Hg species in the presence of complexing constituents and natural sorbents under different conditions of pH, redox, salinity and temperature; and 2) to apply and evaluate the new database in flow and transport scenarios, at two field test beds: Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, TN and Everglades National Park, FL, where Hg is present and is of much concern. Overall, this research enhanced the capability of the PHREEQC model to simulate the coupling of the Hg reactions in transport conditions. It also demonstrated its usefulness when applied to field situations.

Programa "Engajando famílias na escola": estratégias, possibilidades e desafios

Education and community are currently intertwined, so that social practices, situated problems and emancipation processes have, more and more, entered in the school environment. Considering this context, the expansion of studies focusing on family literacy becomes necessary for the mobilization of alternatives and actions in this area. This research forms part of the project "The habitus of study: builder of a new reality in metropolitan Natal" (CAPES/OBEDUC/UFRN) and the program "Literacies and public policies: the family at school" (MEC/PROEXT/UFRN). In view of the chosen object – family literacy – therefore, we try to: 1) discuss actions implemented in a family literacy program, with specific reference to create literacy resources to register, discuss material, events, texts, 2) actions and promote forms of interaction by the family in the school environment; 2develop bonding strategies between school and families; 3) point the impact of such experiences of family literacy. To achieve these objectives, we base the discussion on theoretical contributions of the New Literacy Studies (STREET, 1984; McLAREN, 1988; BARTON & HAMILTON, 1993; KLEIMAN, 1995, 2000), focusing on Family Literacy and Literacy Project issues. Regarding to the research paradigm, we consider the Applied Linguistics field of study and we take the qualitative model (ERICKSON, 1990; BORTONI-RICARDO, 2008), with ethnographic critical approach (MOITA LOPES, 1993; THOMAS, 1993; HEATH & STREET, 2008). We understand, through our analysis, that families have much to contribute to the reality of schools, and, having seen relevance and value, these collaborators participate and act in support of the actions and the student’s education, even in the midst of complex routine situations. Still, we have learned that dialogues and activities with the community are necessary, looking forward to having involvement, local knowledge and the construction of shared learning; following this path, the collaborative environment is produced and the collaboration is effective.

Programa "Engajando famílias na escola": estratégias, possibilidades e desafios

Education and community are currently intertwined, so that social practices, situated problems and emancipation processes have, more and more, entered in the school environment. Considering this context, the expansion of studies focusing on family literacy becomes necessary for the mobilization of alternatives and actions in this area. This research forms part of the project "The habitus of study: builder of a new reality in metropolitan Natal" (CAPES/OBEDUC/UFRN) and the program "Literacies and public policies: the family at school" (MEC/PROEXT/UFRN). In view of the chosen object – family literacy – therefore, we try to: 1) discuss actions implemented in a family literacy program, with specific reference to create literacy resources to register, discuss material, events, texts, 2) actions and promote forms of interaction by the family in the school environment; 2develop bonding strategies between school and families; 3) point the impact of such experiences of family literacy. To achieve these objectives, we base the discussion on theoretical contributions of the New Literacy Studies (STREET, 1984; McLAREN, 1988; BARTON & HAMILTON, 1993; KLEIMAN, 1995, 2000), focusing on Family Literacy and Literacy Project issues. Regarding to the research paradigm, we consider the Applied Linguistics field of study and we take the qualitative model (ERICKSON, 1990; BORTONI-RICARDO, 2008), with ethnographic critical approach (MOITA LOPES, 1993; THOMAS, 1993; HEATH & STREET, 2008). We understand, through our analysis, that families have much to contribute to the reality of schools, and, having seen relevance and value, these collaborators participate and act in support of the actions and the student’s education, even in the midst of complex routine situations. Still, we have learned that dialogues and activities with the community are necessary, looking forward to having involvement, local knowledge and the construction of shared learning; following this path, the collaborative environment is produced and the collaboration is effective.

Magnetic ordering in Er₂Ti₂O₇ and elastic softening in Tb₂Ti₂O₇

Geometric frustration occurs in the rare earth pyrochlores due to magnetic rare earth ions occupying the vertices of the network of corner-sharing tetrahedra. In this research, we have two parts. In the first one we study the phase transition to the magnetically ordered state at low temperature in the pyrochlore Er₂Ti₂O₇. The molecular field method was used to solve this problem. In the second part, we analyse the crystal electric field Hamiltonian for the rare earth sites. The rather large degeneracy of the angular momentum J of the rare earth ion is lifted by the crystal electric field due to the neighboring ions in the crystal. By rewriting the Stevens operators in the crystal electric field Hamiltonian ᴴCEF in terms of charge quadruple operators, we can identify unstable order parameters in ᴴCEF . These may be related to lattice instabilities in Tb₂Ti₂O₇.

Determinação do estado fundamental de compostos antiferromagnéticos da série Tb(1-x)Y(x)RhIn(5): aproximação teórico experimental

We present the results of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements in Tb1−xYxRhIn5 (x = 0.00, 0.15, 0.4.0, 0.50 e 0.70) single crystals. Tb1−xYxRhIn5 is an antiferromagnetic AFM compound with ordering temperature TN ≈ 46 K, the higher TN within the RRhIn5 serie (R : rare earth). We evaluate the physical properties evolution and the supression of the AFM state considering doping and Crystalline Electric Field (CEF) effects on magnetic exchange interaction between Tb3+ magnetic ions. CEF acts like a perturbation potential, breaking the (2J + 1) multiplet s degeneracy. Also, we studied linear-polarization-dependent soft x-ray absorption at Tb M4 and M5 edges to validate X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy as a complementary technique in determining the rare earth CEF ground state. Samples were grown by the indium excess flux and the experimental data (magnetic susceptibility and specific heat) were adjusted with a mean field model that takes account magnetic exchange interaction between first neighbors and CEF effects. XAS experiments were carried on Total Electron Yield mode at Laborat´onio Nacional de Luz S´ıncrotron, Campinas. We measured X-ray absorption at Tb M4,5 edges with incident polarized X-ray beam parallel and perpendicular to c-axis (E || c e E ⊥ c). The mean field model simulates the mean behavior of the whole system and, due to many independent parameters, gives a non unique CEF scheme. XAS is site- and elemental- specific technique and gained the scientific community s attention as complementary technique in determining CEF ground state in rare earth based compounds. In this work we wil discuss the non conclusive results of XAS technique in TbRhIn5 compounds.

Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory.

The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions for fluorescence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on request. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Statistical Anomalies of Bitflips in SRAMs to Discriminate SBUs from MCUs

Recently, the occurrence of multiple events in static tests has been investigated by checking the statistical distribution of the difference between the addresses of the words containing bitflips. That method has been successfully applied to Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and the original authors indicate that it is also valid for SRAMs. This paper presents a modified methodology that is based on checking the XORed addresses with bitflips, rather than on the difference. Irradiation tests on CMOS 130 & 90 nm SRAMs with 14-MeV neutrons have been performed to validate this methodology. Results in high-altitude environments are also presented and cross-checked with theoretical predictions. In addition, this methodology has also been used to detect modifications in the organization of said memories. Theoretical predictions have been validated with actual data provided by the manufacturer.

Sistemas de cálculo, análise e operação virtual: interferências de campos elétricos e magnéticos produzidas por estações radio base de acesso múltiplo por divisão de código em banda larga - WCDMA

In this work it was developed mathematical resolutions taking as parameter maximum intensity values for the interference analysis of electric and magnetic fields and was given two virtual computer system that supports families of CDMA and WCDMA technologies. The first family were developed computational resources to solve electric and magnetic field calculations and power densities in Radio Base stations , with the use of CDMA technology in the 800 MHz band , taking into account the permissible values referenced by the Commission International Protection on non-Ionizing Radiation . The first family is divided into two segments of calculation carried out in virtual operation. In the first segment to compute the interference field radiated by the base station with input information such as radio channel power; Gain antenna; Radio channel number; Operating frequency; Losses in the cable; Attenuation of direction; Minimum Distance; Reflections. Said computing system allows to quickly and without the need of implementing instruments for measurements, meet the following calculated values: Effective Radiated Power; Sector Power Density; Electric field in the sector; Magnetic field in the sector; Magnetic flux density; point of maximum permissible exposure of electric field and power density. The results are shown in charts for clarity of view of power density in the industry, as well as the coverage area definition. The computer module also includes folders specifications antennas, cables and towers used in cellular telephony, the following manufacturers: RFS World, Andrew, Karthein and BRASILSAT. Many are presented "links" network access "Internet" to supplement the cable specifications, antennas, etc. . In the second segment of the first family work with more variables , seeking to perform calculations quickly and safely assisting in obtaining results of radio signal loss produced by ERB . This module displays screens representing propagation systems denominated "A" and "B". By propagating "A" are obtained radio signal attenuation calculations in areas of urban models , dense urban , suburban , and rural open . In reflection calculations are present the reflection coefficients , the standing wave ratio , return loss , the reflected power ratio , as well as the loss of the signal by mismatch impedance. With the spread " B" seek radio signal losses in the survey line and not targeted , the effective area , the power density , the received power , the coverage radius , the conversion levels and the gain conversion systems radiant . The second family of virtual computing system consists of 7 modules of which 5 are geared towards the design of WCDMA and 2 technology for calculation of telephone traffic serving CDMA and WCDMA . It includes a portfolio of radiant systems used on the site. In the virtual operation of the module 1 is compute-: distance frequency reuse, channel capacity with noise and without noise, Doppler frequency, modulation rate and channel efficiency; Module 2 includes computes the cell area, thermal noise, noise power (dB), noise figure, signal to noise ratio, bit of power (dBm); with the module 3 reaches the calculation: breakpoint, processing gain (dB) loss in the space of BTS, noise power (w), chip period and frequency reuse factor. Module 4 scales effective radiated power, sectorization gain, voice activity and load effect. The module 5 performs the calculation processing gain (Hz / bps) bit time, bit energy (Ws). Module 6 deals with the telephone traffic and scales 1: traffic volume, occupancy intensity, average time of occupancy, traffic intensity, calls completed, congestion. Module 7 deals with two telephone traffic and allows calculating call completion and not completed in HMM. Tests were performed on the mobile network performance field for the calculation of data relating to: CINP , CPI , RSRP , RSRQ , EARFCN , Drop Call , Block Call , Pilot , Data Bler , RSCP , Short Call, Long Call and Data Call ; ECIO - Short Call and Long Call , Data Call Troughput . As survey were conducted surveys of electric and magnetic field in an ERB , trying to observe the degree of exposure to non-ionizing radiation they are exposed to the general public and occupational element. The results were compared to permissible values for health endorsed by the ICNIRP and the CENELEC .

Energy estimation of cosmic rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30-80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy-corrected for geometrical effects-is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.

Polymer photonic crystal fibre for sensor applications

Polymer photonic crystal fibres combine two relatively recent developments in fibre technology. On the one hand, polymer optical fibre has very different physical and chemical properties to silica. In particular, polymer fibre has a much smaller Young's modulus than silica, can survive higher strains, is amenable to organic chemical processing and, depending on the constituent polymer, may absorb water. All of these features can be utilised to extend the range of applications of optical fibre sensors. On the other hand, the photonic crystal - or microstructured - geometry also offers advantages: flexibility in the fibre design including control of the dispersion properties of core and cladding modes, the possibility of introducing minute quantities of analyte directly into the electric field of the guided light and enhanced pressure sensitivity. When brought together these two technologies provide interesting possibilities for fibre sensors, particularly when combined with fibre Bragg or long period gratings. This paper discusses the features of polymer photonic crystal fibre relevant to sensing and provides examples of the applications demonstrated to date. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.

Probing Tissue Microstructure Using Susceptibility Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging is a research and clinical tool that has been applied in a wide variety of sciences. One area of magnetic resonance imaging that has exhibited terrific promise and growth in the past decade is magnetic susceptibility imaging. Imaging tissue susceptibility provides insight into the microstructural organization and chemical properties of biological tissues, but this image contrast is not well understood. The purpose of this work is to develop effective approaches to image, assess, and model the mechanisms that generate both isotropic and anisotropic magnetic susceptibility contrast in biological tissues, including myocardium and central nervous system white matter.

This document contains the first report of MRI-measured susceptibility anisotropy in myocardium. Intact mouse heart specimens were scanned using MRI at 9.4 T to ascertain both the magnetic susceptibility and myofiber orientation of the tissue. The susceptibility anisotropy of myocardium was observed and measured by relating the apparent tissue susceptibility as a function of the myofiber angle with respect to the applied magnetic field. A multi-filament model of myocardial tissue revealed that the diamagnetically anisotropy α-helix peptide bonds in myofilament proteins are capable of producing bulk susceptibility anisotropy on a scale measurable by MRI, and are potentially the chief sources of the experimentally observed anisotropy.

The growing use of paramagnetic contrast agents in magnetic susceptibility imaging motivated a series of investigations regarding the effect of these exogenous agents on susceptibility imaging in the brain, heart, and kidney. In each of these organs, gadolinium increases susceptibility contrast and anisotropy, though the enhancements depend on the tissue type, compartmentalization of contrast agent, and complex multi-pool relaxation. In the brain, the introduction of paramagnetic contrast agents actually makes white matter tissue regions appear more diamagnetic relative to the reference susceptibility. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI yields tensor-valued susceptibility images with eigenvectors that more accurately reflect the underlying tissue orientation.

Despite the boost gadolinium provides, tensor-valued susceptibility image reconstruction is prone to image artifacts. A novel algorithm was developed to mitigate these artifacts by incorporating orientation-dependent tissue relaxation information into susceptibility tensor estimation. The technique was verified using a numerical phantom simulation, and improves susceptibility-based tractography in the brain, kidney, and heart. This work represents the first successful application of susceptibility-based tractography to a whole, intact heart.

The knowledge and tools developed throughout the course of this research were then applied to studying mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease in vivo, and studying hypertrophic human myocardium specimens ex vivo. Though a preliminary study using contrast-enhanced quantitative susceptibility mapping has revealed diamagnetic amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the mouse brain ex vivo, non-contrast susceptibility imaging was unable to precisely identify these plaques in vivo. Susceptibility tensor imaging of human myocardium specimens at 9.4 T shows that susceptibility anisotropy is larger and mean susceptibility is more diamagnetic in hypertrophic tissue than in normal tissue. These findings support the hypothesis that myofilament proteins are a source of susceptibility contrast and anisotropy in myocardium. This collection of preclinical studies provides new tools and context for analyzing tissue structure, chemistry, and health in a variety of organs throughout the body.

Dynamic control of laser driven proton beams by exploiting self-generated, ultrashort electromagnetic pulses

As part of the ultrafast charge dynamics initiated by high intensity laser irradiations of solid targets,high amplitude EM pulses propagate away from the interaction point and are transported along anystalks and wires attached to the target. The propagation of these high amplitude pulses along a thinwire connected to a laser irradiated target was diagnosed via the proton radiography technique,measuring a pulse duration of 20 ps and a pulse velocity close to the speed of light. The strongelectric field associated with the EM pulse can be exploited for controlling dynamically the protonbeams produced from a laser-driven source. Chromatic divergence control of broadband laser drivenprotons (upto 75% reduction in divergence of >5 MeV protons) was obtained by winding the supportingwire around the proton beam axis to create a helical coil structure. In addition to providingfocussing and energy selection, the technique has the potential to post-accelerate the transiting protonsby the longitudinal component of the curved electric field lines produced by the helical coil lens.

Electron acoustic soliton energy of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation in the Earth’s magnetotail region at critical ion density

The nonlinear properties of small amplitude electron-acoustic solitary waves (EAWs) in a homogeneous system of unmagnetized collisionless plasma consisted of a cold electron fluid and isothermal ions with two different temperatures obeying Boltzmann type distributions have been investigated. A reductive perturbation method was employed to obtain the Kadomstev-Petviashvili (KP) equation. At the critical ion density, the KP equation is not appropriate for describing the system. Hence, a new set of stretched coordinates
is considered to derive the modified KP equation. Moreover, the solitary solution, soliton energy and the associated electric field at the critical ion density were computed. The present investigation can be of relevance to the electrostatic solitary structures observed in various space plasma environments, such as Earth’s magnetotail region.

Particle-in-cell simulation study of a lower-hybrid shock

The expansion of a magnetized high-pressure plasma into a low-pressure ambient medium is examined with particle-in-cell simulations. The magnetic field points perpendicular to the plasma's expansion direction and binary collisions between particles are absent. The expanding plasma steepens into a quasi-electrostatic shock that is sustained by the lower-hybrid (LH) wave. The ambipolar electric field points in the expansion direction and it induces together with the background magnetic field a fast E cross B drift of electrons. The drifting electrons modify the background magnetic field, resulting in its pile-up by the LH shock. The magnetic pressure gradient force accelerates the ambient ions ahead of the LH shock, reducing the relative velocity between the ambient plasma and the LH shock to about the phase speed of the shocked LH wave, transforming the LH shock into a nonlinear LH wave. The oscillations of the electrostatic potential have a larger amplitude and wavelength in the magnetized plasma than in an unmagnetized one with otherwise identical conditions. The energy loss to the drifting electrons leads to a noticeable slowdown of the LH shock compared to that in an unmagnetized plasma.

Competing anisotropies in exchange biased nano-structured thin films

The magnetic anisotropies of a patterned, exchange biased Fe50Mn50/Ni80Fe20 system are studied using ferromagnetic resonance, supplemented by Brillouin light scattering experiments and Kerr magnetometry. The exchange biased bi-layer is partially etched into an antidot geometry so that the system approximates a Ni80 Fe20 layer in contact with antidot structured Fe50 Mn50 . Brillouin light scattering measurements of the spin wave frequency dependence on the wave vector reveal a magnonic band gap as expected for a periodic modulation of the magnetic properties. Analysis of the ferromagnetic resonance spectra reveals 8-fold and 4-fold contributions to the magnetic anisotropy. Additionally, the antidot patterning decreases the magnitude of the exchange bias and modifies strongly its angular dependence. Softening of all resonance modes is most pronounced for the applied magnetic field aligned within 10◦ of the antidot axis, in the direction of the bias. Given the degree to which one can tailor the ground state, the resulting asymmetry at low frequencies could make this an interesting candidate for applications such as selective/directional microwave filtering and multi-state magnetic logic.