Fractal geometry concerned with stable and dynamic fracture mechanics

Fractal modeling of the rugged crack geometry is considered for the stable and dynamic fracture mechanics characterizing the morphology of a fracture surface and the influence of its growth. It is shown that the fractal dimension has a strong influence on the rising of the R-curve in brittle materials. For the unstable Griffith–Mott’s approach or dynamical crack growth the fractal dimension has a strong influence on the velocity limit of the crack growth. It is also shown that the limit of crack velocity lowers with increasing surface ruggedness (higher fractal dimension D = 2 − H) explaining the intangibility of the Rayleigh wave velocity by the cracks.     

Nitric oxide-dependent pigment migration induced by ultraviolet radiation in retinal pigment cells of the crab Neohelice granulata

The purpose of this study was to verify the occurrence of pigment dispersion in retinal pigment cells exposed to UVA and UVB radiation, and to investigate the possible participation of a nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Retinal pigment cells from Neohelice granulata were obtained by cellular dissociation. Cells were analyzed for 30 min in the dark (control) and then exposed to 1.1 and 3.3 J cm⁻² UVA, 0.07 and 0.9 J cm⁻² UVB, 20 n m β-PDH (pigment dispersing hormone) or 10 μ m SIN-1 (NO donor). Histological analyses were performed to verify the UV effect in vivo . Cultured cells were exposed to 250 μ m L-NAME (NO synthase blocker) and afterwards were treated with UVA, UVB or β-PDH. The retinal cells in culture displayed significant pigment dispersion in response to UVA, UVB and β-PDH. The same responses to UVA and UVB were observed in vivo . SIN-1 did not induce pigment dispersion in the cell cultures. l-NAME significantly decreased the pigment dispersion induced by UVA and UVB but not by β-PDH. All retinal cells showed an immunopositive reaction against neuronal nitric oxide synthases. Therefore, UVA and UVB radiation are capable of inducing pigment dispersion in retinal pigment cells of Neohelice granulata and this dispersion may be nitric oxide synthase dependent.     

Platinum nanoparticle-modified electrodes, morphologic, and electrochemical studies concerning electroactive materials deposition

The present work describes the synthesis of platinum nanoparticles followed by their electrophoretic deposition onto transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes. The nano-Pt-modified electrodes were characterized by voltammetric studies in acidic solutions showing a great electrocatalytic behavior towards H⁺ reduction being very interesting for fuel cell applications. Morphological characterization was performed by atomic force microscopy on different modified electrodes showing a very rough surface which can be tuned by means of time of deposition. Also, nickel hydroxide thin films were galvanostatically grown onto these electrodes showing an interesting electrochemical behavior as sharper peaks, indicating a faster ionic exchange from the electrolyte to the film.     

Crosslink effect and albumin adsorption onto chitosan/alginate multilayered systems: an in situ QCM-D study

The adsorption of HSA onto CHI/ALG multilayer assemblies was assessed in situ using QCM-D. It was found that the behavior of HSA on biomaterials surface can be tuned by adjusting parameters of the polyelectrolyte system such as pH, layer number, crosslinker and polymer terminal layer. Our results confirmed the key role of electrostatic interactions during HSA adsorption, since oppositely charged surfaces were more effective in promoting protein adhesion. QCM-D data revealed that crosslinking (CHI/ALG)(5) CHI films allows HSA to become adsorbed in physiological conditions. Our results suggested that the biological potential of biopolymers and the mild conditions of the LbL technique turn these natural nanoassemblies into a suitable choice to be used as pH-sensitive coatings.     

Determination of amylose content in starch using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate calibration analysis

Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy and chemometric tools have been used for exploratory analysis of pure corn and cassava starch samples and mixtures of both starches, as well as for the quantification of amylose content in corn and cassava starch samples. The exploratory analysis using principal component analysis shows that two natural groups of similar samples can be obtained, according to the amylose content, and consequently the botanical origins. The Raman band at 480 cm^?1, assigned to the ring vibration of starches, has the major contribution to the separation of the corn and cassava starch samples. This region was used as a marker to identify the presence of starch in different samples, as well as to characterize amylose and amylopectin. Two calibration models were developed based on partial least squares regression involving pure corn and cassava, and a third model with both starch samples was also built; the results were compared with the results of the standard colorimetric method. The samples were separated into two groups of calibration and validation by employing the Kennard-Stone algorithm and the optimum number of latent variables was chosen by the root mean square error of cross-validation obtained from the calibration set by internal validation (leave one out). The performance of each model was evaluated by the root mean square errors of calibration and prediction, and the results obtained indicate that Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy can be used for rapid determination of apparent amylose in starch samples with prediction errors similar to those of the standard method.

Moreau–Yosida Regularization of Maximal Monotone Operators of Type (D)

We propose a Moreau–Yosida regularization for maximal monotone operators of type (D), in non-reflexive Banach spaces. It generalizes the classical Moreau–Yosida regularization as well as Brezis–Crandall–Pazy’s extension of this regularization to strictly convex (reflexive) Banach spaces with strictly convex duals. Our main results are obtained by making use of recent results by the authors on convex representations of maximal monotone operators in non-reflexive Banach spaces.     

Bounds on an anomalous dijet resonance in W+jets production in pp collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV

We present a study of the dijet invariant mass spectrum in events with two jets produced in association with a W boson in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 fb(-1) collected with the D0 detector at √s = 1.96 TeV. We find no evidence for anomalous resonant dijet production and derive upper limits on the production cross section of an anomalous dijet resonance recently reported by the CDF Collaboration, investigating the range of dijet invariant mass from 110 to 170 GeV/c(2). The probability of the D0 data being consistent with the presence of a dijet resonance with 4 pb production cross section at 145 GeV/c(2) is 8×10(-6).     

Search for Resonant WW and WZ Production in pp collisions at √s=1.96 TeV

We search for resonant WW or WZ production by using up to 5.4 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected by the D0 experiment in run II of the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The data are consistent with the standard model background expectation, and we set limits on a resonance mass by using the sequential standard model W' boson and the Randall-Sundrum model graviton G as benchmarks. We exclude a sequential standard model W' boson in the mass range 180-690 GeV and a Randall-Sundrum graviton in the range 300-754 GeV at 95% C.L.