Elemental distribution by synchrotron X-ray microfluorescence of prostate 3D cell culture

Prostate cancer is a highly prevalent disease and ranks second among malignant neoplasms that affect men around the world, behind lung cancer alone. Trace elements are very important and are involved in many cellular processes. The X-ray microfluorescence technique is an advanced tool of high spatial resolution, sensitivity, multielemental analysis, and nondestructiveness for trace element study. This study aimed to investigate the elemental distribution in spheroids obtained through the following human prostate cell lines using synchrotron X-ray microfluorescence: tumor cell line androgen independent (DU145), tumor cell line androgen dependent (LNCaP), and normal cell line (RWPE-1). The measurements were performed with a standard geometry of 45° of incidence, excited by a white beam using a pixel of 25 μm and an acquisition time of 300 ms/pixel at the X-ray fluorescence beamline at the Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (Campinas, Brazil). The synchrotron X-ray microfluorescence results showed differences between groups in all elements analyzed and suggested that further studies should be performed to understand the relationship of these trace elements with the progression and development of the disease.     

Monte Carlo study of interfacial silicon suboxide layers and oxidation kinetics

A simple simulation scheme that simultaneously describes the growth kinetics of SiO₂ films at the nanometer scale and the SiO_x/Si interface dynamics (its extent, and spatial/temporal evolution) is presented. The simulation successfully applies to experimental data in the region above and below 10 nm, reproduces the Deal and Grove linear-parabolic law and the oxide growth rate enhancement in the very thin film regime (the so-called anomalous region). According to the simulation, the oxidation is governed mainly by two processes: (a) the formation of a transition suboxide layer and (b) its subsequent drift towards the silicon bulk. We found that it is the superposition of these two processes that produces the crossover from the anomalous oxidation region behavior to the linear-parabolic law.     

Heteroclinic orbits between rotating waves of semilinear parabolic equations on the circle

We investigate heteroclinic orbits between equilibria and rotating waves for scalar semilinear parabolic reaction-advection-diffusion equations with periodic boundary conditions. Using zero number properties of the solutions and the phase shift equivariance of the equation, we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a heteroclinic connection between any pair of hyperbolic equilibria or rotating waves.     

Analysis of Antennas with PBG Substrate

The use of photonic materials has been used in the theory of optical waves. The PBG (Photonic Band Gap) theory and material, was developed recently for optical frequencies and can be easily applied to millimeter waves, microwaves and planar antenna frequencies. The presence of photonic materials as substrate in antennas has some good characteristics such as, supression of light spontaneous emission and suppression of surface waves, allowing the application in planar antenna array. In this work an elaborate analysis using the full wave Transverse Transmission Line - TTL method, that provides efficient and concise results is applied to the planar antennas array with PBG substrate.     

Direction of magnetization and domain wall mobility in (Dy,Y)Fe2

Magnetization measurements in the (Dy _x Y_1−x )Fe₂ intermetallic compounds show evidence of blocking of domain wall motion. This effect is a function of concentrationx. The direction of magnetization is also dependent on the Dy concentration. We have used the Mossbauer spectroscopy of⁵⁷Fe to verify the direction of magnetization in the series as a function ofx and temperature. The results show that this change in easy direction occurs at higher temperatures than those where the blocking is detected through DC magnetization measurements. supported by RHAE/SCT.     

Immobilization of catalase on membranes of poly(ethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and their application in hydrogen peroxide electrochemical sensors

The immobilization of catalase on grafted membranes of poly(ethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-g-co-acrylic acid and their application in hydrogen peroxide electrochemical sensors is described. The introduction of carboxylic acid groups onto a hydrophobic support provides a good environment for subsequent enzyme immobilization. This single membrane, hydrogen peroxide sensor showed significant improvement with respect to the double membrane versions. The response is very rapid, the linear range being from 10 μM up to 6 mM, with a detection limit of 4.7 μM, and a lifetime of more than 4 months.     

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of thulium doped GaN epilayers

The local structure of Tm³⁺ ions incorporated into GaN epilayers was studied by means of Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure. The samples were doped either in situ during growth by Molecular Beam Epitaxy or by ion implantation of layers grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition. The implantation was done at ion energy of 300 keV and different nominal fluences of 3×10¹⁵, 4×10¹⁵ cm⁻² and 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻². The concentration of Tm in the samples studied was measured by Wavelength Dispersive X-ray analysis. For the in situ doped sample with concentration of 0.5%, and for all of the implanted samples, Tm was found on the Ga site in GaN. The ion implanted sample and an in situ doped sample with a similar concentration of Tm showed the same local structure, which suggests that the lattice site occupied by Tm does not depend on the doping method. When the average Tm concentration for in situ doped samples is increased to 1.2% and 2.0%, Tm is found to occupy the Ga substitutional site and the presence of a substantial number of Tm ions in the second coordination sphere indicates dopant clustering in the films. The formation of pure TmN clusters was found in an in situ doped sample with a dopant concentration of 3.4%.     

Scaling impacted structures

Summary The problem of non-scalability of structures under impact loads caused by strain-rate effects is solved in this article by properly correcting the impact velocity. The technique relies on the use of an alternative dimensionless basis, together with a mathematical model which allows the calculation of a correction factor for the impact velocity. This new velocity, when applied to the model, makes it to assure the satisfaction of the scaling laws. The indirect similitude method detailed here is applied to two strain-rate sensitive structures, a double plate under in-plane impact and a beam subjected to a blast load. The results show a very good agreement so that the model and a prototype made from strain rate sensitive materials behave the same.accepted for publication 3 March 2004