Asymptotic limits and stabilization for the 1D nonlinear Mindlin-Timoshenko system

<正> This paper shows how the so called von Karman model can be obtained as a singular limitof a modified Mindlin-Timoshenko system when the modulus of elasticity in shear k tends to infinity,provided a regularizing term through a fourth order dispersive operator is added.Introducing dampingmechanisms,the authors also show that the energy of solutions for this modified Mindlin-Timoshenkosystem decays exponentially,uniformly with respect to the parameter k.As k→∞,the authors obtainthe damped von Karman model with associated energy exponentially decaying to zero as well.     

Fluctuating stripes at the onset of the pseudogap in the high-T(c) superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+x)

Doped Mott insulators have a strong propensity to form patterns of holes and spins often referred to as stripes. In copper oxides, doping also gives rise to the pseudogap state, which can be transformed into a high-temperature superconducting state with sufficient doping or by reducing the temperature. A long-standing issue has been the interplay between the pseudogap, which is generic to all hole-doped copper oxide superconductors, and stripes, whose static form occurs in only one family of copper oxides over a narrow range of the phase diagram. Here we report observations of the spatial reorganization of electronic states with the onset of the pseudogap state in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+x), using spectroscopic mapping with a scanning tunnelling microscope. We find that the onset of the pseudogap phase coincides with the appearance of electronic patterns that have the predicted characteristics of fluctuating stripes. As expected, the stripe patterns are strongest when the hole concentration in the CuO(2) planes is close to 1/8 (per copper atom). Although they demonstrate that the fluctuating stripes emerge with the onset of the pseudogap state and occur over a large part of the phase diagram, our experiments indicate that the stripes are a consequence of pseudogap behaviour rather than its cause.     

Comparative stability analyses of traditional and selective room-and-pillar mining techniques for sub-horizontal tungsten veins

The stability and productivity concerning a modification on the traditional room and pillar for a new selective technique at the Portuguese Panasqueira Mine have been described. The traditional room-and-pillar stoping uses 5.0-m wide rooms with 3.0 m×3.0 m pillars, while the selective room-and-pillar mining technique consists in stoping with rooms of 4.0 m wide and pillars of 4 m×4 m with a subsequent selective cutting of the quartz veins at the mid pillar of approximately 0.5 m high, to obtain a pillar section with an area of 3.0 m×3.0 m. The stability and productivity analyses indicate that the selective technique obtains smaller average pillar safety factor, more rock mass displacement, more extraction and selectivity ratios, and ore grade improvement, compared with the traditional technique. These results show that the selective technique is also more convenient. This proposed selective room-and-pillar mining technique is applicable to any sub-horizontal narrow quartz veins with wolfram, gold, etc. such as the famous La Rinconada gold mine in the Peruvian Andes.     

Arts,Culture and Science and Their Relationships

The context of this analysis is the golden years of the decade of the 1960s that served as a backdrop for consolidating capitalism and the globalized world. The aim is to analyze, understand and establish possible connections between the arts in general and the world in which modern society operates. This is a theoretical essay anchored in theoretical assumptions of sociology, arts and the culture of the globalized world and built on the practical experience of these researchers. We use the interpretative approach and technique of hermeneutic phenomenology to give meaning to historical events and the cultural and artistic implications of these events in the rise of science and technology. A systemic examination supports the relationship between art, culture, science and technology. The evidence shows that artistic and cultural issues are essential to make sense of life in society and in the absence of such basis, the world would be meaningless and humans would lose a sense of direction. It can be concluded that the arts are becoming increasingly relevant as the virtual world becomes large-scale and truly global, and that the development of science and technology benefits from the rise of the cultural and artistic world of today. Finally, the correspondence between the artistic and cultural world and the current scientific and technological development confirms the emergence of a globalized, digitalised (virtual) knowledge society.     

Prion-like behaviour and tau-dependent cytotoxicity of pyroglutamylated amyloid-β

Extracellular plaques of amyloid-β and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles made from tau are the histopathological signatures of Alzheimer's disease. Plaques comprise amyloid-β fibrils that assemble from monomeric and oligomeric intermediates, and are prognostic indicators of Alzheimer's disease. Despite the importance of plaques to Alzheimer's disease, oligomers are considered to be the principal toxic forms of amyloid-β. Interestingly, many adverse responses to amyloid-β, such as cytotoxicity, microtubule loss, impaired memory and learning, and neuritic degeneration, are greatly amplified by tau expression. Amino-terminally truncated, pyroglutamylated (pE) forms of amyloid-β are strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease, are more toxic than amyloid-β, residues 1-42 (Aβ(1-42)) and Aβ(1-40), and have been proposed as initiators of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Here we report a mechanism by which pE-Aβ may trigger Alzheimer's disease. Aβ(3(pE)-42) co-oligomerizes with excess Aβ(1-42) to form metastable low-n oligomers (LNOs) that are structurally distinct and far more cytotoxic to cultured neurons than comparable LNOs made from Aβ(1-42) alone. Tau is required for cytotoxicity, and LNOs comprising 5% Aβ(3(pE)-42) plus 95% Aβ(1-42) (5% pE-Aβ) seed new cytotoxic LNOs through multiple serial dilutions into Aβ(1-42) monomers in the absence of additional Aβ(3(pE)-42). LNOs isolated from human Alzheimer's disease brain contained Aβ(3(pE)-42), and enhanced Aβ(3(pE)-42) formation in mice triggered neuron loss and gliosis at 3 months, but not in a tau-null background. We conclude that Aβ(3(pE)-42) confers tau-dependent neuronal death and causes template-induced misfolding of Aβ(1-42) into structurally distinct LNOs that propagate by a prion-like mechanism. Our results raise the possibility that Aβ(3(pE)-42) acts similarly at a primary step in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.     

Population dynamics of the bark-dwelling spider Eustala perfida Mello-Leitão, 1947 (Araneidae)

Population dynamics of spiders may vary according to biotic and abiotic factors. We studied the phenology of the bark-dwelling spider Eustala perfida over a two-year period and investigated how temperature, precipitation, and prey availability were associated with the population of this species. The population of E. perfida presented a well-defined fluctuation, with one reproductive cycle per year. The recruitment of spiders occurred in summer, followed by successive phenological peaks at all stages of development. The species is protogynic, and the population of adult males peaks in the cold/dry season, indicating a winter mature phenological pattern. The diet of E. perfida is composed mainly of medium-sized homopterans, complemented by small dipterans and hymenopterans. We found that the higher abundance of spiders occurred two months after the highest values of precipitation and temperature, and three months after the higher abundance of potential prey items. These results indicate that spiders require time to respond to changes in environmental conditions. The species’ natural history and the structure of the trunks in which it lives may also affect the number of individuals in a particular area and over time.     

The Potential Benefits and Risks to the Environment in Using Bio-energy

Given the scarcity of oil reserves, renewable sources of energy have become important. The Brazilian government has established standards and policies to foment the use of bio-energy. Bio-fuels have widespread use and have been inserted into the national energy matrix to help sustainable development. It is necessary to establish the effectiveness of these government initiatives in preserving ecology; otherwise environmental harm such as the loss of biodiversity will increase. The objective of this paper is to identify and analyse, from a systems point of view, the potential benefits and risks to the environment which may arise from the use of bio-energy; whether its production is in agreement with the Brazilian constitution and whether its environmental impact is beneficial when it is exploited economically. It also examines the legal aspects of the National Energy Policy and the introduction of bio-diesel. We conclude that the place of bio-fuel in the Brazilian and the world’s energy matrix is irreversible and furthermore, that its role will increase sharply in the future.     

Reproductive biology of two species of Hyalella Smith, 1874 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalellidae) from southern Brazil

Reproduction is a critical event in the life cycle of animals, and a high amount of energy is allocated to it. The aim of this study was to characterize the reproductive biology of two recently described species of Hyalella from the north-east region of state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The specimens were collected during 12 months from a stream source (Hyalella georginae) and from a water reservoir (H. gauchensis), in Palmeira das Missões municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Upon sampling, ovigerous females and pairs in precopulatory behaviour were separated into microtubes. In the laboratory, the cephalothorax length (CL in mm) of all specimens was measured. Male size at onset of sexual maturity was larger than that of the females, in both species. There was a correlation between the size of paired males and females: larger males carried larger females, in both Hyalella species. Precopulatory pairs were found throughout the year; however, H. georginae had a higher frequency in spring, and H. gauchensis in autumn. There was a positive correlation between the CL of ovigerous females and the number of eggs/juveniles. A reduction in the number of eggs throughout the embryonic development was observed in H. georginae. The average fecundity of H. georginae was significantly higher than H. gauchensis. The differences between the reproductive biology of these species may be related to the physical and environmental conditions at which they are exposed in their habitats.