Due to the findings of extensive damage on geogrids used in a road embankment in northern Sweden, the Swedish Transport Administration (TRV) started to investigate the reason of these damages. Since the geogrids were installed at low temperature, below 0°C, it was suspected that the damages were connected the low temperature. To analyse whether low temperatures have an influence on the extent of installation damages, both a half-scale setup and temperature controlled tensile tests have been carried out on geogrids. In total five different types of geogrids have been tested; 3 extruded polypropylene geogrids, 1 woven PET geogrid, and 1 welded PET geogrid. All geogrids had an aperture size of approximately 35 mm and specified tensile strength of approximately 40 kN/m. The Half-scale tests was conducted by building a small road embankment inside a freeze container, at the Luleå University of Technology (LTU). The embankment contained crushed aggregate, type 0-70 mm, and geogrids. The purpose of the half-scale test was to simulate installation of geogrids at different temperatures and thereby investigate whether low temperatures have an influence on the rate of installation damages. The half-scale test was done for each type of geogrid at the temperatures: +20°C, -20°C and -30°C. First, the geogrid was covered by 150 mm of crushed aggregate. Then a vibratory plate (160 kg) was used to compact the crushed aggregate. After each installation, the crushed aggregate was removed carefully by vacuum suction. The geogrid was removed and then analysed by visual control and tensile tests conducted according to ISO 10319:2008 (wide width tensile test). Results from the half-scale tests indicate that 2 out of 5 of the tested geogrids were affected by the testing procedure. The results indicate that: -        one of the geogrids of polyprophylene (here referred to as G2) was more damaged at lower temperatures compared to installation at +20° C. -        the geogrid of woven PET (here referred to as G5) was less damaged at lower temperatures compared to installation at +20° C. Results for the other geogrids are either inconsistent or shows no significant variation of the measured parameters as function of temperature. Hence, these results cannot be interpreted as damage during installation. Temperature controlled tensile tests were done by tensile testing single strands from the geogrids to failure, inside a temperature controlled chamber. The purpose of these tests was to investigate how the strength properties of the geogrids are affected by low temperature. The test was repeated 5 times for each geogrid and temperature (+20°C, 0°C, -10°C and -20°C). Force and strain was measured during the tests. The results from the temperature controlled tensile tests show that the maximum strain decreases with lower temperature for all tested geogrids. The maximum strain decreased by 16% - 49% when the temperature dropped from +20°C to -20°C. The results show that the tensile strength increases with lower temperature for all tested geogrids except for the welded PET geogrid (here referred to as G1). For G1 the tensile strength decreased by approximately 7% at a temperature drop from +20°C to -20°C. For the woven PET geogrid (G5) and the polypropylene geogrids (G2-G3) the tensile strength increased between 13%-45% at a temperature drop from +20°C to -20°C. The E-modulus increased at lower temperature for all tested geogrids. The secant E-modulus at 2% strain increased by 13%-71% at a temperature drop from +20°C to -20°C. Summarized conclusions from the tests: Strength properties changed for all tested geogrids as the temperature decreased. All tested geogrids got stiffer at lower temperatures. The magnitude of the effects is different for different geogrids. The tensile strength increased with lower temperature for all tested geogrids except for the welded PET geogrid, which got lower tensile strength at lower temperature. The half-scale test indicates that the amount of installation damages at geogrids can be dependent of the temperature at installation. However, these indications can only be seen at two out of five tested geogrids. The effect cannot be connected to a specific step in the installation procedure and cannot be explained by the results from the temperature controlled tensile tests. The results from the half-scale test have a statistically low reliability since only one installation for each temperature and geogrid type was done. The compaction equipment used during the test was small, and had low compaction energy compared to a vibratory roller compactor commonly used in construction work. With respect to the discussion above, further studies should be focusing on developing the half-scale test. It is suggested that the test is scaled up to a full-scale test in order to simulate a real installation as close as possible. The test should also be conducted several times for each geogrid at each temperature in order to enable statistical analyses.

River incision into a widespread, upland low-relief landscape, and related patterns of exhumation recorded by low-temperature thermochronology, together underpin geodynamic interpretations for crustal thickening and uplift of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We report results from a suite of 11 (U-Th-Sm)/He cooling-age samples. Eight samples comprise a 1.2 km relief section collected from elevations up to 4800 m in the Jiulong Shan, an elevated, rugged region located in the hinterland of the Yalong-Longmen Shan Thrust Belt, and surrounded on three sides by upland low-relief landscape surfaces. Zircon and apatite cooling ages record two episodes of rapid exhumation in the early Oligocene and late Miocene, that were separated by a period of stability from similar to 30 to 15 Ma. The first episode is consistent with a similar pulse evident from the Longmen Shan. The second episode is ongoing, and when integrated with adjacent cooling-age data sets, shows that doming of the Jiulong Shan has resulted in 2 to 4 km of differential exhumation of the plateau interior. We show from a compilation of glacial landform-mapping that the elevation of the plateau surface closely tracks global last glacial maximum equilibrium line altitude. We hypothesize that smoothing of highlands by efficient glacial and periglacial erosion, coupled with potential river captures and conveyance of sediments via external drainage, can yield an apparently continuous low-relief plateau landscape formed diachronously at high elevation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

As an energy-efficient alternative in cold climate countries such as Sweden, low-temperature heating (LTH) technology has shown promising advantages and shortcuts to contribute to the efficiency of heat supply, as well as to the overall sustainability of building performance. The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the development of methodologies and modeling tools to support sustainable retrofitting in the Swedish housing stock. A combination of three integrated modeling techniques was developed. The main focus of this work was implementing LTH in retrofitting practice. The principle of the developed methods can be regarded as a top-down approach, underpinning the general definition of LTH and sustainability criteria. It was found that a preliminary compilation and investigation of the building typology could simplify the retrofitting decision-making. Also, 36–54% of final energy savings could be achieved in studied housing archetypes by effective energy retrofitting. Combining LTH radiators with ventilation heat recovery showed the largest contributions. Below 30 W/m2 (12 W/ m3) heating demand, both radiators (ventilation radiators and baseboard radiator) could work as LTH. These reduced supply temperatures further improved the COP of air-source heat pumps by approximately 12% - 18%. For retrofitting of conventional radiators, there was no concrete evidence to support Type 22 having higher thermal efficiency than Type 21, for the Swedish climate and heating seasons. The achievements and full potential of implementing LTH in retrofitting were found to require not only efficient radiators, but also a well-designed package – insulation, piping, pumping and energy supply system - that suited the current heating demand of the building, given the local climate condition. However, it should also be highlighted that retrofitting incorporating all evaluated measures would not always yield higher long-term economic profits among different archetypes. It is important to find the trade-off between cost-effectiveness and energy savings in similar archetypes - instead of using a “one size fits all” types of solution. For conventional retrofit measures, such as insulations of building envelopes, it was necessary to evaluate the embodied energy during the whole retrofitting process. / Den ökande relativa energianvändningen i bostadsbyggnader i stadsmiljö har lett till högre krav på energieffektivit och hållbar omvandling av redan existerande bostadsbyggnader. En viktig förutsättning för att genomföra en sådan omvandling är att först utveckla metoder för hur effektiva beslut om renovering ska ske, samt att utveckla teknik för hållbar renovering. Lågtemperatursuppvärmning (LTH) har visat sig ha fördelar som ett hållbart och energieffektivt alternativ i länder med kallt klimat som Sverige. Metoden bidra till ökad effektivitet för uppvärmning och minskade energibehov för byggnadskomplexet. Det saknas fortfarande flera steg för hur man ska utforma modelleringsverktyg och utveckla kostnadseffektiva metoder för beslutsfattning och implementering av LTH i redan existerande byggnader. Dessutom försvårar avsaknaden av dessa verktyg och metoder genomförandet av kritiska utvärderingar av renoveringsalternativ utifrån hållbarhets- och effektivitetssynpunkt med huvudfokus på energibesparingspotential, miljöpåverkan och nöjdhet hos de boende. Dessa frågor undersöks i denna avhandling i samband med renovering av existerande bostadsbyggnader i Sverige.   Målet är att bidra till utvecklingen av metoder och modelleringsverktyg för hållbar renovering. Under arbetet utvecklades tre modelleringskoncept som integrerats med varandra och som svarar för olika steg i renoveringsmodelleringen. Huvudfokus i arbetet var att göra LTH till en del av vår renoveringspraxis. De renoveringsalternativ som studerats i arbetet inkluderar renovering av klimatskalet för att minska energibehovet samt implementering av LTH-radiatorer och där påvisa deras fördelar för valt primärenergisystem. Analysen omfattar även den sammantagna effekten av och de ömsesidiga beroenden som föreligger mellan olika renoveringsåtgärder. Här utvecklade metoder kan sägas följa en ”uppifrån och ner” strategi och stärker LTH som ett uppvärmningsalternativ som uppfyller hållbarhetskriterier.   Avhandlingen visar att effektiv renovering av energisystem kan minska det slutliga energibehovet med 36-54 % i de studerade byggnadstyperna. Kombinationen av LTH-radiatorer med värmeåtervinning från ventilation gav de allra största positiva bidragen. LTH-radiatorerna (ventilationsradiatorer och värmelister) fungerade som lågtemperatursuppvärmning vid uppvärmningsbehov under 30 W/m2 (12 W/ m3) och som ultra-lågtemperaturuppvärmning vid uppvärmningsbehov under 10 W/m2 (4 W/ m3). De låga framledningstemperaturer som leds till LTH-radiatorer bidrar dessutom till att öka COP (värmefaktorn) för luftvärmepumpar med 12 – 18 %, jämfört med traditionella radiatorer med lika stor värmeavgivande area. Något konkret stöd fanns inte för att Typ 22-radiatorer (dubbel konvektionsplåt) skulle ha högre värmeeffektivitet än Typ 21-radiatorer (enkel konvektionsplåt) för svenska klimatetförhållanden. Ökat antal konvektorplåtar visade sig alltså inte nödvändigtvis leda till ökad värmeeffektivitet. Tröskelvärdet för när Typ 11-radiatorer (enkel panel) presterar sämre än den mest effektiva radiatortypen, Typ 21-radiatorer (dubbel panel) som även har bättre exergiprestanda, visade sig vara ett värmebehov av 480 W/rum. För att uppnå full potential för LTH-radiatorer som renoveringsalternativ visade det sig utöver mer effektiva radiatorer även behövas ett välutformat system av rör, pumpar och energitillförsel, anpassade till byggnadens värmebehov före renovering vid rådande klimat.   Renovering som inkluderar alla möjliga alternativ leder inte alltid till högre långsiktig ekonomisk avkastning. Det är viktigt att finna en balans mellan kostnadseffektivitet och energibesparing för likande byggnadstyper, i stället för att utveckla en enda lösning som ska passa överallt. För traditionella renoveringsalternativ, så som isolering, var det nödvändigt att utvärdera den inbäddade energin under hela renoveringsprocessen. Stor risk för överskattad hållbarhet föreligger om man inte beaktar detta. / <p>QC 20160929</p> / D6559

The two dimensional electron gas subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field is a model system that supports a variety of electronic phases. Perhaps the most well-known are the fractional quantum Hall states, but in recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in the charge ordered phases commonly referred to as electron solids. These solids are a consequence of electron-electron interactions in a magnetic field. While some solid phases form in the lowest Landau level, the charged ordered phases are most abundant in the higher Landau levels. Examples of such phases include the Wigner solids, electronic bubble phases and stripe or nematic phases. Open questions surround the exact role of disorder, confinement potential, temperature and the Landau level index in determining the stability and competition of these phases with other ground states. <div>The interface of GaAs/AlGaAs remains the cleanest host for the two-dimensional electron gas due to the extremely high quality of materials available and the advancement in molecular beam epitaxy growth techniques. As a result, exceptionally high electron mobilities in this system have been instrumental in the discovery of numerous electron solids. </div><div>In this Thesis, I discuss the discovery and properties of several electron solids that develop in such state-of-the-art two dimensional electron gases. These electron solids often develop at ultra low temperatures, in the milliKelvin temperature range. After an introduction to the physics of the quantum Hall effect in two dimensions, in chapter 3, I discuss electron solids developing in the N=1 Landau level. While these solids have been known for some time, details of the competition of these phases xiii with the nearby fractional quantum Hall states remains elusive. A number of reports observe new fractional quantum Hall states at filling factors where electron solids are found in other experiments. We undertook a systematic study to answer some of these unsettled questions. We see evidence for incipient fractional quantum Hall states at 2+2/7 and 2+5/7 at intermediate temperatures which are overtaken by the electronic bubble phases at lower temperatures. Several missing fractional states including those at filling factors 2+3/5, 2+3/7, 2+4/9 highlight the relative stability of the electronic solids called the bubble phases in the vicinity in our sample. </div><div>In chapter 4, I discuss a newly seen electron crystal which manifests itself in transport measurements as a reentrant integer quantum Hall state. Reentrant integer behavior is common in high Landau levels, but so far it was not observed in the lowest Landau level in narrow quantum well samples. In contrast to high Landau levels, where such reentrant integer behavior was associated with electronic bubbles, we believe that the same signature in the N=0 Landau level is due to an electronic Wigner crystal. The filling factors at which we observe such reentrance reveal that it is a crystal of holes, rather than electrons. The discovery of this reentrant integer state paints a complex picture of the interplay of the Wigner crystal and fractional quantum Hall states. </div><div>Finally, in chapter 5, I discuss the observation of a novel phenomenon, that of reentrant fractional quantum Hall effect. In the lowest Landau level, we observe a fractional quantum Hall state, but as the field is increased, we see a deviation and then a return to quantization in the Hall resistance. Such a behavior indicates a novel electron solid. In contrast to the collective localization of electrons evidenced by the reentrant integer quantum Hall effect, such reentrance to a fractional Hall resistance clearly points to the involvement of composite fermion quasiparticles. This property thus distinguishes the ground state we observed as a solid formed of composite fermions. Such a solid phase is evidence for exotic electron-electron correlations at play which are clearly different from those in the traditional Wigner solid of electrons.<br></div>

O florescimento é um processo essencial no desenvolvimento vegetal. A mudança de fase vegetativa para reprodutiva em plantas reprograma várias vias genéticas e metabólicas fundamentais para a complementação de seu ciclo de vida. Em Arabidopsis thaliana, modelo mais estudado para o desenvolvimento floral, cinco rotas genéticas são descritas para o controle do florescimento, apresentando redundância de regulação entre essas vias. Dentre essas, a via AGE, regulada pela idade da planta, tem como seu principal efetor o microRNA156 (miR156) e os seus alvos diretos, os fatores de transcrição do tipo SBP/SPL (SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-like). Em tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum L.), planta considerada insensível ou pouco responsiva a duas das cinco vias do florescimento (fotoperíodo e vernalização), a via AGE também controla a transição de fase vegetativa para reprodutiva. Plantas de tomateiro superexpressando o miR156 atrasam a transição de fase vegetativa para reprodutiva. Ao contrário, plantas superexpressando o florígeno SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) aceleram a mudança de fase vegetativa para reprodutiva. Após curta exposição a baixa temperatura (16°C) o tomateiro também altera o tempo de florescimento, atrasando a transição de fase e prolongando o número de dias até a antese, tanto no cultivar determinado Micro-Tom (MT), quanto no cultivar indeterminado Ailsa Craig. Interessantemente, houve redução de número de folhas nesses cultivares quando expostos a curto período de baixa temperatura (16°C). Entretanto, a diminuição do número de folhas, que está relacionada ao plastochron, pode ter assumido funções específicas em tomateiro que não estão diretamente correlacionadas com o controle do tempo de florescimento em resposta a baixas temperaturas. A baixa oferta do florígeno SFT, em resposta a baixa temperatura, foi necessária para o atraso no tempo de florescimento das plantas, associando sua expressão a via AGE, com regulação da expressão do miR156 e do seu alvo SlSBP15, alterando o acúmulo de seus transcritos no ápice e cotilédones. Em arabidopsis, a redução da expressão de genes SPLs em plantas superexpressando o miR156 resulta em extremo atraso no florescimento e concomitante aumento da produção de folhas em resposta a baixas temperaturas, Em tomateiro, a repressão dos genes SBPs/SPLs em plantas miR156OE também promove atraso no florescimento, mas não afeta a produção de folhas em resposta a baixa temperatura, o que também é observado com o aumento de SFT e plantas p35S::SFT. Além disso, a regulação transcricional, pós-transcricional e possivelmente epigenética de alguns genes da via miR156/SPL/SBP, sugere uma complexa inter-relação entre essa via e a temperatura ambiental em tomateiro. / Flowering is an essential process in plant development. The change from vegetative to reproductive phase in plants reprograms several genetic and metabolic pathways fundamental to the complementation of their life cycle. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the most studied model for floral development, there are five genetic routes described for the control of flowering, which present regulatory redundancy between them. Among these, the AGE pathway, regulated by plant age, has microRNA156 (miR156) as its main effector and the transcription factors SBP/SPL (SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-like) as its direct targets. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), plant considered insensitive or not responsive to two of the five flowering pathways (photoperiod and vernalization), the AGE pathway also controls vegetative to reproductive phase transition. Tomato plants overexpressing the miR156 delay the transition from vegetative to reproductive phase. In contrast, plants overexpressing the flowering SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) accelerate the vegetative to reproductive phase shift. After short exposure to low temperature (16°C) the tomato also altered the flowering time, delaying the phase transition and extending the number of days until the anthesis, both in the determined Micro-Tom (MT) cultivar and in the indeterminate cultivar Ailsa Craig. Interestingly, there was a reduction in the number of leaves in these cultivars when exposed to a short period of low temperature (16°C). However, the decrease in number of leaves, related to plastochron, may have assumed specific functions in tomatoes that are not directly correlated with the control of flowering time in response to low temperatures. The low supply of the SFT florigen, in response to low temperature, was necessary for the delay in the flowering time of the plants, associating its expression to the AGE path, with regulation of the expression of miR156 and its target SlSBP15, changing the accumulation of its transcripts at the apex and cotyledons. In arabidopsis, the reduction of SPL gene expression in plants overexpressing miR156 results in extreme flowering delay and concomitant increase of leaf production in response to low temperatures. In tomato, repression of SBPs / SPL genes in miR156EE plants also promotes delay in flowering, but does not affect leaf production in response to low temperature, which is also observed with increasing SFT and p35S::SFT plants. In addition, the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and possibly epigenetic regulation of some genes in the miR156 / SPL / SBP pathway suggests a complex interrelationship between this pathway and the environmental temperature in tomato.

A zircônia tetragonal estabilizada por ítria (Y-TZP) têm sido utilizada na área odontológica para próteses livres de metais devido à estética associada ao alto desempenho mecânico. Porém, a presença de ambiente úmido pode causar a transformação acelerada da fase tetragonal para monoclínica e consequente falha catastrófica deste material, processo este conhecido como degradação a baixa temperatura ou envelhecimento. A cinética desta transformação é função da composição química da cerâmica e sua microestrutura. Tendo em vista que métodos químicos permitem a síntese de pós cerâmicos à base de zircônia de dimensões nanométricas, cuja microestrutura da cerâmica sinterizada é constituída por grãos submicrométricos quimicamente homogêneos, e que a presença de alumina é indicada para evitar a degradação de fases da zircônia, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a degradação a baixa temperatura e ambiente úmido de cerâmicas de zircônia estabilizada com 3 mol% de ítria (Y-TZP) e do compósito Y-TZP/Al2O3, proveniente de pós sintetizados pela rota de coprecipitação. A concentração de alumina na Y-TZP foi estudada na faixa de 0,05 a 20% em massa. A eficiência do processo desenvolvido foi verificada pela avaliação das características físicas dos pós obtidos (granulometria, área de superfície específica, estado de aglomeração e estrutura cristalina). As amostras cerâmicas foram prensadas, sinterizadas e avaliadas quanto à densidade aparente e microestrutura. Após a caracterização inicial das cerâmicas a degradação das amostras foi estudada in vitro em reator hidrotérmico pressurizado a 150°C. As amostras (n=4) foram submetidas à análise de difração de raios X de acordo com o tempo de envelhecimento, acompanhando a curva cinética de transformação de fase. A porcentagem de cada fase cristalina foi determinada pelo Método de Rietveld. A relação entre o tempo de envelhecimento e a concentração de fase monoclínica foi determinada pela equação de Avrami modificada por Kolmogorow (Johnson-Mehl- Avrami-Kolmogorow JMAK). Após envelhecimento a 150°C por 70 horas, todas as amostras contendo alumina apresentaram menor concentração de fase monoclínica, comparativamente à cerâmica Y-TZP, que apresentou 66,5% dessa fase. Menores porcentagens de fase monoclínica após o envelhecimento hidrotérmico foram obtidas com a adição de 10 e 20% em massa de alumina na matriz de zircônia, sendo esses valores 59,1 e 52,9%, respectivamente. Deve-se considerar, no entanto, que a diminuição da degradação total é consequência da menor porcentagem de zircônia na matriz em função da adição de alumina. Neste contexto, o efeito benéfico da adição de alumina ocorre apenas no início do envelhecimento. / The yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) is used in dentistry for metal free prosthesis due to esthetics associated with a high mechanical performance. However, the presence of humid environment can cause an accelerated tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) phase transformation and consequent catastrophic failure of this material. This process is known as low temperature degradation (LTD) or aging. The kinetics of phase transformation is a function of the chemical composition of the ceramic and its microstructure. Considering that chemical methods allow the synthesis of nanometric zirconium-based ceramic powders, which microstructure of the sintered ceramic consists of submicrometric chemically homogeneous grains, and that the presence of alumina is indicated to delay the tetragonal phase degradation, the aim of this study was to verify the degradation at low temperature in humid environment of 3mol% yttria stabilized zirconia ceramics (Y-TZP) and the Y-TZP/Al2O3 composite prepared from coprecipitated powders. The addition of alumina at Y-TZP was studied in the range of 0.05 to 20wt%. The efficiency of the developed process was verified by the evaluation of the physical characteristics of the obtained powders (granulometry, specific surface area, agglomeration state and crystalline structure). The ceramic samples were pressed, sintered and submitted to apparent density and microstructure evaluation. After the initial characterization of the ceramics, the in vitro degradation of the samples was studied in a hydrothermal pressurized reactor at 150°C. The samples (n = 4) were submitted to X-ray diffraction analysis according to the aging time, followed by the determination of the kinetic curve of phase transformation. The Rietveld Method was employed to determine the percentage of each crystalline phase. The relationship between the aging time and the percentage of monoclinic phase was determined by the Johnson- Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorow equation (JMAK). After 70 hours aging at 150°C, all the alumina-containing samples presented a lower concentration of monoclinic phase, compared to the Y-TZP ceramics, which monoclinic phase concentration was 66.5%. The lower percentages of monoclinic phase after hydrothermal aging were obtained with the addition of 10%wt and 20 wt% alumina in the zirconia matrix (59.1% and 52.9%, respectively). This behavior is due to the lower concentration of zirconia in the composite containing alumina. In this point of view beneficial effect due to alumina addition occurs in the early stage of aging.

A busca contínua por tecnologias de esterilização a baixa temperatura deve-se à necessidade de adequação dos agentes esterilizantes às características físicoquímicas dos produtos, à conveniência de maior rapidez no processamento, além dos apelos ambientais, em comparação, por exemplo, com o método de esterilização por óxido de etileno. Desta forma surgiu interesse pelo ozônio (O3), o qual pode ser considerado o mais potente germicida natural que existe, sendo capaz de eliminar microrganimos (na forma vegetativa e esporulada) com alta eficiência e rapidez, graças a sua atividade altamente oxidante. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo proceder estudos para a determinação de parâmetros para o processo de esterilização empregando ozônio, além de avaliar a eficácia do agente esterilizante em questão. O processo de esterilização foi desafiado com esporos de Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 o qual se caracteriza frente as mesmas com elevada resistência. A eficácia esterilizante do ozônio foi avaliada através de carreadores inoculados com 106 do esporo, introduzidos em seringas de 3 mL e tubos com diferentes comprimentos e diâmetros, simulando produtos médico hospitalares. Tais dispositivos foram submetidos a meio ciclo e ciclo completo do processo de esterilização por ozônio. A validação do processo foi comprovada através dos resultados satisfatórios para meio ciclo, obtidos com os testes efetuados. Desta forma, foi possível constatar a eficácia do processo de esterilização por ozônio. Adicionalmente, foram objeto de investigação materiais termossensíveis distintos obtidos de produtos médico-hospitalares, a fim de estudar a influência do ozônio sobre as características intrínsecas desses materiais. As amostras foram submetidas ao ciclo completo de esterilização e analisadas pelo teste de citotoxicidade in vitro e avaliação da superfície dos materiais por espectrofotometria com transformadas de Fourier com acessório de refletância atenuada (ATR-FTIR) para esclarecer eventuais efeitos do processo sobre a biocompatibilidade das mesmas. Embora os materiais estudados não demonstraram efeito citotóxico após serem submetidos à esterilização por ozônio, a superfície do derivado de polietileno (PE) demonstrou uma banda de oxidação em consequência da ação do agente esterilizante. / Ozone (O3) can be considered the most potent natural germicide against microorganisms (in vegetative and spore forms) with high efficiency and speed, because of its highly oxidizing activity. Despite this, there are a few studies describing the application of ozone as a sterilizing agent of medical devices. The aim of this paper was to describe the development and validation of a sterilization cycle applied to medical devices. The sterilization process was challenged with Geobacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 spores, which have shown great resistance. The sterilizing effect of ozone was measured using carriers inoculated with 106 spores, introduced into a 3 mL syringe and lumens of tubes of different sizes and diameters simulating hospital medical products, which have undergone a half-cycle or complete cycle. The validation process was confirmed by the satisfactory results for the half cycle, which indicate an appropriate sterility assurance level. Thus, one can consider the ozone sterilization process effective for medical devices. On the other hand, there was a need to evaluate the safety of ozone sterilization in terms of medical device materials in order to clarify the influence of ozone on the intrinsic characteristics of these materials. The samples were submitted to the complete cycle of sterilization and analysis by the \"in vitro\" cytotoxicity test and evaluation of the surface of the materials using ATR-FTIR spectrometry to clarify eventual of the process on a biocompatibility. Although the materials studied did not demonstrate a cytotoxic effect after being subjected to ozone sterilization, the surface of the polyethylene (PE) derivative demonstrated an oxidation band as a consequence of the action of the sterilizing agent.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / Ph.D.

The evidence supporting the presence of Dark Matter in the universe ranges over many length scales: from the rotational curves within galaxies that cannot be explained only by the dust and other visible component to the anisotropies in the cosmological microwave background that sets the most precise quantification for the DM content in the universe at 26.8% of the energy density. One of the candidates for DM with the most theoretical support is a family of particles that appear in extensions of the Standard Model of Particles. These new particles, known as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), provide a natural solution to the missing mass in the universe that interact only via weak interaction and whose origin dates back from the very early universe. The XENON Dark Matter search experiments aim to the direct detection of WIMPs via scattering off xenon nuclei. Following the success of the first prototype, XENON10, the XENON100 detector has been, up to late 2013, the most sensitive DM detector setting an upper bound limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-section of 2. × 10 −45 cm 2 and the spin-dependent equivalent of 3.5 × 10 −44 cm 2 . The detector consists of a dual-phase xenon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with an inner target of 62 kg, located at the un- derground facility at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy. XENON100 is still in operation, currently testing new calibration sources of potential use for the next generation XENON1T experiment, under commissioning in Hall B of LNGS, aims to im- prove the XENON100 sensitivity by two orders of magnitude by increasing the xenon target mass in the detector to the tonne scale and by reducing the intrinsic background rate and consequently, increase the expected number of WIMP events per year. The scale-up of a liquid xenon TPC imposes many technical challenges that needed to be addressed prior to the realization of the XENON1T phase of the project. The focus of my thesis work has been the research and development of Dark Matter detectors operated with a xenon mass at the tonne scale. In particular, the topic of purification of a large amount of Xe gas to reduce the concentration of electronegative impurities to levels below afew parts per billion in a reasonable amount of time has been a driver in my work with the XENON1T Demonstrator facility at the Columbia Nevis laboratories. Two complementary approaches were followed in order to address this problem: i) a study of the performance of XENON100 concerning the electron lifetime (eLT) among other parameters that depend on the purity and ii) the construction of a full-size Xe TPC prototype to test multiple technologies with the goal of an optimized XENON1T TPC, with several tonnes of Xe. In addition to my work on the XENON1T Demonstrator, I have also contributed to the operation and analysis of data from XENON100. In particular, I developed a cut based on the information theory concept of entropy to reduce the electronic noise in the data. A detailed description of the motivation and implementation of the entropy cut is presented in Chapter 3. The experience gained from the successful performance of XENON100 and the information from variety of measurements with the XENON1T Demonstrator have influenced the design of XENON1T and will impact other next-generation Dark Matter detectors using LXe in a TPC. More specifically, the design of the XENON1T cryogenic system which is at the heart of the experiment, has been guided by this experience. The testing of the system was performed at Nevis where the various components were assembled and leak checked before being shipped to LNGS. The XENON1T detector’s cryostat and its cryogenics system, designed by the Columbia University XENON group were installed underground in the Hall B of the LNGS laboratory in Summer/Fall 2014. Their commissioning represent a major milestone in the realization of XENON1T. The last chapter of the thesis summarizes the status of XENON1T, with particular focus on the design of the cryogenic, purification and cryostat system influenced by the R & D with the Demonstrator.

Les héparanes sulfates (HS) sont des polysaccharides linéaires et sulfatés exprimés sur la surface cellulaire où ils interagissent et régulent l’activité de nombreuses proteines, en particulier les cytokines et chimiokines. Ils sont à ce titre de bons candidats médicaments dans des pathologies inflammatoires, autoimmunes ou en oncologie. L’unité répétitive de ce biopolymère est constituée d’un résidu de D-glucosamine lié à un acide uronique par une liaison 1,2-cis. Malheureusement, la formation d’un glycoside 1,2-cis dans la série 2-azido-2-déoxy-D-glucose avec une haute stéréosélectivité reste un des plus grands défis de la glycochimie. Parmi les nombreuses méthodologies permettant d’accéder à la synthèse des fragments d’HS avec de bons rendements et une bonne stéréosélectivité, nous avons été particulièrement intéressés par l’assistance anchimérique d’un groupement protecteur en position 6 du donneur. L’objectif de ce travail était de trouver des groupements protecteurs qui favoriseront la stéréosélectivité 1,2-cis. Nous avons préparés plusieurs donneurs thioglycosides modifiés en position 6 par des différents groupements protecteurs. L’activation des thioglycosides passe par une étape de formation des triflates anomériques. Nous avons élaboré un protocole de suivi de l’activation sur un donneur modèle afin de suivre la formation du triflate anomérique, sa plage de stabilité, ses produits de dégradation ainsi que les produits secondaires d’activation par RMN à basse température. Ensuite, ce protocole d’activation a été utilisé avec tous les donneurs synthétisés afin d’ajuster les conditions de glycosylation. Les tests de glycosylation nous ont permis de décéler plusieurs groupes capables de favoriser la stéréosélectivité 1,2-cis. Certains groupements protecteurs ont manifesté une incompatibilité avec les conditions d’activation des thioglycosides. Pour contourner ce problème, nous avons remplacé les thioglycosides par les donneurs N-phényltrifluoroacétimidates. Après avoir effectué des études d’activation sur ces donneurs toujours par RMN à basse température, les glycosylations ont été effectuées. Finalement, les groupements protecteurs favorisant la stéréosélectivité 1,2-cis ont été testés dans différentes conditions de déprotection afin d’établir la compatibilité de ces groupements protecteurs avec les conditions de synthèse des oligosaccharides d’HS. / Heparin sulfate (HS) are linear and sulfated polysaccharides present at the cell surface. HS interact and regulate activity of numerous proteins, especially cytokines and chemokines. Therefore, HS oligosaccharides are targeted as potential drugs in inflammation, autoimmune disease or tumor treatment. The basic disaccharide unit of HS consists in D-glucosamine residue linked to an uronic acid by 1,2-cis glycosidic linkage. Unfortunately, the formation of highly stereoselective 1,2-cis glycosidic bond in 2-azido-2-deoxy-D-glucose series is still a major concern in glycochemistry. Amongst the numerous methodologies favoring the stereoselective 1,2-cis linkage formation, we were particularly interested in 6-O-anchimeric assistance. Several thioglycoside donors with different protecting groups in position 6 were prepared to find some 1,2-cis stereodirecting protecting groups. Some thioglycoside activation related in literature yields a reactive anomeric triflate intermediate. In order to observe its formation and to determine the limits of its stability and by-product formation, a new low temperature NMR experiment protocol was elaborated. All synthesized donors were tested using this protocol in order to adjust their glycosylation conditions. The glycosylation tests revealed several 1,2-cis stereodirecting protecting groups. Since certain protecting groups were incompatible with thioglycoside activation conditions, corresponding NPTFA donors were used as an alternative. Their activations were monitored by low temperature NMR techniques and followed by their glycosylations. Finally, all 1,2-cis stereodirecting protecting groups were tested in different deprotection conditions to determine the compatibility of chosen protecting groups with our HS oligosaccharide design synthesis.