Cellulose ethers and polyethylene glycols are used in drug formulations as water swelling or water soluble matrices. Polar lipids, for example monoglycerides, and surfactants can be used to solubilise hydrophobic or amphiphilic drugs and to formulate potential drug delivery vehicles such as emulsions, liposomes and cubic phases. In this thesis mixtures of these excipients are characterised in various environments, from dilute aqueous solutions to solid dispersions. Special focus has been on the understanding of the associating processes involved. Detailed understanding of the association of cellulose ethers, of varying hydrophobicity, and amphiphilic substances is presented. The hydrophobicity of the polymer was found to have an impact on the interaction scheme. The amphiphiles were found to bind at lower amphiphile concentrations to a more hydrophobic polymer thus influencing both micro- and macroscopic structure of the aggregates. The choice of counterion to the amphiphile has a small but significant effect on the interaction and the structure of the aggregates. Also amphiphilic drug molecules can interact with nonionic polymers in a similar way as surfactants in aqueous solution. Due to the higher cmc of the drug ibuprofen the interaction is largely influenced by the ionic strength of the solution. The type of amphiphile also influences the cooperativity of the amphiphile-polymer binding. In more concentrated systems liquid crystals are formed into which the polymer interact with the amphiphiles. Both cubic and sponge phases were found with relatively large polymers interacting with polar lipids. These phases were found to swell and shrink mainly controlled by the amount of polymer inside them. Also membrane interacting substances added to the sponge phase could influence the size of the water channels in the phase. In water free systems polymers and polar lipids were found to interact as well as forming solid dispersions. The behaviour of the phase separation between polymer and lipid depended on the concentration of the dispersed phase. The polar lipid was found to be distributed in the lamellar part of the semicrystalline polymer influencing the polymer folding.

Fullerenes are all-carbon molecules with polyhedral structures where each atom is bonded with three other atoms and the faces of the polyhedron are pentagons and hexagons. Fullerene graphs model the fullerene structures and are cubic planar graphs having twelve pentagonal faces and the remaining faces are hexagonal. This work explores two models that seek to determine the maximum number of bulky addends that may bond to the surface of a fullerene. The first model assumes that any two bulky addends are too large to bond to adjacent carbon atoms. This is equivalent to finding a graph-theoretical maximum independent set: a vertex subset of maximum size such that no two vertices are adjacent. The problem of determining the maximum independent set order is NP-hard for general cubic planar graphs and the complexity for the fullerene subclass was previously unknown. By extending the work of Graver, a graph-theoretical foundation is laid then used to derive a linear-time algorithm for solving the maximum independent set problem for fullerenes. A discussion of the relationship between maximum independent sets and some specific families of fullerenes follows. The second model refines the first by adding an additional requirement that the resulting molecule is stable according to Hückel theory: the molecule exhibits a stable distribution of π electrons. The graph-theoretical description of this model is a maximum closed-shell independent set: a vertex subset of maximum size such that no two vertices are adjacent and exactly half of the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix of the graph that results from the deletion of the vertex subset are positive. Computations for finding a maximum closed-shell independent set rely on determining whether fullerene subgraphs are closed-shell (satisfy the eigenvalue requirement) so a linear-time algorithm for finding the inertia (number of negative, zero, and positive eigenvalues) of unicyclic graphs is given. This algorithm is part of an exponential-time algorithm for finding a maximum closed-shell independent set of a fullerene molecule that is fast enough for practical use. An improved upper bound of 3n/8 + 3/2 for the closed-shell independence number is included.

Syftet med det här arbetet är att lösa kubiska ekvationer utifrån både algebraiska och geometriska perspektiv. Läsaren kommer att möta olika metoder att finna rötter av kubiska ekvationer med fokus på Cardanos metod. Kapitel 3 introducerar Khayyams metod för att hitta en positiv reell rot med hjälp av geometrisk algebra. Kapitel 4 presenterar Cardanos metod för att hitta en positiv reell rot med geometrisk och algebraisk metod. Kapitel 5 visar bisektionsmetoden och Newton-Raphsons metod för att hitta en reell rot med numeriska beräkningar. För att underlätta metoder (för moderna ögon) använde jag mig av spel, tabeller och moderna matematikprogram. Förståelsen av dessa metoder med faktorsatsen visas i kapitel 6 hur vi kan hitta alla reella rötter när vi har en rot. Dessutom innehåller kapitlet Cardanos formel för tre rötter av den allmänna kubiska ekvationen. Kapitel 7 presenterar Eulers metod för att lösa den allmänna bikvadratiska ekvationen med hjälp av Cardanos metod. Dessutom beskrivs Descartes metod för att lösa bikvadratiska ekvationer med användningen av geometriskalgebra. Läsaren får även en inblick i kvintiska ekvationer.

[pt] O conhecimento do comportamento de solos residuais é de grande importância para projetos geotécnicos no Brasil e, em particular, na região do Rio de Janeiro, tendo em vista que o clima tropical e as características geológicas favorecem a ocorrência de mantos residuais de grande espessura. O presente trabalho trata do estudo do comportamento tensão-deformação de um solo residual proveniente de um perfil de alteração de rocha gnáissica do maciço da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Como os solos residuais gnáissicos preservam as foliações herdadas da rocha matriz, investigou-se em particular a relevância de se considerar a ocorrência de anisotropia nas características de resistência e deformabilidade destes solos. No estudo foi utilizado o equipamento triaxial cúbico desenvolvido na PUC-Rio. Este equipamento possibilita o controle independente das três tensões principais, sendo mais adequado para a reprodução das trajetórias de tensões tridimensionais, usualmente associadas com obras geotécnicas no campo, e em particular, para estudos sobre as características de anisotropia de solos. O programa experimental constou de ensaios de compressão axial e hidrostática, sob condições drenadas de carregamento, utilizando o equipamento triaxial cúbico. Foram realizados também ensaios oedométricos convencionais, de modo a se obter as características de compressibilidade do solo. Foram moldados corpos de prova a partir de blocos indeformados, paralelos e perpendiculares à foliação observada no solo, o que possibilitou a análise dos resultados para direções distintas de carregamento. Para efeito de comparação sobre a relevância do arranjo estrutural dos grãos do solo, foram ensaiados também corpos de prova compactados dos mesmos materiais. A análise dos resultados permitiu a obtenção dos módulos de deformabilidade e dos parâmetros de resistência do solo residual. Em particular, foram verificados os efeitos da direção de carregamento dos corpos de prova, do nível das tensões de confinamento, do grau de intemperismo, do arranjo estrutural dos grãos e dos efeitos do grau de saturação. Pode-se concluir que os solos estudados não apresentaram efeitos marcantes de anisotropia nas características de resistência. No entanto, quanto à deformabilidade, pode-se considerar que o solo residual jovem apresentou características anisotrópicas. / [en] The knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of residual soils is of great importance in geotechnical projects, because of its abundance in tropical regions, such as Brazil and particularly in the area of Rio de Janeiro. The present work presents a study on the fundamental stress-strain behaviour of a residual soil resulting from a profile of a gneiss rock in Rio de Janeiro. As the gneiss residual soils preservethe bedding planes from the parent rock, the relevance of considering anisotropy in the stress- strain characteristics of these soils was investigated. The cubic triaxial equipment developed at PUC-Rio was used in this research. This equipment allows the independent control of the three principal stresses, allowing the reprodution of three-dimensional stress paths, usually associated with geotechnical works in the field. The experimental program consisted of axial and hidrostatic tests, under drained loading conditions, using the cubic triaxial equipment. One- dimensional oedometer tests were also performed, in order to obtain the compressibility characteristics of the residual soil. Undisturbed specimens were prepared with the bedding planes parallel or perpendicular to the loading direction. Analysis of the test results showed the effects of load direction, confining stress level, weathering degree, structural soil fabric and saturation degree. It may be concluded that the gneiss residual soils which were selected for this research do not present significant effects of anisotropy in the strength characteristics. In the stress- strain characteristics, however, it may be concluded that the young residual soil showed effects of anisotropy. / [es] EL conocimiento sobre el comportamiento de suelos residuales resulta de gran importancia para los proyectos geotécnicos en Brasil y, en particular, en la región de Rio de Janeiro, considerando que el clima tropical y las características geológicas favorecen la existencia de mantos residuales de gran espesor. El presente trabajo estudia el comportamiento tensión-deformación de un suelo residual proveniente de un perfil de alteración de roca gnáisica del macizo de la Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Como los suelos residuales gnáisicos preservan las foliaciones heredadas de la roca matriz, fue necesario estudiar si resultaba relevante considerar la aparición de anisotropía en las características de resistencia y deformabilidad de estos suelos. En el estudio se utilizó el equipo triaxial cúbico desarrollado en la PUC-Rio. Este equipo permite el control independente de las tres tensiones principales, siendo más adecuado para la reproducción de las trayectorias de tensiones tridimensionales, usualmente asociadas a obras geotécnicas en el campo, y en particular, para estudios sobre las características de anisotropía de suelos. El programa experimental incluyó ensayos de compresión axial e hidrostática, sobre condiciones drenadas de carga, utilizando el equipo triaxial cúbico. Fueron realizados también ensayos oedométricos convencionales, con el objetivo de obtener las características de compresibilidad del suelo. Fueron moldados cuerpos de prueba a partir de bloques no deformados, paralelos y perpendiculares a la foliación observada en el suelo, lo que permitió el análisis de los resultados para distintas direcciones de carga. Para efecto de comparación sobre la relevancia del arreglo extructural de los granos del suelo, se realizaron ensayos con cuerpos de prueba compactados de los mismos materiales. El análisis de los resultados permitió la obtención de los módulos de deformabilidad y de los parámetros de resistencia del suelo residual. En particular, se verificaron los efectos de la dirección de carga de los cuerpos de prueba, del nível de las tensiones de contensión, del grado de intemperización, de la disposición extructural de los granos y de los efectos del grado de saturación. Se puede concluir que los suelos estudiados no presentaran efectos marcantes de anisotropía en las características de resistencia. Sin embargo, con respecto a la deformabilidad, se puede considerar que el suelo residual joven presentó características anisotrópicas.

Le carbure de silicium est pressenti comme un matériau prometteur dans plusieurs domaines de l’électroniquetels que la nano-électronique, l’électronique de puissance ou les capteurs travaillant en milieuxhostiles (hautes températures, milieux corrosifs, milieux biologiques) du fait de ses propriétés physicochimiquessupérieures à celles du silicium, notamment. Cependant, parmi les différentes méthodesd’élaboration par voie descendante ou ascendante permettant de fabriquer des nano-objets à 1D enSiC, aucune n’a pour l’instant permis d’obtenir du SiC d’excellente qualité cristalline.Le travail de cette thèse a porté sur la démonstration de l’élaboration de nanostructures 1D àbase de SiC, à savoir nanofils coeur-coquille Si-SiC, nanofils de SiC et nanotubes de SiC, par unprocédé original de carburation de nanofils de silicium, eux-mêmes élaborés par gravure plasma. Cettedémonstration a été possible grâce au contrôle de la pression de carburation, ce qui permet la maîtrisede l’exodiffusion des atomes de silicium à travers le carbure de silicium.À pression atmosphérique l’exodiffusion des atomes de silicium est restreinte ce qui permet d’élaborerdes nanofils coeur-coquille Si-SiC avec une coquille de SiC monocristalline et entièrement recouvrante.En se servant de la biocompatibilité du SiC et du bon contrôle électronique dans le silicium, ilest possible d’envisager l’utilisation de ces nanofils coeur-coquille Si-SiC pour des bio-nano-capteurs.En diminuant la pression au cours de la carburation, il est possible d’augmenter l’exodiffusion etainsi d’obtenir des nanotubes de SiC cubique de très bonne qualité cristalline avec des parois denses.Ces nanotubes de SiC sont largement modulables en termes de dimensions, et la faisabilité de leurouverture a été démontrée, permettant ainsi l’utilisation du fort rapport surface sur volume de telsnano-objets pour des capteurs électroniques notamment.Un premier pas a été franchi vers les applications des nanofils coeur-coquille Si-SiC et des nanotubesde SiC, puisque les mesures électriques réalisées sur des nano-transistors à effet de champ utilisant cesdeux types de nano-objets comme canal sont prometteurs. / Due to their superior physical and chemical properties —such as high breakdown field, high thermalconductivity and biocompatibility— compared to other semiconductors, silicon carbide is forseento be a promising materials for power electronics, bio-nano-sensors and nano-electronics in harsh environments.However, among the numerous top-down or bottom-up methods used to synthesise siliconcarbide 1D nano-objects, none has been able yet to produce SiC with a high cristalline quality.The aim of this project is to demonstrate the synthesis of silicon carbide- based 1D nanostructures—e.g. core-shell Si-SiC nanowires, SiC nanowires and SiC nanotubes— through an original processbased on the carburization of plasma-etched silicon nanowires. This demonstration is based on thecontrol of the pressure during the carburization process, which leads to the monitoring of the outdiffusionof silicon atoms through silicon carbide.Thus if the pressure is kept at the atmospheric pressure, the out-diffusion of silicon is limited andSi-SiC core-shell nanowires can be synthesized with a single-crystalline cubic SiC shell. Thanks to thebiocompatibility of the SiC shell and the good electronic transport into the Si core, bio-nano-sensorscan be considered.If the pressure is decreased during the carburization process, the outdiffusion of silicon atomsthrough SiC is enhanced, and leads to SiC nanotubes synthesis. SiC nanotubes sidewalls are dense,with an excellent crystalline quality. These original SiC nanotubes have a high surface to volume ratioand thus can be used for sensors or storage devices.The first step for direct applications has also been demonstrated since first results on electricalperformances of nano-field effect transistors, with these nano-objects as channel, are promising.

The emperical pseudopotential method in the large basis approach was used to calculate the electronic bandstructures of bulk semiconductor materials and layered semiconductor heterostructures. The crucial continuous atomic form factor potentials needed to carry out such calculations were determined by using Levenberg-Marquardt optimization in order to obtain optimal cubic spline interpolations of the potentials. The optimized potentials were not constrained by any particular functional form (such as a linear combination of Gaussians) and had better convergence properties for the optimization. It was demonstrated that the results obtained in this work could potentially lead to better agreement between calculated and empirically determined band gaps via optimization / Physics / M. Sc. (Physics)

MENEZES, José Wally Mendonça. Análise de performance de sólitons ópticos espaço-temporais em guia planar com não-linearidade cúbico quintica periodicamente modulada e circuitos lógicos operando nos regimes Kerr instantâneo e relaxado. 2010. 149 f. Tese (Doutorado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2010. / Submitted by francisco lima (admir@ufc.br) on 2014-06-30T18:38:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_tese_jwmmenezes.pdf: 7446687 bytes, checksum: 708020e7c4ad24658a46a55f2af5ebc6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2014-08-06T20:53:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_tese_jwmmenezes.pdf: 7446687 bytes, checksum: 708020e7c4ad24658a46a55f2af5ebc6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-06T20:53:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_tese_jwmmenezes.pdf: 7446687 bytes, checksum: 708020e7c4ad24658a46a55f2af5ebc6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / In this work, the propagation and stability of spatiotemporal optical solitons (or optical bullets) in a planar waveguide with periodically modulated cubic-quintic nonlinearity is presented numerically as a function of the amplitudes of modulation , the frequency of modulation and the propagation distance .With the objective of ensure the stability and preventing the collapse or the spreading of pulses, in this study we explore the cubic-quintic nonlinearity with the optical fields coupled by XPM (Cross-Phase Modulation) and take into account several values for the nonlinear parameter , for amplitudes and frequency of modulation as a function of the propagation distance , we cause the collisions of two pulses (envelope of the optical field) to ensure that the optical pulse are sólitons and, after numerical analysis was possible shown the existence of stable spatiotemporal optical sóliton. We also have presented the numerical analysis of the three-core nonlinear fiber coupler in a symmetrical planar structure and operating with instantaneous and relaxed Kerr model for generation of the all-optical logic gates. To implement this optical circuit, we used a control pulse CP with a phase difference between the inputs “I1” and “I2” of the fiber coupler and were analyzed the transmission characteristics, the Extinction Ratio as a function of the phase difference, the length normalized (LN), the figure-of-merit of the logic gates (FOMELG (dB) and the pulse evolution along the fiber coupler and, thus, ensure were demonstrated the possibilities for generating of the all-optical logic gates. / Neste trabalho, a propagação e estabilidade de sólitons espaço-temporais (ou sólitons balas) em um guia de onda planar com não linearidade cúbico quintica periodicamente modulada é apresentada em função da amplitude de modulação , da freqüência de modulação e da distância de propagação . Com o objetivo de garantir a estabilidade e prevenir o colapso ou o espalhamento dos pulsos, exploramos a não-linearidade cúbico quintica com os campos ópticos acoplados por XPM (Modulação de Fase Cruzada) e utilizando diversos valores para o parâmetro não-linear , para as amplitudes e freqüências de modulação em função da distância de propagação , provocamos a colisão de dois pulsos (campos ópticos) para garantir que estes sejam realmente sólitons e, após estas análises numéricas, foi possível mostrar a existência de sólitons espaço-temporais estáveis. Apresentamos, também, a análise numérica de um acoplador triplo não linear de fibras ópticas em uma estrutura planar simétrica e operando com o modelo Kerr instantâneo e relaxado para geração de portas lógicas ópticas. Para implementar estes circuitos, usamos um pulso de controle CP com uma diferença de fase entre as entradas “I1” e “I2” do acoplador e analisamos as características de transmissão, taxa de extinção em função da diferença de fase, a largura normalizada (LN), a figura de mérito para portas lógicas FOMELG(dB) e a evolução dos pulsos ao longo do acoplador e, assim, foi demonstrado as possibilidades para geração das portas lógicas ópticas.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:28:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3166.pdf: 902639 bytes, checksum: ea05b6d6e2b4c76c819c3abd8b7bd595 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-08 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Neste trabalho, estudamos o resultado de boa-colocação para a equação da onda cúbica u +uR3 = 0 em R3, devido a H. Bahouri e J.-Y. Chemin, no qual os dados de Cauchy estão no espaço de Sobolev homogêneo H3/4 (R3) H-1/4 (R3). A prova utiliza um método de interpolação não-linear, decomposição de Bony e desigualdade logarítmica de Strichartz, todas formuladas na Teoria de Littlewood-Paley.

This work consists of the study, design and implementation of DC-DC converters, used in lighting systems based on light emitting diodes (LEDs). Can be powered by an universal AC voltage source or battery, and the current in the LEDs is controlled digitally. The main objective is to present a proposal of new step-up/down converters topologies with full conversion much higher than that of conventional converters. So, is initially presented an overview of solid-state lighting (SSL). Following is presented the study on the dynamic behavior of converters based on modeling by the method of varying state-space average, ending with the design of a digital PI controller. This work resulted in the application for a patent PI-0801425-6 filed with the INPI, which presents a new family of converters with full conversion extremely wide, called cubic converters. / O presente trabalho consiste do estudo, projeto e implementação de conversores CCCC, aplicados em sistemas de iluminação de estado sólido baseado em diodos emissores de luz (LEDs). Podem ser alimentados por uma fonte de tensão alternada universal ou por uma bateria sendo que a corrente nos LEDs é controlada digitalmente. O objetivo principal é apresentar uma proposta de novas topologias de conversores abaixadores/elevadores com faixa de conversão muito maior que a dos conversores convencionais. Portanto, inicialmente é apresentada uma visão geral sobre iluminação de estado sólido (SSL). Na sequência, é apresentado o estudo sobre o comportamento dinâmico dos conversores baseado na modelagem através do método de variáveis de espaço de estados médio, finalizando com o dimensionamento de um controlador PI digital. Este trabalho resultou no pedido de patente de invenção PI-0801425-6 depositado junto ao INPI, o qual apresenta uma nova família de conversores com faixa de conversão extremamente larga, denominados de conversores cúbicos. / Doutor em Ciências

The conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer is unquestionably one of the most important open problems in number theory today. Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over an imaginary quadratic field $K$ contained in $\mathbb{C}$, and suppose that $E$ has complex multiplication by the ring of integers of $K$. Let us assume the complex $L$-series $L(E/K,s)$ of $E$ over $K$ does not vanish at $s=1$. K. Rubin showed, using Iwasawa theory, that the $p$-part of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture holds for $E$ for all prime numbers $p$ which do not divide the order of the group of roots of unity in $K$. In this thesis, we discuss extensions of this result. In Chapter $2$, we study infinite families of quadratic and cubic twists of the elliptic curve $A = X_0(27)$, so that they have complex multiplication by the ring of integers of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-3})$. For the family of quadratic twists, we establish a lower bound for the $2$-adic valuation of the algebraic part of the complex $L$-series at $s=1$, and, for the family of cubic twists, we establish a lower bound for the $3$-adic valuation of the algebraic part of the same $L$-value. We show that our lower bounds are precisely those predicted by Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer. In the remaining chapters, we let $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-q})$, where $q$ is any prime number congruent to $7$ modulo $8$. Denote by $H$ the Hilbert class field of $K$. \mbox{B. Gross} proved the existence of an elliptic curve $A(q)$ defined over $H$ with complex multiplication by the ring of integers of $K$ and minimal discriminant $-q^3$. We consider twists $E$ of $A(q)$ by quadratic extensions of $K$. In the case $q=7$, we have $A(q)=X_0(49)$, and Gonzalez-Aviles and Rubin proved, again using Iwasawa theory, that if $L(E/\mathbb{Q},1)$ is nonzero then the full Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture holds for $E$. Suppose $p$ is a prime number which splits in $K$, say $p=\mathfrak{p}\mathfrak{p}^*$, and $E$ has good reduction at all primes of $H$ above $p$. Let $H_\infty=HK_\infty$, where $K_\infty$ is the unique $\mathbb{Z}_p$-extension of $K$ unramified outside $\mathfrak{p}$. We establish in this thesis the main conjecture for the extension $H_\infty/H$. Furthermore, we provide the necessary ingredients to state and prove the main conjecture for $E/H$ and $p$, and discuss its relation to the main conjecture for $H_\infty/H$ and the $p$-part of the Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture for $E/H$.