A group of six faculty members from Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering attended last week’s Third São Carlos School on Glasses and Glass-Ceramics which brought together 80 students and professors from around the world to advance glass science education and research The School on Glasses and Glass-Ceramics featured a group of international professors and students from 12 countries featured a carefully balanced program of high-level scientific lectures during the day complemented by vibrant social activities in the evenings Event sponsors included: the Center for Research Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials (CeRTEV) The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and the International Commission on Glass (ICG) organizer of the São Carlos School on Glasses and Glass-Ceramics and supports education and outreach efforts focused on glass and glass-ceramics “Special recognition goes to the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University whose exceptional contribution enriched our program significantly,” event organizers wrote after its conclusion on Saturday “Their delegation of six distinguished faculty members delivered outstanding lectures that inspired intellectual engagement and genuine excitement among participants.” Faculty from Alfred University attending the event (with lecture topics) were S.K Inamori Professor of materials science and engineering “Structure-terahertz property relationship in glasses”; Doris Möncke non-silicate oxide glasses”; Collin Wilkinson “Glass relaxation”; Rebecca Welch visiting assistant professor of materials science and engineering “Computational Modeling of Glasses: Statistical Mechanics Model of Glasses and Topological Constraint Theory”; Benjamin Moulton “Spectroscopies (Structure of a variety of oxide glasses) and Ion-exchange in glasses”; and Caio Bragatto assistant professor of ceramic engineering “Electrical properties of glasses.” The main objectives of the São Carlos Schools are to: Instructors for the São Carlos School on Glasses and Glass-Ceramics are well-known experts in experimental and computer simulation studies of glasses The school had approximately 40 hours of classes Focused on a professional education with an emphasis on APEX our applied and experiential learning program Alfred University has a long history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities Your gifts of time and financial support help transform student lives every day Copyright © 2025 Alfred University LATAM Airlines is boosting its in-house Boeing 787 MRO capacity following its recent order for 10 more of the aircraft Oct. 28 The airline has just invested 40 million Brazilian real (approximately $6.9 million) in a new hangar at its Sao Carlos MRO base that will enable it to perform 787 maintenance in-house LATAM’s 787 maintenance is currently performed outside of Brazil. Earlier this year, it signed an agreement with Amman, Jordan-based Joramco for 787 C checks. However, the carrier has been working to increase its in-house maintenance capabilities ahead of its upcoming fleet growth LATAM operates 37 787s and it expects to operate a total of 52 of the aircraft type by 2030 the new maintenance hangar is its largest MRO investment in the last decade In addition to increasing capability for more in-house MRO services in Sao Carlos provide greater flexibility and shorten turnaround times the new hangar will be able to accommodate up to three Airbus A320s simultaneously It will also be equipped to paint large aircraft LATAM plans to carry over several advanced technologies already used at its Sao Carlos MRO base to the new hangar, including drone inspections and autonomous logistics carts. LATAM was the first Latin American airline to deploy Donecle drones It says drone-based inspections have made the process 12 times more efficient the new hangar will also result in the creation of 300 new jobs Its Sao Carlos MRO site currently employs 2,000 people and handles more than 60% of LATAM group’s scheduled maintenance The new hangar is expected to begin operations in September 2025 Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio and product and service news for MRO Digest insight and analysis from our award-winning editors delivered to your inbox daily Metrics details The correct choice of a stone aggregate for railway ballast is directly related to the stability The aggregate must meet several criteria to ensure it is the most appropriate material the present study aimed to evaluate four distinct stones: two granites all mined in the eastern region of the state of São Paulo Using Brazilian and ASTM procedures for stone samples the tests were conducted on 55 and 75-mm specimens all stones met the physical properties established by the standards with all stones where the tested materials advantageously exceeding the 100 MPa required by the Brazilian standard Regarding the accelerated weathering test with ethylene glycol only basalt showed more significant changes although its resistance to weathering was still lower than 10% Our findings indicate that these stones perform adequately as ballast for railway applications The study is expected to contribute to revisions of technical standards and the improvement of a database on Brazilian stone materials for use as railway ballast the present study aimed to determine the physical-mechanical and degradation characteristics of four different types of rocks: two granites and assess their suitability for use as railway ballast By analyzing properties such as compressive strength the present study may support the selection of stones that meet the regulatory requirements for performance and cost-effectiveness contributing to the optimization of relevant railway infrastructure projects for passenger transport in the eastern region of the state of São Paulo the research not only expands the understanding of the properties of ballast materials but also suggests important practical recommendations for the construction and maintenance of railways contributing to promoting greater safety and operational efficiency The three geological units that make up the present study are highlighted in bold in the legend LEFT: panoramic view of a mapped sector in a quarry with highly fractured basic intrusives (DIA) RIGHT: sampling of coarse aggregate directly from the stockpiles of the quarry processing plant Where σwet and σdry are the tensile strength of the material in wet and dry conditions, respectively. To obtain information about the weathering of stones, two types of alterability tests were conducted: with sodium sulfate and with ethyleneglycol, all with oven drying. During these cycles, all samples were qualitative and quantitatively evaluated by measuring mass losses, visual examinations, and photographic records of any damages (fissures, cracks, flaking, oxidation, and disintegration) in the specimen. and collection of test specimens for UCS tests with 2 diameters; (D) DIA sample (75 mm) submitted to the PLT The results of the tests performed are presented following the order of the methodology used in the study The information regarding the degrees of microcracking and stone alteration is discussed below, with the most important petrographic features analyzed at the microscopic level and a summary of the physical indices in Table 2; Fig. 4. LEFT: Macroscopic appearance of natural stone cylindrical surfaces (Ø 75 mm); RIGHT: Photomicrographs (crossed nicols) Observe twin crystals of Pl and in the details GRAN2: clusters of Mu crystals in poikilitic texture DIA and BAS: subophitic texture with Pl laths surrounded by subhedral crystals of Au/Pg and Op Pl plagioclase and Fk potassic feldspar basic stones present the most expressive values of this parameter due to the higher percentage of ferromagnesian minerals in their composition The materials studied are also within the maximum limits established for apparent porosity (η) and water absorption (α) being 2% for apparent porosity and 1–2% for water absorption It is worth highlighting the relatively lower values for DIA (compact rock) and the higher values for BAS (thinner stone still within the limits established by the standard In general, stones correspond to the lithological characteristics to which they are associated. They are massive stones, with few voids, as indicated by their apparent specific gravity and low water absorption. The detailed relationship between the mineralogical composition and the main physical properties can be seen in Fig. 5. Relationships between mineralogical composition and physical indices from Ø55mm (LEFT) and Ø75mm (RIGHT) specimens In terms of the strength of the intact stone, the results of the uniaxial compressive, point load, and rebound hammer tests are presented in Table 3; Fig. 6 taking into account the two diameters of the specimens tested in the present study Diameter 55 mm (in black) e 75 mm (in red) Test data in dry (LEFT) and saturated (RIGHT) conditions Regarding the values of the hydraulic weakening coefficients (R) all the stones tested presented a decrease in uniaxial compressive strength when analyzed in the wet condition with reductions in strength between 4% and 18% and reaching a slightly more pronounced value (27%) in BAS and conditions of microcracking and mineral alteration as in the case of the more accentuated decay of basalt R coefficient values were slightly higher in the tests with 75 mm-diameter samples obtaining cylindrical test specimens with a larger diameter is much more expensive both due to the greater amount of representative stone blocks to be collected in the field and due to the excessive wear of diamond drill bits especially in more abrasive stones (quartz-rich) such as granite and other similar materials As for PLTs, the results were similar to those obtained from the RCU tests. Where, once again the DIA diabase stood out, with the highest point load strength index, Is(50), in both diameters used, as can be seen in Table 3; Fig. 6C,D an unexpected result was found for granitic stones where the Is(50) obtained in the wet condition was slightly higher than in the dry condition this result can be justified by the material’s variability as this type of variation is sensitive to the characteristics of the stones it is a material with low porosity and water absorption so somewhat similar results of both conditions are expected Correlations between PLT and UCS tests in dry (LEFT) and wet (RIGHT) conditions the values varied very little between the dry and wet conditions for the two diameters tested This comparison suggests that the presence of water had little influence on the tests with the materials under study which is consistent with the data previously shown such as the physical indices (stones with porosity < 1.96% and water absorption < 0.68% (very low values) as well as the hydraulic weakening calculated from the UCS tests Correlations between SHR and UCS tests in dry (LEFT) and wet (RIGHT) conditions The proposed equations for estimating stone parameters from the hammer rebound number can be valuable in the preliminary phase of a project given that the test is easy to perform and non-destructive the results and comparison with previous studies indicate that the equations should be used with caution and only for the specified type of stone Using aggregate samples with different sizes LAA Los Angeles abrasion test (Gradation F) and T-shock and SC crushing strength tests were performed to verify the mechanical strength of the aggregates Comparison between mineralogical composition and LAA Set of fragments before (ABOVE) and after (BELOW) the T shock strength tests highlighting once again the performance of basic stones which have a mineralogical composition consisting essentially of high-hardness minerals its textural arrangement assented with types of minerals and microcracking conditions of the minerals provides more expressive mechanical strength The accelerated weathering laboratory tests on each material were carried out taking into account three different crushed stone fractions: A (63.5 to 38 mm) all stones performed well after 5 cycles of immersion in sodium sulfate or ethylene glycol solution followed by oven drying either in terms of mass loss or any other change visible to the naked eye Given that these stones have low water absorption and porosity indices the penetration of the saline solution is difficult preventing the breaking of bonds between particles due to the crystallization of sodium sulfate Photographic records of BAS basalt fragments degraded by ethylene glycol: (A) Surface degradation (Cycle 1); (B) Cracks (Cycle 2); (C) Fissures (Cycle 3); (D) Spalling (Cycle 1) In order to compare and discuss the capabilities and limitations of different stone materials for use as ballast a careful selection of tests considered essential for technological characterization was carried out The analysis was conducted through petrographic analysis and determination of physical and alterability properties that will dictate the performance of the materials when used in railway works The tests showed these are compact stones with low water absorption correlated to the geological context in which they are inserted and diabase (Serra Geral Formation) stood out for their high compressive strength there was no significant difference between cylindrical samples of 55 mm and 75 mm in diameter This comparison is relevant given the practical advantages associated with the smaller diameter and less wear on equipment and diamond drills in laboratory demands The long-term effects of the tropical climate and the use of aggregates without binders were simulated using accelerated weathering tests showed good chemical and physical stability the tested fractions of the respective basic stone showed resistance to weathering that was still lower than the maximum limit established by the Brazilian standard the stones analyzed showed good performance for use as coarse aggregate for railway ballast resistant stones with low water absorption which tend to produce high-quality aggregates although a large number of tests were performed with representative samples the results must be considered valid only for the stones evaluated in this research given the geotechnical variability of the properties of each material although the Brazilian standard stipulates that at least five accelerated weathering cycles must be performed for laboratory tests future research may expand this approach to include long-term performance assessments encompassing different climates and environments to provide a more comprehensive and practical understanding of rock durability in the railway context this study is part of broader research that contributes to the development of a more comprehensive database on the properties of stones used as railway ballast in Brazil serving as a reference for updating technical standards in addition to supporting the selection of more suitable materials and increasing the efficiency and durability of railway infrastructures All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article Associação Brasileira dos Transportes Ferroviários (ANTF). Informações gerais - o setor ferroviário de carga brasileiro. Disponível em: https://www.antf.org.br/informacoes-gerais/ Laboratory characterization of fouled railroad ballast behavior Castro, G. B. et al. L. Numerical and experimental study of the unsaturated hydraulic behavior of a railroad track profile considering fouled ballast subjected to tropical climate condition. Adv. Transport. Geotech. IV 467–482 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77238-3_36 (2022) Oliveira Filho, J. J. P., Costa, R., Bernucci, L. B., Motta, R. & Moura, E. Degradação do lastro ferroviário - principais aspectos e estudos de caso. Transportes 25, 21–34. https://doi.org/10.14295/transportes.v25i3.1340 (2017) Selig, E. T. & Waters, J. M. Track Geotechnology and Substructure Management https://doi.org/10.1680/tgasm.20139 (Thomas Telford Varuntanya, K. et al. Laboratory investigation of railway-used ballast morphology using 3D imaging data analyses. Case Stud. Const. Mat. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2023.e02272 (2023) Diógenes, D. F., Castelo Branco, V. T. F. & Motta, L. M. G. Avaliação Da relação entre comportamentos mecânico e hidráulico para lastro ferroviário. Transportes 28 (3), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.14295/transportes.v28i3.1829 (2020) Pires, J., Costa, R., Bernucci, L., Motta, R. & Moura, E. Degradação do lastro ferroviário – principais aspectos e estudos de caso. Transportes 25 (3), 62–74. https://doi.org/10.14295/transportes.v25i3.1340 (2017) Indraratna, B., Thakur, P. K. & Vinod, J. S. Experimental and numerical study of railway ballast behaviour under cyclic loading. Int. J. Geomech. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASGE)GM.1943-5622.0000055 (2010) Comparison of the permeability of potential ballast rocks from Northern Rio De Janeiro state under different fouling rates after sodium sulfate attack Guo, Y. et al. Railway ballast material selection and evaluation: a review. Constr. Build. Mater. 344, 128218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128218 (2022) Lastro ferroviário de granitos e rocha básica em regiões tropicais: relações entre petrografia propriedades físico-mecânicas e de alterabilidade Esfahani, M. K., Kamani, M. & Ajalloeian, R. An investigation of the general relationships between abrasion resistance of aggregates and rock aggregate properties. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 78 (60), 3959–3968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-018-1366-7 (2019) Sadegui, J. M., Zakeri, J. A. & Najaer, M. E. M. Developing track ballast characteristic guideline in order to evaluate its performance. Int. J. Railway 9 (2), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.7782/IJR.2016.9.2.027 (2016) Tecnologia de rochas na construção Civil 132 (ABGE Xie, X. L. et al. A review of test methods for uniaxial compressive strength of rocks: theory, apparatus and data processing. J. Rock. Mech. Geotech. Eng. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.05.003 (2024) Correlations between petrography and technological properties of rocks: application as railway ballast Singh, T. N., Kainthola, A. & Venkatesh, A. Correlation between point load index and uniaxial compressive strength for different rock types. Rock. Mech. Rock. Eng. 45, 259–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-011-0192-z (2012) Basu, A. & Aydin, A. Predicting uniaxial compressive strength by point load test: significance of cone penetration. Rock. Mech. Rock. Eng. 39, 483–490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-006-0082-y (2006) Al-Harthi, A. A. A field index to determine the strength characteristics of crushed aggregate. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 60, 193–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s100640100107 (2001) Wang, M. & Wan, W. A new empirical formula for evaluating uniaxial compressive strength using the Schmidt hammer test. Int. J. Rock. Mech. Min. Sci. 123, 04094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2019.104094 (2019) Basu, A. & Aydin, A. A method for normalization of Schmidt hammer rebound values. Int. J. Rock. Mech. Min. Sci. (41), 1211–1214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.05.001 Yasar, E. & Erdogan, Y. Estimation of rock physicomechanical properties using hardness methods. Eng. Geol. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(03)00141-8 (2004) Tugrul, A. & Zarif, I. H. Correlation of mineralogical and textural characteristics with engineering properties of selected granitic rocks from Turkey. Eng. Geol. 51, 303–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(98)00071-4 (1999) Apaydın, Ö. F. & Yılmaz, M. Correlation of petrographic and chemical characteristics with strength and durability of basalts as railway aggregates determined by ballast fouling. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 80 (6), 4197–4205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01654-4 (2021) Çelik, M. Y. & Aygün, A. The effect of salt crystallization on degradation of volcanic building stones by sodium sulfates and sodium chlorides. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 78, 3509–3529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-018-1354-y (2019) Van Blerk, P. G. L., Fletcher, E., Costello, S. B. & Henning, T. F. P. Ethylene glycol accelerated weathering test: an improved, objective aggregate durability test method. Transp. Res. Rec. 2655 (1), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.3141/2655-05 (2017) Maior parte das obras ferroviárias no Brasil é Voltada para mobilidade urbana Perrotta, M. M. et al. Geologia e recursos minerais do estado de São Paulo: Sistema de Informações Geográficas - SIG. Rio de janeiro: CPRM, 2006. Programa Geologia do Brasil. https://rigeo.sgb.gov.br/handle/doc/2966 Aggregates – Petrographic Analysis of Aggregate for Concrete Part 2: Coarse Aggregate (Brazilian Technical Standards Association Part 1: Petrographic Examination (Brazilian Technical Standards Association Railway – Ballast – Requirements and test Methods (Brazilian Technical Standards Association Coarse aggregate - Abrasion test in the Los Angeles Machine (Brazilian Technical Standards Association Aggregates – Determination of Strength to Crushing of Coarse aggregate – Test Method (Brazilian Technical Standards Association D5731. Standard test method for determination of the point load strength index of rock. American society for testing and materials. https://www.astm.org/d5731-16.html D5873. Standard test method for determination of rock hardness by rebound hammer method. American society for testing and materials. https://www.astm.org/d5873-14.html C88. Standard test method for soundness of aggregates by use of sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate. American standard testing materials, West Conshohocken. https://doi.org/10.1520/C0088_C0088M-18 (2018) An evaluation of the relationship between unconfined compressive strength and point load strength index Heidari, M., Mohseni, H. & Jalali, S. H. Prediction of uniaxial compressive strength of some sedimentary rocks by fuzzy and regression models. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 36 (1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-017-0334-5 (2018) Tandon, R. S. & Gupta, V. Estimation of strength characteristics of different himalayan rocks from Schmidt hammer rebound, point load index, and compressional wave velocity. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 74, 521–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0629-1 (2015) Basu, A. & Aydin, A. A method for normalization of Schmidt hammer rebound values. Int. J. Rock. Mech. Min. Sci. 42 (2), 215–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.05.001 (2005) Yagiz, S. Predicting uniaxial compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and index properties of rocks using the Schmidt hammer. Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 68, 55–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-008-0172-z (2009) SABS 1083 - Aggregates from natural sources- South African Bureau standards A importância das características tecnológicas da pedra britada para lastro ferroviário Geologic characterization of natural aggregate: a field geologist’s guide to natural aggregate resource assessment Kazi, A. & Al-Mansour, Z. R. Influence of geological factors on abrasion and soundness characteristics of aggregates. Eng. Geol. 15 (3–4), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(80)90034-4 (1980) Download references The authors would like to thank the Engineering Geology and Road laboratories (EESC-USP) and Geotechnics Laboratory (UFSCar) for the opportunity and for all the infrastructure offered to carry out the physical-mechanical and alterability tests The authors acknowledge the Brazilian governmental research agencies CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) by CAPES research fellowships and by CNPq through the research fellowship PQ2 316330/2021-3 UENF – State University of the North in Rio de Janeiro The authors declare no competing interests All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83929-9 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. O endereço abaixo não existe na globo.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. SAO CARLOS (FIBA Americas Championship 2007) – Brazilian center, Nene, announced his return to the Brazilian National team. The news was posted just a few minutes ago on his webpage.\r\nIn an interview that took place on his native Sao Carlos, the player from the Denver Nuggets confirmed his return to the team which will be active on the FIBA Americas ... HomeNewsBRA – Nene, back in the National TeamFIBA BasketballBRA – Nene back in the National TeamSAO CARLOS (FIBA Americas Championship 2007) – Brazilian center announced his return to the Brazilian National team The news was posted just a few minutes ago on his webpage In an interview that took place on his native Sao Carlos the player from the Denver Nuggets confirmed his return to the team which will be active on the FIBA Americas .. SAO CARLOS (FIBA Americas Championship 2007) – Brazilian center the player from the Denver Nuggets confirmed his return to the team which will be active on the FIBA Americas Championship 2007 in Las Vegas Recent conversations with his family and some friends push to take the decision of coming back my team and just realized that it was time to come back” help them to get to the Olympics in Beijing.” “I am wishing for a new life with the National team What happened is in the past; now it’s time to defend my country This is the moment to rescue it,” concluded Nene Today's print edition Home Delivery South America is being ravaged by fire from Brazil's Amazon rainforest through the world's largest wetlands to dry forests in Bolivia breaking a previous record for the number of blazes seen in a year up to Sept Satellite data analyzed by Brazil's space research agency Inpe has registered 346,112 fire hot spots so far this year in all 13 countries of South America topping the earlier 2007 record of 345,322 hot spots in a data series that goes back to 1998.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Smoke billowing from the Brazilian fires has darkened the skies above cities like Sao Paulo feeding into a corridor of wildfire smoke seen from space stretching diagonally across the continent from Colombia in the northwest to Uruguay in the southeast Brazil and Bolivia have dispatched thousands of firefighters to attempt to control the blazes but remain mostly at the mercy of extreme weather fueling the fires Scientists say that while most fires are set by humans the recent hot and dry conditions being driven by climate change are helping the fires spread more quickly South America has been hit by a series of heat waves since last year said of the weather in Sao Paulo in recent months Despite still being winter in the Southern Hemisphere high temperatures in Sao Paulo have held at over 32 degrees Celsius since Saturday Hundreds of people marched in Bolivia's highland political capital La Paz to demand action against the fires holding banners and placards saying "Bolivia in flames" and "For cleaner air stop burning." "Please realize what is really happening in the country we have lost millions of hectares," said Fernanda Negron "Millions of animals have been burned to death." a drought that began last year has become the worst on record according to national disaster monitoring agency Cemaden long-lasting in some regions and extensive in recent history at least in the data since 1950," said Ana Paula Cunha The greatest number of fires this month is in Brazil and Bolivia Unusually intense fires that hit Venezuela Guyana and Colombia earlier in the year contributed to the record but have largely subsided Fire from deforestation in the Amazon creates particularly intense smoke because of the density of the vegetation burning "The sensation you get flying next to one of these plumes is like that of an atomic mushroom cloud," said Longo Roughly 9 million square kilometers of South America have been covered in smoke at times the most populous city in the Western Hemisphere earlier this week had the worst air quality globally higher than famous pollution hot spots like China and India Bolivia's capital of La Paz was similarly blanketed in smoke Exposure to the smoke will drive up the number of people seeking hospital treatment for respiratory issues and may cause thousands of premature deaths Inhaling wildfire smoke contributes to an average 12,000 early deaths a year in South America according to a 2023 study in the academic journal Environmental Research: Health September is typically the peak month for fires in South America It's unclear whether the continent will continue to have high numbers of fires this year While rain is forecast next week for Brazil's center south drought conditions are expected to continue through October in Brazil's northern Amazon region and center-west agricultural region In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division. Flooding struck after a short period of torrential rainfall 138mm of rain fell between in just over 1 hour which is more than the November monthly average The force of the floods was so strong that it dragged 37 vehicles along city streets Around 40 homes were also damaged and three houses completely destroyed However there were no reports of fatalities as of 28 November The state government said that around 130 businesses had suffered severe damaged A state of emergency has been declared for the city Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList realized for a young couple and their children the contemporary dwelling is carefully planned to afford visual connection between spaces while providing privacy from street.  images by favaro junior the unconventional shape of the site and the requirement to leave a six-meter strip along the street edge informed lb+mr‘s final design the architects wanted to create a home that would fit delicately into the land while allowing cross-ventilation and natural light to pass through the interiors they shaped KT house from clear volumes and natural materials giving it a robust yet relaxed aesthetic.  as well as fitting the program into the triangular site, another aim of the project was to guarantee visual connection throughout the floor plan. to achieve this, the house is organized around a central courtyard that connects three well-defined wings: service wooden brises and glass panels on these courtyard-facing elevations allow the spaces to be completely opened to the outdoors or closed off for privacy the project includes a triangular-shaped swimming pool where the family can take a dip or relax by the decking at the side there is the six-meter strip that serves as an extension of the courtyard following the same concept that led the entire project: granting visual connection while maintaining residents’ privacy by the subtle use of dense vegetation and ground elevation location: condomínio damha golf architect: lb+mr | @lucianabernasconi_milaricetti structural engineer: ana cristina fernandez lighting: jabu engenharia elétrica photography: favaro junior | @favarojrfotografia AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Professor Roblyer visited the University of Sao Paulo in Sao Carlos over spring break and got to learn all about the fabulous research in photodynamic therapy happening at the center View all posts EA211: 1.0L MPI, 1.6L MSI, 1.0L TSI, 1.4L TSI EA111 (After Sales): Rumpf Motor 1.6L MPI, Rumpf Motor 1.0L MPI The Volkswagen Newsroom is an open platform and offers comprehensive search options to all users. If you would like to be kept informed about our press releases you can also subscribe to our media information newsletter. Parece que a página que você está procurando não está disponível. Reading"Non-Verbal Club's..." More fromWork Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Extra Search the studio recently utilised this balancing act to create a beautifully sleek identity for Teatro Nacional de São Carlos covers a programme of operas as well as classical music concerts and is the home of the National Symphonic Orchestra Non–Verbal Club started by analysing the theatre’s current visual communication after which they rewrote the brief “with the key topics we believe were important to change.” This is typical of Non–Verbal Club’s practice who create projects rooted in thorough research and collaboration “We often rework the briefs we receive and do not shy away from looking for more than what the projects actually are finding which new possibilities they open,” it explains After meeting with TNSC’s artistic director the studio set about developing an identity which reflected the theatre’s ambitions Non–Verbal Club’s projects often feature typography-heavy designs These are produced by anchoring projects in several key concepts that “provide the mechanics for [the project] to naturally unfold,” and this was very much the case when it came to designing TNSC’s identity “It was fairly evident that São Carlos needed change – new and fresh visual strategies that would meet a bolder attitude in the way it communicates,” the studio recalls Deciding to highlight the “stars” of the theatre Non-Verbal Club developed a system with the names of composers The upcoming season had two facets which needed to be communicated in a distinct yet complementary way: the lyrical season of operas and the symphonic season of classical and chamber music concerts “That led us to create a communication matrix using simple typographic structures and an elementary principle – contrast,” Non–Verbal Club explains the lyrical season is presented in a white-on-black whereas the symphonic season appears on a black background in a serif font Non–Verbal Club also designed a programme book for the entire season The book features an elegantly thin format the letters TNSC set in a large point size on its cover An extremely bold aesthetic for an institution of this kind the cover then reveals a beautiful fold-out image when opened After producing the initial monochromatic poster campaign Non–Verbal Club began to introduce new colour schemes to “create variations of the structure and added emotion.” Non–Verbal Club’s Swiss-inspired design is visually arresting but is also supported by rationale The studio’s “utter obsession” with typography is made clear through their bold use of lettering producing a contemporary and exciting solution for an institution so steeped in history Non–Verbal Club: Teatro Nacional de São Carlos identity Further Infononverbalclub.pt Ruby Boddington Ruby joined the It’s Nice That team as an editorial assistant in September 2017 after graduating from the Graphic Communication Design course at Central Saint Martins she became a staff writer and in August 2019 Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest About Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs © It’s Nice That 2024 · Nice Face Logo © It’s Nice That nonverbalclub.pt “We like to look at our practice as a balancing act between rationality and emotion,” states Porto-based graphic design studio The European foundry’s wildly variable typeface perfectly encapsulates Gruppo Due’s inquisitive the studio looked to the slow and quiet processes of the natural world for inspiration Each weight of this variable typeface degrades in resolution until its letterforms are an abstract mass of pixels things go from readable weights to “decorative extremes” with imaginative methods of integrating motion About Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs For the latest updates on the 2020 F1 schedule, see f1.com/coronavirus-latest Building work began on what ended up being called the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace – but what is more commonly referred to as Interlagos – all the way back in 1938. The track designers took their inspiration from three main circuits: Brooklands in the UK, Roosevelt Raceway in the USA and Montlhery in France. Buoyed by the success of Brazil’s Emerson Fittipaldi, Formula 1 first jetted into Interlagos for a world championship race in 1973. Fans were treated to a home win in the first three Brazilian Grands Prix, with Fittipaldi victorious in 1973 and 1974, while Carlos Pace won in 1975. Like many pre-World War II tracks, Interlagos features banked corners, with the drivers beginning their lap on a sort of half oval – in fact, between 1957 and the track’s return to the F1 calendar in 1990, Interlagos could be run as a giant oval. After wiggling through the Senna S and down to Turn 4, the drivers then go through a snaking in-field section with some challenging camber changes, before slinging back up the hill and through the banked final turn. A carnival atmosphere really does dominate in Brazil, and watching Formula 1 cars alongside the locals is something every F1 fan should experience. True, it doesn’t look like there’ll be a local driver to cheer on any time soon, but that won’t stop the party at Interlagos. Because of the bowl-like nature of the track, a place in Grandstand A on the banked entry to the start-finish straight will give you a double whammy of views, allowing you to see the cars winding through the infield section and then passing underneath you. On the other end of the straight, Grandstand M will put you on top of the first corner and the Senna S, the best spot to watch overtakes on the track. © 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited each person hooked to an array of machines tracking their vitals with a cacophony of beeps and alarms.The two nurses developed the method about a month ago as the current brutal surge in COVID-19 was gaining speed Brazil is now leading the world in daily average COVID-19 deaths and is second only to the United States in total death toll.Warming patients hands has several benefits beyond the emotional support it can provide including increased blood flow.Cold hands can result in incorrect readings of patients' blood oxygen levels falsely showing that oxygen levels are low The gloves ensure that doesn't happen.Hospitals around the city are now using the technique with staff praising the "hands of love" for delivering immediate results."It's unbelievable that you can see how fast the change in the patient is it's magnificent," Cunha said.Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto; Writing by Jake Spring; Editing by Andrea Ricci Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Consumption of medical drugs such as painkillers antidepressants and antivirals is rising at breakneck speed Sales of such drugs are set to reach USD 1.8 trillion worldwide by 2026 The trend reflects the aging of the global population and more frequent outbreaks of epidemic diseases because these drugs are often prescribed in standardized dosages regardless of the patient’s metabolism clinical conditions and nutritional health and scientists and physicians are increasingly turning to personalized prescriptions.  researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo’s São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) and São Carlos Institute of Chemistry (IQSC-USP) in Brazil have developed a simple cheap and flexible sensor that rapidly analyzes saliva to detect paracetamol and monitors its action in real time to permit dosage correction An article reporting the research is published in the journal Small: nano micro and featured on the frontispiece of the March 22 issue After administration of a single dose in an oral pill electrodes on the surface of the device can detect the drug quickly and non-invasively in a small sample of human saliva thanks to oxidation of the active ingredient by the sensors to produce an electric current.  “The protocol is promising for observation and correction of fluctuations in absorption of paracetamol and response to the drug,” said Paulo Augusto Raymundo Pereira, last author of the article and a researcher at IFSC-USP “An imprecise dosage can have harmful effects not only on the treatment but also on the patient’s organism.” Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) is the main non-opioid analgesic recommended for mild pain by the World Health Organization (WHO) but its excessive consumption is associated with liver and kidney problems caused by the accumulation of toxic metabolites as well as gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia According to the American Liver Foundation (ALF) paracetamol is the leading cause of liver failure in the United States Overdoses of the drug cause 458 deaths per year in the United States according to studies of archives and databases; 100 are unintentional The real number of health problems and hospitalizations is likely to be far higher Specialists warn that a physician should always be consulted before taking any over-the-counter drug above all if the patient has a history of liver or kidney disease and the recommended dosage should always be followed “In addition, our methodology would also help reduce water contamination. Pills are often quite wrongly thrown away in the garbage, and some of the paracetamol ingested is not metabolized but excreted in urine. Wastewater treatment plants aren’t 100% efficient in removing pharmaceuticals,” said Nathalia Oezau Gomes a chemist and co-author of the article.  The research was supported by FAPESP (projects 16/01919-6 and 20/09587-8) The device was fabricated with a similar methodology to the silkscreen technique used to print T-shirts A portion of conductive carbon paste was placed on a screen with the sensor diagram under which lay a sheet of store-bought clear polyester transparency film The paste was then dispersed with a squeegee The device is portable and uses low-cost sensors each priced at less than USD 0.02 (two cents) far cheaper than comparable instruments used for this type of analysis which are often bulky and require trained operators The choice of saliva for detection purposes also has advantages such as ease of collection and the fact that saliva secretion reflects the level of free analytes (or sample components) saliva is increasingly used in therapeutic drug monitoring thanks to the relatively low cost of collection shipping and processing in a central laboratory “The results of our study demonstrate the significant potential of a simple strategy,” Pereira said “Low-cost electrochemical devices are increasingly seen as an attractive alternative for therapeutic drug monitoring thanks to their analytical characteristics and the possibility of in situ real-time analysis.”  and is ready for technology transfer to a future partner company interested in mass-producing and marketing the device Next steps will include trials involving a larger number of volunteers and comparison of the data obtained with a gold-standard technique About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) 10.1002/smll.202206753 On-Site Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Paracetamol Analgesic in Non-Invasively Collected Saliva for Personalized Medicine are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) The University of Bath is proud to announce a new collaboration with the UFSCar in Brazil to enable joint research on solar energy and green chemistry Led by Professor Frank Marken a professor in the Department of Chemistry the collaboration between both universities will facilitate access to new CAPES/PrInt funding from the Brazilian Ministry of Education and support the exchange of researchers between both institutions CAPES/PrInt is a a program encouraging student exchanges with international research institutions between São Carlos and other research organisations in Brazil and fosters the internationalisation of academic programs The exchange of researchers and the joint publications generated under this agreement will enhance Bath's visibility in the region and enable long-term links and funding opportunities between Bath and São Carlos but also between Bath and other research organisations in Brazil This new agreement follows the recent MoU renewal with the University of São Paulo one of Bath's longstanding Brazilian partners Professor Marken commented the new partnership: The exchange of researchers will contribute to international visibility and have a long-term impact on linking UK and Brazil scientists The project will help educate students and explore new ways to use solar energy replacing fossil fuels The University of Bath is proud to formalise a collaboration with the Federal University of São Carlos and looks forward to seeing the successes of this partnership “Our main goal is to improve the results from Sochi in terms of performance and number of athletes.” As part of Brazil’s Para Nordic skiing development programme a Para roller-ski competition was held in the city of Sao Carlos on 15 October with six Brazilian male skiers taking part in the sitting and standing categories Fernando Aranha (11:53.3) was the fastest in the men’s sitting Everaldo Arando (18:13.8) and Altair Marangne (23:53.3) Thomaz De Moraes clocked 11:51.60 and Gustavo Silva 13:23.10 located in the ‘Parque Eco-Esportivo Damha’ we have been trying to recruit more athletes to the sport and have been developing a programme to prepare young athletes with potential for the future," said Leandro Ribela who coordinates the Olympic and Paralympic cross-country skiing programmes in Brazil "We want to train more coaches to work with Paralympic winter sports in Brazil We have very good coaches for the summer sports so I believe we can use their expertise to train Para Nordic skiing coaches.” Brazil made their first appearance at the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi through snowboarder Andre Cintra and Nordic skier Aranha we seek to have three athletes qualified for PyeongChang 2018 our main goal is to improve the results from Sochi in terms of performance and number of athletes,” added Ribela “But our main goals are for Beijing 2022 and the 2026 Games where we aim to have an athlete amongst the top 10 in one of the events and We have some good young athletes with potential for the future Lisbon has always had a rich and vibrant cultural offer and every week there are many concerts and plays in these theaters that enliven the capital Some of these concert halls in Lisbon are spaces of enormous beauty with auditoriums to amphitheatres that are incredible and full of curiosities Here are the venues we’ve chosen as the most charismatic in our city was inaugurated in 1793 and is the only national theater “dedicated to the production and presentation of opera and choral and symphonic music” and is probably the finest example of the neoclassical style the Coliseu dos Recreios presented an architectural innovation: the iron dome It has always been the most popular concert hall and still retains this use today it hosted opera sessions in collaboration with the São Carlos Address: Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 96 (Rossio) With a capacity for more than 1,200 people the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s Grand Auditorium hosted its inaugural concert on October 3 with the Gulbenkian Chamber Orchestra and Gulbenkian Choir The glass at the back of the hall offers a wide view of the Gulbenkian gardens It is one of the most beautiful venues in Lisbon and hosts events ranging from theater to dance de Berna 45 A (Praça de Espanha/Avenidas Novas) Amélia and later Teatro República; since 1918 it has been Teatro São Luiz it was modeled on the European theaters of the last century and for a long time functioned as a cinema In May 1971 it was acquired by the Lisbon City Council and since then it has established itself as one of the best theaters in Lisbon to see a good play Address: Rua António Maria Cardoso 38 (Chiado) the curtains are velvet and the walls are made of wood; all of which makes this one of the most charismatic and seductive venues in the city The back of the stage holds a well-hidden secret: behind the curtain a huge window that communicates with the outside of the building Address: Rua Arco do Cego 77 (Campo Pequeno) Inside it may not be the most interesting space but outside it is imposing and possesses a simple the theater was officially inaugurated on July 10 it was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1983 but in 2016 it was rehabilitated and once again became an active concert hall with a vibrant artistic and cultural program Address: Parque Mayer (Avenida da Liberdade) the Aula Magna of the Rectory of the University of Lisbon is a unique hall in Portugal and was also dubbed the “largest hall in the country” was designed by Daciano da Costa – architect designer and leading figure in Portuguese design Address: Alameda da Universidade (Cidade Universitária) the Luís de Camões Theatre was intended as the opera house of King João V the venue underwent refurbishment works promoted by the Lisbon City Council and it reopened as a municipal theater dedicated to the youngest and the artistic program is dedicated exclusively to children and young people Campo Pequeno is considered Portugal’s main bullfighting arena and is also considered a cultural and historical heritage site and Famous for its unique Muslim-style architecture where neo-Moorish and neo-Gothic features stand out Campo Pequeno has a capacity for 8,000 people and is often used as a venue for shows in our opinion one of the best in the city This is undoubtedly one of the venues in Lisbon that has had more names: it was the Utopia Pavilion during Expo 98 then the Atlantic Pavilion when the world expo ended then it took on the name of a telecommunications brand which more recently also changed its name to Altice Arena … and then back to Meo Arena or an upside-down caravel by others (when seen from the inside) the Meo Arena is the largest concert venue in the city Honorable Mention in the Valmor Prize in 2001 this piece of architecture designed by the Portuguese architect Regino Cruz is the stage for the biggest performances in the capital such as the hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 Address: Rossio dos Olivais (Parque das Nações) In addition to Lisbon’s iconic concert halls, iconic places in the capital such as the Altis Grand Hotel Santa Catarina Church and the Royal Treasure Museum combine timeless beauty with the light of Candlelight concerts For those looking for an unforgettable evening immersed in Lisbon’s history and culture candlelight concerts are undoubtedly an unmissable choice images by favaro junior LLP house is positioned on an elevated site that offers both privacy and views. when developing the design, lb+mr‘s main goal was to integrate the building into the natural surroundings and create a refuge from daily urban life the team shaped the residence with a ‘beachside house’ in mind; they incorporated large openings formed outdoor living spaces and used regional materials such as stone residents enter the house from the street elevation via a set of stairs from the underground level this smaller underground floor contains a garage the rest of the program is housed on the first floor where a large living room serves as the heart of the home this central point connects to an indoor-outdoor ‘gourmet area’ by glass and wooden doors that can be retracted behind slatted panels made from freijó wood a traditional element found in brazilian architecture that generates a warm the indoor-outdoor gourmet area contains a second kitchen dining and living space that extends outside to a swimming pool the pool is curved to create a satisfying contrast with the rest of the straight-edged architecture the swimming pool sinks into the landscaping like a natural lake there’s also a sauna/spa that connects to the master bedroom suite and the pool through a submerged passage residents can find plenty of relaxation both inside and outside architect: lb+mr | @lucianabernasconi_milaricetti design team: luciana bernasconi (creative director) structural engineer: faustino sanches junior photography: favaro junior | @favarojrfotografia talks about her academic career and her work advocating science and education Léo Ramos Chaves / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP At a three-hour event held in an auditorium at the São Carlos Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo (IFSC-USP) and staff took turns at the lectern to highlight the scientific importance and contributions of physicist Yvonne Primerano Mascarenhas The ceremony was originally set to take place in 2021 as a celebration of her 90th birthday but it was postponed due to the pandemic and was finally held on the afternoon of September 16 One thing all the testimonies had in common was their emphasis on the role the researcher has played in the life and career of her colleagues and students in establishing the field of crystallography in Brazil she was the institute’s first director after it split from the former São Carlos Physics and Chemistry Institute at USP where she had been working since the mid-1950s She talked about her career in an interview with Pesquisa FAPESP One of the points repeatedly highlighted in the tribute you received was your role in establishing USP’s scientific and academic structure in São Carlos I started working at the Crystallography Laboratory in the USA It was an extraordinary opportunity to be part of a group using computers to carry out the long calculations needed to determine the molecular and crystal structure of substances based on the intensities of diffracted beams The University of Pittsburgh had an IBM 650 computer which had been launched by IBM a year earlier try to get in touch with other research groups because they need to know about the molecular structures of the materials they study This will give you a chance to spread the idea of using crystallography by X-ray diffraction shut away in your lab.” So that’s what I did After giving a seminar at USP’s Institute of Chemistry I established the first structures in collaboration with Otto Gotlieb [1920–2011] and Ernesto Giesbrecht [1921–1996] The only existing computer at USP—an IBM 1620—was at the Polytechnic School So I began traveling to São Paulo on a regular basis to use it for about two hours at a time I strongly insisted that some of the funding received by our Physics Department at the São Carlos School of Engineering [EESC] be dedicated to buying a computer and in the end we got one thanks to funding from the IDB [Inter-American Development Bank] The first computer was shared by various departments and helped boost computer research for many groups at USP in São Carlos The first computer at USP’s São Carlos campus was an IBM 1130—the successor to the IBM 1620 The Data Processing Center (CPD) was opened which modernized the teaching and research of all departments at the EESC which at the time was the only school on the campus the school’s faculty grew more skilled at using computers professor Odelar Leite Linhares [1924–2004] made a great contribution when he began teaching computational methods The area developed quickly and impressively at the EESC’s former Department of Mathematics leading to the creation of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (ICMC) And how was computerization important to the development of crystallography I learned about the computerization of a collection of X-ray diffraction measurements during a brief visit to Pittsburgh There was a massive difference between this new methodology and the old methods which used photographic techniques to record diffraction data I submitted a research proposal to FAPESP a few years later—it was approved and our laboratory got its first diffractometer for X-ray diffraction in 1975 One important detail is that this diffractometer was automated by a 1620 digital computer which also allowed calculations to be performed This feature was soon utilized by other members of our department Since the 1970s I have been determined to spread the importance of modern theoretical methods for identifying structures especially among the Latin American community In 1976 we organized a beautiful Latin American course on direct methods for structure determination and Chile started working with us and using the automatic diffractometer after that You mentioned working with researchers in Latin America Some ended up actually moving to São Carlos such as Aldo Craievich and Eduardo Castellano How did you go about attracting scientists from abroad and what role did they play In December 1971 I was invited to participate in a meeting of the Ibero-American crystallography group including Eduardo Ernesto Castellano and Aldo Craievich but in a different subfield known as small-angle X-ray scattering I thought it would be wonderful if he could come to Brazil Castellano only came after we did the Latin American course on direct methods in 1976—he was interested in the automatic diffractometer Aldo agreed to come and spend some time here in São Carlos with a grant from the CNPq [Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development] and was later hired as a professor at the IFSC Castellano came with some others from Argentina and was so happy to get the chance to use the diffractometer He had a CNPq grant too and a year later he joined as a professor but he maintained ties with his home institution One of the reasons to participate in international scientific meetings is to meet new people and establish collaborations it yielded excellent results with the arrival of high-level scientists for both short and long periods Students who enjoyed the project will hold onto that magazine and it will be a positive memory in their school life you were the first director of the Institute of Physics after it separated from the Institute of Chemistry I applied for the position after being encouraged to do so by some other professors It wasn’t difficult being the director One advantage of the institute is that we have great staff key employees for different disciplines are retained When the Institute of Physics and Chemistry was formed [in 1971] a culture was established that teaching and research were more important than the institution’s administration which should always be managed consensually So we initially had consecutive directors who were professors from the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at USP How was this culture of prioritizing teaching and research created The institute is composed of several extremely active research groups many with an interest in education and scientific communication My participation in this area is modest compared to what Professor Vanderlei Bagnato does through the Optics Group And Professor Dietrich Schiel [1940–2012] created the CDCC [Center for Scientific and Cultural Dissemination at USP] an important communications center in São Carlos that is really well located and used it has always been essential to attract good teachers as well as obtaining funding for high-quality projects from funding agencies as evidenced by our graduate programs being classified as level 7 leaving me with no more administrative or teaching commitments I decided to continue in the line of scientific communication I received funding from FAPESP and the CNPq for various projects I always thought I could offer personal help and looked for schools with teachers interested in receiving this kind of support I was happy working directly with students and teachers in the school system There are three schools still running the projects the way we envisioned I thought I could provide a kind of supplementary education for high school students One of the projects funded by FAPESP was really successful through which we provided almost full-time education to students from the Professor Sebastião de Oliveira Rocha State School [EESOR] chosen with input from Regional Director of Education Débora Blanco The students had lunch at USP’s university restaurant and returned in the afternoon to take extra classes The project was initially carried out with students in their first year of high school These students then went on to the second year and then they took the university entrance exam Then I decided to change the focus a little bit and I introduced a project methodology that used information and communication technologies (ICT) with students aged 11 to 14 This methodology worked better for middle school classes than with high school students High school students are very focused on the university entrance exam so adherence to multidisciplinary projects which are long—one project lasts a whole semester—is lower schools already had access to computers and the students were able to use them for research They had to read up on the subject in question and then work together to produce a paper with teachers from various disciplines involved The reading and writing part was led by the Portuguese teacher and the physics and mathematics aspects aided by a physics or chemistry teacher The project resulted in the production of a magazine describing everything the students had done a teacher talked about students who went to an Olympiad in Europe That was related to our first high-school project The students participated in a national and international competition called the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) We formed a team of high-school students from EESOR who won the national round and later participated in the Brazilian team that took first place in the international competition in Prague These students all achieved fantastic results in their university entrance exams so it is more difficult to follow what the children involved go on to do The teachers tell us that these students are more likely to get involved in other initiatives and take part in decision-making processes—they become more mature It is really positive to work on projects like this At the end we have a get-together to celebrate Everyone takes their own copy of the magazine home but those who enjoyed the project will hold onto that magazine and it will be a positive memory in their school life We still educate girls as if they are destined only to be mothers and caregivers You helped strengthen the São Carlos unit of the USP Institute for Advanced Studies my late ex-husband Sérgio Mascarenhas had gone to spend a year at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton And USP already had its Institute of Advanced Studies [IEA] he was really keen to create an IEA branch in São Carlos They asked me to take part and I told them that one of our fundamental problems was education at all levels so I wanted to participate in a group dedicated to basic education The group was formed in early 2001 and we carried out a range of activities When Professor Paulo Saldiva was director of the IEA he contacted me and said he was going to create several research groups He asked me if it would be okay if this group was not based in São Carlos when Saldiva reached the end of his term he asked Fundação Itaú to fund the group led by former dean of the Federal University of Southern Bahia There are so many ideas in this field—I don’t know whether it is possible to implement all of them especially if they are not too conservative What are your thoughts on female participation in your area of research The number of women in the field is reasonable at the national and international level and even includes some Nobel Prize laureates I drew up an academic timeline of crystallography in Brazil on which I only included crystallographers who have supervised at least one doctorate Most women enter careers like pedagogy or teaching These were pejoratively described as “waiting for a husband” courses high schools were either traditional or scientific Traditional schools were for people who preferred communication I chose traditional because I loved to read We had a really good chemistry teacher called Albert Ebert who showed us how science worked I ended up studying chemistry and a friend of the same age did physics and she is now professor emeritus at the Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF) which gives me hope that we will continue to make progress and that gender equality will be achieved in the not-too-distant future you took action in São Carlos when there was a parliamentary inquiry into universities by the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo which was critical of the autonomy of state universities I got in touch with Professor Azuaite Martins who is a politician from São Carlos with a very good record in the area of education and I suggested: “Why doesn’t the City Council oppose this inquiry?” And he agreed immediately Of course I was very grateful because he did what he had to do and persuaded the City Council to speak out unanimously against the inquiry the IFSC director said that he has plans for you to serve as a kind of ambassador for the institute I still supervise master’s and doctoral students and I still carry out research I have close ties with a group here at the institute that is working on conductive polymers I am always ready to defend science and education I supported a candidate for federal deputy and a candidate for state deputy who both back science you have an obligation to think and you can and should influence people who are open to your arguments © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved BV-FAPESP: research projects supported in this Center  CIBFar in the Media: news about the Center The ultimate goal is the development of new chemical entities (NCEs) with the raised potential of innovation for clinical development. Therefore, the CIBFar is not only based on the abilities and solid scientific knowledge in all the interest areas, but also in an organized structure for the integration of modern approaches in biodiversity and drugs discovery. CIBfar main characteristic is the well-established infrastructure in terms of skills for technical, financial, technological education, and executive management. Maximum integration with the productive sector will be held to identify opportunities and the definition of goals. In the educational aspect, the Center counts on the significant experience acquired throughout one decade in education and dissemination of the knowledge carried through in the CEPID-FAPESP. Physicist honored at the World Chemistry Congress began to study molecular structures using X-ray diffraction in the 1960s Léo Ramos Chaves Physicist from the city of São Carlos identified the structures of the hormone oxytocin and of plant extracts with therapeutic potentialLéo Ramos Chaves Now at 86, with four children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, Mascarenhas continues to publish scientific articles. One of her recent studies considers a substance extracted from the leaves of the jaborandi plant (Pilocarpus pennatifolius). This substance acts against the worm that causes schistosomiasis. Another study characterizes a protein isolated from the bacterium Bacillus thurigiensis that could be used as an insecticide. In July, Mascarenhas was one of twelve scientists to receive the award offered by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to women with achievements in chemistry or chemical engineering research. She hosted Pesquisa FAPESP in her laboratory at USP São Carlos a few days before traveling to the city of São Paulo to receive the award at the opening of the 46th IUPAC World Chemistry Congress. What about chemistry interested you? It was the possibility of studying the compounds that make up all substances, including living beings, and the very logical way Professor Ebert presented it all. He helped me see a universe of applications, that it was an extremely important science. As soon as I graduated, Professor Ebert helped me to get a job at the Franco-Brazilian Secondary School in Rio. Years later, he became dean of the School of Education of UFRJ. Why are single crystals important? To understand the structure of a molecule, we must obtain a single crystal from a solution. A good single crystal has a certain geometric shape according to its symmetry and is transparent, but it must be small. Smaller crystals, up to a hundredth of a millimeter, are becoming more and more viable as X-ray detectors and sources continue to improve. personal archive Mascarenhas (right) with physicist Herbert Hauptman and his wife on a visit to a farm in the city of Descalvado after a course in São Carlos in 1976personal archive The structures I studied were important to the chemists or physicists with whom I have always collaborated I remember a collaboration with Otto Gottlieb [a Czech-Brazilian chemist who worked with compounds obtained from plants at the USP Institute of Chemistry and at UFRJ [see Pesquisa FAPESP He studied substances from the plant Aniba gardineri and could not determine the mechanism of dimerization [the formation of a double structure through the union of two similar units] of one of its molecules I really enjoyed that work because Otto was happy when he saw the result He was very interested in the plants of the family Lauraceae which offer a wide variety of medicinal and industrial uses The first study I did in the United States was to determine the molecular structure of a barbiturate: violuric acid The results of its structure were unprecedented in the field of ​​hydrogen bonds because a molecule from water of crystallization was found to have a bifurcated bond—that is one of its hydrogen atoms bonds to two different atoms of the violuric acid molecule That’s why the published article was cited with certain frequency it’s just another example of a scientific finding resulting from good luck Another study that I consider important was when I determined the structure of oxytocin a hormone of substantial biological importance during a stay at the Crystallography Department of Birbeck College in London in collaboration with Sir Tom Blundell I became interested in the characterization of semicrystalline materials after getting involved with the INCT [the Brazilian National Institute for Bio-Ethanol Science and Technology] in the study of conductive polymers As part of my student Edgar Sanches’s doctoral program we were able to clarify several details about polyaniline both in its conductive form and its insulating form My interest in natural products resurfaced when I coordinated the Advances Benefits and Risks of Nanotechnology Applied to Health project within the scope of the NanoBiotec network for CAPES [Brazilian Commission for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel] which partly addressed substances of natural origin with pharmacological properties One of the plants studied was the jaborandi One of the components extracted from its leaves is already used for medicinal purposes—to treat ophthalmological problems which contains other plant components diluted in organic solvents should not simply be thrown into the environment This led to the idea of ​​analyzing all of the compounds in the extract in search of other substances with properties of interest This was the topic of study of a research group from the Delta do Parnaíba campus of the Federal University of Piauí I noticed that the researchers in this group were giving samples of one of these components of the residue to Ana Maria da Costa Ferreira a professor at the USP Institute of Chemistry “Do you know about the structure of this molecule?” They said but we do not have one of the single crystals in there.” Looking at the powder inside the glass They allowed me to take a sample of the substance to São Carlos Because it is not ideal for administration as a drug in its natural form Ana Maria synthesized several derivatives of this substance The molecular structures of these complexes were also determined in our group Many students obtained their master’s and PhDs in the crystallography research group in our department There are now about one hundred researchers with a solid background in structural crystallography at various universities and research centers in Brazil Your prize at the IUPAC congress was centered around female scientists How do you see the difficulties faced by women in research The most traditional universities in the world barred women from enrolling until the mid-twentieth century In the National School of Philosophy at the former University of Brazil though there were few women in physical science programs and there were more in the chemistry program than in the physics program for what I consider historical and cultural reasons men hold positions of leadership and decision making and society is formed in such a way as to keep power in the hands of the dominant groups A friend of mine was very upset when the members of a hiring committee asked her how she would handle the fact that her husband was already a professor in São Carlos It’s the kind of thing no one would ask a male candidate I always say that the struggle for women’s rights The issue is learning how to exercise those rights © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved. Léo Ramos Chaves Bagnato has published 700 articles on basic physics and applications in healthLéo Ramos Chaves from the São Carlos Physics Institute (IFSC) at the University of São Paulo is the 2019 winner of the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Award which is the highest science and technology honor in Brazil is awarded by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) in partnership with the Ministry of Science has a degree in physics from IFSC and another in materials engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos He completed his master’s degree at IFSC in 1982 during which he studied the optical properties of inorganic crystals and he then studied atom cooling and trapping during his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA (completed in 1987) he continued his work with cold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensate He later began researching the use of lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to aid diagnosis and treatment in dentistry and medicine Bagnato has published approximately 700 scientific articles and now manages the Optics and Photonics Research Center (CEPOF) A TAM Airbus A330 and A320 get worked on at the MRO The location of TAM Airlines’ Maintenance Operation Center (called “MRO” for Maintenance It is not found at a major airport or even within a large city It is located about three hours (by car) northwest of Sao Paulo (GRU) in the middle of farm land with a runway built next to it to fly in the company’s parts Turns out building your own airport and flying in parts was not the best business decision and the tractor company went out of business TAM’s maintenance facility is located about 15 miles from Sao Carlos TAM saw this as a great opportunity to purchase the land and open their MRO TAM opened up their MRO about 15 minutes north of Sao Carlos I was recently invited to check out the facility and it was a semi-adventure just getting there TAM’s MRO is located out in the middle of farm fields – Photo: Google Maps We flew from Congonhas-São Paulo Airport (CGH) to Leite Lopes Airport (RAO) Then from RAO it was about an hour’s drive to get to the MRO facility There is a variety of work done at the MRO what they do not work on are the engines – those are sublet out This is the shop where composites are worked on All the work on the Boeing 777s are done in Singapore by Singapore Airlines When the Airbus A350 is added to TAM’s fleet it also will be worked on at the Sao Carlos’ facility An engine says “hell0” from a long hallway TAM is not the only company that makes use of their many MRO services and even a few of TAM’s competitors: Azul It is hard to believe that this complicated facility is located in the middle of farm land There are about 1,400 employees that work 24 hours per day in three shifts at the TAM MRO. The facility completes about 160 checks on aircraft per year. The airline also completes about 65 of their checks at LAN’s MRO in Santiago and about 100 are sublet out each year The MRO was hopping with lots of different aircraft (all Airbus) at different stages of being worked on The location has 11 slots for planes to be worked on and 22 different shops spread throughout the complex An Airbus A330 is lifted to have work done on it Many aircraft in TAM’s fleet are leased the airline needs to prepare the aircraft for return Sometimes that means putting in a new interior for the next airline or even painting it in the new livery Other planes just need to be returned to the lessor cleaned up and in perfect working order there was an Airbus A330 and a  A320 being prepared to be returned to the leasing company This Airbus A330 is being prepped for a new home I was impressed with how clean and organized the whole facility was I could see it being a bit confusing remembering where everything is when first starting but I am sure people are able to learn quickly Although the MRO is not open to the public which does offer some views of aircraft being worked on You can see even more TAM MRO photos on our Flickr account Disclaimer: TAM paid for my flights to/from Seattle and my accommodations to do this story EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & FOUNDER - SEATTLE, WA. David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has been quoted and written for a number of news organizations, including BBC, CNN, NBC News, Bloomberg, and others. He is passionate about sharing the complexities, the benefits, and the fun stuff of the airline business. Email me: david@airlinereporter.com From some of the photos of aircraft covered in black plastic it appears that TAM MRO does some of their aircraft painting outdoors I am not sure why the ones outside are covered in plastic. Looks like maybe to protect it from the elements while it is being worked on? https://www.flickr.com/photos/airlinereporter/15022409221/in/set-72157646809048191 They do have a paint hangar, which is this one here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/airlinereporter/15025471345/in/set-72157646809048191 Tam’s 777 maintenance is in Singapore I am sure they have people working the numbers and realizing that is the most cost effective way for the airline to do it When asked they said that they had no plans to do 777 maintenance in-house Sure they will be getting the plane soon enough but it will be quite some time still until the A350 needs any heavy maintenance TAM has chosen the A350 as its growth platform over the 777 is not fully known by anyone other than the top executives TAM will then likely add the A350 MRO capability to its product mix But they also said that they have plenty of time to prepare for the A350 since it will be awhile before heavier maintenance will be done on the aircraft (at least we hope) because they are so new Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" [Trackback] [...] Read More on that Topic: airlinereporter.com/2010/01/listen-to-the-first-episode-of-jetpardy/ [...] [Trackback] [...] Information on that Topic: airlinereporter.com/2009/11/dfg/ [...] [Trackback] [...] Read More to that Topic: airlinereporter.com/2011/09/what-you-need-to-know-boeing-is-delivering-their-first-787-dreamliner-to-ana-this-monday/ [...] [Trackback] [...] Information to that Topic: airlinereporter.com/2008/07/atlanta-airport-the-busiest-in-the-world/ [...] TU Delft's latest news Yara Galvão Gobato at the Federal University of São Carlos  (UFSCAR) have teamed up to explore Van der Waals Heterostructures for Spintronics via a recent SPRINT grant The goal of the collaboration has been to combine the expertise of two labs: Van der Zant group’s on fabricating heterostructures involving two-dimensional magnetic materials and Galvão Gobato group’s on optical measurements on semiconductors Two-dimensional materials form an interesting class of new materials as they can be cleaved to form very thin layers The properties of such thin layers can be dramatically different from their bulk counter parts different materials can be stacked on top of each other to form heterostructures with completely new properties Magnetic systems are of special attention as they can be used in applications such as memories or in which the magnetic spin is used as information carrier This application field is typically denoted with the term “Spintronics” The UFSCAR team visited TU Delft twice over the course of the grant and the TU Delft team visited Brazil twice as well Yara Galvão Gobato’s visits to the TU Delft in October 2022 and April 2023 she was actively involved in the laboratory works in the Delft group Herre van der Zant visited Brazil in September 2022 and May 2023 he participated in the Brazilian Workshop on Semiconductor Physics (São José dos Campos-SP) as an invited speaker and visited the laboratories at UFSCAR Prof Herre van der Zant participated in the Autumn Meeting of Brazilian Physical Society (Ouro Preto-MG) as an invited speaker He also visited and presented a seminar at the Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron-Campinas and visited the laboratory of Prof Prof The main objectives of these visits in Brazil and the Netherlands were to see the research facilities meet researchers and discuss opportunities of complementary studies on the physical properties of 2D heterostructures We have also established the design of samples which were prepared in the Netherlands and Brazil planned several optical experiments in Brazil presented seminaries for researchers and students from Brazil and the Netherlands discussed the preliminarily results and draft publications We also discussed a possible long-term joint research project in van der Waals heterostructures based on 2D magnetic materials Various experiments were undertaken in Brazil and the Netherlands the researchers measured the linearly and circularly polarized photoluminescence under magnetic fields up to 9 T oriented along the different crystallographic axis of CrSBr The experimental results show that the valley and excitonic properties (intensity and g-factors) of monolayer MoSe2 are strongly influenced by the magnetic order of the CrSBr substrate Postbus 5 2600 AA Delft The Netherlands Contact and accessibility Vacancies Reading assistant BrowseAloud Intranet Student portal Donate Disclaimer Privacy & Security CARINA was the first autonomous car in Latin America to be tested on real city streets (photo: release) Driverless vehicle can be called using smartphone app which allows user to use voice commands to say where to go Agência FAPESP – Anyone who happens to be on the São Carlos campus of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil who sees a taxi moving along the road with no driver can rest assured that it is not a runaway vehicle A taxi service using an autonomous vehicle is being tested by researchers at USP’s Mathematics & Computer Science Institute (ICMC) and the same university’s São Carlos School of Engineering The researchers are completing the final tests and adjusting a few details of the vehicle in preparation for a public demonstration of the autonomous taxi service “The idea is for a driverless taxi to be called using a smartphone app we’re also developing,” said Denis Wolf a professor at ICMC-USP and coordinator of the project Customers will input the destination by voice command or using a touch screen inside the car The taxi will then return to its parking spot to await the next call,” Wolf told Agência FAPESP The autonomous taxi service is one of the possible applications imagined by the researchers for CARINA, the Intelligent Robotic Car for Autonomous Navigation (Carro Robótico Inteligente para Navegação Autônoma in Portuguese) that they have developed over the past few years with support from FAPESP and the National Scientific & Technological Development Council (CNPq) under the aegis of the National Science & Technology Institute for Critical Embedded Systems (INCT-SEC) a Fiat Palio Weekend Adventure purchased from a dealership and adapted by the researchers with special equipment One of these was the installation of a continuous mapping system that improves vehicle control and localization as well as route planning “Route planning for CARINA’s first test run in October 2013 was very simple based on a GPS system equivalent to sat-nav The continuous mapping to be used in the next test will enable real-time planning of the car’s route to the destination input by the passenger,” he said self-driving vehicles localize themselves using a combination of information from GPS sensors and metric maps of the areas in which they are designed to circulate These maps are specially constructed to pinpoint the vehicles’ street location even the most sophisticated GPS sensors are subject to failure and are relatively imprecise owing to the presence of tall buildings and trees Localization errors are often significant as a result and loss of the GPS signal for even a few seconds prevents route correction The metric maps used today are grid based and vulnerable to service interruptions As part of an ongoing project funded by FAPESP the researchers plan to replace metric maps with continuous maps developed at the University of Sydney in Australia duly adapted to enable CARINA to self-localize in São Carlos Continuous maps use different kinds of additional information on the environment to aid vehicle localization in vertical and horizontal space They plot continuous functions between topological spaces and are far less sensitive to signal interruptions “Continuous maps permit autonomous vehicle localization based on information like curb height and position so you don’t depend on GPS sensors,” he said CARINA maps the area in which it travels by means of two laser sensors placed at the front and on the roof of the vehicle as well as 360-degree cameras similar to those used by Google Street View The vehicle self-localizes based on previously filmed locations featuring details of the surrounding terrain Two laser sensors also scan 360 degrees and collect 700,000 data points per second mapping everything around the car in a radius of 50 m and measuring the distance to other cars as well as their angle and height relative to the vehicle A twin-lens stereo vision system operates in tandem with the laser sensor installed on the front of the car gauging the depth of objects around the vehicle and interpreting the position of traffic lanes “This set of sensors enables the autonomous vehicle to ‘see’ nearby vehicles measuring their speed and direction so as to avoid the risk of collision,” Wolf said The researchers have also developed a speed and steering control system based on command software The car’s maximum speed is currently 60 kph “The maximum permissible steering control error for an autonomous vehicle is 40 cm More than that risks putting it on the wrong side of the road and causing a collision with oncoming traffic,” Wolf said the São Carlos group of researchers was asked by Scania AB to develop an autonomous truck The Swedish truck and bus maker provided two trucks for the project in which it invested R$1.2 million (now about US$344,000) Various devices were fitted to the truck so that the autonomous system can control every movement including small motors to control the steering wheel and brakes Speed is controlled by an electronic circuit attached to the accelerator A computer connected to all systems in the truck is responsible for capturing GPS and other sensor data and selecting the appropriate command for actions such as accelerating “The solutions we used in the autonomous truck differed from those used in CARINA owing to differences between the platforms and budgetary constraints,” Wolf said “We decided to do without the laser sensors used in CARINA for example: they cost up to twice the price of the car we used radar to detect obstacles and a pair of stereo cameras at the front of the truck.” The cameras used by the researchers mimic human vision by capturing two images at a time so that the depth and shape of objects such as traffic lights can be calculated GPS antennas were installed on top of the cab and a sensor detects movements of the steering column one of the features that distinguishes the autonomous truck developed by USP’s São Carlos group from others produced worldwide such as the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck introduced by Daimler is the use of continuous maps like those used in CARINA “Continuous mapping enables the truck we developed to operate on dirt roads or in other situations where there are no lane markings and even in the absence of any traffic signs,” he said our project is better suited to local conditions.” The autonomous truck is a prototype and circulates only in a limited area of the São Carlos campus but the results obtained so far are promising Septins (the fourth component of the cytoskeleton) - How to Assemble a Molecular Jigsaw AbstractSeptins represent a fourth (somewhat neglected) component of the cytoskeleton whose involvement in essential intracellular events involving membrane remodeling and barrier formation has become increasingly apparent over recent years Septins assemble into heteropolimeric filaments based on palindromic oligomers which polymerize end-to-end For over a decade we have been attempting to understand the rules of assembly which guarantee how each individual subunit assumes its rightful position along the filament and how these subsequently unite into higher order structures which associate with membranes By accumulating a large number of crystal and cryo-EM structures several features are beginning to emerge Richard will describe what has been learnt concerning the correct assembly of the inter-subunit interfaces and their unexpected dynamics the metastable properties of the C-terminal coiled coils and the importance of a polybasic region necessary for forming electrostatic interactions with membranes This is providing a more coherent picture of septin function and dysfunction such as occurs in the case of off-target cleavage of septin 2 by the Zika NS2B3 protease SpeakerProf Richard Charles Garratt has been on the academic staff of the São Carlos Institute of Physics at the University of São Paulo since 1992 After completing a PhD in crystallography at the University of London he moved to the University of São Paulo where he was instrumental in establishing the first protein crystallography laboratory in Brazil and possibly Latin America His interests span many aspects of structural biology but principally the use of protein crystallography and homology modeling in the understanding of a wide range of biological phenomena at the molecular level More social media São Carlos research group develops simpler method for producing ultracold molecules maintained at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15o C involves many stages and requires the use of several laser beams as well as equipment that costs millions of dollars and is only available in a few laboratories around the world Luis Marcassa and his research team from the São Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC) at the University of São Paulo (USP) recently developed a simpler way to create ultracold molecules—something physicists are interested in because they can be used to test the fundamental properties of particles Using one laser beam and a set of equipment that cost just US$150,000 the USP group generated rubidium molecules at a temperature of 10 microKelvin (10 millionths of a degree above absolute zero) The innovation is in how the molecules are cooled experiments used a laser beam to slow down the molecules until they were almost at a standstill This makes them lose energy and vibrate less (the less they vibrate but other laser beams and techniques are needed to control molecular rotation Marcassa and his team decided to try cooling them by taking advantage of one of the fundamental properties of all particles: the tendency to always expend the lowest possible amount of energy they used a laser to energize the molecules The molecules then release energy by emitting light sometimes with even less energy than they started with Based on calculations by Olivier Dulieu’s group from the University of Paris-Sud in France the USP team repeated the procedure almost 20 times progressively reducing the energy supplied to the particles until they almost stopped vibrating entirely The strategy successfully lowered the temperature of 74% of the 10,000 rubidium molecules used in the experiment according to an article published in Physical Review Letters in March “The experiment functioned as proof of principle I hope it encourages other groups to try to reproduce the results,” says Marcassa “It is simpler than previous methods and an interesting alternative,” says physicist Marcio Miranda from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) who was involved in producing the first ultracold molecules in the USA in 2008 “Control over molecular rotation still needs to be improved.” Project Manipulation of atomic collisions in optical traps (nº 13/02816-8); Grant Mechanism Thematic Project; Principal Investigator Luis Gustavo Marcassa (IFSC-USP); Investment R$1,487,738.55 Scientific article PASSAGEM, H. F. et al. Continuous loading of ultracold ground-state 85Rb2 molecules in a dipole trap using a single light beam the supercomputer can be used not only by researchers at the center where it is installed but also by other researchers affiliated with other universities and research institutions throughout São Paulo State (photo: CeMEAI) Euler high-performance science data processing system is the fastest-ever computer installed in a university in São Paulo State By Elton Alisson in São Carlos  |  Agência FAPESP – A groundbreaking high-performance science data processing system called Euler was unveiled on July 14 at the São Carlos campus of the University of São Paulo (USP), in the interior of the state. The computer cluster belongs to the Center for Research, Innovation & Diffusion in Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry (CeMEAI) Innovation & Diffusion Centers (RIDCs) supported by FAPESP Acquired at a cost of R$4.5 million (now about US$1.4 million) Euler is the fastest computer system installed in São Paulo State’s universities “The cluster was installed in January and went live in March it’s been used by several researchers for projects that require high-performance computing,” said José Alberto Cuminato a professor at the USP São Carlos Mathematical Sciences & Computing Institute (ICMC) and the director of CeMEAI Named for the Swiss mathematician and physicist Leonhard Paul Euler (1707-83) who contributed to scientific progress in several fields applied mathematical analysis and fluid mechanics the cluster consists of 104 computers linked to each other by a high-speed network Each computer has two processors with 20 cores Whereas an ordinary laptop computer can perform 10 billion basic mathematical operations (such as addition multiplication and division) every second – known as floating-point operations per second or flops – Euler is capable of 47 trillion flops “Euler is suitable for applications that require parallel processing such as simulating flows of oil or other fluids and Big Data processing,” said Fabrício Simeoni de Sousa a professor at ICMC and the staffer responsible for the computer cluster Installed in a hosting room of the Information Technology Center (CETI) on USP’s São Carlos campus Euler is already being used by researchers affiliated with universities and research institutions in São Paulo State A group of researchers at ICMC is using the supercomputer for oil refining and combustion simulations in partnership with Petrobras Another group of researchers affiliated with the Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA) at the Aerospace Technology General Command (CTA) has used Euler for aerodynamics simulations the Brazilian suborbital mission scheduled to launch later this year “An aerodynamics simulation used to take 150 days we can process this kind of operation in 20 days thanks to the supercomputer,” said Carlo Junqueira-Junior Euler is funded by FAPESP’s Multi-User Equipment Program so it can be used not just by researchers at CeMEAI but also by other researchers affiliated with universities and research institutions throughout São Paulo State “FAPESP has funded several computer clusters at universities and research institutions in the state,” said Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz “The challenge for institutions that receive funding to acquire multi-user equipment is facilitating access for all interested researchers affiliated with the state’s universities and research institutions.” CeMEAI’s computer cluster will be upgraded to increase the number of processors The upgrade will make Euler the fastest supercomputer installed in any Brazilian university and possibly one of the top 500 supercomputers in operation worldwide “The fastest computer system installed in a Brazilian university at present is the Rio de Janeiro Federal University’s High-Performance Computer Center [NACAD-UFRJ],” Sousa said will be installed in September at the National Scientific Computing Laboratory (LNCC) which is part of the National High-Performance Processing System (SINAPAD) and will cost R$60 million (about US$18.8 million) For more information about the Euler supercomputer, visit www.cemeai.icmc.usp.br For more information about the Euler supercomputer, visit www.cemeai.icmc.usp.br.