Actions of angiotensin II and dopamine in the medial preoptic area on prolactin secretion

Dopamine (DA) is known as a primary regulator of prolactin secretion (PRL) and angiotensin II (Ang II) has been recognized as one brain inhibitory factor of this secretion. In this work, estrogen-primed or unprimed ovariectornized rats were submitted to the microinjection of saline or Ang II after previous microinjection of saline or of DA antagonist (haloperidol, sulpiride or SCH) both in the medial preoptic area (MPOA). Our study of these interactions has shown that 1) estrogen-induced PRL secretion is mediated by Ang II and DA actions in the MPOA, i.e. very high plasma PRL would be prevented by inhibitory action of Ang II, while very low levels would be prevented in part by stimulatory action of DA through D-2 receptors, 2) the inhibitory action of Ang II depends on estrogen and is mediated in part by inhibitory action of DA through D, receptors and in other part by inhibition of stimulatory action of DA through D2 receptors.

Phototherapy Improves Healing of Chronic Venous Ulcers

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that LED phototherapy with combined 660-nm and 890-nm light will promote healing of venous ulcers that failed to respond to other forms of treatment. Background Data: A variety of dressings, growth factors, and adjunct therapies are used to treat venous ulcers, but none seems to yield satisfactory results. Materials and Methods: We used a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study to compare a total of 20 patients divided with 32 chronic ulcers into three groups. In group 1 the ulcers were cleaned, dressed with 1% silver sulfadiazine (SDZ) cream, and treated with placebo phototherapy (<.03 J/cm(-3)) using a Dynatron Solaris 705 phototherapy research device. In group 2 the ulcers were treated similarly but received real phototherapy (3 J/cm(-2)) instead of placebo. In group 3 (controls), the ulcers were simply cleaned and dressed with SDZ without phototherapy. The ulcers were evaluated with digital photography and computer image analysis over 90 d or until full healing was attained. Results: Ulcers treated with phototherapy healed significantly faster than controls when compared at day 30 (p < 0.01), day 60 (p < 0.05), and day 90 (p < 0.001), and similarly healed faster than the placebo-treated ulcers at days 30 and 90 (p < 0.01), but not at day 60. The beneficial effect of phototherapy was more pronounced when the confounding effect of small-sized ulcers was removed from the analysis. Medium- and large-sized ulcers healed significantly faster with treatment (>= 40% rate of healing per month) than placebo or control ulcers (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Phototherapy promotes healing of chronic venous ulcers, particularly large recalcitrant ulcers that do not respond to conventional treatment.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY IN FEMALES OF AEGLA STRINATII (DECAPODA: ANOMURA: AEGLIDAE)

Females of Aegla strinatii (n = 466) were sampled monthly (September 2003 to September 2005) by means of sieves and traps from Rio das Ostras (24 degrees 38'16.2 '' S; 48 degrees 24'05.2 '' W), at Jacupiranga State Park, South of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The reproductive period was markedly seasonal (from May to September) encompassing the Austral late autumn through late winter. This is in accordance to the pattern of reproductive period variations in relation to the latitudinal climate variability verified in species of Aegla. The proportion of adult females exhibiting the ovigerous condition was higher in young/small specimens as compared to old/large ones, and suggests the occurrence of senescence in the latter group. Average size at the onset of functional maturity in females was estimated as 16.66 mm of carapace length (rostrum excluded). The number of eggs per ovigerous females ranged from 1 to 325. Eggs are slightly elliptical and average size varied according to embryonic stage. Mean (+/- standard deviation) carapace length of juveniles (n = 118) was 1.50 +/- 0.05 mm (range: 1.40-1.65mm).

Artificial Lighting as a Vector Attractant and Cause of Disease Diffusion

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, epidemiologists have considered electrification to be a positive factor. In fact, electrification and plumbing are typical initiatives that represent the integration of an isolated population into modern society, ensuring the control of pathogens and promoting public health. Nonetheless, electrification is always accompanied by night lighting that attracts insect vectors and changes people's behavior. Although this may lead to new modes of infection and increased transmission of insect-borne diseases, epidemiologists rarely consider the role of night lighting in their surveys. OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the epidemiological evidence concerning the role of lighting in the spread of vector-borne diseases to encourage other researchers to consider it in future studies. DISCUSSION: We present three infectious vector-borne diseases-Chagas, leishmaniasis, and malaria-and discuss evidence that suggests that the use of artificial lighting results in behavioral changes among human populations and changes in the prevalence of vector species and in the modes of transmission. CONCLUSION: Despite a surprising lack of studies, existing evidence supports our hypothesis that artificial lighting leads to a higher risk of infection from vector-borne diseases. We believe that this is related not only to the simple attraction of traditional vectors to light sources but also to changes in the behavior of both humans and insects that result in new modes of disease transmission. Considering the ongoing expansion of night lighting in developing countries, additional research on this subject is urgently needed.

Quantum fields with noncommutative target spaces

Quantum field theories (QFT's) on noncommutative spacetimes are currently under intensive study. Usually such theories have world sheet noncommutativity. In the present work, instead, we study QFT's with commutative world sheet and noncommutative target space. Such noncommutativity can be interpreted in terms of twisted statistics and is related to earlier work of Oeckl [R. Oeckl, Commun. Math. Phys. 217, 451 (2001)], and others [A. P. Balachandran, G. Mangano, A. Pinzul, and S. Vaidya, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 21, 3111 (2006); A. P. Balachandran, A. Pinzul, and B. A. Qureshi, Phys. Lett. B 634,434 (2006); A.P. Balachandran, A. Pinzul, B.A. Qureshi, and S. Vaidya, arXiv:hep-th/0608138; A.P. Balachandran, T. R. Govindarajan, G. Mangano, A. Pinzul, B.A. Qureshi, and S. Vaidya, Phys. Rev. D 75, 045009 (2007); A. Pinzul, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 20, 6268 (2005); G. Fiore and J. Wess, Phys. Rev. D 75, 105022 (2007); Y. Sasai and N. Sasakura, Prog. Theor. Phys. 118, 785 (2007)]. The twisted spectra of their free Hamiltonians has been found earlier by Carmona et al. [J. M. Carmona, J. L. Cortes, J. Gamboa, and F. Mendez, Phys. Lett. B 565, 222 (2003); J. M. Carmona, J. L. Cortes, J. Gamboa, and F. Mendez, J. High Energy Phys. 03 (2003) 058]. We review their derivation and then compute the partition function of one such typical theory. It leads to a deformed blackbody spectrum, which is analyzed in detail. The difference between the usual and the deformed blackbody spectrum appears in the region of high frequencies. Therefore we expect that the deformed blackbody radiation may potentially be used to compute a Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff which will depend on the noncommutative parameter theta.

Detection of catechol using mixed Langmuir-Blodgett films of a phospholipid and phthalocyanines as voltammetric sensors

The combination of metallic phthalocyanines (MPcs) and biomolecules has been explored in the literature either as mimetic systems to investigate molecular interactions or as supporting layers to immobilize biomolecules. Here, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films containing the phospholipid dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA) mixed either with iron phthalocyanine (FePc) or with lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc(2)) were applied as ITO modified-electrodes in the detection of catechol using cyclic voltammetry. The mixed Langmuir films of FePc + DMPA and LuPc(2) + DMPA displayed surface-pressure isotherms with no evidence of molecular-level interactions. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra of the multilayer LB films confirmed the lack of interaction between the components. The DMPA and the FePc molecules were found to be oriented perpendicularly to the substrate, while LuPc(2) molecules were randomly organized. The phospholipid matrix induced a remarkable electrocatalytic effect on the phthalocyanines; as a result the mixed LB films deposited on ITO could be used to detect catechol with detection limits of 4.30 x 10(-7) and 3.34 x 10(-7) M for FePc + DMPA and LuPc(2) + DMPA, respectively. Results from kinetics experiments revealed that ion diffusion dominated the response of the modified electrodes. The sensitivity was comparable to that of other non-enzymatic sensors, which is sufficient to detect catechol in the food industry. The higher stability of the electrochemical response of the LB films and the ability to control the molecular architecture are promising for further studies with incorporation of biomolecules.

A Component of the Xanthomonadaceae Type IV Secretion System Combines a VirB7 Motif with a N0 Domain Found in Outer Membrane Transport Proteins

Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) are used by Gram-negative bacteria to translocate protein and DNA substrates across the cell envelope and into target cells. Translocation across the outer membrane is achieved via a ringed tetradecameric outer membrane complex made up of a small VirB7 lipoprotein (normally 30 to 45 residues in the mature form) and the C-terminal domains of the VirB9 and VirB10 subunits. Several species from the genera of Xanthomonas phytopathogens possess an uncharacterized type IV secretion system with some distinguishing features, one of which is an unusually large VirB7 subunit (118 residues in the mature form). Here, we report the NMR and 1.0 angstrom X-ray structures of the VirB7 subunit from Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (VirB7(XAC2622)) and its interaction with VirB9. NMR solution studies show that residues 27-41 of the disordered flexible N-terminal region of VirB7(XAC2622) interact specifically with the VirB9 C-terminal domain, resulting in a significant reduction in the conformational freedom of both regions. VirB7(XAC2622) has a unique C-terminal domain whose topology is strikingly similar to that of N0 domains found in proteins from different systems involved in transport across the bacterial outer membrane. We show that VirB7(XAC2622) oligomerizes through interactions involving conserved residues in the N0 domain and residues 42-49 within the flexible N-terminal region and that these homotropic interactions can persist in the presence of heterotropic interactions with VirB9. Finally, we propose that VirB(7XAC2622) oligomerization is compatible with the core complex structure in a manner such that the N0 domains form an extra layer on the perimeter of the tetradecameric ring.

Professional development and a discussion of the professional preparation provided by information and library science degree programs in public universities in Madrid, 2000-2005

A study was designed to determine how the degree programs in Information and library science available in 2000-2005 at the public universities of Madrid fit the tabour market needs of their students. The methodology used was the development of a questionnaire addressed to graduates. Although the number of surveys completed is not high (118), the authors believe that the results obtained permit a series of conclusions that may be extrapolated to the entire cohort.

Is acute static stretching able to reduce the time to exhaustion at power output corresponding to maximal oxygen uptake?

Samogin Lopes, FA, Menegon, EM, Franchini, E, Tricoli, V, and de M. Bertuzzi, RC. Is acute static stretching able to reduce the time to exhaustion at power output corresponding to maximal oxygen uptake? J Strength Cond Res 24(6): 1650-1656, 2010-This study analyzed the effect of an acute static stretching bout on the time to exhaustion (T(lim)) at power output corresponding to (V) over dotO(2)max. Eleven physically active male subjects (age 22.3 +/- 2.8 years, (V) over dotO(2)max 2.7 +/- 0.5 L . min(-1)) completed an incremental cycle ergometer test, 2 muscle strength tests, and 2 maximal tests to exhaustion at power output corresponding to (V) over dotO(2)max with and without a previous static stretching bout. The T(lim) was not significantly affected by the static stretching (164 +/- 28 vs. 150 +/- 26 seconds with and without stretching, respectively, p = 0.09), but the time to reach (V) over dotO(2)max (118 +/- 22 vs. 102 +/- 25 seconds), blood-lactate accumulation immediately after exercise (10.7 +/- 2.9 vs. 8.0 +/- 1.7 mmol . L(-1)), and oxygen deficit (2.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.7 L) were significantly reduced (p <= 0.02). Thus, an acute static stretching bout did not reduce T(lim) at power output corresponding to (V) over dotO(2)max possibly by accelerating aerobic metabolism activation at the beginning of exercise. These results suggest that coaches and practitioners involved with aerobic dependent activities may use static stretching as part of their warm-up routines without fear of diminishing high-intensity aerobic exercise performance.

Strength training increases walking tolerance in intermittent claudication patients: randomized trial

Objective: To analyse the effects of strength training (ST) in walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication (IC) compared with walking training (WT) effects. Methods. Thirty patients with IC were randomized into ST and WT. Both groups trained twice a week for 12 weeks at the same rate of perceived exertion. ST consisted of three sets of 10 repetitions of whole body exercises. WT consisted of 15 bouts of 2-minute walking. Before and after the training program walking capacity, peak VO(2), VO(2) at the first stage of treadmill test, ankle brachial index, ischemic window, and knee extension strength were measured. Results: ST improved initial claudication distance (358 +/- 224 vs 504 +/- 276 meters; P < .01), total walking distance (618 +/- 282 to 775 +/- 334 meters; P < .01), VO(2), at the first stage of treadmill test (9.7 +/- 2.6 vs 8.1 +/- 1.7 mL . kg(-1) . minute; P < .01), ischemic window (0.81 +/- 1.16 vs 0.43 +/- 0.47 mm Hg minute meters(-1); P = .04), and knee extension strength (19 +/- 9 vs 21 +/- 8 kg and 21 +/- 9 vs 23 +/- 9; P < .01). Strength increases correlated with the increase in initial claudication distance (r = 0.64; P = .01.) and with the decrease ill VO(2) measured at the first stage of the treadmill test (r = -0.52; P = .04 and r = -0.55; P = .03). Adaptations following ST were similar to the ones observed after WT; however, patients reported lower pain during ST than WT (P < .01). Conclusion: ST improves functional limitation similarly to WT but it produces lower pain, suggesting that this type of exercise could be useful and should be considered in patients with IC. (J Vase Surg 2010;51:89-95.)

Solution Polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam in 1,4-dioxane. Kinetic Dependence on Temperature, Monomer, and Initiator Concentrations

The kinetics of the solution free radical polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam, in 1,4-dioxane and under various polymerization conditions was studied. Azobisisobutyronitrile and 3-mercaptopropionic acid were used as initiator and as chain transfer agent (CTA), respectively. The influence of monomer and initiator concentrations and polymerization temperature on the rate of polymerizations (R(p)) was investigated. In general, high conversions were obtained. The order with respect to initiator was consistent with the classical kinetic rate equation, while the order with respect to the monomer was greater than unity. The overall activation energy of 53.6 kJ mol(-1) was obtained in the temperature range 60-80 degrees C. The decreasing of the absolute molecular weights when increasing the CIA concentration was confirmed by GPC/SEC/LALS analyses. It was confirmed by UV-visible analyses the effect of molecular weights on the lower critical solution temperature of the polymers. It was also verified that the addition of the CTA influenced the kinetic of the polymerizations. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 229-240, 2010

Ethanol-induced vasoconstriction is mediated via redox-sensitive cyclo-oxygenase-dependent mechanisms

The present study investigated the role of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and COX (cyclooxygenase) in ethanol-induced contraction and elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) (intracellular [Ca(2+)]). Vascular reactivity experiments, using standard muscle bath procedures, showed that ethanol (1-800 mmol/l) induced contraction in endothelium-intact (EC(50): 306 +/- 34 mmol/l) and endothelium-denuded (EC(50): 180 +/- 40 mmol/l) rat aortic rings. Endothelial removal enhanced ethanol-induced contraction. Preincubation of intact rings with L-NAME [N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; non-selective NOS (NO synthase) inhibitor, 100 mu mol/l], 7-nitroindazole [selective nNOS (neuronal NOS) inhibitor, 100 mu mol/l], oxyhaemoglobin (NO scavenger, 10 mu mol/l) and ODQ (selective inhibitor of guanylate cyclase enzyme, 1 mu mol/l) increased ethanol-induced contraction. Tiron [O(2)(-) (superoxide anion) scavenger, 1 mmol/l] and catalase (H(2)O(2) scavenger, 300 units/ml) reduced ethanol-induced contraction to a similar extent in both endothelium-intact and denuded rings. Similarly, indomethacin (non-selective COX inhibitor, 10 mu mol/l), SC560 (selective COX- I inhibitor, 1 mu mol/l), AH6809 [PGF(2 alpha) (prostaglandin F(2 alpha))] receptor antagonist, 10 mu mol/l] or SQ29584 [PGH(2)(prostaglandin H(2))/TXA(2) (thromboxane A(2)) receptor antagonist, 3 mu mol/l] inhibited ethanol-induced contraction in aortic rings with and without intact endothelium. In cultured aortic VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells), ethanol stimulated generation of O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2). Ethanol induced a transient increase in [Ca(2+)](i), which was significantly inhibited in VSMCs pre-exposed to tiron or indomethacin. Our data suggest that ethanol induces vasoconstriction via redox-sensitive and COX-dependent pathways, probably through direct effects on ROS production and Ca(2+) signalling. These findings identify putative molecular mechanisms whereby ethanol, at high concentrations, influences vascular reactivity. Whether similar phenomena occur in vivo at lower concentrations of ethanol remains unclear.

Studies of cases in power systems by Sensitivity Analysis oriented by OPF

This paper presents studies of cases in power systems by Sensitivity Analysis (SA) oriented by Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problems in different operation scenarios. The studies of cases start from a known optimal solution obtained by OPF. This optimal solution is called base case, and from this solution new operation points may be evaluated by SA when perturbations occur in the system. The SA is based on Fiacco`s Theorem and has the advantage of not be an iterative process. In order to show the good performance of the proposed technique tests were carried out on the IEEE 14, 118 and 300 buses systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic and topological instability approaches for forecasting glass-forming ability in the ternary Al-Ni-Y system

A thermodynamic approach to predict bulk glass-forming compositions in binary metallic systems was recently proposed. In this approach. the parameter gamma* = Delta H-amor/(Delta H-inter - Delta H-amor) indicates the glass-forming ability (GFA) from the standpoint of the driving force to form different competing phases, and Delta H-amor and Delta H-inter are the enthalpies for-lass and intermetallic formation, respectively. Good glass-forming compositions should have a large negative enthalpy for glass formation and a very small difference for intermetallic formation, thus making the glassy phase easily reachable even under low cooling rates. The gamma* parameter showed a good correlation with GFA experimental data in the Ni-Nb binary system. In this work, a simple extension of the gamma* parameter is applied in the ternary Al-Ni-Y system. The calculated gamma* isocontours in the ternary diagram are compared with experimental results of glass formation in that system. Despite sonic misfitting, the best glass formers are found quite close to the highest gamma* values, leading to the conclusion that this thermodynamic approach can lie extended to ternary systems, serving as a useful tool for the development of new glass-forming compositions. Finally the thermodynamic approach is compared with the topological instability criteria used to predict the thermal behavior of glassy Al alloys. (C) 2007 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

A biomimetic piezoelectric pump: Computational and experimental characterization

Flow pumps have been developed for classical applications in Engineering, and are important instruments in areas such as Biology and Medicine. Among applications for this kind of device we notice blood pump and chemical reagents dosage in Bioengineering. Furthermore, they have recently emerged as a viable thermal management solution for cooling applications in small-scale electronic devices. This work presents the performance study of a novel principle of a piezoelectric flow pump which is based oil the use of a bimorph piezoelectric actuator inserted in fluid (water). Piezoelectric actuators have some advantages over classical devices, such as lower noise generation and ease of miniaturization. The main objective is the characterization of this piezoelectric pump principle through computational simulations (using finite element software), and experimental tests through a manufactured prototype. Computational data, Such as flow rate and pressure curves, have also been compared with experimental results for validation purposes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.