Variação do equilíbrio muscular durante uma temporada em jogadores de futebol categoria sub-20

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o equilíbrio muscular dos flexores e extensores (RFE) de joelho ao longo de uma temporada de treinamento em jogadores de futebol categoria sub-20. Fizeram parte da amostra 15 sujeitos pertencentes à equipe sub-20 da Associação Atlética Ponte Preta de Campinas. Os atletas participaram de um macrociclo de preparação (MP) de 29 semanas, composto por período preparatório e competitivo que foram divididos em quatro mesociclos: etapa geral (M1), etapa especial (M2), etapa pré-competitiva (M3) e etapa competitiva (M4). A RFE de ambos os membros foi determinada em dinamômetro isocinético utilizando o pico de torque (PT) obtido em três séries consecutivas de cinco repetições com velocidade de 60º/s. Avaliação isocinética foi realizada em quatro momentos ao longo do MP, sempre ao final de cada mesociclo (M1, M2, M3 e M4). Para análise estatística, foi empregado teste Friedman de medidas repetidas, seguida do teste de Wilcoxon e teste U de Mann-Whitney, com nível de significância de p<0,05. O PT nos músculos flexores de joelho, em ambos os membros, no M2 e M3 foram superiores aos observados em M1 e M4. O PT dos extensores de joelho em M1 foi significantemente inferior aos demais momentos do estudo (M2, M3 e M4), em ambos os membros. A RFE, em ambos os membros, foi inferior em M1 quando comparado a M2 e M3. A comparação da RFE entre os membros não revelou diferenças significantes em nenhum dos momentos do estudo (M1, M2, M3 e M4). Os resultados encontrados na presente investigação indicaram existência de alterações na magnitude da RFE, porém dentro da normalidade, e, manutenção da proporcionalidade entre os membros ao longo do MP. Esses resultados sugerem que não existem períodos sensíveis para a ocorrência de lesões em virtude de desequilíbrios musculares ao longo do MP em jogadores de futebol da categoria sub-20.

Functionalized adamantane: Building blocks for nanostructure self-assembly

We report first-principles calculations on the electronic and structural properties of chemically functionalized adamantane molecules, either in isolated or crystalline forms. Boron and nitrogen functionalized molecules, aza-, tetra-aza-, bora-, and tetra-bora-adamantane, were found to be very stable in terms of energetics, consistent with available experimental data. Additionally, a hypothetical molecular crystal in a zincblende structure, involving the pair tetra-bora-adamantane and tetra-aza-adamantane, was investigated. This molecular crystal presented a direct and large electronic band gap and a bulk modulus of 20 GPa. The viability of using those functionalized molecules as fundamental building blocks for nanostructure self-assembly is discussed.

Sub-telomere directed gene expression during initiation of invasive aspergillosis

Aspergillus fumigatus is a common mould whose spores are a component of the normal airborne flora. Immune dysfunction permits developmental growth of inhaled spores in the human lung causing aspergillosis, a significant threat to human health in the form of allergic, and life-threatening invasive infections. The success of A. fumigatus as a pathogen is unique among close phylogenetic relatives and is poorly characterised at the molecular level. Recent genome sequencing of several Aspergillus species provides an exceptional opportunity to analyse fungal virulence attributes within a genomic and evolutionary context. To identify genes preferentially expressed during adaptation to the mammalian host niche, we generated multiple gene expression profiles from minute samplings of A. fumigatus germlings during initiation of murine infection. They reveal a highly co-ordinated A. fumigatus gene expression programme, governing metabolic and physiological adaptation, which allows the organism to prosper within the mammalian niche. As functions of phylogenetic conservation and genetic locus, 28% and 30%, respectively, of the A. fumigatus subtelomeric and lineage-specific gene repertoires are induced relative to laboratory culture, and physically clustered genes including loci directing pseurotin, gliotoxin and siderophore biosyntheses are a prominent feature. Locationally biased A. fumigatus gene expression is not prompted by in vitro iron limitation, acid, alkaline, anaerobic or oxidative stress. However, subtelomeric gene expression is favoured following ex vivo neutrophil exposure and in comparative analyses of richly and poorly nourished laboratory cultured germlings. We found remarkable concordance between the A. fumigatus host-adaptation transcriptome and those resulting from in vitro iron depletion, alkaline shift, nitrogen starvation and loss of the methyltransferase LaeA. This first transcriptional snapshot of a fungal genome during initiation of mammalian infection provides the global perspective required to direct much-needed diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and reveals genome organisation and subtelomeric diversity as potential driving forces in the evolution of pathogenicity in the genus Aspergillus.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XI. CoRoT-8b: a hot and dense sub-Saturn around a K1 dwarf

Aims. We report the discovery of CoRoT-8b, a dense small Saturn-class exoplanet that orbits a K1 dwarf in 6.2 days, and we derive its orbital parameters, mass, and radius. Methods. We analyzed two complementary data sets: the photometric transit curve of CoRoT-8b as measured by CoRoT and the radial velocity curve of CoRoT-8 as measured by the HARPS spectrometer**. Results. We find that CoRoT-8b is on a circular orbit with a semi-major axis of 0.063 +/- 0.001 AU. It has a radius of 0.57 +/- 0.02 R(J), a mass of 0.22 +/- 0.03 M(J), and therefore a mean density of 1.6 +/- 0.1 g cm(-3). Conclusions. With 67% of the size of Saturn and 72% of its mass, CoRoT-8b has a density comparable to that of Neptune (1.76 g cm(-3)). We estimate its content in heavy elements to be 47-63 M(circle plus), and the mass of its hydrogen-helium envelope to be 7-23 M(circle plus). At 0.063 AU, the thermal loss of hydrogen of CoRoT-8b should be no more than similar to 0.1% over an assumed integrated lifetime of 3 Ga.

Leishmania-Specific Surface Antigens Show Sub-Genus Sequence Variation and Immune Recognition

Background: A family of hydrophilic acylated surface (HASP) proteins, containing extensive and variant amino acid repeats, is expressed at the plasma membrane in infective extracellular (metacyclic) and intracellular (amastigote) stages of Old World Leishmania species. While HASPs are antigenic in the host and can induce protective immune responses, the biological functions of these Leishmania-specific proteins remain unresolved. Previous genome analysis has suggested that parasites of the sub-genus Leishmania (Viannia) have lost HASP genes from their genomes. Methods/Principal Findings: We have used molecular and cellular methods to analyse HASP expression in New World Leishmania mexicana complex species and show that, unlike in L. major, these proteins are expressed predominantly following differentiation into amastigotes within macrophages. Further genome analysis has revealed that the L. (Viannia) species, L. (V.) braziliensis, does express HASP-like proteins of low amino acid similarity but with similar biochemical characteristics, from genes present on a region of chromosome 23 that is syntenic with the HASP/SHERP locus in Old World Leishmania species and the L. (L.) mexicana complex. A related gene is also present in Leptomonas seymouri and this may represent the ancestral copy of these Leishmania-genus specific sequences. The L. braziliensis HASP-like proteins (named the orthologous (o) HASPs) are predominantly expressed on the plasma membrane in amastigotes and are recognised by immune sera taken from 4 out of 6 leishmaniasis patients tested in an endemic region of Brazil. Analysis of the repetitive domains of the oHASPs has shown considerable genetic variation in parasite isolates taken from the same patients, suggesting that antigenic change may play a role in immune recognition of this protein family. Conclusions/Significance: These findings confirm that antigenic hydrophilic acylated proteins are expressed from genes in the same chromosomal region in species across the genus Leishmania. These proteins are surface-exposed on amastigotes (although L. (L.) major parasites also express HASPB on the metacyclic plasma membrane). The central repetitive domains of the HASPs are highly variant in their amino acid sequences, both within and between species, consistent with a role in immune recognition in the host.

Effect of weak dipolar interaction on the magnetic properties of Ni nanoparticles assembly analyzed with different protocols

The effect of weak dipolar interactions (DIs) between Ni nanoparticles (NPs) in samples with different Ni concentrations was investigated by performing a detailed characterization of their structural and magnetic properties. From the determination of several physical parameters of Ni NP assemblies, it was found that the ac and dc magnetic susceptibility measurements are valuable for identifying the DIs between NPs while hysteresis loops measurements showed to be very insensitive, provided that the strength of the DI field is much smaller than the maximum coercive field. Therefore, the sensitivity of the observed static and dynamical magnetic properties to the effect of weak DI depends on the measurement protocols used. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3556767]

Sensitivity to noise and ergodicity of an assembly line of cellular automata that classifies density

We investigate the sensitivity of the composite cellular automaton of H. Fuks [Phys. Rev. E 55, R2081 (1997)] to noise and assess the density classification performance of the resulting probabilistic cellular automaton (PCA) numerically. We conclude that the composite PCA performs the density classification task reliably only up to very small levels of noise. In particular, it cannot outperform the noisy Gacs-Kurdyumov-Levin automaton, an imperfect classifier, for any level of noise. While the original composite CA is nonergodic, analyses of relaxation times indicate that its noisy version is an ergodic automaton, with the relaxation times decaying algebraically over an extended range of parameters with an exponent very close (possibly equal) to the mean-field value.

A monohydrate pseudopolymorph of 3,4-dihydroxybenzophenone and the role of water in the crystal assembly of benzophenones

During a polymorphism screening of hydroxybenzophenone derivatives, a monohydrate pseudopolymorph of (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)(phenyl)methanone, C(13)H(10)O(3)center dot H(2)O, (I), was obtained. Structural relationships and the role of water in crystal assembly were established on the basis of the known anhydrous form [Cox, Kechagias & Kelly (2008). Acta Cryst. B64, 206-216]. The crystal packing of (I) is stabilized by classical intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds, generating a three-dimensional network.

Hybrid layer-by-layer assembly based on animal and vegetable structural materials: multilayered films of collagen and cellulose nanowhiskers

Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly was used to combine crystalline rod-like nanoparticles obtained from a vegetable source, cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs), with collagen, the main component of skin and connective tissue found exclusively in animals. The film growth of the multilayered collagen/CNW was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy and ellipsometry measurements, whereas the film morphology and surface roughness were characterized by SEM and AFM. UV-Vis spectra showed the deposition of the same amount of collagen, 5 mg m(-2), in each dipping cycle. Ellipsometry data showed an increment in thickness with the number of layers, and the average thickness of each bilayer was found to be 8.6 nm. The multilayered bio-based nanocomposites were formed by single layers of densely packed CNWs adsorbed on top of each thin collagen layer where the hydrogen bonding between collagen amide groups and OH groups of the CNWs plays a mandatory role in the build-up of the thin films. The approach used in this work represents a potential strategy to mimic the characteristics of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) which can be used for applications in the biomedical field.

Foraging by the omnivorous crab Pachygrapsus transversus affects the structure of assemblages on sub-tropical rocky shores

The roles of herbivory and predation in determining the structure and diversity of communities have been tested across most intertidal systems. In contrast, the importance of omnivorous consumers remains untested in many rocky shore communities. We tested the role of a small omnivorous crab in an intertidal food web on rocky shores of the sub-tropical southwest Atlantic. Exclusion of the grapsid crab Pachygrapsus transversus in the field resulted in significant changes in the abundance of functional groups in the sublittoral fringe of sheltered shores, where the dominant cover changed from a suite of macroalgae to an assemblage of filter-feeding animals (ascidians, sponges, mussels). In contrast, limpets, whelks, large crabs and fish did not significantly affect community composition of the assemblage. To examine the omnivorous feeding pattern of P. transversus, we did laboratory experiments to test its foraging behaviour among animal and algal groups. The crab showed selective behaviour, preferring invertebrate groups to macroalgae, and opportunistic behaviour among types of prey within those major groups. According to our results, the role of slow-moving and large fast-moving consumers is apparently negligible compared to the effect of an omnivorous consumer. P. transversus plays an important role in determining the intertidal community composition on these subtropical rocky shores, causing changes in the balance of functional groups and controlling invasive species.

Floral development in the tribe Cedreleae (Meliaceae, sub-family Swietenioideae): Cedrela and Toona

Background and Aims Floral development of Cedrela and Toona, the genera comprising the basal tribe Cedreleae of the sub-family Swietenioideae of Meliaceae, is described. The focus was on three endangered, ecologically and economically important species: Cedrela fissilis, Cedrela odorata and Toona ciliata. The aims of the study were to characterize the patterns of floral development in the tribe and to establish apomorphic and plesiomorphic floral characters in relation to other taxa within the family based on the current molecular phylogeny of Meliaceae. Methods A detailed floral structural and developmental study was completed using both scanning electron microscopy and visualization of microtome sections with a light microscope. Key Results Twelve floral developmental stages were identified. The initial development of the pentamerous flowers of both Toona and Cedrela is strikingly similar. The morphological differences observed between them are due to differential patterns of organ elongation and adnation/connation occurring late in development. Additionally, the formation of functionally male and female flowers was found to occur at specific positions within the inflorescence. Conclusions Due to the basal position of the tribe Cedreleae in the phylogeny of Meliaceae, functionally either male or female pentamerous flowers and the presence of (at least partially) free stamens may be considered plesiomorphic traits within the family. In contrast, sympetaly and the absence of nectaries in Cedrela species are synapomorphies.

Design and assembly of an experimental laboratory for the study of atmosphere-plant interactions in the system of fumigation chambers

An experimental laboratory was designed and assembled at the Botanical Institute of So Paulo, Brazil, in order to research atmosphere-plant interactions through the use of a system of fumigation chambers. A system of three ""closed"" fumigation chambers was designed to be used inside or outside the laboratory. The system was built to be used with a single pollutant or a mix of them. The innovation in this system is to allow chemical reactions inside the chambers that simulate atmospheric chemistry, especially photochemical processes involving high levels of ozone. Assessment of the performance and applicability of the system was based on the response of Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3 exposed to ozone produced alternatively by a generator and inside the chamber by reactions of its precursors. The results showed that the system can be well applied to the study of atmospheric chemistry interactions and the effects on plants.

Ergonomic Planned Supply in an Automotive Assembly Line

The objective of this research is to identify the benefits of ergonomic improvements in workstations and in planned parts supply in an automotive assembly line. Another aim is to verify to what extent it is possible to create competitive advantages in the manufacturing area with reduction in vehicle assembly time by using technological investments in ergonomics with benefits to the worker and to the company. The Methods Time Measurement (MTM) methodology is chosen to measure the process time differences. To ensure a reliable comparison, a company in Brazil that has two different types of assembly line installations in the same plant was observed, and both assembly lines were under the same influences in terms of human resources, wages, food, and educational level of the staff. In this article, the first assembly line is called ""new"" and was built 6 years ago, with high investments in ergonomic solutions, in the supply system, and in the process. The other is called ""traditional"" and was built 23 years ago with few investments in the area. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phytoseiid mites of the tribe Typhlodromini (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from sub-Saharan Africa

This is the ninth publication in a series on the taxonomy of phytoseiid mites of sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty-five phytoseiid species of the tribe Typhlodromini Wainstein, all of which are in the genus Typhlodromus Scheuten are reported in this paper (62 in the subgenus Anthoseius DeLeon and 3 in the subgenus Typhlodromus Scheuten). They refer to all species of this tribe known to occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Fifteen new species are described and 41 species are redescribed. Most of the reported species were collected in various habitats in southern Africa and in cassava habitats in tropical Africa. A key is included for the separation of these species.

Phytoseiid mites of the tribe Paraseiulini Wainstein (Acari : Phytoseiidae) from sub-Saharan Africa

This is the eighth publication of a series on the determination of phytoseiid mites of sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty-three phytoseiid species of the tribe Paraseiulini Wainstein are reported in this paper. They refer to all species of this tribe known to occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Six of these species are described for the first time and 13 species are redescribed. Most of the reported species were collected in cassava habitats in tropical Africa and in other habitats in South Africa. A key is included to help in the separation of the species treated in this paper.