Microdissection testicular sperm extraction causes spermatogenic alterations in the contralateral testis

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) associated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection has allowed many men presenting non-obstructive azoospermia to achieve fatherhood. Microdissection TESE (microTESE) was proposed as a method to improve sperm retrieval rates in these patients; however, there have been failures. Little is known about whether microTESE leads to spermatogenic alterations in the contralateral testis. We assessed histological outcomes of experimental microTESE in the contralateral testis of adult male rabbits. Nine adult male rabbits were divided into three groups: control (testicular biopsy to observe normal histological and morphometric values), sham (incision of the tunica vaginalis, and a contralateral testicular biopsy to observe histological and morphometric patterns, 45 days later), and study (left testicular microTESE, and a right testicular biopsy to observe histological and morphometric patterns, 45 days later). Sections were assessed by calculating Johnsen-like scores, and measuring total tubule diameter, lumen diameter and epithelial height. The results were compared using ANOVA and Bonferroni's statistical analysis. Morphometric evaluation of the seminiferous tubules did not demonstrate differences between the three groups. However, microTESE caused spermatogenic alterations, leading to maturation arrest in the contralateral testis.

Estudo do comportamento em fadiga de uma chapa de aço microligado, grau API 5L X70

In engineering, for correct designing the structural components required for cyclical stresses, it is necessary to determine a limit of resistance to fatigue, which is the maximum amplitude of the applied tension under which the fatigue failure does not occurs after a certain number cycles. The marine environment is hostile, not only by the high pressure, corrosion, but also by low temperatures. Petrol Production units, composed of the risers (pipelines connecting the oil well to the ship), are dimensioned to remain installed for periods of 20 up to 30 years, and must therefore be prepared to support various efforts, such as tidal, wind currents and everything that is related. This paper focuses on a study on the fatigue behavior of microalloyed steel, API 5L Grade X70, used to transport oil and gas by pipelines. For analysis, we obtained the curves S-N (stress vs. number of cycles) using laboratory data collected from cylindrical longitudinal and transverse specimens used in axial fatigue test in accordance with ASTM E466. The tensile tests and microhardness were performed to characterize the mechanical properties of the samples, and it was found that the values meet the specifications of the standard API 5L. To characterize microstructurally the material, it was also made a metallographic analysis of the steel under study, and the origin of the fatigue crack was investigated with the support of a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Caracterização topológica dos motivos das redes biológicas integradas da Escherichia coli e da Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The reducionism method has helped in the clari cation of functioning of many biological process. However, such process are extremely complex and have emergent properties that can not be explained or even predicted by reducionism methods. To overcome these limits, researchers have been used a set of methods known as systems biology, a new area of biology aiming to understand the interactions between the multiple components of biological processes. These interactions can be represented by a mathematical object called graph or network, where the interacting elements are represented by a vertex and the interactions by edges that connect a pair of vertexes. Into graphs it is possible to nd subgraphs, occurring in complex networks at numbers that are signi cantly higher than those in randomized networks, they are de ned as motifs. As motifs in biological networks may represent the structural units of biological processess, their detection is important. Therefore, the aim of this present work was detect, count and classify motifs present in biological integrated networks of bacteria Escherichia coli and yeast Saccharomyces cere- visiae. For this purpose, we implemented codes in MathematicaR and Python environments for detecting, counting and classifying motifs in these networks. The composition and types of motifs detected in these integrated networks indicate that such networks are organized in three main bridged modules composed by motifs in which edges are all the same type. The connecting bridges are composed by motifs in which the types of edges are diferent

Determinação de comunidades em redes biológicas integradas

To understand how biological phenomena emerge, the nonlinear interactions among the components envolved in these and the correspondent connected elements, like genes, proteins, etc., can be represented by a mathematical object called graph or network, where interacting elements are represented by edges connecting pairs of nodes. The analysis of various graph-related properties of biological networks has revealed many clues about biological processes. Among these properties, the community structure, i.e. groups of nodes densely connected among themselves, but sparsely connected to other groups, are important for identifying separable functional modules within biological systems for the comprehension of the high-level organization of the cell. Communities' detection can be performed by many algorithms, but most of them are based on the density of interactions among nodes of the same community. So far, the detection and analysis of network communities in biological networks have only been pursued for networks composed by one type of interaction (e.g. protein-protein interactions or metabolic interactions). Since a real biological network is simultaneously composed by protein-protein, metabolic and transcriptional regulatory interactions, it would be interesting to investigate how communities are organized in this type of network. For this purpose, we detected the communities in an integrated biological network of the Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using the Clique Percolation Method and we veri ed, by calculating the frequency of each type of interaction and its related entropy, if components of communities... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Bancos de capacitores se corrente de Inrush

This work discusses about the effects and methods of control and elimination of the currents transients generated by switching capacitor banks, this currents are called inrush currents. Capacitor banks are widely used to compensate a low power factor generated by the widespread use of inductive loads. Currently many of these banks are automatic and therefore the capacitive cells are connected and disconnected according to the inductive loads on the network. However when connecting a capacitor bank to a bus can generate currents transients generated by electromagnetic transients. Aspects of the network, for example, the existence of a bank already connected to the bus, can influence the intensity of this phenomenon. This paper discusses some characteristics of the capacitors and the network to justify and explain the appearance of these transients and discusses its effects on the network and to other equipment. It is concluded that the main cause of this phenomenon is the voltage difference between the capacitor to be connected to the network and the bus, the results of the study were the bases to discuss the traditional methods to mitigate these currents and therefore its negative effects. Although in this paper is yet developed a method of electronic switching that can greatly reduce these transients

Modelagem e simulação do mecanismo biela manivela e análise estrutural de biela automotiva

Nowadays, the automotive industry is working to optimize the design of engines, in order to reduce the fuel consumption with acceptable efficiency ratio. This undergraduate thesis is aimed at perform a kinematic/dynamic analysis of a slider-crank mechanism that is part of a four stroke internal combustion engine, the same engine that was used in the analysis described by Montazersadhd and Fatemi (2007). Two algorithms were developed based on Kane’s method to calculate velocities and accelerations of the mechanism bodies, and provide the acting forces at connecting rod joints. A SimMechanics model was developed to simulate the engine, and monitoring the same parameters that were calculated with the algorithms. The results obtained with both approaches were satisfactory and showed good agreement with the values provided by Montazersadhd and Fatemi (2007). The obtained results showed that the axial component of the rod joint efforts was caused by the pressure exerted on the piston head,whereas the radial component was related with the action of inertia loads. Besides, this thesis presents a connecting rod assembly mesh that is going to be used for static and fatigue finite element analysis in the future

Redução do tempo de setup de máquinas de usinagem em uma industria automobilística

Continuous improvement of industrial processes is one way to become companies more competitive in the market. For this, a fairly widespread use is the methodology of lean production systems, by eliminating waste. One of the tools of these systems is the method of rapid exchange of die or also called SMED, which will be applied in this study. The study aims to develop proposals for reducing the time of set up of two machines in two machining lines, watching also the ergonomics and safety conditions in this operations. The set up time reduction is justified among others, due to increase the machine productivity. In applying the connecting rod machining line, there were two types of exchange. Reductions in time to set up proposals reached values of 47% to one of them, and 55% to the other. It is important to underline that to reach this result, there was no need for large investments. In the application in block machining line, was developed an improvement in the ergonomic area. It was placed a pulley block that came to increase the time of tool change. Aiming to improve the security of the exchange, without productivity loss, the method was applied to reduce this time. It was developed two proposals.: the first would reduce that time by 19%, and does not require many resources of the company. The second involves the parallelization of the exchange, so that the reduction is 48%. However, this proposal requires one more manpower at the time of exchange and it is not always possible

Influência de diferentes superfícies de implantes unitários com geometria do tipo hexágono externo, Platform Switching e Cone-Morse em osso tipo III e IV: estudo pelo método dos elementos finitos tridimensionais

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOA

Estudo do comportamento em fadiga de um tubo de aço microligado, grau API 5L X70

This work focuses on a study on the fatigue behavior of a microalloyed steel API 5L X70, used in pipes lines to transport oil and gas. These types of steels have excellent mechanical resistance values and ductility and therefore increased their study driven by increased demand for oil and especially natural gas, which consequently raises the need to build new pipelines to transport these products. The oil extraction units, composed of the risers (pipelines connecting the oil well to the ship), are dimensioned to remain installed for periods of 20 to 30 years in the marine environment, a hostile environment for high pressure, corrosion, low temperatures and the stresses caused by the movement of water and tides. For analysis, the S-N (stress versus number of cycles) curves were obtained from data collected from bodies-of-proof cylindrical longitudinal, transverse and that one removed from the weld area of the pipe, tested in accordance with ASTM E466. Tensile tests were performed for characterizing the mechanical properties of the samples and welded joints, concluded that the values meet the specifications of the standard API 5L. To characterize microstructural material, also metallographic analysis was made of regions of the base metal and the HAZ. The results of fatigue tests demonstrated a higher life for the specimens removed from the longitudinal direction the pipe, followed by those in the transverse direction and, finally, the welded joint. The origins of the fatigue cracks were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Influência dos parâmetros de projeto em um motor a combustão interna

This paper discusses the influence of the design parameters in the operation and construction of an internal combustion engine. A theoretical analysis was developed using a standard crank-connecting rod-piston to verify the behavior of the stresses generated in the combustion and transformed into rotational energy of the crank shaft. Design parameters directly influence not only the final result of the characteristics of power and torque, but how the engine must be built to withstand different loads. The choice of parameters of a combustion engine is directly linked with the application of the engine and the final result expected of it function

Antes de Otranto: apontamentos para uma pré-história do gótico na literatura

Departing from Ariovaldo Vidal’s statement, in his foreword to the Brazilian translation of The Castle of Otranto, that the Gothic sources were spread upon literary and social history waiting for someone (Horace Walpole) to collect them in order to create a new literary genre, and connecting imagination to such statement, my purpose in this paper is to make some notes on what would possibly be these sources referred by Vidal. By the means of thinking on the Darkness as a semi-concept, a perspective largely inspired in Fred Botting’s Gothic (2014), I intend to look for the origins of Gothic fiction in texts by Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Milton.

Comparación de la conductancia hidráulica dentinaria, de acuerdo al tiempo de aplicación de desensibilizantes con base de oxalatos

ABSTRACT. Introduction: an in vitro model was used to measure the hydraulic conductance in human dentin discs treated with oxalic acid for 15, 30 or 60 s maintaining the occlusive effect and measuring 7 and 14 days after application. Methods: 45 dentin discs measuring 1 mm thick were obtained from human third molars which were free of caries and in no occlusion; the samples were obtained from patients aged 16 to 30 years. Discs were sorted out into three study groups (n = 15) depending on the time of application of a commercial solution of oxalate-based dentin desensitizer (DD) (BisBlock®) which contains ˂ 5% oxalic acid of 1.5-1.8 pH: in group A the agent was applied for 15 s, in group B it was applied for 30 s, and in group C for 60 s. The hydraulic conductance of each disc was calculated after acid etching, which corresponds to the maximum permeability of discs (100%) after immediate application of oxalic acid, as well as seven and fourteen days of storage in saline solution. The statistical analysis was done with ANOVA test and post-hoc Games-Howell test. Results: 35,46 ± 23.41% in Group A, 36.34 ± 15.88% in Group B and 24.99 ± 14.99% in Group C, showing that the use of DD for 15, 30 or 60 s decreased permeability in a statistically significant manner (p <0.05). Conclusions: DD was effective in reducing hydraulic conductance regardless of application time, but this reduction was temporary only, since after seven days permeability returns to values close to those of baseline.

Reflexões sobre o estabelecimento de vínculos afetivos interpessoais na atualidade

In studies about the subjectivation process in contemporaneity and the social context in which one is inserted nowadays, the contemporary world is often characterized by the ascension of the narcissism – or individualism – and consumerism as a baseline to all other recent changes. The excessive valorization of aesthetics; the influence of media and marketing and the culture of image; the loss of the “inner side” and inter-human interchanges; against the exacerbation of the superficial and external, appear as essential transformations to the new configuration of the so called “post-modern” subjectivation process, privileged and reinforced by capitalist society. Next to them, exists an individual discontent – a malaise in the individual’s life – usually associated to an interior emptiness and general dissatisfaction in face of idealizations and self-esteem fluctuations. This work tries to understand how individuals establish affective bonds and social relationships in this contemporary context, connecting the contemporary context and relevant concepts to this study, including the idea of romantic love, narcissism and the “state of helplessness” in psychoanalysis, subject’s development and a parallel discussion with social-historical texts. The study, of a theoretical character, is located in the intersection between "individual" and "society" – a subjectivity, therefore, formed internally, within the individual, and submitted directly to social influence – and analyzes the determinants and influences that they exert upon one and another, based on critical-reflective readings and textual analysis of works in the fields of sociology, psychosociology and psychoanalysis.

Influência da dentina bovina e do dispositivo de microtração na resistência de união de sistemas adesivos

Pós-graduação em Odontologia Restauradora - ICT

Fetal kidney programming by severe food restriction: effects on structure, hormonal receptor expression and urinary sodium excretion in rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)