Temporal dynamics of stomatal conductance of plants under water deficit: can homeostasis be improved by more complex dynamics?

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

Efeito cariostático de restaurações adesivas em superfícies radiculares: estudo in vitro

Materiais restauradores que liberam íons flúor e/ou promovem adesão à estrutura dental têm sido relacionados com a inibição do desenvolvimento de lesões de cárie adjacentes às restaurações. A hipótese testada neste estudo foi a de que o uso de resina composta/sistema adesivo tem efeito cariostático semelhante a um material adesivo que libera íons flúor - cimento de ionômero de vidro - sobre a superfície radicular adjacente às restaurações. Foram utilizadas 20 raízes de terceiros molares humanos extraídos, embutidas em resina de poliestireno e planificadas. Cavidades padronizadas foram preparadas e restauradas aleatoriamente com (a) Chelon-Fil (Espe) ou (b) Z100/SingleBond (3M). Valores iniciais (KHNi) de microdureza superficial Knoop da dentina foram obtidos a 100, 200 e 300 mim da margem oclusal das restaurações. Uma área de 2,0 mm ao redor da restauração foi delimitada e submetida à indução de cárie artificial. Obtiveram-se, então, os valores finais (KHNf) de microdureza, nas mesmas condições e localizações da leitura inicial. As diferenças entre KHNi e KHNf foram consideradas para a análise estatística. As medianas de KHNi - KHNf nas distâncias de 100, 200 e 300 mim foram para (a): -3,8; -0,3; -1,0; e para (b): 3,3; 2,5; 1,7. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis não evidenciou diferença significativa entre as distâncias dentro de cada grupo. Às distâncias de 200 e 300 mim, não houve diferença significativa entre os materiais avaliados. À distância de 100 mim, (a) diferiu significativamente de (b) (p < 0,05). Sob as condições deste estudo, o cimento de ionômero de vidro apresentou maior potencial cariostático que a resina composta com sistema adesivo dentinário.

Annual and short-term variability in primary productivity by phytoplankton and correlated abiotic factors in the Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

A variabilidade anual da produção fotossintética (PP) pelo fitoplâncton na zona da barragem da Represa de Jurumirim (São Paulo, Brasil) foi medida após um estudo no período de três anos sucessivos, com o objetivo de identificar padrões recorrentes e suas causas. Medidas da variabilidade da PP em escala diária foram obtidas em dois períodos do ano (estações seca e chuvosa). Nenhum padrão recorrente foi verificado nos dados de PP, visto não haver relação de sua variabilidade com nenhum fator hidrológico (precipitação, nível e vazão de água e washout) nem, aparentemente, com as condições nutritivas da água. A análise de componentes principais revelou que a PP e a taxa de assimilação foram mais elevadas na época do ano em que o conteúdo de PO4(3-) e N-NH4+ foi mais baixo e quando as razões Z EU/Z MIX foram mais elevadas. A produtividade primária/área pode ser estimada pela razão entre a produtividade volumétrica máxima e o coeficiente de extinção vertical da luz. Entretanto, a biomassa integrada na Z EU foi um pobre preditor da produtividade primária/área. Nenhuma correlação foi encontrada entre a temperatura da água com a produtividade primária (por área e volumétrica máxima). em conseqüência, o estudo da PP em três anos sucessivos mostrou que o padrão de variabilidade é tipicamente caótico. em relação às medidas de curta duração, maior PP foi encontrada na estação seca do que na chuvosa. em ambos os períodos, a variabilidade da PP (por área) foi de aproximadamente 35-40%. O padrão foi atribuído não somente à variação na concentração dos nutrientes mas também à magnitude de penetração de luz na água associado ao regime de circulação. Um comentário sobre a relação entre produção primária pelo fitoplâncton com produção pesqueira é também apresentada.

Caracterização morfo-anatômica da folha e do caule de Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf e B. humidicola (Rendle) Schweick. (Poaceae)

Neste trabalho, caracterizou-se a morfo-anatomia do caule e da folha de Brachiaria brizantha e B. humidicola, em três estratos, objetivando diferenciar tais estratos e espécies, bem como justificar, com estes parâmetros, a diferença de consumo que ocorre nessas espécies com o envelhecimento da planta. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, utilizando-se vasos plásticos com areia esterilizada e recebendo solução nutritiva. Aos 70 dias após o corte de uniformização, cada planta foi dividida em três partes (estratos), coletando-se a folha mediana de cada estrato, separando-a em limbo e bainha foliar, e também o entrenó recoberto pela referida bainha. Para o estudo morfológico, foram mensurados a altura total das plantas, número total de folhas, nós e perfilhos, comprimento e largura da lâmina e da bainha foliar, comprimento e diâmetro do entrenó. Para a caracterização anatômica, as amostras foram fixadas em FAA, emblocadas em GMA, seccionadas em micrótomo e coradas com fucsina básica e azul de Astra. Os estudos morfo-anatômicos indicaram parâmetros que podem interferir na digestibilidade de seus tecidos. Verificou-se que as espécies apresentaram diferenças quanto aos aspectos morfológicos, destacando em B. humidicola menores valores de comprimento e largura do limbo, o que pode dificultar a seleção das folhas inferiores, interferindo no consumo dessa forrageira. Constatou-se, também, que o caule foi a fração que mais variou entre as espécies, apresentando B. brizantha diâmetro do entrenó maior e parede do colmo mais espessa, o que, além de tornar o caule mais resistente à apreensão, sugere maior número de feixes vasculares e, conseqüentemente, porcentagem de tecidos lignificados. Observaram-se estruturas secretoras na base dos tricomas da bainha foliar de B. brizantha, sugerindo cavidades secretoras, bastante raras na família Poaceae, não havendo estudos de sua interferência no consumo e digestibilidade.

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid and acetic acid solutions on VX2 liver carcinoma in rabbits: in vivo analysis

OBJETIVO: Analisar os efeitos das soluções de aspirina e de ácido acético, in vivo, em fígado de coelhos portadores de tumor hepático VX2, verificando o efeito histolítico e anatomo-patológico das soluções e eventuais alterações bioquímicas hepáticas. MÉTODOS: Utilizou-se 48 coelhos, divididos em 2 protocolos experimentais(3 e 4), subdivididos em 3 grupos cada. Após 4 dias da implantação do tumor no fígado, procedeu-se a laparotomia mediana, com injeção de 0,4 ml da solução de aspirina (5,0%), de ácido acético (5,0%) e solução salina; o sacrifício ocorreu apos 24 horas (protocolo 3) e 11 dias (protocolo 4); avaliou-se o peso, evolução clinica, dosagens bioquímicas, cavidade abdominal e torácica e microscopia do fígado. RESULTADOS: Não foram observadas alterações na evolução clinica, peso e nas dosagens bioquímicas, apenas elevação da fosfatase alcalina no grupo controle do protocolo 4. Observamos desaparecimento do tumor em ambos os protocolos. CONCLUSÃO: As soluções de ácido acético e ácido acetilsalicílico acarretam destruição do tumor hepático experimental.

Implantação intra-orbital, após a enucleação transpalpebral, de resina acrílica ou pericárdio em coelhos

Dezoito coelhos, Norfolk, fêmeas, com 45 dias de idade foram divididos em três grupos de seis animais e submetidos a enucleação transpalpebral. Os animais do grupo I receberam na cavidade orbitaria acrílico auto-polimerizável, os do grupo II pericárdio eqüino conservado em glicerina e os do grupo III foram mantidos como controle. Para avaliação macroscópica e histopatológica das cavidades orbitarias, três animais de cada grupo foram sacrificados com 30 e 60 dias após a implantação. Apesar da resina ter sido aplicada na fase pastosa, na qual a alta temperatura que ocorre durante a polimerizaçâo pode ser lesiva aos tecidos, foi o produto que apresentou os melhores resultados.

On an optimal control design for Rossler system

In this Letter, an optimal control strategy that directs the chaotic motion of the Rossler system to any desired fixed point is proposed. The chaos control problem is then formulated as being an infinite horizon optimal control nonlinear problem that was reduced to a solution of the associated Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. We obtained its solution among the correspondent Lyapunov functions of the considered dynamical system. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

EFFECT OF THE ADDITION OF CR AND NB ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION OF HEAT-TREATABLE AL-ZN-MG ALLOYS

The effect of the addition of Cr and Nb on the microstructure and the electrochemical corrosion of the weldable, high-strength and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistant Al-5%Zn-1.67%Mg-0.23%Cu alloy (H) has been studied. Combined additions of the alloying elements, J (with Nb), L (with Cr) and O (with Cr and Nb) and different heat treatments, ST (cold-rolled), A (annealed), F (quenched), B (quenched and aged) and C (quenched in two steps and aged), to obtain different microstructures and hardness have been performed. To correlate the electrochemical corrosion with the microstructure of the specimens, corrosion potential (E(cor)) measurements in different chloride solutions were performed and optical microscopy, SEM, TEM and EDX were applied. In chloride solutions containing dissolved O-2 or H2O2, the present alloys were polarized up to the pitting attack. It was shown that the E(cor) measurements were very sensitive to the alloy composition and heat treatment, increasing in the order H < J < L < O < Al (for a given heat treatment) and F < A approximate to ST < B < C (for a given alloy). The MgZn2 precipitates of the annealed (A) and cold-rolled (ST) specimens were dissolved in chloride solutions containing oxidizing agents and pitting attack was shown to develop in the cavities where the precipitates were present. In the specimens B and C, the compositions of the precipitate free zones was found to be equal to that of the matrix solid solution and preferential intergranular attack was not evident, this being in agreement with their SCC resistance. The addition of Cr and Nb increased the pitting corrosion resistance. The effects of Cr and Nb were additive, that of Cr being predominant, either, in the E(cor) shift or in the increase in the pitting corrosion resistance.

A note on the horseshoe confinement model: the Poynting-Robertson effect

In the present work we numerically simulated the motion of particles coorbital to a small satellite under the Poynting-Robertson light drag effect in order to verify the symmetry suggested by Dermott et al. (1979, 1980) on their ring confinement model. The results reveal a more complex scenario, especially for very small particles (micrometer sizes), which present chaotic motion. Despite the complexity of the trajectories the particles remain confined inside the coorbital region. However, the dissipative force caused by the solar radiation also includes the radiation pressure component which can change this configuration. Our results show that the inclusion of the radiation pressure, which is not present in the original confinement model, can destroy the configuration in a time much shorter than the survival time predicted for a dust particle in a horseshoe orbit with a satellite.

The Liapunov exponent as a tool for exploring phase space

We have used the Liapunov exponent to explore the phase space of a dynamical system. Considering the planar, circular restricted three-body problem for a mass ratio mu = 10(-3) (close to the Jupiter/Sun case), we have integrated similar to 16,000 starting conditions for orbits started interior to that of the perturber and we have estimated the maximum Liapunov characteristic exponent for each starting condition. Despite the fact that the integrations, in general, are for only a few thousand orbital periods of the secondary, a comparative analysis of the Liapunov exponents for various values of the 'cut-off' gives a good overview of the structure of the phase space. It provides information about the diffusion rates of the various chaotic regions, the location of the regular regions associated with primary resonances and even details such as the location of secondary resonances that produce chaotic regions inside the regular regions of primary resonances.

Influence of age on the behavior of dental pulp of dog teeth after capping with an adhesive system or calcium hydroxide

This study evaluated histomorphologically the influence of chronological age of the dog on the dental pulp-healing process after capping with the All Bond 2 system or with calcium hydroxide paste. The animals were divided according to age into young and adult groups. Class 5-type cavities were prepared, and the pulp was submitted to an exposure of a diameter of 0.5 mm. The pulp of the teeth was then protected with the adhesive system or with a calcium hydroxide paste. Sixty days after treatment, the results obtained with the adhesive system in the young group were significantly better than those in the adult group. With calcium hydroxide, the results were similar for both groups. The pulp treated with calcium hydroxide exhibited a complete hard tissue bridge and a pulp without inflammatory reaction, a fact not observed when the adhesive system was used. In conclusion, the chronological age of the pulp influenced the comparative results only for the adhesive system (P = 0.1), and the total results were better with calcium hydroxide than with the All Bond 2 system (P = 0.01).

Polymerization shrinkage: effects of boundary conditions and filling technique of resin composite restorations

Objective: To evaluate the linear polymerization shrinkage (LPS) and the effect of polymerization shrinkage of a resin composite and resin-dentin bond strength under different boundary conditions and filling techniques.Methods: Two cavities (4 x 4 x 2 MM) were prepared in bovine incisors (n = 30). The teeth were divided into three groups, according to boundary conditions: In group TE, the total-etch technique was used. In group EE, only enamel was conditioned, and in group NE, none of the watts of the cavities were conditioned. A two-step adhesive system was applied to all cavities. The resin composite was inserted in one (B) or three increments (1), and tight-cured with 600 mW/cm(2) (80 s). The LPS (%) was measured in the top-bottom direction, by placing a probe in contact with resin composite during curing. Enamel and total mean gap widths were measured (400 x) in three slices obtained after sectioning the restorations. Then, the slices were sectioned again, either to obtain sticks from the adhesive interface from the bottom of the cavity or to obtain resin composite sticks (0.8 mm(2)) to be tested for tensile strength (Kratos machine, 0.5 mm/min). The data was subjected to a two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test for comparison of the means (alpha = 0.05).Results: the highest percentage of LPS was found for the TE when bulk fitted, and the lowest percentage of LPS was found in the Hand NE when incrementally fitted. The resin dentin bond strength was higher and the total mean gap width was tower for TE group; no significant effect was detected for the main factor fitting techniques. No difference was detected for the tensile strength of resin composite among the experimental groups.Conclusions: the filling technique is not able to minimize effects of the polymerization shrinkage, and bonding to the cavity watts is necessary to assure reduced mean gap width and high bond strength values. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moonlets wandering on a leash-ring

Since the Voyager flybys, embedded moonlets have been proposed to explain some of the surprising structures observed in Saturn's narrow F ring. Experiments conducted with the Cassini spacecraft support this suggestion. Images of the F ring show bright compact spots, and seven occultations of stars by the F ring, monitored by ultraviolet and infrared experiments, revealed nine events of high optical depth. These results point to a large number of such objects, but it is not clear whether they are solid moonlets or rather loose particle aggregates. Subsequent images suggested an irregular motion of these objects so that a determination of their orbits consistent with the F ring failed. Some of these features seem to cross the whole ring. Here we show that these observations are explained by chaos in the F ring driven mainly by the 'shepherd' moons Prometheus and Pandora. It is characterized by a rather short Lyapunov time of about a few hundred orbital periods. Despite this chaotic diffusion, more than 93 per cent of the F-ring bodies remain confined within the F ring because of the shepherding, but also because of a weak radial mobility contrasted by an effective longitudinal diffusion. This chaotic stirring of all bodies involved prevents the formation of 'propellers' typical of moonlets, but their frequent ring crossings explain the multiple radial 'streaks' seen in the F ring. The related 'thermal' motion causes more frequent collisions between all bodies which steadily replenish F-ring dust and allow for ongoing fragmentation and re-accretion processes (ring recycling).

Influence from the free volume on the photoinduced birefringence in azocompound-containing polymers

The photoinduced birefringence is analyzed in a guest-host azobenzene-containing polymer in the temperature range from 20 to 330 K. An anomalous behavior arises in the low-temperature range, suggesting strong influence from the free volume for the chromophores in the polymer. This influence is so strong that quenched samples have a photoinduced signal ca. 5 times greater than the annealed ones at room temperature. An extended free volume model is presented based on two assumptions about thermal fluctuations in the cavities and their size distribution. This model, which is an extension of the model by Mita et al., can explain the main features of the photoinduced birefringence as a function of time, temperature, and initial free volume state. To account for the influence of free volume on the photoorientation, the detailed reorientation model by Sekkat's was used. We show that Sekkat's model leads to an exponential behavior at small orientation regimes, which simplifies the mathematical treatment and allows the mean free volume to be obtained from the data fitting.

Evaluation of autogenous bone grafts, particulate or collected during osteotomy with implant burs: Histologic and histomorphometric analysis in rabbits

Purpose: the aim of this study was to evaluate bone regeneration in bone cavities filled with particulate autogenous bone either harvest in blocks and subjected to milling procedures or collected during osteotomy with implant burs. Materials and Methods: In 12 rabbits, 3 noncritical unicortical cavities 7 mm in diameter were prepared with a trephine drill on the right tibia. The cavities were filled respectively with particulate autogenous bone achieved with a manual bone crusher ( particulate group), with particulate autogenous bone obtained using bone collector during osteotomy ( collected group), and with blood clot ( control group). Animals were sacrificed at 7, 15, and 30 days after surgery ( 4 animals for each time period). The sections were examined by histologic and histomorphometric analysis. Results: At 7 days, the samples were filled by coagulum, and bone particles were observed only in the collected (24%) and particulate groups (44.75%). At 15 days, there was connective differentiation in all groups, with presence of grafted bone particles and onset of newly formed bone in the collected (38.88%) and particulate groups (46.0%). At 30 days, there was bone fill ( immature trabecular bone) of the cavities in the control (50%), collected (64.63%) and particulate groups (66%). Conclusion: No significant difference was demonstrated between noncritical unicortical bone defects in rabbit tibiae filled with particulate bone harvested as a block and subjected to milling and those filled with bone collected during osteotomy with implant drills when the defects were observed up to 30 days following their creation.