Comparison of the Polar S810i monitor and the ECG for the analysis of heart rate variability in the time and frequency domains

The aim of the present study was to compare heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during exercise using a temporal series obtained with the Polar S810i monitor and a signal from a LYNX® signal conditioner (BIO EMG 1000 model) with a channel configured for the acquisition of ECG signals. Fifteen healthy subjects aged 20.9 ± 1.4 years were analyzed. The subjects remained at rest for 20 min and performed exercise for another 20 min with the workload selected to achieve 60% of submaximal heart rate. RR series were obtained for each individual with a Polar S810i instrument and with an ECG analyzed with a biological signal conditioner. The HRV indices (rMSSD, pNN50, LFnu, HFnu, and LF/HF) were calculated after signal processing and analysis. The unpaired Student t-test and intraclass correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing the values analyzed by means of the two devices for HRV at rest and during exercise. The intraclass correlation coefficient demonstrated satisfactory correlation between the values obtained by the devices at rest (pNN50 = 0.994; rMSSD = 0.995; LFnu = 0.978; HFnu = 0.978; LF/HF = 0.982) and during exercise (pNN50 = 0.869; rMSSD = 0.929; LFnu = 0.973; HFnu = 0.973; LF/HF = 0.942). The calculation of HRV values by means of temporal series obtained from the Polar S810i instrument appears to be as reliable as those obtained by processing the ECG signal captured with a signal conditioner.

Thermal analysis of biodegradable microparticles containing ciprofloxacin hydrochloride obtained by spray drying technique

Thermal analysis has been extensively used to obtain information about drug-polymer interactions and to perform pre-formulation studies of pharmaceutical dosage forms. In this work, biodegradable microparticles of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) containing ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CP) in various drug:polymer ratios were obtained by spray drying. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the spray drying process on the drug-polymer interactions and on the stability of microparticles using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The results showed that the high levels of encapsulation efficiency were dependant on drug:polymer ratio. DSC and TG/DTG analyses showed that for physical mixtures of the microparticles components the thermal profiles were different from those signals obtained with the pure substances. Thermal analysis data disclosed that physical interaction between CP and PLGA in high temperatures had occurred. The DSC and TG profiles for drug-loaded microparticles were very similar to the physical mixtures of components and it was possible to characterize the thermal properties of microparticles according to drug content. These data indicated that the spray dryer technique does not affect the physicochemical properties of the microparticles. In addition, the results are in agreement with IR data analysis demonstrating that no significant chemical interaction occurs between CP and PLGA in both physical mixtures and microparticles. In conclusion, we have found that the spray drying procedure used in this work can be a secure methodology to produce CP-loaded microparticles. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Intelligent System for Petroleum Well Drilling Cutting Analysis

Cutting analysis is a important and crucial task task to detect and prevent problems during the petroleum well drilling process. Several studies have been developed for drilling inspection, but none of them takes care about analysing the generated cutting at the vibrating shale shakers. Here we proposed a system to analyse the cutting's concentration at the vibrating shale shakers, which can indicate problems during the petroleum well drilling process, such that the collapse of the well borehole walls. Cutting's images are acquired and sent to the data analysis module, which has as the main goal to extract features and to classify frames according to one of three previously classes of cutting's volume. A collection of supervised classifiers were applied in order to allow comparisons about their accuracy and efficiency. We used the Optimum-Path Forest (OPF), Artificial Neural Network using Multi layer Perceptrons (ANN-MLP), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and a Bayesian Classifier (BC) for this task. The first one outperformed all the remaining classifiers. Recall that we are also the first to introduce the OPF classifier in this field of knowledge. Very good results show the robustness of the proposed system, which can be also integrated with other commonly system (Mud-Logging) in order to improve the last one's efficiency.

Desempenho agronômico de híbridos de milho, em função da aplicação foliar de fungicidas

The objective of the study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of corn hybrids (AG 8088, BG 7049, CD 327, CD 384, CD 351 and CD 321) at function of the foliar application of two fungicides (piraclostrobina + epoxiconazol and azoxistrobina + ciproconazol) at pre-tasseling of the culture. The experiment was conducted In Selviria - MS, in the experimental Farm of the Faculty of Engineering of Ilha Solteira - SP (UNESP), Brazil, during the harvest of 2008/09. The treatments were disposed in randomized complete block design in a factorial scheme 6 x 3 (corn hybrids x fungicides), with four replications. There was valued plant height and of insertion of the ear, number of rows of grains by ear and of grains by row, incidence of foliar diseases, weight of hundred grains and productivity. The results were submitted to the analysis of variance, and the hybrids and fungicides compared by Tukey test (P<0.05). For data analysis were used the software SISVAR. The foliar application of the fungicides piraclostrobina + epoxiconazol and azoxistrobina + ciproconazol in pre-tasseling of the culture the corn reduced the incidence of foliar diseases, nevertheless, was not sufficient to provoke growth of productivity. The hybrids CD 321, AG 8088 and CD 351 were highlighted by the higher yield obtained.

Family visitors and companions of hospitalized elderly and adults: analysis of the experience from the perspective of the nursing working process

Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, utilizando-se como referencial metodológico a Grounded Theory e como referencial teórico o Processo de Trabalho em Enfermagem, para compreender o papel assumido pelo enfermeiro perante as normas e rotinas hospitalares, relativas aos familiares visitantes e acompanhantes de adultos e idosos internados em um Hospital Universitário. A análise dos dados permitiu a identificação do tema: definindo-se a modalidade de apoio familiar durante a hospitalização, que reúne duas categorias principais: tornando-se familiar visitante e tornando-se familiar acompanhante. Por meio da análise, pôde-se aprofundar a compreensão do quanto as regras estabelecidas, com o objetivo de disciplinar e tornar eficiente o trabalho desenvolvido no hospital, podem explicitar o desprovimento de autonomia no processo de trabalho, para modificar as relações nesse contexto e o quanto a apropriação do familiar como parte da equipe de saúde, está distante de ser pensada no concreto das instituições.

Software para análise quantitativa da deglutição

OBJETIVO: Apresentar um software que permita uma análise detalhada da dinâmica da deglutição. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Participaram deste estudo dez indivíduos após acidente vascular encefálico, sendo seis do gênero masculino, com idade média de 57,6 anos. Foi realizada videofluoroscopia da deglutição e as imagens foram digitalizadas em microcomputador, com posterior análise do tempo do trânsito faríngeo da deglutição, por meio de um cronômetro e do software. RESULTADOS: O tempo médio do trânsito faríngeo da deglutição apresentou-se diferente quando comparados os métodos utilizados (cronômetro e software). CONCLUSÃO: Este software é um instrumento de análise dos parâmetros tempo e velocidade da deglutição, propiciando melhor compreensão da dinâmica da deglutição, com reflexos tanto na abordagem clínica dos pacientes com disfagia como para fins de pesquisa científica.

Influence of the ratio of particulate autogenous bone graft/platelet-rich plasma on bone healing in critical-size defects: a histologic and histometric study in rat calvaria

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

Analysis of Abstracts Presented at the Prosthodontic Research Section of IADR General Sessions 2004-2005: Demographics, Publication Rates, and Factors Contributing to Publication

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe the demographics of abstracts presented at the prosthodontics section of IADR General Sessions from 2004 to 2005, evaluate the publication rate of abstracts, and analyze the relationship between variables in abstracts and publication.Materials and Methods: Prosthodontics research section abstracts from the IADR General Session in 2004 and 2005 were evaluated for: number of authors, presentation type, origin, affiliation, topic, study design, statistics, study outcome, and funding. The publication rate was calculated following a PubMed search. The journal of publication, year of publication, and the length of time before publication were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used for the data analysis; the relationships between presentation type, study design, study outcome, statistics, funding, and publication were analyzed using logistic regression (alpha = 0.05).Results: From 346 abstracts, 37.0% were published. For oral presentations, 40.7% were published; 35.8% of poster presentations were published. The mean duration before publicationwas 26.4months. North America had themost abstracts, and Europe had the most publications. Fixed prosthodontic research had the highest number and proportion for publication. A significant association with publication was noted for neutral study outcomes (p = 0.018), studies with funding (p = 0.035), and abstracts from Europe (p = 0.001).Conclusions: The majority of abstracts from the prosthodontics research section of IADR General Sessions from 2004 and 2005 remain unpublished. A significant association for publication was noted with neutral outcomes, funding, and abstracts from Europe.

Effect of Ultrasonic Excitation on the Porosity of Glass Ionomer Cement: A Scanning Electron Microscope Evaluation

Background: Ultrasonic excitation (US) was applied to glass ionomer cement (GIC) during early set time to increase the advantageous properties of this material. Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the inner porosity of GIC after US. Study design: A total of 16 specimens, for each material, were prepared from high-viscosity GIC Fuji IX GP, Ketac Molar, and Ketac Molar Easymix. Half of these specimens (n = 8) received 30 s of US during the initial cement setting. After completion of the material setting, specimens were fractured and observed by scanning electronic microscopy to quantitatively assay porosity inside the material using Image J software. Results: Statistical data analysis revealed that US reduced the porosity for all tested materials (P <= 0.05). The following reductions (expressed in percentages) were achieved: Fuji IX-from 3.9% to 2.8%; Ketac Molar Easy Mix-from 4.4% to 2.6%, and Ketac Molar-from 2.4% to 1.6%. Conclusion: Under the tested conditions, US was an effective method for porosity reduction inside the material. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74:54-57, 2011. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Scanning electron microscopy evaluation of the hard tissue barrier after pulp capping with calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or ProRoot MTA

The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and localisation of calcium hydroxide- and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)-induced hard tissue barriers after pulpotomy in dogs' teeth. Pulpotomies were performed on maxillary and mandibular premolars of five dogs. The teeth were assigned into three groups according to the pulp-capping agent used. The pulpal wounds were capped with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2) - control), MTA or ProRoot MTA, and the cavities were restored with amalgam. After a 90-day follow-up period, the dogs were euthanised and the teeth were examined under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An image-processing and analysis software was used to delimit the perimeters of the root canal area and the hard tissue barrier to determine the percentage of root canal obliteration. SEM data were used to assess the morphology, localisation and extension of the reparative hard tissue barriers. ProRoot MTA was statistically different from MTA and Ca(OH)(2) (P < 0.05) regarding tissue barrier morphology. Localisation data showed that ProRoot MTA was significantly different from Ca(OH)(2) (P < 0.05) and similar to MTA (P > 0.01; P > 0.05). No statistically significant difference (P > 0.01; P > 0.05) was observed between MTA and Ca(OH)(2). A larger number of complete (centroperipheral) hard tissue barriers with predominance of dentinal tubules was observed to the ProRoot MTA when compared with the Ca(OH)(2) group.

THE INFLUENCE of SHORT-HEATING-CYCLE INVESTMENTS on THE QUALITY of COMMERCIALLY PURE TITANIUM CASTINGS

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

Effect of thermal cycling on microleakage between hard chairside relines and denture base acrylic resins

Objectives:Microleakage is a pre-stage of debonding between hard chairside relines and denture base acrylic resins. Therefore, it is important to assess them with regard to the longevity of the relined denture. This study investigated the effect of thermal cycling on the microleakage at the interface of three hard chairside reline resins and three denture base resins.Material and methods:Rectangular bars (12 mm x 3 mm x 3 mm) of Lucitone 550, Acron MC and QC 20 were made and relined with Kooliner, Tokuyama Rebase Fast II and Ufi Gel Hard, Lucitone 550, Acron MC and QC 20 resins. Specimens were divided into one control and two test groups (n = 10). In specimens of the control group, the microleakage was performed after the reline procedure. In Test Group 1, the specimens were stored for 24 h in distilled water at room temperature and in Test Group 2; the specimens were thermal cycled from 5 to 55 degrees C for 5000 cycles with a 30-s dwell time. Subsequently, all specimens were immersed in 50% silver nitrate solutions for 24 h. All specimens were sectioned longitudinally into three fractions and the lateral sections were examined (n = 20). Silver nitrate stain penetration was examined under a stereoscopic lens with x30 magnification, and the images were captured. Leica Qwin image analysis software was used to determine microleakage at the interface of the materials. Data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test at a 95% level of significance.Results:For all cycles, there were no statistically significant differences between thermal cycled and non-thermal cycled groups (p > 0.05).Conclusion:It can be concluded that thermal cycling had no effect on the microleakage.

Searching for molecular markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) by statistical and bioinformatic analysis of larynx-derived SAGE libraries

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

Status of a hybrid three-neutrino interpretation of neutrino data

We re-analyse the non-standard interaction (NSI) solutions to the solar neutrino problem in the light of the latest solar as well as atmospheric neutrino data. The latter require oscillations (OSC), while the former do not. Within such a three-neutrino framework the solar and atmospheric neutrino sectors are connected not only by the neutrino mixing angle theta(13) constrained by reactor and atmospheric data, but also by the flavour-changing (FC) and non-universal (NU) parameters accounting for the solar data. Since the NSI solution is energy-independent the spectrum is undistorted, so that the global analysis observables are the solar neutrino rates in all experiments as well as the Super-Kamiokande day-night measurements. We find that the NSI description of solar data is slightly better than that of the OSC solution and that the allowed NSI regions are determined mainly by the rate analysis. By using a few simplified ansatzes for the NSI interactions we explicitly demonstrate that the NSI values indicated by the solar data analysis are fully acceptable also for the atmospheric data. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphometric analysis of the corneal endothelium of Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) using scanning electron microscopy

The objective of this study was to examine the endothelial surface morphology and to perform morphometric analysis of the corneal endothelial cells of Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) using scanning electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis with regard to polygonality, mean cell area, cell density and coefficient of variation of mean cell area was performed. Cell areas were measured using image analysis software. The normal corneal endothelium of Yacare caiman consisted of polygonal cells of uniform size and shape with interdigitations of the cell borders. Microvilli appeared as protrusions on the cellular surface. The average cell area was 270 +/- 24 mum(2) and the endothelial cell density was 3704 +/- 324 cells/mm(2). The coefficient of variation of cell area was 0.22. This study demonstrates that the Yacare caiman corneal endothelium is similar to those described in other vertebrates.