Structural characterization and Curie temperature determination of a sodium strontium niobate ferroelectric nanostructured powder

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

Structural modeling and mutational analysis of yeast eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A reveal new critical residues and reinforce its involvement in protein synthesis

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a protein that is highly conserved and essential for cell viability. This factor is the only protein known to contain the unique and essential amino acid residue hypusine. This work focused on the structural and functional characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A. The tertiary structure of yeast eIF5A was modeled based on the structure of its Leishmania mexicana homologue and this model was used to predict the structural localization of new site-directed and randomly generated mutations. Most of the 40 new mutants exhibited phenotypes that resulted from eIF-5A protein-folding defects. Our data provided evidence that the C-terminal alpha-helix present in yeast eIF5A is an essential structural element, whereas the eIF5A N-terminal 10 amino acid extension not present in archaeal eIF5A homologs, is not. Moreover, the mutants containing substitutions at or in the vicinity of the hypusine modification site displayed nonviable or temperature-sensitive phenotypes and were defective in hypusine modification. Interestingly, two of the temperature-sensitive strains produced stable mutant eIF5A proteins - eIF5A(K56A) and eIF5A(Q22H,L93F)- and showed defects in protein synthesis at the restrictive temperature. Our data revealed important structural features of eIF5A that are required for its vital role in cell viability and underscored an essential function of eIF5A in the translation step of gene expression.

Surfactant systems for nasal zidovudine delivery: structural, rheological and mucoadhesive properties

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Thermal stability and thermal decomposition of sucralose

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

Polymeric precursor method to the synthesis of XWO(4) (X = Ca and Sr) thin films-Structural, microstructural and spectroscopic investigations

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

Stability and convergence analysis of a neural model applied in nonlinear systems optimization

A neural model for solving nonlinear optimization problems is presented in this paper. More specifically, a modified Hopfield network is developed and its internal parameters are computed using the valid-subspace technique. These parameters guarantee the convergence of the network to the equilibrium points that represent an optimal feasible solution. The network is shown to be completely stable and globally convergent to the solutions of nonlinear optimization problems. A study of the modified Hopfield model is also developed to analyze its stability and convergence. Simulation results are presented to validate the developed methodology.

Effect of the microwave oven on structural, morphological and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a soft chemical method

Thin films of SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBTi), a prototype of the Bi-layered-ferroelectric oxide family, were obtained by a soft chemical method and crystallized in a domestic microwave oven. For comparison, films were also crystallized in a conventional method at 700 degrees C for 2 h. Structural and morphological characterization of the SBTi thin films were investigated by Xray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Using platinum coated silicon substrates, the ferroelectric properties of the films were determined. Remanent polarization P-r and a coercive field E-c values of 5.1 mu C/cm(2) and 135 kV/cm for the film thermally treated in the microwave oven and 5.4 mu C/cm(2) and 85 kv/cm for the film thermally treated in conventional furnace were found. The films thermally treated in the conventional furnace exhibited excellent fatigue-free characteristics up to 10(10) switching cycles indicating that SBTi thin films are a promising material for use in non-volatile memories. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Pigment and Opacifier on Dimensional Stability and Detail Reproduction of Maxillofacial Silicone Elastomer

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

Influence of opacifiers on dimensional stability and detail reproduction of maxillofacial silicone elastomer

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

Effect of Incorporation of Disinfectant Solutions on Setting Time, Linear Dimensional Stability, and Detail Reproduction in Dental Stone Casts

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to analyze the influence of incorporation of disinfectants during the cast die stone-setting time. Setting time, linear dimensional stability, and reproduction details on casts were measured.Materials and Methods: Die stone type IV specimens with disinfection solutions (sodium hypochlorite 1%, glutaraldehyde 2%, chlorhexidine 2%) were incorporated in two concentrations (50%, 100%). The detail reproduction, dimensional stability, and setting time were tested in accordance with ADA recommendations.Results: Disinfecting solutions promoted an increase in setting time compared to control; sodium hypochlorite was responsible for the highest setting time. The addition of undiluted sodium hypochlorite 1.0% led to contraction during setting, but the groups with 50% diluted sodium hypochlorite 1.0% and undiluted chlorhexidine 2.0% resulted in intermediate values compared to the other groups, thus matching the control. The others did not demonstrate any effect on expansion. For detail reproduction, it was observed that the control group presented results similar to the others, except those where sodium hypochlorite was added.Conclusions The addition of sodium hypochlorite in both dilutions significantly altered, negatively, all the evaluated properties. But the addition of glutaraldehyde and chlorhexidine did not promote any significant alterations in the evaluated properties.

Customized fiber glass posts. Fatigue and fracture resistance

Purpose: To evaluate the root fracture strength of human single-rooted premolars restored with customized fiberglass post-core systems after fatigue simulation. Methods: 40 human premolars had their crowns cut and the root length was standardized to 13 mm. The teeth were endodontically treated and embedded in acrylic resin. The specimens were distributed into four groups (n=10) according to the restorative material used: prefabricated fiber post (PFP), PFP+accessory fiber posts (PFPa), PFP+unidirectional fiberglass (PFPf), and unidirectional fiberglass customized post (CP). All posts were luted using resin cement and the cores were built up with a resin composite. The samples were stored for 24 hours at 37 degrees C and 100% relative humidity and then submitted to mechanical cycling. The specimens were then compressive-loaded in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/minute until fracture. The failure patterns were analyzed and classified. Data was submitted to one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (alpha= 0.05). Results: The mean values of maximum load (N) were: PFP - 811.4 +/- 124.3; PFPa - 729.2 +/- 157.2; PFPf - 747.5 +/- 204.7; CP - 762.4 +/- 110. Statistical differences were not observed among the groups. All groups showed favorable restorable failures. Fiberglass customized post did not show improved fracture resistance or differences in failure patterns when compared to prefabricated glass fiber posts. (Am J Dent 2012;25:35-38).

In Vitro Study of Fracture Load and Fracture Pattern of Ceramic Crowns: A Finite Element and Fractography Analysis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Structural, functional, and bioinformatics studies reveal a new snake venom homologue phospholipase A(2) class

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

Oxidative Stability and alpha-Tocopherol Retention in Soybean Oil with Lemon Seed Extract (Citrus Limon) under Thermoxidation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Relationship between global structural parameters and Enzyme Commission hierarchy: Implications for function prediction

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