Diastolic function and functional capacity after a single session of continuous positive airway pressure in patients with compensated heart failure

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

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins: Structure, biological function and therapeutic applications

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional secreted cytokines, which belong to the TGF-beta superfamily. These glycoproteins act as a disulfide-linked homo- or heterodimers, being potent regulators of bone and cartilage formation and repair, cell proliferation during embryonic development and bone homeostasis in the adult. BMPs are promising molecules for tissue engineering and bone therapy. The present review discusses this family of proteins, their structure and biological function, their therapeutic applications and drawbacks, their effects on mesenchymal stem cells differentiation, and the cell signaling pathways involved in this process. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Age and gender influence the cardiorespiratory function and metabolic rate of broiler chicks during normocapnia and hypercapnia

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

Quasimodular instanton partition function and the elliptic solution of Korteweg-de Vries equations

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

Effects of the morphine-lidocaine-ketamine combination on cardiopulmonary function and isoflurane sparing in sheep

The aims of this study were to evaluate the isoflurane sparing and clinical effects of a constant rate infusion of morphine - lidocaine - ketamine (MLK) in healthy sheep undergoing experimental gastrointestinal surgery. Twelve adult female sheep (Texel breed) were used, weighing 36.5 +/- 8.1 kg. The sheep were anesthetized for the implantation of duodenal cannulas. The sheep were premedicated with 0.3 mg kg(-1) intramuscular (IM) morphine and 20 mu g kg(-1) intravenous (IV) detomidine. After premedication, anesthesia was induced using 5 mg kg(-1) ketamine and 0.5 mg kg(-1) diazepam IV and maintained using isoflurane in 100% oxygen. After the induction of anesthesia, the animals were allocated into two groups (each n=6); the GMLK (MLK group - 10 mg morphine, 150 mg lidocaine, 30 mg de ketamine were added in 500 mL saline) received a 10 mL kg(-1)h(-1) MLK infusion during the maintenance of anesthesia, and GCON (control group) received 10 mL kg(-1)h(-1) of 0.9% sodium chloride. The animals were mechanically ventilated. Cardiopulmonary variables and end-tidal isoflurane concentration (FE'Iso) were measured at baseline (immediately before the surgery) and 15, 30 and 45 minutes after initiation of surgery. In GMLK, there was a decrease in the FE 'Iso at 15, 30 and 45 minutes, a reduction of up to 75.6% during the surgery. The HR was lower in GMLK compared with GCON at 30 minutes, and the MAP was at during baseline in GCON compared with GMLK. The standing time was less in GMLK than in GCON. The use of intravenous MLK was demonstrated to offer great efficiency as part of a balanced anesthesia protocol in sheep, with a 75.6% reduction in the need for isoflurane, providing stability of the cardiovascular parameters and blood gases with a shortened recovery period.

Ischemic postconditioning and subanesthetic S(+)-Ketamine infusion: effects on renal function and histology in rats

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

Biology of bone tissue: structure, function, and factors that influence bone cells

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

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

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

Multinodal Load Forecasting in Power Electric Systems using a Neural Network with Radial Basis Function

In this paper we present the results of the use of a methodology for multinodal load forecasting through an artificial neural network-type Multilayer Perceptron, making use of radial basis functions as activation function and the Backpropagation algorithm, as an algorithm to train the network. This methodology allows you to make the prediction at various points in power system, considering different types of consumers (residential, commercial, industrial) of the electric grid, is applied to the problem short-term electric load forecasting (24 hours ahead). We use a database (Centralised Dataset - CDS) provided by the Electricity Commission de New Zealand to this work.

Ovary peltate trichomes of Zeyheria montana (Bignoniaceae): Developmental ultrastructure and secretion in relation to function

center dot Background and Aims Nectar production in the Bignoniaceae species lacking a nectariferous functional disc is ascribed to trichomatic glands around the ovary base and/or on the inner corolla wall. Nevertheless, knowledge about the secretion and function of these glands is very incomplete. The purpose of this paper is to study, from a developmental viewpoint, the ultrastructure, histochemistry and secretory process of the peltate trichomes on the ovary of Zeyheria montana, a species in the Bignoniaceae which has a rudimentary disc.center dot Methods Samples of the gynoecium at various developmental stages were fixed and processed for light and electron microscopy. Histochemistry and cytochemistry tests were performed to examine the chemical composition of exudates. Thin layer chromatography was used to determine the presence of alkaloids and terpenes in gynoecium and fruit extracts, and in fresh nectar stored in the nectar chamber.center dot Key Results Peltate trichomes at different developmental stages appear side by side from floral budding up to pre-dispersal fruit. Large plastids with an extensive internal membrane system consisting of tubules filled with lipophilic material, abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, few Golgi bodies, lipophilic deposits in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and scattered cytoplasmic oil droplets are the main characteristics of mature head cells. The secretion which accumulates in the subcuticular space stains positively for hydrophilic and lipophilic substances, with lipids prevailing for fully peltate trichomes. Histochemistry and thin layer chromatography detected terpenes and alkaloids. Fehling's test to detect of sugars in the secretion was negative.center dot Conclusions the continuous presence and activity of peltate trichomes on the ovary of Z. montana from early budding through to flowering and fruiting set, and its main chemical components, alkaloids and terpenes, suggest that they serve a protective function and are not related to the floral nectar source or to improving nectar quality.

Burnt sugarcane harvesting: Particulate matter exposure and the effects on lung function, oxidative stress, and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Carbon Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Profiles coupled to Partial Least-Squares Multivariate Regression for Prediction of Several Physicochemical Parameters of Brazilian Commercial Gasoline

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)