Frequency upconversion in rare-earth doped fluoroindate glasses

We present recent results on frequency upconversion (UPC) obtained in fluoroindate glasses (FIG) doped with Ho3+, Tm3+ and Nd3+ ions and codoped with Pr3+/Nd3+ and Yb3+/Tb3+ ions. The results for the Ho3+-doped samples show strong evidence of energy transfer (ET) between Ho3+ ions resonantly excited at 640 nm. The origin of the blue-green upconverted fluorescence observed was identified and the dynamics of the signals revealed the pathways involved in the UPC process. In the case of Tm3+-doped FIG, the samples were resonantly excited at 650 nm and the main mechanism that contributes for the red-to-blue upconversion is excited-state absorption (ESA). The FIG samples codoped with Pr3+/Nd3+ were excited at 588 nm in resonance with transitions starting from the ground state of the Nd 3+ and the Pr3+ ions. It was observed that the presence of Nd3+ ions enhanced the Pr3+ emission at 480 nm by two orders of magnitude. Multiphonon (MP)-assisted upconversion is also discussed for Nd3+-doped FIG pumped at 866 nm. Emission at 750 nm with a peculiar linear dependence with the laser intensity was observed and explained. A rate-equation model that includes MP absorption via thermally coupled electronic excited states of Nd3+ was developed and describes well the experimental results. The role played by effective phonon modes is clearly demonstrated. MP-assisted UPC process was also studied in Yb3+/ Tb3+-codoped FIG samples excited at 1064 nm, which is off-resonance with electronic transitions starting from the ground state. It was determined that the mechanism leading to Tb3+ emission in the blue is due to ET from a pair of excited Yb3+ ions followed by ESA in the Tb 3+ ions. © 2002 Académie des sciences/Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.

Naso-orbicular tissue necrosis by Streptococcus parasanguis in a patient with Fanconi anemia: Clinical and laboratory aspects

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by pancytopenia and progressive hypoplasia of the bone marrow. A 23-year-old woman with FA showed severe pancytopenia and developed an abscess on the infraorbicular region on the right side of the face that progressed to phlegmon and caused tissue necrosis of the nostrils, nasal septum, nasal fossa, and posterior orbital region. Laboratory examination showed Streptococcus parasanguis as the etiologic agent of the phlegmon. Supportive treatment was recommended due to donor incompatibility for bone marrow transplant. The intraoral examination showed spontaneous gingival bleeding, edema of the interdental papillae, hematomas on the superior and inferior lips, bacterial and fungal infections, and adequate oral hygiene. The patient was treated with the administration of an antibiotic (imipenem), an antifungal (amphotericin B), and mouth washing with antiseptic solutions. Periodontal prophylaxis and orientation to and control of oral hygiene and diet were also used during the remission period. For functional and esthetic rehabilitation of the alar regions and nasal dorsum, an acrylic resin nasal prosthesis was made, supported by a spectacle frame.

Surgical and clinical management of a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia: A case report

A 6-year-old girl with Glanzmann thrombasthenia presented with caries and periapical lesions in the primary mandibular second molars and moderate gingivitis of the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth. Dental extraction was recommended, and before every surgical intervention, the patient underwent platelet-concentrate transfusion to prevent hemorrhage. Epsilon aminocaproic acid was administered 6 hours before, and 48 hours after every dental procedure to prevent bleeding. In this case, treatment was effective in the prevention of hemorrhagic complications, during the required dental procedures.

Oral manifestations during chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A case report

A 14-year-old, male patient was referred for the treatment of mucositis, idiopathic facial asymmetry, and candidiasis. The patient had been undergoing chemotherapy for 5 years for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He presented with a swollen face, fever, and generalized symptomatology in the mouth with burning. On physical examination, general signs of poor health, paleness, malnutrition, and jaundice were observed. The extraoral clinical examination showed edema on the right side of the face and cutaneous erythema. On intraoral clinical examination, generalized ulcers with extensive necrosis on the hard palate mucosa were observed, extending to the posterior region. Both free and attached gingivae were ulcerated and edematous with exudation and spontaneous bleeding, mainly in the superior and inferior anterior teeth region. The tongue had no papillae and was coated, due to poor oral hygiene. The patient also presented with carious white lesions and enamel hypoplasia, mouth opening limitation, and foul odor. After exfoliative cytology of the affected areas, the diagnosis was mixed infection by Candida albicans and bacteria. Recommended treatment was antibiotics and antifungal administration, periodontal prophylaxis, topical application of fluor 1.23%, and orientation on and control of proper oral hygiene and diet during the remission phase of the disease.

Prevalence of trachoma in a population of the upper Rio Negro basin and risk factors for active disease

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of trachoma in Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira (SGC), the only urban community of the upper Rio Negro Basin of the Amazon state in Brazil, near the Colombian border, and to investigate the risk factors associated with the active forms of the disease. Methods: A total of 1702 people (440 children up to 9 years and 1069 adults aged 15 years and above) were examined. The sample was selected from a probabilistic household sampling procedure based on census data and a previous study of trachoma prevalence in Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira. A two-stage probabilistic household cluster sample was drawn. Household units were randomly selected within each cluster. A variety of socioeconomic and hygiene variables were studied in order to determine the risk factors for active trachoma in a household. Results: The total prevalence of trachoma was 8.9%. Prevalence of active trachoma (TF and/or TI) in children aged 1-9 years was 11.1% and trachomatous trichiasis in adults aged 15 years and above was 0.19%. Trachomatous scarring reached a peak of 22.4% for subjects between 50 to 60 years of age. Corneal opacity occurred in subjects aged 50 years and older with a prevalence of 2.0%. No sex effect was found on the overall prevalence of trachoma in SGC. Risk factors associated with active trachoma were mainly related to poor socioeconomic indicators. Conclusions: Despite the ubiquitous presence of water, the analysis of the risk factors associated with the active forms of the disease supports the idea that a low personal standard of hygiene and not water availability per se, is the key factor associated with trachoma. Copyright © 2008 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.

Microhardness assessment of different commercial brands of resin composites with different degrees of translucence

Owing to improvements in its mechanical properties and to the availability of shade and translucence resources, resin composite has become one of the most widely used restorative materials in present day Dentistry. The aim of this study was to assess the relation between the surface hardness of seven different commercial brands of resin composites (Charisma, Fill Magic, Master Fill, Natural Look, Opallis, Tetric Ceram, and Z250) and the different degrees of translucence (translucid, enamel and dentin). Vickers microhardness testing revealed significant differences among the groups. Z250 was the commercial brand that showed the best performance in the hardness test. When comparing the three groups assessed within the same brand, only Master Fill and Fill Magic presented statistically significant differences among all of the different translucencies. Natural Look was the only one that showed no significant difference among any of the three groups. Charisma, Opallis, Tetric Ceram and Z250 showed significant differences among some of the tested groups. Based on the results found in this study, it was not possible to establish a relation between translucence and the microhardness of the resin composites assessed. Depending on the material assessed, however, translucence variation did affect the microhardness values of the resin composites.

Qualidade química da água residual da criação de peixes para cultivo de alface em hidroponia

Aiming to evaluate the association of hydroponic lettuce cultivation with residues from a fish intensive breeding system, a project was carried out in the Aquaculture Center in the FCAV-UNESP at Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. A closed system was designed in order to allow the water to circulate through the fish tanks, a clarifier tank for removal of residues, a reservoir for biological conversion of ammonia into nitrate, and the hydroponic system. After this process, water returned back to the fish tanks. Three varieties of lettuce, constituting the treatments with four repetitions were evaluated. The results of the chemical analysis of the residual water from the fish tanks indicated the presence of the majority of the mineral nutrients necessary for vegetable development. Their concentration was close to that found in nutrient solutions, used for lettuce hydroponic cultivation, except for potassium and magnesium. The low concentration of magnesium in the water did not prevent lettuce development, although the plants presented visual symptoms of deficiency of this nutrient. Differences were not found between the varieties produced, regarding productivity and the mean weight of fresh plants.

Efeito da suplementação sobre a digestibilidade dos nutrientes e desempenho de bezerros lactentes mantidos em pastagens de Brachiaria brizantha

This study evaluated the effect of supplementation and the type of supplement on nutrient digestibility and performance of lactating calves fed with Brachiara brizantha cv. Marandu pasture from February to May. The treatments were: supplementation in creep-feeding with protein concentrate, with energy concentrate, with energy-protein concentrate and without concentrate. In a Latin square design, four Canchim calves were kept in individual pens, receiving marandu hay and controlled suckling twice a day. The performance was evaluated in a completely randomized design, with 23 calves kept with the cows. Higher intake and nutrients digestibility (65% of dry mater digestibility) and calf performance (live weight gain of 0.98 kg day-1) were obtained with energyprotein concentrate, and the cows kept weight and body reserves during the experiment. The protein concentrate did not show good results, and was lower than the performance of calves without supplementation - 0.56 and 0.77 kg day-1, respectively. The performance of calves without supplementation was similar to calves receiving energy concentrate, but the cows lost more body weight and energy reserves. The supplementation with energy-protein concentrate for lactating calves fed with Brachiara brizantha cv. Marandu during the beginning of the dry season was benefifical for the performance of calves and cows.

Influência da aplicação de vinhaça na capacidade de Infiltração de um solo de textura franco arenosa

The objective of this study was to analyze effects in different depth in soil water infiltration and to verify the Horton and Kostiakov-Lewis models adequacy in infiltration rate estimate. The treatments were five doses of vinasse (0, 200, 250, 300 and 350 m3?ha1?. The vinasse application reduced the soil erosion risk increasing the possibility of runoff. The Horton model had the best adjustment on the observed data, and the Kostiakov-Lewis model overestimated the infiltration rate values.

Avaliação dos dados decendiais de precipitação e temperatura máxima e mínima do ar simulados pelo modelo ECMWF para o estado de São Paulo

The weather and climate has a direct influence in agriculture, it affects all stages of farming, since soil preparation to harvest. Meteorological data derived from automatic or conventional weather stations are used to monitor these effects. These meteorological data has problems like difficulty of data access and low density of meteorological stations in Brazil. Meteorological data from atmospheric models, such as ECMWF (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast) can be an alternative. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare 10-day period precipitation, maximum and minimum air temperature data from the ECMWF model with interpolated maps from 33 weather stations in Sao Paulo state between 2005 and 2010 and generate statistical maps pixel by pixel. Statistical index showed spatially satisfactory (most of the results with R 2 > 0.60, d > 0.7, RMSE < 5°C and < 50 mm; Es < 5°C and < 24 mm) in period and ECMWF model can be recommended for use in the Sao Paulo state.

Epibiosis in decapod crustaceans by stalked barnacle Octolasmis lowei (Cirripedia: Poecilasmatidae)

Stalked barnacles Octolasmis lowei Darwin, 1851 are frequently found attached to decapod crustaceans. Their epibiotic association depends on many factors, which are mainly related to characteristics of the host's biology. This study evaluated the infestation and distribution of stalked barnacles in the branchial chambers of crabs, and analyzed the data with respect to the host's sex, maturity stage, molt cycle and size. The crab species Arenaeus cribrarius Lamarck, 1818, Callinectes danae Smith, 1869, Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863, Hepatus pudibundus Herbst, 1785, Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871, and Persephona punctata Linnaeus, 1758 were sampled and found to be infested by O. lowei. No juvenile crabs were infested. The prevalence of infestation by O. lowei was significantly different among C. danae, C. ornatus, and H. pudibundus males and females. All infested hosts were in the intermolt period. The mean size of infested crabs was larger than that observed for non-infested individuals. Internally, stalked barnacles were concentrated on the central gills or walls and floor of branchial chambers, suggesting that these gills provide more favorable conditions for the settlement and development of these epibionts. These results highlight the relationship between epibiont infestation and host biology, as well as the role of decapod crustaceans as a suitable substrate for the development of stalked barnacle O. lowei. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia All rights reserved.

A utilização da internet nos espaços de acesso livre sob a perspectiva dos estudos culturais latinos-americanos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estudo de N-metilformamida em meio não aquoso. O caso NMF-acetona

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)