Preparation of a silica gel modified with 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole for adsorption of metal ions and electroanalytical application

Silica gel with a specific area of 382 m2 g-1 and an average pore diameter of 60 Å was chemically modified with 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole, for the purpose of selective adsorption of heavy metals ions and possible use as a chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE). The following properties of this functionalized silica gel are discussed: selective adsorption of heavy metal ions measured by batch and chromatographic column techniques, and utilization as preconcentration agent in a chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) for determination of mercury(II). The chemical selectivity of this functional group and the selectivity of voltammetry were combined for preconcentration and determination. ©2006 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

Direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in Brazilian sugar cane spirits by graphite furnace AAS using tungsten permanent modifier with co-injection of Pd/Mg(N03)2

A method was developed using the multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique for the direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in Brazilian sugar cane spirit (cachaça) samples. Also employed was the end-capped transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) with platforms pre-treated with W permanent modifier and co-injection of Pd/Mg(N03)2. Pyrolysis and atomization temperature curves were established in a cachaça medium (1+1; v/v) containing 0.2% (v/v) HN03 and spiked with 20 μg L-1 As and Pb and 200 μg L-1Cu. The effect of the concentration of major elements usually present in cachaça matrices (Ca, Mg, Na, and K) and ethanol on the absorbance of As, Cu, and Pb was investigated. Analytical working solutions of As, Cu, and Pb were prepared in 10% (v/v) ethanol plus 5.0 mg L-1 Ca, Mg, Na, and K. Acidified to 0.2% (v/v) HNO3, these solutions were suitable to build calibration curves by matrix matching. The proposed method was applied to the simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in commercial sugar cane spirits. The characteristic mass for the simultaneous determination was 16 pg As, 119 pg Cu, and 28 pg Pb. The pretreated tube lifetime was about 450 firings. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.6 μg L-1As, 9.2 μg L-1 Cu, and 0.3 μg L-1Pb. The found concentrations varied from 0.81 to 4.28 μg L-1As, 0.28 to 382 mg L-1 Cu and 0.82 to 518 μg L-1 Pb. The recoveries of the spiked samples varied from 94-112% (As), 97-111% (Cu), and 95-101% (Pb). The relative standard deviation (n=12) was 6.9%, 7.4%, and 7.7% for As, Cu, and Pb, respectively, present in a sample at 0.87 μgL-1, 0.81 mgL-1, and 38.9 μgL-1concentrations.

Genetic diversity of microsatellite loci in Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus wiedii and Leopardus tigrinus

The microsatellite loci FCA045, FCA077, FCA008, and FCA096 are highly variable molecular markers which were used to determine the genetic diversity in 148 captive Leopardus sp. The PCR-amplified products of microsatellite loci were characterized in ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer. Allele numbers, heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, exclusive allele number, and shared alleles were calculated. Sixty-five alleles were found and their sizes ranged from 116 to 216 bp in four microsatellite loci. The heterozygosity ranged from 0.36 to 0.81 in Leopardus pardalis, 0.57 to 0.67 in L. tigrinus and 0.80 to 0.92 in L. wiedii. The polymorphism information content was from 0.80 to 0.88 in L. pardalis, 0.76 to 0.88 in L. tigrinus and 0.77 to 0.90 in L. wiedii. The margay (L. wiedii) showed the highest index of polymorphism among the three species in this study. These results imply that microsatellite DNA markers can help in the study of the genetic diversity of Leopardus specimens. ©FUNPEC-RP.

Crescimento de cultivares de mamoneira em função da aplicação de boro, durante a formação de mudas

It was objectified to quantify the initial growth of varieties of castor bean with boron fertilization. Had been tested to cultivate they AL-Guarani, Mirante 10 and Nordestina to the doses of 0; 0.25; 0.50; 0.75 and 1.0 mg kg -1 of B in controlled environment of greenhouse in the Sector of Cafeicultura of the Department of Agriculture of the UFLA. The characteristics valued were: height of plants, length of roots, leaf number, diameter of stem, mass of dry substance (MS) of leafs, of stem, the root and total. To cultivate Mirante 10 it was the one that got minor growth of the system of root. For leaf number to cultivate AL-Guarani it was superior to Mirante 10 and Nordestina. Also to cultivate better AL-Guarani if it detached how much to the production of total mass of MS, while to cultivate Mirante 10 produced more mass of MS than Nordestina.

Mutagenicidade de duas espécies do gěnero Alchornea avaliadas através de ensaios com Salmonella microssomo e teste do micronúcleo

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

Induction pegylated interferon Alfa-2a and high dose ribavirin do not increase SVR in heavy patients with HCV genotype 1 and high viral loads

Background & Aims Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, body weight <85 kg, and high baseline viral load respond poorly to standard doses of pegylated interferon (peginterferon) and ribavirin. We evaluated intensified therapy with peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin. Methods This double-blind randomized trial included HCV genotype 1-infected outpatients from hepatology clinics with body weight <85 kg and HCV RNA titer <400,000 IU/mL. Patients were randomized to 180 μg/wk peginterferon alfa-2a for 48 weeks plus 1200 mg/day ribavirin (standard of care) (group A, n = 191) or 1400/1600 mg/day ribavirin (group B, n = 189). Additional groups included 360 μg/wk peginterferon alfa-2a for 12 weeks then 180 μg/wk peginterferon alfa-2a for 36 weeks plus 1200 mg/day ribavirin (group C, n = 382) or 1400/1600 mg/day ribavirin (group D, n = 383). Follow-up lasted 24 weeks after treatment. Results Sustained virologic response rates (HCV RNA level <15 IU/mL at end of follow-up) in groups A, B, C, and D were 38%, 43%, 44%, and 41%, respectively. There were no significant differences among the 4 groups or between pooled peginterferon alfa-2a regimens (A + B vs C + D: odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.831.39; P = .584) or pooled ribavirin regimens (A + C vs B + D: OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.791.28; P = .974). Conclusions In patients infected with HCV genotype 1 who are difficult to treat (high viral load, body weight <85 kg), a 12-week induction regimen of peginterferon alfa-2a and/or higher-dose ribavirin is not more effective than the standard regimen. © 2010 AGA Institute.

Nonpertubative solutions of massless gauged thirring model

We present a nonperturbative quantization of the two-dimensional massless gauged Thirring model by using the path-integral approach. First, we will study the constraint structure of model via the Dirac's formalism and by using the Faddeev-Senjanovic method we calculate the vacuum-vacuum transition amplitude in a Rξ-gauge, then we compute the Green's functions in a nonperturbative framework. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Development of heterogeneous node network using microcontroller with protocols CAN and Zigbee

In this paper was proposed the development of an heterogeneous system using the microcontroller (AT90CANI28) where the protocol model CAN and the standard IEEE 802.15.4 are connected. This module is able to manage and monitor sensors and actuators using CAN and, through the wireless standard 802.15.4, communicate with the other network modules. © 2011 IEEE.

Treatment of rectal leiomyoma by endoscopic resection

Leiomyomas of the rectum are rare, with low reported incidence in literature. In most cases, patients are asymptomatic, and are often incidental endoscopic findings. The difficult distinction from leiomyosarcomas, associated with the possibility of recurrence, implies the absence of a standard treatment. Endoscopic resection, if well indicated, may be a therapeutic option. In this study, we report two cases of asymptomatic leiomyoma of the rectum in two patients, discovered incidentally during a routine colonoscopy, removed by conventional polypectomy and discuss its diagnostic and therapeutic aspects based on a literature review.

Variabilidade espacial na produção da alface em ambiente protegido

Este artigo mostra a dinâmica da água após ser aplicada sobre a superfície de um solo cultivado com alface, num sistema fechado de um ambiente protegido. A aplicação de água se deu por meio de um sistema de irrigação por gotejamento, com o CUD ( Coeficiente de Uniformidade de Distribuição ) igual a 97,06 %, o que garantiu uma ótima uniformidade de distribuição, desconsiderando como possíveis causas das variações de umidade do solo, a aplicação de lâminas variadas. Fazendo uso de técnicas de geoestatística, interpolando sessenta pontos amostrais de evaporação, umidade do solo e produtividade da alface, com as mesmas sessenta coordenadas para os três atributos, verificou-se que a umidade do solo, mesmo momentos após a irrigação, não permanece uniforme ao longo do sistema de irrigação, constatando-se que a evaporação local exerce influência de forma predominante sobre a dinâmica da água na superfície do solo. Concluiu-se que as regiões no interior da estufa de maiores evaporações, foram as de maiores variações de umidade do solo e na produção de massa verde da alface.

Speech therapy intervention before dental management in patients with special needs: A case report

Fragile X syndrome is a cytogenetic abnormality related to chromosomal X. This syndrome is frequently associated to intellectual disability, psychological problems, as well as heart, skeletal and join alterations. Intraoral anomalies include malloclusion, ogival palate, cleft palate, presence of mesiodens, dental hypomineralization and abrasion of the occlusal surfaces and incisai edges. The study of characteristics of this syndrome is important for the dentist in order to guide dental treatment and prevention. The aim of this study is to present a myofunctional therapy protocol, evaluated by surface electromyography. A case of a 21 year-old young man who attended the Training Program in Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities, School of Dentistry of São José dos Campos/UNESP is reported. He underwent myofunctional therapy before dental treatment and the masticatory muscles were evaluated by surface electromyography. The exercises of myofunctional therapy consisted of active and passive simple movements of opening and closing the mouth, tongue protrusion and retrusion, digital manipulation and also by using an electric massager on intraoral and perioral region of the masseter, buccinator and orbicularis oris. Action potentials of the masticatory muscles decreased in almost all the muscles and values for the bite force and mandibular opening capacity increased. This study showed that brief and immediate myofunctional therapy optimized clinical practice with positive repercussion on dental care.

The fractional and nonlinear magneto-flexible rod

This paper deals with a system involving a flexible rod subjected to magnetic forces that can bend it while simultaneously subjected to external excitations produces complex and nonlinear dynamic behavior, which may present different types of solutions for its different movement-related responses. This fact motivated us to analyze such a mechanical system based on modeling and numerical simulation involving both, integer order calculus (IOC) and fractional order calculus (FOC) approaches. The time responses, pseudo phase portraits and Fourier spectra have been presented. The results obtained can be used as a source for conduct experiments in order to obtain more realistic and more accurate results about fractional-order models when compared to the integer-order models. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Low-level laser therapy in pediatric bell's palsy: Case report in a three-year-old child

Objectives: The objective of this study was to apply low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to accelerate the recovery process of a child patient with Bell's palsy (BP). Design: This was a prospective study. Subject: The subject was a three-year-old boy with a sudden onset of facial asymmetry due to an unknown cause. Materials and methods: The low-level laser source used was a gallium aluminum arsenide semiconductor diode laser device (660 nm and 780 nm). No steroids or other medications were given to the child. The laser beam with a 0.04-cm2 spot area, and an aperture with approximately 1-mm diameter, was applied in a continuous emission mode in direct contact with the facial area. The duration of a laser session was between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the chosen points and the area being treated. Light was applied 10 seconds per point on a maximum number of 80 points, when the entire affected (right) side of the face was irradiated, based on the small laser beam spot size. According to the acupuncture literature, this treatment could also be carried out using 10-20 Chinese acupuncture points, located unilaterally on the face. In this case study, more points were used because the entire affected side of the face (a large area) was irradiated instead of using acupuncture points. Outcome measures: The House-Brackmann grading system was used to monitor the evolution of facial nerve motor function. Photographs were taken after every session, always using the same camera and the same magnitude. The three-year-old boy recovered completely from BP after 11 sessions of LLLT. There were 4 sessions a week for the first 2 weeks, and the total treatment time was 3 weeks. Results: The result of this study was the improvement of facial movement and facial symmetry, with complete reestablishment to normality. Conclusions: LLLT may be an alternative to speed up facial normality in pediatric BP. © Copyright 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2013.

Clinical, cytologic, and histologic features of a mammary micropapillary carcinoma in a dog

Mammary invasive micropapillary carcinoma is a rare variant of mammary carcinoma that was recently recognized in dogs. The cytologic features and biologic behavior of such neoplasms in dogs have not yet been widely discussed in the veterinary literature. We report the clinical, cytologic, and histologic features of a canine micropapillary carcinoma in a 13-year-old female mongrel dog. The mammary region presented with extreme local pain, severe edema and erythema, and multifocal epidermal ulceration, which is typical for an inflammatory mammary carcinoma. Fine-needle aspirates were highly cellular and consisted of individual cells and papillary cell clusters with characteristics of malignant epithelial cells. Histologic examination revealed neoplastic cells arranged in small papillae without fibrovascular cores, sometimes inside clear lymphatic spaces, indicating lymphovascular invasion. Regional lymph node evaluation revealed metastatic cells. Due to deteriorating clinical condition the dog was euthanatized 5 months after mastectomy. At necropsy, metastatic neoplastic mammary cells were found in popliteal and mediastinal lymph nodes, the right femoral biceps muscle, liver, heart, lungs, and urinary bladder. © 2013 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Disinfection protocols to prevent cross-contamination between dental offices and prosthetic laboratories

Control of cross-contamination between dental offices and prosthetic laboratories is of utmost importance to maintain the health of patients and dental office staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate disinfection protocols, considering antimicrobial effectiveness and damage to the structures of prostheses. Solutions of 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, 50% vinegar and sodium perborate were evaluated. Specimens were contaminated in vitro with standardized suspensions of Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis spores. Disinfection by immersion for 10. min was performed. Final counts of microorganisms were obtained using the plating method. Results were statistically compared by Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Dunn's test. The surface roughness of 40 specimens was analyzed before and after 10 disinfection cycles, and results were compared statistically using Student's t test. The solution of 50% vinegar was as effective as 1% sodium hypochlorite and 2% chlorhexidine against C. albicans, E. coli and S. mutans. The sodium perborate solution showed the lowest antimicrobial effectiveness. Superficial roughness increased after cycles in 1% sodium hypochlorite (p=0.02). Solutions of 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine and 50% vinegar were effective for the disinfection of heat-polymerized acrylic specimens. Sodium hypochlorite increased the superficial roughness. © 2013 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.