RELATIVE GROWTH OF THE SPECKLED SWIMMING CRAB ARENAEUS-CRIBRARIUS (LAMARCK, 1818) (BRACHYURA, PORTUNIDAE), NEAR UBATUBA, STATE OF SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

Arenaeus cribrarius is a mainly tropical crab that occurs in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Brazil being its type-locality. The species ranges from Vinevard Sound, Massachusetts, USA to La Paloma, Uruguay. Information about this species is scarce. The relative growth of A. cribrarius was analyzed, based on some morphometric relations, where the carapace width, excluding lateral spines (CW), was used as an independent variable. A total of 403 specimens (189 males and 214 females), was collected in Ubatuba, State of São Paulo, Brazil, with otter-trawls. The animals were sexed and sorted to maturation phase (juvenile or adult). Some measurements were made: carapace (length and width excluding lateral spines), abdomen (greatest width of the fifth somite in females and the sixth in males) and major chela (greatest length, width and height, dactylus length). This study was made by the application of the power function (y=a.x(b)) which was fitted to the data and the pattern of growth established for each parameter by the ''b''-value (constant of allometry), as positive allometry (b>1), negative allometry (b<1) or isometry (b=1). The morphometric relations of the carapace showed a tendency to isometry. In females, the abdominal width grew in positive allometry, higher in juveniles (b=1.33) than in adults (b=1.18). In this case, an overlap and discontinuity was noticed between the phases over a carapace width range of 55 to 70 mm, where the puberty molt occurs. The majority of relationships showed that the major chela of the males grew in positive allometry, however, the greatest allometric difference between the phases was observed towards the propodus length with 1.09 as juvenile and 1.26 as adult ''b''values. In the males, this variable showed an inflection between the CW range of 45' to 55 mm, where the transition to the maturation phase occurs. The relative growth of this species is similar to those of previously studied species. This indicates, that the propodus length and the abdominal width are the morphometric variables most appropriate to estimate the size of the beginning of the sexual maturity for males and females of this species, respectively.

Growth and characterization of BaBi2Nb2O9 thin films made by RF-magnetron sputtering

The RF-magnetron sputtering technique has been used to deposit polycrystalline thin films of layered-structured ferroelectric BaBi2Nb2O9 (BBN). The XRD patterns for the films annealed at 700degreesC for 1 hour show the presence of the BBN phase as well as the BaNb2O6 secondary phase. A better crystallization of the BBN phase and an inhibition of the secondary phase is obtained with the increase of temperature. The surface of the prepared films was rather dense and smooth with no cracks. The 300 nm thick BBN thin films exhibited a room-temperature dielectric constant of about 779 with a dissipation factor of 0.09 at a frequency of 100 kHz.

Microstructure and electrical properties of perovskite (Pb, La)TiO3 thin film deposited at low temperature by the polymeric precursor method

High-quality (Pb, La)TiO3 ferroelectric thin films were successfully prepared on a Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate for the first time by spin coating, using the polymeric precursor method. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the films are polycrystalline in nature. This method allows for low temperature (500 degrees C) synthesis, a high quality microstructure and superior dielectric properties. The effects on the microstructure and electrical properties were studied by changing the La content. The films annealed at 500 degreesC have a single perovskite phase with only a tetragonal or pseudocubic structure. As the La content is increased, the dielectric constant of PLT thin films increases from 570 up to 1138 at room temperature. The C-V and P-E characteristics of perovskite thin films prepared at a low temperature show normal ferroelectric behavior, representing the ferroelectric switching property. The remanent polarization and coercive field of the films deposited decreased due to the transformation from the ferroelectric to the paraelectric phase with an increased La content. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

INFLUENCE of HIP EXTERNAL ROTATION on HIP ADDUCTOR and RECTUS FEMORIS MYOELECTRIC ACTIVITY DURING A DYNAMIC PARALLEL SQUAT

Pereira, GR, Leporace, G, Chagas, DV, Furtado, LFL, Praxedes, J, and Batista, LA. Influence of hip external rotation on hip adductor and rectus femoris myoelectric activity during a dynamic parallel squat. J Strength Cond Res 24(10): 27492754, 2010-This study sought to compare the myoelectric activity of the hip adductors (HAs) and rectus femoris (RF) when the hip was in a neutral position or externally rotated by 30 degrees or 50 degrees (H0, H30, and H50, respectively) during a parallel squat. Ten healthy subjects performed 10 repetitions of squats in each of the 3 hip positions and the myoelectric activities of the HAs and RF were recorded. The signal was then divided into categories representing concentric (C) and eccentric (E) contractions in the following ranges of motion: 0-30 degrees (C1 and E1), 30-60 degrees (C2 and E2), and 60-90 degrees (C3 and E3) of knee flexion. From those signals, an root mean square (RMS) value for each range of motion in each hip position was obtained. All values were normalized to those obtained during maximum voluntary isometric contraction. We found that HAs showed a significant increase in myoelectric activity during C3 and E3 in the H30 and H50 positions, as compared with H0. Meanwhile, RF activity did not significantly differ between hip positions. Both muscles showed higher activation during 60-90 degrees (C3 and E3) of knee flexion, as compared with 0-30 degrees (C1 and E1) and 30-60 degrees (C2 and E2). The results suggest that if the aim is to increase HA activity despite the low percentage of muscle activation, squats should be performed with 30 degrees of external rotation and at least 90 degrees of knee flexion.

Real-time monitoring and kinetic parameter estimation of the affinity interaction of jArtinM and rArtinM with peroxidase glycoprotein by the electrogravimetric technique

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

RESTRUCTURING of SYSTEMS and LOGISTICS of MOVEMENT and ITS IMPACT on URBAN and REGIONAL PLANNING PAULISTA

Report some of the changes in production and consumption occurring in the state of São Paulo. through the restructuring in motion systems, logistics and standards and taxation, as well as the impacts on urban spaces through new economic dynamics, imposed by the demands of corporate, is the purpose of this article. The decentralization of production and consumption towards the interior was made possible by the combination of hierarchical and ordered some basic elements such as technological innovations (ways and means of transport) and organizational (logistics, standards and taxation) which optimized the flow territorial state São Paulo. It is noteworthy, therefore: 1) the improvement of logistics as a strategy, planning and management of transport, storage and communications (including the granting of public services to private), 2) the technological improvement and expansion of motion systems (infrastructure, means of transport) and 3) the systems of rules and regulations through taxation and deregulation affect the circulatory system of a given space. Thus, both systems aims to disentangle the economic flows (goods, services, information, capital and people) and provide a more fluid territorial. The impacts on the State of São Paulo, mainly through its economic dynamics, revert positively and negatively, by changing the way one thinks and performs planning.

Study of the interaction between hydroxymethylnitrofurazone and 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin

Chagas disease is a serious health problem in Latin America. Hidroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH) is a nitrofurazone prodrug more active than nitrofurazone against Trypanosoma cruzi. However, NFOH presents low aqueous solubility, high photodecomposition and high toxicity. The present work is focused on the characterization of an inclusion complex of NFOH in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD). The complexation with HP-beta-CD was investigated using reversed-phase liquid chromatography, solubility isotherms and nuclear magnetic resonance. The retention behavior was analyzed on a reversed-phase C-18 column, using acetonitrile-water (20/80, v/v) as the mobile phase, in which HP-beta-CD was incorporated as a mobile phase additive. The decrease in the retention times with increasing concentrations of HP-beta-CD enables the determination of the apparent stability constant of the complex (K = 6.2 +/- 0.3 M-1) by HPLC. The solubility isotherm was studied and the value for the apparent stability constant (K = 7.9 +/- 0.2 M-1) was calculated. The application of continuous variation method indicated the presence of a complex with 1:1 NFOH:HP-beta-CD stoichiometry. The photostability study showed that the formation of an inclusion complex had a destabilizing effect on the photodecomposition of NFOH when compared to that of the "free" molecule in solution. The mobility investigation (by NMR longitudinal relaxation time) gives information about the complexation of NFOH with HP-beta-CD. In preliminary toxicity studies, cell viability tests revealed that inclusion complexes were able to decrease the toxic effect (p < 0.01) caused by NFOH. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanochemical synthesis of lead magnesium niobate ceramics in iron media

The possibility of mechanochemical synthesis of the lead magnesium niobate (PMN) powders of the composition Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3) in iron vials was investigated. According to X-ray and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the obtained powder mixtures, milling in iron vials resulted in incorporation of Fe and formation of PFN of composition Pb(Fe(1/2)Nb(1/2))O(3) simultaneously with formation of PMN. Relative amounts of PMN and PFN were determined based on values of Curie temperature and lattice constant of perovskite phase. Although only 1 wt pct of Fe was incorporated, a stoichiometry of the system was significantly changed, resulting in formation of pyrochlore phase and excess MgO. Single-phase perovskite was obtained when the excess of PbO and Nb(2)O(5) was added during mechanochemical synthesis. Because the dielectric properties were worse than expected, the alternative ways for improvement of dielectric properties were tried and discussed.

Effect of the rest interval duration between contractions on muscle fatigue

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Micellar modification of drug stability: analysis of the effect of hexadecyltrimethylammonium halides on the rate of degradation of cephaclor

The intra- and intermolecular rates of degradation of cephaclor were determined with and without hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr). Micellar-derived spectral shifts were used to measure the association of the ionic forms as well as to determine the effect of CTABr on the apparent acid dissociation constant of the antibiotic. The rate of degradation of cephaclor increased with detergent and was salt sensitive. Micellar effects were analyzed quantitatively within the frame-work of the speudophase ion exchange model. All experimental data were fitted to this model which was used to predict the combined effects of pH and detergent concentration. Micelles increased the rate of OH- attack on cephaclor; most of the effect was due to the concentration of reagents in the micellar pseudophase. The intramolecular degradation was catalyzed 25-fold by micelles, and a working hypothesis to rationalize this effect is proposed. The results demonstrate that quantitative analysis can be utilized to assess and predict effects of detergents on drug stability.

A steady-state model for heat pipes of circular or rectangular cross-sections

The objective of this paper is to present a generalized analytical-numerical model of the internal flow in heat pipes. The model formulation is based on two-dimensional formulation of the energy and momentum equations in the vapour and liquid regions and also in the metallic tube. The numerical solution of the model is obtained by using the descretization scheme LOAD and the SIMPLE numerical code. The flow fields, as well as the pressure fields, for different geometries were obtained and discussed. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Numerical simulation of viscous three-dimensional flow over aerospace vehicles using Euler/boundary-layer zonal approach

This paper presents a viscous three-dimensional simulations coupling Euler and boundary layer codes for calculating flows over arbitrary surfaces. The governing equations are written in a general non orthogonal coordinate system. The Levy-Lees transformation generalized to three-dimensional flows is utilized. The inviscid properties are obtained from the Euler equations using the Beam and Warming implicit approximate factorization scheme. The resulting equations are discretized and approximated by a two-point fmitedifference numerical scheme. The code developed is validated and applied to the simulation of the flowfield over aerospace vehicle configurations. The results present good correlation with the available data.

The Ramond sector of open superstring field theory

Although the equations of motion for the Neveu-Schwarz (NS) and Ramond (R) sectors of open superstring field theory can be covariantly expressed in terms of one NS and one R string field, picture-changing problems prevent the construction of an action involving these two string fields. However, a consistent action can be constructed by dividing the NS and R states into three string fields which are real, chiral and antichiral. The open superstring field theory action includes a WZW-like term for the real field and holomorphic Chern-Simons-like terms for the chiral and antichiral fields. Different versions of the action can be constructed with either manifest d = 8 Lorentz covariance or manifest TV = 1 d = 4 super-Poincaré covariance. The lack of a manifestly d = 10 Lorentz covariant action is related to the self-dual five-form in the type-IIB R-R sector.

Supersymmetric Born-Infeld from the pure spinor formalism of the open superstring

Classical BRST invariance in the pure spinor formalism for the open superstring is shown to imply the supersymmetric Born-Infeld equations of motion for the background fields. These equations are obtained by requiring that the left and right-moving BRST currents are equal on the worldsheet boundary in the presence of the background. The Born-Infeld equations are expressed in N = 1 D = 10 superspace and include all abelian contributions to the low-energy equations of motion, as well as the leading non-abelian contributions. © SISSA/ISAS 2003.

The dynamics of bright matter wave solitons in a quasi one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate with a rapidly varying trap

The dynamics of a bright matter wave soliton in a quasi one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with a periodically rapidly varying time trap is considered. The governing equation is based on averaging the fast modulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation. This equation has the form of a GP equation with an effective potential of a more complicated structure than an unperturbed trap. In the case of an inverted (expulsive) quadratic trap corresponding to an unstable GP equation, the effective potential can be stable. For the bounded space trap potential it is showed that bifurcation exists, i.e. the single-well potential bifurcates to the triple-well effective potential. The stabilization of a BEC cloud on-site state in the temporary modulated optical lattice is found. This phenomenon is analogous to the Kapitza stabilization of an inverted pendulum. The analytical predictions of the averaged GP equation are confirmed by numerical simulations of the full GP equation with rapid perturbations.