Diet and ecomorphology of Leporinus reticulatus (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from the upper Rio Juruena, MT, Brazil: ontogenetic shifts related to the feeding ecology

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

A novel gastroretentive floating system for zidovudine, based on calcium-silicate beads

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

Estresse e zumbido: o relaxamento como uma possibilidade de intervenção

The aim of this study was verify the stress on people with tinnitus and the effect of progressive relaxation to modify the perception of tinnitus and reduce the stress. The stress was tested in 50 patients and the intervention was done with 12 people in the sample. In this interview was used the history, symptom inventory stress and progressive relaxation. The results demonstrate that the tinnitus affects the patient’s life in physical and emotional aspects. The intervention with the progressive relaxation showed satisfactory answers such as modification in the perception of tinnitus and stress symptoms. The psychological intervention contributed with how the patients will deal with tinnitus, leading them to learning strategies and coping with the stress and the symptoms.

Efeito da inibição dos receptores canabinóides CB₁ ou CB₂ durante o período neonatal sobre o dimorfismo sexual esquelético ao longo do desenvolvimento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estudos biológicos de nanopartículas de óxido de zinco: interação com proteínas e avaliação de “Burst” oxidativo de leucócitos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Production of active recombinant eIF5A: reconstitution in E.coli of eukaryotic hypusine modification of eIF5A by its coexpression with modifying enzymes

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is the only cellular protein that contains the polyamine-modified lysine, hypusine [N(epsilon)-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine]. Hypusine occurs only in eukaryotes and certain archaea, but not in eubacteria. It is formed post-translationally by two consecutive enzymatic reactions catalyzed by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). Hypusine modification is essential for the activity of eIF5A and for eukaryotic cell proliferation. eIF5A binds to the ribosome and stimulates translation in a hypusine-dependent manner, but its mode of action in translation is not well understood. Since quantities of highly pure hypusine-modified eIF5A is desired for structural studies as well as for determination of its binding sites on the ribosome, we have used a polycistronic vector, pST39, to express eIF5A alone, or to co-express human eIF5A-1 with DHS or with both DHS and DOHH in Escherichia coli cells, to engineer recombinant proteins, unmodified eIF5A, deoxyhypusine- or hypusine-modified eIF5A. We have accomplished production of three different forms of recombinant eIF5A in high quantity and purity. The recombinant hypusine-modified eIF5A was as active in methionyl-puromycin synthesis as the native, eIF5A (hypusine form) purified from mammalian tissue. The recombinant eIF5A proteins will be useful tools in future structure/function and the mechanism studies in translation.

Modification of polyethylene terephthalate by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in view of improving the polymer wetting properties

Surface treatment of polymers by discharge plasmas has increasingly found industrial applications due to its capability of modifying uniformly the surface without changing the material bulk properties. This work deals with surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. The treatments were conducted in air, nitrogen or argon plasma. The polymer surface was characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the plasma treatment introduces oxygen-and nitrogen-related polar groups on the polymer surface and promotes the surface roughening. Both plasma-induced surface modifications contribute to the enhancement of the polymer wettability.

Biological Performance of Chemical Hydroxyapatite Coating Associated With Implant Surface Modification by Laser Beam: Biomechanical Study in Rabbit Tibias

Purpose: Considering the potential of the association between laser ablation and smaller scale hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings to create a stable and bioactive surface on titanium dental implants, the aim of the present study was to determine, by the removal torque test, the effects of a surface treatment created by laser-ablation (Nd:YAG) and, later, thin deposition of HA particles by a chemical process, compared to implants with only laser-ablation and implants with machined surfaces.Materials and Methods: Forty-eight rabbits received I implant by tibia of the following surfaces: machined surface (MS), laser-modified surface (LMS), and biomimetic hydroxiapatite coated surface (HA). After 4, 8, and 12 weeks of healing, the removal torque was measured by a torque gauge. The surfaces studied were analyzed according to their topography, chemical composition, and roughness.Results: Average removal torque in each period was 23.28, 24.0, and 33.85 Ncm to MS, 33.0, 39.87, and 54.57 Ncm to LMS, and 55.42, 63.71 and 64.0 Ncm to HA. The difference was statistically significant (P < .05) between the LMS-MS and HA-MS surfaces in all periods of evaluation, and between LMS-HA to 4 and 8 weeks of healing. The surface characterization showed a deep, rough, and regular topography provided by the laser conditioning, that was followed by the HA coating.Conclusions: Based on these results, it was possible to conclude that the implants with laser surface modification associated with HA biomimetic coating can shorten the implant healing period by the increase of bone implant interaction during the first 2 months after implant placement. (C) 2009 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67:1706-1715, 2009

Nitrification processes in groundwaters evidenced by modification on the U contents and U-234/U-238 activity ratios

Groundwaters from the Botucatu-Piramboia aquifer system located at the Parana sedimentary basin in Brazil and sampled at Ribeirao Preto city, São Paulo State, were chemically and isotopically analysed, with the aim of evaluating how uranium isotopes U-234 and U-238 can be utilized to monitor the progress of nitrate, the main indicator of agrichemical pollution into an aquifer. Based on the isotope dilution analysis, the U-234/U-238 activity ratio and U content data in the groundwaters were utilized to deduce their proportions in a mixture, suggesting that the water not affected significantly by nitrification still dominates the exploitation system involving the studied wells.

Spectroscopic characterization of schiff base-copper complexes immobilized in smectite clays

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

Mineralogical characterization of clays used in the structural ceramic industry in west of S. Paulo State, Brazil

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

Evaluation of titanium implants with surface modification by laser beam. Biomechanical study in rabbit tibias

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate, using a biomechanical test, the force needed to remove implants with surface modification by laser (Nd:YAG) in comparison with implants with machined surfaces. Twenty-four rabbits received one implant with each surface treatment in the tibia, machined surface (MS) and laser-modified surface (LMS). After 4, 8 and 12 weeks of healing, the removal torque was measured by a torque gauge. The surfaces studied were analyzed according to their topography, chemical composition and roughness. The average removal torque in each period was 23.28, 24.0 and 33.85 Ncm for MS, and 33.0, 39.87 and 54.57 Ncm for LMS, respectively. The difference between the surfaces in all periods of evaluation was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Surface characterization showed that a deep and regular topography was provided by the laser conditioning, with a great quantity of oxygen ions when compared to the MS. The surface micro-topography analysis showed a statistical difference (p < 0.01) between the roughness of the LMS (R a = 1.38 ± 0.23 μm) when compared to that of the MS (R a = 0.33 ± 0.06 μm). Based on these results, it was possible to conclude that the LMS implants' physical-chemical properties increased bone-implant interaction when compared to the MS implants. © 2009 Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica.

Modification of jet shapes in PbPb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)