Formas de preparo de figo-da-índia minimamente processado

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of methods of preparation in postharvest conservation of minimally processed products of cactus pear fruits. Ripe cactus pear fruits orange-fleshed, from a commercial orchard in the region of Valinhos, SP, Brazil, were used. After selection, the fruits were washed and the surface sanitized with a solution of dichloro s. triazinatriona sodium dihydrate (Sumaveg (R)) 200 mg 100g(-1) of free chlorine for 5 minutes. Fruits were then stored at 12 degrees C for 12 hours before processing. The first process was the removal of the shell and ends. Then, the fruits were cut longitudinally into two halves, peeled and sliced in 2 cm thick cross-sections. The whole fruit, halves and slices were packaged in polyethylene terephthalate containers (Neoforma (R) N-94). These units were stored at 3 degrees C for 16 days and analyses were performed every 4 days. The weight loss, the content of soluble solids (SS), the titratable acidity (TA), the ratio (SS / TA) and the ascorbic acid content were evaluated and the sensory analysis of products was performed. Whole fruits were preferred concerning the purchase intent and showed better results regarding the content of soluble solids, titratable acidity, soluble solids / titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content. The highest weight loss was observed in slices.

Murcha por Ceratocystis em eucalipto: avaliação de resistência e análise epidemiológica

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

Two-photon absorption in perylene derivatives

This work reports on the two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-section for bis (n-butylimido) perylene (BuPTCD), bis (benzimidazo) perylene (AzoPTCD), bis (benzimidazo) thioperylene (Monothio BZP), bis (phenethylimido) perylene (PhPTCD), bis (benzylimido) perylene (BePTCD) and n-pentylimido-benzimidazo perylene (PAzoPTCD) solutions measured using the Z-scan technique with femtosecond laser pulses at 775 nm. All perylene derivatives studied present large 2PA cross-sections, only comparable to the best ones reported in the literature. The experimental 2PA cross-sections obtained for each PTCD compound are in good agreement with a simplified sum-over-state calculation. The results of the present work indicates perylene derivatives as promising materials for two-photon applications. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

A special BEM for elastostatic analysis of building floor slabs on columns

This work presents a boundary element formulation for the analysis of building floor slabs, without beams, in which columns are coupled with the plate. An alternative formulation of boundary element method is presented, which considers three nodal displacements values (w, partial derivativew/partial derivativen and partial derivativew/partial derivatives) for the nodes at the boundary of the plate. In this formulation three boundary equations are written for all nodes at the boundary and in the domain of the plate. As the nodes of the column-plate connections are also represented by three nodal values, all these structural elements can be easily coupled. It is supposed that the cross-sections of the columns remain flat after the deflection and consequently the assumption of linear variation of the stress in the plate-column contact surface is also valid. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of concrete platforms offshore using the three-layer shell theory

The concrete offshore platforms, which are subjected a several loading combinations and, thus, requires an analysis more generic possible, can be designed using the concepts adopted to shell elements, but the resistance must be verify in particular cross-sections to shear forces. This work about design of shell elements will be make using the three-layer shell theory. The elements are subject to combined loading of membrane and plate, totalizing eight components of internal forces, which are three membrane forces, three moments (two out-of-plane bending moments and one in-plane, or torsion, moment) and two shear forces. The design method adopted, utilizing the iterative process proposed by Lourenco & Figueiras (1993) obtained from equations of equilibrium developed by Gupta (1896) , will be compared to results of experimentally tested shell elements found in the literature using the program DIANA.

Edema de Reinke: estudo da imunoexpressão da fibronectina, da laminina e do colágeno IV em 60 casos por meio de técnicas imunoistoquímicas

Edema de Reinke é doença crônica da laringe na qual a camada superficial da lâmina própria é expandida por muco espesso conferindo-lhe aspecto gelatinoso. Relaciona-se ao tabagismo e acomete, preferencialmente mulheres, as quais apresentam a voz mais grave. Suas características histológicas nem sempre conseguem diferenciá-lo das demais lesões benignas da laringe, havendo necessidade de técnicas histológicas adicionais. OBJETIVOS: Estudar a imunoexpressão da fibronectina, do colágeno IV e da laminina no edema de Reinke por meio de técnicas imunoistoquímicas. Estudo prospectivo. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Blocos histológicos de 60 casos cirúrgicos de edema de Reinke foram resgatados, submetidos a novos cortes e às reações imunoistoquímicas para fibronectina, laminina e colágeno IV pelo método da Avidina Biotina Peroxidase. Todos os pacientes eram fumantes e adultos, sendo 50 mulheres e 10 homens. RESULTADOS: As análises da imunoexpressão da fibronectina, do colágeno IV e da laminina foram mais expressivas no endotélio dos vasos (68,33%, 76,66%, 73,33%, respectivamente), e menos relevantes na membrana basal (25,0%, 5,0% e 3,3%, respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES: No edema de Reinke, a imunoexpressão da fibronectina, da laminina e do colágeno IV na membrana basal não apresentam relevância, havendo predomínio desses anticorpos no endotélio do vasos.

Morphological characterization of rat incisor fluorotic lesions

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

Morphometrical analysis of cleaning capacity of a hybrid instrumentation in mesial flattened root canals

The cleaning capacity of hybrid and rotary instrumentation techniques in mesial flattened canals of mandibular first molars was evaluated by morphometrical analysis in this study. Twenty human mandibular first molars were randomly assigned into two groups, according to instrumentation technique, as follows: group 1, instrumentation with ProTaper Starter Kit (Dentsply/Maillefer) rotary system; group 2, manual instrumentation using K files (Dentsply/Maillefer) by crown-down technique in middle and apical thirds, cervical preparation with Gates-Glidden #1 and #2 (Dentsply/Maillefer) burs, and to finalise the preparation, ProTaper F2 and F3 rotary files. Serial transverse cross-sections (5 mu m) of the apical third, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, were analysed at 100 x original magnification. The images were submitted to morphometrical analysis with an integration grid to determine the percentage of root canal area with debris. Statiscal analysis (t-Student, P < 0.05) showed significant difference between the techniques (P < 0.05), although neither completely cleaned the root canal.

CaPrx, a Coffea arabica gene encoding a putative class III peroxidase induced by root-knot nematode infection

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

Temperature effect on dextransucrase production by Leuconostoc mesenteroides FT 045 B isolated from Alcohol and Sugar Mill Plant

Temperature (23 to 31 degrees C) and sucrose concentration ( 3 and 4%) effects on dextransucrase production by Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B 512 ( F) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides FT 045 B were studied. The conditions in all fermentations were: total reaction volume 2 L, 132 rev. min-1, 0.5 vvm and pH 6.0. The optimum temperature for enzyme yield for strain NRRL B 512 ( F) was 23 degrees C, where at 8-h fermentation was possible to achieve 49.3 DSU/mL. When FT 045 B strain was utilized, 3.2 DSU/mL was obtained at temperature 23 to 25 degrees C.

Leaf anatomy as a contribution to the taxonomy of Salacioideae N.Hall, ex Thorne & Reveal (Celastraceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo comparativo das alterações celulares no líquen plano e no carcinoma epidermóide bucal

Atualmente, muito se discute a respeito da natureza pré-maligna do líquen plano bucal. OBJETIVO: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as alterações das células epiteliais presentes no líquen plano bucal, comparando-as com aquelas observadas no carcinoma epidermóide. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Cortes histológicos de líquen plano bucal e carcinoma epidermóide, corados com hematoxilina-eosina, foram analisados por meio da microscopia de luz. RESULTADO: As alterações mais frequentemente observadas no líquen plano bucal foram aumento da relação núcleo/citoplasma (93,33%), espessamento da membrana nuclear (86,67%) e bi-ou multinucleação (86,67%). O teste t de Student (alfa=5%) revelou haver diferença estatisticamente significante entre o número médio de alterações celulares no líquen plano bucal (5,87±1,57) e no carcinoma epidermóide (7,60±1,81). Quanto aos tipos de alterações, o teste de qui-quadrado também revelou haver diferença estatisticamente significante entre as lesões avaliadas em relação às seguintes alterações celulares: hipercromatismo nuclear, mitoses atípicas, pleomorfismo celular e diferenciação celular anormal (p<0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Apesar de que, em alguns casos, alguns patologistas possam fazer confusão no diagnóstico histopatológico do líquen plano bucal, os resultados obtidos neste estudo mostram que as alterações presentes no líquen plano bucal diferem consideravelmente daquelas observadas no carcinoma epidermóide, evidenciando o quão distintas são estas duas doenças.

Diagnosis of inflammatory lesions by high-wavenumber FT-Raman spectroscopy

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

(D)over-barN interaction from meson-exchange and quark-gluon dynamics

We investigate the (D) over barN interaction at low energies using a meson exchange model supplemented with a short-distance contribution from one-gluon exchange. The model is developed in close analogy to the meson-exchange KN interaction of the Julich group utilizing SU(4) symmetry constraints. The main ingredients of the interaction are provided by vector meson (rho, omega) exchange and higher-order box diagrams involving (D) over bar *N , (D) over bar Delta, and (D) over bar*Delta intermediate states. The short-range part is assumed to receive additional contributions from genuine quark-gluon processes. The predicted cross-sections for (D) over barN for excess energies up to 150MeV are of the same order of magnitude as those for KN but with average values of around 20mb, roughly a factor two larger than for the latter system. It is found that the omega-exchange plays a very important role. Its interference pattern with the rho-exchange, which is basically fixed by the assumed SU(4) symmetry, clearly determines the qualitative features of the (D) over barN interaction - very similiar to what happens also for the KN system.

Scattering of positronium by H, He, Ne, and Ar

The low-energy scattering of the ortho-positronium (Ps) by H, He, Ne, and Ar atoms has been investigated in the coupled-channel framework by using a recently proposed time-reversal symmetric non-local electron-exchange model potential with a single parameter C. For H and He, we use a three-Ps-state coupled-channel model and, for Ar and Ne, we use a static-exchange model. The sensitivity of the results is studied with respect to the parameter C. Present low-energy cross-sections for He, Ne and Ar are in good agreement with experiment. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.