An Informatics Technical Note on Interaction of DNA - Graphene Chemical Sensor System as Reaction-Diffusion Wave-Based Computing System in Ionised Gaseous environments and their Applications Using Theoretical Studies and Scientific Computation Overview

The physics of plasmas encompasses basic problems from the universe and has assured us of promises in diverse applications to be implemented in a wider range of scientific and engineering domains, linked to most of the evolved and evolving fundamental problems. Substantial part of this domain could be described by R–D mechanisms involving two or more species (reaction–diffusion mechanisms). These could further account for the simultaneous non-linear effects of heating, diffusion and other related losses. We mention here that in laboratory scale experiments, a suitable combination of these processes is of vital importance and very much decisive to investigate and compute the net behaviour of plasmas under consideration. Plasmas are being used in the revolution of information processing, so we considered in this technical note a simple framework to discuss and pave the way for better formalisms and Informatics, dealing with diverse domains of science and technologies. The challenging and fascinating aspects of plasma physics is that it requires a great deal of insight in formulating the relevant design problems, which in turn require ingenuity and flexibility in choosing a particular set of mathematical (and/or experimental) tools to implement them.

Enamel microabrasion: an overview of clinical and scientific considerations

Superficial stains and irregularities of the enamel are generally what prompt patients to seek dental intervention to improve their smile. These stains or defects may be due to hypoplasia, amelogenesis imperfecta, mineralized white spots, or fluorosis, for which enamel microabrasion is primarily indicated. Enamel microabrasion involves the use of acidic and abrasive agents, such as with 37% phosphoric acid and pumice or 6% hydrochloric acid and silica, applied to the altered enamel surface with mechanical pressure from a rubber cup coupled to a rotatory mandrel of a low-rotation micromotor. If necessary, this treatment can be safely combined with bleaching for better esthetic results. Recent studies show that microabrasion is a conservative treatment when the enamel wear is minimal and clinically imperceptible. The most important factor contributing to the success of enamel microabrasion is the depth of the defect, as deeper, opaque stains, such as those resulting from hypoplasia, cannot be resolved with microabrasion, and require a restorative approach. Surface enamel alterations that result from microabrasion, such as roughness and microhardness, are easily restored by saliva. Clinical studies support the efficacy and longevity of this safe and minimally invasive treatment. The present article presents the clinical and scientific aspects concerning the microabrasion technique, and discusses the indications for and effects of the treatment, including recent works describing microscopic and clinical evaluations.

Power-law distributions for the citation index of scientific publications and scientists

The number of citations of a scientific publication or of an individual scientist has become an important factor of quality assessment in science. We report a study of the statistical distribution of the citation index of both scientific publications and scientists. We give numerical evidence that Tsallis (power law) statistics explains the entire distribution over eight orders of magnitude (10-4 to 10(4)). Also, we draw Zipf plots in order to analyze the statistical distribution of the citation index of Brazilian and international physicists and chemists. The relatively small group of Brazilian scientists seems more adequate to explain the dynamics of the citation index. In this case, we find that the distribution of the citation index can also be explained by a gradually truncated power law with similar parameters. We finally discuss possible mechanisms behind the citation index of scientists and scientific publications.

A seção o português é uma figura, de Marcílio Godói, em diálogo com gêneros discursivos nas esferas jornalística, científica e pedagógica

Pós-graduação em Linguística e Língua Portuguesa - FCLAR

Microbiological Evaluation of Chicken Carcasses in an Immersion Chilling System with Water Renewal at 8 and 16 Hours

Since 2004, Brazil has been the leading exporter of chicken. Because of the importance of this sector in the Brazilian economy, food safety must be ensured by control and monitoring of the production stages susceptible to contamination, such as the chilling process. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in microbial levels on chicken carcasses and in chilling water after immersion in a chilling system for 8 and 16 h during commercial processing. An objective of the study was to encourage discussion regarding the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food Supply regulation that requires chicken processors to completely empty, clean, and disinfect each tank of the chilling system after every 8-h shift. Before and after immersion carcasses were collected and analyzed for mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, conforms, and Escherichia coli. Samples of water from the chilling system were also analyzed for residual free chlorine. The results do not support required emptying of the chiller tank after 8 h; these tanks could be emptied after 16 h. The results for all carcasses tested at the 8- and 16-h time points indicated no significant differences in the microbiological indicators evaluated. These data provide both technical and scientific support for discussing changes in federal law regarding the management of immersion chilling water systems used as part of the poultry processing line.

Folk uses and pharmacological properties of Casearia sylvestris: a medicinal review

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

Oxidation of H2S in acid solution by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans

Qualitative and quantitative oxidation tests of H2S in acid solution were carried out using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans species, Experiments were performed using solutions of H2SO4 (pH 2.0) containing H2S in initial concentrations ranging from 5 to 100 ppm. in shake flasks at 150 rpm and 30(circle)C. In these solution, this gas was not very stable and was quickly liberated. However, at low concentration (less than 5 ppm) it becomes stable and could only be removed from solution by oxidation. The results obtained indicated that the presence of either T. ferrooxidans or T. thiooxidans causes a significant reduction in H,S concentration (more than 99%) in relation to the sterile control, No differences in oxidation efficiency between these two species were detected. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

VOICES FROM THE SOUTH: DIALOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLABORATION IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

This chapter presents a collaborative experience between two neighbouring countries from South America: Argentina and Brazil. Our purpose is to share a model of international collaboration that we consider to be an alternative to the classical movement of early mathematical and scientific knowledge between East and West and between North and South. We start our chapter with a general discussion about the phenomenon of globalization considering some local examples. We characterize our collaboration exploring the tensions and difficulties we faced along our own professional development at the local as well as the international level. We describe the development of our prior collaborative work that established the foundation for our international collaboration portraying the local mathematics education communities. We refer to some balances that were created among our relationships, the expansion of our collaborative network, and how this particular collaboration allows us to contribute to the regional field and inform the international one. We discuss the way that the search for balance and symmetry, or at least a complementary asymmetry in our collaborative relationships, has led us to generate a genuine and equitable collaboration.

Low latitude scintillations: A comparison of modeling and observations within the CIGALA project

Ionospheric scintillations can seriously jeopardize the reliability of the GNSS signals and consequently can cause significant error or outage on precise positioning applications. The threat is most acute at low latitudes where ionospheric irregularities are more likely to occur resulting in L-band signal scintillations. This paper describes the effort made to model the ionospheric scintillations over the Latin American region in the frame of the CIGALA project funded by the European GNSS Supervisory Authority within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. Comparisons between the low-latitude model of scintillations and observations are here presented and discussed within the project perspectives. © 2011 IEEE.

Life, the universe, and everything: An education outreach proposal to build a traveling astrobiology exhibit

Astrobiology is a transdisciplinary field with extraordinary potential for the scientific community. As such, it is important to educate the community at large about the growing importance of this field to increase awareness and scientific content learning and expose potential future scientists. To this end, we propose the creation of a traveling museum exhibit that focuses exclusively on astrobiology and utilizes modern museum exhibit technology and design. This exhibit (the Astrobiology Road Show), organized and evaluated by an international group of astrobiology students and postdocs, is planned to tour throughout the Americas. Copyright © 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2013.

Structural and functional studies with mytoxin II from Bothrops moojeni reveal remarkable similarities and differences compared to other catalytically inactive phospholipases A2-like

Lys49-phospholipases A2 (Lys49-PLA2s) are proteins found in bothropic snake venoms (Viperidae family) and belong to a class of proteins which presents a phospholipase A2 scaffold but are catalytically inactive. These proteins (also known as PLA2s-like toxins) exert a pronounced local myotoxic effect and are not neutralized by antivenom, being their study relevant in terms of medical and scientific interest. Despite of the several studies reported in the literature for this class of proteins only a partial consensus has been achieved concerning their functional-structural relationships. In this work, we present a comprehensive structural and functional study with the MjTX-II, a dimeric Lys49-PLA2 from Bothrops moojeni venom which includes: (i) high-resolution crystal structure; (ii) dynamic light scattering and bioinformatics studies in order to confirm its biological assembly; (iii) myographic and electrophysiological studies and, (iv) comparative studies with other Lys49-PLA2s. These comparative analyses let us to get important insights into the role of Lys122 amino acid, previously indicated as responsible for Lys49-PLA2s catalytic inactivity and added important elements to establish the correct biological assembly for this class of proteins. Furthermore, we show two unique sequential features of MjTX-II (an amino acid insertion and a mutation) in comparison to all bothropic Lys49-PLA2s that lead to a distinct way of ligand binding at the toxin's hydrophobic channel and also, allowed the presence of an additional ligand molecule in this region. These facts suggest a possible particular mode of binding for long-chain ligands that interacts with MjTX-II hydrophobic channel, a feature that may directly affect the design of structure-based ligands for Lys49-PLA2s. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

O romance-projeto: um estudo de Lucinde (1799), de Friedrich Schlegel

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Frankenstein: uma releitura do mito de criação

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Os diletantes e as lides do espírito: um estudo sobre o entusiasmo intelectual nas cartas do Centro Cultural Euclides da Cunha, de Ponta Grossa (1948-1959)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Constância da retórica, mudança de Estilo: a obra acadêmica de Cláudio Manuel da Costa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)