Central nervous system of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae): an ultrastructural study

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

Morphological Organization of the Dorsal Protuberance of Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) Ant's Larvae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase activity induces stromal remodeling and smooth muscle de-differentiation in adult gerbil ventral prostate

Prostatic differentiation during embryogenesis and its further homeostatic state maintenance during adult life depend on androgens. Dihydrotestosterone, which is synthesized from testosterone by 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-r), is the active molecule triggering androgen action within the prostate. In the present work, we examined the effects of 5alpha-reductase inhibition by finasteride in the ventral prostate (VP) of the adult gerbil, employing histochemical and electron microscopy techniques to demonstrate the morphological and organizational changes of the organ. After 10 days of finasteride treatment at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day, the prostatic complex (VP and dorsolateral prostate) absolute weight was reduced to about 18%. The epithelial cells became short and cuboidal, with less secretory blebs and reduced acid phosphatase activity. The luminal sectional area diminished, suggestive of decreased secretory activity. The stromal/epithelial ratio increased, the stroma becoming thicker but less cellular. There was a striking accumulation of collagen fibrils, which was accompanied by an increase in deposits of amorphous granular material adjacent to the basal lamina and in the clefts between smooth muscle cells (SMC). Additionally, the periacinar smooth muscle became loosely packed. Some SMC were atrophic and showed a denser array of the cytoskeleton, whereas other SMC had a highly irregular outline with numerous spine-like projections. The present data indicate that 5alpha-r inhibition causes epithelial and stromal changes by affecting intra-prostatic hormone levels. These alterations are probably the result of an imbalance of the homeostatic interaction between the epithelium and the underlying stroma.

Long-term inhibition of 5-alpha reductase and aromatase changes the cellular and extracellular compartments in gerbil ventral prostate at different postnatal ages

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

Roughness of Human Enamel Surface Submitted to Different Prophylaxis Methods

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate alterations in the surface roughness and micromorphology of human enamel submitted to three prophylaxis methods. Sixty-nine caries-free molars with exposed labial surfaces were divided into three groups. Group I was treated with a rotary instrument set at a low speed, rubber clip and a mixture of water and pumice; group II with a rotary instrument set at a low speed, rubber cup and prophylaxis paste Herjos-F (Vigodent S/A Industria e Comercio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); and group III with sodium bicarbonate spray Profi II Ceramic (Dabi A dante Indtistrias Medico Odontologicas Ltda, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil). All procedures were performed by the same operator for 10 s, and samples were rinsed and stored in distilled water. Pre and post-treatment surface evaluation was completed using a surface profilometer (Perthometer S8P Marh, Perthen, Germany) in 54 samples. In addition, the other samples were coated with gold and examined in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results of this study were statistically analyzed with the paired t-test (Student), the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Dunn (5%) test. The sodium bicarbonate spray led to significantly rougher surfaces than the pumice paste. The use of prophylaxis paste showed no statistically significant difference when compared with the other methods. Based on SEM analysis, the sodium bicarbonate spray presented an irregular surface with granular material and erosions. Based on this study, it can be concluded that there was an increased enamel stuface roughness when teeth were treated with sodium bicarbonate spray when compared with teeth treated with pumice paste.

Nova proposta de critério de retenção para dimensionamento de filtros têxteis

The designs of filters made by granular material or textile are mainly based on empirical or semi empirical retention criteria according to Terzaghi proposal, which compares particle diameter of the soil base with the filter porous spaces. Silveira in 1965, proposed one rational design retention criteria based on the probability of a particle from the soil base, carried by one dimensional flow, be restrained by the porous of the filter while trying to pass through its thickness. This new innovating theory, besides of being very simple, it is not frequently used for granular filters since the necessary parameters for the design has to be determine for each natural material. However, for textile this problem no longer exists because it has quality control during manufacturing and the necessary characteristics properties of the product are specify in the product catalog. This work presents one adaptation of the Silveira theory for textile filters and the step-by-step procedure for the determination of the characteristics properties of the textile products necessary for the design. This new procedure permits the determination of the confiability level of retention that one specific particle diameter form the soil base has for one specified textile. One complete example is presented to demonstrate the simplicity of the method proposed and how the textile characteristics are obtained.

SEM evaluation of in situ early bacterial colonization on a Y-TZP ceramic: A pilot study

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of surface glazing and polishing of yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic on early dental biofilm formation, as well as the effect of brushing on the removal of adhered bacteria. Two subjects used oral appliances with polished and glazed samples fixed to the right and left sides. After 20 minutes, 1 hour, and 6 hours, the subjects manually brushed the samples on the right side. The samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Granular material was verified on the samples, especially on irregular surfaces. After 1 hour, there was no significant difference between glazed and polished surfaces in terms of bacterial presence. However, glazed surfaces tended to accumulate more biofilm, and brushing did not completely remove the biofilm. Polished surfaces seem to present a lower tendency for biofilm formation. Int J Prosthodont 2007;20:419-422.

Involvement of organic systems in golden retriever X-linked muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a lethal genetic disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration that usually had been used the Golden Retriever as a model for studying the disease (GRMD - Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy). A total of 16 male dystrophic Golden Retrievers dogs between 5 to 51 months of age were examined in the present study. The animals were classified as dystrophic according to two simultaneous complementary criteria: genotypic analysis and serum creatine kinase levels. The macroscopic abnormalities of the different organs and tissues and histopathological features were described using hematoxylin-eosin. The lesions in the skeletal muscles associated with the digestive problems resulted in cachexia with different intensities in all the dystrophic dogs. Cardiac muscle involvement was found in 87,5% of the GRMD dogs resulting, however, in cardiac failure in only 18,8% of the animals. The musculature of the diaphragm was hypertrophic in all affected animals resulting in progressive respiratory muscle weakness and at later stages in respiratory failure (81,25%). The liver abnormalities found in dystrophic dogs were originated mainly from heart disease and developed progressively. Hyperemia of mucosa and granular material indicated changes in the functioning and emptying of bladder. The germinative lineage cells presented moderate to severe degeneration probably due to degeneration of the scrotum and cremaster muscle which prevented the proper thermo-regulation of the testicle. Our results highlight the fact that there is significant impairment of the cardiac, respiratory and skeletal muscle systems in GRMD dogs since the age of five months. In addition, significant alterations of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary and reproductive systems are indicating the presence of degenerative lesions in the smooth musculature.

Métodos analíticos, numéricos e experimentais para o cálculo de ondas de impacto em meios líquidos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo da rugosidade e ultra-estrutura superficial do esmalte dental humano submetido a diferentes métodos profiláticos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Analises paramétricas de colunas granulares encamisadas com tecido geossintético através de software Ringtrac

This study attempts a preliminary assessment of the behavior of a soil improvement system with the use of encased columns of granular material with geosynthetic (columns Ringtrac ® ). This evaluation was performed using the software Ringtrac ® (developed by Huesker GmbH, Germany), which required different parameters such as soil Oedometric Module, friction angle of soil, thickness of soft soil and the embankment height .In each analysis, one parameter was varied and the other different parameters considered were fixed, resulting in a total of 726 results. Were considered valid only the results where the radial deformation of the geosynthetic encased column did not exceed the value of 4%, which is the maximum radial deformation of the geosynthetic adopted by the Ringtrac ® program. The analysis results are shown graphically in this study, evaluating the tension values in the column and obtained settlements in each analysis. It’s proven in this preliminary study that the variation of the soft soil friction angle in the Ringtrac ® column, will not significantly affect the values of strain on the tension in the column and settlements on the ground. Furthermore, the variation of Oedometric Module on the soil, will significantly affect the tension values in the column and the settlements in the soil

Neutrophil extracellular traps identification in tegumentary lesions of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis and different patterns of NETs generation in vitro

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

Efeitos da granulometria, do desgaste e do tipo de material abrasivo no lixamento plano de madeiras

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Avaliação da remoção de sulfametoxazol, diclofenaco e 17β-estradiol em águas por adsorção em carvão ativado granular

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil - FEIS