Optical and mechanical design of an ophthalmic instrument: Slit lamp

This work has as objective to develop an interesting research line in the Optical Instrumentation area, that is to associate the Optical Design to the Ophthalmology area. The purpose of it is handling the optical design techniques to design a widely used ophthalmologic instrument called slit lamp. The optical and mechanical design of the slit lamp prototype was carefully projected in order to improve the best quality image, the comfort of the patient and the user, the simplicity of handling, the facility of production the availability of optical and mechanical components in the national market and the low cost of production. The main goal of this work was to realize a project using totally national technology, cheapening the cost and forming the optimum image required for the slit lamp optical system.

The number of podocyte and slit diaphragm is decreased in experimental diabetic nephropathy

Purpose: To determine the number of podocyte, slit diaphragms, slit diaphragm extensions and GBM thickness in diabetic nephropathy. Methods: Sixty Rattus Wistarof both sexes weighing 200-300g were divided in two experimental groups: normal group 10 animals, and alloxan diabetic rats - 50 animals. Alloxan was administered in a single IV dose of 42mg/kg body weight. Body weight, water and food intake, diuresis, and blood and urine glucose were determined in both groups before alloxan injection and two weeks, six and twelve months after alloxan injection. Proteinuria was measured at 12 months in both groups. After 12 months animals were sacrificed, and the right kidney processed for electron microscopy. Results: Clear clinical and laboratory signs of severe diabetes were seen, in all alloxan-diabetic rats at all follow-up times. Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening, podocyte number, and slit diaphragm number and extension were determined. GBM of all diabetic rats was significantly thicker (median=0.29μm; semi-interquartile range=0.065μm) than in the normal rats (0.23μm; 0.035μm). Diabetic rat podocyte number (8; 1), slit diaphragm number (4; 1), and slit diaphragm extension (0.021μm; 0.00435μm) were significantly lower than in normal rats (11; 1) and (7; 1.5), and (0.031μm; 0.0058μm). Diabetic rat proteinuria (0.060mg/24h; 0.037mg/24h) was higher than in normal rats (0.00185mg/24h; 0.00055mg/24h). Conclusion: Experimental diabetes is associated with significant (p<0.05) changes in podocyte foot process, slit number, slit diaphragm extension, and GBM thickness.

O papel da ginástica terapêutica chinesa Lian Gong em 18 terapias no comportamento psicomotor e cotidiano de praticantes adultos

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Effects of the Ottonia martiana Miq. (Piperaceae) extract on dog's ocular surface

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

Head morphology of 1st and 5th instar nymphs of Triatoma circummaculata and Triatoma rubrovaria (Hemiptera, Reduviidae)

Morphological structures of the head of 1st and 5th instar nymphs of Triatoma circummaculata and Triatoma rubrovaria were revealed by analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differences between Ist and 5th instar nymphs of these two species were observed in the postocular callosity, the number of ommatidia and tapered hair, the small segment between antennal segments, the rostrum third segment and slit lines. These slit lines were different only in the 5th instar. Similarities observed were the presence of tapered hairs in the joints, and the type of sensilla in the antennal segments. Only the Ist instar shows anteclypeus and gena sensilla. The antennal segments comprise the following types of sensilla: basiconica, bristles type I, bristles type II, bristles type III, campaniformia, coeloconica, chemosensilla, placodea, trichobothria and trichoidea. We describe here for the first time six (3+3) sensilla basiconica on the dorsal portion of the first segment of the rostrum. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condição ocular entre trabalhadores de uma indústria metalúrgica brasileira

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a condição ocular em população de trabalhadores de uma indústria metalúrgica paulista. MÉTODOS: Amostra de 2516 funcionários de uma fábrica na cidade de São Paulo foi submetida a uma avaliação oftalmológica como exame ocupacional periódico. Foi aplicado um questionário e realizado o exame de acuidade visual (Snellen) e teste de Ishihara. Os funcionários com acuidade visual menor que 0,7 ou com diferenças maior que duas linhas ou que apresentassem alguma queixa ocular, passaram por avaliação complementar (biomicroscopia, refração, tonometria e fundo de olho). Prescreveu-se óculos conforme indicação. RESULTADOS: Houve predomínio do sexo masculino (62,5%) e faixa etária de 20 a 29 anos (41%). A maioria não apresentava antecedentes oculares (97,6%) ou sistêmicos (96,6%).A acuidade visual estava acima de 0,7 em 95,5% dos olhos e 84% não utilizavam correção. O diagnóstico final foi exame normal em 55% dos casos, presbiopia em 13.6%, astigmatismo miópico em 10% e hipermetrópico em 7,7% dos indivíduos. Baixa visão foi encontrada em 2,4%, cegueira unilateral em 0,4%, não havendo casos de cegueira ou de deficiência visual entre os trabalhadores. As principais causas de baixa visão foram erros refrativos e ambliopia. CONCLUSÃO: A maioria dos funcionários da indústria pesquisada apresentava exame oftalmológico normal e nenhum deles apresentava cegueira bilateral.

Long-term effects of insulin therapy, islet transplantation, and pancreas transplantation in the prevention of glomerular changes in kidneys of alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Groups of inbred alloxan-induced diabetic rats were treated with insulin (I), islets (IT), or pancreas transplantation (PT). Nondiabetic (N) and untreated diabetic (D) control groups were concurrently included. Each group was divided into five subgroups of 10 rats and killed after follow-up of 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded, and kidney ultrastructural and morphometric analyses performed in each 12-month subgroup, namely glomerular basement membrane (GM) thickening, podocyte number, and number/extension of slit diaphragms (S). Rats from the I group showed poor metabolic control of diabetes compared with N group control rats. However, successfully transplanted rats (IT and PT) had complete restoration to normal levels for all metabolic parameters. GM thickening was significantly higher in diabetic compared with control rats. In contrast, the numbers of podocytes and slits as well as slit extensions were significantly decreased. Insulin therapy did not prevent any alterations upon comparison of diabetic vs control rats. Despite good metabolic control in IT rats, the degree of kidney lesion control never compared with that achieved in PT rats. In this group all glomerular changes were similar to the age-dependent lesions observed in control rats. We conclude that either IT or PT may be a good option for diabetes treatment, although pancreas transplantation seems to be the most effective treatment to control chronic complications.

Microlepidogaster dimorpha, a new species of Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the upper rio Paraná system

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

Rhinolekos, a new genus with three new species of Hypoptopomatinae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from upper rio Paraná

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

Gravitation: global formulation and quantum effects

A non-integrable phase-factor global approach to gravitation is developed by using the similarity of teleparallel gravity to electromagnetism. The phase shifts of both the COW and the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effects are obtained. It is then shown, by considering a simple slit experiment, that in the classical limit the global approach yields the same result as the gravitational Lorentz force equation of teleparallel gravity. It represents, therefore, the quantum mechanical version of the classical description provided by the gravitational Lorentz force equation. As teleparallel gravity can be formulated independently of the equivalence principle, it will consequently require no generalization of this principle at the quantum level.

The CMS experiment at the CERN LHC

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and lead-lead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 10(34)cm(-2)s(-1) (10(27)cm(-2)s(-1)). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic-field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations of muon detectors covering most of the 4 pi solid angle. Forward sampling calorimeters extend the pseudo-rapidity coverage to high values (vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 5) assuring very good hermeticity. The overall dimensions of the CMS detector are a length of 21.6 m, a diameter of 14.6 m and a total weight of 12500 t.

Natural latex graft in lamellar and penetrating sclerectomies in rabbits

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Sol-gel synthesis of titania-alumina catalyst supports

Titanium oxide is a good candidate as new support for hydrotreating (HDT) catalysts, but has the inconvenience of presenting small surface area and poor thermal stability. To overcome these handicaps TiO2-Al2O3 mixed oxides were proposed as catalyst support. Here, the results concerning the preparation, characterization and testing of molybdenum catalyst supported on titania-alumina are presented. The support was prepared by sol-gel route using titanium and aluminum isopropoxides, chelated with acetylacetone (acac) to promote similar hydrolysis ratio for both the alcoxides. The effect of nominal complexing ratios [acac]/[Ti] and of sol aging temperature on the structural features of nanometric particles was analyzed by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) and N-2 adsorption isotherm measurements. These characterizations have shown that the addition of acac and the increase of aging temperature favor the full dispersion of primary nanoparticles in mother acid solution. The dried powder presents a monomodal distribution of slit-shaped micropores, formed by irregular packing of platelet primary particles, surface area superior to 200 m(2) g(-1) and mean pore size of about 1 nm. These characteristics of porous texture are preserved after firing at 673 K. The diffraction patterns of sample fired above 973 K show only the presence of anatase crystalline phase. The crystalline structure of the support remained unaltered after molybdenum adsorption, but the surface area and the micropore volume were drastically reduced. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Use of topical mitomycin C in myoplasty of the medial rectus muscle of rabbits

To possibly reduce postoperative adhesions that occur after ocular myoplasties, we investigated the topical effects of 0.04% mitomycin C on the repaired areas of the medial rectus muscle using an equine renal capsule preserved in 98% glycerin for reinforcement of the sutures. Twenty-four rabbits, divided into two groups of 12 animals each [untreated (control) and treated group (MMC)], were submitted to surgical rupture of the medial rectus muscle of one eye and repair of the defect 24 h later with sutures and an equine renal capsule. Post-operative prophylactic treatment of the two groups consisted of the administration of eye drops containing neomycin, polymyxin B and dexamethasone at regular 6-h intervals for eight consecutive days and daily rinsing with physiological saline. MMC animals received additional treatment with topical 0.04% mitomycin C every 6 h for 14 consecutive days. Slit lamp biomicroscopy showed greater irritation of the ocular surface in MMC animals during the first days post operatively. Adhesions were observed at 15 and 30 days of assessment in the two groups, but were more extensive in control animals at 60 days. Histopathology revealed inflammatory exudation in both groups, which was greater in MMC animals. Mitomycin C (0.04%) instilled at 6-h intervals for 14 consecutive days reduced the occurrence of fibrosis in the myoplastic areas. However, the equine renal capsule was found to be of little benefit for the reinforcement of myoplasties.

Pore structure characterization of kaolin, metakaolin, and their acid-treated products using small-angle X-ray scattering

Pore structure of dealuminated kaolin and metakaolin was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Both parent kaolin and metakaolin have about 10% of the total pore volume provided by globular pores with 105 Å mean pore size. Their surface area is about 14 m2/g. Acid dealumination of kaolin causes an increase of its globular pore volume without an appreciable change in the mean pore size, its surface area increasing up to about 90 m2/g. Acid dealumination of metakaolin enhances the globular pore volume, although there is generation of slit-shaped pores with a narrow thickness distribution whose mean value is 14 Å. This interlayer spacing causes an increase in surface area of about 190 m2/g by SAXS. © 1994.