O transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas como opção no tratamento de doenças não hematológicas

Nesta revisão são abordadas as doenças em que existem dados e perspectivas do uso de transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas em suas diversas modalidades. São apresentados também os aspectos referentes aos regimes de condicionamento empregados, e sua relação com toxicidade e taxa de mortalidade ligadas ao transplante. São apresentadas as doenças autoimunes e particularizados dados específicos do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, esclerose sistêmica e esclerose múltipla e diabetes mellitus tipo 1. A base do procedimento nas doenças autoimunes é a reprogramação imunológica. Aparentemente o procedimento tem sua indicação nas doenças em que os tratamentos convencionais de imunossupressão tenham falhado, e o dano orgânico não tenha sido definitivo, mas tenha chance de ocorrer caso não seja realizado o transplante. A modalidade aparentemente indicada no momento deve ser o transplante de células-tronco autogênico com regimes de condicionamento não mieloablativo para se obter sobrevivência estimada em mais de 50% em todas as doenças, com baixa toxicidade e com mortalidade nula ligada ao transplante. São apresentados também os resultados nos tumores sólidos, que são discutíveis, e particularidades no câncer de mama. A aparente indicação para os tumores sólidos é transplante de células-tronco alogênico e se baseia no tratamento intensivo com doses mieloablativas com a finalidade de se induzir o efeito enxerto contra o tumor. Os regimes não mieloablativos são preconizados com a finalidade de redução da toxicidade e indução de imunossupressão, sendo os dados insuficientes e discutíveis, o que obriga a introdução de novas estratégias terapêuticas baseadas na terapia imune e celular.

Influence of thermal annealing treatment in oxygen atmosphere on grain boundary chemistry and non-ohmic properties of SnO2 center dot MnO polycrystalline semiconductors

The present work studied the influence of thermal treatment in oxygen rich atmosphere on heterogenous junctions in Mn-doped SnO2 polycrystalline system presenting varistor behavior. The samples were prepared by conventional oxide mixture methodology, and were submitted to heat treatment in oxygen rich atmosphere at 900 degrees C for 2h. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, dc and ac electrical measurements. The results showed that there is an evident relationship between the microstructure heterogeneity and non-ohmic electrical properties. It was found that for this SnO2 center dot MnO-based varistor system the heat treatment in oxygen rich atmosphere does not necessarily increase the varistors properties, which was related to the decrease in the grain boundary resistance. The results are compared with Co-doped SnO2 varistors and ZnO based varistors. (C) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlay GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evolution of CaCu3Ti4O12 varistor properties during heat treatment in vacuum

Calcium copper titanate (CaCu3Ti4O12) ceramic varistors were prepared by solid-state method. The samples were several times heat treated in vacuum and the evolution of electrical characteristics were monitored by current density versus electric field measurements and impedance spectroscopy. Repeated heat treatments in vacuum (900 degrees C for 1 h, 0.01 Torr) lead to a desorption of oxygen adsorbed at the grain boundaries and consequently to a degradation of the varistor properties. During further successive heat treatments some oxygen from the grain interior moves to the grain boundary thereby partially restoring the varistor properties. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Solid-state hydrolysis of postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate after plasma treatment

Plasma treatments were applied on the surface of postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to increase their wettability and hasten the subsequent hydrolysis process. Sixty-four treatments were tested by varying plasma composition (oxygen and air), power (25-130 W), pressure (50-200 mTorr), and time (1 and 5 min). The best treatment was the one applied in air plasma at 130 W and 50 mTorr for 5 min, as it provided the lowest contact angle, 9.4°. Samples of PET before and after the optimized plasma condition were subjected to hydrolysis at 205°C. Although the treatment changed only a thin surface layer, its influence was evident up to relatively high conversion rates, as the treated samples presented more than 40% higher conversion rates than the untreated ones after 2 h of reaction. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the terephthalic acid obtained from 99% of depolymerization was similar to the commercial product used in PET synthesis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vitro evaluation of permeation, toxicity and effect of praziquantel-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles against Schistosoma mansoni as a strategy to improve efficacy of the schistosomiasis treatment

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Systems for Dermatomycosis Treatment

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

Solid dispersions with hydrogenated castor oil increase solubility, dissolution rate and intestinal absorption of praziquantel

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Treatment of PVC using an alternative low energy ion bombardment procedure

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

Computations of the flow past a still sphere at moderate reynolds numbers using an immersed boundary method

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Prototyping for Surgical and Prosthetic Treatment

Techniques of rapid prototyping were introduced in the 1980s in the field of engineering for the fabrication of a solid model based on a computed file. After its introduction in the biomedical field, several applications were raised for the fabrication of models to ease surgical planning and simulation in implantology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics, as well as for the fabrication of maxillofacial prostheses. Hence, the literature has described the evolution of rapid prototyping technique in health care, which allowed easier technique, improved surgical results, and fabrication of maxillofacial prostheses. Accordingly, a literature review on MEDLINE ( PubMed) database was conducted using the keywords rapid prototyping, surgical planning, and maxillofacial prostheses and based on articles published from 1981 to 2010. After reading the titles and abstracts of the articles, 50 studies were selected owing to their correlations with the aim of the current study. Several studies show that the prototypes have been used in different dental-medical areas such as maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery; implantology; neurosurgery; orthopedics; scaffolds of ceramic, polymeric, and metallic materials; and fabrication of personalized maxillofacial prostheses. Therefore, prototyping has been an indispensable tool in several studies and helpful for surgical planning and fabrication of prostheses and implants.

Morphological alterations in the epithelium of the oral mucosa of rats (Rattus norvegicus) submitted to long-term systemic nicotine treatment

Smoking is considered to be the most albeit preventable cause of diseases and premature deaths in the history of mankind. The local action of tobacco on the oral mucosa can cause precancerous and cancerous lesions. However, there is not enough evidence to establish all the systemic effects caused by nicotine on the organism. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterize the cellular changes of the cheek mucosa of rats submitted to long-term systemic nicotine treatment. Twenty male rats were divided into two experimental groups: a nicotine group and a control group, each consisting of 10 animals. The nicotine group was injected daily with 0.250 mg of nicotine per 100 g of body weight. All animals received a solid diet and water ad libitum. After 90 days of treatment, all animals were weighed and sacrificed. Samples of cheek mucosa were collected for light and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed oral epithelium containing atypical cells that were characterized by atrophy, cell membrane disorganization and tissue damage. It was concluded that systemic administration of nicotine damaged the cellular integrity of the oral mucosa, impairing tissue function and predisposing the tissue to the action of different pathogenic agents and also to that of other carcinogenic substances present in tobacco. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copper determination in ethanol fuel by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a solid paraffin-based carbon paste electrode modified with 2-aminothiazole organofunctionalized silica

Solid paraffin-based carbon paste electrodes modified with 2-aminothiazole organofunctionalized silica have been applied to the anodic stripping determination of copper ions in ethanol fuel samples without any sample treatment. The proposed method comprised four steps: (1) copper ions preconcentration at open circuit potential directly in the ethanol fuel sample; (2) exchange of the solution and immediate cathodic reduction of the absorbate at controlled potential; (3) differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry; (4) electrochemical surface regeneration by applying a positive potential in acid media. Factors affecting the preconcentration, reduction and stripping steps were investigated and the optimum conditions were employed to develop the analytical procedure. Using a preconcentration time of 20 min and reduction time of 120 s at -0.3 V versus Ag/AgCl(sat) a linear range from 7.5 x 10(-8) to 2.5 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) with detection limit of 3.1 x 10(-8) mol L(-1) was obtained. Interference studies have shown a decrease in the interference effect according to the sequence: Ni > Zn > Cd > Pb > Fe. However, the interference effects of these ions have not forbidden the application of the proposed method. Recovery values between 98.8 and 102.3% were obtained for synthetic samples spiked with known amounts of Cu(2+) and interfering metallic ions. The developed electrode was successfully applied to the determination of Cu(2+) in commercial ethanol fuel samples. The results were compared to those obtained by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy by using the F-test and t-test. Neither F-value nor t-value have exceeded the critical values at 95% confidence level, confirming that there are no significant differences between the results obtained by both methods. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analytical Methods in Photoelectrochemical Treatment of Phenol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Study on the K3Li2Nb5O15 formation during the production of (Na0.5K0.5)((1-x))LixNbO3 lead-free piezoceramics at the morphotropic phase boundary

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

Aspects of solid state formation and properties of Sn(0.9)Ti(0.1)O(2) system doped with CoO and Nb(2)O(5)

The effect of calcination temperature during the formation of the solid solution Sn(0.9)Ti(0.1)O(2) doped with 1.00 mol % CoO and 0.05 mol % Nb(2)O(5) is presented. The structural characteristics of this system were studied using X-ray diffraction, and the changes in phase formation were analyzed using the Rietveld method. With an increase in calcination temperature, there is increasing miscibility of Ti into the (Ti,Sn)O(2) phase and near 1000 degrees C, and the remaining TiO(2) (anatase) was transformed into the rutile phase. The sintering process, monitored using dilatometry, suggests two mass transport mechanisms, one activated close to 900 degrees C associated with the presence of TiO(2) (anatase) and the second mechanism, occurring between 1200 and 1300 degrees C, is attributed to a faster grain boundary diffusion caused by oxygen vacancies. (C) 2008 International Centre for Diffraction Data.