Reconstrução de maquetes 3D e manipulação da arquitetura de espécies perenes cultivadas no Brasil

Este trabalho teve como objetivo indicar algumas possíveis manipulações ecofisiológicas, com base em experimentos de arquitetura de plantas. Plantas de erva-mate, seringueira e videira foram caracterizadas no campo e no laboratório, e suas maquetes 3D foram reconstruídas com os programas V-Plants e PlantGLViewer. Indicações sobre a análise de crescimento e impactos ambientais, com a aplicação de diversas simulações, foram discutidas.

Software for interpolation of vegetative growth of yerba mate plants in 3D

The objective of this work was to build mock-ups of complete yerba mate plants in several stages of development, using the InterpolMate software, and to compute photosynthesis on the interpolated structure. The mock-ups of yerba-mate were first built in the VPlants software for three growth stages. Male and female plants grown in two contrasting environments (monoculture and forest understory) were considered. To model the dynamic 3D architecture of yerba-mate plants during the biennial growth interval between two subsequent prunings, data sets of branch development collected in 38 dates were used. The estimated values obtained from the mock-ups, including leaf photosynthesis and sexual dimorphism, are very close to those observed in the field. However, this similarity was limited to reconstructions that included growth units from original data sets. The modeling of growth dynamics enables the estimation of photosynthesis for the entire yerba mate plant, which is not easily measurable in the field. The InterpolMate software is efficient for building yerba mate mock-ups.

Maintenance requirement and deposition efficiency of lysine in pigs

The objective of this work was to determine the maintenance requirement and the deposition efficiency of lysine in growing pigs. It was used the incomplete changeover experimental design, with replicates over time. Twelve castrated pigs with average body weight (BW) of 52±2 kg were kept in metabolism crates with a controlled temperature of 22ºC. The diets were formulated to supply 30, 50, 60, and 70% of the expected requirements of standardized lysine, and provided at 2.6 times the energy requirements for maintenance. The trial lasted 24 days and was divided into two periods of 12 days: seven days for animal adaptation to the diet and five days for sample collection. The increasing content of lysine in the diet did not affect dry matter intake of the pigs. The amount of nitrogen excreted was 47% of the nitrogen intake, of which 35% was excreted through feces and 65% through urine. The estimated endogenous losses of lysine were 36.4 mg kg-1 BW0.75. The maintenance requirement of lysine for pigs weighing around 50 kg is 40.4 mg kg-1 BW0.75, and the deposition efficiency of lysine is 90%.

Radioterapia externa conformada 3D para o carcinoma de próstata: experiência do Instituto do Radium de Campinas com 285 pacientes

OBJETIVO: Reportar resultados de tratamentos do câncer de próstata com radioterapia conformada 3D realizados em uma única instituição. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: De julho de 1997 a janeiro de 2002, 285 pacientes consecutivos com câncer de próstata foram submetidos a radioterapia conformada 3D com dose mediana de 7.920 cGy na próstata e analisados retrospectivamente. A distribuição segundo o grupo de risco foi a seguinte: baixo risco - 95 (33,7%); risco intermediário - 66 (23,4%); alto risco - 121 (42,9%) pacientes. RESULTADOS: Em seguimento mediano de 53,6 meses (3,6-95,3 meses), sobrevidas atuariais global, causa específica, livre de metástases a distância e livre de recidiva bioquímica em cinco anos foram de 85,1%, 97,0%, 94,2% e 75,8%, respectivamente. Sobrevidas atuariais livre de toxicidade retal e urinária tardias em cinco anos foram de 96,4% e 91,1%, respectivamente. Ressecção transuretral pré-radioterapia conformada 3D e doses > 70 Gy em 30% do volume da bexiga implicaram maior toxicidade urinária tardia grau 2-3 em cinco anos (p = 0,0002 e p = 0,0264, respectivamente). CONCLUSÃO: A primeira experiência relatada de radioterapia conformada 3D no Brasil permitiu altas doses de radiação, com toxicidades retal e urinária aceitáveis. A existência de ressecção transuretral de próstata pré-radioterapia conformada 3D pode sinalizar maior risco de toxicidade urinária tardia grau 2-3 após irradiação. Restrição da dose < 70 Gy em 30% do volume da bexiga à tomografia de planejamento pode reduzir complicações urinárias tardias.

Diagnostic performance of 3D TSE MRI versus 2D TSE MRI of the knee at 1.5 T, with prompt arthroscopic correlation, in the detection of meniscal and cruciate ligament tears

Abstract Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of the three-dimensional turbo spin-echo (3D TSE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique with the performance of the standard two-dimensional turbo spin-echo (2D TSE) protocol at 1.5 T, in the detection of meniscal and ligament tears. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight patients were imaged twice, first with a standard multiplanar 2D TSE MR technique, and then with a 3D TSE technique, both in the same 1.5 T MRI scanner. The patients underwent knee arthroscopy within the first three days after the MRI. Using arthroscopy as the reference standard, we determined the diagnostic performance and agreement. Results: For detecting anterior cruciate ligament tears, the 3D TSE and routine 2D TSE techniques showed similar values for sensitivity (93% and 93%, respectively) and specificity (80% and 85%, respectively). For detecting medial meniscal tears, the two techniques also had similar sensitivity (85% and 83%, respectively) and specificity (68% and 71%, respectively). In addition, for detecting lateral meniscal tears, the two techniques had similar sensitivity (58% and 54%, respectively) and specificity (82% and 92%, respectively). There was a substantial to almost perfect intraobserver and interobserver agreement when comparing the readings for both techniques. Conclusion: The 3D TSE technique has a diagnostic performance similar to that of the routine 2D TSE protocol for detecting meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears at 1.5 T, with the advantage of faster acquisition.

Um novo modelo para os sítios de interação dos antagonistas H2, baseado na caracterização química dos sítios primário e secundário por QSAR- 3D

A new model for the H2 antagonists binding site is postulated based on adsorption coefficient values of sixteen antagonists, in the affinities constants of the primary and secondary binding sites, and in the chemical characterization of these sites by 3D-QSAR. All study compounds are in the extended conformation and deprotonated form. The lateral validation of the QSARs, CoMFA analysis, affinity constants and chemical similarity data suggest that the antagonists block the proton pump in the H2 receptor interacting with two tyrosines - one in the helix 5, and other in the helix 6.

Alternative technique for biodiesel quality control using an optical fiber long-period grating sensor

We report the use of an optical fiber sensor to measure the soybean oil concentration in samples obtained from the mixture of pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil. The operation of the device is based on the long-period grating sensitivity to the surrounding medium refractive index, which leads to measurable modifications in the grating transmission spectrum. The proposed analysis method results in errors in the oil concentration of 0.4% and 2.6% for pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil, respectively. Techniques of total glycerol, dynamic viscosity, density, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were also employed to validate the proposed method.

Estudos de QSAR 3D para um conjunto de inibidores de butirilcolinesterase humana

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered the main cause of cognitive decline in adults. The available therapies for AD treatment seek to maintain the activity of cholinergic system through the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. However, butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) can be considered an alternative target for AD treatment. Aiming at developing new BuChE inhibitors, robust QSAR 3D models with high predictive power were developed. The best model presents a good fit (r²=0.82, q²=0.76, with two PCs) and high predictive power (r²predict=0.88). Analysis of regression vector shows that steric properties have considerable importance to the inhibition of the BuChE.

Kinetic study of the cobalt electrodeposition onto glassy carbon electrode from ammonium sulfate solutions

We carried out an electrochemical study of the cobalt electrodeposition onto glassy carbon electrode from an aqueous solution containing 10-2 M of CoSO4 + 1 M (NH4)2SO4 at natural pH 4.5. The potentiostatic study indicated a progressive 3D nucleation and growth during the deposition process. The average diffusion coefficient calculated for this system was 2.65 X 10-6 cm² s-1 while the ΔG for the formation of stable nucleus was 6.50 X 10-20 J/nuclei. The scanning electron microscopy images indicated the formation of small and homogeneous nucleus onto GCE of approximately 300 nm.

Identificação de adulteração de biocombustível por adição de óleo residual ao diesel por espectrofluorimetria total 3D e análise das componentes principais

Total spectrofluorimetry associated to Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to classify into different groups the samples of diesel oil, biodiesel, vegetal oil and residual oil, as well as, to identify addition of non-transesterified residual vegetable oil, instead of biodiesel, to the diesel oil. Using this method, the samples of diesel oil, mixtures of biodiesel in diesel and mixtures of residual oil in diesel were separated into well-defined groups.

Formation of TiO2 photoanodes by simultaneous electrophoretic deposition of anatase and rutile particles for photoassisted electrolytic copper ions removal

The influence of Anatasa/Rutile ratio on TiO2 films, grown by electrophoretic deposition was studied in the photoassisted electrolytic copper ions removal from cyanide solutions. The proper dispersant dosage allowing the simultaneous electrophoretic deposition of Anatase and Rutile was chosen based on electrokinetic measurements; evidenced by the XRD spectra of the formed films. The evaluation of films photoassisted electrolytic copper ion removal showeds that it is possible to enhance the activity of Anatase films by adding some Rutile exploiting the synergetic interaction between these two materials, achieve by its proper deposition.

QSAR-3D/CoMFA em compostos imídicos com atividade antinociceptiva

Imide compounds have shown biological activity. These compounds can be easily synthesized with good yields. The objective of this paper was the rational planning of imides and sulfonamides with antinociceptive activity using the 3D-QSAR/CoMFA approach. The studies were performed using two data sets. The first set consisted of 39 cyclic imides while the second set consisted of 39 imides and 15 sulfonamides. The 3D- QSAR/CoMFA models have shown that the steric effect is important for the antinociceptive activity of imide and sulphonamide compounds. Ten new compounds with improved potential antinociceptive activity have been proposed by de novo design leapfrog simulations.