Age-related changes in muscle fiber type frequencies and cross-sectional areas in straightbred and crossbred rabbits

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

MAP Kinase Phosphatase-1 Protects against Inflammatory Bone Loss

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase (MKP) family plays an important function in regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines by deactivating MAP kinases. MKP-1 is essential for the dephosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase that regulates expression of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-1 beta. We hypothesized that MKP-1 regulates inflammatory bone loss in experimental periodontitis. Wild-type and Mkp-1(-/-) mice received A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS injection in the palatal region or PBS control 3 times/wk for 30 days. Mice were killed, and maxillae were assessed by microcomputed tomography, histological analysis, and TRAP staining for measurement of bone loss, extent of inflammation, and degree of osteoclastogenesis. Results indicated that, in LPS-injected Mkp-1(-/-) mice, significantly greater bone loss occurred with more inflammatory infiltrate and a significant increase in osteoclastogenesis compared with Mkp-1(-/-) control sites or either wild-type group. Analysis of these data indicates that MKP-1 plays a key role in the regulation of inflammatory bone loss.

Effect of Incorporation of Disinfectant Solutions on Setting Time, Linear Dimensional Stability, and Detail Reproduction in Dental Stone Casts

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to analyze the influence of incorporation of disinfectants during the cast die stone-setting time. Setting time, linear dimensional stability, and reproduction details on casts were measured.Materials and Methods: Die stone type IV specimens with disinfection solutions (sodium hypochlorite 1%, glutaraldehyde 2%, chlorhexidine 2%) were incorporated in two concentrations (50%, 100%). The detail reproduction, dimensional stability, and setting time were tested in accordance with ADA recommendations.Results: Disinfecting solutions promoted an increase in setting time compared to control; sodium hypochlorite was responsible for the highest setting time. The addition of undiluted sodium hypochlorite 1.0% led to contraction during setting, but the groups with 50% diluted sodium hypochlorite 1.0% and undiluted chlorhexidine 2.0% resulted in intermediate values compared to the other groups, thus matching the control. The others did not demonstrate any effect on expansion. For detail reproduction, it was observed that the control group presented results similar to the others, except those where sodium hypochlorite was added.Conclusions The addition of sodium hypochlorite in both dilutions significantly altered, negatively, all the evaluated properties. But the addition of glutaraldehyde and chlorhexidine did not promote any significant alterations in the evaluated properties.

Heterogeneity correction in the construction of optimized planning in radiotherapy using linear programming

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

On pairs of regular foliations in R(3) and singularities of map-germs

We study germs of pairs of codimension one regular foliations in R(3) . We show that the discriminant of the pair determines the topological type of the pair. We also consider various classifications of the singularities of the discriminant.

Three exopolysaccharides of the beta-(1 -> 6)-D-glucan type and a beta-(1 -> 3;1 -> 6)-D-glucan produced by strains of Botryosphaeria rhodina isolated from rotting tropical fruit

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

Compton scattering in noncommutative space-time at the Next Linear Collider

We study Compton scattering in the noncommutative (NC) counterpart of QED. Interactions in NC QED have momentum dependent phase factors and the gauge fields have Yang-Mills type couplings; this modifies the cross sections and they are different from the commuting standard model. Collider signals of noncommutative space-time are studied at the Next Linear Collider (NLC) operating in the e gamma mode. Results for different polarized cases are presented and it is shown that the Compton process can probe the noncommutative scale in the range of 1-2.5 TeV for typical proposed NLC energies.

Inverse scattering approach for massive Thirring models with integrable type-II defects

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

On the number of singularities in generic deformations of map germs

Let f:C-n, 0 --> C-p, 0 be a K-finite map germ, and let i = (i(1),..., i(k)) be a Boardman symbol such that Sigma(i) has codimension n in the corresponding jet space J(k)(n, p). When its iterated successors have codimension larger than n, the paper gives a list of situations in which the number of Sigma(i) points that appear in a generic deformation of f can be computed algebraically by means of Jacobian ideals of f. This list can be summarised in the following way: f must have rank n - i(1) and, in addition, in the case p = 6, f must be a singularity of type Sigma(i2.i2).

Behavioral and biological correlates of medicine use in type 2 diabetic patients attended by Brazilian public healthcare system

A relação entre atividade física e consumo de medicamentos não é clara. Assim, o objetivo do estudo foi investigar a relação entre nível de atividade física e uso de medicamentosem diabéticos tipo 2 atendidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde. A amostra foi composta por 121 diabéticos do tipo 2 de ambos os sexos atendidos pelos sistema público de saúde. Gordura corporal (antropometria e bioimpedância elétrica), atividade física (Questionário de Baecke) e uso de medicamentos (15 dias prévios a avaliação) foram avaliados. Houve relação entre uso de medicamentos e sexo (r = 0.18; p = 0.045), índice de massa corporal (r = 0.22; p = 0.012), circunferência de cintura (r = 0.19; p = 0.029), percentual de gordura (r = 0.21; p = 0.016), idade (r = 0.23; p = 0.009) e atividade física (r = -0.22; p = 0.012). A regressão linear incluiu no modelo apenas idade (β = 0.718; p = 0.057), IMC BMI (β = 0.057; p = 0.022) e atividade física (β = -0.176; p = 0.044) no modelo multivariado. Conclui-se que a prática de atividade física diminui uso de medicamentos independente da idade e obesidade.

Combinação linear ponderada na definição de áreas prioritárias à conectividade entre fragmentos florestais em ambiente SIG

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Use of a carbon paste electrode modified with spinel-type manganese oxide as a potentiometric sensor for lithium ions in flow injection analysis

A potentiometric sensor constructed from a mixture of 25% (m/m) spinel-type manganese oxide (lambda-MnO2), 50% (m/m) graphite powder and 25% (m/m) mineral oil is used for the determination of lithium ions in a flow injection analysis system. Experimental parameters, such as pH of the carrier solution, flow rate, injection sample volume, and selectivity for Li+ against other alkali and alkaline-earth ions and the response time of this sensor were investigated. The sensor response to lithium ions was linear in the concentration range 8.6 x 10(-5) - 1.0 x 10(-2) mol L-1 with a slope 78.9 +/- 0.3 mV dec(-1) over a wide pH range 7 - 10 (Tris buffer), without interference of other alkali and alkaline-earth metals. For a flow rate of 5.0 mL min(-1) and a injection sample volume of 408.6 muL, the relative standard deviation for repeated injections of a 5.0 x 10(-4) mol L-1 lithium ions was 0.3%.

PhotoLin: a program to identify and analyze linear structures in aerial photographs, satellite images and maps

A computer program, PhotoLin, written for an IBM-PC-compatible microcomputer is described which detects linear features in aerial photographs, satellite images and topographic maps. The program accepts images saved to PCX files as input and applies noise correction and smoothing filters and thinning routines. The output consists of a skeleton containing the median lines of linear features which can be represented on a map. The branches of the skeleton can be broken into sections of constant length for which the mean orientations are obtained for the preparation of rose diagrams. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ghost poles in the nucleon propagator in the linear sigma model approach and its role in pi N low-energy theorems

Complex mass poles, or ghost poles, are present in the Hartree-Fock solution of the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the nucleon propagator in renormalizable models with Yukawa-type meson-nucleon couplings, as shown many years ago by Brown, Puff and Wilets (BPW), These ghosts violate basic theorems of quantum field theory and their origin is related to the ultraviolet behavior of the model interactions, Recently, Krein et.al, proved that the ghosts disappear when vertex corrections are included in a self-consistent way, softening the interaction sufficiently in the ultraviolet region. In previous studies of pi N scattering using ''dressed'' nucleon propagator and bare vertices, did by Nutt and Wilets in the 70's (NW), it was found that if these poles are explicitly included, the value of the isospin-even amplitude A((+)) is satisfied within 20% at threshold. The absence of a theoretical explanation for the ghosts and the lack of chiral symmetry in these previous studies led us to re-investigate the subject using the approach of the linear sigma-model and study the interplay of low-energy theorems for pi N scattering and ghost poles. For bare interaction vertices we find that ghosts are present in this model as well and that the A((+)) value is badly described, As a first approach to remove these complex poles, we dress the vertices with phenomenological form factors and a reasonable agreement with experiment is achieved, In order to fix the two cutoff parameters, we use the A((+)) value for the chiral limit (m(pi) --> 0) and the experimental value of the isoscalar scattering length, Finally, we test our model by calculating the phase shifts for the S waves and we find a good agreement at threshold. (C) 1997 Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Enhanced emission from Eu(III) beta-diketone complex combined with ether-type oxygen atoms of di-ureasil organic-inorganic hybrids

Organic-inorganic hybrids, named di-ureasils and described by polyether-based chains grafted to both ends to a siliceous backbone through urea cross linkages, were used as hosts for incorporation of the well-known coordination complex of trivalent europium (Eu3+) ions described by the formula [Eu(TTA)(3)(H2O)(2)] (where TTA stands for thenoyltrifluoroacetone). By comparing with Eu3+-doped di-ureasil without complex form the new materials prepared here enhanced the quantum efficiency for photoemission of Eu3+ ions. The enhancement can be explained by the coordination ability of the organic counterpart of the host structure which is strong enough to displace water molecules in [Eu(TTA)(3)(H2O)(2)] from the rare earth neighbourhood after the incorporation process. High intensity of Eu3+ emission was observed with a low non-radiative decay rate under ultraviolet excitation. The quantum efficiency calculated from the decay of D-5(0) emission was 74%, which in the same range of values previously obtained for the most efficient Eu3+ coordination compounds reported in literature. Luminescence, X-ray absorption and infrared absorption results considered together leads to a picture where the first coordination shell of Eu3+ is composed of the 6 oxygen atoms of the 3 beta-diketonate ligands and 2 ether-like oxygen atoms of the host. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.