A hydrogel scaffold that maintains viability and supports differentiation of dental pulp stem cells

Objectives: The clinical translation of stem cell-based Regenerative Endodontics demands further development of suitable injectable scaffolds. Puramatrix™ is a defined, self-assembling peptide hydrogel which instantaneously polymerizes under normal physiological conditions. Here, we assessed the compatibility of Puramatrix™ with dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) growth and differentiation. Methods: DPSC cells were grown in 0.05-0.25% Puramatrix™. Cell viability was measured colorimetrically using the WST-1 assay. Cell morphology was observed in 3D modeling using confocal microscopy. In addition, we used the human tooth slice model with Puramatrix™ to verify DPSC differentiation into odontoblast-like cells, as measured by expression of DSPP and DMP-1. Results: DPSC survived and proliferated in Puramatrix™ for at least three weeks in culture. Confocal microscopy revealed that cells seeded in Puramatrix™ presented morphological features of healthy cells, and some cells exhibited cytoplasmic elongations. Notably, after 21 days in tooth slices containing Puramatrix™, DPSC cells expressed DMP-1 and DSPP, putative markers of odontoblastic differentiation. Significance: Collectively, these data suggest that self-assembling peptide hydrogels might be useful injectable scaffolds for stem cell-based Regenerative Endodontics. © 2012 Academy of Dental Materials.

Empilhamento sísmico por superfície de reflexão comum: um novo algoritmo usando otimização global e local

O método de empilhamento sísmico por Superfície de Reflexão Comum (ou empilhamento SRC) produz a simulação de seções com afastamento nulo (NA) a partir dos dados de cobertura múltipla. Para meios 2D, o operador de empilhamento SRC depende de três parâmetros que são: o ângulo de emergência do raio central com fonte-receptor nulo (β₀), o raio de curvatura da onda ponto de incidência normal (R_NIP) e o raio de curvatura da onda normal (R_N). O problema crucial para a implementação do método de empilhamento SRC consiste na determinação, a partir dos dados sísmicos, dos três parâmetros ótimos associados a cada ponto de amostragem da seção AN a ser simulada. No presente trabalho foi desenvolvido uma nova sequência de processamento para a simulação de seções AN por meio do método de empilhamento SRC. Neste novo algoritmo, a determinação dos três parâmetros ótimos que definem o operador de empilhamento SRC é realizada em três etapas: na primeira etapa são estimados dois parâmetros (β°₀ e R°_NIP) por meio de uma busca global bidimensional nos dados de cobertura múltipla. Na segunda etapa é usado o valor de β°₀ estimado para determinar-se o terceiro parâmetro (R°_N) através de uma busca global unidimensional na seção AN resultante da primeira etapa. Em ambas etapas as buscas globais são realizadas aplicando o método de otimização Simulated Annealing (SA). Na terceira etapa são determinados os três parâmetros finais (β₀, R_NIP e R_N) através uma busca local tridimensional aplicando o método de otimização Variable Metric (VM) nos dados de cobertura múltipla. Nesta última etapa é usado o trio de parâmetros (β°₀, R°_NIP, R°_N) estimado nas duas etapas anteriores como aproximação inicial. Com o propósito de simular corretamente os eventos com mergulhos conflitantes, este novo algoritmo prevê a determinação de dois trios de parâmetros associados a pontos de amostragem da seção AN onde há intersecção de eventos. Em outras palavras, nos pontos da seção AN onde dois eventos sísmicos se cruzam são determinados dois trios de parâmetros SRC, os quais serão usados conjuntamente na simulação dos eventos com mergulhos conflitantes. Para avaliar a precisão e eficiência do novo algoritmo, este foi aplicado em dados sintéticos de dois modelos: um com interfaces contínuas e outro com uma interface descontinua. As seções AN simuladas têm elevada razão sinal-ruído e mostram uma clara definição dos eventos refletidos e difratados. A comparação das seções AN simuladas com as suas similares obtidas por modelamento direto mostra uma correta simulação de reflexões e difrações. Além disso, a comparação dos valores dos três parâmetros otimizados com os seus correspondentes valores exatos calculados por modelamento direto revela também um alto grau de precisão. Usando a aproximação hiperbólica dos tempos de trânsito, porém sob a condição de R_NIP = R_N, foi desenvolvido um novo algoritmo para a simulação de seções AN contendo predominantemente campos de ondas difratados. De forma similar ao algoritmo de empilhamento SRC, este algoritmo denominado empilhamento por Superfícies de Difração Comum (SDC) também usa os métodos de otimização SA e VM para determinar a dupla de parâmetros ótimos (β₀, R_NIP) que definem o melhor operador de empilhamento SDC. Na primeira etapa utiliza-se o método de otimização SA para determinar os parâmetros iniciais β°₀ e R°_NIP usando o operador de empilhamento com grande abertura. Na segunda etapa, usando os valores estimados de β°₀ e R°_NIP, são melhorados as estimativas do parâmetro R_NIP por meio da aplicação do algoritmo VM na seção AN resultante da primeira etapa. Na terceira etapa são determinados os melhores valores de β°₀ e R°_NIP por meio da aplicação do algoritmo VM nos dados de cobertura múltipla. Vale salientar que a aparente repetição de processos tem como efeito a atenuação progressiva dos eventos refletidos. A aplicação do algoritmo de empilhamento SDC em dados sintéticos contendo campos de ondas refletidos e difratados, produz como resultado principal uma seção AN simulada contendo eventos difratados claramente definidos. Como uma aplicação direta deste resultado na interpretação de dados sísmicos, a migração pós-empilhamento em profundidade da seção AN simulada produz uma seção com a localização correta dos pontos difratores associados às descontinuidades do modelo.

Análise do efeito da discretização do modelo de velocidades nas migrações Kirchhoff e Kirchhoff-Gaussian- Beam 2D pré-empilhamento em profundidade

O Feixe Gaussiano (FG) é uma solução assintótica da equação da elastodinâmica na vizinhança paraxial de um raio central, a qual se aproxima melhor do campo de ondas do que a aproximação de ordem zero da Teoria do Raio. A regularidade do FG na descrição do campo de ondas, assim como a sua elevada precisão em algumas regiões singulares do meio de propagação, proporciona uma forte alternativa no imageamento sísmicos. Nesta dissertação, apresenta-se um novo procedimento de migração sísmica pré-empilhamento em profundidade com amplitudes verdadeiras, que combina a flexibilidade da migração tipo Kirchhoff e a robustez da migração baseada na utilização de Feixes Gaussianos para a representação do campo de ondas. O algoritmo de migração proposto é constituído por dois processos de empilhamento: o primeiro é o empilhamento de feixes (“beam stack”) aplicado a subconjuntos de dados sísmicos multiplicados por uma função peso definida de modo que o operador de empilhamento tenha a mesma forma da integral de superposição de Feixes Gaussianos; o segundo empilhamento corresponde à migração Kirchhoff tendo como entrada os dados resultantes do primeiro empilhamento. Pelo exposto justifica-se a denominação migração Kirchhoff-Gaussian-Beam (KGB).Afim de comparar os métodos Kirchhoff e KGB com respeito à sensibilidade em relação ao comprimento da discretização, aplicamos no conjunto de dados conhecido como Marmousi 2-D quatro grids de velocidade, ou seja, 60m, 80m 100m e 150m. Como resultado, temos que ambos os métodos apresentam uma imagem muito melhor para o menor intervalo de discretização da malha de velocidade. O espectro de amplitude das seções migradas nos fornece o conteúdo de frequência espacial das seções das imagens obtidas.

Estudo e modelagem 3D de uma turbina Francis

Most of the hydraulic turbines that are running in the world are the Francis type, because they are able to fit a wide range of head and flow. We also can declare that most of the installed hydraulic energy up to this date is generated by this type of turbine. On the other hand, if we pay attention to mechanical details of a Francis turbine we will see that among the three most used types it is the one that presents the more complex design. And, the simplest one is the Pelton type, whereas the Kaplan is the one less utilized. This work aims to develop the hydrodynamic calculation of a Francis turbine as well as to obtain its assembly drawing and 3D modeling drawing. In this way all details must be shown therefore needing a complete knowledge about this issue. Both 2D and 3D drawings help much if one wants the machine to be running in its power house. It is well noted that most of the entities that design and manufacture the Francis turbines are not brazilian. In this way the more we study how to design this kind of machine the more is our contribution to our country in order to conquer technology and manufacture Francis turbines

Treatment with vitamin D/MOG association suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influence of summertime mesoscale convective systems on the heat balance and surface mixed layer dynamics of a large Amazonian hydroelectric reservoir

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Modeling the formation and propagation of desiccation cracks in soils

The problem of desiccation cracks in soils has received increasing attention in the last few years, in both experimental investigations and modeling. Experimental research has been mainly focused on the behavior of slurries subjected to drying in plates of different shapes, sizes and thickness. The main objectives of these studies were to learn about the process of crack formation under controlled environmental conditions, and also to better understand the effect of different factors (e.g. soil type, boundary conditions, soil thickness) on the morphology of the crack network. As for the numerical modeling, different approaches have been suggested lately to describe the behavior of drying cracks in soils. One aspect that it is still difficult to describe properly is the crack pattern observed in desiccated soils. This work presents a novel technique to model the behavior of drying soils. The crack patter observed in desiccation tests on circular plates are simulated with the main objective of predicting the effect of soil thickness on crack pattern. Good agreement between experimental results and model prediction are observed.

Modeling field load tests in lateritic unsaturated soil

Many models for unsaturated soil have been developed in the last years, accompanying the development of experimental techniques to deal with such soils. The benchmark of the models for unsaturated soil can be assigned to the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) now incorporated in some codes such as the CODE_BRIGHT. Most of those models were validated considering limited laboratory test results and not much validation is available considering real field problems. This paper presents modeling results of field plate load tests performed under known suction on a lateritic unsaturated soil. The required input data were taken from laboratory tests performed under suction control. The modeling nicely reproduces field tests allowing appreciating the influence of soil suction on the stress-settlement curve. In addition, wetting induced or collapse settlements were calculated from field tests and were nicely duplicated by the numerical analysis performed.

Advanced Numerical Simulation of Silicon-Based Solar Cells

Photovoltaic (PV) conversion is the direct production of electrical energy from sun without involving the emission of polluting substances. In order to be competitive with other energy sources, cost of the PV technology must be reduced ensuring adequate conversion efficiencies. These goals have motivated the interest of researchers in investigating advanced designs of crystalline silicon solar (c-Si) cells. Since lowering the cost of PV devices involves the reduction of the volume of semiconductor, an effective light trapping strategy aimed at increasing the photon absorption is required. Modeling of solar cells by electro-optical numerical simulation is helpful to predict the performance of future generations devices exhibiting advanced light-trapping schemes and to provide new and more specific guidelines to industry. The approaches to optical simulation commonly adopted for c-Si solar cells may lead to inaccurate results in case of thin film and nano-stuctured solar cells. On the other hand, rigorous solvers of Maxwell equations are really cpu- and memory-intensive. Recently, in optical simulation of solar cells, the RCWA method has gained relevance, providing a good trade-off between accuracy and computational resources requirement. This thesis is a contribution to the numerical simulation of advanced silicon solar cells by means of a state-of-the-art numerical 2-D/3-D device simulator, that has been successfully applied to the simulation of selective emitter and the rear point contact solar cells, for which the multi-dimensionality of the transport model is required in order to properly account for all physical competing mechanisms. In the second part of the thesis, the optical problems is discussed. Two novel and computationally efficient RCWA implementations for 2-D simulation domains as well as a third RCWA for 3-D structures based on an eigenvalues calculation approach have been presented. The proposed simulators have been validated in terms of accuracy, numerical convergence, computation time and correctness of results.

Numerical simulation of interdigitated back contact hetero-junction solar cells

The goal of this thesis is the application of an opto-electronic numerical simulation to heterojunction silicon solar cells featuring an all back contact architecture (Interdigitated Back Contact Hetero-Junction IBC-HJ). The studied structure exhibits both metal contacts, emitter and base, at the back surface of the cell with the objective to reduce the optical losses due to the shadowing by front contact of conventional photovoltaic devices. Overall, IBC-HJ are promising low-cost alternatives to monocrystalline wafer-based solar cells featuring front and back contact schemes, in fact, for IBC-HJ the high concentration doping diffusions are replaced by low-temperature deposition processes of thin amorphous silicon layers. Furthermore, another advantage of IBC solar cells with reference to conventional architectures is the possibility to enable a low-cost assembling of photovoltaic modules, being all contacts on the same side. A preliminary extensive literature survey has been helpful to highlight the specific critical aspects of IBC-HJ solar cells as well as the state-of-the-art of their modeling, processing and performance of practical devices. In order to perform the analysis of IBC-HJ devices, a two-dimensional (2-D) numerical simulation flow has been set up. A commercial device simulator based on finite-difference method to solve numerically the whole set of equations governing the electrical transport in semiconductor materials (Sentuarus Device by Synopsys) has been adopted. The first activity carried out during this work has been the definition of a 2-D geometry corresponding to the simulation domain and the specification of the electrical and optical properties of materials. In order to calculate the main figures of merit of the investigated solar cells, the spatially resolved photon absorption rate map has been calculated by means of an optical simulator. Optical simulations have been performed by using two different methods depending upon the geometrical features of the front interface of the solar cell: the transfer matrix method (TMM) and the raytracing (RT). The first method allows to model light prop-agation by plane waves within one-dimensional spatial domains under the assumption of devices exhibiting stacks of parallel layers with planar interfaces. In addition, TMM is suitable for the simulation of thin multi-layer anti reflection coating layers for the reduction of the amount of reflected light at the front interface. Raytracing is required for three-dimensional optical simulations of upright pyramidal textured surfaces which are widely adopted to significantly reduce the reflection at the front surface. The optical generation profiles are interpolated onto the electrical grid adopted by the device simulator which solves the carriers transport equations coupled with Poisson and continuity equations in a self-consistent way. The main figures of merit are calculated by means of a postprocessing of the output data from device simulation. After the validation of the simulation methodology by means of comparison of the simulation result with literature data, the ultimate efficiency of the IBC-HJ architecture has been calculated. By accounting for all optical losses, IBC-HJ solar cells result in a theoretical maximum efficiency above 23.5% (without texturing at front interface) higher than that of both standard homojunction crystalline silicon (Homogeneous Emitter HE) and front contact heterojuction (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer HIT) solar cells. However it is clear that the criticalities of this structure are mainly due to the defects density and to the poor carriers transport mobility in the amorphous silicon layers. Lastly, the influence of the most critical geometrical and physical parameters on the main figures of merit have been investigated by applying the numerical simulation tool set-up during the first part of the present thesis. Simulations have highlighted that carrier mobility and defects level in amorphous silicon may lead to a potentially significant reduction of the conversion efficiency.

Calcoli di sezioni d'urto efficaci di riflettore in sistemi PWR di terza generazione

La corretta modellizzazione della zona del riflettore dei sistemi GEN III+ è un passaggio fondamentale per un’accurata predizione dei parametri di cella il cui valore influenza direttamente la distribuzione di potenza su tutto il nocciolo. Tale esigenza si è resa ancora più stringente dopo la constatazione che il fenomeno del “tilt power” risulta essere più amplificato nei noccioli nucleari equipaggiati con un riflettore pesante. Per tali ragioni, nel presente lavoro di tesi si è dedicata particolare attenzione alle metodiche di modellizzazione ed alla generazione delle sezioni d’urto efficaci omogenee ed agli assembly discontinuity factors (ADF) nella zona di riflessione. Il codice deterministico utilizzato per il calcolo è SCALE 6.1.3. La notevole differenza nelle proprietà neutroniche associata ad un’elevata eterogeneità geometrica tra un nocciolo ed un riflettore hanno suggerito di effettuare un’analisi preliminare sul sistema riflettente GEN II proposto nel benchmark NEA-NSC-DOC (2013) per testare la capacità di SCALE 6.1.3 di effettuare un corretto calcolo di cella adottando una modellizzazione monodimensionale assembly/riflettore. I risultati ottenuti sono confrontati con quelli presentati nel benchmark e e con quelli valutati attraverso il codice Monte Carlo SERPENT 2.0 confermando la capacità di calcolo di SCALE 6.1.3. L’analisi sulla modellizzazione dei sistemi riflettenti GEN III+ è stata effettuata ricavando il valore dei parametri di cella per configurazioni omogenee ed una serie di configurazioni geometriche esatte che comprendono tutte le modellizzazioni del sistema riflettente lungo la direzione angolare del riflettore. Si è inoltre effettuata un’analisi di sensitività su parametri operativi e sui parametri di codice. Si è infine effettuato un calcolo in color-set per indagare l’influenza degli effetti 2-D sui parametri di cella. I risultati prodotti rappresentano un contributo migliorativo nella conoscenza dei parametri di cella di riflettore e potranno essere utilizzati per una più precisa valutazione del fenomeno del tilt nei sistemi GEN III+.

Interleukin-17A stimulates granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor release by murine osteoblasts in the presence of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and inhibits murine osteoclast development in vitro

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) on osteoclastogenesis in vitro. METHODS Bone marrow cells (BMCs) were isolated from the excised tibia and femora of wild-type C57BL/6J mice, and osteoblasts were obtained by sequential digestion of the calvariae of ddY, C57BL/6J, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-knockout (GM-CSF(-/-)) mice. Monocultures of BMCs or cocultures of BMCs and osteoblasts were supplemented with or without 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)(1,25[OH](2)D(3)), recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), RANKL, and IL-17A. After 5-6 days, the cultures were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and subsequently stained for the osteoclast marker enzyme tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and GM-CSF expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and transcripts for RANK and RANKL were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS In both culture systems, IL-17A alone did not affect the development of osteoclasts. However, the addition of IL-17A plus 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) to cocultures inhibited early osteoclast development within the first 3 days of culture and induced release of GM-CSF into the culture supernatants. Furthermore, in cocultures of GM-CSF(-/-) mouse osteoblasts and wild-type mouse BMCs, IL-17A did not affect osteoclast development, corroborating the role of GM-CSF as the mediator of the observed inhibition of osteoclastogenesis by IL-17A. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that IL-17A interferes with the differentiation of osteoclast precursors by inducing the release of GM-CSF from osteoblasts.

Integration of computational models and experimental characterization to study internal frost damage in cementitious materials

The objective of this doctoral research is to investigate the internal frost damage due to crystallization pore pressure in porous cement-based materials by developing computational and experimental characterization tools. As an essential component of the U.S. infrastructure system, the durability of concrete has significant impact on maintenance costs. In cold climates, freeze-thaw damage is a major issue affecting the durability of concrete. The deleterious effects of the freeze-thaw cycle depend on the microscale characteristics of concrete such as the pore sizes and the pore distribution, as well as the environmental conditions. Recent theories attribute internal frost damage of concrete is caused by crystallization pore pressure in the cold environment. The pore structures have significant impact on freeze-thaw durability of cement/concrete samples. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) techniques were applied to characterize freeze-thaw damage within pore structure. In the microscale pore system, the crystallization pressures at sub-cooling temperatures were calculated using interface energy balance with thermodynamic analysis. The multi-phase Extended Finite Element Modeling (XFEM) and bilinear Cohesive Zone Modeling (CZM) were developed to simulate the internal frost damage of heterogeneous cement-based material samples. The fracture simulation with these two techniques were validated by comparing the predicted fracture behavior with the captured damage from compact tension (CT) and single-edge notched beam (SEB) bending tests. The study applied the developed computational tools to simulate the internal frost damage caused by ice crystallization with the two dimensional (2-D) SEM and three dimensional (3-D) reconstructed SEM and TXM digital samples. The pore pressure calculated from thermodynamic analysis was input for model simulation. The 2-D and 3-D bilinear CZM predicted the crack initiation and propagation within cement paste microstructure. The favorably predicted crack paths in concrete/cement samples indicate the developed bilinear CZM techniques have the ability to capture crack nucleation and propagation in cement-based material samples with multiphase and associated interface. By comparing the computational prediction with the actual damaged samples, it also indicates that the ice crystallization pressure is the main mechanism for the internal frost damage in cementitious materials.

Study of particle movement in the nearshore region of Lake Superior with radioisotope tracers

Biogeochemical processes in the coastal region, including the coastal area of the Great Lakes, are of great importance due to the complex physical, chemical and biological characteristics that differ from those on either the adjoining land or open water systems. Particle-reactive radioisotopes, both naturally occurring (210Pb, 210Po and 7Be) and man-made (137Cs), have proven to be useful tracers for these processes in many systems. However, a systematic isotope study on the northwest coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior has not yet been performed. In this dissertation research, field sampling, laboratory measurements and numerical modeling were conducted to understand the biogeochemistry of the radioisotope tracers and some particulate-related coastal processes. In the first part of the dissertation, radioisotope activities of 210Po and 210Pb in a variability of samples (dissolved, suspended particle, sediment trap materials, surficial sediment) were measured. A completed picture of the distribution and disequilibrium of this pair of isotopes was drawn. The application of a simple box model utilizing these field observations reveals short isotope residence times in the water column and a significant contribution of sediment resuspension (for both particles and isotopes). The results imply a highly dynamic coastal region. In the second part of this dissertation, this conclusion is examined further. Based on intensive sediment coring, the spatial distribution of isotope inventories (mainly 210Pb, 137Cs and 7Be) in the nearshore region was determined. Isotope-based focusing factors categorized most of the sampling sites as non- or temporary depositional zones. A twodimensional steady-state box-in-series model was developed and applied to individual transects with the 210Pb inventories as model input. The modeling framework included both water column and upper sediments down to the depth of unsupported 210Pb penetration. The model was used to predict isotope residence times and cross-margin fluxes of sediments and isotopes at different locations along each transect. The time scale for sediment focusing from the nearshore to offshore regions of the transect was on the order of 10 years. The possibility of sediment longshore movement was indicated by high inventory ratios of 137Cs: 210Pb. Local deposition of fine particles, including fresh organic carbon, may explain the observed distribution of benthic organisms such as Diporeia. In the last part of this dissertation, isotope tracers, 210Pb and 210Po, were coupled into a hydrodynamic model for Lake Superior. The model was modified from an existing 2-D finite difference physical-biological model which has previously been successfully applied on Lake Superior. Using the field results from part one of this dissertation as initial conditions, the model was used to predict the isotope distribution in the water column; reasonable results were achieved. The modeling experiments demonstrated the potential for using a hydrodynamic model to study radioisotope biogeochemistry in the lake, although further refinements are necessary.