Narrow Fungal Mycorrhizal Diversity in a Population of the Orchid Coppensia doniana

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

Desenvolvimento, otimização e caracterização física de um novo sistema multi-sensores de Biosusceptometria de Corrente Alternada (BAC) para obtenção de imagens biomagnéticas

A novel AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) system with thirteen sensors it was implemented and characterized in vitro using magnetic phantoms. The system presenting coils in a coaxial arrangement with one pair of excitation coil outside and thirteen pairs of detection coils inside. A first-order gradiometric configuration was utilized for optimal detection of magnetic signals. Several physical parameters such as baseline, number of turns, excitation field and diameters were studied for improvement of the signal/noise ratio. This system exhibits an enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution, due to the higher density of sensors/area. In the future those characteristics will turn possible to obtain images of magnetic marker or tracer in the gastrointestinal tract focusing on physiological and pharmaceutical studies. ACB emerged due to its interesting nature, noninvasiveness and low cost to investigate gastrointestinal parameters and this system can contribute for more accurate interpretation of biomedical signals and images

Comparação da razão sinal-ruído e da uniformidade da imagem entre aquisições com bobina de quadratura e com bobina de corpo

The signal-to-noise ratio and image uniformity analysis parameters are very important in quality control of an MRI scanner. They are measured in regular tests with phantoms. In these tests, however, used to quadrature coil, which has been most widely used clinically, and, therefore, was replaced in the procedures for body coil. In order to understand the difference between these two parameters in these coils, the study aimed to analyze the images acquired from four different phantoms in the same equipment under the same conditions for comparison purposes. With these results, it can be concluded that the body coil signal-to-noise ratio has always smaller than the quadrature in any projection, whereas the image uniformity is larger

Quantificação da desintegração de comprimidos por fluxo ótico em seqüências de imagens de biosusceptometria AC

AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) is a low-cost biomagnetic tool that has been successfully applied on pharmaceutical research to evaluate performance of solid dosage forms. The aim of this work was to evaluate the Horn & Shunck method to access tablet disintegration. To evaluate the HS results was record on video a test with a objet moving in a rail with a constant velocity. The desintegration was recorded on video and ACB, which used have seven pairs of detection coils and a pair of excitation coils to mensure the magnetic ux variation. The signals were ampli ed and digitalized to create images, which were restored by Wiener lter, while the video images are converted to gray scale, both are normalized and binarized and had the optical ow estimation calculated by Horn & Schunck (HS) algorithm. All signals and images are processed and developed algorithm on Matlab. During the tests the ve tablets (500mg ferrite, 375mg excipients, compression 10 to 50 kN) were on a becker between of the ACB system and of the video system, and only touching the surface of the water. With all OF maps calculated was realized the sum of the resultants of each, to get a disintegration process resultant for each compression. Whit that was possible observed the disintegration behaves. For the compression force study the HS components of each sequence was sum, take mean and normalized for sequence's max modulo, therefore can be observed a high growing on less compression tablets. We can conclude the HS algorithm is viable to tablets disintegration data collection and whit that was possible to create a tablets disintegration analyzes protocol, which would be useful on desintegration kinetics study

Projeto de um dispositivo para prensar bobinas polares de pólos salientes para hidrogeradores

The increasing demand for productivity and quality in companies has converged to a common point: reducing costs. In this context the present work aims at the development of a mechanical press which is designed for pressing polar hydrogenerators coils with salient pole in field facilitating the assembly of the poles in the plant, as well as reforms especially in hydrogenerators, reducing significantly the transport costs. With security in mind as well as reduced costs, a study was made of the materials to be used as it was applied a methodology for calculating the correct choice of safety factor to be used in the device. Through mechanical calculations were dimensioned critical items of the device as the diameter of the rods as well as the minimum thickness of the base of the device must have so that it does not break threaded shear in the region by applying the total load of traction on the risers implementation of the pressing. All compression loading device will be through the application of torque on the nuts of bolts in this way was defined by calculations the required torque for each nut so that you can reach the pressure specified in the design specifies. The modeling of the device was made using the INVENTOR™ program in conjunction with the program ANSYS ™. These programs have created designs in three dimensions, assembly and simulation of stress analysis in components of the device

Estudo de uma ponte rolante comercial no transportede bobina de aço de 12 toneladas

This work aims to determine the stresses acting on the main beam of a crane to transport steel coils of up to twelve tons. To determine the stress it was made a revision of the knowledge of the mechanics of materials to apply the analytical method. Following a review of the finite element method is made to understand the same. To complete the study it was used the commercial software ANSYS to determine the stresses by finite element method, the program provides images that help to better understand the results obtained. With the results a comparison of the values of the tensions between the two methods (analytical and finite element) was made. To assist in the calculations it was used the NBR 8400, 1984 (Calculation of Lifting Equipment Load)

Estudo da variação do limite de resistência à tração ao longo da bobina de vergalhão de alumínio 1350 AA

Therebar of aluminum 1350 AA produced by CBA are used inthe manufacture of wires and cables for electric power transmission, which marketshows increasingly favorableto aluminum due to itslow densityand high electrical conductivity, but to ensure that this materialmeets all specifications of projectsfor electricity transmission, it must have homogeneity in the chemicaland mechanicalproperties.One of the points of improvement in the process of rod production isreducing the high variation of the limitof tensile strengthalong the coils, therefore, this work seeks a better understanding of the factors that significantly influence the mechanical properties of rebar, specifically assessing the influence oftemperatureat the output of the coils, which can cause a recovery effect on the material andif thereare relevantdifferences between the two modes of rebar production: auto and manual.Samples of six coils have been specifically produced forthis study, which weresubsequently subjected to different annealing temperatures for one hour and ten minutes, similar to what occurs in the output of the coil from the machine. The tensile tests showed that aluminum 1350 AA is significantly influenced by temperature, whose behavior was very similar to that presented in the literature. It was found that the phenomenon of recovery occurred more significantly at high temperatures. Through the optical electron microscope Zeiss, 18 surface maps were made with 100x magnification for each sample in different conditions and the images were analyzed using entropy and fractal dimension, aiming to relate the condition of surface hardening on mechanical property of the samples in that condition. The results showed that these methods can be applied, provided they do not have any kind of imperfection on the surface, once they can influence the results. The study concluded that a more efficient cooling is required in ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Avaliação do efeito da gastrectomia na motilidade e no esvaziamento gástrico em ratos por biosusceptometria de corrente alternada

The study of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) functions is necessary due to the increasing number of pathologies associated with it. Directly influencing the quality of life, the gastrointestinal tract provides a number of parameters that, when analyzed, allow us to describe its dysfunctions. Thus, many techniques can be combined to obtain these properties related to the GIT. However, these techniques are often invasive, require surgery, catheter insertion, or to build a temporal model of these functions, require the sacrifice of animals in a series of data collection. The technique used in this study has the advantage of having a low operating cost, being free of ionizing radiation, non-invasive and is known as biosusceptometry AC (BAC), used to evaluate the properties of the GI tract by monitoring the position and concentration of materials magnetically marked. The sensor consists of two pairs of coils, one reference and one for detection. A fixed base line separates the sensing and reference coils, and also functions as support for the instrumentation. It is also important to note that the detection coils are arranged in a first order (subtraction) gradiometric way. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of gastrectomy in gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit time of solid food in rats using a BAC system associated with magnetic markers. To realize this study was constructed a dedicated BAC sensor, built to analyze these GIT properties. Data acquisition was obtained by aligning the magnetic sensor with the stomach and colon of the animal at pre-determined intervals. Thus, when approaching the magnetic material of the sensor, the balance created between the two sides of the sensor is broken. This imbalance can be measured, digitized and acquired. Tracer was used as a ration magnetically marked with ferrite... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Biosusceptometria de corrente alternada para avaliação do trânsito gastrintestinal de alimentos líquidos em ratos

The gastrointestinal tract is the main route of nutrients absorption and drugs delivery. Is important to know the parameters related to the tract, like gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit, in order to better understand the behavior of different kind of meals or drugs passing through the GIT. Many techniques are used to study these parameters, such as manometry, scintigraphy, phenol red, activated charcoal and carbon-13 reading. However, these methods use radiation, are invasive and require animal sacrifice. As an alternative proposal, the Alternate Current Biosusceptometry (ACB), a magnetic technique, has proved to be effective for these studies with small animals, in a noninvasive way, low cost, radiation free and avoiding the animal death. Associating the ACB to magnetic micro or nanoparticles used as tracers, it is possible to observe the meal behavior inside of the GIT. Focusing meanly on liquid meals digestion, this paper had the objective to evaluate the efficiency of the ACB technique in gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit evaluation of liquid meals in rats. To perform the experiments, magnetic nanoparticles (ferrite, MgFe2O4) were used on a 1,5 ml solution introduced by gavage on similar weight and age rats. The sensor made by 2 pairs of coils, capable of generating and detecting magnetic fields, creates a field on the interest place and when this field is in contact with the marked meal, it changes, resulting on a variation of the measured voltage. The voltage variation is analyzed and is obtained a particle concentration on the interest region. The results showed that is possible to apply the ACB technique on the GIT evaluation of liquid particles digestion, gastric emptying and meal cecum arrival time curves were obtained and from that, is possible to observe a pattern of gastrointestinal transit. Both mean process time values were acquired, proving the technique capability of ...

Pirossequenciamento de alta cobertura da região hipervariável 1 do Vírus da Hepatite C

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ineraction Model Between HRSV G-Protein and Flavonoids

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the leading cause of infant mortality in the world, and human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is one of the main agents of ARI. One of the key targets of the adaptive host immune response is the RSV G-protein, which is responsible for attachment to the host cell. There is evidence that compounds such as flavonoids can inhibit viral infection in vitro. With this in mind, the main purpose of this study was to determine, using computational tools, the potential sites for interactions between G-protein and flavonoids. Results: Our study allowed the recognition of an hRSV G-protein model, as well as a model of the interaction with flavonoids. These models were composed, mainly, of -helix and random coil proteins. The docking process showed that molecular interactions are likely to occur. The flavonoid kaempferol-3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosil-(2 → 1)-α-L-apiofuranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside was selected as a candidate inhibitor. The main forces of the interaction were hydrophobic, hydrogen and electrostatic. Conclusions: The model of G-protein is consistent with literature expectations, since it was mostly composed of random coils (highly glycosylated sites) and -helices (lipid regions), which are common in transmembrane proteins. The docking analysis showed that flavonoids interact with G-protein in an important ectodomain region, addressing experimental studies to these sites. The determination of the G-protein structure is of great importance to elucidate the mechanism of viral infectivity, and the results obtained in this study will allow us to propose mechanisms of cellular recognition and to coordinate further experimental studies in order to discover effective inhibitors of attachment proteins.

Aplicação do sistema de biosusceptometria AC para monitoramento de nanopartículas magnéticas na circulação sanguínea

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Suppression of vibrations in a nonlinear half-car model using a magneto-rheological damper

The present work investigates the nonlinear response of a half-car model. The disturbances of the road are assumed to be sinusoidal. After constructing the bifurcation diagram, we use the 0-1 test to identify chaotic motions. The main objective of this study is to eliminate chaotic behavior of the chassis and reduce its vibrations. To accomplish this, a semi-active vehicle suspension control system, using magneto-rheological dampers, is proposed. The proposed semi-active control strategy consists of two nonlinear control laws: a feedforward control, and a feedback control. They are obtained by considering the SDRE (State Dependent Riccati Equation) control, where the control parameter is the voltage applied to the coils of the magneto-rheological dampers. Numerical results show that the proposed control method is effective in significantly reducing of the chassis vibration, increasing, therefore, passenger comfort.

Caracterização biofísica da interação entre a proteína M2-1 do Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano (HRSV) com quercetina

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aplicação de projeto de experimento no processo de manufatura de uma bobina de alumínio

TProducts must follow specifications in order to attend demands requested. In terms of rolled aluminum, one of the most significant items for customers is coil thickness. This is because only a tiny variation in thickness might cause a serious problem on customer's manufacturing line. Thereby, this research aims to analyze through design of experiments which factors and how they affect the thickness of aluminum coils. The response variable of the experiment is the thickness of aluminum coil, tensile strenght and yield strenght are the factors of the experiment and trimmers machines were considered as blocking. Data were obtained through tensile tests. The result of the experiment states that, according to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), while there is significant difference between the two levels of tensile strength, there is not any difference between the two levels of yield strength and trimmers machines. The thickness of the aluminum coils with high values of tensile strength tends to be thicker when compared with low values of tensile strength