The influence of floc size and hydraulic detention time on the performance of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) pilot unit in the light of a mathematical model

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

Effect of Zn2+ ions on the structure, morphology and optical properties of CaWO4 microcrystals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of Eu substitution on the crystallographic and magnetic properties of the BiMn2O5 oxide obtained by urea combustion

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

Effect of ball milling on the physicochemical characteristics of Peruvian carrot and cassava starches

Peruvian carrot and cassava starches were ground in a ball mill for 4, 8, 16, and 32 h and their structural and physicochemical characteristics were determined. Results obtained from HPAEC-PAD, GPC, and amylose content indicated a breaking of hydrogen bounds and α-(1 [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] 6) linkages of the starch molecules after treatment. X-ray diffractograms showed that the milling provided a reduction in the crystalline area of the starch granules. Most of the starch granules displayed agglomeration after 4 h of milling, when observed under a scanning electron microscope, and after 16 h a shapeless mass was observed for Peruvian carrot starch. Solubility and water absorption capacity of the starches increased with an increase in the milling time, while RVA profiles showed a progressive reduction of peak, breakdown, and final viscosities, as well as the development of initial viscosity. Gelatinization temperatures and enthalpies were reduced. Prolonged ball milling accelerated the enthalpy relaxation in both starches. These results confirmed a partial gelatinization of the starches, which was 82.6% for Peruvian carrot and 65.4% for cassava starches after 32 h of milling. The Peruvian carrot starch was more affected by the ball milling because of both its lower amylose content and the defects in its crystalline structure

Bacteria on the hands of school-age children at a Pediatric Hospitalization Unit

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of bacteria isolated in samples from the hands of school-age children at a hospitalization unit. Methodology. In 2009, strains were cultured from the hands of 90 school-age children at the pediatric hospitalization unit of Hospital Estadual Bauru (São Paulo, Brazil). After culture of the samples, the isolated bacteria were identified. Results. In 98% of the samples taken from the children, bacteria were isolated. Coagulase-negative Staphilococcus was isolated in 64% of the samples, followed by Staphilococcus aureus (5%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1%). Conclusion. In most of the samples from the children’s hands, bacteria were isolated. Therefore, educative actions about hygiene habits in- and outside the hospital environment should be reinforced, aimed at children and their companions.

A new population of the Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca, with information on the biology, behaviour and type locality of the species

The `Critically Endangered` Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca was described in 71 93 9, based on a single specimen collected in the state of Mato Grosso, western Brazil. Not seen again in the wild until 2003, this poorly-known species was rediscovered in Emas National Park, in the Brazilian state of Goias. We describe here the discovery of a new population of Cone-billed Tanager in Chapada dos Parecis, along the upper Juruena River basin, in the state of Mato Grosso. The birds were always detected in (or near) flooded habitats along rivers. At least 40 individuals were found, but the population may be larger since areas of potential habitat are available in the upper Juruena basin and these have not yet been surveyed. We also provide here the first information on the biology and behaviour of the species based on observations in Juruena and Emas, as well as a first description of the female. Historical documents and our records support our suggestion that ""Juruena"", i.e. the type locality of the Cone-billed Tanager, refers to the Juruena telegraph station (12 degrees 50`S, 58 degrees 55`W). Considering that the range of the species is being settled, research on different aspects of its biology are urgent.

Gene expression profiles displayed by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus focusing on biological processes implicated on the pathogenesis of the disease

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) exhibit insulin resistance associated with obesity and inflammatory response, besides an increased level of oxidative DNA damage as a consequence of the hyperglycemic condition and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to provide information on the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of T2DM, we analyzed the transcriptional expression patterns exhibited by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with T2DM compared to non-diabetic subjects, by investigating several biological processes: inflammatory and immune responses, responses to oxidative stress and hypoxia, fatty acid processing, and DNA repair. PBMCs were obtained from 20 T2DM patients and eight non-diabetic subjects. Total RNA was hybridized to Agilent whole human genome 4x44K one-color oligo-microarray. Microarray data were analyzed using the GeneSpring GX 11.0 software (Agilent). We used BRB-ArrayTools software (gene set analysis - GSA) to investigate significant gene sets and the Genomica tool to study a possible influence of clinical features on gene expression profiles. We showed that PBMCs from T2DM patients presented significant changes in gene expression, exhibiting 1320 differentially expressed genes compared to the control group. A great number of genes were involved in biological processes implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Among the genes with high fold-change values, the up-regulated ones were associated with fatty acid metabolism and protection against lipid-induced oxidative stress, while the down-regulated ones were implicated in the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines production and DNA repair. Moreover, we identified two significant signaling pathways: adipocytokine, related to insulin resistance; and ceramide, related to oxidative stress and induction of apoptosis. In addition, expression profiles were not influenced by patient features, such as age, gender, obesity, pre/post-menopause age, neuropathy, glycemia, and HbA(1c) percentage. Hence, by studying expression profiles of PBMCs, we provided quantitative and qualitative differences and similarities between T2DM patients and non-diabetic individuals, contributing with new perspectives for a better understanding of the disease. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the Milnor fibre and L numbers of semi-weighted homogeneous arrangements

Inthispaperwestudygermsofpolynomialsformedbytheproductofsemi-weighted homogeneous polynomials of the same type, which we call semi-weighted homogeneous arrangements. It is shown how the L numbers of such polynomials are computed using only their weights and degree of homogeneity. A key point of the main theorem is to find the number called polar ratio of this polynomial class. An important consequence is the description of the Euler characteristic of the Milnor fibre of such arrangements only depending on their weights and degree of homogeneity. The constancy of the L numbers in families formed by such arrangements is shown, with the deformed terms having weighted degree greater than the weighted degree of the initial germ. Moreover, using the results of Massey applied to families of function germs, we obtain the constancy of the homology of the Milnor fibre in this family of semi-weighted homogeneous arrangements.

Influence of the type of phospholipid head and of the conformation of the polyelectrolyte on the growth of calcium carbonate thin films on LB/LbL matrices

Calcium carbonate is one of the most important biominerals, and it is the main constituent of pearls, seashells, and teeth. The in vitro crystallization of calcium carbonate using different organic matrices as templates has been reported. In this work, the growth of calcium carbonate thin films on special organic matrices consisting of layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte films deposited on a pre-formed phospholipid Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film has been studied. Two types of randomly coiled polyelectrolytes have been used: lambda-carrageenan and poly(acrylic acid). A precoating comprised of LB films has been prepared by employing a negatively charged phospholipid, the sodium salt of dimyristoilphosphatidyl acid (DMPA), or a zwitterionic phospholipid, namely dimyristoilphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE). This approach resulted in the formation of particulate calcium carbonate continuous films with different morphologies, particle sizes, and roughness, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystalline structure of the calcium carbonate particles was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. The randomly coiled conformation of the polyelectrolytes seems to be the main reason for the formation of continuous films rather than CaCO3 isolated crystals. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Opposing Roles for Cannabinoid Receptor Type-1 (CB1) and Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type-1 Channel (TRPV1) on the Modulation of Panic-Like Responses in Rats

The midbrain dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) has an important role in orchestrating anxiety-and panic-related responses. Given the cellular and behavioral evidence suggesting opposite functions for cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) and transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 channel (TRPV1), we hypothesized that they could differentially influence panic-like reactions induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG. Drugs were injected locally and the expression of CB1 and TRPV1 in this structure was assessed by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. The CB1-selective agonist, ACEA (0.01, 0.05 and 0.5 pmol) increased the threshold for the induction of panic-like responses solely at the intermediary dose, an effect prevented by the CB1-selective antagonist, AM251 (75 pmol). Panicolytic-like effects of ACEA at the higher dose were unmasked by pre-treatment with the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine (0.1 nmol). Similarly to ACEA, capsazepine (1 and 10 nmol) raised the threshold for triggering panic-like reactions, an effect mimicked by another TRPV1 antagonist, SB366791 (1 nmol). Remarkably, the effects of both capsazepine and SB366791 were prevented by AM251 (75 pmol). These pharmacological data suggest that a common endogenous agonist may have opposite functions at a given synapse. Supporting this view, we observed that several neurons in the dPAG co-expressed CB1 and TRPV1. Thus, the present work provides evidence that an endogenous substance, possibly anandamide, may exert both panicolytic and panicogenic effects via its actions at CB1 receptors and TRPV1 channels, respectively. This tripartite set-point system might be exploited for the pharmacotherapy of panic attacks and anxiety-related disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology (2012) 37, 478-486; doi:10.1038/npp.2011.207; published online 21 September 2011

On the zeros of polynomials: an extension of the Enestrom-Kakeya theorem

This paper presents an extension of the Enestrom-Kakeya theorem concerning the roots of a polynomial that arises from the analysis of the stability of Brown (K, L) methods. The generalization relates to relaxing one of the inequalities on the coefficients of the polynomial. Two results concerning the zeros of polynomials will be proved, one of them providing a partial answer to a conjecture by Meneguette (1994)[6]. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on the Pharmacokinetics of Metformin in Obese Pregnant Women

Background and Objective The use of metformin throughout gestation by women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly reduces the number of first-trimester spontaneous abortions and the rate of occurrence of gestational diabetes and hypertensive syndromes. Metformin is taken up into renal tubular cells by organic cation transport 2 (OCT2) and eliminated unchanged into the urine. The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of T2DM on the pharmacokinetics of metformin in obese pregnant women and in a control group of non-diabetic obese pregnant women with PCOS. Methods Eight non-diabetic obese pregnant women with PCOS and nine obese pregnant women with T2DM taking oral metformin 850 mg every 12 h were evaluated throughout gestation. Serial blood samples were collected over a 12-h period during the third trimester of pregnancy. Steady-state plasma concentrations of metformin were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a UV detector. The pharmacokinetic results of the two groups, reported as median and 25th and 75th percentile, were compared statistically using the Mann Whitney test, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. Results The pharmacokinetic parameters detected for PCOS versus T2DM patients, reported as median, were, respectively: elimination half-life 3.75 versus 4.00 h; time to maximum concentration 2.00 versus 3.00 h; maximum concentration 1.42 versus 1.21 mu g/mL; mean concentration 0.53 versus 0.56 mu g/mL; area under the plasma concentration time curve from time zero to 12 h 6.42 versus 6.73 mu g.h/mL; apparent total oral clearance 105.39 versus 98.38 L/h; apparent volume of distribution after oral administration 550.51 versus 490.98 L; and fluctuation (maximum minimum concentration variation) of 179.56 versus 181.73%. No significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters were observed between the groups. Conclusion T2DM in the presence of insulin use does not influence the pharmacokinetics of metformin in pregnant patients, demonstrating the absence of a need to increase the dose, and consequently does not influence the OCT2-mediated transport in pregnant women with PCOS.

Analysis of temperature variation influence on the analog performance of 45 degrees rotated triple-gate nMuGFETs

This work presents the analog performance of n-type triple-gate MuGFETs with high-k dielectrics and TiN gate material fabricated in 45 degrees rotated SOI substrates comparing their performance with standard MuGFETs fabricated without substrate rotation. Different fin widths are studied for temperatures ranging from 250 K up to 400 K. The results of transconductance, output conductance, transconductance over drain current ratio, intrinsic voltage gain and unit-gain frequency are studied. It is observed that the substrate rotation improves the carrier mobility of narrow MuGFETs at any temperature because of the changing in the conduction plane at the sidewalls from (1 1 0) to (1 0 0). For lower temperatures, the improvement of the carrier mobility of rotated MuGFETs is more noticeable as well as the rate of mobility improvement with the temperature decrease is larger. The output conductance is weakly affected by the substrate rotation. Although this improvement in the transconductance of rotated MuGFETs is negligibly transferred to the intrinsic voltage gain, the unity-gain frequency of rotated device is improved due to the larger carrier mobility in the entire range of temperatures studied. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of human papillomavirus type and HIV status on the lymphomononuclear cell profile in patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions of different severity

Abstract Background Immunological alterations are implicated in the increased prevalence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HG-SIL) and persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study evaluated the expression of CD4, CD8, CD25 (IL-2Rα) and CD28 antigens from SIL biopsies, stratified by HIV status and HPV-type. Biopsies specimens from 82 (35 HIV+) women with a normal cervix, low-grade (LG-SIL) or high-grade lesions (HG-SIL) were studied. CD molecule expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and HPV detection/typing performed using PCR techniques. Results CD4 stromal staining was increased in patients with HPV18. Women with HPV16 infection showed decreased: a) CD8 and CD25 stromal staining, b) CD25 staining in LG-SIL epithelium and in HG-SIL stroma. In HIV- women samples, CD28 epithelial staining and CD8 stromal staining surrounding metaplastic epithelium were less intense and even absent, as compared to HIV+ women. Both epithelial and stromal CD8 staining was more intense in the HG-SIL/HIV+ group than in the HG-SIL/HIV- group. Positive correlations were observed between CD4/CD25, CD4/CD28 and CD25/CD28 in the stroma and CD25/CD28 in the epithelium. Conclusion HIV status and HPV-type may influence the lymphomononuclear cell profile present in the spectrum of cervical lesions. The knowledge of the infiltrating cell profile in cervical tumours may help the development of specific anti-tumoural strategies.

Maturation of humoral immune responses : Studies on the effects of antigen type, apoptosis and age

The humoral immune response is dependent on the formation of antibodies. Antibodies are produced by terminally differentiated B cells, plasma cells. Plasma cells are generated either directly from antigen challenged B cells, memory cells or from cells that have undergone the germinal center (GC) reaction. The GC is the main site for class switch, somatic hypermutation and generation of memory cells. Different factors, both internal and external, shape the outcome of the immune response. In this thesis, we have studied a few factors that influence the maturation of the humoral response. We have studied how age affects the response, and we show that responses against thymus dependent antigens (TD) are more affected than responses to thymus independent (TI) antigens, in concordance with the view that the T cell compartment is more affected by age than the B cell compartment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that priming early in life have a big influence on the immune response in the aged individual. Priming with a TI form of the carbohydrate dextran B512 (Dx) induces a reduction of IgG levels in later TD responses against Dx. We have evaluated possible mechanisms for this reduction. The reduction does not seem to be caused by clonal exhaustion or antibody mediated mechanisms. We also showed that the reduced TD response after TI priming can be induced against another molecule than Dx. With the hypothesis that TI antigens induce a plasma cell biased maturation of the responding B cells, we examined the presence of Blimp-1, a master regulator of plasma cell differentiation, in GCs induced by TD and TI antigen. Blimp-1 was found earlier in GCs induced by TI antigen and the staining intensity in these GCs was stronger than in TD antigen induced GCs, indicating that plasma cells might be continuously recruited from these GCs. B cells undergoing the GC reaction are thought to be under a strict selection pressure that removes cells with low affinity for the antigen and also cells that have acquired self-reactivity. We investigated the effect of apoptotic deficiencies on the accumulation of somatic mutations in GC B cells. In mice lacking the death receptor Fas, lpr mice, the frequency of mutations was increased but the pattern of the mutations did not differ from wild type mice. In contrast, mice over-expressing the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, had a lowered frequency of mutations and the mutations introduced had other characteristics.