Fluoretação das águas de abastecimento público no município de Araçatuba/SP

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

Development of an interview version of the Native American Cultural Involvement and Detachment Anxiety Questionnaire

The present study sought to develop and validate an interview version of the Native American Cultural Involvement and Detachment Anxiety Questionnaire (CIDAQ; McNeil, Porter, Zvolensky, Chaney, & Kee, 2000) in an effort to construct a more culturally appropriate means of obtaining anxiety-related information from a tribally homogenous sample of Native Americans. Five pilot subjects (60% women; M age = 35.8 years) and 50 Native American participants (46% women; M age = 40.32 years) residing on a Northern Plains reservation were administered the CIDAQ - Interview, designed specifically for this study, the Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ; Tallis, Eysenck, & Mathews, 1992), a measure of non-pathological worry, the CIDAQ (McNeil et al., 2000), a self-report measure of culturally-related anxiety, and a demographics form. Using a mixed design method of analysis, interviews were audio taped and data was both qualitatively and quantitatively compared for convergence and discrepancies across measures. As hypothesized, CIDAQ-Interview subscales corresponded with subscales from the CIDAQ self-report and included worries and anxiety in three content areas: (1) social involvement with Native Americans and cultural knowledge, (2) economic issues, and (3) social involvement with the majority culture. Results further revealed similarities between CIDAQ-Interview items and those on the CIDAQ self-report, indicating reliability for the Interview. Findings also confirmed the Interview's validity (r 's range = .349-.754), as well as a high level of internal consistency for the CIDAQ self-report (Cronbach alpha = .931). Data suggest the CIDAQ-Interview is a more culturally appropriate method of assessment and may be capable of assessing anxiety at a higher level of specificity then the self-report version. Results of the study are discussed in relation to the assessment of anxiety for homogenous reservation Native Americans, study limitations and directions for future research with the CIDAQ-Interview are also discussed.

Influence of Prey Size on the Capture of Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) by the Orb-Web Spider Nephilengys cruentata

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the plasticity of the hunting behavior of the spider Nephilengys cruentata (Araneae: Nephilidae) facing different species of social wasps. Considering that wasps can consume various species of spiders and that their poison can be used as defense against many predators, the effect of the corporal size of the prey was evaluated in the behavior of N. cruentata. Predation experiments were conducted using three species of social wasps of different sizes and the data registered in this research were compiled through annotations and filming of the hunting behavior of each spider, in relation to the offered prey. The results revealed that the size of the wasp and the sequential offer of prey change the hunting behavior of the spider, and prey of large size have high influence on this behavior.

Behavioural changes and occlusal splints are effective in the management of masticatory myofascial pain: a short-term evaluation

The aim of this research was to test the hypothesis that treatment with intra-oral appliances with different occlusal designs was beneficial in the management of pain of masticatory muscles compared with a control group. A total of 51 patients were analysed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) to obtain the diagnosis of masticatory myofascial pain (MMP). The sample was then randomly divided into three groups: group I (n = 21) wore a full coverage acrylic stabilisation occlusal splint; group II (n = 16) wore an anterior device nociceptive trigeminal inhibitory (NTI) system; and group III (n = 14) only received counselling for behavioural changes and self-care (the control group). The first two groups also received counselling. Follow-ups were performed after 2 and 6 weeks and 3 months. In these sessions, patients were evaluated by means of a visual analogue scale (VAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the masticatory muscles. Possible adverse effects were also recorded, such as discomfort while using the appliance and occlusal changes. The results were analysed with KruskalWallis, anova, Tukeys and Friedman tests, with a significance level of 5%. Group I showed improvement in the reported pain at the first follow-up (2 weeks), whereas for groups II and III, this progress was detected only after 6 weeks and 3 months, respectively. The PPT values did not change significantly. It was concluded that behavioural changes are effective in the management of pain in MMP patients. However, the simultaneous use of occlusal devices appears to produce an earlier improvement.

Triiodothyronine Acutely Stimulates Glucose Transport into L6 Muscle Cells Without Increasing Surface GLUT4, GLUT1, or GLUT3

Background: Thyroid hormones (THs) act genomically to stimulate glucose transport by elevating glucose transporter (Slc2a) expression and glucose utilization by cells. However, nongenomic effects of THs are now emerging. Here, we assess how triiodothyronine (T-3) acutely affects glucose transport and the content of GLUT4, GLUT1, and GLUT3 at the surface of muscle cells, and possible interactions between T-3 and insulin action. Methods: Differentiated L6 myotubes transfected with myc-tagged Slc2a4 (L6-GLUT4myc) or Slc2a1 (L6-GLUT1myc) and wild-type L6 myotubes were studied in the following conditions: control, hypothyroid (Tx), Tx plus T3, Tx plus insulin, and Tx plus insulin and T-3. Results: Glucose uptake and GLUT4 content at the cell surface decreased in the Tx group relative to controls. T-3 treatment for 30 minutes increased glucose transport into L6-GLUT4myc cells without altering surface GLUT4 content, which increased only thereafter. The total amount of GLUT4 protein remained unchanged among the groups studied. The surface GLUT1 content of L6-GLUT1myc cells also remained unaltered after T-3 treatment; however, in these cells glucose transport was not stimulated by T-3. In wild-type L6 cells, although T-3 treatment increased the total amount of GLUT3, it did not change the surface GLUT3 content. Moreover, within 30 minutes, T-3 stimulation of glucose uptake was additive to that of insulin in L6-GLUT4myc cells. As expected, insulin elevated surface GLUT4 content and glucose uptake. However, interestingly, surface GLUT4 content remained unchanged or even dropped with T-3 plus insulin. Conclusions: These data reveal that T-3 rapidly increases glucose uptake in L6-GLUT4myc cells, which, at least for 30 minutes, did not depend on an increment in GLUT4 at the cell surface yet potentiates insulin action. We propose that this rapid T-3 effect involves activation of GLUT4 transporters at the cell surface, but cannot discount the involvement of an unknown GLUT.

A Chaotic Approach of Differential Evolution Optimization Applied to Loudspeaker Design Problem

Over the past few years, the field of global optimization has been very active, producing different kinds of deterministic and stochastic algorithms for optimization in the continuous domain. These days, the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to solve optimization problems is a common practice due to their competitive performance on complex search spaces. EAs are well known for their ability to deal with nonlinear and complex optimization problems. Differential evolution (DE) algorithms are a family of evolutionary optimization techniques that use a rather greedy and less stochastic approach to problem solving, when compared to classical evolutionary algorithms. The main idea is to construct, at each generation, for each element of the population a mutant vector, which is constructed through a specific mutation operation based on adding differences between randomly selected elements of the population to another element. Due to its simple implementation, minimum mathematical processing and good optimization capability, DE has attracted attention. This paper proposes a new approach to solve electromagnetic design problems that combines the DE algorithm with a generator of chaos sequences. This approach is tested on the design of a loudspeaker model with 17 degrees of freedom, for showing its applicability to electromagnetic problems. The results show that the DE algorithm with chaotic sequences presents better, or at least similar, results when compared to the standard DE algorithm and other evolutionary algorithms available in the literature.

Evaluation of an educational handbook as a knowledge-acquisition strategy for mastectomized women

This descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study presents an analysis of knowledge acquired by mastectomized women concerning breast cancer after reading an educational handbook. The sample was composed of 125 women. Data were collected in a specialized cancer facility in three phases: preparatory, operational I and operational II. As to the knowledge acquired, the posttest showed an 11% increase in the number of correct answers compared to the pretest. The most frequent correct answer regarded a question asking the name of the surgery (97.60%) while the question concerning breast reconstruction obtained the lowest number of correct answers (58.40%). Answers to all the questions significantly improved in the posttest, with the exception of a question addressing breast reconstruction (p=0.754). The assessment of knowledge showed positive results after reading, suggesting that cognition is essential to understanding and adhering to guidance, thus the handbook is a favorable resource to be used in the rehabilitation of mastectomized women.

In vitro efficacy of Coriandrum sativum, Lippia sidoides and Copaifera reticulata against Leishmania chagasi

The increased incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil is due to a lack of effective disease control measures. In addition to that, no effective treatment exists for canine VL in response to synthetic drugs. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the essential oils of Coriandrum sativum and Lippia sidoides, and oleoresin from Copaifera reticulata, on Leishmania chagasi promastigotes and amastigotes. We also examined the toxicity of these treatments on the murine monocyte cell line RAW 264.7. To determine the IC50 a MTT test (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was performed on promastigotes, and an in situ ELISA assay was conducted on amastigotes. Here, we demonstrate that oleoresin from C. reticulata was effective against both promastigotes (IC50 of 7.88 µg.mL-1) and amastigotes (IC50 of 0.52 µg.mL-1), and neither of the two treatments differed significantly (p > 0.05) from pentamidine (IC50 of 2.149 µg.mL-1) and amphotericin B (IC50 of 9.754 µg.mL-1). Of the three plant oils tested, only oleoresin showed no toxicity toward monocyte, with 78.45% viability after treatment. Inhibition of promastigote and amastigote growth and the lack of cytotoxicity by C. reticulata demonstrate that oleoresin may be a viable option for analyzing the in vivo therapeutic effects of leishmanicidal plants

Biological evolution of replicator systems: towards a quantitative approach

The aim of this work is to study the features of a simple replicator chemical model of the relation between kinetic stability and entropy production under the action of external perturbations. We quantitatively explore the different paths leading to evolution in a toy model where two independent replicators compete for the same substrate. To do that, the same scenario described originally by Pross (J Phys Org Chem 17:312–316, 2004) is revised and new criteria to define the kinetic stability are proposed. Our results suggest that fast replicator populations are continually favored by the effects of strong stochastic environmental fluctuations capable to determine the global population, the former assumed to be the only acting evolution force. We demonstrate that the process is continually driven by strong perturbations only, and that population crashes may be useful proxies for these catastrophic environmental fluctuations. As expected, such behavior is particularly enhanced under very large scale perturbations, suggesting a likely dynamical footprint in the recovery patterns of new species after mass extinction events in the Earth’s geological past. Furthermore, the hypothesis that natural selection always favors the faster processes may give theoretical support to different studies that claim the applicability of maximum principles like the Maximum Metabolic Flux (MMF) or Maximum Entropy Productions Principle (MEPP), seen as the main goal of biological evolution.

Modulation of plasma levels and percentages of incorporation of ω-3 PUFAs in egg yolk under the influence of supplementation sources rich in omega 3 to diet of laying

Hundred forty-four Shaver White laying hens were used over a 4 week experimental period to investigate the effect of 3% of soybean oil, corn oil (MIL), canola oil, flaxseed oil (LIN), salmon oil (SAL) or tuna and sardine oil (SR/AT) added to the diets, upon the fatty acid egg yolk composition, blood plasma levels and incorporation time of each fatty acid into the egg yolk. Hens were allocated into 72 cages and the experimental design was a 6 x 6 randomized factorial model. Hens fed 3% of different oils, responded with increased polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 (ω-3 PUFAs), except for corn oil. The addition of flaxseed, soybean or corn oil into the diet increased the PUFAs levels into the egg yolk and in the blood plasma. Adding tuna and sardine oil into the diet increased the concentration of yolk saturated fatty acids. The levels of ω-3 PUFAs were increased in the tuna and sardine oil treatment, while the flaxseed oil increased the plasma fatty acids. The deposition of 349.28 mg/yolk of a-linolenic fatty acids (ALA) was higher in the group fed LIN, while the higher equal to 157.13 mg DHA/yolk was observed in group SR/AT. In the plasma, deposition increased from 0.33% (MIL) for 6.29% ALA (LIN), while that of DHA increase of 0.47% (MIL) for 4.24% (SAL) and 4.48% (SR/AT) and of 0.98% (MIL) for 6.14% (SR/AT) and 8.44% (LIN) of ω-3 PUFAs. The percentage of EPA into the yolk and plasma was higher for the hens fed 3% tuna and sardine oil diet, as well as the levels of yolk DHA. The concentration of DHA into the plasma was higher for the salmon and tuna/sardine oil treatments. The PUFAs yolk decreased during the first eight days of experiment, while the ω-3 PUFAs increased during the same period. The concentration of ALA increased until ten days of experiment, while the percentage of EPA and DHA increased up to the eighth experimental day

Vocali accentate brevi prodotte con incremento di F0: come e perchè?

Durante le lezioni si farà riferimento a questo contributo.

Le forme del lavoro associato con particolare riguardo all'associazione in partecipazione

The thesis has three chapters. The first one focuses in general on the associated employment, trying to give a unitary perspective and to show the several readings given by scholars. In detail, the thesis underlines the peculiar features of the associated employment relationships. The following chapters deal with the contract of “associazione in partecipazione” labour intensive. In the second chapter, this contract is analysed as it was originally provided by the Civil Code, with references to the relevant jurisprudence. In the third chapter, the thesis stresses the most outstanding characteristics of the contract in recent years, analysing all the legislative reforms in the field (in particular article 86, par. 2, Decree n. 276 of 2003 and its consequences in terms of social contribution), trying to interpret them in the present context.

Strumenti e metodi per lo sviluppo prodotto di lenti oftalmiche

The recent introduction of free form NC machining in the ophthalmic field involved a full review of the former product development process both from the design and the manufacturing viewpoint. Aim of the present work is to investigate and to set up innovative methods and tools supporting the product development, particularly for lenses characterized by free form geometry, as e.g. progressive lenses. In the design stage, the research addressed geometric modeling of complex lens shapes and relevant analysis tools for the optical-geometrical characterization of the produced models. In the manufacturing stage, the main interest was focused on the set-up of the fabrication process, particularly on the NC machining process for which an integration CADCAM software was developed for the generation and the simulation of the machining cycle. The methodologies and tools made available by the present work are currently used in the development of new complex geometry product typologies as, e.g. progressive lenses.

Design, synthesis and photochemical studies of stilbenoid dendrimers

Stilbenoid dendrimers with stilbene in the periphery and stilbene in periphery as well as core were synthesized by convergent approach except 2nd generation dendrimer with stilbene in the periphery as well as in core (D-5). All dendrimers were characterized by standard techniques such as 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and IR spectroscopy. The MALDI-TOF technique proved to be very helpful in the identification of the 2nd generation dendrimer (D-5) with a mass of 3231 a.m.u. The dendrimers were designed in such a way that an intramolecular photochemical CC bond formation was favored. As two stilbene units of the same molecule were close enough so they preferred an intramolecular cyclic process except for zero generation dendrimers. Apart from the cycloaddition, some E/Z isomerization and oligomer formation was also observed on irradiation. These processes were observed by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. The photochemical behavior was also studied by UV absorption spectroscopy. Irradiating by monochromatic light led to an initial E/Z isomerization and by prolonged irradiation, an irreversible cyclic structure was formed. The choice of the wavelength of incident light is very important as irradiation at 320 nm leads to a reversible E/Z isomerization and a non-reversible cyclobutane formation, but irradiation at 340 nm favors the one-way process E Z. The [2+2] cycloaddition of molecule Tm2De was also studied by irradiating thin films on a quartz surface. An AFM image was taken before irradiation, after 3 sec irradiation and after long irradiation (1 hour). AFM studies show that a short irradiation leads to a cyclic structure as formation of hills of about 20-30 nm on the surface. A prolonged irradiation leads to a CC cross linking which can be monitored on AFM images as disappearance of hills. The roughness goes back to an almost smooth surface. These results prove a very complex material transport, which accompanies the reaction in the surface region.