Bacille Calmette-Guérin/DNAhsp65 prime-boost is protective against diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice but not in the streptozotocin model of type 1 diabetes

Type I diabetes is a disease caused by autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas that leads to a deficiency in insulin production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic potential of a prime-boost strategy involving bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and the pVAXhsp65 vaccine (BCG/DNAhsp65) in diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in C57BL/6 mice and also in spontaneous type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. BCG/DNAhsp65 vaccination in NOD mice determined weight gain, protection against hyperglycaemia, decreased islet inflammation, higher levels of cytokine production by the spleen and a reduced number of regulatory T cells in the spleen compared with non-immunized NOD mice. In the STZ model, however, there was no significant difference in the clinical parameters. Although this vaccination strategy did not protect mice in the STZ model, it was very effective in NOD mice. This is the first report demonstrating that a prime-boost strategy could be explored as an immunomodulatory procedure in autoimmune diseases. © 2013 British Society for Immunology.

Selective photoinactivation of Candida albicans in the non-vertebrate host infection model Galleria mellonella

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Search for a non-standard-model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of new light bosons in four-muon final states

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Markovian versus non-Markovian stochastic quantization of a complex-action model

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A Multi-Stage Stochastic Non-Linear Model for Reactive Power Planning Under Contingencies

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

Model updating of the non-linear vibrating structures through Volterra series and proper orthogonal decomposition

Classical procedures for model updating in non-linear mechanical systems based on vibration data can fail because the common linear metrics are not sensitive for non-linear behavior caused by gaps, backlash, bolts, joints, materials, etc. Several strategies were proposed in the literature in order to allow a correct representative model of non-linear structures. The present paper evaluates the performance of two approaches based on different objective functions. The first one is a time domain methodology based on the proper orthogonal decomposition constructed from the output time histories. The second approach uses objective functions with multiples convolutions described by the first and second order discrete-time Volterra kernels. In order to discuss the results, a benchmark of a clamped-clamped beam with an pre-applied static load is simulated and updated using proper orthogonal decomposition and Volterra Series. The comparisons and discussions of the results show the practical applicability and drawbacks of both approaches.

Non-destructive linear model for leaf area estimation in Vernonia ferruginea Less

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

A non-homogeneous poisson model with spatial anisotropy applied to ozone data from Mexico City

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

On the statistical and transport properties of a non-dissipative Fermi-Ulam model

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

Proposal of non-invasive experimental model to induce scoliosis in rats

Background: In the literature, there are several experimental models that induce scoliosis in rats; however, they make use of drugs or invasive interventions to generate a scoliotic curve. Objectives: To design and apply a non-invasive immobilization model to induce scoliosis in rats. Methods: Four-week old male Wistar rats (85 +/- 3.3 g) were divided into two groups: control (CG) and scoliosis (SG). The animals in the SG were immobilized by two vests (scapular and pelvic) made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and externally attached to each other by a retainer that regulated the scoliosis angle for twelve weeks with left convexity. After immobilization, the abdominal, intercostal, paravertebral, and pectoral muscles were collected for chemical and metabolic analyses. Radiographic reports were performed every 30 days over a 16-week period. Results: The model was effective in the induction of scoliosis, even 30 days after immobilization, with a stable angle of 28 +/- 5 degrees. The chemical and metabolic analyses showed a decrease (p<0.05) in the glycogenic reserves and in the relationship between DNA and total protein reserves of all the muscles analyzed in the scoliosis group, being lower (p<0.05) in the convex side. The values for the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance indicated a resistance condition to insulin (p<0.05) in the scoliosis group (0.66 +/- 0.03), when compared to the control group (0.81 +/- 0.02). Conclusions: The scoliosis curvature remained stable 30 days after immobilization. The chemical and metabolic analyses suggest changes in muscular homeostasis during the induced scoliosis process.

Cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic plant-derived cannabinoid, decreases inflammation in a murine model of acute lung injury: Role for the adenosine A(2A) receptor

Acute lung injury is an inflammatory condition for which treatment is mainly supportive because effective therapies have not been developed. Cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid component of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), has potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, we investigated the possible anti-inflammatory effect of cannabidiol in a murine model of acute lung injury. Analysis of total inflammatory cells and differential in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was used to characterize leukocyte migration into the lungs; myeloperoxidase activity of lung tissue and albumin concentration in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were analyzed by colorimetric assays; cytokine/chemokine production in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was also analyzed by Cytometric Bead Arrays and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). A single dose of cannabidiol (20 mg/kg) administered prior to the induction of LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced acute lung injury decreases leukocyte (specifically neutrophil) migration into the lungs, albumin concentration in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, myeloperoxidase activity in the lung tissue, and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF and IL-6) and chemokines (MCP-1 and MIP-2) 1, 2, and 4 days after the induction of LPS-induced acute lung injury. Additionally, adenosine A(2A) receptor is involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol on LPS-induced acute lung injury because ZM241385 (4-(2[7-Amino-2-(2-furyl)[1,2,4] triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-ylamino]ethyl) phenol) (a highly selective antagonist of adenosine A(2A) receptor) abrogated all of the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol previously described. Thus, we show that cannabidiol has anti-inflammatory effects in a murine model of acute lung injury and that this effect is most likely associated with an increase in the extracellular adenosine offer and signaling through adenosine A(2A) receptor. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Superdiffusion in a non-Markovian random walk model with a Gaussian memory profile

Most superdiffusive Non-Markovian random walk models assume that correlations are maintained at all time scales, e. g., fractional Brownian motion, Levy walks, the Elephant walk and Alzheimer walk models. In the latter two models the random walker can always "remember" the initial times near t = 0. Assuming jump size distributions with finite variance, the question naturally arises: is superdiffusion possible if the walker is unable to recall the initial times? We give a conclusive answer to this general question, by studying a non-Markovian model in which the walker's memory of the past is weighted by a Gaussian centered at time t/2, at which time the walker had one half the present age, and with a standard deviation sigma t which grows linearly as the walker ages. For large widths we find that the model behaves similarly to the Elephant model, but for small widths this Gaussian memory profile model behaves like the Alzheimer walk model. We also report that the phenomenon of amnestically induced persistence, known to occur in the Alzheimer walk model, arises in the Gaussian memory profile model. We conclude that memory of the initial times is not a necessary condition for generating (log-periodic) superdiffusion. We show that the phenomenon of amnestically induced persistence extends to the case of a Gaussian memory profile.

Perturbative and non perturbative effects in the Standard Model and orbifolded ADS/CFT based theories

We study some perturbative and nonperturbative effects in the framework of the Standard Model of particle physics. In particular we consider the time dependence of the Higgs vacuum expectation value given by the dynamics of the StandardModel and study the non-adiabatic production of both bosons and fermions, which is intrinsically non-perturbative. In theHartree approximation, we analyze the general expressions that describe the dissipative dynamics due to the backreaction of the produced particles. Then, we solve numerically some relevant cases for the Standard Model phenomenology in the regime of relatively small oscillations of the Higgs vacuum expectation value (vev). As perturbative effects, we consider the leading logarithmic resummation in small Bjorken x QCD, concentrating ourselves on the Nc dependence of the Green functions associated to reggeized gluons. Here the eigenvalues of the BKP kernel for states of more than three reggeized gluons are unknown in general, contrary to the large Nc limit (planar limit) case where the problem becomes integrable. In this contest we consider a 4-gluon kernel for a finite number of colors and define some simple toy models for the configuration space dynamics, which are directly solvable with group theoretical methods. In particular we study the depencence of the spectrum of thesemodelswith respect to the number of colors andmake comparisons with the planar limit case. In the final part we move on the study of theories beyond the Standard Model, considering models built on AdS5 S5/Γ orbifold compactifications of the type IIB superstring, where Γ is the abelian group Zn. We present an appealing three family N = 0 SUSY model with n = 7 for the order of the orbifolding group. This result in a modified Pati–Salam Model which reduced to the StandardModel after symmetry breaking and has interesting phenomenological consequences for LHC.

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics study of an amphiphilic model system

Diese Doktorarbeit untersucht das Verhalten von komplexenFluidenunter Scherung, insbesondere den Einfluss von Scherflüssenauf dieStrukturbildung.Dazu wird ein Modell dieser entworfen, welches imRahmen von Molekulardynamiksimulationen verwendet wird.Zunächst werden Gleichgewichtseigenschaften dieses Modellsuntersucht.Hierbei wird unter anderem die Lage desOrdnungs--Unordnungsübergangs von derisotropen zur lamellaren Phase der Dimere bestimmt.Der Einfluss von Scherflüssen auf diese lamellare Phase wirdnununtersucht und mit analytischen Theorien verglichen. Die Scherung einer parallelen lamellaren Phase ruft eineNeuausrichtung des Direktors in Flussrichtung hervor.Das verursacht eine Verminderung der Schichtdicke mitsteigender Scherrateund führt oberhalb eines Schwellwertes zu Ondulationen.Ein vergleichbares Verhalten wird auch in lamellarenSystemengefunden, an denen in Richtung des Direktors gezogen wird.Allerdings wird festgestellt, dass die Art der Bifurkationenin beidenFällen unterschiedlich ist.Unter Scherung wird ein Übergang von Lamellen parallelerAusrichtung zu senkrechter gefunden.Dabei wird beoachtet, dass die Scherspannung in senkrechterOrientierungniedriger als in der parallelen ist.Dies führt unter bestimmten Bedingungen zum Auftreten vonScherbändern, was auch in Simulationen beobachtet wird. Es ist gelungen mit einem einfachen Modell viele Apsekte desVerhalten vonkomplexen Fluiden wiederzugeben. Die Strukturbildung hängt offensichtlich nurbedingt von lokalen Eigenschaften der Moleküle ab.