Adsorption of pH-responsive polyelectrolyte chains onto spherical macroions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The effects of elastic tubing-based resistance training compared with conventional resistance training in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: To investigate the effects of elastic tubing training compared with conventional resistance training on the improvement of functional exercise capacity, muscle strength, fat-free mass, and systemic inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Design: A prospective, randomized, eight-week clinical trial.Setting: The study was conducted in a university-based, outpatient, physical therapy clinic.Subjects: A total of 49 patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to perform elastic tubing training or conventional resistance training three times per week for eight weeks.Main measures: The primary outcome measure was functional exercise capacity. The secondary outcome measures were peripheral muscle strength, health-related quality of life assessed by the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRDQ), fat-free mass, and cytokine profile.Results: After eight weeks, the mean distance covered during six minutes increased by 73 meters (69) in the elastic tubing group and by 42 meters (+/- 59) in the conventional group (p < 0.05). The muscle strength and quality of life improved in both groups (P < 0.05), with no significant differences between the groups. There was a trend toward an improved fat-free mass in both groups (P = 0.05). After the first and last sessions, there was an increase in interleukin 1 (IL-1) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in both groups, while tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) was stimulated only in the conventional training group.Conclusion: Elastic tubing training had a greater effect on functional exercise capacity than conventional resistance training. Both interventions were equally effective in improving muscle strength and quality of life.

GASTROPOD SHELLS USED BY Dardanus insignis (Decapoda, Anomura) NEAR ISLANDS IN THE UBATUBA REGION, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

The use of gastropod shells by hermit crabs is determined by the availability of shells in the environment or through selection for size and volume. This study analyzed patterns in the use of shells by Dardanus insignis (Saussure, 1858). From January 1998 to December 1999, 386 individuals were collected from two islands at Ubatuba, Sao Paulo. The crabs were measured for cephalothoracic shield length (CSL) and wet weight (CWW). The gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs were identified, and the shell aperture width (SAW), dry weight (SDW) and internal volume (STY) were measured. The relationships between the dimensions of the gastropod shell and the hermit crabs were evaluated by linear regression analysis. Among the 11 species of gastropod shells used by D. insignis, the most often used was Olivancillaria urceus (31%), followed by Strombus pugilis (22%) and Siratus tenuivaricosus (18%). The shell of O. urceus was used most probably due to its high availability on Couves and Mar Virado islands. The most significant biometric parameter was shell aperture width (F=18.231; p<0.0001), highlighting the importance of this variable for the shell choice by D. insignis at both sites.

Estudo do fenômeno de instabilidade de estruturas cilíndricas de paredes finas submetidas ao carregamento de pressão externa

Thin walled cylindrical shells are widely used in many areas of industry, including civil, mechanical, nuclear, marine, petroleum and aerospace engineering. The wide application of thin cylindrical shells and the importance of instability phenomenon are the motivation basis to this study, since these factors have a great importance in engineering projects. It is presented a detailed study about the instability of cylindrical shells based on theoretical calculation, which results are compared with finite elements method calculation. The loading and boundary conditions analyzed are based on the most common types verified in real engineering projects and refer respectively to lateral (external) pressure and cylinders with simply supported edges. The calculation based on the finite elements method was executed with ANSYS 13.0 software. The results obtained with this calculation are in good agreement with the analytical theory presented in the technical note NACA No 1341 (BATDORF, 1947) considering a wide range of applicability. On the other hand, the analytical method presented in the book Theory of Elastic Stability (TIMOSHENKO; GERE, 1936) has a very restrict applicability and has presented considerable deviations in a great sort of the analyzed cases

Aspectos quânticos e clássicos da instabilidade de campos fundamentais em espaços-tempos astrofísicos

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

In vitro comparison of the force degradation of orthodontic intramural elastic from different compositions

Introduction and Objective: The synthetic intermaxillary elastic emerged as an alternative for clinical use in patients with latex sensitivity. However, there are disagreements about this elastic protocol use according to the force degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the forces generated by latex and synthetic elastics over time. Material and methods: Sample size of 840 elastics were used (420 latex and 420 synthetic), delivering medium strength (Dental Morelli®) with internal diameter of 1/8”, 3/16”, 1/4” and 5/16”. The elastics were randomly divided into 7 groups according to the time of the force measuring and immersed into distilled water at 37°C. To measure the force in each group, the elastics were stretched in six progressive increases of 100% of its internal diameter with the aid of a testing machine Emic and measured up to 72 hours. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0, using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Immediate force level of synthetic elastics was statistically higher than latex elastics in all strains, for the same size. However, the latex elastics mean force slightly decreased over time, while the synthetic elastics presented an abrupt decrease. Conclusion: The synthetic elastic presented severe force degradation, jeopardizing the cost-benefit ratio, which indicates a higher replacement frequency. The latex elastic showed better mechanical performance in comparison to synthetic ones.

Finite-difference calculation of donor energy levels in a spherical quantum dot subject to a magnetic field

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Multistep taphonomic alterations in fluvial mollusk shells: a case study in the touro passo formation (pleistocene–holocene), Southern Brazil

Accurate paleoenvironmental reconstruction relies on the correct interpretation of the postmortem history of skeletal remains in shelly assemblages. In contrast to marine settings, actualistic taphonomic studies are lacking for shell-rich concentrations in freshwater riverine systems. In particular, the taphonomic pathways and the origins of taphonomic signatures that are recorded in bioclasts from fluvial settings are poorly known. In this study, we addressed this issue by comparing the taphonomic signatures and shell-damage profiles among shells of freshwater mollusks recorded both in death and in fossil assemblages from the same fluvial environment. Our data indicated that dissolution was the most pervasive taphonomic process leading to the destruction of the shells. The loss of taphonomic information extended beyond shell dissolution in the riverbed, or the early diagenesis in the sedimentary record. The loss of biological information from the living community through the death assemblage, until the incorporation of shells as fossils, mainly occurred during the time the shells were in the sediment-water interface. Though this destruction affected primarily dead shells, reworked fossils also became vulnerable because they were carried out into the river load again by channel avulsion. A model that included the main taphonomic pathways followed by the molluscan shells in the fluvial Touro Passo Formation (Pleistocene-Holocene) is discussed. In this model, two main destructive domains were recognized, which were the biological, physical, and chemical processes operating at the taphonomically active zone (= TAZ domain) and the pedogenetic domain.

Differential cross sections for elastic and inelastic positronium-hydrogen-atom scattering

A time reversal symmetric regularized electron exchange model was used to elastic scattering, target elastic Ps excitations and target inelastic excitation of hydrogen in a five state coupled model. A singlet Ps-H-S-wave resonance at 4.01 eV of width 0.15 eV and a P-wave resonance at 5.08 eV of width 0.004 eV were obtained using this model. The effect on the convergence of the coupled-channel scheme due to the inclusion of the excited Ps and H states was also analyzed.

Elastic band causing exfoliation of the upper permanent central incisors

Objective. This study reports a case in which elastic band use culminated in the loss of the incisors. Case Report. An 11-year-old white girl was seen complaining of pain, with purulent discharge and severe tooth mobility. The bone destruction detected radiographically in the region, despite its single location and absence in posterior quadrants of the maxilla and/or mandible, was similar to that observed in Langerhans cell disease. To our surprise, an elastic band involving the midportion of the roots of the two upper central incisors was found during biopsy. The debris was removed and a metal wire was placed in permanent maxillary right and left incisors. The patient was followed up, but no improvement in tooth mobility was observed. Bone loss increased, and internal resorption and root exposure occurred, which culminated in the extraction of permanent maxillary right and left incisors. Conclusion. The present case highlights the fact that professionals sometimes are confronted by anamnestic reports never seen before.

Study of elastic properies of Ti3Al intermetallic compound using the ab initio calculation

The elastic properties of a Ti3Al intermetallic compound were studied using full potential (FP LAPW ) with the APW+lo method. The FP-LAPW is among the most accurate band structure calculations currently available and is based on the density functional theory with general gradient approximation for the exchange and correlation potential. This method provides the structural properties of the ground state as bulk modulus, equilibrium lattice parameter, and equilibrium minimum energy, and the elastic properties as shear modulus, young modulus, Zener coefficient (anisotropy), and Poisson coefficient. The calculated elastic properties are coherent with the elastic properties of the material.

First-principles simulation of elastic constants and electronic properties of GaN

The electronic and structural properties and elastic constants of the wurtzite phase of GaN, was investigated by computer simulation at Density Functional Theory level, with B3LYP and B3PW hybrid functional. The electronic properties were investigated through the analysis of the band structures and density of states, and the mechanical properties were studied through the calculus of the elastic constants: C11, C33, C44, C12, and C13. The results show that the maximum of the valence band and the minimum of the conduction band are both located at the Γ point, indicating that GaN is a direct band gap semiconductor. The following constants were obtained for B3LYP and B3PW (in brackets): C11 = 366.9 [372.4], C33 = 390.9 [393.4], C44 = 99.1 [96.9], C12 = 143.6 [155.2], and C13 = 107.6 [121.4].

Influence of nonlinear stiffness on the dynamics of a slender elastic beam under torsional oscillations

This study focuses on analysing the effects of nonlinear torsional stiffness on the dynam-ics of a slender elastic beam under torsional oscillations, which can be subject to helical buckling.The helical buckling of an elastic beam confined in a cylinder is relevant to many applications. Someexamples include oil drilling, medical cateters and even the conformation and functioning of DNAmolecules. A recent study showed that the formation of the helical configuration is a result of onlythe torsional load, confirming that there is a different path to helical buckling which is not related tothe sinusoidal buckling, stressing the importance of the geometrical behaviour of the beam. A lowdimensional model of an elastic beam under torsional oscillations is used to analyse its dynamical be-haviour with different stiffness characteristics, which are present before and after the helical buckling.Hardening and softening characteristics are present, as the effects of torsion and bending are coupled.With the use of numerical algorithms applied to nonlinear dynamics, such as bifurcation diagramsand basins of attraction, it is shown that the nonlinear stiffness can shift the bifurcations and inducechanges in the stability of the desirable and undesirable solutions. Therefore, the proper modellingof these stiffness nonlinearities seems to be important for a better understanding of the dynamicalbehaviour of such beams.

Are the preference and selection patterns of hermit crabs for gastropod shells species- or site-specific?

Experimental analyses of hermit crabs and their preferences for shells are essential to understand the intrinsic relationship of the crabs` dependence on shells, and may be useful to explain their shell use pattern in nature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crab species and site on the pattern of shell use, selection, and preference in the south-western Atlantic hermit crabs Pagurus brevidactylus and Pagurus criniticornis, comparing sympatric and allopatric populations. Differently from the traditional approach to evaluate shell preference by simply determining the shell selection pattern (i.e., the number of shells of each type selected), preference was defined (according to [Liszka, D., Underwood, AJ., 1990. An experimental design to determine preferences for gastropod shells by a hermit-crab. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 137(1), 47-62]) by the comparison of the number of crabs changing for a particular shell type when three options were given (Cerithium atratum, Morula nodulosa, and Tegula viridula) with the number of crabs changing for this same type when only this type was offered. The effect of crab species was tested at Cabelo Gordo Beach, where P. brevidacrylus was found occupying shells of C. atratum, M. nodulosa, and T viridula in similar frequencies, whereas P. criniticornis occupied predominantly shells of C atratum. In laboratory experiments the selection patterns of the two hermit-crab species for these three gastropods were different, with P criniticornis selecting mainly shells of C atratum, and R brevidactylus selecting more shells of M. nodulosa. The shell preference was also dependent on crab species, with P. criniticornis showing a clear preference for shells of C atratum, whereas P. brevidactylus did not show a preference for any of the tested shells. The effect of site was tested for the two species comparing data from Cabelo Gordo to Preta (P brevidactylus) and Araca beaches (P. criniticornis). The pattern of shell use, selection, and preference was demonstrated to be dependent on site only for P. brevidactylus. The results also showed that the shell use pattern of P criniticornis can be explained by its preference at both sites, whereas for P. brevidactylus it occurred only at Cabelo Gordo, where the absence of preference was correlated with the similar use of the three gastropod species studied. Finally, the results showed that the shell selection pattern cannot be considered as a measure of shell preference, since it overestimates crab selectivity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.