Effects of the essential oil from Citrus aurantium L. in experimental anxiety models in mice

Citrus aurantium L. is popularly used to treat anxiety, among other indications suggesting central nervous system action. Previous studies showed anxiolytic effect in the essential oil from peel in mice evaluated on the elevated plus maze [Carvalho-Freitas, M.I.R., Costa, M., 2002. Anxiolytic and sedative effects of extracts and essential oil from Citrus aurantium L. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 25, 1629-1633.]. In order to better characterize the activity of the essential oil, it was evaluated in two other experimental models: the light-dark box and the marble-burying test, respectively related to generalized anxiety disorder and to obsessive compulsive disorder. Mice were treated acutely by oral route 30 min (single dose) or once a day for 15 days (repeated doses) before experimental procedures. In light-dark box test, single treatment with essential oil augmented the time spent by mice in the light chamber and the number of transitions between the two compartments. There were no observed alterations in the parameters evaluated in light-dark box after repeated treatment. Otherwise, single and repeated treatments with essential oil were able to suppress marble-burying behavior. At effective doses in the behavioral tests, mice showed no impairment on rotarod procedure after both single and repeated treatments with essential oil, denoting absence of motor deficit. Results observed in marble-burying test, related to obsessive compulsive disorder, appear more consistent than those observed in light-dark box. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne: A Brazilian medicinal plant with gastric and duodenal anti-ulcer and antidiarrheal effects in experimental rodent models

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Byrsonima intermedia A. Juss.: Gastric and duodenal anti-ulcer, antimicrobial and antidiarrheal effects in experimental rodent models

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

Stability of breathers in simple mechanical models for DNA

This work studies through the Floquet theory the stability of breathers generated by the anti-continuous limit. We used the Peyrard-Bishop model for DNA and two kinds of nonlinear potential: the Morse potential and a potential with a hump. The comparison of their stability was done in function of the coupling parameter. We also investigate the dynamic behaviour of the system in stable and unstable regions. Qualitatively, the dynamic of mobile breathers resembles DNA.

T-duality in 2D integrable models

The non-conformal analogue of Abelian T-duality transformations relating pairs of axial and vector integrable models from the non-Abelian affine Toda family is constructed and studied in detail.

Degeneration of the Y chromosome in evolutionary aging models

The Y chromosomes are genetically degenerated and do not recombine with their matching partners X. Recombination of XX pairs is pointed out as the key factor for the Y chromosome degeneration. However, there is an additional evolutionary force driving sex-chromosomes evolution. Here we show this mechanism by means of two different evolutionary models, in which sex chromosomes with non-recombining XX and XY pairs of chromosomes is considered. Our results show three curious effects. First, we observed that even when both XX and XY pairs of chromosomes do not recombine, the Y chromosomes still degenerate. Second, the accumulation of mutations on Y chromosomes followed a completely different pattern then those accumulated on X chromosomes. and third, the models may differ with respect to sexual proportion. These findings suggest that a more primeval mechanism rules the evolution of Y chromosomes due exclusively to the sex-chromosomes asymmetry itself, i.e., the fact that Y chromosomes never experience female bodies. Over aeons, natural selection favored X chromosomes spontaneously, even if at the very beginning of evolution, both XX and XY pairs of chromosomes did not recombine.

Anomaly-free constraints in neutrino seesaw models

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

Nucleon magnetic moments in light-front models with quark mass asymmetries

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

Improvement in RNA extraction from S. cerevisie by optimization in the autolysis and NH3 hydrolysis

The optimization of autolysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from brewery was studied aiming at the maximum ribonucleic acid extraction and yeast extract production. The best conditions for yeast autolysis was 55.2ºC, pH= 5.1 and 9.8% NaCl for 24h of processing, without the NH3 use. In these conditions, the RNA yield was 89.7%, resulting in 51.3% of dehydrated yeast extract with 57.9% protein. The use of 12.2% NH3 at 60ºC after autolysis (8h) and plasmolysis (8h) was not viable due to the reduction in the RNA yield from 89.7to78.4%. on the other hand, the thermal shock at 60ºC for 15 minutes prior to autolysis provided an increase in the yield from 89.7 to 91.4%. The autolysis, including NaCl plasmolysis in the optimized conditions was efficient, economic and with short time, thus usable for industrial purpose to obtain more valuable products such as yeast extract enriched in RNA and/or protein, for different applications.

Methods to verify parameter equality in nonlinear regression models

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fluoride dose response in pH-cycling models using bovine enamel

The aim of this study was to establish methodologies for verification of the fluoride solution dose-response relationship using bovine enamel and pH-cycling models. Six models of the cariogenic challenge were performed, varying the time of demineralization and pH, time of remineralization, composition of de- and remineralization solutions, frequency and time of application of treatment solutions and pH-cycling duration. For the evaluation of the fluoride effect on caries dynamics, two proposed models provided for improvement in standardization of methods leading to a higher level of precision, demonstrating a dose response between treatments with regard to surface microhardness and Delta Z. For the evaluation of the fluoride effect on enamel remineralization, the addition of fluoride to the de- and remineralization solutions and the reduction of frequency and time of application of fluoride solutions led to a more suitable pH-cycling model. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

THE ALGEBRA OF NONLOCAL CHARGES IN NONLINEAR SIGMA-MODELS

We obtain the exact classical algebra obeyed by the conserved non-local charges in bosonic non-linear sigma models. Part of the computation is specialized for a symmetry group O(N). As it turns out the algebra corresponds to a cubic deformation of the Kac-Moody algebra. We generalize the results for the presence of a Wess-Zumino term. The algebra is very similar to the previous one, now containing a calculable correction of order one unit lower. The relation with Yangians and the role of the results in the context of Lie-Poisson algebras are also discussed.

Critical coupling for chiral symmetry breaking in QCD motivated models

We determine the critical coupling constant above which dynamical chiral symmetry breaking occurs in a class of QCD motivated models where the gluon propagator has an enhanced infrared behavior. Using methods of bifurcation theory we find that the critical value of the coupling constant is always smaller than the one obtained for QCD. ©2000 The American Physical Society.

Low-energy universality in three-body models

We study the low-energy universality observed in three-body models through a scale-independent approach. From the already estimated infinite number of three-body excited energy states, which happen in the limit when the energy of the subsystem goes to zero, we are able to identify the lower energies of the helium trimers as possible examples of Thomas-Efimov states. By considering this example, we illustrate the usefulness of a scaling function, which we have defined. The approach is applied to bosonic systems of three identical particles, and also to the case where two kinds of particles are present.