Oxygen extended sooting index of FAME blends with aviation kerosene

The use of biofuels in the aviation sector has economic and environmental benefits. Among the options for the production of renewable jet fuels, hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) have received predominant attention in comparison with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), which are not approved as additives for jet fuels. However, the presence of oxygen in methyl esters tends to reduce soot emissions and therefore particulate matter emissions. This sooting tendency is quantified in this work with an oxygen-extended sooting index, based on smoke point measurements. Results have shown considerable reduction in the sooting tendency for all biokerosenes (produced by transesterification and eventually distillation) with respect to fossil kerosenes. Among the tested biokerosenes, that made from palm kernel oil was the most effective one, and nondistilled methyl esters (from camelina and linseed oils) showed lower effectiveness than distilled biokerosenes to reduce the sooting tendency. These results may constitute an additional argument for the use of FAME’s as blend components of jet fuels. Other arguments were pointed out in previous publications, but some controversy has aroused over the use of these components. Some of the criticism was based on the fact that the methods used in our previous work are not approved for jet fuels in the standard methods and concluded that the use of FAME in any amount is, thus, inappropriate. However, some of the standard methods are not updated for considering oxygenated components (like the method for obtaining the lower heating value), and others are not precise enough (like the methods for measuring the freezing point), whereas some alternative methods may provide better reproducibility for oxygenated fuels.

Vibration reduction for vision systems on board unmanned aerial vehicles using a neuro-fuzzy controller

In this paper, an intelligent control approach based on neuro-fuzzy systems performance is presented, with the objective of counteracting the vibrations that affect the low-cost vision platform onboard an unmanned aerial system of rotating nature. A scaled dynamical model of a helicopter is used to simulate vibrations on its fuselage. The impact of these vibrations on the low-cost vision system will be assessed and an intelligent control approach will be derived in order to reduce its detrimental influence. Different trials that consider a neuro-fuzzy approach as a fundamental part of an intelligent semi-active control strategy have been carried out. Satisfactory results have been achieved compared to those obtained by means of vibration reduction passive techniques.

A syntactic and functional correspondence between reduction semantics and reduction-free full normalisers

Olivier Danvy and others have shown the syntactic correspondence between reduction semantics (a small-step semantics) and abstract machines, as well as the functional correspondence between reduction-free normalisers (a big-step semantics) and abstract machines. The correspondences are established by program transformation (so-called interderivation) techniques. A reduction semantics and a reduction-free normaliser are interderivable when the abstract machine obtained from them is the same. However, the correspondences fail when the underlying reduction strategy is hybrid, i.e., relies on another sub-strategy. Hybridisation is an essential structural property of full-reducing and complete strategies. Hybridisation is unproblematic in the functional correspondence. But in the syntactic correspondence the refocusing and inlining-of-iterate-function steps become context sensitive, preventing the refunctionalisation of the abstract machine. We show how to solve the problem and showcase the interderivation of normalisers for normal order, the standard, full-reducing and complete strategy of the pure lambda calculus. Our solution makes it possible to interderive, rather than contrive, full-reducing abstract machines. As expected, the machine we obtain is a variant of Pierre Crégut s full Krivine machine KN.

New concepts and techniques for the development of high-efficiency concentrating photovoltaic modules

El interés por los sistemas fotovoltaicos de concentración (CPV) ha resurgido en los últimos años amparado por el desarrollo de células multiunión de muy alta eficiencia basadas en semiconductores de los grupos III-V. Estas células han permitido obtener módulos de concentración con eficiencias que prácticamente duplican las del panel plano y que llegan al 35% en los módulos récord. Esta tesis está dedicada al diseño y la implementación experimental de nuevos conceptos que permitan obtener módulos CPV que no sólo alcancen una eficiencia alta en condiciones estándar sino que, además, sean lo suficientemente tolerantes a errores de montaje, seguimiento, temperatura y variaciones espectrales para que la energía que producen a lo largo del año sea máxima. Una de las primeras cuestiones que se abordan es el diseño de elementos ópticos secundarios para sistemas cuyo primario es una lente de Fresnel y que permiten, para una concentración fija, aumentar el ángulo de aceptancia y la tolerancia del sistema. Varios secundarios reflexivos y refractivos han sido diseñados y analizados mediante trazado de rayos. En particular, utilizando óptica anidólica y basándose en el diseño de una sola etapa conocido como ‘concentrador dieléctrico que funciona por reflexión total interna‘, se ha diseñado, fabricado y caracterizado un secundario con salida cuadrada que, usado junto con una lente de Fresnel, permite alcanzar simultáneamente una elevada eficiencia, concentración y aceptancia. Además, se ha propuesto y prototipado un método alternativo de fabricación para otro de los secundarios, denominado domo, consistente en el sobremoldeo de silicona sobre células solares. Una de las características que impregna todo el trabajo realizado en esta tesis es la aproximación holística en el diseño de módulos CPV, es decir, se ha prestado especial atención al diseño conjunto de la célula y la óptica para garantizar que el sistema total alcance la mayor eficiencia posible. En este sentido muchos sistemas ópticos desarrollados en esta tesis han sido diseñados, caracterizados y optimizados teniendo en cuenta que el ajuste de corriente entre las distintas subcélulas que comprenden la célula multiunión bajo el concentrador sea muy próximo a uno. La capa antirreflectante sobre la célula funciona, en cierto modo, como interfaz entre la óptica y la célula, por lo que se ha diseñado un método de optimización de capas antirreflectantes que considera no sólo el amplio rango de longitudes de onda para el que las células multiunión son sensibles sino también la distribución angular de intensidad sobre la célula creada por la óptica de concentración. Además, la cuestión de la falta de uniformidad también se ha abordado mediante la comparación de las distribuciones espectrales y espaciales de irradiancia que crean diferentes ópticas (simuladas mediante trazado de rayos y fotografiadas) y las pérdidas de eficiencia que experimentan las células iluminadas por dichas ópticas de concentración medidas experimentalmente. El efecto de la temperatura en la óptica de concentración también ha sido objeto de estudio de esta tesis. En particular, mediante simulaciones de elementos finitos se han dado los primeros pasos para el análisis de las deformaciones que sufren los dientes de las lentes de Fresnel híbridas (vidrio-silicona), así como el cambio de índice de refracción con la temperatura y la influencia de ambos efectos sobre el funcionamiento de los sistemas. Se ha implementado un modelo que tiene por objeto considerar las variaciones ambientales, principalmente temperatura y contenido espectral de la radiación directa, así como las sensibilidades térmica y espectral de los sistemas CPV, con el fin de maximizar la energía producida por un módulo de concentración a lo largo de un año en un emplazamiento determinado. Los capítulos 5 y 6 de este libro están dedicados al diseño, fabricación y caracterización de un nuevo concepto de módulo fotovoltaico denominado FluidReflex y basado en una única etapa reflexiva con dieléctrico fluido. En este nuevo concepto la presencia del fluido aporta algunas ventajas significativas como son: un aumento del producto concentración por aceptancia (CAP, en sus siglas en inglés) alcanzable al rodear la célula con un medio cuyo índice de refracción es mayor que uno, una mejora de la eficiencia óptica al disminuir las pérdidas por reflexión de Fresnel en varias interfaces, una mejora de la disipación térmica ya que el calor que se concentra junto a la célula se trasmite por convección natural y conducción en el fluido y un aislamiento eléctrico mejorado. Mediante la construcción y medida de varios prototipos de unidad elemental se ha demostrado que no existe ninguna razón fundamental que impida la implementación práctica del concepto teórico alcanzando una elevada eficiencia. Se ha realizado un análisis de fluidos candidatos probando la existencia de al menos dos de ellos que cumplen todos los requisitos (en particular el de estabilidad bajo condiciones de luz concentrada) para formar parte del sistema de concentración FluidReflex. Por ´ultimo, se han diseñado, fabricado y caracterizado varios prototipos preindustriales de módulos FluidReflex para lo cual ha sido necesario optimizar el proceso de fabricación de la óptica multicavidad a fin de mantener el buen comportamiento óptico obtenido en la fabricación de la unidad elemental. Los distintos prototipos han sido medidos, tanto en el laboratorio como bajo el sol real, analizando el ajuste de corriente de la célula iluminada por el concentrador FluidReflex bajo diferentes distribuciones espectrales de la radiación incidente así como el excelente comportamiento térmico del módulo. ABSTRACT A renewed interest in concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems has emerged in recent years encouraged by the development of high-efficiency multijunction solar cells based in IIIV semiconductors that have led to CPV module efficiencies which practically double that of flat panel PV and which reach 35% for record modules. This thesis is devoted to the design and experimental implementation of new concepts for obtaining CPV modules that not only achieve high efficiency under standard conditions but also have such a wide tolerance to assembly errors, tracking, temperature and spectral variations, that the energy generated by them throughout the year is maximized. One of the first addressed issues is the design of secondary optical elements whose primary optics is a Fresnel lens and which, for a fixed concentration, allow an increased acceptance angle and tolerance of the system. Several reflective and refractive secondaries have been designed and analyzed using ray tracing. In particular, using nonimaging optics and based on the single-stage design known as ‘dielectric totally internally reflecting concentrator’, a secondary with square output has been designed, fabricated and characterized. Used together with a Fresnel lens, the secondary can simultaneously achieve high efficiency, concentration and acceptance. Furthermore, an alternative method has been proposed and prototyped for the fabrication of the secondary named dome. The optics is manufactured by direct overmolding of silicone over the solar cells. One characteristic that permeates all the work done in this thesis is the holistic approach in the design of CPV modules, meaning that special attention has been paid to the joint design of the solar cell and the optics to ensure that the total system achieves the highest attainable efficiency. In this regard, many optical systems developed in the thesis have been designed, characterized and optimized considering that the current matching among the subcells within the multijunction solar cell beneath the optics must be close to one. Antireflective coating over the cell acts, somehow, as an interface between the optics and the cell. Consequently, a method has been designed to optimize antireflective coatings that takes into account not only the broad wavelength range that multijunction solar cells are sensitive to but also the angular intensity distribution created by the concentrating optics. In addition, the issue of non-uniformity has also been addressed by comparing the spectral and spatial distributions of irradiance created by different optics (simulated by ray tracing and photographed) and the efficiency losses experienced by cells illuminated by those concentrating optics experimentally determined. The effect of temperature on the concentrating optics has also been studied in this thesis. In particular, finite element simulations have been use to analyze the deformations experienced by the facets of hybrid (silicon-glass) Fresnel lenses, the change of refractive index with temperature and the influence of both effects on the system performance. A model has been implemented which take into consideration atmospheric variations, mainly temperature and spectral content of the direct normal irradiance, as well as thermal and spectral sensitivities of systems, with the aim of maximizing the energy harvested by a CPV module throughout the year in a particular location. Chapters 5 and 6 of this book are devoted to the design, fabrication, and characterization of a new concentrator concept named FluidReflex and based on a single-stage reflective optics with fluid dielectric. In this new concept, the presence of the fluid provides some significant advantages such as: an increased concentration acceptance angle product (CAP) achievable by surrounding the cell with a medium whose refractive index is greater than one, an improvement of the optical efficiency by reducing losses due to Fresnel reflection at several interfaces, an improvement in heat dissipation as the heat concentrated near the cell is transmitted by natural convection and conduction in the fluid, and an improved electrical insulation. By fabricating and characterizing several elementary-unit prototypes it was shown that there is no fundamental reason that prevents the practical implementation of this theoretical concept reaching high efficiency. Several fluid candidates were investigated proving the existence of at least to fluids that meet all the requirements (including the stability under concentrated light) to become part of the FluidReflex concentrator. Finally, several pre-industrial FluidReflex module prototypes have been designed and fabricated. An optimization process for the manufacturing of the multicavity optics was necessary to attain such an optics quality as the one achieved by the single unit. The module prototypes have been measured, both indoors and outdoors, analyzing the current matching of the solar cells beneath the concentrator for different spectral distribution of the incident irradiance. Additionally, the module showed an excellent thermal performance.

A visual framework to accelerate knowledge discovery based on dimensionality reduction minimizing degradation of quality

Tradicionalmente, el uso de técnicas de análisis de datos ha sido una de las principales vías para el descubrimiento de conocimiento oculto en grandes cantidades de datos, recopilados por expertos en diferentes dominios. Por otra parte, las técnicas de visualización también se han usado para mejorar y facilitar este proceso. Sin embargo, existen limitaciones serias en la obtención de conocimiento, ya que suele ser un proceso lento, tedioso y en muchas ocasiones infructífero, debido a la dificultad de las personas para comprender conjuntos de datos de grandes dimensiones. Otro gran inconveniente, pocas veces tenido en cuenta por los expertos que analizan grandes conjuntos de datos, es la degradación involuntaria a la que someten a los datos durante las tareas de análisis, previas a la obtención final de conclusiones. Por degradación quiere decirse que los datos pueden perder sus propiedades originales, y suele producirse por una reducción inapropiada de los datos, alterando así su naturaleza original y llevando en muchos casos a interpretaciones y conclusiones erróneas que podrían tener serias implicaciones. Además, este hecho adquiere una importancia trascendental cuando los datos pertenecen al dominio médico o biológico, y la vida de diferentes personas depende de esta toma final de decisiones, en algunas ocasiones llevada a cabo de forma inapropiada. Ésta es la motivación de la presente tesis, la cual propone un nuevo framework visual, llamado MedVir, que combina la potencia de técnicas avanzadas de visualización y minería de datos para tratar de dar solución a estos grandes inconvenientes existentes en el proceso de descubrimiento de información válida. El objetivo principal es hacer más fácil, comprensible, intuitivo y rápido el proceso de adquisición de conocimiento al que se enfrentan los expertos cuando trabajan con grandes conjuntos de datos en diferentes dominios. Para ello, en primer lugar, se lleva a cabo una fuerte disminución en el tamaño de los datos con el objetivo de facilitar al experto su manejo, y a la vez preservando intactas, en la medida de lo posible, sus propiedades originales. Después, se hace uso de efectivas técnicas de visualización para representar los datos obtenidos, permitiendo al experto interactuar de forma sencilla e intuitiva con los datos, llevar a cabo diferentes tareas de análisis de datos y así estimular visualmente su capacidad de comprensión. De este modo, el objetivo subyacente se basa en abstraer al experto, en la medida de lo posible, de la complejidad de sus datos originales para presentarle una versión más comprensible, que facilite y acelere la tarea final de descubrimiento de conocimiento. MedVir se ha aplicado satisfactoriamente, entre otros, al campo de la magnetoencefalografía (MEG), que consiste en la predicción en la rehabilitación de lesiones cerebrales traumáticas (Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehabilitation prediction). Los resultados obtenidos demuestran la efectividad del framework a la hora de acelerar y facilitar el proceso de descubrimiento de conocimiento sobre conjuntos de datos reales. ABSTRACT Traditionally, the use of data analysis techniques has been one of the main ways of discovering knowledge hidden in large amounts of data, collected by experts in different domains. Moreover, visualization techniques have also been used to enhance and facilitate this process. However, there are serious limitations in the process of knowledge acquisition, as it is often a slow, tedious and many times fruitless process, due to the difficulty for human beings to understand large datasets. Another major drawback, rarely considered by experts that analyze large datasets, is the involuntary degradation to which they subject the data during analysis tasks, prior to obtaining the final conclusions. Degradation means that data can lose part of their original properties, and it is usually caused by improper data reduction, thereby altering their original nature and often leading to erroneous interpretations and conclusions that could have serious implications. Furthermore, this fact gains a trascendental importance when the data belong to medical or biological domain, and the lives of people depends on the final decision-making, which is sometimes conducted improperly. This is the motivation of this thesis, which proposes a new visual framework, called MedVir, which combines the power of advanced visualization techniques and data mining to try to solve these major problems existing in the process of discovery of valid information. Thus, the main objective is to facilitate and to make more understandable, intuitive and fast the process of knowledge acquisition that experts face when working with large datasets in different domains. To achieve this, first, a strong reduction in the size of the data is carried out in order to make the management of the data easier to the expert, while preserving intact, as far as possible, the original properties of the data. Then, effective visualization techniques are used to represent the obtained data, allowing the expert to interact easily and intuitively with the data, to carry out different data analysis tasks, and so visually stimulating their comprehension capacity. Therefore, the underlying objective is based on abstracting the expert, as far as possible, from the complexity of the original data to present him a more understandable version, thus facilitating and accelerating the task of knowledge discovery. MedVir has been succesfully applied to, among others, the field of magnetoencephalography (MEG), which consists in predicting the rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The results obtained successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework to accelerate and facilitate the process of knowledge discovery on real world datasets.

Impact of introducing longer and heavier vehicles on regional consumer price index and Spanish road freight transport system

This paper applies an integrated modeling approach to the case of Spain; the approach is based on a random utility-based multiregional input-output model and a road transport network model for assessing the effect of introducing longer and heavier vehicles (LHVs) on the regional consumer price index (CPI) and on the transportation system. The approach strongly supports the concept that changes in transport costs derived from the LHV allowance as well as the economic structure of regions have direct and indirect effects on the economy and on the transportation system. Results show that the introduction of LHVs might reduce prices paid by consumers for a representative basket of goods and services in the regions of Spain and would also lead to a reduction in the regional CPI. In addition, the magnitude and extent of changes in the transportation system are estimated by using the commodity-based structure of the approach to identify the effect of traffic changes on traffic flows and on pollutant emissions over the whole network.

Operational Aspects of Full Reduction in Lambda Calculi

Esta tesis estudia la reducción plena (‘full reduction’ en inglés) en distintos cálculos lambda. 1 En esencia, la reducción plena consiste en evaluar los cuerpos de las funciones en los lenguajes de programación funcional con ligaduras. Se toma el cálculo lambda clásico (i.e., puro y sin tipos) como el sistema formal que modela el paradigma de programación funcional. La reducción plena es una técnica fundamental cuando se considera a los programas como datos, por ejemplo para la optimización de programas mediante evaluación parcial, o cuando algún atributo del programa se representa a su vez por un programa, como el tipo en los demostradores automáticos de teoremas actuales. Muchas semánticas operacionales que realizan reducción plena tienen naturaleza híbrida. Se introduce formalmente la noción de naturaleza híbrida, que constituye el hilo conductor de todo el trabajo. En el cálculo lambda la naturaleza híbrida se manifiesta como una ‘distinción de fase’ en el tratamiento de las abstracciones, ya sean consideradas desde fuera o desde dentro de si mismas. Esta distinción de fase conlleva una estructura en capas en la que una semántica híbrida depende de una o más semánticas subsidiarias. Desde el punto de vista de los lenguajes de programación, la tesis muestra como derivar, mediante técnicas de transformación de programas, implementaciones de semánticas operacionales que reducen plenamente a partir de sus especificaciones. Las técnicas de transformación de programas consisten en transformaciones sintácticas que preservan la equivalencia semántica de los programas. Se ajustan las técnicas de transformación de programas existentes para trabajar con implementaciones de semánticas híbridas. Además, se muestra el impacto que tiene la reducción plena en las implementaciones que utilizan entornos. Los entornos son un ingrediente fundamental en las implementaciones realistas de una máquina abstracta. Desde el punto de vista de los sistemas formales, la tesis desvela una teoría novedosa para el cálculo lambda con paso por valor (‘call-by-value lambda calculus’ en inglés) que es consistente con la reducción plena. Dicha teoría induce una noción de equivalencia observacional que distingue más puntos que las teorías existentes para dicho cálculo. Esta contribución ayuda a establecer una ‘teoría estándar’ en el cálculo lambda con paso por valor que es análoga a la ‘teoría estándar’ del cálculo lambda clásico propugnada por Barendregt. Se presentan resultados de teoría de la demostración, y se sugiere como abordar el estudio de teoría de modelos. ABSTRACT This thesis studies full reduction in lambda calculi. In a nutshell, full reduction consists in evaluating the body of the functions in a functional programming language with binders. The classical (i.e., pure untyped) lambda calculus is set as the formal system that models the functional paradigm. Full reduction is a prominent technique when programs are treated as data objects, for instance when performing optimisations by partial evaluation, or when some attribute of the program is represented by a program itself, like the type in modern proof assistants. A notable feature of many full-reducing operational semantics is its hybrid nature, which is introduced and which constitutes the guiding theme of the thesis. In the lambda calculus, the hybrid nature amounts to a ‘phase distinction’ in the treatment of abstractions when considered either from outside or from inside themselves. This distinction entails a layered structure in which a hybrid semantics depends on one or more subsidiary semantics. From a programming languages standpoint, the thesis shows how to derive implementations of full-reducing operational semantics from their specifications, by using program transformations techniques. The program transformation techniques are syntactical transformations which preserve the semantic equivalence of programs. The existing program transformation techniques are adjusted to work with implementations of hybrid semantics. The thesis also shows how full reduction impacts the implementations that use the environment technique. The environment technique is a key ingredient of real-world implementations of abstract machines which helps to circumvent the issue with binders. From a formal systems standpoint, the thesis discloses a novel consistent theory for the call-by-value variant of the lambda calculus which accounts for full reduction. This novel theory entails a notion of observational equivalence which distinguishes more points than other existing theories for the call-by-value lambda calculus. This contribution helps to establish a ‘standard theory’ in that calculus which constitutes the analogous of the ‘standard theory’ advocated by Barendregt in the classical lambda calculus. Some prooftheoretical results are presented, and insights on the model-theoretical study are given.

Reduction of critical mass in a chemotaxis system by external application of a chemoattractant

In this paper we study non-negative radially symmetric solutions of a parabolic-elliptic Keller-Segel system. The system describes the chemotactic movement of cells under the additional circumstance that an external application of a chemo attractant at a distinguished point is introduced.

Novel techniques for automorphism group computation

Graph automorphism (GA) is a classical problem, in which the objective is to compute the automorphism group of an input graph. In this work we propose four novel techniques to speed up algorithms that solve the GA problem by exploring a search tree. They increase the performance of the algorithm by allowing to reduce the depth of the search tree, and by effectively pruning it. We formally prove that a GA algorithm that uses these techniques correctly computes the automorphism group of the input graph. We also describe how the techniques have been incorporated into the GA algorithm conauto, as conauto-2.03, with at most an additive polynomial increase in its asymptotic time complexity. We have experimentally evaluated the impact of each of the above techniques with several graph families. We have observed that each of the techniques by itself significantly reduces the number of processed nodes of the search tree in some subset of graphs, which justifies the use of each of them. Then, when they are applied together, their effect is combined, leading to reductions in the number of processed nodes in most graphs. This is also reflected in a reduction of the running time, which is substantial in some graph families.

Modeling of dangerous phenomena and innovative techniques for hazard evaluation and risk mitigation

Society is frequently exposed to and threatened by dangerous phenomena in many parts of the world. Different types of such phenomena require specific actions for proper risk management, from the stages of hazard identification to those of mitigation (including monitoring and early-warning) and/or reduction. The understanding of both predisposing factors and triggering mechanisms of a given danger and the prediction of its evolution from the source to the overall affected zone are relevant issues that must be addressed to properly evaluate a given hazard.

Comparative analysis of measurement techniques of the sound absorption coefficient of a material

Las tendencias actuales apuntan al desarrollo de nuevos materiales económicos y ecológicos con óptimas propiedades mecánicas, acústicas y térmicas. En la caracterización acústica del material es habitual medir su coeficiente de absorción sonora. Las dos técnicas usuales de medida de este parámetro son en cámara reverberante y en tubo de Kundt. No obstante, existen técnicas de medida “in situ” del coeficiente de absorción que permiten una comprobación del comportamiento real en la forma definitiva de colocación del material. En este trabajo se presenta un estudio comparativo del coeficiente de absorción sonora medido en un material usando distintas técnicas de medida.

Glial reduction in the subgenual prefrontal cortex in mood disorders

Mood disorders are among the most common neuropsychiatric illnesses, yet little is known about their neurobiology. Recent neuroimaging studies have found that the volume of the subgenual part of Brodmann’s area 24 (sg24) is reduced in familial forms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). In this histological study, we used unbiased stereological techniques to examine the cellular composition of area sg24 in two different sets of brains. There was no change in the number or size of neurons in area sg24 in mood disorders. In contrast, the numbers of glia were reduced markedly in both MDD and BD. The reduction in glial number was most prominent in subgroups of subjects with familial MDD (24%, P = 0.01) or BD (41%, P = 0.01). The glial reduction in subjects without a clear family history was lower in magnitude and not statistically significant. Consistent with neuroimaging findings, cortical volume was reduced in area sg24 in subjects with familial mood disorders. Schizophrenic brains studied as psychiatric controls had normal neuronal and glial numbers and cortical volume. Glial and neuronal numbers also were counted in area 3b of the somatosensory cortex in the same group of brains and were normal in all psychiatric groups. Glia affect several processes, including regulation of extracellular potassium, glucose storage and metabolism, and glutamate uptake, all of which are crucial for normal neuronal activity. We thus have identified a biological marker associated with familial mood disorders that may provide important clues regarding the pathogenesis of these common psychiatric conditions.

Avaliação do potencial antiproliferativo do Dendrímero de Poliglicerol associado ao celecoxibe em linhagens celulares de carcinoma epidermoide de cabeça e pescoço

Diversos mecanismos celulares estão associados à patogênese do Carcinoma Epidermoide de Cabeça e Pescoço (CECP). Algumas dessas alterações envolvem proteínas pertencentes à via de sinalização do Akt, e o fator de transcrição NF-kB, o qual têm importante papel na fisiologia normal e no câncer. A proteína COX-2, descrita em processos inflamatórios, também participa da carcinogênese e está associada com a via de sinalização do Akt e com o NF-kB. Dendrímeros são uma forma única de nanotecnologia, surgindo como nanotransportadores com a capacidade de penetrar na célula tumoral liberando drogas quimioterápicas em seu interior. Os benefícios desta tecnologia são o aumento da eficicácia do princípio ativo utilizado e a redução dos seus efeitos secundários tóxicos. O Celecoxibe, antiinflamatório não esteroidal, inibidor seletivo da COX-2, tem se mostrado um importante agente anticarcinogênico, no entanto seu mecanismo de ação no CECP não é totalmente compreendido. Neste trabalho, um Dendrímero de Poliglicerol associado ao Celecoxibe (PGLD-celecoxibe) foi sintetizado e caracterizado por técnicas de espectroscopia ¹H-RMN, ¹³C-RMN, Maldi-Tof, TLC e DSC. Além disso, o conjugado foi testado in vitro em três linhagens celulares de CECP. O PGLD-Celecoxibe foi sintetizado com sucesso e promoveu a redução da dose capaz de inibir a proliferação celular, reduzindo o IC 50 do Celecoxibe de forma significativa em todas as linhagens celulares, se aproximando da dose sérica alcançada por este medicamento, resultado corroborado pelo Ensaio de Migração Celular. O mecanismo de morte celular observado foi a apoptose, associada a diminuição significativa da expressão de COX-2 ou por uma via alternativa independente. Alguns dos grupos tratados apresentaram alteração na expressão das proteínas pAkt e NF-kB.

Desenvolvimento de uma plataforma modelo para a busca de ligantes com potencial leishmanicida baseado na inibição seletiva da enzima diidroorotato desidrogenase

As doenças tropicais negligenciadas (DTNs) causam um imenso sofrimento para a pessoa acometida e em muitos casos podem levar o indivíduo a morte. Elas representam um obstáculo devastador para a saúde e continuam a ser um sério impedimento para a redução da pobreza e desenvolvimento socioeconômico. Das 17 doenças desse grupo, a leishmaniose, incluindo a leishmaniose cutânea, tem grande destaque devido sua alta incidência, os gastos para o tratamento e as complicações geradas em processos de coinfecção. Ainda mais agravante, os investimentos direcionados ao controle, combate e principalmente a inovação em novos produtos é ainda muito limitado. Atualmente, a academia tem um importante papel na luta contra essas doenças através da busca de novos alvos terapêuticos e também de novas moléculas com potencial terapêutico. É nesse contexto que esse projeto teve como meta a implantação de uma plataforma para a identificação de moléculas com atividade leishmanicida. Como alvo terapêutico, optamos pela utilização da enzima diidroorotato desidrogenase de Leishmania Viannia braziliensis (LbDHODH), enzima de extrema importância na síntese de novo de nucleotídeos de pirimidina, cuja principal função é converter o diidroorotato em orotato. Esta enzima foi clonada, expressa e purificada com sucesso em nosso laboratório. Os estudos permitiram que a enzima fosse caracterizada cineticamente e estruturalmente via cristalografia de raios- X. Os primeiros ensaios inibitórios foram realizados com o orotato, produto da catálise e inibidor natural da enzima. O potencial inibitório do orotato foi mensurado através da estimativa do IC50 e a interação proteína-ligante foi caracterizada através de estudos cristalográficos. Estratégias in silico e in vitro foram utilizadas na busca de ligantes, através das quais foram identificados inibidores para a enzima LbDHODH. Ensaios de validação cruzada, utilizando a enzima homóloga humana, permitiram identificar os ligantes com maior índice de seletividade que tiveram seu potencial leishmanicida avaliado in vitro contra as formas promastigota e amastigota de Leishmania braziliensis. A realização do presente projeto permitiu a identificação de uma classe de ligantes que apresentam atividade seletiva contra LbDHODH e que será utilizada no planejamento de futuras gerações de moléculas com atividade terapêutica para o tratamento da leishmaniose. Além disso, a plataforma de ensaios otimizada permitirá a avaliação de novos grupos de moléculas como uma importante estratégia na busca por novos tratamentos contra a leishmaniose

A Meta-Analytic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Symptom Reduction: A Critique and Guide for Future Investigation.

Over the past decade, mindfulness practices have been used with increasing frequency as therapeutic components within cognitive behavioral treatment regimens. As is standard practice, prescriptive uses of mindfulness intervention are incorporated to improve end-state functioning by ameliorating problematic symptoms and conditions. Common change-targets include the control of cognitive and emotional content for purposes of enhancing psychological self-regulation and physical well-being. The term mindfulness applies to a heterogeneous range of practices, methods, and techniques. While there is no singular agreed upon definition for mindfulness, as a process concept, the term connotes an immediate, non-thetic access to events, wherein each occasioning event is experienced in toto within the broader contextual event-field, and distinct from intervening conceptual themes being noticed. Training in mindfulness practices may be conducted using individual, group, or small class formats. The current paper provides a meta-analytic review of 44 treatment outcome studies (extracted 1982 through 2006), which examines the clinical utility of mindfulness as the primary therapeutic approach. Results indicated that average effect sizes for mindfulness based interventions fell within the medium range for construct category variables examined (d = .56). These findings suggest that mindfulness training is a cost-effective treatment for a wide array of contemporary psychological problems and diagnoses, in addition to fostering positive psychology attributes such as quality and satisfaction with life. A critique of the research and recommendations for future research, including a need to examine the role of mindfulness as a tool for cultivating increased psychological acceptance and life satisfaction, is presented.