Insights on the mechanical behavior of keratin fibrils

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found,in the online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.05.018.

Behavior of cardiac variables in animals exposed to cigarette smoke

OBJECTIVE: To assess the behavior of cardiac variables in animals exposed to cigarette smoke. METHODS: Two groups of Wistar rats were studied as follows: control group (C), comprising 28 animals; and smoking group (S), comprising 23 animals exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 days. Left ventricular cardiac function was assessed in vivo with transthoracic echocardiography, and myocardial performance was analyzed in vitro in preparations of isolated left ventricular papillary muscle. The cardiac muscle was assessed in isometric contractions with an extracellular calcium concentration of 2.5 mmol/L. RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed in the values of the body variables of the rats and in the mechanical data obtained from the papillary muscle between the control and smoking groups. The values of left ventricular systolic diameter were significantly greater in the smoking animals than in the control animals (C= 3.39 ± 0.4 mm and S= 3.71 ± 0.51 mm, P=0.02). A significant reduction was observed in systolic shortening fraction (C= 56.7 ± 4.2% and S= 53.5 ± 5.3%, P=0.02) and in ejection fraction (C= 0.92 ± 0.02 and S= 0.89 ± 0.04, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: The rats exposed to cigarette smoke had a reduction in left ventricular systolic function, although their myocardial function was preserved.

Behavior of inflammatory markers of myocardial injury in cardiac surgery: laboratory correlation with the clinical picture of postpericardiotomy syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To verify the association of serum markers of myocardial injury, such as troponin I, creatinine kinase, and creatinine kinase isoenzyme MB, and inflammatory markers, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery, with the occurrence of possible postpericardiotomy syndrome. METHODS: This was a cohort study with 96 patients undergoing cardiac surgery assessed at the following 4 different time periods: the day before surgery (D0); the 3rd postoperative day (D3); between the 7th and 10th postoperative days (D7-10); and the 30th postoperative day (D30). During each period, we evaluated demographic variables (sex and age), surgical variables (type and duration , extracorporeal circulation), and serum dosages of the markers of myocardial injury and inflammatory response. RESULTS: Of all patients, 12 (12.5%) met the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of postpericardiotomy syndrome, and their mean age was 10.3 years lower than the age of the others (P=0.02). The results of the serum markers for tissue injury and inflammatory response were not significantly different between the 2 assessed groups. No significant difference existed regarding either surgery duration or extracorporeal circulation. CONCLUSION: The patients who met the clinical criteria for postpericardiotomy syndrome were significantly younger than the others were. Serum markers for tissue injury and inflammatory response were not different in the clinically affected group, and did not correlate with the different types and duration of surgery or with extracorporeal circulation.

Determinants of Functional and Structural Properties of Large Arteries in Healthy Individuals

Background: Changes in the properties of large arteries correlate with higher cardiovascular risk. Recent guidelines have included the assessment of those properties to detect subclinical disease. Establishing reference values for the assessment methods as well as determinants of the arterial parameters and their correlations in healthy individuals is important to stratify patients. Objective: To assess, in healthy adults, the distribution of the values of pulse wave velocity, diameter, intima-media thickness and relative distensibility of the carotid artery, in addition to assessing the demographic and clinical determinants of those parameters and their correlations. Methods: This study evaluated 210 individuals (54% women; mean age, 44 ± 13 years) with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was measured with a Complior® device. The functional and structural properties of the carotid artery were assessed by using radiofrequency ultrasound. Results: The means of the following parameters were: pulse wave velocity, 8.7 ± 1.5 m/s; diameter, 6,707.9 ± 861.6 μm; intima-media thickness, 601 ± 131 μm; relative distensibility, 5.3 ± 2.1%. No significant difference related to sex or ethnicity was observed. On multiple linear logistic regression, the factors independently related to the vascular parameters were: pulse wave velocity, to age (p < 0.01) and triglycerides (p = 0.02); intima-media thickness, to age (p < 0.01); diameter, to creatinine (p = 0.03) and age (p = 0.02); relative distensibility, to age (p < 0.01) and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). Pulse wave velocity showed a positive correlation with intima media thickness (p < 0.01) and with relative distensibility (p < 0.01), while diameter showed a positive correlation with distensibility (p = 0.03). Conclusion: In healthy individuals, age was the major factor related to aortic stiffness, while age and diastolic blood pressure related to the carotid functional measure. The carotid artery structure was directly related to aortic stiffness, which was inversely related to the carotid artery functional property.

out-flowing behavior of particles at the discharge end of rotary kilns

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Verfahrens- und Systemtechnik, Diss., 2009

Application of data mining for assessment of material properties : creep behavior of high-temperature steels

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Maschinenbau, Diss., 2009

Modeling the inelastic behavior of heat exchangers accounting for fluid-structure interactions

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Maschinenbau, Diss., 2013

Episodes of the life and death of thin fluid membranes : patterns and dynamics at the cross-over from two to three dimensions

Otto-von Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften, Dissertation, 2016

Aspects of the biology and behavior of Nesolynx sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)

This research was carried out to study some aspects of the biology and behavior of Nesolynx sp. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), a pupal parasite of Psorocampa denticulata (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) a defoliating caterpillar of Eucalyptus spp. in Brazil. The adults emerge from the host pupa through a circular hole on Its dorsal region. Mating occurs righ after the emergence and the longevity of adults was two days for the males and four days for the females. Regarding to the host species Diatraea saccharalis showed a number of adults significantly greater than Galleria mellonella and the increasing temperature from 21±1 °C to 26±1°C caused a significative increasing in the number of emerged adults in both host species. The emergence of adults increased proportionally to the period of exposition to the host up to 3.50 days; after that, a considerable decrease in the emergence was observed. The parasitoid showed parthenogenetic reproduction therefore the average number of emerged males was significantly greater than the number of females. The sex ratio was similar for the insects emerged from virgin or mated females (0,96) and the life cycle lenght was around 18.34 days for both conditions.

Notes on the breeding behavior of lizards / by Karl P. Schmidt.

v.20:no.9(1935)

Larval life in the leaves: arboreal tadpole types, with special attention to the morphology, ecology, and behavior of the Oophagous Osteopilus brunneus (Hylidae) larva / Michael J. Lannoo, Daniel S. Townsend, Richard J. Wassersug.

n.s. no.38(1987)

Social feeding behavior of birds.

v.36:no.1(1954)

Behavior of the lizard Corythophanes cristatus / D. Dwight Davis.

v.35:no.1(1953)

Oviposition behavior of Zabrotes subfasciatus females (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) under conditions of host deprivation

Oviposition of Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman, 1833) on Phaseolus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1753) was studied immediately after emergence of the adults throughout the females life and in situations of host deprivation lasting for 1 to 10 days. The number of eggs laid daily, longevity, duration of oviposition and distribution of eggs per grain were studied. The number of eggs laid per day varied significantly, with the oviposition peak in the presence of the host (control group) occurring between day 2 and day 5 of oviposition. In the absence of the host, a shift in the oviposition peak to the first day after deprivation was observed, except for the group deprived for one day which showed a peak between days 1 and 4 after introduction of the host. The distribution of the eggs per grain in the control group and in the groups deprived of the host for 2, 5, 8 and 10 days, a larger egg aggregation was observed for all deprived groups compared to the control group.