Fos-like immunoreactivity in central nervous system of mice simultaneously exposed to the elevated plus-maze and nociception

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

Electricity, hot water and cold water production from biomass. Energetic and economical analysis of the compact system of cogeneration run with woodgas from a small downdraft gasifier

Wood gasification technologies to convert the biomass into fuel gas stand out. on the other hand, producing electrical energy from stationary engine is widely spread, and its application in rural communities where the electrical network doesn't exist is very required. The recovery of exhaust gases (engine) is a possibility that makes the system attractive when compared with the same components used to obtain individual heat such as electric power. This paper presents an energetic alternative to adapt a fixed bed gasifier with a compact cogeneration system in order to cover electrical and thermal demands in a rural area and showing an energy solution for small social communities using renewable fuels. Therefore, an energetic and economical analysis from a cogeneration system producing electric energy, hot and cold water, using wooden gas as fuel from a small-sized gasifier was calculated. The energy balance that includes the energy efficiency (electric generation as well as hot and cold water system; performance coefficient and the heat exchanger, among other items), was calculated. Considering the annual interest rates and the amortization periods, the costs of production of electrical energy, hot and cold water were calculated, taking into account the investment, the operation and the maintenance cost of the equipments. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generating VHDL-AMS models of digital-to-analogue converters from MATLAB (R)/SIMULINK (R)

Today, the trend within the electronics industry is for the use of rapid and advanced simulation methodologies in association with synthesis toolsets. This paper presents an approach developed to support mixed-signal circuit design and analysis. The methodology proposed shows a novel approach to the problem of developing behvioural model descriptions of mixed-signal circuit topologies, by construction of a set of subsystems, that supports the automated mapping of MATLAB (R)/SINIULINK (R) models to structural VHDL-AMS descriptions. The tool developed, named (MSSV)-S-2, reads a SIMULINK (R) model file and translates it to a structural VHDL-AMS code. It also creates the file structure required to simulate the translated model in the SystemVision (TM). To validate the methodology and the developed program, the DAC08, AD7524 and AD5450 data converters were studied and initially modelled in MATLAB (R)/SIMULINK (R). The VHDL-AMS code generated automatically by (MSSV)-S-2, (MATLAB (R)/SIMULINK (R) to SystemVision (TM)), was then simulated in the SystemVision (TM). The simulation results show that the proposed approach, which is based on VHDL-AMS descriptions of the original model library elements, allows for the behavioural level simulation of complex mixed-signal circuits.

Thermally stimulated crystallization glass system of (20-x)LiO2-80TeO(2)-xWO(3)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do Uso de Smartphones na Interação com as Aplicações da Televisão Digital Brasileira

Brazil is going through the process from analogical transmission to digital transmission. This new technology, in addition to providing a high quality audio and video, also allows applications to execute on television. Equipment called Set-Top Box are needed to allow the reception of this new signal and create the appropriate environment necessary to execute applications. At first, the only way to interact with these applications is given by remote control. However, the remote control has serious usability problems when used to interact with some types of applications. This research suggests a software resources implementation capable to create a environment that allows a smartphone to interact with applications. Besides this implementation, is performed a comparative study between use remote controle and smartphones to interact with applications of digital television, taking into account parameters related to usability. After analysis of data collected by the comparative study is possible to identify which device provides an interactive experience more interesting for users

A Brazilian registry of juvenile dermatomyositis: onset features and classification of 189 cases

ObjectiveTo describe onset features, classification and treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and juvenile polymyositis (JPM) from a multicentre registry.MethodsInclusion criteria were onset age lower than 18 years and a diagnosis of any idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) by attending physician. Bohan & Peter (1975) criteria categorisation was established by a scoring algorithm to define JDM and JPM based oil clinical protocol data.ResultsOf the 189 cases included, 178 were classified as JDM, 9 as JPM (19.8: 1) and 2 did not fit the criteria; 6.9% had features of chronic arthritis and connective tissue disease overlap. Diagnosis classification agreement occurred in 66.1%. Medial? onset age was 7 years, median follow-up duration was 3.6 years. Malignancy was described in 2 (1.1%) cases. Muscle weakness occurred in 95.8%; heliotrope rash 83.5%; Gottron plaques 83.1%; 92% had at least one abnormal muscle enzyme result. Muscle biopsy performed in 74.6% was abnormal in 91.5% and electromyogram performed in 39.2% resulted abnormal in 93.2%. Logistic regression analysis was done in 66 cases with all parameters assessed and only aldolase resulted significant, as independent variable for definite JDM (OR=5.4, 95%CI 1.2-24.4, p=0.03). Regarding treatment, 97.9% received steroids; 72% had in addition at least one: methotrexate (75.7%), hydroxychloroquine (64.7%), cyclosporine A (20.6%), IV immunoglobulin (20.6%), azathioprine (10.3%) or cyclophosphamide (9.6%). In this series 24.3% developed calcinosis and mortality rate was 4.2%.ConclusionEvaluation of predefined criteria set for a valid diagnosis indicated aldolase as the most important parameter associated with de, methotrexate combination, was the most indicated treatment.

Histopathology of the reproductive system of male sheep experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii

The aim of this study was to investigate the histopathological changes in reproductive system (testicles, epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate) of small male ruminants after Toxoplasma gondii infection. Eight sheep were inoculated with T. gondii: group I, four sheep (2.0 x 10(5) P-strain oocysts); group II, four sheep (1.0 x 10(6) RH-strain tachyzoites); and group III, two uninfected sheep maintained as control. Infection with T. gondii was confirmed by seroconversion (indirect fluorescent antibody test-IgG) in all the infected animals beginning on post-inoculation day (PID) 7. on PID 70, all the animals were euthanized and tissue samples (testicles, epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate) were collected and processed for histological analysis. The main changes detected were a focal mononuclear interstitial inflammatory infiltrate in the prostate and seminal vesicles; diffuse testicular degeneration associated with calcification foci and a multifocal mononuclear interstitial inflammatory infiltrate; and a mononuclear interstitial infiltrate and focal necrotic areas of the muscle fibers surrounding the seminal vesicles. The histopathological findings of this work, along with the detection of T. gondii in the examined parenchyma tissues (immunohistochemistry) and the results obtained by other authors examining different tissues, suggest that histological changes diagnosed in the reproductive system of rams infected with T. gondii are strongly suggestive of toxoplasmatic infection.

Validation of the Brazilian versions of two inventories for measuring oral health-related quality of life of edentulous subjects

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

Accuracy of Digital Images in the Detection of Marginal Micro leakage: An In Vitro Study

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of Image Tool Software 3.0 (ITS 3.0) to detect marginal microleakage using the stereomicroscope as the validation criterion and ITS 3.0 as the tool under study.Materials and Methods: Class V cavities were prepared at the cementoenamel junction of 61 bovine incisors, and 53 halves of them were used. Using the stereomicroscope, microleakage was classified dichotomously: presence or absence. Next, ITS 3.0 was used to obtain measurements of the microleakage, so that 0.75 was taken as the cut-off point, and values equal to or greater than 0.75 indicated its presence, while values between 0.00 and 0.75 indicated its absence. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by point and given as 95% confidence interval (95% CI).Results: The accuracy of the ITS 3.0 was verified with a sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.89 to 1.00) and a specificity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.84 to 0.99).Conclusion: Digital diagnosis of marginal microleakage using ITS 3.0 was sensitive and specific.

Repercussions of castration and vasectomy on the ductal system of the rat ventral prostate

Diseases. such as cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, are related to disruption of the mechanism regulating the balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostatic cells. Since castration and vasectomy might alter that balance, this study evaluates the cell proliferation, apoptosis and height of the secretory epithelium of the ventral-prostate ductal system post-castration and vasectomy. Immunohistochemical (PCNA and Ki67), cytochemical (Fuelgen reaction) and morphometric investigation have been carried out. Cell proliferation indices decreased significantly in both regions of the ventral-prostate ductal system after castration compared to the sham-operated group. The apoptotic index increased significantly after 48 h, declining 7 days post-castration. The cell proliferation indices did not differ after 48 h significantly; however, they increased 7 days post-vasectomy in both regions. The apoptotic index did not differ significantly in either time post-vasectomy. Castration caused an imbalance in favor of apoptosis, whereas vasectomy caused an imbalance in favor of cell proliferation. (c) 2005 International Federation for Cell Biology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isoenzymatic variation in the germplasm of Brazilian races of maize (Zea mays L.)

Existem mais de 200 raças de milho (Zea mays L.), as quais são divididas em três grupos (raças comerciais antigas, raças comerciais recentes e raças indígenas). As raças indígenas, embora não tenham valor comercial, possuem muitas características importantes que podem ser utilizadas em programas de melhoramento de milho. A maior parte do germoplasma brasileiro das raças de milho indígena foi coletada, no mínimo, 40 anos atrás e nada é conhecido sobre a variabilidade presente neste germoplasma. Quinze populações de 4 raças indígenas de milho (Caingang, Entrelaçado, Lenha e Moroti) e 5 cultivares indígenas foram analisados utilizando-se 5 sistemas isoenzimáticos codificados por 14 locos. A análise revelou um baixo nível de variabilidade entre as amostras estudadas. O número médio de alelos/loco foi três, com 64,3% de locos polimórficos e uma heterozigosidade média esperada de 0,352. Por população, a média de número de alelos por loco polimórfico foi 1,6, em média 47,5% dos locos foram polimórficos e a heterozigosidade média foi 0,195. A distância genética média entre as populações foi 0,821 e a proporção da variabilidade genética, que é atribuída ao componente entre populações (Gst), foi 0,156. Os dados sugerem que um efeito de fundador poderia explicar a baixa variabilidade detectada.