Comparison of HPLC and UV Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Cefuroxime Sodium in Pharmaceutical Products

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

Potencial mirmecológico na vetoração mecânica de helmintos em gatis

Vector potential of ants in mechanic dissemination of helminthes in a cat rescue center was analyzed in this study. Ants walking over cat's food and feces were collected and conditioned in distilled water. Cat feces were collected too. Ants were identified and the water where they were conditioned was observed on optic microscope. It was made the simple sedimentation technique to analyze feces. The results show that ants species Pheidole and Paratrechina can be potential vectors of nematode eggs, mainly Ascaridida, Toxocaridae.

Ocorrência de enteroparasitos em centros de educação infantil no Município de Patos de Minas, MG, Brasil

Considering the high prevalence of the parasitic diseases in Brazil and its close relationship with the socio-economic and cultural levels of the population, aimed to establish the occurrence of enteroparasites in children of six Centers of Education Child (CEIs) of the municipality of Patos of Minas (MG). Were collected three samples of faeces of 161 children from zero to six years of age. Were used the Lutz and Baermann-Moraes' methods, to the detection of cysts of protozoa, eggs and larvae of helminths. Coproparasitological analyses showed positivity of 73%. The most frequent helminths were: Ascaris lumbricoides (50%), hookworm (22%) and Enterobius vermicularis (0.6%). Among the protozoa highlighted were: Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar (22%) and Giardia lamblia (32%). The high occurrence of enteroparasites evidenced the need for an effective health policy in the CEIs of the municipality of Patos of Minas to the fight against intestinal parasites.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Genotoxic Activity and Apoptosis Induction of the Extracts of Roots and Leaves from the Medicinal Plant Coccoloba mollis (Polygonaceae)

Coccoloba mollis (Family Polygonaceae) is a medicinal plant popularly used in cases of memory loss, stress, insomnia, anemia, impaired vision, and sexual impotence, but the scientific literature, to date, lacks studies on the biological effects of this species, particularly with regard to cytotoxicity and induction of DNA damage. The aim of the present study was to assess in vitro (in hepatic HTC cells) ethanolic extracts of the roots and leaves of C. mollis for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and induction of apoptosis. For these evaluations the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity assay, comet assay, micronucleus test with cytokinesis block, and an in situ test for detection of apoptotic cells with acridine orange staining were used. The results showed that the extract obtained from the roots of C. mollis is more cytotoxic than that obtained from the leaves and that the reduction in cell viability observed in the MTT assay was a result, at least in part, from the induction of apoptosis. Both extracts induced DNA damage at a concentration of 20 mu g/mL in the comet assay, but no genotoxicity was detected with any of the treatments carried out in the micronucleus test.

Study of Singularities in Nonsmooth Dynamical Systems via Singular Perturbation

In this article we describe some qualitative and geometric aspects of nonsmooth dynamical systems theory around typical singularities. We also establish an interaction between nonsmooth systems and geometric singular perturbation theory. Such systems are represented by discontinuous vector fields on R(l), l >= 2, where their discontinuity set is a codimension one algebraic variety. By means of a regularization process proceeded by a blow-up technique we are able to bring about some results that bridge the space between discontinuous systems and singularly perturbed smooth systems. We also present an analysis of a subclass of discontinuous vector fields that present transient behavior in the 2-dimensional case, and we dedicate a section to providing sufficient conditions in order for our systems to have local asymptotic stability.

Modelling of the influence of the layer pollution thickness in high voltage polluted insulators

An experimental model and a mathematical model with the introduction of a ramp in the channel of Obenaus model are presented. The aim is to present a better reproduction of the real layer pollution deposited on the HV insulators. This better reproduction is obtained from two types of thickness variation: the introduction of a ramp (soft variation) and the introduction of a step (sudden variation). The computational simulations and the experimental data suggest that the introduction of the ramp is the better reproduction of the layer pollution. The ramp approximates to the real layer pollution more than the step.

Q-deformed fermionic Lipkin model at finite temperature

The interplay between temperature and q-deformation in the phase transition properties of many-body systems is studied in the particular framework of the collective q-deformed fermionic Lipkin model. It is shown that in phase transitions occuring in many-fermion systems described by su(2)q-like models are strongly influenced by the q-deformation.

The effects of male age on sperm DNA damage in an infertile population

The objective was to investigate the influence of age on sperm DNA damage. Semen samples were collected from 508 men in an unselected group of couples attending infertility investigation and treatment. DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa was measured by TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay; at least 200 spermatozoa in randomly selected areas of microscope slides were evaluated using a fluorescent microscope and the percentage of TUNEL positive spermatozoa was determined. The number of cells with red fluorescence (TUNEL positive) was expressed as a percentage of the total sample [DNA fragmentation index (DFI)]. Age was treated as a continuous variable for regression and correlation analysis. The following male age groups were used: Group I: ≤35 years, Group II: 36-39 years, and Group III: ≥40 years. DFI was significantly lower in Group I than in Group II (P = 0.034) or III (P = 0.022). There was no difference in DFI between Groups II and III. In addition, regression analysis demonstrated a significant increase in sperm DFI with age (P = 0.02). TUNEL assay clearly demonstrates an increase in sperm DNA damage with age. © 2007 Published by Reproductive Healthcare Ltd.

Variação genética para caracteres silviculturais e anatômicos da madeira em progênies de Myracrodruon urundeuva (Engler) Fr. Allem

The aims of this study were to evaluate the variation and to estimate genetic parameters for silvicultural anatomic wood traits for genetic breeding of a Myracrodruon urundeuva (Engler) Fr. Allem, population from Selvíria-MS. For this, from samples of a progeny test established in the Fazenda de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão da Faculdade de Engenharia de Ilha Solteira/UNESP, macroscopic anatomic wood traits of M. urundeuva (tangential diameter and vases frequency per mm2) and growth traits were measured (height, DBH and stem form). Genetic parameters were estimated in 28 open-pollinated progenies, in three replications and 10 plants per plot, using a REML/BLUP approach. Between the analysed traits, the DBH is the most indicated for selection for timber production, because it presented the highest values of coefficient of genetic variation, heritabilities and selective accuracy. Between the anatomic traits, the vessels frequency in the pith showed the highest values for genetic parameters. For pulp yield, based on the multi-effect index, the strategy of selecting the best trees for vessels frequency in the pith, independent of the progeny, permitted to obtain substantial gains by mass selection, without progeny test.

Sistemas de protección social en América Latina y el Caribe: Argentina

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Social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina

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Influence of high insertion torque on implant placement - an anisotropic bone stress analysis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the high values of insertion torques on the stress and strain distribution in cortical and cancellous bones. Based on tomography imaging, a representative mathematical model of a partial maxilla was built using Mimics 11.11 and Solid Works 2010 softwares. Six models were built and each of them received an implant with one of the following insertion torques: 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or 80 Ncm on the external hexagon. The cortical and cancellous bones were considered anisotropic. The bone/implant interface was considered perfectly bonded. The numerical analysis was carried out using Ansys Workbench 10.0. The convergence of analysis (6%) drove the mesh refinement. Maximum principal stress (σ max) and maximum principal strain (ε max) were obtained for cortical and cancellous bones around to implant. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine the correlation between insertion torque and stress concentration in the periimplant bone tissue, considering the significance level at 5%. The increase in the insertion torque generated an increase in the σ max and ε max values for cortical and cancellous bone. The σmax was smaller for the cancellous bone, with greater stress variation among the insertion torques. The ε max was higher in the cancellous bone in comparison to the cortical bone. According to the methodology used and the limits of this study, it can be concluded that higher insertion torques increased tensile and compressive stress concentrations in the periimplant bone tissue.

Estudio de suministro de gas natural desde Venezuela y Colombia a Costa Rica y Panamá

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Innovación y territorio. Ideas para nuevas actuaciones de las agencias de desarrollo

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