Effects of N-acetylcysteine on sucrose-rich diet-induced hyperglycaemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in rats

This study examined whether sucrose-rich diet (SRD)-induced hyperglycaemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress may be inhibited by N-acetylcysteine (C5H9-NO3S), an organosulfur from Allium plants. Male Wistar 40 rats were divided into four groups (n = 10): (C) given standard chow and water; (N) receiving standard chow and 2 mg/l N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water; (SRD) given standard chow and 30% sucrose in its drinking water; and (SRD-N) receiving standard chow, 30% sucrose and N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water. After 30 days of treatment, SRD rats had obesity with increased abdominal circumference, hyperglycaemia, by dyslipidemia and hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation. These adverse effects were associated with oxidative stress and depressed lipid degradation in hepatic tissue. The SRD adverse effects were not observed in SDR-N rats. N-Acetylcysteine reduced the oxidative stress, enhancing glutathione-peroxidase activity, and normalizing lipid hydroperoxyde, reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase in hepatic tissue of SRD-N rats. The beta-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase and citrate-synthase activities were increased in SRD-N rats, indicating enhanced lipid degradation in hepatic tissue as compared to SRD. SRD-N rats had reduced serum oxidative stress and diminished glucose, triacylglycerol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (alpha-LDL) and cholesterol/highdensity lipoprotein (HDL) ratio in relation to SRD. In conclusion, NAC offers promising therapeutic values in prevention of dyslipidemic profile and alleviation of hyperglycaemia in high-sucrose intake condition by improving antioxidant defences. N-Acetylcysteine had also effects preventing metabolic shifting in hepatic tissue, thus enhancing fat degradation and reducing body weight gain in conditions of excess sucrose intake. The application of this agent in food system via exogenous addition may be feasible and beneficial for antioxidant protection. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Dynamical capture in the Pluto-Charon system

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

Effect of airborne particle abrasion protocols on surface topography of Y-TZP ceramic

This study aimed to evaluate Y-TZP surface after different airborne particle abrasion protocols. Seventy-six Y-TZP ceramic blocks (5×4×4) mm3 were sintered and polished. Specimens were randomly divided into 19 groups (n=4) according to control group and 3 factors: a) protocol duration (2 and 4 s); b) particle size (30 μm, alumina coated silica particle; 45 μm, alumina particle; and 145 μm, alumina particle) and; c) pressure (1.5, 2.5 and 4.5 bar). Airborne particle abrasion was performed following a strict protocol. For qualitative and quantitative results, topography surfaces were analyzed in a digital optical profilometer (Interference Microscopic), using different roughness parameters (Ra, Rq, Rz, X-crossing, Mr1, Mr2 and Sdr) and 3D images. Surface roughness also was analyzed following the primer and silane applications on Y-TZP surfaces. One-way ANOVA revealed that treatments (application period, particle size and pressure of particle blasting) provided significant difference for all roughness parameters. The Tukey test determined that the significant differences between groups were different among roughness parameters. In qualitative analysis, the bonding agent application reduced roughness, filing the valleys in the surface. The protocols performed in this study verified that application period, particle size and pressure influenced the topographic pattern and amplitude of roughness.

Stable regions around Pluto

In a previous work, GiuliattiWinter et al. found several stable regions for test particles in orbit around Pluto associated with families of periodic orbits obtained in the circular, restricted three-body problem. They have shown that a possible eccentricity of the Pluto-Charon binary slightly reduces but does not destroy any of these stable regions. In thiswork, we extended their results by analysing the cases with the orbital inclination (I) equal to zero and considering the argument of pericentre (w) equal to 90°, 180° and 270°. We explore the influence of the orbital inclination of the particles in these stable regions. In this case, the initial inclination varies from 10° to 170° in steps of 10°. We also present a sample of results for the longitude of the ascending node Ω = 90°, considering the cases I = 20°, 50°, 130° and 180°. Our results show that stable regions are present in all of the inclined cases, except when the initial inclination of the particles is equal to 110°. A sample of 3D trajectories of quasi-periodic orbits were found related to the periodic orbits obtained in the planar case by Giuliatti Winter et al. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Small particles in Pluto's environment: Effects of the solar radiation pressure

Impacts of micrometeoroids on the surfaces of the plutonian small satellites Nix and Hydra can generate dust particles. Even in this region so far from the Sun these tiny ejected particles are under the effects of the solar radiation pressure. In this work, we investigate the orbital evolution of the escaping ejecta from both the small satellites under the effects of the radiation pressure combined with the gravitational effects of Pluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra. The mass production rate of micron-sized dust particles generated by micrometeoroids hitting the satellites is obtained, and numerical simulations are performed to derive the lifetime of the ejecta. These pieces of information allow us to estimate the optical depth of a putative ring, which extends from the orbits of Nix to Hydra. The ejected particles, between the orbits of Nix and Hydra, form a wide ring of about 16 000 km. Collisions with the massive bodies and escape from the system are mainly determined by the effects of the solar radiation pressure. This is an important loss mechanism, removing 30 per cent of the initial set of 1 μm-sized particles in 1 yr. The surviving particles form a ring too faint to be detectable with the derived maximum optical depth of 4 × 10-11. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Regiões de estabilidade no sistema Plutão-Caronte

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

Análise da estabilidade da região externa do sistema Plutão-Caronte após a descoberta dos novos satélites NIX e HIDRA: aplicação à sonda new horizons

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

Doenças respiratórias neonatais em prematuros de mães hipertensas e normotensas

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

Maturidade pulmonar fetal em gestações complicadas por diabete ou hiperglicemia leve

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

Modo de vida na várzea: políticas sociais e nova ruralidade: estudo em uma localidade da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá

Esta dissertação é um estudo sobre as ações em torno do desenvolvimento sustentável e de políticas não agrícolas para as pequenas populações rurais, a partir dos anos 80 e 90. Com a interiorização das políticas, o Estado se torna mais presente nas regiões interioranas redimensionando o mundo rural e suas dinâmicas locais. Neste sentido, um novo rural emerge com as ações políticas que chegam às populações mais distantes expondo o modo de vida a novas situações. Este estudo objetivou analisar as mudanças na organização social e econômica dos moradores da localidade rural de Vila Alencar da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (RDSM), no estado do Amazonas, decorrentes da criação de uma reserva de desenvolvimento sustentável (RDS) e das ações institucionalizadas por políticas de Estado. A análise teórica foi fundamentada na noção de habitus e do campo socioambiental da Reserva Mamirauá. Realizaram-se também análises entre as famílias a partir do tempo de união conjugal, com a finalidade de identificar as mudanças ocorridas entre duas gerações familiares. Constatou-se neste estudo que a organização familiar em Vila Alencar se desenvolve levando em consideração as práticas locais e também participam das ações intervencionistas através das políticas sociais por meio do Programa Bolsa Família, das aposentadorias rurais e das atividades em torno do manejo sustentável dos recursos naturais, que estão em sua maioria associadas ao manejo de ecoturismo, a exemplo, da prestação de serviços como guia turístico, auxiliar de cozinha, copeira e carpintaria para a pousada de ecoturismo da RDSM. A combinação de atividades agrícolas, nãoagrícolas e a complementação de renda por benefícios sociais assumem papel importante na composição da renda familiar, o que traz novas perspectivas à reprodução social. O estudo mostrou que as políticas de desenvolvimento sustentável bem como as políticas de benefícios sociais tornam favorável à organização familiar das localidades rurais as características de feições modernizadoras e atrativas do conforto urbano, sobretudo pela expectativa da compra de uma casa na cidade e de melhores condições de qualificação aos filhos para prosperarem em alguma profissão. Aos jovens são delegadas outras responsabilidades que não se inserem exclusivamente no contexto produtivo do trabalho familiar.

Filmes de SiOx crescidos em substrato de zircônia tetragonal policristalina estabilizada por ítria: influência na durabilidade da adesão a cimentos resinosos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência das variações de ângulos de projeção na detecção de reabsorções radiculares linguais e apicais simuladas: comparação entre subtração radiográfica digital e radiografia digital direta

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação de reabsorções radiculares externas por meio de reconstrução digital de imagens e subtração radiográfica digital

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Hydrosedimentological disequilibrium in a small, urbanized watershed

AIM: In this paper we estimate the sediment yield and other related information for a small urbanized watershed, located in Sorocaba, São Paulo State. The driving forces that produce the observed scenario are presented and discussed; METHODS: Over a year, water samples and hydrologic information concerning the river channel were collected monthly at one sampling site. In the laboratory, water samples were oven dried (80 ºC) and the total suspended solid weighed for each sample. To estimate sediment yield we used Colby's simplified method. The sediment delivery ratio (SDR) was estimated using two methods: the relief - length ratio and the bifurcation ratio; RESULTS: The annual sediment yield estimated for the period was 1,636.1 t. The total specific sediment yield was 541.7 t.km -2.y-1. Bedload was the predominant fraction. The SDR changed between 60 and 66% according to the method employed. CONCLUSIONS: The main driving forces of hydrosedimentological disequilibrium are the lack of riparian vegetation, the dumping of construction wastes at inadequate sites, and the launching of untreated sewage. Hence, if these three factors were controlled, a significant improvement in the environmental quality, particularly water quality, might be achieved.

Dinâmica do sistema binário Plutão-Caronte

Pós-graduação em Física - FEG