Search for supersymmetry in events with opposite-sign dileptons and missing transverse energy using an artificial neural network

In this paper, a search for supersymmetry (SUSY) is presented in events with two opposite-sign isolated leptons in the final state, accompanied by hadronic jets and missing transverse energy. An artificial neural network is employed to discriminate possible SUSY signals from a standard model background. The analysis uses a data sample collected with the CMS detector during the 2011 LHC run, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.98 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. Compared to other CMS analyses, this one uses relaxed criteria on missing transverse energy (EÌ̧T>40 GeV) and total hadronic transverse energy (HT>120 GeV), thus probing different regions of parameter space. Agreement is found between standard model expectation and observations, yielding limits in the context of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model and on a set of simplified models. © 2013 CERN.

Serotonergic neurons in the nucleus raphé obscurus are not involved in the ventilatory and thermoregulatory responses to hypoxia in adult rats

The medullary raphé is an important component of the central respiratory network, playing a key role in CO2 central chemoreception. However, its participation in hypoxic ventilatory responses is less understood. In the present study, we assessed the role of nucleus raphé obscurus (ROb), and specifically 5-HT neurons confined in the ROb, on ventilatory and thermoregulatory responses to hypoxia. Chemical lesions of the ROb were performed using either ibotenic acid (non-specific lesion; control animals received PBS) or anti-SERT-SAP (5-HT specific lesion; control animals received IgG-SAP). Ventilation (VE; whole body plethysmograph) and body temperature (Tb; data loggers) were measured during normoxia (21% O2, N2 balance) and hypoxia exposure (7% O2, N2 balance, 1h) in conscious adult rats. Ibotenic acid or anti-SERT-SAP-induced lesions did not affect baseline values of VE and Tb. Similarly, both lesion procedures did not alter the ventilatory or thermoregulatory responses to hypoxia. Although evidence in the literature suggests a role of the rostral medullary raphé in hypoxic ventilatory responses, under the present experimental conditions our data indicate that caudal medullary raphé (ROb) and its 5-HT neurons neither participate in the tonic maintenance of breathing nor in the ventilatory and thermal responses to hypoxia. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Influence of seasonality and pollution on the hematological parameters of the estuarine fish Centropomus parallelus

This study investigated the hematological parameters of the tropical estuarine fish Centropomus parallelus and their use as a non-destructive biomarker for aquatic pollution. Individuals were collected, in summer and winter, at two estuaries, Cananéia (CAN) and São Vicente (SVE), and blood was extracted by caudal puncture. The evaluated parameters were hematocrit (Ht), red blood cells (RBC), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), and the leukocyte (WBC) and thrombocyte counts. Fishes from CAN showed higher values of absolute number of thrombocytes in the summer. The fishes from SVE presented lower values of Ht and MCV in winter. Comparing the hematological parameters of fishes from these two sites, Ht, MCV, WBC and RBC were higher in fishes from SVE in the summer, whereas during the winter, Ht and thrombocytes were higher in animals from SVE. The results allow attributing the changes in the blood of fishes to seasonality and the presence of contaminants.

Frequência de arraçoamento para alevinos de carpa comum

The best frequency of feeding for development of common carp fingerlings Cyprinus carpio was determined. Four hundred fish (4.88 ± 1.41 g and 6.72 ± 0.70 cm) were used, distributed in 20 tanks of 250 L each in completely randomized design with four treatments and five replicates. The four feeding strategies adopted were: providing feed once (T1), twice (T2), three (T3) and four times daily (T4) at the same amount being fractionated as described. At the end of 45 days of experiment were carried out measurements of the final weight (FW), final length (FL), weight gain (WG), feed conversion (FC), specific growth rate (SGR) and survivor (SR). It was evaluated the chemical composition of fish carcass: moisture (MT), crude protein (CP), lipids (LP) and ash (AS) and hematological analyzes performed such as erythrocyte (ER), hemoglobin (HG) and hematocrit (HT). There were significant statistical differences (P<0.01) for FW, FL, WG and SGR. For FC and SR there were no statistical differences (P>0.01). For the chemical composition the moisture, lipids and ash showed significant statistical differences (P>0.01), except only for protein (P>0.01) The hematological composition was not influenced by the feed frequency, it was not observed significant statistical difference (P>0.01) of erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit among dietary treatments. For common carp fingerlings, the provision of ration four times daily provided better final weight, final length, weight gain and specific growth rate without causing changes in the composition and hematological parameters of the fish.

Basic ingredients for mathematical modeling of tumor growth in vitro: Cooperative effects and search for space

Based on the literature data from HT-29 cell monolayers, we develop a model for its growth, analogous to an epidemic model, mixing local and global interactions. First, we propose and solve a deterministic equation for the progress of these colonies. Thus, we add a stochastic (local) interaction and simulate the evolution of an Eden-like aggregate by using dynamical Monte Carlo methods. The growth curves of both deterministic and stochastic models are in excellent agreement with the experimental observations. The waiting times distributions, generated via our stochastic model, allowed us to analyze the role of mesoscopic events. We obtain log-normal distributions in the initial stages of the growth and Gaussians at long times. We interpret these outcomes in the light of cellular division events: in the early stages, the phenomena are dependent each other in a multiplicative geometric-based process, and they are independent at long times. We conclude that the main ingredients for a good minimalist model of tumor growth, at mesoscopic level, are intrinsic cooperative mechanisms and competitive search for space. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Estado nutricional e níveis plasmáticos de trauma e seus precursores em pacientes portadores de neoplasias malignas de esôfago

Pós-graduação em Bases Gerais da Cirurgia - FMB

A homogeneidade de tamanho aumenta as interações agressivas em machos revertidos de tilápia-do-nilo, linhagem GIFT

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Atividade da enzima conversora de angiotensina e os níveis plasmáticos de peptídeos do sistema renina-angiotensina (Ang I, Ang II e Ang-(1-7)) em mulheres normotensas e hipertensas no climatério

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Avaliação do comportamento de agressividade em ratos expostos ao cádmio e submetidos ao estresse por imobilização

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Avaliação de diferentes programas de restrição alimentar para matrizes pesadas

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Parâmetros ventilométricos, cardiovasculares, hematológicos e índice biespectral, em cães anestesiados com infusão contínua de propofol, associado ou não ao tramadol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aspectos biológicos e taxa de consumo de Orius insidiosus (Say, 1832) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) predando Plutella xylostella (L., 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fabricação e caracterização de filmes Langmuir e Langmuir-Blodgett de derivados do politiofeno

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

Estudos de materiais ferroelétricos por espectroscopia no infravermelho

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Transições de fases estruturais do sistema PZT, estudados por espectroscopia no infravermelho

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)