Antioxidant, cytotoxic and UVB-absorbing activity of Maytenus guyanensis Klotzch. (Celastraceae) bark extracts

Maytenus guyanensis Klotzch. is an Amazonian medicinal tree species known in Brazil by the common name chichuá and in Peru and Colombia by the name chuchuhuasi. It is used in traditional medicine as stimulant, tonic, and muscle relaxant, for the relief of arthritis, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, swollen kidney, skin eruptions, and skin cancer prevention, among others. Initially, different extraction solvents and methods were applied to dried, ground bark which made possible the preparation of extracts having both significant lethality to brine shrimp larvae (Artemia franciscana Leach) as well as antioxidant activity in vitro based on tests involving reactions with 2,2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Analysis of fractions from serial extractions with solvents of increasing polarity supports the notion that antioxidant activity is associated with compounds of intermediate polarity and cytotoxicity is associated with compounds of low to intermediate polarity. Variation of extraction time and conditions revealed that hot, continuous ethanol extraction provided good yields of bark extract in several hours. Hot extraction also provided ethanol extracts having greater lethality to brine shrimp and antioxidant activity (compared to the flavonoid rutin in semi-quantitative methods based on DPPH) than extracts obtained from maceration at room temperature. Freeze-dried ethanol extracts were prepared by: 1) maceration at room temperature and 2) hot extraction (eight hours) on several hundred gram scales and the latter extract was shown to have partial screening effects on UVB light. In this work, cytotoxic, antioxidant and potential sun-screening activity are shown for the first time in M. guyanensis.

The mediator role of psychological morbidity in patients with chronic low back pain in differentiated treatments

This study analyzed the mediating role of psychological morbidity and the variables that discriminated low versus high disability, in patients receiving physiotherapy and acupuncture. A total of 203 patients answered measures of illness and medication representations, coping, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and functional disability. Morbidity was a mediator between functional disability and quality of life. Treatment consequences and quality of life, in the acupuncture group, and emotional representations, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and active strategies for pain relief, in the physiotherapy group, discriminated patients with low versus high disability. These results have important implications for identifying high-risk patients.

Utilização de gás natural comprimido em veículos pesados de passageiros

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica

Contributo para o estudo da tutela do promitente - comprador

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito Judiciário

Determinação de psicofármacos em cabelo humano por técnicas cromatográficas hifenadas: um método alternativo não-invasivo

Dissertação de mestrado em Técnicas de Caracterização e Análise Química

A intervenção precoce: uma aliada dos cuidados de saúde prestados nas Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatais?

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)

Psychological approach to endometriosis: Women's pain experience and quality of life improvement

Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting 10 to15% of women in childbearing age. Understanding the impact of this disease on women’s well-being is still a challenge, namely to intervene. Pain is the most current and troublesome symptom. Although medical treatments for pain relief are effective, recurrence rate remains significant, calling for a better understanding and development of new approaches for pain management. A group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for management of associated co-morbidities is suggested, paying special attention to Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP). CBT design can be grounded on information collected from focus groups and a one-group exploratory trial. Evaluation of therapy effectiveness is possible to be performed by comparing group CBT to Usual Care (UC) and Support Group (SG) in a randomized controlled trial. Research in this area could represent an important step in providing a solution to the management of endometriosis and, to the best of our knowledge, the first national psychological approach for its understanding and treatment.

Revisitando a Teoria da Guerra Justa: uma análise das propostas de Michael Walzer e Jeff McMahan

Dissertação de mestrado em Filosofia Política

The role of biomass and biorefineries in a sustainable future

Some o f the biggest issues facing humanity in the 21st century include energy security, global warming and resource scarcity. These issues will affect every nation and Ireland is no exception. There is much research underway to uncover technologies that will allow the world to overcome such problems, but none offer the flexibility o f biomass. Unlike other sustainable technologies, which offer a solution to one or at most two o f the above problems, biomass as demonstrated by the author, can play a part in mitigating all o f the above problems. It has been known for some time that biomass can be used in various ways as a form o f renewable energy, but with the development o f biorefineries biomass can be used to produce material as well as fuel products. In this report the author has looked at the viability and benefits o f biomass, bioenergy and biorefining in Ireland. The author has demonstrated that such technologies when implemented correctly are sustainable from an economic, environmental and societal point o f view. The author has shown in this thesis that abundant supplies o f biomass make bio re fineries a viable business opportunity in Ireland and has shown how a number o f biorefinery scenarios have the potential to be extremely profitable. The author has evaluated the profitability o f material product-based bio re fineries as well as fuel productbased configurations. The author demonstrated that value-added co-products help to make bio refineries profitable even when excise-relief is not granted on bio fuels. In this thesis the author has revealed some o f the problems that bioenergy and biorefineries have had to overcome to date and examines challenges that remain for bioenergy and biorefining, and looks at the future opportunities for bio fuels. This report concludes that biomass and biorefining has exciting business potential while offering unique opportunities to mitigate the problems o f the future.

Flood analysis of the clare river catchment considering traditional factors and climate change

The main objective of this thesis on flooding was to produce a detailed report on flooding with specific reference to the Clare River catchment. Past flooding in the Clare River catchment was assessed with specific reference to the November 2009 flood event. A Geographic Information System was used to produce a graphical representation of the spatial distribution of the November 2009 flood. Flood risk is prominent within the Clare River catchment especially in the region of Claregalway. The recent flooding events of November 2009 produced significant fluvial flooding from the Clare River. This resulted in considerable flood damage to property. There were also hidden costs such as the economic impact of the closing of the N17 until floodwater subsided. Land use and channel conditions are traditional factors that have long been recognised for their effect on flooding processes. These factors were examined in the context of the Clare River catchment to determine if they had any significant effect on flood flows. Climate change has become recognised as a factor that may produce more significant and frequent flood events in the future. Many experts feel that climate change will result in an increase in the intensity and duration of rainfall in western Ireland. This would have significant implications for the Clare River catchment, which is already vulnerable to flooding. Flood estimation techniques are a key aspect in understanding and preparing for flood events. This study uses methods based on the statistical analysis of recorded data and methods based on a design rainstorm and rainfall-runoff model to estimate flood flows. These provide a mathematical basis to evaluate the impacts of various factors on flooding and also to generate practical design floods, which can be used in the design of flood relief measures. The final element of the thesis includes the author’s recommendations on how flood risk management techniques can reduce existing flood risk in the Clare River catchment. Future implications to flood risk due to factors such as climate change and poor planning practices are also considered.

Численное исследование влияния восточной части Средиземного моря, Черного, Каспийского морей и окружающего их рельефа на распределение метеорологических полей в крупномасштабных вихрях атмосферы

მ. ნოდიას გეოფიზიკის ინსტიტუტში დამუშავებული საშუალო მასშტაბის ატმოსფერული პროცესები რეგიონალური მოდელის გამოყენებით რიცხობრივად გამოიკვლევა მეტეოროლოგიური ველების განაწილებით, რომლებიც გამოწვეულია ხმელთაშუა ზღვის აღმოსავლეთი ნაწილის, შავი და კასპიის ზღვების და მათ ირგვლივ არსებული რელიეფით, აღმოსავლეთით მოძრავ ციკლონურ და ანტიციკლონურ გრიგალებში.

Экспериментальное исследование с применением компьютерной графики влияния рельефа дневной поверхности на магнитотеллурическое поле

არაერთგვაროვან გარემოში ელექტროდინამიკური პროცესების მოდელირების დანადგარზე გამოკვლეულია მაგნიტოტელურ ველზე სამგანზომილებიანი უსწორმასწორო დღიური ზედაპირის რელიეფის გავლენა. შედეგები დამუშავებულია კომპიუტერული გრაფიკული პროგრამის გამოყენებით.

Исследования влияния релъефа Кавказского региона на поле ветра в окрестростях восточной части каспийского морей

ატმოსფეროს ჰიდროდინამიკის არადიაბატური არასტაციონარული განტოლებათა სისტემის რიცხვით ინტეგრირების საშუალებით შესწავლილია კავკასიის რეგიონის რელიეფის გავლენა ქარის განაწილებაზე შავი ზღვის აღმოსავლეთ და კასპიის ზღვის დასავლეთ სანაპიროების მიდამოებში. ნაჩვენებია, რომ რელიეფის ზემოქმედებამ ოთხი ძირითადი ტიპის ფონურ დინებაზე შეიძლება გამოიწვიოს ქარის სიჩქარის მნიშვნელოვანი ცვლილება ატმოსფეროს სასაზღვრო ფენაში და წარმოშვას სანაპირო ზოლის მიდამოებში ქარის მეზომასშტაბური სტრუქტურები.

Litosol: suas características e provável gênese

Some of the characteristics peculiar to Litosois are discussed based on data published on Litosois occurring in the States of São Paulo and Paraná. Litosois are the first stages of development of a soil. Litosois probably originate through the exposure of the rockbed caused by an excessive relief. Rock weathering processes are intensive, prevailing those of chemical nature rather than those processes in which physical phenomena dominate. The A horizon has a high organic matter content (2% to 10%). Silt and clay amount to approximately 50% of the fine earth in the A horizon, with the exception of Litosois originated from sandstone and granite. The SiO2/Al2O3 relationship of the soil's colloidal complex and the clay's cation exchange capacity indicate that it is quite probable the presence of 2:1 type clay in Litosois derived from basic rocks.

Presença de substâncias fisològicamente ativas em culturas de E. Coli isolados das fezes de pacientes alérgicos pela técnica de Heist-Cohen

Four patients with several allergic symptoms have been studied. Heist-Cohen pathogen selective method was positive in feces of all these patients for E. coli. Other causes that could be responsible for the allergic symptoms were discarded. Samplets after seeding in a medium physiologically inactive have been tested in guinea pig illea following Cohnheim-Magnus technique. It was demonstrated that all samples isolated by the Heist-Cohen technique were physiologically active.(Fig.1). Ten other strains of E. coli taken at random from the collection of I.O.C. and tried according similar technique, brought evidence that only three samples possessed such activity. This confirms the works of KOESSLER-HANKE (1922). In order to obtain a quick relief from allergic symptoms, one of us had employed in some others, identical cases an antibiotic (Teramycin, Chas Pfeizer) before the specific disesitization was done (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5). Such method were choice since LABORDE, PARROT, and URQUIA (1953) have demonstrated the importance of production of histamine, from components of the bowel's flora in the production of allergic symptoms.