Clinical and epidemiological study of 27 poisonings caused by ingesting puffer fish (Tetrodontidae) in the states of Santa Catarina and Bahia, Brazil

Os baiacus ou peixes-bola podem ser venenosos devido à presença em seus tecidos corporais de Tetrodotoxina e/ou Saxitoxina, ambas potentes neurotoxinas. Os autores relatam 27 envenenamentos por ingestão da carne de baiacus. Os pacientes foram atendidos nos Centros de Toxicologia de Santa Catarina e da Bahia de 1984 a 2009. Os acidentes foram classificados em moderados (52%) e graves (33%), havendo dois óbitos. O diagnóstico precoce é fundamental no sentido de garantir suporte ventilatório aos pacientes.

Influence of diet on assimilation and turnover of C-13 in the tissues of broiler chickens

1. The C-13 turnover rates of the liver and thoracic pectoral muscle of growing broilers were determined by feeding diets with varying C-13 content.2. Male chicks ( 1- d- old) were subjected to treatments based on free choice of 5 different mixes of energy and protein sources from plants with C-3 and C-4 photosynthetic pathways that had differing C-13 content. Rice bran ( R) and soybean meal ( S) were the C-3 sources, while maize ( C) and maize gluten meal ( G) were the C-4 sources. Choices were R + S, C + G, R + G, C + S or R + C +G + S. The 6th treatment was a complete feed ( CF) that was similar to a commercial broiler feed.3. The isotopic composition of the birds' tissues was representative of the isotopic composition of the diets. The assimilation was faster for C-3, in both liver and muscle, than for C-4 diets, and give the delta per mil difference between the diet and tissues.4. The liver is the most active metabolic tissue and gave more rapid isotope turnover than in muscle.

Investigation of C-O stretching band of CD3OH: Assignments of far-infrared laser lines

We have investigated the high-resolution Fourier transform spectrum of the C-O stretching fundamental band of CD3OH in order to assign far-infrared (FIR) laser transitions. The absorption spectrum was analyzed by means of the ''Ritz'' program, which calculates the energy level values directly from the Rydberg-Ritz combination principle. We have also used the ''LaseRitz'' program to facilitate the assignment of the FIR laser lines. As a consequence we could determine 12 new assignments, confirming 4 previously proposed ones and predicting new FIR laser emissions. (C) 1997 Academic Press.

Band-edge states of the zero(th)-order gap in quasi-periodic photonic superlattices

The photonic modes of Thue-Morse and Fibonacci lattices with generating layers A and B, of positive and negative indices of refraction, are calculated by the transfer-matrix technique. For Thue-Morse lattices, as well for periodic lattices with AB unit cell, the constructive interference of reflected waves, corresponding to the zero(th)-order gap, takes place when the optical paths in single layers A and B are commensurate. In contrast, for Fibonacci lattices of high order, the same phenomenon occurs when the ratio of those optical paths is close to the golden ratio. In the long wavelength limit, analytical expressions defining the edge frequencies of the zero(th) order gap are obtained for both quasi-periodic lattices. Furthermore, analytical expressions that define the gap edges around the zero(th) order gap are shown to correspond to the = 0 and = 0 conditions.

Energy States of Phosphorous Donor in Silicon in Fields up to 18 T

The evolution of the energy states of the phosphorous donor in silicon with magnetic field has been the subject of previous experimental and theoretical studies to fields of 10 T. We now present experimental optical absorption data to 18 T in combination with theoretical data to the same field. We observe features that are not revealed in the earlier work, including additional interactions and anti-crossings between the different final states. For example, according to the theory, for the "1s -> 2p (+)" transition, there are anti-crossings at about 5, 10, 14, 16, and 18 T. In the experiments, we resolve at least the 5, 10, and 14 T anti-crossings, and our data at 16 and 18 T are consistent with the calculations.

Band edge states of the < n >=0 gap of Fibonacci photonic lattices

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fully relativistic calculations on the potential energy surfaces of the lowest 23 states of molecular chlorine

The electronic structure and spectroscopic properties (R(e), omega(e), omega(e)x(e), beta(e), and T(e)) of the ground state and the 22 lowest excited states of chlorine molecule were studied within a four-component relativistic framework using the MOLFDIR program package. The potential energy curves of all possible 23 covalent states were calculated using relativistic complete open shell configuration interaction approach. In addition, four component multireference configuration interaction with single and double excitation calculations were performed in order to infer the effects due to dynamical correlation in vertical excitations. The calculated properties are in good agreement with the available experimental data.

Hydration-dependent conformational states of hemoglobin. Equilibrium and kinetic behavior

The equilibrium and kinetics of methemoglobin conversion to hemichrome induced by dehydration were investigated by visible absorption spectroscopy. Below about 0.20 g water per g hemoglobin only hemichrome was present in the sample; above this value, an increasing proportion of methemoglobin appeared with the increase in hydration. The transition between the two derivatives showed a time-dependent biphasic behavior and was observed to be reversible. The rates obtained for the transition of methemoglobin to hemichrome were 0.31 and 1.93 min-1 and for hemichrome to methemoglobin 0.05 and 0.47 min-1. We suggest that hemichrome is a reversible conformational state of hemoglobin and that the two rates observed for the transition between the two derivatives reflect the α- and β-chains of hemoglobin.

Short communication longitudinal variation in the concentrations of C, N and P in the stem of Echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) Hitchcock

The Concentrations of C, N and P were determined in the internodes of the stem of Echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) Hitchcock with the aim of showing their longitudinal distributions. The concentrations ranged from 421.93 to 466.03 mgCgDW-1; from 2.78 to 13.61 mg N gDW-1 and from 0.151 to 1.074 mg P gDW-1. N and P concentrations increased towards the apical direction of the stem. C concentrations showed an inverse trend. These distributions suggest that N and P are transported to the apical region of the stem, while the majority of the C compounds observed in the distal region must be retained in the supporting structure of the plant.

Superspace action for the first massive states of the superstring

Using the manifestly spacetime-supersymmetric version of open superstring field theory, we construct the free action for the first massive states of the open superstring compactified to four dimensions. This action is in N = 1 D = 4 superspace and describes a massive spin-2 multiplet coupled to two massive scalar multiplets. © 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of C-banding in two Arachis wild species, Arachis Pintoi Krapov. and W.C. Gregory and A. villosulicarpa Hoehne to mitotic chromosome analyses

Two wild diploid (2n = 20 chromosomes) and self-pollinating Arachis species, Arachis Pintoi Krapov and W.C. Gregory and A. villosulicarpa Hoehne were submmited to C-band technique to karyotype analyses. Root tips were employed in the analyses. Morphometric data chose that chromosome lengths varied from 3.12 in A. villosulicarpa to 1.45 in A. Pintoi. Karyotype formula obtained was 10sm to A. Pintoi and 9sm + 1m to A. villosulicarpa. There was a predominance of pericentromeric C-band in all mitotic metaphasic chromosomes in both species. Besides C-band values, both species still did not differ in respect to chromosome absolute and relative lengths, centromeric index, symmetry index and total karyotype haploid length. C-band and morphometric data did not show strong or significant differences which could separate these two species of peanut which belong to evolutive different sections.

Scaling limit of virtual states of triatomic systems

Natural scales determine the physics of quantum few-body systems with short-range interactions. Thus, the scaling limit is found when the ratio between the scattering length and the interaction range tends to infinity, while the ratio between the physical scales are kept fixed. From the formal point of view, the relation of the scaling limit and the renormalization aspects of a few-body model with a zero-range interaction, through the derivation of subtracted three-body T-matrix equations that are renormalization-group invariant.