Physical Exercise in MCI Elderly Promotes Reduction of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Improvements on Cognition and BDNF Peripheral Levels

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

Comparison of cyclic fatigue and torsional resistance in reciprocating single-file systems and continuous rotary instrumentation systems

As compared with continuous rotary systems, reciprocating motion is believed to increase the fatigue resistance of NiTi instruments. We compared the cyclic fatigue and torsional resistance of reciprocating single-file systems and continuous rotary instrumentation systems in simulated root canals. Eighty instruments from the ProTaper Universal, WaveOne, MTwo, and Reciproc systems (n = 20) were submitted to dynamic bending testing in stainless-steel simulated curved canals. Axial displacement of the simulated canals was performed with half of the instruments (n = 10), with back-and-forth movements in a range of 1.5 mm. Time until fracture was recorded, and the number of cycles until instrument fracture was calculated. Cyclic fatigue resistance was greater for reciprocating systems than for rotary systems (P < 0.05). Instruments from the Reciproc and WaveOne systems significantly differed only when axial displacement occurred (P < 0.05). Instruments of the ProTaper Universal and MTwo systems did not significantly differ (P > 0.05). Cyclic fatigue and torsional resistance were greater for reciprocating systems than for continuous rotary systems, irrespective of axial displacement.

Lean six sigma como estratégia para o aumento de eficiência em laminação de alumínio

This study aims to assess the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in the preparation of plates and hot lamination process for a company of aluminum rolled products, to improve the quality, productivity and process efficiency. As a basis for achieving these goals, the DMAIC methodology and various quality tools such as Cause Effect Diagram, Process Flow, SIPOC, Pareto, FMEA and Control Chart were used, trying to propose improvements to processes and increase their efficiency. The results were significant and were the basis for the continuation of a continuous improvement project throughout the factory

Aplicação do lean six sigma na linha de produção de turbinas industriais a vapor

This work evaluates the implementation of Lean Six Sigma into the Steam Turbine’s Blades Manufacturing Process, aiming to improve productivity, quality and operational efficiency. Therefore, several tools have been applied, such as VSM, Spaghetti Diagram, Ishikawa, Pareto, DMAIC, Benchmarking and Control Charts, seeking to propose process improvements, as well as Quality Indicators creation. It was obtained a significant waste reduction throughout the process, achieving a lead time reduction of 42% and 83,41% in transport. Also, were introduced the Lean Thinking concepts, such as pull production and Continuous material flow. At the same time, it was possible to calculate the process capability and the sigma level, evaluating and proposing some improvements

Avaliação do gerenciamento e disposição final dos resíduos químicos de laboratórios do IGCE, UNESP - Rio Claro/SP

Laboratory of Chemical Waste Management programs are being implemented in various universities of the country and the world, in recognition of the urgent need to change the reality of disregard for the environment, together with objective responsibility of the generator, and especially the awareness of sustainability. Analysis and research laboratories involve a range of waste in developing their studies with intrinsic characteristics related to their form of generation. The amount of waste generated in this segment is negligible compared to industrial activities, but the environmental issue is that these residues do not have a standard technique for treatment due to the potential variation of its composition. This research project, aiming their suitability and continuous improvement, aims to diagnose and analyze the current situation of the management and disposal of chemical waste generated by the laboratories IGCE UNESP, Campus Rio Claro / SP. Universities, through their research, teaching and extension, end up generating potentially hazardous chemicals that may contaminate the environment when they are disposed of improperly, with no concern for the environment and / or public health. Aiming to assist in improvements with respect to this issue, the purpose of this study is to understand the management and disposal of chemical waste from the IGCE, laboratories UNESP - Rio Claro / SP, in order to discuss the situation of such waste, and present proposals to reduce generation of the same and minimizing the environmental impact, thereby increasing the local hygiene through proper disposal. The research instrument used interviews, questionnaires, review of recent literature and observations were made in order to develop proposals for the management and disposal of waste. These proposals based on prevention and corrective control, where the preventive approach aims at lifting techniques and actions to reduce the generating sources and...

Improvements in the score matrix calculation method using parallel score estimating algorithm

The increasing amount of sequences stored in genomic databases has become unfeasible to the sequential analysis. Then, the parallel computing brought its power to the Bioinformatics through parallel algorithms to align and analyze the sequences, providing improvements mainly in the running time of these algorithms. In many situations, the parallel strategy contributes to reducing the computational complexity of the big problems. This work shows some results obtained by an implementation of a parallel score estimating technique for the score matrix calculation stage, which is the first stage of a progressive multiple sequence alignment. The performance and quality of the parallel score estimating are compared with the results of a dynamic programming approach also implemented in parallel. This comparison shows a significant reduction of running time. Moreover, the quality of the final alignment, using the new strategy, is analyzed and compared with the quality of the approach with dynamic programming.

Mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of methylcellulose/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Bispectral index in calves anesthetized with xylazine, midazolam, ketamine, isoflurane and subjected to continuous rate infusion of lidocaine

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

Improvements in the sensibility of MSA-GA tool using COFFEE objective function

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

On the Limit Cycles for a Class of Continuous Piecewise Linear Differential Systems with Three Zones

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

Narrow-band search of continuous gravitational-wave signals from Crab and Vela pulsars in Virgo VSR4 data

In this paper we present the results of a coherent narrow-band search for continuous gravitational-wave signals from the Crab and Vela pulsars conducted on Virgo VSR4 data. In order to take into account a possible small mismatch between the gravitational-wave frequency and two times the star rotation frequency, inferred from measurement of the electromagnetic pulse rate, a range of 0.02 Hz around two times the star rotational frequency has been searched for both the pulsars. No evidence for a signal has been found and 95% confidence level upper limits have been computed assuming both that polarization parameters are completely unknown and that they are known with some uncertainty, as derived from x-ray observations of the pulsar wind torii. For Vela the upper limits are comparable to the spin-down limit, computed assuming that all the observed spin-down is due to the emission of gravitational waves. For Crab the upper limits are about a factor of 2 below the spin-down limit, and represent a significant improvement with respect to past analysis. This is the first time the spin-down limit is significantly overcome in a narrow-band search.

Mathematical modeling of a continuous alcoholic fermentation process in a two-stage tower reactor cascade with flocculating yeast recycle

Experiments of continuous alcoholic fermentation of sugarcane juice with flocculating yeast recycle were conducted in a system of two 0.22-L tower bioreactors in series, operated at a range of dilution rates (D (1) = D (2) = 0.27-0.95 h(-1)), constant recycle ratio (alpha = F (R) /F = 4.0) and a sugar concentration in the feed stream (S (0)) around 150 g/L. The data obtained in these experimental conditions were used to adjust the parameters of a mathematical model previously developed for the single-stage process. This model considers each of the tower bioreactors as a perfectly mixed continuous reactor and the kinetics of cell growth and product formation takes into account the limitation by substrate and the inhibition by ethanol and biomass, as well as the substrate consumption for cellular maintenance. The model predictions agreed satisfactorily with the measurements taken in both stages of the cascade. The major differences with respect to the kinetic parameters previously estimated for a single-stage system were observed for the maximum specific growth rate, for the inhibition constants of cell growth and for the specific rate of substrate consumption for cell maintenance. Mathematical models were validated and used to simulate alternative operating conditions as well as to analyze the performance of the two-stage process against that of the single-stage process.

Opportunistic pathogens and elements of the resistome that are common in bottled mineral water support the need for continuous surveillance

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Protecting the root SWAP operation from general and residual errors by continuous dynamical decoupling

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

Frequency tunable continuous THz wave generation in a periodically poled fiber

An all-fiber approach to terahertz generation using a periodically poled optical fiber is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed approach, a continuous-wave THz wave is generated at a periodically poled fiber by beating two optical wavelengths from two laser sources with the wavelength spacing corresponding to the frequency of the THz wave. The key component in the system is the periodically poled fiber, which is made by a twin-hole fiber with the fiber core residing between two holes. The twin-hole fiber is then thermally poled at a temperature of similar to 260 degrees C with a voltage of 3.3 kV applied to the silver electrodes inside the two holes to introduce second-order nonlinearity. The quasi phase matching (QPM) condition is achieved by periodically erasing the thermal poling induced second-order nonlinearity with an ultraviolet laser, which enhances the energy conversion efficiency. The proposed approach is validated by an experiment. The emission of a THz wave centered at 3.8 THz with an output power of 0.5 mu W is observed. The frequency tunability between 2.2 and 3.8 THz is also experimentally demonstrated.