Biostimulatory effects of low-level laser therapy on epithelial cells and gingival fibroblasts treated with zoledronic acid

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been considered as an adjuvant treatment for bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis, presenting positive clinical outcomes. However, there are no data regarding the effect of LLLT on oral tissue cells exposed to bisphosphonates. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LLLT on epithelial cells and gingival fibroblasts exposed to a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate - zoledronic acid (ZA). Cells were seeded in wells of 24-well plates, incubated for 48 h and then exposed to ZA at 5 μM for an additional 48 h. LLLT was performed with a diode laser prototype - LaserTABLE (InGaAsP - 780 nm ± 3 nm, 25 mW), at selected energy doses of 0.5, 1.5, 3, 5, and 7 J cm-2 in three irradiation sessions, every 24 h. Cell metabolism, total protein production, gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and collagen type I (Col-I), and cell morphology were evaluated 24 h after the last irradiation. Data were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests at 5% significance. Selected LLLT parameters increased the functions of epithelial cells and gingival fibroblasts treated with ZA. Gene expression of VEGF and Col-I was also increased. Specific parameters of LLLT biostimulated fibroblasts and epithelial cells treated with ZA. Analysis of these in vitro data may explain the positive in vivo effects of LLLT applied to osteonecrosis lesions. © 2013 Astro Ltd.

Visible to infrared energy conversion in Pr3+-Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glasses

Processes involving visible to infrared energy conversion are presented for Pr3+-Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glasses. The emission in the visible and infrared regions, the luminescence decay time of the Pr 3+:3P0 → 3H4 (482 nm), Pr3+:1D2 → 3H6 (800 nm), Yb3+:2F5/2 → 2F 7/2 (1044 nm) transitions and the photoluminescence excitation spectra were measured in Pr3+ samples and in Pr3+-Yb 3+ samples as a function of the Yb3+ concentration. In addition, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated from Pr3+: 3P0 and Pr3+:1D2 levels to Yb3+:2F7/2 level. Down-Conversion (DC) emission is observed due to a combination of two different processes: 1-a one-step cross relaxation (Pr3+:3P0 → 1G4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2) resulting in one photon emitted by Pr3+ (1G4 → 3H5) and one photon emitted by Yb3+ (2F7/2 → 2F5/2); 2-a resonant two-step first order energy transfer, where the first part of energy is transferred to Yb3+ neighbor through cross relaxation (Pr3+:3P0 → 1G4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2) followed by a second energy transfer step (Pr 3+:1G4 → 3H4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2). A third process leading to one IR photon emission to each visible photon absorbed involves cross relaxation energy transfer (Pr3+: 1D2 → 3F4; Yb 3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2). © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ISW effect through dark energy quintessence and ΛCDM models

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

Renewable energy sources in Latin America and the Caribbean: situation and policy proposals

Includes bibliography

An assessment of fiscal and regulatory barriers to deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Guyana

Includes bibliography.

An assessment of the economic impact of climate change on the Agriculture, Energy and Health sectors in Trinidad and Tobago

This report analyses the agriculture, energy, and health sectors in Trinidad and Tobago to assess the potential economic impacts of climate change on the sectors. The fundamental aim of this report is to assist with the development of strategies to deal with the potential impact of climate change on Trinidad and Tobago. It also has the potential to provide essential input for identifying and preparing policies and strategies to help advance the Caribbean subregion closer to solving problems associated with climate change and attaining individual and regional sustainable development goals. Some of the key anticipated impacts of climate change for the Caribbean include elevated air and sea-surface temperatures, sea-level rise, possible changes in extreme events and a reduction in freshwater resources. The economic impact of climate change on the three sectors was estimated for the A2 and B2 IPCC scenarios until 2050. An exploration of various adaptation strategies was also undertaken for each sector using standard evaluation techniques. The study of the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector focused on root crops, green vegetables and fisheries. For these sectors combined, the cumulative loss under the A2 scenario is calculated as approximately B$2.24 and approximately B$1.72 under the B2 scenario by 2050. This is equivalent to 1.37% and 1.05% of the 2008 GDP under the A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively. Given the potential for significant damage to the agriculture sector a large number of potential adaptation measures were considered. Out of these a short-list of 10 potential options were selected by applying 10 evaluation criteria. All of the adaptation strategies showed positive benefits. The analysis indicate that the options with the highest net benefits are: (1) Building on-farm water storage, (2) Mainstreaming climate change issues into agricultural management and (3) Using drip irrigation. Other attractive options include water harvesting. The policy decisions by governments should include these assessments, the omitted intangible benefits, as well as the provision of other social goals such as employment. The analysis of the energy sector has shown that the economic impact of climate change during 2011-2050 is similar under the A2 (US$142.88 million) and B2 (US$134.83 million) scenarios with A2 scenario having a slightly higher cost (0.737% of 2009 GDP) than the B2 scenario (0.695% of 2009 GDP) for the period. On the supply side, analyses indicate that Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector will be susceptible to the climate change policies of major energy-importing countries (the United States of America and China), and especially to their renewable energy strategies. Implementation of foreign oil substitution policy by the United States of America will result in a decline in Trinidad and Tobago’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export (equivalent to 2.2% reduction in 2009 GDP) unless an alternative market is secured for the lost United States of America market. China, with its rapid economic growth and the highest population in the world, offers a potential replacement market for Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG export. In this context the A2 scenario will offer the best option for Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector. The cost-benefit analysis undertaken on selected adaptation strategies reveal that the benefit-cost ratio of replacing electric water heaters with solar water heaters is the most cost-effective. It was also found that the introduction of Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) and Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) air conditioners surpasses the projected cost of increased electricity consumption due to climate change, and provides an economic rationale for the adoption of these adaptation options even in a situation of increased electricity consumption occasioned by climate change. Finally, the conversion of motor fleets to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a cost-effective adaptation option for the transport sector, although it has a high initial cost of implementation and the highest per capita among the four adaptation options evaluated. To investigate the effect of climate change on the health sector dengue fever, leptospirosis, food borne illnesses, and gastroenteritis were examined. The total number of new dengue cases for the period 2008 to 2050 was 204,786 for BAU, 153,725 for A2 and 131,890 for the B2 scenario. With regard to the results for leptospirosis, A2 and B2 seem to be following a similar path with total number of new cases in the A2 scenario being 9,727 and 9,218 cases under the B2 scenario. Although incidence levels in the BAU scenario coincided with those of A2 and B2 prior to 2020, they are somewhat lower post 2020. A similar picture emerges for the scenarios as they relate to food-borne illnesses and to gastroenteritis. Specifically for food-borne illnesses, the BAU scenario recorded 27,537 cases, the A2 recorded 28,568 cases and the B2 recorded 28,679 cases. The focus on the selected sources of morbidity in the health sector has highlighted the fact that the vulnerability of the country’s health sector to climate change does not depend solely on exogenously derived impacts, but also on the behaviour and practices among the population. It is clear that the vulnerability which became evident in the analysis of the impacts on dengue fever, leptospirosis and food-borne illnesses is not restricted solely to climate or other external factors. The most important adaptation strategy being recommended targets lifestyle, behaviour and attitude changes. The population needs to be encouraged to alter their behaviours and practices so as to minimise their exposure to harmful outcomes as it relates to the incidence of these diseases.

An assessment of the economic impact of climate change on the Energy Sector in Trinidad and Tobago

The energy sector is a dominant one in Trinidad and Tobago and it plays an important role in the twin-island republic‟s economy. In 2008, the share of the energy sector in gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to approximately 48% while contributing 57% to total Government revenue. In that same year, the sector‟s share of merchandise exports was 88%, made up mainly of refined oil products including petroleum, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids (Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, 2009). Trinidad and Tobago is the main exporter of oil in the Caribbean region and the main producer of liquefied natural gas in Latin America and the Caribbean. The role of the country‟s energy sector is, therefore, not limited to serving as the engine of growth for the national economy but also includes providing energy security for the small island developing States of the Caribbean. However, with its hydrocarbon-based economy, Trinidad and Tobago is ranked seventh in the world in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita, producing an estimated 40 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Almost 90% of these CO2 emissions are attributed directly to the energy sector through petrochemical production (56%), power generation (30%) and flaring (3%). Trinidad and Tobago is a ratified signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. Although, as a non-Annex 1 country, Trinidad and Tobago is not required to cut its greenhouse gas emissions under the Protocol, it is currently finalizing a climate change policy document as well as a national energy policy with specific strategies to address climate change. The present study complements the climate change policy document by providing an economic analysis of the impact that climate change could have on the energy sector in Trinidad and Tobago under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change alternative climate scenarios (A2 and B2) as compared to a baseline situation of no climate change. Results of analyses indicate that, in the short-run, climate change, represented by change in temperature, is not a significant determinant of domestic consumption of energy, electricity in particular, in Trinidad and Tobago. With energy prices subsidized domestically and fixed for years at a time, energy price does not play a role in determining electricity demand. Economic growth, as indicated by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is the single major determinant of electricity consumption in the short-run. In the long-run, temperature, GDP, and patterns of electricity use, jointly determine electricity consumption. Variations in average annual temperature due to climate change for the A2 scenario are expected to lead to an increase in electricity consumption per capita, equivalent to an annual increase of 1.07% over the 2011 baseline value of electricity consumption per capita. Under the B2 scenario, the average annual increase in electricity consumption per capita over the 2011 baseline value is expected to be 1.01%. The estimated economic impact of climate change on electricity consumption for the period 2011-2050 is valued at US$ 142.88 million under the A2 scenario and US$ 134.83million under the B2 scenario. These economic impact estimates are equivalent to a loss of 0.737% of 2009 GDP under the A2 climate scenario and a loss of 0.695% of 2009 GDP under the B2 scenario. On the energy supply side, sea level rise and storm surges present significant risks to oil installations and infrastructure at the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (PETROTRIN) Pointe-a-Pierre facilities (Singh and El Fouladi, 2006). However, data limitations do not permit the conduct of an economic analysis of the impact of projected sea level rise on oil and gas production.

Chemical composition and metabolizable energy values of corn germ meal obtained by wet milling for layers

An experiment was carried out to determine the chemical composition, metabolizable energy values, and coefficients of nutrient digestibility of corn germ meal for layers. The chemical composition of corn germ meal was determined, and then a metabolism assay was performed to determine its apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) values and its dry matter and gross energy apparent metabolizability coefficients (CAMDM and CAMGE, respectively). In the 8-day assay (four days of adaptation and four days of total excreta collection), 60 29-week-old white Lohman LSL layers were used. A completely randomized experimental design, with three treatments with five replicates of four birds each, was applied. Treatments consisted of a reference diet and two test diets, containing 20 or 30% corn germ meal. Results were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by the Tukey tests at 5% probability level. The chemical composition of corn germ meal was: 96.39% dry matter, 49.48% ether extract, 1.87% ashes, 7243 kcal gross energy/kg, 11.48% protein, 0.19% methionine, 0.21% cystine, 0.48% lysine, 0.40% threonine, 0.72% arginine, 0.35% isoleucine, 0.83% leucine, 0.57% valine, and 0.37% histidine, on as-fed basis. There were no statistical differences in AME, AMEn, CAMDM, and CAMGE values with the inclusion of 20 and 30% corn germ meal in the diets. On dry matter basis, AME, AMEn, CAMDM, and CAMGE values of corn germ meal were: 4,578 and 4,548 kcal/kg, 4,723 and 4,372 kcal/kg, 64.95 and 61.86%, respectively.

Effect of 808 nm low-level laser therapy in exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in elderly women

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Search for long-lived particles in events with photons and missing energy in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparative Analysis of Approaches for Assessing Energy Intake Underreporting by Female Bariatric Surgery Candidates

Objective: To test six variations in the Goldberg equation for evaluating the underreporting of energy intake (EI) among obese women on the waiting list for bariatric surgery, considering variations in resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity, and food intake levels in group and individual approaches.Methods: One hundred obese women aged 20 to 45years (33.3 6.08) recruited from a bariatric surgery waiting list participated in the study. Underreporting assessment was based on the difference between reported energy intake, indirect calorimetry measurements and RMR (rEI:RMR), which is compatible with the predicted physical activity level (PAL). Six approaches were used for defining the cutoff points. The approaches took into account variances in the components of the rEI:RMR = PAL equation as a function of the assumed PAL, sample size (n), and measured or estimated RMR.Results: The underreporting percentage varied from 55% to 97%, depending on the approach used for generating the cutoff points. The ratio rEI:RMR and estimated PAL of the sample were significantly different (p = 0.001). Sixty-one percent of the women reported an EI lower than their RMR. The PAL variable significantly affected the cutoff point, leading to different proportions of underreporting. The RMR measured or estimated in the equation did not result in differences in the proportion of underreporting. The individual approach was less sensitive than the group approach.Conclusion: RMR did not interfere in underreporting estimates. However, PAL variations were responsible for significant differences in cutoff point. Thus, PAL should be considered when estimating underreporting, and even though the individual approach is less sensitive than the group approach, it may be a useful tool for clinical practice.

Chemical Composition, Rumen Fermentation Kinetics, Digestibility and Energy Value of Cassava Leaves Hay at Different Storage Times

Cassava leaves have been widely used as a protein source for ruminants in the tropics. However, these leaves contain high level of hydro-cyanic acid (HCN) and condensed tannins (CT). There are evidences that making hay can eliminate more than 90% of HCN and that long-term storage can reduce CT levels. A complete randomized design with four replicates was conducted to determine the effect of different storage times (0-control, 60, 90 and 120 days) on chemical composition, in vitro rumen fermentation kinetics, digestibility and energy value of cassava leaves hay. Treatments were compared by analyzing variables using the GLM procedure (SAS 9.1, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). Crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) of the cassava hay were not affected (P > 0.05) by storage time (17.7% and 3.0%, respectively). Neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, total carbohydrate and non-fiber carbohydrate were not affected either (P>0.05) by storage time (47.5, 32.6, 72.3 and 25.8% respectively). However, other parameters were influenced. CT was lower (P<0.05) in hay after 120 days of storage compared with control (1.75% versus 3.75%, respectively). Lignin and insoluble nitrogen in neutral detergent, analyzed without sodium sulfite, were higher (P<0.01) after 120 days of storage, compared with the control (11.22 versus 13.57 and 1.65 versus 3.81% respectively). This suggests that the CT has bound to the fiber or CP and became inactive. Consequently, the in vitro digestibility of organic matter (50.36%), total digestible nutrients (44.79%) and energy (1.61 Mcal/KgMS), obtained from gas production data at 72 h of incubation, has increased (P<0.05) with storage times (56.83%, 51.53% and 1.86 Mcal/KgMS, respectively). The chemical composition and fermentative characteristics of cassava hay suffered variations during the storage period. The best values were obtained after 90 days of storage. This is probably due to the reduction in condensed tannins.

Education for Energy Efficiency through an Educational Game

This paper presents an assessment of an educational game for teaching the efficient use of electricity. Developed with Adobe Flash (R), it is a virtual board game where participants choose a car that starts the path and reaches the same final goal, going through a number of track steps defined in terms of a dice that each player rolls in turn. The car moves if the participant is able to correctly answer a question that is randomly generated by the software. The objective of the game is to answer questions related to energy efficiency promoting a healthy and attractive learning process for participants on concepts related to energy efficiency such as: the rational use of energy, the basic concepts of forms of energy generation, among others. The main objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the application of this virtual game in the teaching and learning process of high school students. Therefore, the game was applied in the discipline of physics in a class of junior high public school in the state of Sao Paulo. Initially, the class that had 43 students was divided into 10 groups of 4 students, and 1 group of 3 students. Each student group competed with one another. The idea was that each of them should indicate a student who was the representative of this group until only 4 group leaders were selected for the finals. At this stage, each student could interact with a group of up to ten students that acted as advisers. The adopted assessment process is based on the model proposed by Savi [7]. Then, at the end of the game, the students answered a prepared questionnaire based on the model proposed by Savi. According to Savi, although there are significant studies that show the importance of educational games for the process of cognitive development and learning concepts of students, there are few papers that present forms of assessing the potential of these resources. Thus, the assessment criteria proposed by Savi are based on the model of training evaluation by Kirkpatrick [3], taken as a reference to measure the efficiency of processes of continuing education courses for professionals. The authors assert that the metric of the evaluation proposed to assess the game is based on the first level of the model proposed by Kirkpatrick.

DIGESTIBLE ENERGY OF UNPEELED CASSAVA ROOT MEAL AND ITS EFFECT ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS TRAITS IN RABBITS

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Body Composition and Net Energy Requirements for Maintenance of Non-Castrated Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The research aimed to estimate body contents of protein and energy and net requirements of energy for maintenance of buffaloes, slaughtered at different stages of maturity. There were used 14 Mediterranean intact males with initial average body weight of 352.2 +/- 24.3 kg and average age of 24 months. The animais were randomly divided into four experimental groups. One group was designed to slaughter at the beginning of the experimental period (IS). The animals of another group were restricting fed, receiving, individually, levels of protein and energy 15% above maintenance (RF). The animals of the two remaining groups were individually fed ad libitum (SW450 and SW500) to reach weights corresponding to 100 and 110 percent of the mature weight of the buffalo cows (respectively 450 and 550 kg). The ration contained ground-corn cobs, soybean meal, urea, minerals, and signal-grass (Brachiaria decumbens) hay, with a concentrate: roughage ratio of 50: 50 and 13% of crude protein on a dry matter basis. To estimate changes in body composition inside the range of weights included in the trial, linear regression equations of log protein (kg), fat (kg) and energy (Mcal) as a function of log empty-body-weight (EBW), in kg, were fitted. Energy requirements for maintenance were obtained as estimated heat production at zero level of energy intake. Buffaloes submitted to fattening in feedlot presented early body fat deposition, and had with the same live weight lower protein content and higher fat content and energy per unit weight than european-zebu crossbred cattle.