Triplex Doppler da artéria renal e a relação entre a ecobiometria dos rins com distância atlanto-coccígea e altura em Canis familiaris

O objetivo do trabalho foi estabelecer a relação entre a ecobiometria renal com medidas de conformação corporal como a distância atlanto-coccígea (DAC) e a altura (H) de cães adultos saudáveis, obtendo-se parâmetros de normalidade para avaliar o tamanho e volume renal, bem como estabelecer valores de referência para avaliar a perfusão sanguínea dos rins por meio do índice de resistividade (IR) e do índice de pulsatilidade (IP) do ramo principal da artéria renal. No estudo foram utilizados 22 cães adultos sem raça definida, sendo 11 machos e 11 fêmeas. Os animais foram previamente aferidos quanto a DAC e a H. Os exames ultra-sonográficos foram realizados com um aparelho HDI 4000 PHILIPS munido de um transdutor microconvexo multifreqüêncial (5-8 MHz), dispositivos Doppler Colorido e Doppler de Fluxo. Os animais foram posicionados em decúbito lateral direito ou esquerdo, de acordo com o rim a ser avaliado. Os diâmetros longitudinal (DL) e dorsoventral (DDV) dos rins foram mensurados na secção longitudinal e, o diâmetro transversal (DT) foi aferido no plano transversal. O volume (V) foi calculado automaticamente pelo software do ultra-som. Com o uso do Triplex Doppler, o IR e o IP das artérias renais direita e esquerda foram obtidos. Todos os dados foram apresentados em média ± EPM. Análises de regressão linear foram realizadas tendo o DL, DDV, DT e V como variáveis dependentes e a DAC e H como variáveis independentes. Os IR e IP dos rins direito e esquerdo foram comparados pelo teste t de Student. A DAC variou de 54-78cm para machos e 37-71cm para fêmeas e a altura variou entre 34-64 cm para os machos e 24-57cm para as fêmeas. As médias obtidas para DL, DDV, DT e V dos rins esquerdo e direito foram: 5,24±0,27cm, 3,07±0,15cm, 3,07±0,9cm, 28,01±3,4mL e 4,50±0,19cm, 2,88±0,14cm, 2,71±0,15cm, 21,27±2,6mL, respectivamente. As análises de regressão linear entre as medidas lineares e volume renal com a DAC e a H foram significativas para os interceptos e coeficientes de regressão (P<0,01). Houve diferenças estatísticas quando comparado os IR e IP entre os rins direito e esquerdo (P=0,001), sendo que as médias para IR e IP dos rins esquerdo e direito foram 0,62±0,08; 1,34±0,18 e 0,70±0,06; 1,62±0,13; respectivamente. Os dados obtidos no presente trabalho podem auxiliar na avaliação do tamanho, volume e perfusão dos rins de cães adultos.

Avaliação ultrassonográfica do bulbo ocular em cães submetidos à facoemulsificação com ou sem implante de lente intraocular

This study aimed to describe and compare the ultrasonographic alterations in dogs' eyes submitted to facectomy with or without intraocular lens implant (IOL), to assist in the diagnosis of possible alterations related to the surgical procedure and IOL implantation. Nineteen dogs with cataract (21 eyes) were submitted to phacoemulsification and late postoperative evaluation (at five years). The animals were initially submitted to complete ophthalmological exams which preceded the sonogram. Dogs were divided in three groups: (CA) aphakic dogs (n= 11); (PP) pseudophakic dogs with implantation of two IOLs in piggyback (n=5) and (PL) pseudophakic dogs with implantation of a veterinary IOL (n = 5). The ultrasound was carried under the administration of a topic local anesthetic, with a multi frequency linear transducer of 10 MHz. Biometric eye measurements were also performed. The clinical alterations observed were IOL dislocation, retinal detachment, asteroid hyalosis, and vitreous degeneration. Ultrasound examination was an excellent diagnostic tool, as it was possible to confirm and classify these changes. The piggyback implant reduced the measurements between the ciliary body and the vitreous chamber obtained from the ocular biometry when compared to other usual procedures, with no difference between the axial length and the anterior chamber.

Tackling ionospheric scintillation threat to GNSS in Latin America

Scintillations are rapid fluctuations in the phase and amplitude of transionospheric radio signals which are caused by small-scale plasma density irregularities in the ionosphere. In the case of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, scintillation can cause cycle slips, degrade the positioning accuracy and, when severe enough, can even lead to a complete loss of signal lock. Thus, the required levels of availability, accuracy, integrity and reliability for the GNSS applications may not be met during scintillation occurrence; this poses a major threat to a large number of modern-day GNSS-based applications. The whole of Latin America, Brazil in particular, is located in one of the regions most affected by scintillations. These effects will be exacerbated during solar maxima, the next predicted for 2013. This paper presents initial results from a research work aimed to tackle ionospheric scintillation effects for GNSS users in Latin America. This research is a part of the CIGALA (Concept for Ionospheric Scintillation Mitigation for Professional GNSS in Latin America) project, co-funded by the EC Seventh Framework Program and supervised by the GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA), which aims to develop and test ionospheric scintillation countermeasures to be implemented in multi-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS receivers.

Antiferromagnetic resonance of polycrystalline BiMn2O5

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

Desenvolvimento de um aplicativo para processamento de imagens obtidas por fotografias aéreas

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Desenvolvimento de um aplicativo para processamento de imagens obtidas por fotografias aéreas

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Origin and Nature of Radio-Loud Broad Absorption Line Quasars

The origin of Broad Absorption Line Quasars (BAL QSOs) is still an open issue. Accounting for ~20% of the QSO population, these objects present broad absorption lines in their optical spectra generated from outflows with velocities up to 0.2 c. Nowadays, the hypotheses about their nature are principally related to orientation or evolutionary scenarios. In the first one, absorption lines are produced by outflows originated by the accretion disk, basically present in all QSOs, but seen only when they intercept the line of sight. In the second hypothesis, BAL QSOs would be young or recently re-fueled QSOs, still ejecting their dust cocoon. In this case orientation would not play a role, since the absorption features would be produced by spherically ejected matter. In this work we present the results of a multi-frequency study of a Radio-Loud BAL QSO sample, and a comparison sample of Radio-Loud non-BAL QSOs. We performed observations from radio to Near-Infrared, aiming at collecting useful informations about the orientation, the age, and the morphologies of these objects. Various techniques have been applied, including local and continental radio interferometry, single dish observations and spectroscopy. The comparison with the non-BAL QSO sample allows us to conclude that no particular orientation is present in BAL QSOs. Moreover, various morphologies and ages can be found, analogously to "normal" QSOs. Thus, the solution to this astrophysical problem seems not to reside in a peculiarity of the BAL QSO subclass with respect to non-BAL QSOs, since both the studied models do not completely explain the observed characteristics. Further experiments with future instrumentation will allow us to underline useful differences and test the physical conditions in BAL QSOs.

Performance analysis of reconstruction algorithms for breast microwave imaging

The problem of localizing a scatterer, which represents a tumor, in a homogeneous circular domain, which represents a breast, is addressed. A breast imaging method based on microwaves is considered. The microwave imaging involves to several techniques for detecting, localizing and characterizing tumors in breast tissues. In all such methods an electromagnetic inverse scattering problem exists. For the scattering detection method, an algorithm based on a linear procedure solution, inspired by MUltiple SIgnal Classification algorithm (MUSIC) and Time Reversal method (TR), is implemented. The algorithm returns a reconstructed image of the investigation domain in which it is detected the scatterer position. This image is called pseudospectrum. A preliminary performance analysis of the algorithm vying the working frequency is performed: the resolution and the signal-to-noise ratio of the pseudospectra are improved if a multi-frequency approach is considered. The Geometrical Mean-MUSIC algorithm (GM- MUSIC) is proposed as multi-frequency method. The performance of the GMMUSIC is tested in different real life computer simulations. The performed analysis shows that the algorithm detects the scatterer until the electrical parameters of the breast are known. This is an evident limit, since, in a real life situation, the anatomy of the breast is unknown. An improvement in GM-MUSIC is proposed: the Eye-GMMUSIC algorithm. Eye-GMMUSIC algorithm needs no a priori information on the electrical parameters of the breast. It is an optimizing algorithm based on the pattern search algorithm: it searches the breast parameters which minimize the Signal-to-Clutter Mean Ratio (SCMR) in the signal. Finally, the GM-MUSIC and the Eye-GMMUSIC algorithms are tested on a microwave breast cancer detection system consisting of an dipole antenna, a Vector Network Analyzer and a novel breast phantom built at University of Bologna. The reconstruction of the experimental data confirm the GM-MUSIC ability to localize a scatterer in a homogeneous medium.

Tomographic 3D reconstruction through linear inversion for breast microwave imaging

In the present thesis we address the problem of detecting and localizing a small spherical target with characteristic electrical properties inside a volume of cylindrical shape, representing female breast, with MWI. One of the main works of this project is to properly extend the existing linear inversion algorithm from planar slice to volume reconstruction; results obtained, under the same conditions and experimental setup are reported for the two different approaches. Preliminar comparison and performance analysis of the reconstruction algorithms is performed via numerical simulations in a software-created environment: a single dipole antenna is used for illuminating the virtual breast phantom from different positions and, for each position, the corresponding scattered field value is registered. Collected data are then exploited in order to reconstruct the investigation domain, along with the scatterer position, in the form of image called pseudospectrum. During this process the tumor is modeled as a dielectric sphere of small radius and, for electromagnetic scattering purposes, it's treated as a point-like source. To improve the performance of reconstruction technique, we repeat the acquisition for a number of frequencies in a given range: the different pseudospectra, reconstructed from single frequency data, are incoherently combined with MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) method which returns an overall enhanced image. We exploit multi-frequency approach to test the performance of 3D linear inversion reconstruction algorithm while varying the source position inside the phantom and the height of antenna plane. Analysis results and reconstructed images are then reported. Finally, we perform 3D reconstruction from experimental data gathered with the acquisition system in the microwave laboratory at DIFA, University of Bologna for a recently developed breast-phantom prototype; obtained pseudospectrum and performance analysis for the real model are reported.

New aspects of airway mechanics in pre-term infants

High-frequency respiratory impedance data measured noninvasively by the high-speed interrupter technique (HIT), particularly the first antiresonance frequency (f(ar,1)), is related to airway wall mechanics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and repeatability of HIT in unsedated pre-term infants, and to compare values of f(ar,1) from 18 pre-term (post-conceptional age 32-37 weeks, weight 1,730-2,910 g) and 18 full-term infants (42-47 weeks, 3,920-5,340 g). Among the pre-term infants, there was good short-term repeatability of f(ar,1) within a single sleep epoch (mean (sd) coefficient of variance: 8 (1.7)%), but 95% limits of agreement for repeated measures of f(ar,1) after 3-8 h were relatively wide (-41 Hz; 37 Hz). f(ar,1) was significantly lower in pre-term infants (199 versus 257 Hz), indicating that wave propagation characteristics in pre-term airways are different from those of full-term infants. The present authors suggest that this is consistent with developmental differences in airway wall structure and compliance, including the influence of the surrounding tissue. Since flow limitation is determined by wave propagation velocity and airway cross-sectional area, it was hypothesised that the physical ability of the airways to carry large flows is fundamentally different in pre-term than in full-term infants.

Novel lesion detection aids

Several non-invasive and novel aids for the detection of (and in some cases monitoring of) caries lesions have been introduced in the field of 'caries diagnostics' over the last 15 years. This chapter focusses on those available to dentists at the time of writing; continuing research is bound to lead to further developments in the coming years. Laser fluorescence is based on measurements of back-scattered fluorescence of a 655-nm light source. It enhances occlusal and (potentially) approximal lesion detection and enables semi-quantitative caries monitoring. Systematic reviews have identified false-positive results as a limitation. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence is another sensitive method to quantitatively detect and measure mineral loss both in enamel and some dentine lesions; again, the trade-offs with lower specificity when compared with clinical visual detection must be considered. Subtraction radiography is based on the principle of digitally superimposing two radiographs with exactly the same projection geometry. This method is applicable for approximal surfaces and occlusal caries involving dentine but is not yet widely available. Electrical caries measurements gather either site-specific or surface-specific information of teeth and tooth structure. Fixed-frequency devices perform best for occlusal dentine caries but the method has also shown promise for lesions in enamel and other tooth surfaces with multi-frequency approaches. All methods require further research and further validation in well-designed clinical trials. In the future, they could have useful applications in clinical practice as part of a personalized, comprehensive caries management system.

Local formation of varved sediments in a karstic collapse depression of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain)

Banyoles is the largest and deepest lake of karstic-tectonic origin in the Iberian Peninsula. The lake comprises several circular sub-basins characteri- zed by different oxygenation conditions at their hypolimnions. The multiproxy analysis of a > 5 m long sediment core combined with high resolution seis- mic stratigraphy (3.5 kHz pinger and multi-frequency Chirp surveys), allow a precise reconstruction of the evolution of a karstic depression (named B3) until present times. Local meromictic conditions in this sub-basin have been conducive to deposition and preservation of ca. 85 cm of varved sediments since the late 19th century. The onset of these conditions is likely related to lake waters eutrophication caused by increasing farming activities in the wa- tershed. Increasing clastic input and organic productivity during the second half of the 20th century have also been recorded within the laminated sedi- ments, revealing an intensification of human impact and warmer water tem- peratures.