The structure and optical dispersion of the refractive index of tellurite glass

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Preparation and Characterization of Ti-15Mo Alloy used as Biomaterial

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

Extrinsic compression of popliteal artery in asymptomatic athlete and non-athlete individuals - A comparative study using duplex scan (color duplex sonography)

Aim. Extrinsic compression of the popliteal artery and absence of surrounding anatomical abnormalities characterize the functional popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES). The diagnosis is confirmed to individuals who have typical symptoms of popliteal entrapment and occlusion or important stenosis of the popliteal artery with color duplex sonography (CDS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or arteriography during active plantar flexion-extension maneuvers. However, variable result findings in normal asymptomatic subjects have raised doubts as to the validity of these tests. The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of popliteal artery compression in 2 groups of asymptomatic subjects, athletes and non-athletes.Methods. Forty-two individuals were studied. Twenty-one subjects were indoor soccer players, and 21 were sedentary individuals. Physical activity was evaluated through questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and cardiopulmonary exercise test. Evaluation of popliteal artery compression was performed in lower limbs with CDS, ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurements and continuous wave Doppler of the posterior tibial artery.Results. The athletes studied fulfilled the criteria of high level of physical activity whereas sedentary subjects met the criteria of low level of activity. Popliteal artery compression was observed with CDS in 6 (14.2%) studied subjects; 2 of whom (4.7%) were athletes and 4 (9.5%) were non-athletes. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.21). Doppler of the tibial arteries and ABI measurements gave good specificity and sensibility in the identification of popliteal artery compression.Conclusion. The frequency of popliteal artery compression during maneuvers in normal subjects was 14.2% irrespective of whether or not they performed regular physical activities. Both Doppler and ABI showed good agreement with CDS and should be considered in screening popliteal arteries in individuals suspected of PAES.

Relationship of upper-limb and thoracic muscle strength to 6-min walk distance in COPD patients

Study objectives: This study was developed to investigate the influence of thoracic and upperlimb muscle function on 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in patients with COPD.Design: A prospective, cross-sectional study.Setting: the pulmonary rehabilitation center of a university hospital.Patients: Thirty-eight patients with mild to very severe COPD were evaluated.Measurements and results: Pulmonary function and baseline dyspnea index (BDI) were assessed, handgrip strength, maximal inspiratory pressure (Pimax), and 6MWD were measured, and the one-repetition maximum (1RM) was determined for each of four exercises (bench press, lat pull down, leg extension, and leg press) performed on gymnasium equipment. Quality of life was assessed using the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). We found statistically significant positive correlations between 6MWD and body weight (r = 0.32; p < 0.05), BDI (r = 0.50; p < 0.01), FEV, (r = 0.33; p < 0.05), PImax (r = 0.53; p < 0.01), and all values of 1RM. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between 6MWD and dyspnea at the end of the 6-min walk test (r = -0.29; p < 0.05), as well as between 6MWD and the SGRQ activity domain (r = -0.45; p < 0.01) and impact domain (r = -0.34; p < 0.05) and total score (r = -0.40; p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis selected body weight, BDI, Pimax, and lat pull down IRM as predictive factors for 6MWD (R-2 = 0.589).Conclusions: the results of this study showed the importance of the skeletal musculature of the thorax and upper limbs in submaximal exercise tolerance and could open new perspectives for training programs designed to improve functional activity in COPD patients.

Hemodynamic effects in dogs anesthetized with isoflurane and remifentanil-isoflurane

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

Medidas objetivas das carcaças e composição química do lombo de cordeiros alimentados e terminados com três níveis de proteína bruta em creep feeding

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de três níveis de proteína (15, 20 e 25% PB) na ração sobre as medidas objetivas das carcaças e do músculo Longissimus dorsi, os pesos e rendimentos dos cortes, além da composição química e maciez da carne de cordeiros Suffolk alimentados e terminados em creep feeding. Foram utilizados 15 cordeiros inteiros, originados de partos simples, abatidos ao atingirem peso vivo final de 28 kg. As carcaças foram mantidas em câmara de refrigeração a 5ºC, durante 24 horas, para registro das medidas objetivas, realizado após separação dos cortes comerciais, na meia-carcaça esquerda. A área do músculo Longissimus dorsi foi mensurada para determinação da área de olho de lombo (AOL cm²). No lombo esquerdo congelado, realizou-se a análise de composição química e, no direito, também congelado, o teste de maciez peloWarner Bratzler Shear Force. Os níveis de proteína bruta não influenciaram as medidas objetivas de carcaça nem as do músculo Longissimus dorsi. Houve efeito significativo para peso e rendimento da paleta, com superioridade para o tratamento contendo 25% de proteína bruta. Nas análises químicas do músculo Longissimus dorsi, observou-se efeito significativo para extrato etéreo, cinzas e maciez. No sistema de alimentação e terminação de cordeiros Suffolk em creep feeding, a ração formulada com farelo de soja como fonte protéica deve ser balanceada com 25% de proteína bruta por diminuir o teor de gordura e melhorar a maciez da carne e o peso e rendimento da paleta, sem afetar as medidas objetivas da carcaça, os demais pesos e os rendimentos dos cortes.

Effect of Psidium cattleianum leaf extract on Streptococcus mutans viability, protein expression and acid production

Plants naturally produce secondary metabolites that can be used as antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Psidium cattleianum leaf extract on Streptococcus mutans. The extract (100%) was obtained by decoction of 100 g of leaves in 600 ml of deionized water. To assess killing, S. mutans biofilms were treated with water (negative control) or various extract dilutions [ 100, 50, 25% (v/v) in water] for 5 or 60 min. To evaluate the effect on protein expression, biofilms were exposed to water or 1.6% (v/v) extract for 120 min, proteins were extracted and submitted to 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The effect of 1.6% (v/v) extract on acid production was determined by pH measurements and compared to a water control. Viability was similar after 5 min of treatment with the 100% extract or 60 min with the 50% extract (about 0.03% survival). There were no differences in viability between the biofilms exposed to the 25 or 50% extract after 60 min of treatment (about 0.02% survival). Treatment with the 1.6% extract significantly changed protein expression. The abundance of 24 spots was decreased compared to water (p < 0.05). The extract significantly inhibited acid production (p < 0.05). It is concluded that P. cattleianum leaf extract kills S. mutans grown in biofilms when applied at high concentrations. At low concentrations it inhibits S. mutans acid production and reduces the expression of proteins involved in general metabolism, glycolysis and lactic acid production. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Demographic and metabolic characteristics of individuals with progressive glucose tolerance

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

Differential nutritional, endocrine, and cardiovascular effects in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats fed standard and hypercaloric diets

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

Ligninases production by Basidiomycetes strains on lignocellulosic agricultural residues and their application in the decolorization of synthetic dyes

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

Minimal 3-3-1 model, lepton mixing and muonium-antimuonium conversion

The recent experimental results on neutrino oscillation and on muonium-antimuonium conversion require extension of the minimal 3-3-1 model. We review the constraints imposed on the model by these measurements and suggest a pattern of leptonic mixing, with charged leptons in a non-diagonal basis, which accounts for the neutrino physics and circumvents the tight muonium-antimuonium bounds on the model. We also illustrate a scenario where this pattern could be realized.

Collision of positronium with atoms, molecules and ions using a modified coupled-channel framework

Scattering of positronium (Ps) from atoms (H, He, Ne, Ar), molecule (H(2)) and ion (He(+)) have been investigated using a coupled-channel (CC) formalism with a regularised non-local exchange potential. The advantage of using such a regularized exchange potential in the close-coupling formalism and the normalizability aspect of the solution at low energies with a minimum effective coupling are discussed. Results for the elastic and total scattering cross-sections, resonance and binding energies in Ps-H, and pick-off annihilation results in Ps-He are found to be in excellent agreement with measurements and variational predictions. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurements of differential cross sections of Z/gamma* plus jets plus X events in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dependence on pseudorapidity and on centrality of charged hadron production in PbPb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Quartz Crystal Microbalance monitoring the real-time binding of lectin with carbohydrate with high and low molecular mass

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) was used to monitor the mass changes on a quartz crystal surface containing immobilized lectins that interacted with carbohydrates. The strategy for lectin immobilization was developed on the basis of a multilayer system composed of Au-cystamine-glutaraldehyde-lectin. Each step of the immobilization procedure was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The system was used to study the interactions of Concanavalin A (ConA) with maltose and Jacalin with Fetuin. The real-time binding of different concentrations of carbohydrate to the immobilized lectin was monitored by means of QCM measurements and the data obtained allowed for the construction of Langmuir isotherm curves. The association constants determined for the specific interactions analyzed here were (6.4 +/- 0.2) X 10(4) M-1 for Jacalin-Fetuin and (4.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) M-1 for ConA-maltose. These results indicate that the QCM constitutes a suitable method for the analysis of lectin-carbohydrate interactions, even when assaying low molecular mass ligands such as disaccharides. Published by Elsevier B.V.