Mechanism and effect of esculetin in an experimental animal model of inflammatory bowel disease

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

Low level laser therapy increases angiogenesis in a model of ischemic skin flap in rats mediated by VEGF, HIF-1α and MMP-2

It is known that low level laser therapy is able to improve skin flap viability by increasing angiogenesis. However, the mechanism for new blood vessel formation is not completely understood. Here, we investigated the effects of 660 nm and 780 nm lasers at fluences of 30 and 40 J/cm2 on three important mediators activated during angiogenesis. Sixty male Wistar rats were used and randomly divided into five groups with twelve animals each. Groups were distributed as follows: skin flap surgery non-irradiated group as a control; skin flap surgery irradiated with 660 nm laser at a fluence of 30 or 40 J/cm2 and skin flap surgery irradiated with 780 nm laser at a fluence of 30 or 40 J/cm2. The random skin flap was performed measuring 10 × 4 cm, with a plastic sheet interposed between the flap and the donor site. Laser irradiation was performed on 24 points covering the flap and surrounding skin immediately after the surgery and for 7 consecutive days thereafter. Tissues were collected, and the number of vessels, angiogenesis markers (vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF and hypoxia inducible factor, HIF-1α) and a tissue remodeling marker (matrix metalloproteinase, MMP-2) were analyzed. LLLT increased an angiogenesis, HIF-1α and VEGF expression and decrease MMP-2 activity. These phenomena were dependent on the fluences, and wavelengths used. In this study we showed that LLLT may improve the healing of skin flaps by enhancing the amount of new vessels formed in the tissue. Both 660 nm and 780 nm lasers were able to modulate VEGF secretion, MMP-2 activity and HIF-1α expression in a dose dependent manner. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Morphologic and biomechanical changes of thoracic and abdominal aorta in a rat model of cigarette smoke exposure

Background: Smoking is the most relevant environmental factor that affects the development of aortic aneurysm. Smokers have elevated levels of elastase activity in the arterial wall, which leads to weakening of the aorta. The aim of this study was to verify whether cigarette smoke exposure itself is capable of altering the aortic wall. Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats were divided into 2-, 4-, and 6-month experimental periods and into 2 groups: smokers (submitted to smoke exposure at a rate of 40 cigarettes/day) and nonsmokers. At the end of the experimental periods, the aortas were removed and cross-sectioned to obtain histologic specimens for light microscopic and morphometric analyses. The remaining longitudinal segments were stretched to rupture and mechanical parameters were determined. Results: A degenerative process (i.e., a reduction in elastic fibers, the loss of lamellar arrangement, and a reduction of smooth muscle cells) was observed, and this effect was proportional in intensity to the period of tobacco exposure. We observed a progressive reduction in the yield point of the thoracic aorta over time (P < 0.05). There was a decrease in stiffness (P < 0.05) and in failure load (P < 0.05) at 6 months in the abdominal aorta of rats in the smoking group. Conclusions: Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke can affect the mechanical properties of the aorta and can also provoke substantial structural changes of the arterial wall. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Latin America: Total factor productivity and its components

This article applies the stochastic-frontier model to examine total factor productivity (tfp) and its components in Latin America between 1960 and 2010. The likelihood-ratio test shows that, for a selection of Latin American countries over the 50 years analysed, the macroeconomic variables of technical inefficiency included in the model generally have a significant effect; and they allow for a better understanding of technical inefficiency throughout the region. The key variables explaining technical inefficiency in the selected countries are public expenditure and the inflation rate; and there is also an inverse relation between technical inefficiency and the extent to which local prices diverge from purchasing power parity.

Formulação de um índice de qualidade de gestão de resíduos sólidos urbanos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Filtros otimizados para transformadas seno, co-seno e de Hankel j0, j1 e j2

Apresentamos dois algoritmos automáticos, os quais se utilizam do método dos mínimos quadrados de Wiener-Hopf, para o cálculo de filtros lineares digitais para as transformadas seno, co-seno e de Hankel J₀, J₁ e J₂. O primeiro, que otimiza os parâmetros: incremento das abscissas, abscissa inicial e o fator de deslocamento utilizados para os cálculos dos coeficientes dos filtros lineares digitais que são aferidos através de transformadas co-seno, seno e o segundo, que otimiza os parâmetros: incremento das abscissas e abscissa inicial utilizados para os cálculos dos coeficientes dos filtros lineares digitais que são aferidos através de transformadas de Hankel J₀, J₁ e J₂. Esses algoritmos levaram às propostas de novos filtros lineares digitais de 19, 30 e 40 pontos para as transformadas co-seno e seno e de novos filtros otimizados de 37 , 27 e 19 pontos para as transformadas J₀, J₁ e J₂, respectivamente. O desempenho dos novos filtros em relação aos filtros existentes na literatura geofísica é avaliado usando-se um modelo geofísico constituído por dois semi-espaços. Como fonte usou-se uma linha infinita de corrente entre os semi-espaços originando, desta forma, transformadas co-seno e seno. Verificou-se melhores desempenhos na maioria das simulações usando o novo filtro co-seno de 19 pontos em relação às simulações usando o filtro co-seno de 19 pontos existente na literatura. Verificou-se também a equivalência de desempenhos nas simulações usando o novo filtro seno de 19 pontos em relação às simulações usando o filtro seno de 20 pontos existente na literatura. Adicionalmente usou-se também como fonte um dipolo magnético vertical entre os semi-espaços originando desta forma, transformadas J₀ e J₁, verificando-se melhores desempenhos na maioria das simulações usando o novo filtro J₁ de 27 pontos em relação ao filtro J₁ de 47 pontos existente na literatura. Verificou-se também a equivalência de desempenhos na maioria das simulações usando o novo filtro J₀ de 37 pontos em relação ao filtro J₀ de 61 pontos existente na literatura. Usou-se também como fonte um dipolo magnético horizontal entre os semi-espaços, verificando-se um desempenho análogo ao que foi descrito anteriormente dos novos filtros de 37 e 27 pontos para as respectivas transformadas J₀ e J₁ em relação aos filtros de 61 e 47 pontos existentes na literatura, destas respectivas transformadas. Finalmente verificou-se a equivalência de desempenhos entre os novos filtros J₀ de 37 pontos e J₁ de 27 pontos em relação aos filtros de 61 e 47 pontos existentes na literatura destas transformadas, respectivamente, quando aplicados em modelos de sondagens elétricas verticais (Wenner e Schlumberger). A maioria dos nossos filtros contêm poucos coeficientes quando comparados àqueles geralmente usados na geofísica. Este aspecto é muito importante porque transformadas utilizando filtros lineares digitais são usadas maciçamente em problemas numéricos geofísicos.

Gestão de riscos baseada no conhecimento: modelo conceitual para empresas de desenvolvimento de software

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Effect of melatonin on tumor growth and angiogenesis in xenograft model of breast cancer

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

A Spatial and Temporal Prediction Model of Corn Grain Yield as a Function of Soil Attributes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Numerical solution of the FENE-CR model in complex flows

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

Application of the PTT Model to Axisymmetric Free Surface Flows

This work is concerned with numerical simulation of axisymmetric viscoelastic free surface flows using the Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) constitutive equation. A finite difference technique for solving the governing equations for unsteady incompressible flows written in Cylindrical coordinates on a staggered grid is described. The fluid is modelled by a Marker-and-Cell type method and an accurate representation of the fluid surface is employed. The full free surface stress conditions are applied. The numerical method is verified by comparing numerical predictions of fully developed flow in a pipe with the corresponding analytic solutions. To demonstrate that the numerical method can simulate axisymmetric free surface flows governed by the PTT model, numerical results of the flow evolution of a drop impacting on a rigid dry plate are presented. In these simulations, the rheological effects of the parameters epsilon and xi are investigated.

The influence of floc size and hydraulic detention time on the performance of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) pilot unit in the light of a mathematical model

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

CCDM model from quantum particle creation: constraints on dark matter mass

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Predictive Usefulness of Urinary Biomarkers for the Identification of Cyclosporine A-Induced Nephrotoxicity in a Rat Model

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

CrataBL, a lectin and Factor Xa inhibitor, plays a role in blood coagulation and impairs thrombus formation

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