Probabilistic ictal EEG sources and temporal lobe epilepsy surgical outcome

Objective - For patients with medication refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), surgery offers the hope of a cure. However, up to 30% of patients with MTLE continue to experience disabling seizures after surgery. The reasons why some patients do not achieve seizure freedom are poorly understood. A promising theory suggests that epileptogenic networks are broadly distributed in surgically refractory MTLE, involving regions beyond the medial temporal lobe. In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the distribution of epileptogenic networks in MTLE using Bayesian distributed EEG source analysis from preoperative ictal onset recordings. This analysis has the advantage of generating maps of source probability, which can be subjected to voxel-based statistical analyses.Methods - We compared 10 patients who achieved post-surgical seizure freedom with 10 patients who continued experiencing seizures after surgery. Voxel-based Wilcoxon tests were employed with correction for multiple comparisons.Results - We observed that ictal EEG source intensities were significantly more likely to occur in lateral temporal and posterior medial temporal regions in patients with continued seizures post-surgery.Conclusions - Our findings support the theory of broader spatial distribution of epileptogenic networks at seizure onset in patients with surgically refractory MTLE.

Brewer's yeast and sugarcane yeast as protein sources for dogs

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

EFFECT OF FOOD SHORTAGE ON GROWTH, ENERGETIC RESERVES MOBILIZATION, AND WATER QUALITY IN JUVENILES OF THE REDCLAW CRAYFISH, CHERAX QUADRICARINATUS, REARED IN GROUPS

The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of food shortage on growth performance, by means of energetic reserves (proteins, glycogen and lipids) mobilization and hepatopancreas cells analysis in C. quadricarinatus juveniles maintained in groups, as well as the effect on culture water quality. Two experiments were performed, each of them with two feeding regimes during 45 days. The Control feeding regime, in which crayfish were fed daily (once a day) throughout the experimental period (DF), and the Cyclic feeding regime, in which juveniles were fed for 2 or 4 days (once a day) followed by 2 or 4 days of food deprivation (2F/2D and 4F/4D, respectively) in repeated cycles. Cyclic feeding influenced growth, biochemical composition from hepatopancreas and muscle, and water quality. Juveniles cyclically fed were unable to maintain a normal growth trajectory during 45 days. Apparent feed conversion ratio, apparent protein efficiency ratio, hepatosomatic index and relative pleon mass were similar in cyclic and daily fed animals and no structural damage was found in the hepatopancreas of juveniles subjected to cyclic feeding. The novelty of this study was the significant accumulation of proteins in pleonal muscle in both cyclic feeding regimes (approx. 18%) suggesting that the storage of this constitutive material during food shortage may be an adaptation for a compensatory growth when food becomes abundant again. The cyclic feeding regimes had a positive effect on water quality decreasing inorganic nitrogen concentration. This was due to the reduction in the amount of animal excretes and feces in the group that received approx. 50% less feed. Additionally, water pH was higher in cyclic feeding tanks, as a result of lower organic matter decomposition and consequent release of CO2. Accordingly, total ammonia in the water was significantly lower for the cyclic feeding regimes compared to their respective controls. This study suggests that the protocol of cyclic feeding could be applied at least 45 days in 1 g juveniles maintained in group conditions, without affecting the energetic reserves and hepatopancreas structure, emphasizing the high tolerance of this species to food restriction.

Projeto de recuperação da planta termelétrica do Laboratório de Vapor do Departamento de Energia da Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá

Brazil is nowadays the greatest bet of investors for the future due to its stable economy growth. The country has grown side by side with the greatest demand for electrical energy. The international appeal for renewable sources is causing a change in the Brazilian energetic matrix, raising the amount of energy generated by thermoelectric power plants. The construction of new power plants, running on biomass, requires a crescent number of capacitated personnel to run them. The Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá – UNESP – has a steam laboratory; witch is deactivated, which has a thermoelectric plant of small capacity. The laboratory reactivation and the return of its activities can be an important tool in order to graduate engineer able to operate on such units. This paper proposes four new experiments to be simulated on the Collage’s Energy Dep. Steam Lab when it gets back to its educational activities

Avaliação do potencial de microgeração em despacho econômico para atendimento aos requisitos de etiquetagem de edifícios

The discussions about the energy rationalization are gaining more and more space on the everyday of engineers and other professionals in the field of energy. A greater focus is being tied to commercial buildings, because they are one of the biggest responsible for the high energetic expenditure according to the National Energetic Balance, especially by the use of air conditioners for the people’s thermal comfort. Such finding made INMETRO to develop a building labeling procedure through th National Program of Electric Energy Conservation in Buildings; by means of this systematic, the built areas are classified by levels that go from A(the best) to E(the worst), taking into account envelopment, illumination system and air conditioning. A bonus process based on water rationalization, use of renewable energy sources, cogeneration systems or technical innovations, allows the classification to be changed up to one level. A study made exactly on a commercial building, the building of Foundation for Technological and Scientific Development located inside of the College of Engineering of Guaratinguetá, sought to identify technical/economic alternatives for the building certification and appealed to the bonus based on water rationalization. The present study is based on analysis of deploying a cogeneration system formed by internal combustion engine and an absorption refrigeration system as bonus alternative, so that the costs are analyzed regarding energy consumption and use of the motor. With the calculations and results, the viability of the building to receive a bonus from INMETRO through its National Program for Energy Conservation in Buildings is studied and concluded from this study whether or not you can get a better level of energy efficiency for the building in question... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Modelagem e avaliação de um sistema de refrigeração por absorção para residências e instalações de pequeno porte

This work presents a study of the absorption refrigeration system and the modeling and evaluation of two cycles using the binary solutions water-lithium bromide and ammonia-water for an equipment to be used in small size plants like residences. The study and evaluation aims the complete understanding of all parts of the system and the influence of each one of them as well as the spread of the knowledge to raise the use of this type of equipment in all sizes in order to decrease the energetic consumption of plants of all scales and making viable the alternative sources. The study is done in each element of the cycle separately and in some auxiliary equipments required in the operation such as the main power source, the solar collector. The software used for modeling, with emphasis on thermal part, was the EES (Engineering Equation Solver), that permitted the thermal balance calculus and acquisition of the used fluids properties. The results obtained for the equipment shows the system is more complex than the widely used in business, however, it can be viable and represents an alternative to increase the energetic efficiency

Braquiterapia com sementes de iodo-125: manufatura e tratamento

According to the National Institute of Cancer – INCA, 466.730 new cancer cases will occur in Brazil in 2009. Prostate and Lung cancer in man are the most incident types (in exception of the non-melanoma cancer). The brachytherapy with 125-iodine sources is an important method of prostate cancer treatment. The implant with iodine-125 seeds uses aproximately 100 seeds that are imported impossibilitating the treatment in large scale. For this reason, a multidisciplinary group was created at the Energetic and Nuclear Research Institute – Radiation Technology Center (IPEN –CTR / SP) to develop a national 125-iodine source and established a facility for local production. The seeds manufacture in Brazil will diminish the cost of treatment and prostate brachytherapy will be offered to more patients. This work aim is to observe and discuss the methods used in seeds manufacture there are being developed in Brazil and to present an prostate cancer case folloied in A.C. Camargo Hospital. The 125-iodine is adsorbed in an silver wire, then deposited at titanium coat. The weld is made by an process of plasm sealing. The seeds goes through several test to guarantee that there is no leakage. The result is an high quality and cheaper product. The implant tecnique is an fast and save procedure. The medical physicst preplan the case to stipulate the quantity of seeds there will be used. At the dat of the implant the medical physicst replan the procedure due to changes of volume in the organ. That assure the correct dose distribution in the target. Besides, the 125-iodine low energy is absorbed at the volume of interrest saving sourronding healthy tissues such as the rectum and the urethra

Fibrolytic enzyme production of Myceliophthora thermophila M.7.7. using inexpensive carbon sources and mineral nutrients

This study investigated the effect of inexpensive carbon and nitrogen sources on enzyme production by Myceliophthora thermophila M.7.7 in solid-state fermentation. Three kinds of lignocellulosic waste (corn straw, sugarcane bagasse and sugarcane straw) and six nitrogen sources (urea, calcium nitrate, analytical ammonium sulphate, yeast extract, agricultural fertilizer NPK 20-05-20 and fertilizing grade ammonium sulphate) were tested. Some physical-chermical parameters of the fermentation, such as temperature, initial pH and moisture content of the substrate on enzyme production, were evoluated. The maximum activities of xylanase (446.9 U/ml) endoglucanase (94.7 U/ml) and beta-glucosidase (2.8 U/ml) were observed in a mixture of corn straw and wheat bran (1:1 w/w) as the carbon source using fertilizer grade ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source. This production occurred for an incubation period of 96 h, at 40°C, with initial moisture content of 70% and pH 5.0. These results have significant interest since they could be used for the future production of enzymes in a low-cost industrial process.

Different sources of forage with crude glycerin in diets with higher percentage of concentrate to beef cattle

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Viabilidade da geração de eletricidade a partir de fonte eólica on-shore: dificuldades e vantagens de expansão na matriz elétrica brasileira

The renewable energy sources presents an important role on the world's current context, its growing is essentially connected to the environmental issues and the energetic security, guided by the search for alternatives of energy. Among the alternative energy sources, the wind energy shows great importance in the brazilian territory, it has a great potential still unexplored and constant growth in the national electric matrix. The specific factor of generation, the conjuncture and the incentive politics influence on the expansion of wind energy in Brazil. Thus, the brazilian wind sector shows features which can be evaluated enable its developing. Keeping that in mind, the present work aims identify which are the advantages and the difficulties for the expansion of this energy source in the brazilian electric matrix. For that, the work studies the different parameters: features of electric generation of the different energy sources, incentive politics, generation costs, CO2 emission, evolution of wind energy in Brazil, the brazilian wind potential, and the regime of complementarily hydro-wind

Caracterização físico-química da biomassa produzida em sistemas florestais de curta rotação para geração de energia

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

Chemical and Fatty acid composition of different cuts cooked or uncooked from yearling bulls fed oil sources

This study evaluated the chemical and lipid composition of uncooked or cooked loin (Longissimus thoracis) and rump (Biceps femoris) in samples of 2.54 cm thick from 35 carcasses of Nellore young bulls finished in feedlot for 96 days and slaughtered at an average weight of 532.17 ± 30.25 kg and 24 months of age. The rump had the lowest level of protein and ash (18.57 and 0.90%, respectively) and the highest level of ether extract compared to loin (3.37 and 1.90%, respectively). Higher levels of cholesterol were found in rump compared to loin (40.91 e 30.93 mg 100 g-1, respectively). The uncooked loin showed lower content of saturated fatty acids and higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The best values for the omega-6: omega-3 ratio was observed in the uncooked beef. In the present study, the loin was healthier due to the higher amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to rump. Cooking the meat decreases the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3, omega-6 and the omega-6: omega-3 ratio.

Life cycle of Cosmolaelaps jaboticabalensis (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) on Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and two factitious food sources

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

Thermophilic fungi as new sources for production of cellulases and xylanases with potential use in sugarcane bagasse saccharification

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