Solvability in the large for a class of complex vector fields on the cylinder

This work deals with global solvability of a class of complex vector fields of the form L = partial derivative/partial derivative t + (a(x, t)+ ib(x, t))partial derivative/partial derivative x, where a and b are real-valued C-infinity functions, defined on the cylinder Omega = R x S-1. Relatively compact (Sussmann) orbits are allowed. The connection with Malgrange's notion of L-convexity for supports is investigated. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Fotogrametria na identificação de assimetrias posturais em cadetes e pilotos da academia da força aérea brasileira

Objective: To identify whether flight training activities cause postural changes in cadets and pilots of the Brazilian Air Force Academy (AFA). Methods: Eighty subjects were assessed through photographic images in anterior and right side views. Four groups of cadets (n=20 per group) divided according to the year since enlistment and a fifth group of fifteen pilots from the Air Demonstration Squadron (ADS) were included. Pictures were analyzed using the Postural Analysis Program (SAPO) and angles related to head vertical alignment (HVA), head horizontal alignment (HHA), acromion horizontal alignment (AHA) and anterior-superior iliac spine horizontal alignment (HAS) were plotted. Results: We did not find statistical significant differences in the angles: HVA, HHA and AHA. However, a significant difference was found for the HAS angle with pilots having lower values than cadets, suggesting greater postural stability for this variable in pilots. Conclusion: The horizontal alignment of the anterior-superior iliac spine was the only measure that showed significant difference in the comparison between pilots and cadets. The remaining alignments were not different, possibility because of the strict criteria used for admission of cadets at the AFA and the efficiency of the physical training that is performed periodically.

Inactivation of Neosartorya fischeri and Paecilomyces variotii on paperboard packaging material by hydrogen peroxide and heat

This study reports on the influence of heat and hydrogen peroxide combination on the inactivation kinetics of two heat resistant molds: Neosartorya fischeri and Paecilomyces variotii. Spores of different ages (1 and 4 months) of these molds were prepared and D-values (the time required at certain temperature/hydrogen peroxide combination to inactivate 90% of the mold ascospores) were determined using thermal death tubes. D-values found for P. variotii ranged from 1.2 to 25.1 s after exposure to different combinations of heat (40 or 60 degrees C) and hydrogen peroxide (35 or 40% w/w) while for N. fischeri they varied from 2.7 to 14.3 s after exposure to the same hydrogen peroxide concentrations and higher temperatures (60 or 70 degrees C). The influence of temperature and hydrogen peroxide concentration on the d-values varied with the genus of mold and their ages. A synergistic effect of heat and hydrogen peroxide in reducing D-values of Paecilomyces variotti and N. fischeri has been observed. In addition to strict control of temperature, time and hydrogen concentration, hygienic storage and handling of laminated paperboard material must be considered to reduce the probability of package's contamination. All these measures together will ensure package's sterility that is imperative for the effectiveness of aseptic processing and consequently to ensure the microbiological stability of processed foods during shelf-life. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proposal of non-invasive experimental model to induce scoliosis in rats

Background: In the literature, there are several experimental models that induce scoliosis in rats; however, they make use of drugs or invasive interventions to generate a scoliotic curve. Objectives: To design and apply a non-invasive immobilization model to induce scoliosis in rats. Methods: Four-week old male Wistar rats (85 +/- 3.3 g) were divided into two groups: control (CG) and scoliosis (SG). The animals in the SG were immobilized by two vests (scapular and pelvic) made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and externally attached to each other by a retainer that regulated the scoliosis angle for twelve weeks with left convexity. After immobilization, the abdominal, intercostal, paravertebral, and pectoral muscles were collected for chemical and metabolic analyses. Radiographic reports were performed every 30 days over a 16-week period. Results: The model was effective in the induction of scoliosis, even 30 days after immobilization, with a stable angle of 28 +/- 5 degrees. The chemical and metabolic analyses showed a decrease (p<0.05) in the glycogenic reserves and in the relationship between DNA and total protein reserves of all the muscles analyzed in the scoliosis group, being lower (p<0.05) in the convex side. The values for the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance indicated a resistance condition to insulin (p<0.05) in the scoliosis group (0.66 +/- 0.03), when compared to the control group (0.81 +/- 0.02). Conclusions: The scoliosis curvature remained stable 30 days after immobilization. The chemical and metabolic analyses suggest changes in muscular homeostasis during the induced scoliosis process.

URANS calculations for smooth circular cylinder flow in a wide range of Reynolds Numbers: solution verification and validation

The flow around circular smooth fixed cylinder in a large range of Reynolds numbers is considered in this paper. In order to investigate this canonical case, we perform CFD calculations and apply verification & validation (V&V) procedures to draw conclusions regarding numerical error and, afterwards, assess the modeling errors and capabilities of this (U)RANS method to solve the problem. Eight Reynolds numbers between Re = 10 and Re 5 x 10(5) will be presented with, at least, four geometrically similar grids and five discretization in time for each case (when unsteady), together with strict control of iterative and round-off errors, allowing a consistent verification analysis with uncertainty estimation. Two-dimensional RANS, steady or unsteady, laminar or turbulent calculations are performed. The original 1994 k - omega SST turbulence model by Menter is used to model turbulence. The validation procedure is performed by comparing the numerical results with an extensive set of experimental results compiled from the literature. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4007571]

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus outbreak in a pediatric intensive care unit: report of successful interventions for control and prevention

The objective of this study is to retrospectively report the results of interventions for controlling a vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) outbreak in a tertiary-care pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a University Hospital. After identification of the outbreak, interventions were made at the following levels: patient care, microbiological surveillance, and medical and nursing staff training. Data were collected from computer-based databases and from the electronic prescription system. Vancomycin use progressively increased after March 2008, peaking in August 2009. Five cases of VRE infection were identified, with 3 deaths. After the interventions, we noted a significant reduction in vancomycin prescription and use (75% reduction), and the last case of VRE infection was identified 4 months later. The survivors remained colonized until hospital discharge. After interventions there was a transient increase in PICU length-of-stay and mortality. Since then, the use of vancomycin has remained relatively constant and strict, no other cases of VRE infection or colonization have been identified and length-of-stay and mortality returned to baseline. In conclusion, we showed that a bundle intervention aiming at a strict control of vancomycin use and full compliance with the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee guidelines, along with contact precautions and hand-hygiene promotion, can be effective in reducing vancomycin use and the emergence and spread of vancomycin-resistant bacteria in a tertiary-care PICU.

Criteria for the request of preoperative tests among oral and maxillofacial surgeons

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the criteria employed for the requesting of preoperative tests among maxillofacial surgeons. Materials and methods: Thirty maxillofacial surgeons working in Aracaju (Brazil) received a questionnaire to fill out. The study inquired about the practice of requesting preoperative tests for healthy patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery. Results: Most of the surgeons interviewed requested tests that are not recommended for the case in question. The highest frequency of requests was a complete blood count, coagulation test, blood glucose test and chest radiograph. Conclusion: The absence of strict rules for the requesting of preoperative tests causes uncertainty and a lack of criteria regarding pre-surgical conduct. It was not possible to clearly define the criteria used by surgeons for requesting such tests, as the clinical characteristics of the hypothetical case presented suggest a smaller number of tests. (C) 2011 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians confiscated from illegal wildlife trade and used in an ex situ breeding program in Brazil

This paper describes an outbreak of chytridiomycosis affecting a group of Dendrobates tinctorius, a Neotropical anuran species, confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade and housed in a private zoo in Brazil as part of an ex situ breeding program. We examined histological sections of the skin of 30 D. tinctorius and 20 Adelphobates galactonotus individuals. Twenty D. tinctorius (66.7%) and none of the A. galactonotus were positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Multiple development stages of Bd infection were observed. The reasons for the interspecific difference in the rate of infection could not be determined, and further studies are advised. Because the examined population consisted of confiscated frogs, detailed epidemiological aspects could not be investigated, and the source of the fungus remains uncertain. The existence of ex situ amphibian populations is important for protecting species at higher risk in the wild, and ex situ amphibian conservation and breeding programs in Brazil may be established using confiscated frogs as founders. However, this paper alerts these programs to the urgency of strict quarantine procedures to prevent the introduction of potential pathogens, particularly Bd, into ex situ conservation programs.

Facial Profile Evaluation of Isolated Pierre Robin Sequence

Objective: To evaluate numerically the facial profile of children with isolated Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) and to compare them with a control group that has no pathologies and exhibits regular and balanced facial growth, with no skeletal alterations. Patients: Eighty-three children aged 5 to 10 years (PRS group, n = 60; control group, n = 23) were selected. Setting: Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Sao Paulo (HRAC-USP). Children from the control group were taken from the program of Interceptive Orthodontics at HRAC-USP. Design: Angular and ratio analyses of the facial profiles in both groups were realized through digital photographs. The PRS group was subdivided into two groups-complete and incomplete-according to the sagittal extension of the cleft palate, to investigate the possible influence of cleft extension on the face. Results: The facial convexity angle and the facial inferior third angle were considerably higher in the PRS groups than in the control group and were not significantly different between PRS groups. Nasolabial angle did not differ between groups. Conclusion: The facial profile was more convex in individuals with PRS than in those with regular facial growth and with no pathology. The mandible was responsible for the convexity of the profile in PRS because of its lack off anterior projection. An important relationship between the extension of the cleft palate and alterations in facial profile in PRS was not observed.

Organization and dynamics of Conselho Municipal de Seguranca Alimentar e Nutricional de Sao Paulo: implications of their participation on the creation of a municipal food and nutrition security policy

Objective This study analyzed the internal functioning, organization and political participation of the local food and nutrition security council and possible implications of their participation on the creation of a municipal food and nutrition security policy in the city of Sao Paulo. Methods This qualitative study was done in three stages: document analysis; observation of meetings and semi-structured interviews with board members considered key informants. The axis of analysis was the political participation of the council, considering its internal aspects, like board members, operating dynamics of political participation of its members and the relationship between these topics and the council's actions for the definition and creation of a food and nutrition security policy. Results The intellectual profile of the board members does not represent the majority of the population, thereby facilitating the omission of actual issues in council discussions. Its strict internal dynamics and the asymmetry of its members generally prevent the active participation of board members and, specifically, discussions about a food and nutrition security policy. The so-called "militant members" have a differentiated, more aggressive participation, with greater mastery of the subject and its topics. Conclusion The board member profiles, internal organization of the council, complexity of the subject and its low insertion in the society distance the council from social needs and lead them to act incipiently with regard to the municipal policies of food and nutrition security.

Plant invasions research in Latin America: fast track to a more focused agenda

While many developed countries have invested heavily in research on plant invasions over the last 50 years, the immense region of Latin America has made little progress. Recognising this, a group of scientists working on plant invasions in Latin America met in Chile in late 2010 to develop a research agenda for the region based on lessons learned elsewhere. Our three main findings are as follows. (1) Globalisation is inevitable, but the resultant plant introductions can be slowed or prevented by effective quarantine and early intervention. Development of spatially explicit inventories, research on the invasion process and weed risk assessments can help prioritise and streamline action. (2) Eradication has limited application for plants and control is expensive and requires strict prioritisation and careful planning and evaluation. (3) Accepting the concept of novel ecosystems, new combinations of native and introduced species that no longer depend on human intervention, may help optimise invasive species management. Our vision of novel ecosystem management is through actions that: (a) maintain as much native biodiversity and ecosystem functionality as possible, (b) minimise management intervention to invasives with known impact, and (c) maximise the area of intervention. We propose the creation of a Latin American Invasive Plants Network to help focus the new research agenda for member countries. The network would coordinate research and training and establish funding priorities, develop and strengthen tools to share knowledge, and raise awareness at the community, governmental and intergovernmental levels about the social, economic and environmental costs of plant invasions.

Probing the cosmic distance-duality relation with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, X-ray observations and supernovae Ia

Context. The angular diameter distances toward galaxy clusters can be determined with measurements of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and X-ray surface brightness combined with the validity of the distance-duality relation, D-L(z)(1 + z)(2)/D-A(z) = 1, where D-L(z) and D-A(z) are, respectively, the luminosity and angular diameter distances. This combination enables us to probe galaxy cluster physics or even to test the validity of the distance-duality relation itself. Aims. We explore these possibilities based on two different, but complementary approaches. Firstly, in order to constrain the possible galaxy cluster morphologies, the validity of the distance-duality relation (DD relation) is assumed in the Lambda CDM framework (WMAP7). Secondly, by adopting a cosmological-model-independent test, we directly confront the angular diameters from galaxy clusters with two supernovae Ia (SNe Ia) subsamples (carefully chosen to coincide with the cluster positions). The influence of the different SNe Ia light-curve fitters in the previous analysis are also discussed. Methods. We assumed that eta is a function of the redshift parametrized by two different relations: eta(z) = 1 +eta(0)z, and eta(z) = 1 + eta(0)z/(1 + z), where eta(0) is a constant parameter quantifying the possible departure from the strict validity of the DD relation. In order to determine the probability density function (PDF) of eta(0), we considered the angular diameter distances from galaxy clusters recently studied by two different groups by assuming elliptical and spherical isothermal beta models and spherical non-isothermal beta model. The strict validity of the DD relation will occur only if the maximum value of eta(0) PDF is centered on eta(0) = 0. Results. For both approaches we find that the elliptical beta model agrees with the distance-duality relation, whereas the non-isothermal spherical description is, in the best scenario, only marginally compatible. We find that the two-light curve fitters (SALT2 and MLCS2K2) present a statistically significant conflict, and a joint analysis involving the different approaches suggests that clusters are endowed with an elliptical geometry as previously assumed. Conclusions. The statistical analysis presented here provides new evidence that the true geometry of clusters is elliptical. In principle, it is remarkable that a local property such as the geometry of galaxy clusters might be constrained by a global argument like the one provided by the cosmological distance-duality relation.

Engineering Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients by Spray Drying: Effects on Physical Properties and In Vitro Dissolution

Active pharmaceutical ingredients have very strict quality requirements; minor changes in the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceuticals can adversely affect the dissolution rate and therefore the bioavailability of a given drug. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of spray drying on the physical and in vitro dissolution properties of four different active pharmaceutical ingredients, namely carbamazepine, indomethacin, piroxicam, and nifedipine. Each drug was dispersed in a solution of ethanol and water (70:30) and subjected to single-step spray drying using similar operational conditions. A complete characterization of the spray-dried drugs was performed via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), particle size distribution analysis, solubility analysis, and an in vitro dissolution study. The results from the thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction showed that, except for carbamazepine, no chemical modifications occurred as a result of spray drying. Moreover, the particle size distribution of all the spray-dried drugs significantly decreased. In addition, SEM images showed that most of the particles had an irregular shape. There was no significant improvement in the solubility of the spray-dried drugs compared with the unprocessed compounds; however, in general, the dissolution rates of the spray-dried drugs showed a remarkable improvement over their non-spray-dried counterparts. Therefore, the results from this study demonstrate that a single spray-drying step may lead to changes in the physical properties and dissolution characteristics of drugs and thus improve their therapeutic action.

Effect of the vanadium(V) concentration on the spectroscopic properties of nanosized europium-doped yttrium phosphates

Nanosized rare earth phosphovanadate phosphors (Y(P,V)O-4:Eu3+) have been prepared by applying the organic-inorganic polymeric precursors methodology. Luminescent powders with tetragonal structure and different vanadate concentrations (0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100%, with regard to the phosphate content) were then obtained for evaluation of their structural and spectroscopic properties. The solids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, vibrational spectroscopy (Raman and infrared), and electronic spectroscopy (emission, excitation, luminescence lifetimes, chromaticity, quantum efficiencies, and Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters). The solids exhibited very intense D-5(0) -> F-7(J) Eu3+ transitions, and it was possible to control the luminescent characteristics, such as excitation maximum, lifetime and emission colour, through the vanadium(V) concentration. The observed luminescent properties correlated to the characteristics of the chemical environments around the Eu3+ ions with respect to the composition of the phosphovanadates. The Eu3+ luminescence spectroscopy results indicated that the presence of larger vanadium(V) amounts in the phosphate host lattice led to more covalent and polarizable chemical environments. So, besides allowing for control of the luminescent properties of the solids, the variation in the vanadate concentration in the obtained YPO4:Eu3+ phosphors enabled the establishment of a strict correlation between the observable spectroscopic features and the chemical characteristics of the powders.

Influence of intentional ankylosis of deciduous canines to reinforce the anchorage for maxillary protraction

Introduction: This retrospective cephalometric study analyzed the influence of intentional ankylosis of deciduous canines in patients with Class III malocclusion and anterior crossbite, in the deciduous and early mixed dentition stages, treated by orthopedic maxillary expansion followed by maxillary protraction. Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 40 patients were used, divided in 2 groups paired for age and gender. The Ankylosis Group was composed of 20 patients (10 boys and 10 girls) treated with induced ankylosis and presenting initial and final mean ages of 7 years 4 months and 8 years 3 months, respectively, with a mean period of maxillary protraction of 11 months. The Control Group comprised 20 patients (10 boys and 10 girls) treated without induced ankylosis, with initial and final mean ages of 7 years 8 months and 8 years 7 months, respectively, with a mean period of maxillary protraction of 11 months. Two-way analysis of variance and covariance analysis were applied to compare the initial and final cephalometric variables and the treatment changes between groups. Results: According to the results, the variables evidencing the significant treatment changes between groups confirmed that the intentional ankylosis enhanced the sagittal response of the apical bases (Pg-NPerp) and increased the facial convexity angles (NAP and ANB). Conclusions: The protocol involving intentional ankylosis of deciduous canines enhanced the sagittal response of the apical bases.