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A single-surfactant templating method was explored for the synthesis of mesoporous zeolites under microwave irradiation, which allowed programming of temperature and time over a wide range of conditions and resulted in a significant reduction of the synthesis time. Most importantly, this approach eliminated the use of an organic molecular template for creating microporous zeolitic structure. Two preparation methods were examined: one-pot and two-step synthesis routes. The synthesized materials were shown to be micro-mesoporous structures consisting of zeolitic crystallites (ZSM-5/Mordenite-type) embedded into amorphous domains of hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica, MCM-41, with properties comparable with those reported for the samples obtained by dual templating and autoclave heating. Mesopores were created by soft-templating, whereas the crystalline microporous framework was formed in the absence of organic molecular template under microwave irradiation. One of the samples was tested as a catalyst in the cracking of vacuum gas oil, which resulted in obtaining hydrocarbons in the range of liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline and diesel, indicating that the mesoporous zeolitic materials prepared via single-surfactant templating under microwave irradiation are effective catalysts for the pyrolysis of vacuum gas oil. Both the synthesis procedure and the presented application of mesoporous zeolites address a few aspects of green chemistry and sustainability.

A sensor based in a graphite–polyurethane composite electrode modified with the mesoporous nanostructured silica with hexagonal array of pores called Santa Barbara Amorphous type material (SBA-15) containing nickel was built. The presence of Ni, incorporated during the synthesis of SBA-15, resulted in an increase in sensitivity when compared to the other electrodes based on the unmodified SBA-15. A procedure was proposed for the determination of Cu2+ in ethanol biofuel by square wave stripping voltammetry with linear response in concentration levels of 1.0×10−8 and 1.0×10−7 mol L−1, resulting in a limit of detection of 1.83×10−10 mol L−1 and precision (RSD) of 2.09 %.

Quasicrystalline Al80Mn12Si4X4 (X = Cr, Y, Sm and Nd) alloys were produced and their magnetic properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of atomic arrangements with pentagonal symmetry. The nature of the coupling of the magnetic moments was investigated for temperatures (T) varying from 2.0 to 300.0 K and for applied magnetic fields in the range ± 85.0 kOe. The dc magnetic susceptibility indicated that the net magnetic interactions are antiferromagnetic for the samples with Cr and Y. However, the samples with Sm and Nd showed to be ferromagnetic at low-T. The coercivity and the remanence determined from hysteresis loops at 5 K for the sample with Sm (Nd) was, respectively, 0.54 kOe (0.40 kOe) and 0.047 emu/g (0.19 emu/g). A spin-glass-like phase was observed for the AlMnSiNd (AlMnSiSm) sample below 2.7 K (2.4 K). The results are accounted for by taking into consideration the coupling among the rare earth magnetic moments.

The singularity of air-particle flow characteristics and segregation phenomenon are still the main obstacles for application of conical spouted bed (CSB) for fast pyrolysis. This paper aims to investigate statistically the operating parameters (minimum spouting velocity and bed pressure drop) and biomass segregation (biomass mixing index) in a CSB composed of biomass (coconut and cocoa shells) and sand mixtures. Models for the pressure drop and inlet air velocity at the minimum spouting condition and for the axial mixing index were obtained. The bed voidage does not change significantly with the increase of biomass mass fraction (coconut and cocoa shells), therefore, larger amounts of biomass can be used without greatly increasing or decreasing the inlet air velocity to stabilize the spouted regime. From the analysis of bed stability and particle segregation, significant insights were obtained for future application of the CSB for the pyrolysis of biomasses. It is recommended the use of mixtures with 40 wt% of coconut shells and 75 wt% of cocoa shells in initial pyrolysis tests in CSB reactor. The cocoa shells particles are more suitable to pyrolysis because of their higher flowability.

Catalytic activity is usually related to the acid-base properties of the catalyst material. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been evaluated as potential catalysts for several reactions. Cu-BTC (with a well-defined crystalline structure) and Fe-BTC (with a gel-like porous structure) have both shown the presence of Lewis surface acid sites based on the observed performance in different catalytic reactions. In this work, experiments of Inverse Gas Chromatography (IGC) and n-butylamine thermo desorption analysis were carried out in order to determine the acid-base properties of both materials. The IGC measurements allow to access the acid-base properties of the material surface by using acidic, basic and amphoteric molecules. Otherwise the n-butylamine thermo desorption measurements allow the quantification of those acid and basic sites from the n-butylamine desorption curves of a sample previously saturated with that probe molecule. The Lewis acid properties obtained by both methodologies showed to be more pronounced for the Fe-BTC MOF sample. The IGC measurements exhibited values of acidity constants (KA) of 0.81 and 0.60 for Fe-BTC and Cu-BTC, respectively. Furthermore the n-butylamine thermo desorption experiments indicate total acidities of 2.06 and 0.49 mmol g−1 for Fe-BTC and Cu-BTC, respectively.

A recent paper in Bioscience Reports (BSR20182189) describes the discovery of an interaction between the motor protein myosin Va and the metabolic enzyme spermine synthase. Myosin Va is a molecular motor which plays a key role in vesicle transport. Mutations in the gene which encodes this protein are associated with Griscelli syndrome type 1 and the ‘dilute’ phenotype in animals. Spermine synthase catalyzes the conversion of spermidine to spermine. This largely cytoplasmic enzyme can also be localized to the soluble fraction in exosomes. Mutations in the spermine synthase gene are associated with Snyder Robinson mental retardation syndrome. The interaction between the two proteins was detected using the yeast two hybrid method and verified by microscale thermophoresis of recombinant proteins. Knockdown of the MYO5A gene reduced the expression of mRNA coding for spermine synthase. The amount of this transcript was also reduced in cells derived from a patient with Griscelli syndrome type 1. This suggests that, in addition to a direct physical interaction between the two proteins, myosin Va also modulates the transcription of the spermine synthase gene. The mechanism for this modulation is currently unknown. These findings have implications for Griscelli syndrome type 1 and Snyder Robinson mental retardation syndrome. They also suggest that interactions between myosin Va and soluble exosome proteins such as spermine synthase may be important in the mechanism of exosome transport.

In this work, we propose a quantum-classical algorithm able to perform a k-fold cross-validation with linear speedup. The proposed method creates a quantum superposition with patterns from a dataset and a classifier can evaluate all patterns at once. We used a probabilistic quantum memory in order to conduct the performance evaluation. The proposed method was verified through a reduced experimental analysis conducted classically.

The adsorption of carbon dioxide on amino silanes-functionalized MCM-41 and SBA-15 materials is reported. The functionalization of mesoporous silicas was made by post-synthesis method, by impregnation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The carbon dioxide adsorption capacities for the samples were carried out under ambient pressures. The obtained results evidenced that amino-silanes with a terminal amine (–NH2) were functionalized through covalent coupling of this group on the surface of the channels in the ordered mesoporous silica, meaning that the amine is anchored on the surface of the bigger pores of the MCM-41 and SBA-15 support. For functionalized materials, the CO2 adsorption capacity of the AMCM-41 increased from 0.18 to 1.1 mmol·g−1, whereas for ASBA-15, it was from 0.6 to 1.8 mmol·g−1. The Lagergren kinetic algorithms were applied in order to validate the obtained results, evidencing the enhanced carbon dioxide adsorption capacity and stability of the functionalized ordered mesoporous molecular sieves.

The timely detection of small leaks from liquid pipelines poses a significant challenge for pipeline operations. One technology considered for continual monitoring is distributed temperature sensing (DTS), which utilizes a fiber-optic cable to provide distributed temperature measurements along a pipeline segment. This measurement technique allows for a high accuracy of temperature determination over long distances. Unexpected deviations in temperature at any given location can indicate various physical changes in the environment, including contact with a heated hydrocarbon due to a pipeline leak. The signals stemming from pipeline leaks may not be significantly greater than the noise in the DTS measurements, so care must be taken to configure the system in a manner that can detect small leaks while rejecting non-leak temperature anomalies. There are many factors that influence the frequency and intensity of the backscattered optical signal. This can result in noise in the fine-grained temperature sensing data. Thus, the DTS system must be tuned to the nominal temperature profile along the pipe segment. This customization allows for significant sensitivity and can utilize different leak detection thresholds at various locations based on normal temperature patterns. However, this segment-specific tuning can require a significant amount of resources and time. Additionally, this configuration exercise may have to be repeated as pipeline operating conditions change over time. Thus, there is a significant need and interest in advancing existing DTS processing techniques to enable the detection of leaks that today go undetected by DTS due to their signal response being too close to the noise floor and/or requiring significant resources to achieve positive results. This paper discusses the recent work focused on using machine learning (ML) techniques to detect leak signatures. Initial proof-of-concept results provide a more robust methodology for detecting leaks and allow for the detection of smaller leaks than are currently detectable by typical DTS systems, with low false alarm rates. A key use of ML approaches is that the system can “learn” about a given pipeline on its own without the need to utilize resources for pipeline segment-specific tuning. The potential to have a self-taught system is a powerful concept, and this paper discusses some key initial findings from applying ML-based techniques to optimize leak detection capabilities of an existing DTS system.

The magnetic properties of the double perovskites Sm2Mn1+x Co1-x O6 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.12 and 0.26) were investigated. It was found that the Curie temperature, the lattice parameters and the net magnetic moments increased for increasing amounts of Co. An irreversible behavior was observed by measuring the magnetization after cooling the sample with and without applied magnetic fields (H). The temperature below which the irreversibility was observed is H dependent and the data were nicely fit to de Almeida-Thouless lines. The ac magnetic susceptibility was measured for frequencies f in the range 0.03-10 kHz yielding [Formula: see text] for the shifting in the freezing temperature per decade of f . The spin-dynamics were found to follow a power-law with a product of the critical exponents [Formula: see text] of about 4.99. The overall results are understood within a framework where the variation in the bonding angle associated to the super-exchange interactions are taken into consideration.

Technological advances in lipid vesicles facilitate optimization of their properties to achieve therapeutic goals and promote alternative drug administration routes. Sildenafil citrate (SC) is orally administered for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, but local release would be advantageous in terms of efficacy and safety. In the present study, liposomes from egg phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol loaded with SC, with and without d-&alpha, tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (Vit E TPGS), were prepared by sonication of the components. A transmembrane pH gradient was applied for active loading of liposomes, and the size, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency (EE%) were determined. The liposomes were lyophilized and then nebulized. The nebulized samples were collected and the EE% was determined. The transmembrane pH gradient produced a significant increase in the EE% (from 17.68 &plusmn, 4.25% to 89.77 &plusmn, 7.64%) and, after lyophilization, the EE% remained the same as that of the originals, but the size and zeta potential were modified. EE% of liposomes decreased upon nebulization, particularly for those with Vit E TPGS. Thus, the additives used for lyoprotection reduced the impact of nebulization. Additional studies are essential, but according to these results, SC-loaded liposomes can be considered as suitable and safe carriers for the local release of sildenafil in the pulmonary system.

The present work describes the study of micro (H-ZSM-5) and mesoporous (AL-MCM-41) structures, aiming at their application in the production of renewable fuels through the thermos-catalytic pyrolysis process both were synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and surface acidity. The catalytic effect of the materials mentioned, as well as their mechanical mixtures in the proportions of H-ZSM-5 (75% wt) and AL-MCM-41 (25% wt), H-ZSM-5 (50% wt) and AL-MCM-41 (50% wt), H-ZSM-5 (25% wt) and AL-MCM-41 (75% wt) were used in the thermal and thermo-catalytic pyrolysis of sunflower oil. The products obtained in the presence of H-ZSM-5 (25% wt) and AL-MCM-41(75% wt) showed selectivity for the conversion of hydrocarbons between C11 and C16, which is near that of the petroleum-derived kerosene and diesel (&gt, C16). On the other hand, the H-ZSM-5 (75% wt) and AL-MCM-41 (25% wt) material, in which the majoritarian catalyst is the microporous, with active sites and a higher surface acidity, indicates selectivity for light hydrocarbons (C5-C10), in the range of gasoline obtained by the conversion of mineral oil. The presence of catalysts (AL-MCM-41and H-ZSM-5) favors the deoxygenation of the pyrolysis products of sunflower oil by decarbonylation reaction.

Epidermal differentiation is a complex process in which keratinocytes go through morphological and biochemical changes in approximately 15 to 30 days. Abnormal keratinocyte differentiation is involved in the pathophysiology of several skin diseases. In this scenario, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerge as a promising approach to study skin biology in both normal and pathological conditions. Herein, we have studied the differentiation of MSC from umbilical cord into keratinocytes. MSC were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) (proliferation medium) and, after characterization, differentiation was induced by culturing cells in a defined keratinocyte serum-free medium (KSFM) supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and calcium chloride ions. Cells cultivated in DMEM were used as control. Cultures were evaluated from day 1 to 23, based on the cell morphology, the expression of p63, involucrin and cytokeratins (KRTs) KRT5, KRT10 and KRT14, by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis or immunofluorescence, and by the detection of epidermal kallikreins activity. In cells grown in keratinocyte serum-free medium with EGF and 1.8 mM calcium, KRT5 and KRT14 expression was shown at the first day, followed by the expression of p63 at the seventh day. KRT10 expression was detected from day seventh while involucrin was observed after this period. Data showed higher kallikrein (KLK) activity in KSFM-cultured cells from day 11th in comparison to control. These data indicate that MSC differentiated into keratinocytes similarly to that occurs in the human epidermis. KLK activity detection appears to be a good methodology for the monitoring the differentiation of MSC into the keratinocyte lineage, providing useful tools for the better understanding of the skin biology.

Introduction: \ud The molecular and pharmacological complexity of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs used for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) favors the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which should be constantly monitored in post-marketing safety studies.\ud \ud Objective: \ud The aim of this study was to identify signals of disproportionate reporting (SDR) of clinical relevance related to the use of biologic drugs approved for RA and other autoimmune diseases.\ud \ud Methods: \ud All suspected ADRs registered in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System between January 2003 and June 2016 were collected. The reporting odds ratio was used as a measure of disproportionality to identify possible SDRs related to biologics. Those involving important medical events and designated medical events (DME) were prioritized.\ud \ud Results: \ud In total, 2602 SDRs were prioritized. The most commonly reported were ‘Infections and infestations’ (32.2%) and ‘Neoplasms benign, malignant, and unspecified’ (20.4%), and were mainly related to use of infliximab (25.3%, p

Satellite imaging technology continues to progress toward providing reliable, real-time remote monitoring of offshore asset health and safety. The fast growth of satellite constellations which offer high-resolution observation data over all weather conditions generates opportunities to monitor, predict, and report on a variety of incidents. This paper discusses a new satellite imaging monitoring technology with a case study focus on marine oil slick detection. Currently, typical applications of this technology face several limitations common to many remote sensors, such as reliance on a human-in-the-loop and the limitations imposed by individual sensors onboard a weight- and downlink-limited spacecraft. This paper discusses recent work in which deep learning was applied to multiple satellite imagery streams operating in different spectral bands to automatically detect oil slicks on the ocean surface. Different imagery streams were registered in space and time to create multidimensional composite images. These images were then used to train a deep neural network classifier to detect if oil is present or not present. The results of this work demonstrate that it is now possible to overcome several key limitations of satellite sensing technology. First, by leveraging multiple satellite sensors in parallel, both primary sensing modalities can be used to overcome the shortcomings of either. Second, initial results from the output of the machine learning classifier will be presented, showing that it is both feasible and advantageous to trust an algorithm for automatically monitoring offshore assets for leak events. When the human is removed from the loop, the time and cost it would have taken to manually review satellite imagery are significantly reduced, in turn increasing efficiency and operability. Lastly, additional potential applications that this work enables will be discussed. Multispectral imagery fusion overcomes the individual limitations of the sensors for oil slick detection and asset monitoring. Machine learning overcomes the human-in-the-loop limitations, allowing for reliable, automated, and large-scale monitoring necessary for offshore applications.

The aim was to assess adolescent satisfaction with childbirth and compare it with that of adult women.An observational comparative study was conducted during the period of October 2016 and April 2017 in a public maternity hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. The population included 50 adolescents (14-19 years) and 51 adults (20-35 years) mothers in post-partum after a term live birth. Maternal satisfaction was assessed by the North Bristol modified Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating Scale questionnaire with 18 items divided into five subscales (self, partner, baby, physician and overall) and two items on birth experience. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale and a total score was calculated. The main outcome measure was a total score on questionnaire.The mean maternal age of adolescents was 18 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 11-25) and for adults, 28.3 years (95% CI 26.1-30.7). Primiparity was more common among adolescents than adults (92% vs 43.1%, P 0.001). The median maternal satisfaction score of adolescents (88; 95% CI 83-90) was lower than that of adult women (90; 95% CI 87-93, P = 0.046). Adolescents also scored lower than adult women on the following subscales: satisfaction with baby (median 14 vs 15, P = 0.004) and satisfaction concerning care provided by doctors/midwives (median 33 vs 35, P = 0.006).Adolescents were statistically less satisfied with their childbirth experience. More dissatisfaction was seen among them specifically concerning their baby and the care provided by doctors/midwives. This shows that different strategies need to be developed for this specific group of women.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:34:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-04-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Recently much research has been conducted towards finding fast and accurate pattern classifiers applied to Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. In this way, researchers have proposed new methods based on Fuzzy ARTMAP Network (FAN) in order to enhance the success rate for structural damage classification applied to SHM applications. Conversely, the performance of methods based on FAN is very dependent of its setup parameters. In several SHM approaches in the literature, authors have proposed selecting those parameters by using several attempts (empirical and manual selection) and keeping them fixed for all cases in the resulting analysis, hampering the success rate of the neural network. To overcoming that, this paper introduces a new strategy for enhancement of structural damage identification focusing on supervised learning of FAN by using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for selecting optimal setup parameters automatically for the FAN algorithm. Also, the Kappa coefficient is used as an objective function to be maximized through the PSO algorithm. As a result, the optimum setup parameters improved the success rate while the damage identification is being carried out. Indeed this proposed method is certainly very promising and constitutes a novelty. The proposed method achieves more than 75% hit rate that is significantly higher than the state-of-the-art approaches as presented in this paper. Furthermore, this approach yields a 20% improvement when considering the worst case scenario. Hence, this approach shows a practical application of expert and intelligent systems applied to damage identification in SHM systems. To conclude, the proposed approach successfully identifies structural damage with accuracy and efficiency. IFMT– Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of Mato Grosso Department of Electrical and Electronic, Campus Cuiabá UFMT- Federal University of Mato Grosso Institute of Computing University of Michigan Department of Aerospace Engineering UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Campus de São João da Boa Vista UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Campus de São João da Boa Vista CNPq: 248665/2013-8

This study aimed to evaluate the energy efficiency of a center pivot irrigation system operating in a terrain of variable topography. Values of Pumping Energy Efficiency (PEE), Supply Energy Efficiency (SEE), Global Energy Efficiency (GEE) and Specific Energy (Es in kWh m-3) computed at 18 different angular positions of the lateral line were used as energy efficiency indicators. An ultrasonic flow meter, digital pressure transducers and a power quality analyzer were used in order to evaluate hydraulic (total system flow-Q and total dynamic head-TDH) and electrical parameters (active electrical power - AEP) of the center pivot pumping unit that were required for evaluating the selected energy efficiency indictors. Topographic elevations of the water source, the pumping unit and of the center lateral line were also determined. For the center pivot lateral line, it was necessary to determine, at the 18 angular positions considered, the altitude of the track of each center pivot support tower. Results indicated that currently, even after more than 10000h of use, the center pivot system operates with satisfactory energy efficiency, as indicated by an average GEE value equal to 42.5%, that is classified as “good”. Statistical analysis indicated that the topographic disposition of the center pivot lateral line, as characterized by a uphill or downhill disposition, resulted on different PEE, SEE and GEE values, while the average Es value (0.42 kWh m-3) was not affected by the lateral line disposition.

Polypropylene nanocomposites with expanded graphite nanosheets (xGN) were synthesized by In Situ polymerization employing a Ziegler-Natta catalyst supported on particles of MgCl2 containing xGN (mass ratio 1:1) and internal electron donor to control isotacticity, and their properties were compared with those of neat polypropylene obtained using a prepared standard Ziegler-Natta catalyst. SEM micrographs showed an alteration in the morphology of the catalyst with nanoparticles when compared with the standard one. It was noted that the catalyst containing xGN was more reactive for propylene polymerization than the standard one. By thermogravimetric analyses, it was detected that the PP/xGN nanocomposites showed higher thermal stability than PP. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the nanocomposites presented higher crystallinity degree, indicating that the nanofillers acted as nucleating agent. Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies showed that the nanofillers were well dispersed into the PP matrix. By dynamic-mechanical analyses (DMA) it was observed an increase in glass transition temperature and the nanocomposites moduli.

A considerable amount of research has focused on monitoring structural damage using Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technologies, which has had recent advances. However, it is important to note the challenges and unresolved problems that disqualify currently developed monitoring systems. One of the frontline SHM technologies, the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) technique, has shown its potential to overcome remaining problems and challenges. Unfortunately, the recently developed neural network algorithms have not shown significant improvements in the accuracy of rate and the required processing time. In order to fill this gap in advanced neural networks used with EMI techniques, this paper proposes an enhanced and reliable strategy for improving the structural damage detection via: (1) Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter, using both first and second derivatives; (2) Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN); and, (3) Simplified Fuzzy ARTMAP Network (SFAN). Those three methods were employed to analyze the EMI data experimentally obtained from an aluminum plate containing three attached PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) patches. In this present study, the damage scenarios were simulated by attaching a small metallic nut at three different positions in the aluminum plate. We found that the proposed method achieves a hit rate of more than 83%, which is significantly higher than current state-of-the-art approaches. Furthermore, this approach results in an improvement of 93% when considering the best case scenario.

Pregnancy in sickle cell disease is a problem due to the adverse outcomes related to the disease. Research into the role of chemokines in sickle cell disease is available, but studies investigating the disease in pregnancy are scarce. Our data show the chemokine profiles of pregnant women with sickle cell disease compared with control groups. There were no differences in MCP-1 level among the groups, but IL-8 and MIG were likely related with disease activity. In addition, levels of IP-10 were higher in pregnant women with sickle cell disease and, interestingly, RANTES levels were higher in normal pregnancy when compared to pregnancy in sickle cell disease. More studies should be encouraged to fully elucidate chemokine activity during pregnancy in sickle cell disease.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T16:08:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-12-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) β-thalassemia is a worldwide distributed monogenic red cell disorder, characterized by an absent or reduced beta globin chain synthesis. The unbalance of alpha-gamma chain and the presence of pathological free iron promote severe oxidative damage, playing crucial a role in erythrocyte hemolysis, exacerbating ineffective erythropoiesis and decreasing the lifespan of red blood cells (RBC). Catalase, glutathione peroxidase and peroxiredoxins act together to protect RBCs from hydrogen peroxide insult. Among them, peroxiredoxins stand out for their overall abundance and reactivity. In RBCs, Prdx2 is the third most abundant protein, although Prdxs 1 and 6 isoforms are also found in lower amounts. Despite the importance of these enzymes, Prdx1 and Prdx2 may have their peroxidase activity inactivated by hyperoxidation at high hydroperoxide concentrations, which also promotes the molecular chaperone activity of these proteins. Some studies have demonstrated the importance of Prdx1 and Prdx2 for the development and maintenance of erythrocytes in hemolytic anemia. Now, we performed a global analysis comparatively evaluating the expression profile of several antioxidant enzymes and their physiological reducing agents in patients with beta thalassemia intermedia (BTI) and healthy individuals. Furthermore, increased levels of ROS were observed not only in RBC, but also in neutrophils and mononuclear cells of BTI patients. The level of transcripts and the protein content of Prx1 were increased in reticulocyte and RBCs of BTI patients and the protein content was also found to be higher when compared to beta thalassemia major (BTM), suggesting that this peroxidase could cooperate with Prx2 in the removal of H 2 O 2 . Furthermore, Prdx2 production is highly increased in RBCs of BTM patients that present high amounts of hyperoxidized species. A significant increase in the content of Trx1, Srx1 and Sod1 in RBCs of BTI patients suggested protective roles for these enzymes in BTI patients. Finally, the upregulation of Nrf2 and Keap1 transcription factors found in BTI patients may be involved in the regulation of the antioxidant enzymes analyzed in this work. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Departamento de Genética e Evolução Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP) Departamento de Genética Evolução e Bioagentes Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) Departamento de Genética Fundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do estado de Pernambuco (HEMOPE) Hemocentro da Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP) Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Campus Litoral Paulista Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Departamento de Genética Biologia Evolutiva Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Campus Litoral Paulista FAPESP: 2011/50358-3

This paper proposes the third generation of the Power-Based Control, that is, an approach to effectively coordinate the operation of single- and three-phase inverter-interfaced distributed energy resources that can be arbitrarily connected among the phases of three-phase four-wire low-voltage microgrids. The aim of the approach is to precisely regulate the power exchanged with the main grid by fairly exploiting the available distributed resources while respecting their own local constraints. This allows to achieve demand-response, unbalance compensation, and improved voltage profiles, which is valuable for limiting stress conditions to the distribution infrastructure. The technique is based on a master/slave microgrid architecture where the distributed inverters act as slave units driven by a centralized master controller. This latter employs the Power-Based Control in order to steer the contribution of the inverters on the basis of the microgrid power status. In particular, active, reactive, and unbalance power terms are processed by the master controller and the corresponding microgrid's power needs shared among the distributed energy resources, to achieve the compensation target at the point-of-common-coupling with the main grid. The strategy proposed herein drives the three-phase inverters to operate balanced, which avoids unwanted voltage fluctuations at the DC-side of the inverters; instead, single-phase inverters, which can be connected arbitrarily among the phases of the distribution grid, are exploited to compensate any residual unbalances (i.e., negative- and zero-components). The control technique is analyzed and demonstrated by computer simulations considering a real urban meshed distribution network. Steady-state and dynamic results and performances are reported and discussed considering typical demand and generation profiles.

Conformance testing is a formal and structured approach to verifying system correctness. We propose a conformance testing algorithm for cyber-physical systems, based on the notion of hybrid conformance by Abbas and Fainekos. We show how the dynamics of system specification and the sampling rate play an essential role in making sound verdicts. We specify and prove error bounds that lead to sound test-suites for a given specification and a given sampling rate. We use reachability analysis to find such bounds and implement the proposed approach using the CORA toolbox in Matlab. We apply the implemented approach on a case study from the automotive domain.

Esse artigo utiliza a estrategia de controle baseado em potencia (power-based control) para coordenar inversores distribuidos de caracteristicas diversas dentro de uma microrrede de baixa tensao. Em um sistema trifasico com quatro fios, os inversores distribuidos podem ser trifasicos e monofasicos. Estes ultimos podem ser conectados entre fases, ou entre fase e neutro. Alem disso, existem as diversidades construtivas de cada inversor, por exemplo limitacao de processar potencia reativa ou impossibilidade de operacao desbalanceado. A estrategia proposta possibilita acomodar todos os tipos de unidades distribuidas respeitando suas limitacoes, e ainda atender restricoes de qualidade de energia e controle do fluxo de potencia trocada com a rede eletrica. Resultados de simulacao analisam o desempenho dinâmico e em regime permanente de tal estrategia de controle para microrredes usando uma rede em anel real tipica de zona urbana.

Background Although controversial, available data suggest a possible benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) for high-risk stage II colorectal cancer (CRC). The impact of sidedness and adjuvant CT duration in this setting is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of high-risk stage II CRC patients (pts). Methods We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of pts with stage II CRC treated between Jan/2011 and Dec/2018. Study data were collected using REDCap®. We compared overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of high-risk pts who received or not adjuvant CT. High-risk was at least one of the following: T4 stage, Results 1047 pts with stage II CRC were evaluated, and 540 had high-risk criteria.157 (29%) pts had right tumor and 352 (65.2%) left. 335 (62%) received adjuvant CT. Duration of CT was 3 – 6 months for 305 (91%) pts. Pts who received adjuvant CT had superior RFS and OS in comparison with those who did not receive adjuvant CT (5-year RFS: 75.5% vs 65.6%, HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41 – 0.82, P = 0.002; 5-year OS: 87.7% vs 76.1%, HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28 – 0.73, P = 0.001). No difference in RFS and OS was observed according to tumor side (left vs right, HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.56 – 1.31, P = 0.494). Prognostic factors in multivariable analysis were: T4 stage (HR 2.29, P = 0.002), emergency presentation (HR 2.44, P = 0.001), perineural invasion (HR 1.84, P = 0.025), and adjuvant CT (HR 0.45, P = 0.002). Conclusions Adjuvant CT was associated with improved RFS and OS in patients with high-risk stage II CRC, with a total gain of 11.6% in 5-year OS. Tumor side did not influence the outcomes in this study. Legal entity responsible for the study Camila Soares Araujo de Carvalho. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Currently, success is hard to achieve in software development (SD) projects. Studies have reported in which only 35% of projects might be considered as successful. In the same time, projects have been progressively more complex, what makes it even more challenging to succeed in such projects. People, in general, do not properly understand complexity phenomena besides the common sense of something is difficulty to achieve or resolve. Hence, in order to being able to cope with complexity, people need – beforehand – understand properly what it is. Therefore, this study claims that both – practitioners and researchers – should know theories, concepts and definitions for assessing and reflecting about complexity and taking decision in such environments. In addition, it might be important and useful know models and approaches for managing complex projects and navigate on complex situations. In fact, this research is an extensive and exploratory literature review based on works found in, both academic and industrial, search engines from 1990 until 2015. Then, it was necessary to identify the most remarkable ones according to the purpose of this paper by reading and categorizing them. The finding included an inclusive (not exclusive) definition of complexity/complex projects. Moreover, it was found some models and approach for supporting managers and team members working in complex project. The main limitations related to the study include the absence of a formal approach for performing the literature review (e.g. Systematic Literature Review); and the lack of empirical evidence (e.g. case studies, focus group, survey, etc.) obtained from real-world projects in order to increase reliability and robustness. These limitations open a field for future works and studies both in academia and in industry.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive decline, presence of amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) aggregates and neurofibrillary tangles. Kinins act through B1 and B2 G-protein coupled receptors (B1R and B2R). Chronic infusion of Aβ peptide leads to memory impairment and increases in densities of both kinin receptors in memory processing areas. Similar memory impairment was observed in C57BL/6 mice (WTAβ) but occurred earlier in mice lacking B2R (KOB2Aβ) and was absent in mice lacking B1R (KOB1Aβ). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the participation of B1R and B2R in Aβ peptide induced cognitive deficits through the evaluation of densitiesof kinin receptors, synapses, cell bodies and number of Aβ deposits in brain ofWTAβ, KOB1Aβ and KOB2Aβ mice. An increase in B2R density was observed in both WTAβ and KOB1Aβ in memory processing related areas. KOB1Aβ showed a decrease in neuronal density and an increase in synaptic density and, in addition, an increase in Aβ deposits in KOB2Aβ was observed. In conclusion, memory preservation in KOB1Aβ, could be due to the increase in densities of B2R, suggesting a neuroprotective role for B2R, reinforced by the increased number of Aβ plaques in KOB2Aβ. Our data point to B2R as a potential therapeutic target in AD.

Leg ulcers (LUs) are a debilitating complication of sickle cell anemia (SCA), with inflammation known to play a crucial role in their pathogenesis. Many studies have described the roles of T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 pathways in SCA; however, defects in anti-inflammatory responses are poorly understood. We evaluated interleukin (IL)-10 levels in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in SCA patients with leg ulcers (SCALU) and without leg ulcers (SCAWH) in addition to CD4(+) CD25(+)FoxP3(+) T cell populations and their its IL-10 expression. In stimulated and unstimulated PBMC cultures, SCALU patients produced higher levels of IL-10 than those in the SCAWH group. Higher levels of IL-10 in SCALU patients correlated with a history of osteonecrosis in stimulated and unstimulated cultures when compared with those in SCAWH. Immunophenotyping revealed that SCALU patients had a higher proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+), Tr1 and CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+)IL-10(+) T cells than other groups. Our findings revealed that IL-10 levels were increased in unstimulated cells from the SCALU group, and that this group also presented with a predominant CD4(+) CD25(+)FoxP3(+) cell population despite many of those cells being IL-10 negative.

Biodiesel is currently the most common biofuel alternative for diesel engines due to its technical, environmental and strategic advantages. In Brazil, the use of mixtures B(X) biodiesel/diesel as fuels is growing every year, mainly due to the calorific power of biodiesel, that is closer to the diesel oil, and even when added in small amounts, biodiesel provides a reasonable improvement in the fuel lubricity. The aim of this current work is to evaluate the thermal stability and physicochemical properties of biodiesel obtained from seeds of cotton, sunflower and palm. In addition, the properties of its mixtures with diesel oil in a proportion of 10 mass% (B10) were evaluated. All samples were characterized by gas chromatography and thermogravimetry. The results of the physicochemical analysis of the vegetable oils, their respective biodiesel and the B10 blends were in accordance with the Brazilian Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biodiesel (ANP) specification, except for the acid value of palm biodiesel. The palm oil and the cotton biodiesel were the most stable ones. All the samples showed a single thermal event, except palm oil that had two events. The most stable B10 blends were those obtained from mixtures of sunflower and palm. Furthermore, the addition of 10 mass% of biodiesel in mineral diesel improves the viscosity, cetane number and flashpoint, besides decreasing the sulfur content. Concerning the thermal stability of vegetable oils, the palm oil was the most stable one. However, for thermal stability of biodiesel samples, the cotton biodiesel was the most stable due to a high percentage of polyunsaturated esters present in its composition.

Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit a number of distinctive and entrancing properties that explain their ever increasing application in analytical chemistry, mainly as chemosensors, signaling tags, catalysts, analytical signal enhancers, reactive species generators, analyte recognition and scavenging/separation entities. The prospect of associating NPs with automated flow-based analytical is undoubtedly a challenging perspective as it would permit confined, cost-effective and reliable analysis, within a shorter timeframe, while exploiting the features of NPs. This article aims at examining state-of-the-art on continuous flow analysis and microfluidic approaches involving NPs such as noble metals (gold and silver), magnetic materials, carbon, silica or quantum dots. Emphasis is devoted to NP format, main practical achievements and fields of application. In this context, the functionalization of NPs with distinct chemical species and ligands is debated in what concerns the motivations and strengths of developed approaches. The utilization of NPs to improve detector's performance in electrochemical application is out of the scope of this review. The works discussed in this review were published in the period of time comprised between the years 2000 and 2013.

Objective: Report the incidence, epidemiology, clinical features, death, and vaccination status of patients with whooping cough and perform genotypic characterization of isolates of B. pertussis identified in the state of Paraná, during January 2007 to December 2013. Methods: Cross-sectional study including 1,209 patients with pertussis. Data were obtained through the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação – SINAN) and molecular epidemiology was performed by repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR; DiversiLab®, bioMerieux, France). Results: The incidence of pertussis in the state of Paraná increased sharply from 0.15-0.76 per 100,000 habitants between 2007-2010 to 1.7-4.28 per 100,000 between 2011-2013. Patients with less than 1 year of age were more stricken (67.5%). Fifty-nine children (5%) developed pertussis even after receiving three doses and two diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) boosters vaccine. The most common complications were pneumonia (14.5%), otitis (0.9%), and encephalopathy (0.7%). Isolates of B. pertussis were grouped into two groups (G1 and G2) and eight distinct patterns (G1: P1-P5 and G2: P6-P8). Conclusion: The resurgence of pertussis should stimulate new research to develop vaccines with greater capacity of protection against current clones and also encourage implementation of new strategies for vaccination in order to reduce the risk of disease in infants. Resumo: Objetivo: Relatar a incidência, aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos, morte e a vacinação de pacientes com coqueluche e realizar a caracterização genotípica de isolados de B. pertussis identificados no estado do Paraná, de janeiro de 2007 a dezembro de 2013. Métodos: Estudo transversal, incluindo 1.209 pacientes com coqueluche. Os dados foram obtidos através do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) e a epidemiologia molecular foi realizada por PCR baseada em sequências repetitivas (rep-PCR; DiversiLab®, bioMerieux, France). Resultados: A incidência de coqueluche no Estado do Paraná aumentou acentuadamente de 0,15-0,76 por 100.000 habitantes entre 2007-2010 para 1,7-4,28 por 100.000 habitantes entre 2011-2013. Os pacientes com menos de um ano de idade foram os mais afetados (67,5%). Cinquenta e nove crianças (5%) desenvolveram coqueluche mesmo depois de receber três doses da vacina e dois reforços com a vacina tríplice DTP. As complicações mais comuns foram pneumonia (14,5%), otite (0,9%) e encefalopatia (0,7%). Isolados de B. pertussis foram agrupados em dois grupos (G1 e G2) e oito padrões distintos (G1: P1-P5 e G2: P6-P8). Conclusão: O ressurgimento da coqueluche vem para sugerir novas pesquisas com o objetivo se desenvolver vacinas com maior capacidade de proteção contra os clones atuais e também implementar novas estratégias de vacinação, a fim de reduzir o risco de doenças em lactentes. Keywords: Whooping cough, Clones, Bordetella pertussis, Rep-PCR, Vaccine, Incidence, Palavras-chave: Coqueluche, Clones, Bordetella pertussis, Rep-PCR, Vacinas, Incidência

Lead (II) sulfide (PbS) were synthesized by sonochemical method and crystals with cubic structure exhibit aggregated nanoparticles with size in the range of 50-100 nm. Commercial Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) containing the PbS nanoparticles (PbS-NP) exposed to gamma irradiation were investigated and both the viscosity-average molar mass (Mv) and degradation index (DI) values were measured. Ours results showed decreases in molar mass when the systems were gamma irradiated, i. e., random scission effects that take place in the main chain. On the other hand, DI results showed that the addition of PbS-NP at 0.3 wt% into the PMMA matrix decreased 100% the number of main chain scissions. Results about the free radical scavenger action of the PbS-NP were obtained by use of 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-hydrazyl radical (DPPH) and are discussed in this study. Analysis of infrared spectra, refraction index, mechanical, and thermal properties showed influence of the PbS-NP in the physical behavior of PMMA.

Biodiesel has become an alternative to mineral diesel; it already has been in 7% biodiesel to diesel. The intention of the Brazilian government to increase the biodiesel content in the mixture to 10% which will promote an increase in demand for raw materials for the production of biodiesel. Among them is the beef tallow which is presented as one of the cheapest raw materials among the available ones. Associated with this increase in production has been the need to improve the processes of synthesis and analyze their properties as oxidative stability (OS) in mixtures with mineral diesel. Based on this, this study aimed to analyze the physicochemical properties and oxidative stability tallow biodiesel B10 and its beef mixture. In the present work, beef tallow biodiesel was synthesized through methylic rout and was mixture to mineral diesel type B (10 wt %) without anything additives. Physic-chemical properties of biodiesel samples and that mixture were determinate, indicating that both samples are agreement with Brazilian Specifications, and the mixture has showed around 10% less sulfur than diesel. Furthermore, oxidative stability of beef tallow biodiesel is higher than at stipulated in norm. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v7i1.680

The hydrothermal synthesis of MCM-22 zeolite was carried out using silica, sodium aluminate and hexamethyleneimine, under static conditions at 150 °C for a period of 10 days, followed by washing with deionized water, drying overnight and calcination at 650 °C. The obtained material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD analysis evidenced that MCM-22 presented a well defined MWW structure. The FT-IR spectrum confirmed the efficiency of the hexamethyleneimine as an organic template used to direct the structure of the MCM-22 zeolite under static conditions. The SEM image indicated that the particles are spherical in shape, with a diameter of ca. 10 μm. The acid properties of the MCM-22 zeolite, as determined by n-buthylamine adsorption, were investigated in the temperature ranges of 105 to 300 °C and 300 to 525 °C, relative to medium and strong acid sites, respectively.