Potencial Antibacteriano De Plantas Nativas Do Bioma Caatinga Frente A Staphylococcus Spp.: Isolados De Mastite Em Pequenos Ruminantes

The aim of the present study is to assess the antibacterial potential of plants from the Caatinga biome of the semi-arid region of Pernambuco, against Staphylococcus spp. isolates from cases of subclinical mastitis in small ruminants, such as goats and ewes. Ethanolic extracts of the following plants from the Caatinga biome were used: Encholirium spectabile Mart., Bromelia laciniosa Mart., Neoglaziovia variegata Mez., Amburana cearensis (Fr. Allem.) A.C.Smith, Hymenaea martiana Hayne, and Selaginella convoluta Spring. The presence of phenolic components, flavonoids, steroids, and terpenoids was verified for all the tested extracts. The mean minimal bactericide concentrations of the extracts of E. spectabile, B. laciniosa, and N. variegate were 11,379, 11,405, and 11,995 μg/mL, respectively. The highest inhibitory activities were observed for A. cearensis and H. martiana, which inhibited 88.1 and 99.4% of the isolates, respectively. Other studies focusing on in vitro and in vivo activities should be undertaken. © 2016, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Arid. All Rights Reserved.29375876

Signature for heavy Majorana neutrinos in hadronic collisions

The production and decay of new possible heavy Majorana neutrinos are analyzed in hadronic collisions. New bounds on the mixing of these particles with standard neutrinos are estimated according to a fundamental representation suggested by grand unified models. A clear signature for these Majorana neutrinos is given by same-sign dileptons plus a charged weak vector boson in the final state. We discuss the experimental possibilities for the future Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.Comment: Latex2e(epsfig), 12 pages, 8 figures, to appear Physical Review

Modeling functional network topology following stroke through graph theory:functional reorganization and motor recovery prediction

The study of functional reorganization following stroke has been steadily growing supported by advances in neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Concomitantly, graph theory has been increasingly employed in neuroscience to model the brain's functional connectivity (FC) and to investigate it in a variety of contexts. The aims of this study were: 1) to investigate the reorganization of network topology in the ipsilesional (IL) and contralesional (CL) hemispheres of stroke patients with (motor stroke group) and without (control stroke group) motor impairment, and 2) to predict motor recovery through the relationship between local topological variations of the functional network and increased motor function. We modeled the brain's FC as a graph using fMRI data, and we characterized its interactions with the following graph metrics: degree, clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, and betweenness centrality (BC). For both patient groups, BC yielded the largest variations between the two analyzed time points, especially in the motor stroke group. This group presented significant correlations (P<0.05) between average BC changes and the improvements in upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer (UE-FM) scores at the primary sensorimotor cortex and the supplementary motor area for the CL hemisphere. These regions participate in processes related to the selection, planning, and execution of movement. Generally, higher increases in average BC over these areas were related to larger improvements in UE-FM assessment. Although the sample was small, these results suggest the possibility of using BC as an indication of brain plasticity mechanisms following stroke

Características epidemiológicas e espaciais da hanseníase no Estado do Maranhão, Brasil, 2001-2012

Introduction: Brazil is the second country in prevalence of leprosy in the world, a fact that rectifies the assertion it is important health problem in our country, being specific public policies to combat disease. Objective: To describe and analyze the spatial profile of leprosy cases reported in the state of Maranhão. Methods: a quantitative descriptive epidemiological study approach to time series, using data from the Epidemiological Surveillance System (EVS) for the new leprosy cases in the Maranhão residents between 2001 and 2012. They were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Tabwin Microssoft 3.2 and Excel 2007 programs were used. Results: of the 54,719 new cases recorded, most were male (56.69 %), aged between 20 and 39 years (35.17%), brown (52.57%), with 4 years of study (43.33%). The most prevalent clinical form and operating class were multibacillary borderline and, respectively, the latter more frequent in males. The highest prevalence was found in St Louis (13.65%) and the highest detection rate was recorded in the municipality of Junco do Maranhão (23.27casos/10.000hab.). Conclusion: the study showed significant changes in the profile of the disease in the state over the years, reducing the absolute number of cases in some regions and endemic or hyperendemic standards in almost every state. The knowledge of spatial characteristics of the epidemiology of the disease enables the analysis of peculiarities and possible points of intervention, enhancing structural reforms with the potential to interfere with the epidemiological situation in the region.Introdução: o Brasil é o segundo país em prevalência de hanseníase no mundo, fato que retifica a assertiva de se tratar de importante problema de saúde em nosso meio, cabendo políticas públicas específicas de combate à enfermidade. Objetivo: descrever e analisar espacialmente o perfil dos casos de hanseníase notificados no Estado do Maranhão. Métodos: estudo epidemiológico quantitativo de abordagem descritiva, de série histórica, através de dados do Sistema de Vigilância Epidemiológico (SVE) referentes aos casos novos de hanseníase em residentes no Maranhão, entre 2001 e 2012. A análise se deu através de estatística descritiva, tendo sido utilizados os programas Tabwin 3.2 e Microssoft Excel 2007. Resultados: dos 54.719 casos novos registrados, a maior parte era do sexo masculino (56,69%), com idade entre 20 e 39 anos (35,17%), pardos (52,57%), com até 4 anos de estudo (43,33%). A forma clínica e classe operacional mais prevalentes foram a dimorfa e multibacilar, respectivamente, esta última mais frequente no sexo masculino. A maior prevalência foi encontrada em São Luís (13,65%) e o maior Coeficiente de Detecção foi registrado no município de Junco do Maranhão (23,27casos/10.000hab.). Conclusão: o estudo demonstrou mudanças significativas no perfil da doença no Estado no decorrer dos anos, com redução do número absoluto de casos em algumas regiões e padrões endêmicos ou hiperendêmicos em quase todo o Estado. O conhecimento das características espaciais da epidemiologia da doença possibilita a análise de suas peculiaridades e possíveis pontos de intervenção, potencializando reformas estruturantes com potencial de interferir no quadro epidemiológico da região

Parity and Time Reversal in the Spin-Rotation Interaction

A recently reported discrepancy between experimental and theoretical values of the muon's g-2 factor is interpreted as due to small violations of the conservation of P and T in the spin-rotation coupling. The experiments place an upper limit on these violations and on the weight change of spinning gyroscopes.Comment: 3 page

Search for fingerprints of disoriented chiral condensates in cosmic ray showers

Although the generation of disoriented chiral condensates (DCCs), where the order parameter for chiral symmetry breaking is misaligned with respect to the vacuum direction in isospin state, is quite natural in the theory of strong interactions, they have so far eluded experiments in accelerators and cosmic rays. If DCCs are formed in high-energy nuclear collisions, the relevant outcome are very large event-by-event fluctuations in the neutral-to-charged pion fraction. In this note we search for fingerprints of DCC formation in observables of ultra-high energy cosmic ray showers. We present simulation results for the depth of the maximum ($X_{max}$) and number of muons on the ground, evaluating their sensitivity to the neutral-to-charged pion fraction asymmetry produced in the primary interaction.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Mesoscopic modelling of 2-CN-PPV/PPV polymer LED

Although optoelectronic devices made of polymers are very attractive ones (low cost, easy to make), problems related to charge transport, exciton quenching, among others, can be an obstacle for their performance. The use of heterojunctions made of two polymers can be a strategy for improving the efficiency of polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) at low bias. Here we present a theoretical study of the influence of bilayer structure in a PLED made of PPV and 2-CN-PPV, by adopting a mesoscopic approach. Our results show that the presence of the polymer/polymer interface improves charge injection and leads to a confinement of charges near it, which will increase the number recombination events in the middle of the device compared to the equivalent single-layer PLEDs.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Programa Operacional “Ciência , Tecnologia, Inovação” POCTI/CTM/41574/2001, CONC-REEQ/443/EEI/2001 e SFRH/BD/22143/200

Decoherence in trapped ions due to polarization of the residual background gas

We investigate the mechanism of damping and heating of trapped ions associated with the polarization of the residual background gas induced by the oscillating ions themselves. Reasoning by analogy with the physics of surface electrons in liquid helium, we demonstrate that the decay of Rabi oscillations observed in experiments on 9Be+ can be attributed to the polarization phenomena investigated here. The measured sensitivity of the damping of Rabi oscillations with respect to the vibrational quantum number of a trapped ion is also predicted in our polarization model.Comment: 26 pdf pages with 5 figures, http://www.df.ufscar.br/~quantum

Antimicrobial Activity of the Extract of Stem Bark of Diplotropis Ferruginea Benth

This is the first report about the antibacterial activity of Diplotropis ferruginea Benth. In this study, the ethanol extract of D. ferruginea was tested for its antimicrobial activity against strains gram-positive and gram-negative. In order to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration, assays were carried out by micro dilution method. The extract was screened for antimicrobial activity, and it showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa