On the precision and accuracy of the acoustic birefringence technique for stress evaluation

This paper presents a numerical procedure for estimation of the precision and accuracy of the acoustic birefringence technique as used in the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN) for evaluation of residual and applied stresses in structures and components, mainly of the nuclear power industry. This procedure shall be incorporated to the signal processing module of the ultrasonic system used at IEN’s Ultrasonic Laboratory to account in an automatic and systematic way for the uncertainties in the input data and their propagation throughout the calculations. The acoustic birefringence is generally defined from the speeds of two mutually orthogonal volumetric waves of normal incidence, but when the use of a pulse-echo measurement system is feasible, the birefringence can be defined directly from the time-of-flight of the waves, since they travel the same physical space. The times-of-flight of the waves can thus be regarded as the primary variables of interest. They are estimated by coupling the mathematical techniques of cross correlation and data interpolation, whereas the material’s acoustoelastic constant is determined via a weighted linear regression. An Excel spreadsheet performs all calculations taking into account the uncertainties and the number of significant digits in the results. As an example of the procedure developed, the estimation of the precision and accuracy in the evaluation of the stresses acting in a beam under bending is presented. The analytical solution derived from the strength of materials theory was used as the reference value for accuracy estimation purpos

Phylogeny, ultrastructure, histopathology and prevalence of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of Brycon hilarii (Characidae) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil

This paper presents the morphological, histological and ultrastructural characteristics of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of the gill filaments in Brycon hilarii from the Brazilian Pantanal. Out of 216 B. hilariispecimens examined (126 wild and 90 cultivated), 38.1% of wild specimens (n = 48) were infected. The parasites form elongated plasmodia primarily in the tip of gill filaments, reaching about 3 mm in length. A thorough comparison with all the Myxobolus species described from South American hosts, as well as nearly all the Myxobolus species described so far is provided. Partial sequencing of the 18S rDNA gene revealed a total of 1,527 bp. The Myxobolus species parasite of B. hilarii did not match any of the Myxozoa available in GenBank. In the phylogenetic analysis, M. oliveirai sp. nov. composed a monophyletic group with eight other species: five species of Myxobolus parasites of mugilid fishes, two parasites of pangasiid and one of centrarchid. Infection prevalence values of the parasite revealed no significant differences between wet and dry seasons or between males and females. The importance of the infection to the farming of the host species is emphasized.FAPESPCEPTA - ICMBioCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES

Phylogeny, ultrastructure, histopathology and prevalence of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of Brycon hilarii (Characidae) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil

This paper presents the morphological, histological and ultrastructural characteristics of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of the gill filaments in Brycon hilarii from the Brazilian Pantanal. Out of 216 B. hilariispecimens examined (126 wild and 90 cultivated), 38.1% of wild specimens (n = 48) were infected. The parasites form elongated plasmodia primarily in the tip of gill filaments, reaching about 3 mm in length. A thorough comparison with all the Myxobolus species described from South American hosts, as well as nearly all the Myxobolus species described so far is provided. Partial sequencing of the 18S rDNA gene revealed a total of 1,527 bp. The Myxobolus species parasite of B. hilarii did not match any of the Myxozoa available in GenBank. In the phylogenetic analysis, M. oliveirai sp. nov. composed a monophyletic group with eight other species: five species of Myxobolus parasites of mugilid fishes, two parasites of pangasiid and one of centrarchid. Infection prevalence values of the parasite revealed no significant differences between wet and dry seasons or between males and females. The importance of the infection to the farming of the host species is emphasized1056762769sem informaçã

Screening of Strongyloides infection using an ELISA test in transplant candidates

OBJECTIVES: Hyperinfection or disseminated strongyloidiasis has been frequently reported after transplants and is related to high mortality. This study aimed to screen for strongyloidiasis using serological diagnoses in transplant candidates. METHODS: An ELISA test was performed with filariform larvae of Strongyloides venezuelensis as a source of antigen. RESULTS: In the serum from transplant candidates, anti-Strongyloides IgG antibodies were detected in 35/150 (23.3%) samples by soluble fractions in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 31/150 (20.7%) samples by soluble fractions in Tris-HCl, 27/150 (18.0%) samples by membrane fractions in PBS and 22/150 (14.7%) samples by membrane fractions in Tris-HCl. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest the ELISA test, ideally using soluble fractions of filariform larvae S. venezuelensis in PBS, as an additional strategy for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in transplant candidates

AVALIAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE ANTIOXIDANTE IN VITRO DE CAGAITA MADURA.

Introdução e objetivos: Eugenia dysenterica DC. (Myrtaceae), popularmente conhecida como cagaita, é uma frutífera nativa do cerrado. Seus frutos podem ser consumidos in natura ou processados. A polpa de cagaita apresenta elevada concentração de ácidos linoleico e linolênico, vitamina C e compostos antioxidantes. Os métodos in vitro de avaliação da capacidade antioxidante tornaram-se importante ferramenta pela crescente busca por novos antioxidantes naturais, com aplicação nas indústrias de alimentos, cosméticos, farmacêuticase na prática clínica¹. Objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar a atividade antioxidante in vitro do fruto de cagaita madura por meio de três diferentes extratos: aquoso, etéreo e etanólico. Metodologia: A atividade antioxidante foi determinada pelo método do DPPH (2,2 difenil-1-picrilhidrazil), segundo Brand-Williamset al. (1995)² com modificações de Borguini (2006)³. A leitura foi realizada no comprimento de onda à 517 nm e os resultados foram expressos em % de descoloração do DPPH. Resultados e discussão: O processo de extração, utilizando solventes com diferentes polaridades, possibilitou a extração de substâncias antioxidantes em quantidades variadas. Observou-se que o extrato aquoso exibiu maior potencial de antioxidante, com valor médio de 27,07±0,73% de descoloração do DPPH, quando comparados aos extratos etéreo (23,43±0,87) e etanólico (14,75±2,73). Segundo Pellegrini et al. (2007)4 e Melo et al. (2008)5, a solubilidade, em determinado solvente, é característica peculiar do fitoquímico, o que justifica a inexistência de um procedimento universal de extração em função da diversidade estrutural e sensibilidade dos compostos antioxidantes às condições de extração. Conclusão: Por meio dos resultados apresentados, pode-se concluir que a cagaita madura possui substâncias com capacidade antioxidante eficaz como fruto do cerrado e maior extração no extrato aquoso

Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Inactivated Monovalent Non-Adjuvanted Vaccine in Elderly and Immunocompromised Patients

Background\ud \ud Immunosuppressed individuals present serious morbidity and mortality from influenza, therefore it is important to understand the safety and immunogenicity of influenza vaccination among them.\ud Methods\ud \ud This multicenter cohort study evaluated the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of an inactivated, monovalent, non-adjuvanted pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine among the elderly, HIV-infected, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cancer, kidney transplant, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients. Participants were included during routine clinical visits, and vaccinated according to conventional influenza vaccination schedules. Antibody response was measured by the hemagglutination-inhibition assay, before and 21 days after vaccination.\ud Results\ud \ud 319 patients with cancer, 260 with RA, 256 HIV-infected, 149 elderly individuals, 85 kidney transplant recipients, and 83 with JIA were included.\ud \ud The proportions of seroprotection, seroconversion, and the geometric mean titer ratios postvaccination were, respectively: 37.6%, 31.8%, and 3.2 among kidney transplant recipients, 61.5%, 53.1%, and 7.5 among RA patients, 63.1%, 55.7%, and 5.7 among the elderly, 59.0%, 54.7%, and 5.9 among HIV-infected patients, 52.4%, 49.2%, and 5.3 among cancer patients, 85.5%, 78.3%, and 16.5 among JIA patients. The vaccine was well tolerated, with no reported severe adverse events.\ud Conclusions\ud \ud The vaccine was safe among all groups, with an acceptable immunogenicity among the elderly and JIA patients, however new vaccination strategies should be explored to improve the immune response of immunocompromised adult patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01218685)Fundação Butantan funded the study, and employed several of the authors. The funder had a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Search for squarks and gluinos with the ATLAS detector in final states with jets and missing transverse momentum using √s=8 TeV proton-proton collision data

A search for squarks and gluinos in final states containing high-p T jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS experiment in s√=8 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, with a total integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. Results are interpreted in a variety of simplified and specific supersymmetry-breaking models assuming that R-parity is conserved and that the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. An exclusion limit at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the gluino is set at 1330 GeV for a simplified model incorporating only a gluino and the lightest neutralino. For a simplified model involving the strong production of first- and second-generation squarks, squark masses below 850 GeV (440 GeV) are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino, assuming mass degenerate (single light-flavour) squarks. In mSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan β = 30, A 0 = −2m 0 and μ > 0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded for masses below 1700 GeV. Additional limits are set for non-universal Higgs mass models with gaugino mediation and for simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos, each decaying to a top squark and a top quark, with the top squark decaying to a charm quark and a neutralino. These limits extend the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded by previous searches with the ATLAS detector