Decreases in molecularity promote conversion when reactions are catalyzed by enzymes immobilized in slab-shaped beads

Application of Fick's first law to substrate undergoing chemical reaction catalyzed by an enzyme immobilized in a porous slab-shaped bead leads to substrate concentration profiles that are flatter when the ratio of stoichiometric coefficients of product to reactant (x) is lower. Since the actual effectiveness factor decreases when x increases (at approximately the same rate irrespective of the value taken by the Michaelis-Menten parameter), then considerable overprediction of the conversion levels obtained within a given reaction timeframe will occur if the simplistic (and more easily modelled) situation of equimolar counterdiffusion is taken for modelling purposes when x>1

Ingestão De Carnes Em Adultos: Estudo De Base Populacional Na Cidade De Campinas, Brasil. Um Estudo Transversal

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Meat is a food with high nutritional density that has significant participation in the Brazilian diet. However, in excess it can cause harm to health. The aim of this study was to analyze the meat intake (g/day) among adults according to sociodemographic, behavioral and health situation characteristics, and to assess the types of meat most consumed. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional population-based study conducted in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2008 and 2009. METHODS: Two-stage cluster sampling was used. The analysis included 948 adults between 20 and 59 years, who were participants in the Campinas Health Survey. Meat intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall. RESULTS: The mean meat intake adjusted for sex and age was 182.3 g (95% CI: 170.6-193.9 g), with significantly lower intake among women, individuals aged 50 years or over, those with the presence of two or more self-reported chronic diseases and those with three or more health complaints. Higher meat intake was found in segments with intermediate monthly family income (between 1 and 3 minimum wages), those with 16 or more appliances per household and those who consumed soft drinks seven days a week. Beef was consumed most frequently (44%) among the meats in the diet, followed by poultry, fish and pork. CONCLUSION: The data from this study reveal high meat intake in the population of Campinas and identify the segments that need to be prioritized for strategies directed towards appropriate meat intake. © 2016, Associacao Paulista de Medicina. All rights reserved.1342138145409747-2006-8, CNPq, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Toll-like receptor 4 mediates intrauterine growth restriction after systemic Campylobacter rectus infection in mice: TLR4 mediates IUGR after C. rectus infection

Campylobacter rectus is associated with fetal exposure and low-birth weight in humans. C. rectus also invades placental tissues and induces fetal intrauterine growth-restriction (IUGR) in mice, along with Toll-like receptors (TLR4) overexpression, suggesting that TLR4 may mediate placental immunity and IUGR in mice. To test this hypothesis we examined the effect of in vitroTLR4 neutralization in trophoblastic proinflammatory activity and studied the IUGR phenotype in a congenic TLR4-mutant mouse strain after in vivo C. rectus infection. Human trophoblasts were pretreated with TLR4 neutralizing antibodies and infected with C. rectus; pro-inflammatory cytokine production was assessed by cytokine multiplexing assays. Neutralizing TLR4 antibodies significantly impaired the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in trophoblastic cells after infection in a dose-dependent manner. We used a subcutaneous chamber model to provide a C. rectus challenge in BALB/cAnPt (TLR4Lps-d) and wild-type(WT) females. Females were mated with WT or TLR4Lps-dmales once/week; pregnant mice were infected at (E)7.5 and sacrificed at (E)16.5 to establish IUGR phenotypes. Maternal C. rectus infection significantly decreased fetal weight/length in infected WT when compared to sham WT controls(PLps-d−/− mice did not show statistically significant differences in fetal weight and length when compared to WT controls(P>0.05). Furthermore, heterozygous TLR4Lps-d −/+fetuses showed IUGR phenotype rescue. We concluded that TLR4 is an important mediator of trophoblastic proinflammatory responses and TLR4-deficient fetuses do not develop IUGR phenotypes after C. rectus infection, suggesting that placental cytokine activation is likely to be mediated by TLR4 during low birth weight/preterm delivery pathogenesis

A possible Reinterpretation of Einstein's Equations

In this paper, we first review Huei's formulation in which it is shown that the linearized Einstein equations can be written in the same form as the Maxwell equations. We eliminate some imperfections like the scalar potential which is ill linked to the electric-type field, the Lorentz-type force which is obtained with a time independence restriction and the undesired factor 4 which appears in the magnetic-type part. Second, from these results and in the light of a recent work by C.C. Barros, we propose an extension of the equivalence principle and we suggest a new interpretation for Einstein's equations by showing that the electromagnetic Maxwell equations can be derived from a new version of Einstein's ones.Comment: 11 pages, no figure

Use of floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydropower plants: Case study of the hydroelectric plants of the Sao Francisco River basin

[EN] In recent years, the Brazilian electricity sector has seen a considerable reduction in hydroelectric production and an increase in dependence on the complementation of thermoelectric power plants to meet the energy demand. This issue has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which has intensified climate change and modified rainfall regimes in several regions of the country, as well as increased the cost of energy. The use of floating PV plants in coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants can establish a mutual compensation between these sources and replace a large portion of the energy that comes from thermal sources, thereby reducing the dependence on thermoelectric energy for hydropower complementation. Thus, this paper presents a procedure for technically and economically sizing floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants. A case study focused on the hydroelectric plants of the Sao Francisco River basin, where there has been intense droughts and increased dependence on thermoelectric energy for hydropower complementation. The results of the optimized design show that a PV panel tilt of approximately 3 degrees can generate energy at the lowest cost (from R $298.00/MWh to R$312.00/MWh, depending on the geographical location of the FLOATING PV platform on the reservoir). From an energy perspective, the average energy gain generated by the hydroelectric plant after adding the floating PV generation was 76%, whereas the capacity factor increased by 17.3% on average. In terms of equivalent inflow, the PV source has a seasonal profile that compliments the natural inflow of the river. Overall, the proposed coordinated operation could replace much of the thermoelectric generation in Brazil.The authors would like to thank the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq; in Portuguese) for granting a productivity in research scholarship to Prof. Regina Mambeli Barros (PQ2, Process number: 301986/2015-0) and Prof. Geraldo Lúcio Tiago Filho and to the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Capes; in Portuguese) for granting the Master of Science scholarship to Naidion Motta Silvério and the Doctorate scholarship to Ivan Felipe da Silva dos Santos.Silverio, N.; Barros, R.; Tiago Filho, GL.; Redón-Santafé, M.; Silva Dos Santos, IF.; De Mello Valerio, VE. (2018). Use of floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydropower plants: Case study of the hydroelectric plants of the Sao Francisco River basin. Energy Conversion and Management. 171:339-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2018.05.095S33934917

The role of serum levels of vitamin D in children’s muscle strength: A systematic review

This review aims to investigate the different levels of vitamin D and its role in muscle strength in healthy children and non-athletes. A search conducted in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Psycinfo) resulted in 655 articles, which were systematically analyzed and selected based on the following criteria: (a) original cross-sectional studies and clinical trials; (b) healthy children aged 5-11 years; (c) no language restriction or year of publication; and (d) studies that assessed the possible relationship between vitamin D levels and muscle strength. Six studies were included because they met all the inclusion criteria. According to the findings of this review, factors such as sex, skin color, and vitamin D supplementation early in life modulate the levels of vitamin D in the body, and there is a relationship between muscle strength and vitamin D levels. Interestingly, vitamin D supplementation is not always significantly associated with increased muscle grip strength. However, there is a scarcity of studies that aim to analyze the possible effects of different levels of vitamin D on muscle function and neuromuscular variables in physically inactive children and non-athletes without previously diagnosed disease. Further studies are warranted in the future to address the gap in the literature

Health Related Quality Of Life Among The Elderly: A Population-based Study Using Sf-36 Survey [qualidade De Vida Relacionada á Saúde Em Idosos, Avaliada Com O Uso Do Sf-36 Em Estudo De Base Populacional]

As life expectancy continues to rise, one of the greatest challenges of public health is to improve the quality of later years of life. The aim of this present study was to analyze the quality of life profile of the elderly across different demographic and socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out in two stages, involving 1,958 individuals aged 60 years or more. Health related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The lowest scores were found among measures for vitality, mental health and general health and the highest among factors including social functioning and role limitations due to emotional and physical factors. HRQOL was found to be worse among women, in individuals at advanced ages, those who practiced evangelical religions and those with lower levels of income and schooling. The greatest differences in SF-36 scores between the categories were observed in functional capacity and physical factors. The results suggest that healthcare programs for the elderly should take into account the multi-dimensionality of health and social inequalities so that interventions can target the most affected elements of HRQOL as well as the most vulnerable subgroups of the population.251021592167Barros, M.B.A., César, C.L.G., Carandina, L., Torre, G.D., Desigualdades sociais na prevalência de doenças crônicas no Brasil, PNAD-2003 (2006) Ciênc Saúde Cole-tiva, 11, pp. 911-26Ramos, L.R., Fatores determinantes do envelheci-mento saudável em idosos residentes em centrourbano (2003) Cad Saúde Pública, 19, pp. 793-8. , Projeto Epidoso, São PauloBowling, A., Brazier, J., Quality of life in social science and medicine (1995) Soc Sci Med, 41, pp. 1337-8Position paper from the World Health Organization (1995) The World Health Organization Quality of Life As-sessment (whoqol), 41, pp. 1403-9Seidl, E.M.F., Zannon, C.M.L.C., Qualidade de vida e saúde: Aspectos conceituais e metodológicos (2004) Cad Saúde Pública, 20, pp. 580-8(2000) Measuring Health Days, , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIdler, E.L., Benyamini, Y., Self-rated health and mortality: A review of twenty-seven community studies (1997) J Health Soc Behav, 38, pp. 21-37Viacava, F., Informações em saúde: A importância dos inquéritos populacionais (2002) Ciênc Saúde Coletiva, 7, pp. 607-21Ware, J.E., Gandek, B., Overview of the SF-36 Health Survey and International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) project (1998) J Clin Epidemiol, 51, pp. 903-12Tsay, S.Y., Chi, L.Y., Lee, C.H., Chou, P., Health-related quality of life as a predictor of mortality among community-dwelling older persons (2007) Eur J Epidemiol, 22, pp. 19-26Ciconelli, R.M., Ferraz, M.B., Santos, W., Meinão, I., Qua-Resma, M.R., Tradução para a língua portuguesa e validação do questionário genérico de avaliação de qualidade de vida SF-36 (Brasil SF-36) (1999) Rev Bras Reumatol, 39, pp. 143-50Perkins, A.J., Stump, T.E., Monahan, P.O., McHorney, C.A., Assessment of differential item functioning for demographic comparisons in the MOS SF-36 health survey (2006) Qual Life Res, 15, pp. 331-48Wyss, K., Wagner, A.K., Whiting, D., Mtasiwa, D.M., Tanner, M., Gandek, B., Validation of the Kiswalhili version of the SF-36 Health Survey in a representative sample of an urban population in Tanzania (1999) Qual Life Res, 8, pp. 111-20Li, L., Wang, H.M., Shen, Y., Chinese SF-36 Health Survey: Translation, cultural adaptation, validation and normalization (2003) J Epidemiol Community Health, 57, pp. 259-65Cesar, C.L.G., (2005) Metodologia, pp. 37-46. , Ce ́sar CLG, Carandina L, Alves MCGP, Barros MBA, Goldbaum M, organizadores. Saúde e condição de vida em São Paulo. Inquérito multicêntrico de saúde no Estado de São Paulo, 2005 ISA-SP, São Paulo: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São PauloAlves, M.C.G.P., (2005) Plano De Amostragem, pp. 47-62. , In: César CLG, Carandina L, Alves MCGP, Barros MBA, Goldbaum M, organizadores. Saúde e condição de vida em São Paulo. Inquérito multicêntrico de saúde no Estado de São Paulo 2005 ISA-SP, São Paulo: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São PauloHuang, I.-C., Wu, A.W., Frangakis, C., Do the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF measure the same constructs? Evidence from the Taiwan population (2006) Qual Life Res, 15, pp. 15-24Lam, C.L.K., Gandek, B., Ren, X.S., Chan, M.S., Tests of scaling assumptions and construct validity of the Chinese (HK) version of the SF-36 Health Survey (1998) J Clin Epidemiol, 51, pp. 1139-47Leplège, A., Escosse, E., Verdier, A., Pernerger, T.V., The French SF-36 Health Survey: Translation, cultural adaptation and preliminary psychometric evaluation (1998) J Clin Epidemiol, 51, pp. 1013-23Dachs, J.N.W., Santos, A.P.R., Auto-avaliação do estado de saúde no Brasil: Análise dos dados da PNAD/2003 (2006) Ciênc Saúde Coletiva, 11, pp. 887-94Szwarcwald, C.L., Souza-Júnior, P.R.B., Esteves, M.A.P., Damacena, G.N., Viacava, F., Socio-demographic determinants of self-rated health in Brazil (2005) Cad Saúde Pública, 21, pp. S54-64. , SupplBeltrão, K.I., Sugahara, S., Comparação de infor-mações sobre saúde das populações brasileira e norte-americana baseada em dados da PNAD/98e USA NHIS/96 (2002) Ciênc Saúde Coletiva, 7, pp. 841-67Barros, M.B.A., (2005) Auto-avaliação De Saúde, pp. 173-82. , In: César CLG, Carandina L, Alves MCGP, Barros MBA, Gold-baum M, organizadores. Saúde e condição de vida em São Paulo. Inquérito multicêntrico de saúde no Estado de São Paulo 2005 ISA-SP, São Paulo: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São PauloPinheiro, R.S., Viacava, F., Travassos, C., Brito, A.S., Gê-nero, morbidade, acesso e utilização de services de saúde no Brasil (2002) Ciênc Saúde Coletiva, 7, pp. 687-707Dachs, J.N.W., Determinantes das desigualdades na auto-avaliação do estado de saúde no Brasil: Análi-se dos dados da PNAD/1998 (2002) Ciênc Saúde Coletiva, 7, pp. 641-57Franks, P., Gold, M.R., Fiscella, K., Sociodemographics, self-rated health and mortality in US (2003) Soc Sci Med, 56, pp. 2505-14Amorim, V.M.S.L., Barros, M.B.A., Cã©sar, C.L.G., Carandi-Na, L., Goldbaum, M., Fatores associados à não rea-lização do exame de Papanicolaou: Um estudo debase populacional no Município de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil (2006) Cad Saúde Pública, 22, pp. 2329-38Zaitune, M.P.A., Barros, M.B.A., Cã©sar, C.L.G., Carandi-Na, L., Goldbaum, M., Hipertensão arterial em ido-sos: Prevalência, fatores associados e práticas decontrole no Município de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil (2006) Cad Saúde Pública, 22, pp. 285-94Moreira-Almeida, A., Neto, F.L., Koenig, H.G., Reli-giousness and mental health: A review (2006) Rev Bras Psiquiatr, 28, pp. 242-50Botega, N.J., Barros, M.B.A., Oliveira, H.B., Dalgalarron-Do, P., Marín-León, L., Suicidal behavior in the community: Prevalence and factors associated with suicidal ideation (2005) Rev Bras Psiquiatr, 27, pp. 45-53Barros, M.B.A., Botega, N.J., Dalgalarrondo, P., Marín-León, L., Oliveira, H.B., Prevalence of alcohol abuseand associated factors in a population-based study (2007) Rev Saúde Pública, 41, pp. 502-9Lima-Costa, M.F., Barreto, S., Giatti, L., Uchôa, E., De-sigualdade social e saúde entre idosos brasilei-ros: Um estudo baseado na Pesquisa Nacional por Amostras de Domicílios (2003) Cad Saúde Pública, 19, pp. 745-57Lima-Costa, M.F., Veras, R., Saúde pública e envelhe-cimento (2003) Cad Saúde Pública, 19, pp. 700-1(2005) Uma Política De Saúde, , Organização Mundial da Saúde. Envelhecimento ativo, Brasília: Organização Pan-Americana da Saúd

Increased TLR4 Expression in Murine Placentas after Oral Infection with Periodontal Pathogens

Maternal periodontitis has emerged as a putative risk factor for preterm births in humans. The periodontitis-associated dental biofilm is thought to serve as an important source of oral bacteria and related virulence factors that hematogenously disseminate and affect the fetoplacental unit; however the underlying biological mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. This study hypothesized that an oral infection with the human periodontal pathogens Campylobacter rectus and Porphyromonas gingivalis is able to induce fetal growth restriction, placental inflammation and enhance Toll-like receptors type 4 (TLR4) expression in a murine pregnancy model. Female Balb/C mice (n=40) were orally infected with C. rectus and/or P. gingivalis over a 16-week period and mated once per week. Pregnant mice were sacrificed at embryonic day (E) 16.5 and placentas were collected and analyzed for TLR4 mRNA levels and qualitative protein expression by real time PCR and immunofluorescence. TLR4 mRNA expression was found to be increased in C. rectus-infected group (1.98±0.886 fold difference, P<0.01, ANOVA) compared to controls. Microscopic analysis of murine placentas showed enhanced immunofluorescence of TLR4 in trophoblasts, mainly in the placental labyrinth layer. Also, combined oral infection with C. rectus and P. gingivalis significantly reduced the overall fecundity compared to controls (16.7% vs. 75%, infected vs. non-infected mice respectively, P=0.03, Kaplan-Meier). The results supported an enhanced placental TLR4 expression after oral infection with periodontal pathogens. The TLR4 pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preterm births; therefore the abnormal regulation of placental TLR4 may give new insights into how maternal periodontitis and periodontal pathogens might be linked to placental inflammation and preterm birth pathogenesis

Uso De Práticas Integrativas E Complementares Por Doulas Em Maternidades De Fortaleza (ce) E Campinas (sp)

This study aimed to analyze the Integrative and Complementary Practices (ICP) applied by doulas in the cities of Fortaleza (CE) and Campinas (SP). This is a qualitative study encompassing fifteen doulas: nine from Fortaleza and six from Campinas. The data were collected in the second half of 2010 by conducting semi-structured and pre-organized interviews following the procedures of thematic content analysis. The interpretations of the results were based on the idea that institutionalization of knowledge and practices happen through the conformation of nuclei and fields. The nucleus demarcates the identity of an area of knowledge and the professionals’ practices, and the field demarcates the blurred limits among disciplines that can be submitted to conflicts. We observed that the support offered by doulas permeates a variety of practices framed in traditional medicine as well as in complementary and alternative medicine. ICP was associated with decreases in length of labor, superior pain management, ability of making decision and empowering of women. It is understood that the range of activities offered by doulas and the use of ICP converge to the uniqueness, respect and autonomy of women. Furthermore, it proposes a new model of awareness and practices centered on the importance of the natural process of childbirth. © 2016, UNIV SAOPAULO. All rights reserved.25110812