Influence of intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate on clinical features and synovial fluid nitric oxide levels of temporomandibular osteoarthritis

Objective: This study was designed to assess the effect of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate (SH) on clinical findings of temporomandibular osteoarthritis (OA) and on synovial fluid (SF) levels of nitric oxide (NO). Methods: Twenty seven patients (7 men, 20 women, mean (SD) age 53.9 (11.8) years) with OA of the temporomandibular joint were randomly allocated to receive an injection of either SH (2ml, Hyalgan®, Fidia SpA, Abano T., P.M. 500-700.000, 20mg/2ml; once a week for 5 weeks) or a Ringer's lactate solution (once a week for 3 weeks). Clinical evaluation was done before each procedure, and at 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months post-injection. Intensity of temporomandibular joint pain, jaw function, maximal mouth opening and lateral jaw movements were recorded at each visit. NO was measured on SF collected by rinsing the joint with saline 1 ml before the treatment. Results: Injection of SH caused significant improvement in the main clinical symptoms until the last follow-up which was carried out 6 months after last injection. Among patients who received SH injection, those who reached a good outcome showed the lowest basal levels of NO. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that intra-articular injections of SH lead to a lasting improvement in the clinical symptoms of temporomandibular OA. Furthermore, our findings suggest that low NO levels in SF are related to a better outcome of temporomandibular OA among patients treated with SH intra-articular injection

Parallel Matrix-free polynomial preconditioners with application to flow simulations in discrete fracture networks

We develop a robust matrix-free, communication avoiding parallel, high-degree polynomial preconditioner for the Conjugate Gradient method for large and sparse symmetric positive definite linear systems. We discuss the selection of a scaling parameter aimed at avoiding unwanted clustering of eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrices at the extrema of the spectrum. We use this preconditioned framework to solve a $3 \times 3$ block system arising in the simulation of fluid flow in large-size discrete fractured networks. We apply our polynomial preconditioner to a suitable Schur complement related with this system, which can not be explicitly computed because of its size and density. Numerical results confirm the excellent properties of the proposed preconditioner up to very high polynomial degrees. The parallel implementation achieves satisfactory scalability by taking advantage from the reduced number of scalar products and hence of global communications

Avaliação de genótipos de feijoeiro comum dos grupos carioca e preto na região Sudoeste de Mato Grosso.

O objetivo desse trabalho é obter cultivares mais apropriadas para a agricultura familiar com uso da irrigação no feijoeiro, atendendo também outras regiões do Estado com características climáticas similares

Avaliação de genótipos de feijoeiro comum dos grupos carioca e preto na região Oeste de Mato Grosso.

O objetivo desse trabalho é obter cultivares mais tolerantes a altas temperaturas, menores altitudes e apropriadas para a agricultura familiar que atendam essas condições no estado de Mato Grosso

Transport parameters from AMS-02 F/Si data and fluorine source abundance

The AMS-02 collaboration recently released cosmic-ray F/Si data of unprecedented accuracy. CR F is predominantly produced by fragmentation of heavier progenitors, while Si is mostly accelerated at source. This ratio is thus maximally sensitive to CR propagation. We study the compatibility of the transport parameters derived from the F/Si ratio with those obtained from the lighter Li/C, Be/C, and B/C ratios. We also inspect the CR source abundance of F, one of the few elements with a high first ionisation potential but only moderately volatile, and a potentially key element to study the acceleration mechanism of CRs. We use the 1D diffusion model implemented in the USINE code and perform $\chi^2$ analyses accounting for several systematic effects (energy correlations in data, nuclear cross sections and solar modulation uncertainties). We also take advantage of the EXFOR nuclear database to update the F production cross sections for its most important progenitors (identified to be 56Fe, 32S, 28Si, 27Al, 24Mg, 22Ne, and 20Ne). The transport parameters obtained from AMS-02 F/Si data are compatible with those obtained from AMS-02 (Li,Be,B)/C data. The combined fit of all these ratios leads to a $\chi^2/dof\approx1.1$, with $\lesssim 10\%$ adjustments of the B and F production cross sections (the latter are based on very few nuclear data points, and would strongly benefit from new measurements). The F/Si ratio is compatible with a pure secondary origin of F, with a best-fit relative source abundance 19F/28Si$_{CRS}\sim 10^{-3}$ and an upper limit of $\sim 5\times 10^{-3}$. Unfortunately, this limit is not sufficient to test global acceleration models of CR nuclei, for which values at the level of $\sim 10^{-4}$ are required. Such levels could be attained with F/Si data of a few percent accuracy at a few tens of TV, possibly within reach of the next generation of CR experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 3 table (1 appendix). Submitted to A&

Assessment of water quality and soil salinity in the agricultural coastal plain (Ravenna, North Italy)

To improve knowledge on salt leaching suitability on different soils, in Arenosols and Cambisols croplands in the coastal area of Ravenna (Italy), soil samples were collected in the non-irrigation winter period and irrigation summer period. Concurrently, waters of the canal network were also investigated. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, carbonate, total organic carbon (TOC), particle size distribution, electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density (BD) and water content at field capacity (FC). Water samples were investigated for pH, EC, biological and chemical oxygen demand, sodium adsorption ratio, phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfates and chlorides. All soils had low TOC concentrations and Arenosols showed the lowest clay content, BD and FC. Soils had similar EC values in winter, but in summer the lowest ones were observed in Arenosols, suggesting that irrigation mitigated salinization in Arenosols, while the high clay content, BD and FC prevented or limited the salt leaching in Cambisols. In summer, the increase of total nitrogen and biological oxygen demand, especially in drainage channels, might suggest the leaching of soluble nutrients and organic matter from soils due to the high irrigation water volumes. Finally, our findings stress the need to consider soil type and properties to contrast soil salinization without negative effects on soil C leaching caused by salt leaching practice

Oral bacterial microbiota and traumatic injuries of free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines, Chelidae) in southeastern Brazil

During 2006 and 2007, we collected free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus, from two anthropogenically altered rivers in southeastern Brazil. Oral microbiological samples were taken for isolation of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria; a physical examination was performed;and we evaluated possible effects on the turtles’ health. Twenty-nine species of bacteria were isolated in Piracicaba River turtles (n=10), and twenty-four species in Piracicamirim stream turtles (n=8), most of them gram-negative. In both sites, potential pathogens for reptiles were: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Citrobacter freundii, and Bacillus sp. Although boatpropeller lesions were common on the carapace of the turtles, we have not found turtles with signs of clinical diseases. The oral bacterial microbiota of P. geoffroanus inhabiting the Piracicaba River basin are composed of a diverse microbe spectrum, and long-term studies of the effects of pollution and traumatic injuries on this population and its microbial flora are warranted

In situ remediation of polluted Spolic Technosols using Ca(OH)2 and smectitic marlstone

Technosols are soils developed on non-traditional substrates and containing large quantities of materials mostly due to intensive human industrial activity, such as artefacts. The increasing number of sites affected by Technosols and their impact on the environment as growing media for plants or as source of pollutants require an understanding of their functioning and evolution, above all the knowledge on the transport of toxic substances from contaminated technogenic soils to groundwater. A case study on properties, remediation and evaluation of Technosols made up by vitrified fly ash and glass\u2013ceramics in Italy was carried out. Original technogenic soils, classified as Spolic Technosols (ecotoxic),were pedotechnically in situ remediated by adding smectitic marlstone and Ca(OH)2. Chemical analysis on samples from piezometers showed the presence of harmful heavy metals in groundwater. By means of boreholes and soil profiles the newsoils generated, after remediation, were physically and chemically characterized and classified as Spolic Technosols (calcaric). Analysis on soil toxicity and leaching tests showed the effectiveness of the remediation and the mobility reduction of some potentially harmful elements according to the environmental Italian regulation

Biorecovery of heavy metals using vermiculite for sediment and water protection

The release of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems is a matter of great concern due to their toxicity and accumulation in biota. Bottom sediments can act as sink of these pollutants. Several remediation technologies have been applied in order to treat wastewater and contaminated sediments. In this study, a permeable bio-barrier composed by low cost biomaterials was tested for water treatment and sediment protection against metal adsorption. The novelty of this work entails the combination of bacterial biosorption properties with the adsorption capacity of a natural clay. The results of preliminary continuous column experiments reveal the ability of vermiculite to entrap Cu ions, and highlight that metal adsorption can be enhanced by the presence of a Pseudomonas putida biofilm attached to the vermiculite surface

Microbiota bacteriana oral e lesões traumáticas no cágado Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines, Chelidae) no sudeste do Brasil

Entre 2006 e 2007, coletamos amostras microbiológicas da cavidade oral de cágados Phrynops geoffroanus de vida livre, em dois rios antropizados da região sudeste do Brasil, para o isolamento de bactérias aeróbicas e anaeróbicas facultativas, e realizamos um exame físico e avaliamos possíveis efeitos sobre o estado de saúde dos animais. Vinte e nove espécies de bactérias foram isoladas em cágados do rio Piracicaba (n=10), e vinte e quatro espécies em animais do ribeirão Piracicamirim (n=8), a maioria delas gram-negativas. Em ambos os sítios estudados foram isolados patógenos potenciais para répteis, como Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Citrobacter freundii e Bacillus sp. Embora lesões na carapaça dos cágados, causadas por hélices de barcos, foram um achado comum no exame físico, não encontramos animais com sinais clínicos de doenças. A microbiota bacteriana oral dos cágados que habitam a bacia do rio Piracicaba é composta por um amplo espectro de bactérias, e estudos de longa duração sobre os efeitos da poluição e de lesões traumáticas nesta população e de sua microbiota oral são recomendados.During 2006 and 2007, we collected free-ranging Phrynops geoffroanus, from two anthropogenically altered rivers in southeastern Brazil. Oral microbiological samples were taken for isolation of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria; a physical examination was performed; and we evaluated possible effects on the turtles' health. Twenty-nine species of bacteria were isolated in Piracicaba River turtles (n=10), and twenty-four species in Piracicamirim stream turtles (n=8), most of them gram-negative. In both sites, potential pathogens for reptiles were: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Citrobacter freundii, and Bacillus sp. Although boat propeller lesions were common on the carapace of the turtles, we have not found turtles with signs of clinical diseases. The oral bacterial microbiota of P. geoffroanus inhabiting the Piracicaba River basin are composed of a diverse microbe spectrum, and long-term studies of the effects of pollution and traumatic injuries on this population and its microbial flora are warranted