Chiral symmetry breaking in QED3{\rm QED}_{3} in presence of irrelevant interactions: a renormalization group study

Motivated by recent theoretical approaches to high temperature superconductivity, we study dynamical mass generation in three dimensional quantum electrodynamics ${\rm QED}_{3}$) in presence of irrelevant four-fermion quartic terms. The problem is reformulated in terms of the renormalization group flows of certain four-fermion couplings and charge, and then studied in the limit of large number of fermion flavors $N$. We find that the critical number of fermions $N_c$ below which the mass becomes dynamically generated depends continuously on a weak chiral-symmetry-breaking interaction. One-loop calculation in our gauge-invariant approach yields $N_{c0} = 6$ in pure ${\rm QED}_3$. We also find that chiral-symmetry-preserving mass cannot become dynamically generated in pure ${\rm QED}_{3}$.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Fatores de risco cardiovascular e distribuição de gordura corporal em brasileiros com 80 anos ou mais

Modelo do estudo: Estudo transversal. Objetivo: Analisar a presença de fatores de risco cardiovascular (FRC) de acordo com o padrão de distribuição de gordura corporal em brasileiros com 80 anos ou mais. Materiais e Método: A amostra foi composta de 113 idosos, com média de idade de 83,4 anos, de ambos os sexos. O percentual de gordura corporal total e abdominal, hipertensão e perfil lipídico foram usados para caracterização dos FRC. O teste qui-quadrado foi utilizado para avaliação das proporções de FRC e o teste Mann-Whitney foi utilizado para comparar os resultados de adiposidade. Resultados: Idosos eutróficos apresentaram baixo triglicerídeos (p=0,017) e colesterol total (p=0,001) além de menores prevalências de hipertensão (p=0,003) e hipertrigliceridemia (p=0,007). Idosos com maior adiposidade abdominal apresentaram maior colesterol total (p=0,026) e prevalência de hipertrigliceridemia (p=0,011) e hipercolesterolemia (p=0,026) quando comparados com os de menor adiposidade abdominal. Aqueles com excesso de gordura (total, ou abdominal ou ambos), com exceção da glicemia (p=0,877), apresentaram alta prevalência de FRC. Aqueles com ambos os excessos de gordura apresentam diferenças, com maior nível de prevalência quando comparados aqueles com apenas um ou nenhum dos excessos. Conclusão: A obesidade, sendo abdominal ou total, é associada, da mesma maneira, com FRC em sujeitos com 80 anos ou maisStudy design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To analyze the presence of cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) according to the pattern of body fat distribution, in Brazilians aged 80 years or over. Methods: The sample consisted of 113 subjects, of 83.4 years, of both sexes. The percentages of total and abdominal body fat, hypertension and lipid profile were used for characterization of CRFs. The chisquare test was used to assess proportions of CRFs and the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the results of adiposity. Results: Eutrophic subjects presented lower triglycerides (p=0.017), total cholesterol (p=0.001) and prevalence of both hypertension (p=0.003) and hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.007). Subjects with higher abdominal adiposity presented higher total cholesterol (p=0.026) and prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.011) and hypercholesterolemia (p=0.026) than those with no excess abdominal adiposity. Those with excess fat (total, abdominal or both), with the exception of glucose (p=0.877), presented a high prevalence of CRFs. Those with both types of excess fat presented differences, with a higher prevalence level when compared to those with only one or neither of the excesses. Conclusion: Obesity, whether abdominal or total, is similarly associated with CRFs in subjects aged 80 years and ove

Synthesis of polymer-based triglycine sulfate nanofibres by electrospinning

In this work we present the synthesis and characterization of polyethylene oxide (PEO) based triglycine sulfate (NH2(CH2OOH)3H2S04, TGS) nanofibres obtained by electrospinning. The fibres, with typical diameters of about 190–750 nm and above several hundred micrometres in length, present the nanocrystals of TGS embedded in a polymer matrix. The obtained nanofibres were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and the domain structure was examined by piezoforce microscopy. Dielectric permittivity measurements on the TGS–PEO nanofibres exhibit the characteristic ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition at around 50 ºC.This work was financially supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (reference CIENCIA-2007 UMINHOCF-06). The authors would like to acknowledge Luis Vieira for help in FT-IR measurements

Associação entre fatores de risco cardiovascular e capacidade funcional de idosos longevos

Modelo do estudo: Estudo transversal. Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre a presença de fatores de risco cardiovascular (FRC) e a capacidade funcional de idosos longevos. Materiais e Método: A amostra foi composta por 91 idosos com idade entre 80 e 90 anos (83,0±2,3 anos), sendo 60 mulheres (82,9±2,1 anos) e 31 homens (83,2±2,6 anos) residentes na cidade de Presidente Prudente/SP. Os FRC analisados foram: Hipertensão Arterial (HA) e excesso de gordura corporal (total e tronco). A presença de Hipertensão foi verificada por meio do questionário auto-referido baseado no Standard Health Questionnaire(SHQ). A avaliação da gordura corporal foi feita pela absorpiometria de dupla energia de raios-X (DEXA) e a capacidade funcional foi avaliada por meio dos testes funcionais (equilíbrio estático, velocidade usual de caminhada e força de membros inferiores). Para tratamento estatístico realizou-se o teste qui-quadrado, o software utilizado foi SPSS (13.0) e o nível de significância estabelecido foi de 5%. Resultados: Os idosos com a presença de HA e excesso de %GC apresentaram menor desempenho no teste de membros inferiores (83,3% menor e 16,7% maior), p=0,011 comparados aqueles com apenas um FCR. As idosas com a presença de HA e excesso de %GTron também apresentaram menor desempenho no mesmo teste (80,6% menor e 19,4% maior), p=0,018 e no teste de velocidade de caminhada (80,6% menor e 19,4% maior), p=0,034. Conclusão: A HA e o excesso de gordura corporal (total e tronco) agregados são FRC, que estão associados à redução da capacidade funcional de idosos longevos.Study design: cross-sectional study. Objective: To assess the association between the presence of cardiovascular risk factor (CRP) and functional capacity of the oldest old. Methods: The sample 9onsisted of 91 elderly aged 80 and 90 years (83.0 ± 2.5 years) with 60 women (82.2 ± 2.1 years) and 31 men (83.2± 2,6 years) residing in the city of Presidente Prudente - SP. The FRC were analyzed: arterial hypertension(AH) and excess body fat (total and trunk). The presence of hypertension was verified by means of selfreported questionnaire based on the Standard Health Questionnaire (SHQ). Assessment of body was made by absorpiometria dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and functional capacity was assessed by the functional tests (static balance, normal walking speed and force of the lower limbs). For statistical analysis we carried out the chi-square test, the software used was SPSS (13.0) and the significance level was set at 5%. Results. In males, with hypertension and the presence of excess %BF had lower performance in the lower limbs (83.3% lower and 16.7% higher), p = 0.011 compared to those with only a VCF.The elderly women with hypertension and the presence of excess GTron% also had lower performance on the same test (80.6% lower and 19.4% higher), p = 0.018 and the test of walking speed (80.6% lower and 19.4% higher), p = 0.034. Conclusion: Arterial hypertension and excess body fat (total and trunk)aggregated are FRC, which are associated with reduced functional capacity of the oldest old

Multiple agency perspective, family control, and private information abuse in an emerging economy

Using a comprehensive sample of listed companies in Hong Kong this paper investigates how family control affects private information abuses and firm performance in emerging economies. We combine research on stock market microstructure with more recent studies of multiple agency perspectives and argue that family ownership and control over the board increases the risk of private information abuse. This, in turn, has a negative impact on stock market performance. Family control is associated with an incentive to distort information disclosure to minority shareholders and obtain private benefits of control. However, the multiple agency roles of controlling families may have different governance properties in terms of investors’ perceptions of private information abuse. These findings contribute to our understanding of the conflicting evidence on the governance role of family control within a multiple agency perspectiv

Validation of TerraClass mapping for the Municipality of Paragominas state of Pará

This work aims to evaluate the TerraClass mapping for the year 2014, in the municipality of Paragominas, State of Pará. The validation was made by comparing the mapping with the observations found in the field. Images of the Satétile Landsat-8, OLI sensor of the year 2014, path/row 222/062, 222/063, 223/062 and 223/063 were used to aid in the field. Using this data it was possible to analyze the main representative classes in the area, including agriculture, urban area, forest, clean pasture, dirty pasture, reforestation, regeneration with pasture and secondary vegetation. The secondary vegetation presented 2,198.16 km², clean pasture with 3,332.29 km², agriculture with 896.75 km² and the forest occupying 54.21% of the total area of Paragominas. The overall concordance index was 86%, corroborating the reliability of the mapping performed. The average error was 6% and the total value of discordance was of 14%. Concerning the secondary vegetation, pasture, agriculture, urban area and forest classes, they presented concordance higher to 50%, while regeneration with pasture and reforestation presented greater intensity of omission with 40,57% and 76,31% respectively. Inclusion errors were less than 40% for the secondary vegetation, pasture regeneration, clean pasture and dirty pasture classes. The field work was essential to validate and analyze the accuracy of the 2014 TerraClass Project for the studied region, which becomes important for the understanding of the dynamics of land use

Comfort from the perspective of families of people hospitalized in the intensive care unit

This study aimed at understanding the meaning of comfort to the families of people in intensive care units. It consists of a qualitative study carried out in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Salvador-Bahia. Fourteen family members were interviewed. The authors utilized the theoretical principles of symbolic interactionism and the technique of qualitative data analysis. Results indicated that the categories Safety, Receptiveness, Information, Proximity, Social and Spiritual Support, Convenience and Integration expressed the meaning of comfort, which was comprised of reliability in terms of technical-scientific competence and a supportive and sensitive attitude of the team, chance of recovery, access to information and the opportunity to be close to the patient, support of people in their social life, spiritual sources and the environmental structure of the hospital, preservation of self-care and routine activities. It was concluded that the family is important as objects and subjects of the actions in healthcare and must be the focus in public health policies and programs in Brazil

Organocatalytic sulfoxidation

Treatment of a sulfide with a catalytic amount of a 1,3 diketone in the presence of silica sulfuric acid as a co-catalyst and hydrogen peroxide (50% aq) as the stoichiometric oxidant leads to the corresponding sulfoxide product. The reaction is effective for diaryl, aryl-alkyl and dialkyl sulfides and is tolerant of oxidisable and acid sensitive functional groups. Investigations have shown that the tris-peroxide 2, formed on reaction of pentane-2,4-dione with hydrogen peroxide under acidic reaction conditions, can oxidise two equivalents of sulfide using the exocyclic peroxide groups whereas the endocyclic peroxide remains intact. Calculations provide a mechanism consistent with experimental observations and suggest the reaction proceeds via an initial acid catalysed ring opening of a protonated tris-peroxide prior to oxygen transfer to a sulfur nucleophile

Inhibition of human transthyretin aggregation by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds: a structural and thermodynamic analysis

Transthyretin (TTR) is a homotetrameric protein that circulates in plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) whose aggregation into amyloid fibrils has been associated with at least two different amyloid diseases: senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA) and familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). In SSA aggregates are composed of WT-TTR, while in FAP more than 100 already-described variants have been found in deposits. Until now, TTR-related diseases have been untreatable, although a new drug called Tafamidis has been approved only in Europe to specifically treat V30M patients. Thus, new strategies are still necessary to treat FAP caused by other variants of TTR. TTR has two channels in the dimer interface that bind to the hormone thyroxin and that have been used to accommodate anti-amyloidogenic compounds. These compounds stabilize the tetramers, rendering TTR less amyloidogenic. Here, we investigated the effects of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds-sulindac (SUL), indomethacin (IND) and lumiracoxib (LUM)-as tetramer stabilizers and aggregation inhibitors. WT-TTR and the very aggressive TTR variant L55P were used as models. These compounds were able to stabilize TTR against high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), increasing the ΔGf by several kcal. They were also effective in inhibiting WT-TTR and L55P acid- or HHP-induced aggregation; in particular, LUM and IND were very effective, inhibiting almost 100% of the aggregation of both proteins under certain conditions. The species formed when aggregation was performed in the presence of these compounds were much less toxic to cells in culture. The crystal structures of WT-TTR bound to the three compounds were solved at high resolution, allowing the identification of the relevant protein:drug interactions. We discuss here the ligand-binding features of LUM, IND and SUL to TTR, emphasizing the critical interactions that render the protein more stable and less amyloidogenic.CAPESCNPqInstituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (INBEB)FAPERJFAPES