An improved tabu-based vector optimal algorithm for design optimizations of electromagnetic devices

Author name used in this publication: S. Y. YangAuthor name used in this publication: S. L. HoAuthor name used in this publication: J. M. MachadoAuthor name used in this publication: Edward W. C. Lo2003-2004 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Feeding behavior of the Yellow-chevroned Parakeet at the northeast of the State of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

This research was carried out from March 1990 to December 1993. It was designed to obtain data on the feeding behavior of the Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri) at four distinct areas of northeast Sao Paulo State. The following aspects of its feeding biology have been addressed: the plant species used as food, the items (flower, fruit, pulp, seed) included in the diet, the methods used to obtain food, and the flock size variation. Brotogeris chiriri used 45 plant species as food resource. From these it used seeds from 27 species, fruit pulp from 19 species and flowers from 16 species. There was a significant statistical variation on the methods used to gather food relative to the food item. The flock size of B. chiriri is highly variable (from one individual eating alone to about 45 individuals) on the same period of the year. The smallest average flock size was found during the breeding period of the species.1519510

Terapia a laser de baixa intensidade e Calendula officinalis no reparo de úlcera em pé diabético

OBJETIVO Evaluar los efectos de la Terapia con Láser de Baja Intensidad aislada y asociada con el aceite de Calendula officinalis en la reparación de úlceras en pie diabético. MÉTODO Estudio de caso clínico, experimental, controlado, randomizado, prospectivo, intervencionista, de carácter cuantitativo. La muestra estuvo compuesta de 32 pacientes diabéticos, de ambos géneros. Los participantes fueron distribuidos aleatoriamente en cuatro grupos. Ecografía Doppler, evaluación del Índice Tobillo-Brazo, Inventario breve de dolor y escala visual analógica fueron realizados al inicio y después de 30 días. RESULTADOS Hubo reducción del dolor en los grupos Terapia con Láser de Baja Intensidad y Terapia con Láser de Baja intensidad asociada con los Ácidos Grasos Esenciales, con pOBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy isolated and associated with Calendula officinalis oil in treating diabetic foot ulcers. METHOD An experimental, randomized, controlled, prospective, interventional clinical case study using a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 32 diabetic patients of both genders. Participants were randomly divided into four groups. Doppler Ultrasound evaluation of the Ankle-Brachial Index, brief pain inventory and analog pain scale were performed at baseline and after 30 days. RESULTS Reduced pain was observed in the Low-level laser therapy and Low-level laser therapy associated with Essential Fatty Acids groups (pOBJETIVO Avaliar os efeitos da Terapia a Laser de Baixa Intensidade isolada e associada ao óleo de Calendula officinalis no reparo de úlceras em pé diabético. MÉTODO Estudo de caso clínico, experimental, controlado, randomizado, prospectivo, intervencional, de caráter quantitativo. A amostra foi composta de 32 pacientes diabéticos, de ambos os gêneros. Os participantes foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em quatro grupos. Ultrassom Doppler, avaliação do Índice Tornozelo-Braquial, Inventário breve de dor e escala de dor analógica foram realizados no início e após 30 dias. RESULTADOS Houve redução da dor nos grupos Terapia a Laser de Baixa Intensidade e Terapia a Laser de Baixa intensidade associada aos Ácidos Graxos Essenciais, com

Effects of amyloid pathology and the APOE ε4 allele on the association between cerebrospinal fluid Aβ38 and Aβ40 and brain morphology in cognitively normal 70-years-olds

The association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta (Aβ) Aβ38 or Aβ40 and brain grey- and white matter integrity is poorly understood. We studied this in 213 cognitively normal 70-year-olds, and in subgroups defined by presence/absence of the APOE ε4 allele and Aβ pathology: Aβ−/APOE−, Aβ+/APOE−, Aβ−/APOE+ and Aβ+/APOE+. CSF Aβ was quantified using ELISA and genotyping for APOE was performed. Low CSF Aβ42 defined Aβ plaque pathology. Brain volumes were assessed using Freesurfer-5.3, and white matter integrity using tract-based statistics in FSL. Aβ38 and Aβ40 were positively correlated with cortical thickness, some subcortical volumes and white matter integrity in the total sample, and in 3 of the subgroups: Aβ−/APOE−, Aβ+/APOE− and Aβ−/APOE+. In Aβ+/APOE+ subjects, higher Aβ38 and Aβ40 were linked to reduced cortical thickness and subcortical volumes. We hypothesize that production of all Aβ species decrease in brain regions with atrophy. In Aβ+/APOE+, Aβ-dysregulation may be linked to cortical atrophy in which high Aβ levels is causing pathological changes in the gray matter of the brain

A química além dos muros da escola / Chemistry beyond school walls

A experimentação no ensino de Química é uma ferramenta didática importante para despertar o interesse dos alunos e contribuir com a aprendizagem de conceitos científicos. No entanto, os professores têm encontrado dificuldades na implantação de atividades práticas devido à falta de recursos e infraestrutura nas escolas, falta de tempo e em alguns casos, formação precária. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho visa promover uma parceria entre o IFSP-São Roque e escolas públicas e privadas da região, a fim de divulgar o conhecimento científico e auxiliar os professores de Ciências e de Química, por meio de visitas às escolas interessadas ou recebendo seus alunos e professores nas dependências do Câmpus São Roque, para a execução de atividades práticas contextualizadas, utilizando materiais presentes no dia-a-dia. Com início em 2016, esse projeto já contou com a participação de mais de 300 alunos de escolas públicas e privadas da região de São Roque-SP. Através das avaliações realizadas ao final das visitas, foi possível verificar que os alunos e professores participantes do projeto, ficaram muito satisfeitos com as atividades realizadas e relataram interesse em participar novamente. Assim, acredita-se que esse trabalho gerou bons resultados, estreitando a relação entre a Instituição e sua comunidade local

Magnetic Behavior of a Mixed Ising Ferrimagnetic Model in an Oscillating Magnetic Field

The magnetic behavior of a mixed Ising ferrimagnetic system on a square lattice, in which the two interpenetrating square sublattices have spins +- 1/2 and spins +-1,0, in the presence of an oscillating magnetic field has been studied with Monte Carlo techniques. The model includes nearest and next-nearest neighbor interactions, a crystal field and the oscillating external field. By studying the hysteretic response of this model to an oscillating field we found that it qualitatively reproduces the increasing of the coercive field at the compensation temperature observed in real ferrimagnets, a crucial feature for magneto-optical applications. This behavior is basically independent of the frequency of the field and the size of the system. The magnetic response of the system is related to a dynamical transition from a paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic phase and to the different temperature dependence of the relaxation times of both sublattices.Comment: 10 figures. To be published in Phys.Rev

Trypanosoma brucei BRCA2 acts in a life cycle-specific genome stability process and dictates BRC repeat number-dependent RAD51 subnuclear dynamics

Trypanosoma brucei survives in mammals through antigenic variation, which is driven by RAD51-directed homologous recombination of Variant Surface Glycoproteins (VSG) genes, most of which reside in a subtelomeric repository of >1000 silent genes. A key regulator of RAD51 is BRCA2, which in T. brucei contains a dramatic expansion of a motif that mediates interaction with RAD51, termed the BRC repeats. BRCA2 mutants were made in both tsetse fly-derived and mammal-derived T. brucei, and we show that BRCA2 loss has less impact on the health of the former. In addition, we find that genome instability, a hallmark of BRCA2 loss in other organisms, is only seen in mammal-derived T. brucei. By generating cells expressing BRCA2 variants with altered BRC repeat numbers, we show that the BRC repeat expansion is crucial for RAD51 subnuclear dynamics after DNA damage. Finally, we document surprisingly limited co-localization of BRCA2 and RAD51 in the T. brucei nucleus, and we show that BRCA2 mutants display aberrant cell division, revealing a function distinct from BRC-mediated RAD51 interaction. We propose that BRCA2 acts to maintain the huge VSG repository of T. brucei, and this function has necessitated the evolution of extensive RAD51 interaction via the BRC repeats, allowing re-localization of the recombinase to general genome damage when needed

Recent developments of the Hierarchical Reference Theory of Fluids and its relation to the Renormalization Group

The Hierarchical Reference Theory (HRT) of fluids is a general framework for the description of phase transitions in microscopic models of classical and quantum statistical physics. The foundations of HRT are briefly reviewed in a self-consistent formulation which includes both the original sharp cut-off procedure and the smooth cut-off implementation, which has been recently investigated. The critical properties of HRT are summarized, together with the behavior of the theory at first order phase transitions. However, the emphasis of this presentation is on the close relationship between HRT and non perturbative renormalization group methods, as well as on recent generalizations of HRT to microscopic models of interest in soft matter and quantum many body physics.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures. Review paper to appear in Molecular Physic