Evaluation of the anti-Inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of the essential oil from leaves of Xylopia laevigata in experimental models

Xylopia laevigata (Annonaceae) is a medicinal plant used in folk medicine to treat pain and inflammation. Thus, we investigated the possible antioxidant, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory effects of X. laevigata leaf essential oil (EOX) in animal models. Our EOX sample showed the presence of y-muurolene (17.78%), o-cadinene (12.23%), bicyclogermacrene (7.77%), and a-copaene (7.17%) as main compounds. EOX presented a strong antioxidant potential according to the DPPH, TBARS, and nitrite production tests. Additionally, pretreatment with EOX, in mice, also significantly produced (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001) antinociceptive effect by reduction of nociceptive behavior (in formalin and writhing tests). The EOX showed c-Fos label in the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, and periaqueductal gray. Acute administration of EOX exhibited a significant (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001) anti-inflammatory profile in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis and by the carrageenan-induced hindpaw edema tests in mice. Our results provide evidence for the use of X. laevigata by traditional medicine practitioners in the management of pain and inflammatory disorders

A multi-criteria approach to sort and rank policies based on Delphi qualitative assessments and ELECTRE TRI: The case of smart grids in Brazil

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication in Omega. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. The final version will be available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2017.04.00

Customized Optical Fiber Birefringent Sensors to Multipoint and Simultaneous Temperature and Radial Strain Tracking of Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract Batteries are seen as a vital piece for actual carbon‐neutral world needs. However, as they basically operate through extremely exothermic electrochemical events, special attention must be paid to their thermal and volumetric constraints, where continuous and accurate monitoring is of great importance. Considering it, customized optical sensors, based on fiber Bragg gratings recorded in birefringent PANDA fibers (FBG‐PANDA), are developed and instrumented in a coiled configuration into a cylindrical Li‐ion battery (LiB) to simultaneously track temperature and radial strain during galvanostatic cycles, in three different battery locations, for the first time. The maximum temperature and radial strain variations are achieved in the middle and at the end of the discharge steps. This thermal behavior is correlated with the internal heat generation and transfer of thermal energy processes, with a tendency to accumulate in the LiB central zone.Good feasibility and reproducibility are observed in the optical sensor's performance and demonstrated that by operating as a multiparameter decouple system, they can decrease the complexity and intrusiveness in batteries, by using only one optical fiber line. The reported results are in accordance with the literature, indicating that such sensors could be consistently used for future applications regarding battery safety parameters sensing

The Strategic Plan and Local Economic Development of Cordoba, Argentina

The Strategic Plan of Cordoba (SPC) is one of the few strategic urban development plans in Latin America, which has actually been implemented in the majority of its components. The SPC was conceived as a collective and global project of the city as a whole without excessive conflicting interests or special ownership by a few. The SPC integrated a policy of public works – oriented at the “social debt” which existed in the city – with a work on urban norms and directions and economic development. The SPC as a space for articulation achieved to organise a great number of representatives from civil society organisations, achieving legitimacy and representation in the work of the SPC. The SPC has given a new orientation and increased the municipal capacity to manage the city. The SPC has developed innovative and participatory forms of management (e.g. the Follow-Up and Monitoring Groups, with their annual meetings for presenting audit reports known as “presenting the bills”). The population has perceived the incentive to participate in the planning process of the SPC since it was possible to propose concrete projects, as long as these were feasible. The SPC has p

Distribution of the Bari-I transposable element in stable hybrid strains between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans and in Brazilian populations of these species

We analyzed the distribution of the Bari-I transposable element in Drosophila melanogaster (IN(1)AB), its sibling species Drosophila simulans (C167.4) and in eight hybrid strains derived from initial crosses involving D. simulans females and D. melanogaster males of the above cited strains as well as in Brazilian populations of these species. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data showed the presence of the Bari-I element among species populations and hybrid strains. Hybridization with a 703 bp probe homologous to the Bari-I sequence showed that the number of Bari-I copies in D. melanogaster IN(1)AB was higher than in D. simulans C167.4 strains. Hybrid strains presented Bari-I sequences related to both parental species. In addition some strains displayed a Bari-I sequence that came from D. melanogaster, suggesting introgression of D. melanogaster genetic material in the background of D. simulans. In contrast, some hybrids showed deletions of D. simulans Bari-I sequences