KRAFT AND KRAFT/AQ PULPING FROM PREHIDROLYZED WOOD OF HYBRID Eucalyptus urophylla x grandis

A madeira do g\ueanero Eucalyptus ocupa um lugar de destaque em rela\ue7\ue3o a outras fontes de celulose, devido a sua composi\ue7\ue3o qu\uedmica, seu baixo custo, abund\ue2ncia e disponibilidade. Dentre os processos de polpa\ue7\ue3o qu\uedmica, o processo kraft \ue9 o mais extensivamente utilizado para produ\ue7\ue3o de polpas celul\uf3sicas a partir da madeira de eucalipto. O uso de antraquinona (AQ) na polpa\ue7\ue3o tem como principais finalidades aumentar a taxa de deslignifica\ue7\ue3o, bem como proteger a polpa quanto \ue0 degrada\ue7\ue3o dos polissacar\ueddeos. O presente trabalho objetivou utilizar a antraquinona como aditivo no cozimento visando reduzir a carga de sulfidez aplicada no processo sem prejudicar a qualidade da polpa. Os cozimentos kraft e kraft/AQ foram realizados em digestor rotativo laboratorial variando-se inicialmente o \ue1lcali ativo (10, 13, 16 e 19%) e, posteriormente, a sulfidez (5, 10, 15, 20 e 25%), mantendo-se as demais condi\ue7\uf5es constantes visando obter polpa com n\ufamero kappa pr\uf3ximo de 9. A partir da varia\ue7\ue3o do \ue1lcali ativo e da sulfidez foram estabelecidas curvas de deslignifica\ue7\ue3o entre \ue1lcali ativo e n\ufamero kappa e, sulfidez e n\ufamero kappa, de onde foi poss\uedvel estabelecer as quantidades m\uednimas necess\ue1rias de \ue1lcali, bem como de sulfidez. A partir dos cozimentos foi poss\uedvel estabelecer as cargas de \ue1lcali ativo e sulfidez de 17,4% e 8,8%, respectivamente. O cozimento em condi\ue7\uf5es determinadas apresentou rendimento depurado de 48,63%, sendo que o rendimento com base na massa inicial de madeira foi de 42,24%, gerando uma polpa de elevada qualidade, ou seja, com baixo n\ufamero kappa e teor de hemiceluloses (0,41%) e elevado teor de alfa celulose (98,49%).The wood of the gender Eucalyptus occupies a prominence place among other cellulose sources due to its chemical composition, its low cost, abundance and availability. Among the chemical pulping processes, kraft process is the most extensively one used for the production of cellulosic pulps starting from eucalyptus wood. The anthraquinone (AQ) usage in the pulping has as main purposes to increase the delignification rate as well as to protect the pulp from the carbohydrate degradation. The present work has aimed to use the anthraquinone as an addictive in the cooking seeking to reduce the load of applied sulphidity without harming the quality of the pulp. The kraft and kraft/AQ cooking were accomplished in rotative laboratorial digester being varied the active alkali initially (10, 13, 16 and 19%) and, later, the sulphidity (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%), maintaining the other conditions constant aiming to obtain pulp with kappa number close to nine. Starting from the variation of the active alkali and of the sulphidity, delignification curves were established between active alkali and kappa number and, sulphidity and kappa number, where it was possible to establish the minimum necessary amounts of alkali, as well as of the sulphidity. Starting from the cooking, it was possible to establish the active alkali and sulphidity loads of 17,4% and 8,8%, respectively. The cooking to the certain conditions presented screened yield of 48,63%, and the yield based on the initial mass of wood was of 42,24%, obtaining a high quality pulp, in other words, with low number kappa and hemicelluloses tenor (0,41%) and high tenor of alpha cellulose (98,49%)

Noradrenergic Control of Gene Expression and Long-Term Neuronal Adaptation Evoked by Learned Vocalizations in Songbirds

Norepinephrine (NE) is thought to play important roles in the consolidation and retrieval of long-term memories, but its role in the processing and memorization of complex acoustic signals used for vocal communication has yet to be determined. We have used a combination of gene expression analysis, electrophysiological recordings and pharmacological manipulations in zebra finches to examine the role of noradrenergic transmission in the brain’s response to birdsong, a learned vocal behavior that shares important features with human speech. We show that noradrenergic transmission is required for both the expression of activity-dependent genes and the long-term maintenance of stimulus-specific electrophysiological adaptation that are induced in central auditory neurons by stimulation with birdsong. Specifically, we show that the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), an area directly involved in the auditory processing and memorization of birdsong, receives strong noradrenergic innervation. Song-responsive neurons in this area express α-adrenergic receptors and are in close proximity to noradrenergic terminals. We further show that local α-adrenergic antagonism interferes with song-induced gene expression, without affecting spontaneous or evoked electrophysiological activity, thus dissociating the molecular and electrophysiological responses to song. Moreover, α-adrenergic antagonism disrupts the maintenance but not the acquisition of the adapted physiological state. We suggest that the noradrenergic system regulates long-term changes in song-responsive neurons by modulating the gene expression response that is associated with the electrophysiological activation triggered by song. We also suggest that this mechanism may be an important contributor to long-term auditory memories of learned vocalizations

The transcriptional response of Caenorhabditis elegans to ivermectin exposure identifies novel genes involved in the response to reduced food intake

We have examined the transcriptional response of Caenorhabditis elegans following exposure to the anthelmintic drug ivermectin (IVM) using whole genome microarrays and real-time QPCR. Our original aim was to identify candidate molecules involved in IVM metabolism and/or excretion. For this reason the IVM tolerant strain, DA1316, was used to minimise transcriptomic changes related to the phenotype of drug exposure. However, unlike equivalent work with benzimidazole drugs, very few of the induced genes were members of xenobiotic metabolising enzyme families. Instead, the transcriptional response was dominated by genes associated with fat mobilization and fatty acid metabolism including catalase, esterase, and fatty acid CoA synthetase genes. This is consistent with the reduction in pharyngeal pumping, and consequential reduction in food intake, upon exposure of DA1316 worms to IVM. Genes with the highest fold change in response to IVM exposure, cyp-37B1, mtl-1 and scl-2, were comparably up-regulated in response to short–term food withdrawal (4 hr) independent of IVM exposure, and GFP reporter constructs confirm their expression in tissues associated with fat storage (intestine and hypodermis). These experiments have serendipitously identified novel genes involved in an early response of C. elegans to reduced food intake and may provide insight into similar processes in higher organisms

Cardiovascular Responses During Resistance Exercise in Patients with Parkinson Disease

Background: Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) present cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction which impairs blood pressure control. However, cardiovascular responses during resistance exercise are unknown in these patients. Objective: Investigate the cardiovascular responses during resistance exercise performed with different muscle masses, in patients with PD. Design: Two groups, repeated-measures design. Setting: Exercise Hemodynamic Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo. Participants: Thirteen patients with PD (4 women, 62.7±1.3 years, stages 2-3 of modified Hoehn and Yahr scale; "on" state of medication) and thirteen paired controls without PD (7 women, 66.2±2.0years) Interventions: Both groups performed, in a random order, bilateral and unilateral knee extension exercises (2 sets, 10–12 RM, 2 min of interval). Main Outcome Measurements: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were assessed before (pre) and during the exercises. Results: Independent of set and exercise type, SBP and HR increases were significantly lower in PD than the control group (combined values: +45±2 vs. +73±4 mmHg and +18±1 vs. +31±2 bpm, P =.003 and .007, respectively). Independently of group and set, the SBP increase was greater in the bilateral than the unilateral exercise (combined values: +63±4 vs +54±3 mmHg, P=.002), while the HR increase was similar. In addition, independently of group and exercise type, the SBP increase was higher in the 2nd than the 1st set (combined values: +56±4 vs +61±4 mmHg, P=.04), while the HR increases were similar. Conclusions: Patients with PD present attenuated 25 increases in SBP and HR during resistance exercise in comparison with healthy subjects. These results support that resistance exercise is safe and well tolerated for patients with PD from a cardiovascular point of view supporting its recommendation for this population

Do not attempt resuscitation decisions in a cancer centre: addressing difficult ethical and communication issues

Talking to patients about ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ decisions is difficult for many doctors. Communication about ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ decisions should occur as part of a wider discussion of treatment goals at an earlier stage in the patient's illness. A doctor should not initiate any treatment, including cardio-pulmonary resuscitation if he/she does not believe it will benefit the patient. An ethical framework is offered which may be of practical help in clarifying decision-making

Association between different levels of dysglycemia and metabolic syndrome in pregnancy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In this study, we sought to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in a cohort of pregnant women with a wide range of glucose tolerance, prepregnancy risk factors for MS during pregnancy, and the effects of MS in the outcomes in the mother and in the newborn.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and thirty six women with positive screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were classified by two diagnostic methods: glycemic profile and 100 g OGTT as normoglycemic, mild gestational hyperglycemic, GDM, and overt GDM. Markers of MS were measured between 2428^thduring the screening.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of MS was: 0%; 20.0%; 23.5% and 36.4% in normoglycemic, mild hyperglycemic, GDM, and overt GDM groups, respectively. Previous history of GDM with or without insulin use, BMI ≥ 25, hypertension, family history of diabetes in first degree relatives, non-Caucasian ethnicity, history of prematurity and polihydramnios were statistically significant prepregnancy predictors for MS in the index pregnancy, that by its turn increased the adverse outcomes in the mother and in the newborn.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of MS increases with the worsening of glucose tolerance; impaired glycemic profile identifies pregnancies with important metabolic abnormalities even in the presence of a normal OGTT, in patients that are not classified as having GDM.</p

Shot noise in mesoscopic systems

This is a review of shot noise, the time-dependent fluctuations in the electrical current due to the discreteness of the electron charge, in small conductors. The shot-noise power can be smaller than that of a Poisson process as a result of correlations in the electron transmission imposed by the Pauli principle. This suppression takes on simple universal values in a symmetric double-barrier junction (suppression factor 1/2), a disordered metal (factor 1/3), and a chaotic cavity (factor 1/4). Loss of phase coherence has no effect on this shot-noise suppression, while thermalization of the electrons due to electron-electron scattering increases the shot noise slightly. Sub-Poissonian shot noise has been observed experimentally. So far unobserved phenomena involve the interplay of shot noise with the Aharonov-Bohm effect, Andreev reflection, and the fractional quantum Hall effect.Comment: 37 pages, Latex, 10 figures (eps). To be published in "Mesoscopic Electron Transport," edited by L. P. Kouwenhoven, G. Schoen, and L. L. Sohn, NATO ASI Series E (Kluwer Academic Publishing, Dordrecht