The "glass transition'' as a topological defect driven transition in a distribution of crystals and a prediction of a universal viscosity collapse

Topological defects are typically quantified relative to ordered backgrounds. The importance of these defects to the understanding of physical phenomena including diverse equilibrium melting transitions from low temperature ordered to higher temperatures disordered systems (and vice versa) can hardly be overstated. Amorphous materials such as glasses seem to constitute a fundamental challenge to this paradigm. A long held dogma is that transitions into and out of an amorphous glassy state are distinctly different from typical equilibrium phase transitions and must call for radically different concepts. In this work, we critique this belief. We examine systems that may be viewed as simultaneous distribution of different ordinary equilibrium structures. In particular, we focus on the analogs of melting (or freezing) transitions in such distributed systems. The theory that we arrive at yields dynamical, structural, and thermodynamic behaviors of glasses and supercooled fluids that, for the properties tested thus far, are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with experiment. We arrive at a prediction for the viscosity and dielectric relaxations that is universally satisfied for all experimentally measured supercooled liquids and glasses over 15 decades.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure

Mechanical characterization of the Amazonian Pomacea dolioides (Reeve, 1856) shell

We investigated the mechanical behavior of freshwater mollusk shells, Pomacea dolioides, collected from a floodplain area located in Amazonas, Brazil. With the purpose of characterizing the mechanical properties of the shells, bending, hardness and roughness tests were carried out. To determine the shell flexural strength, a new methodology was proposed for the calculation of it, considering the curved geometry of the specimens taken from the shells. It was also described the mechanical properties as a function of shell position and thickness, variation of the surface hardness along the shell and the low level of superficial irregularity in the inner layer of the shells. Shell presented a mean flexural rupture modulus (MOR) of 128.0 MPa, Rockwell HR15N hardness = 50 ± 8.3 and a low level of irregularities in the inner layer, roughness Ra = 0.160 μm.Investigamos el comportamiento mecánico de las conchas de moluscos de agua dulce, Pomacea dolioides, recolectados en un área de llanuras aluviales en Amazonas, Brasil. Con el fin de caracterizar las propiedades mecánicas de éstas, se utilizaron ensayos de flexión, dureza y rugosidad. Para determinar la resistencia a la flexión del material, se propuso una nueva metodología para el cálculo de la resistencia a la flexión, considerando la geometría curva de los cuerpos de prueba retirados de las conchas. También se describieron las propiedades mecánicas analizados en función de la posición y de la espesura de la concha, la variación de la superficie de la rigidez con el concha y el nivel bajo de irregularidad superficial en la superficie interna de las conchas. La concha presentó el Módulo de Ruptura a la Flexión (MOR) medio de 128.0 MPa, dureza superficial Rockwell HR15N = 50 ± 8.3 y un bajo nivel de irregularidades en la capa interna, con rugosidad Ra = 0.160 μm

Reproductive performance and reconception of Nellore cows according to their pure- or cross-bred calves.

The objective of the present research was to evaluate the effect of a calf?s genetic group on the productive and reproductive efficiency of its Nellore dam. Fixed-time artificial insemination was applied to 800 cows using semen extracted from Nellore, Simmental and Angus Red bulls. Four hundred eleven cows calved, producing 119 Nellore, 103 ½Simmental?½Nellore and 189 ½Nellore?½Angus Red calves. The second mating period, which paired Nellore cows with Simmental bulls, was initiated 10 days after parturitions began and lasted for 5 months. Based on the two successive parturitions, the cumulative parturition rate for calving periods of 3, 4 and 5 months was calculated. Although no significant difference was observed for birth weight among the genetic groups, cross-bred calves weighed, on average, 10% more than did pure-bred calves at the age of 205 days. Nellore dams experienced a gestation period that was 7 days longer than did the cross-bred dams, and the former showed a higher parturition rate at 90 and 120 days of the calving season, but not at 150 days (calving rates of 80.6, 76.4 and 76.2% for mothers of Nellore, ½Nellore?½Angus Red and ½Nellore?½Simmental, respectively, p > 0.05). At 90 and 120 days, Nellore dams produced more kg of calf per mated dam. In conclusion, in a short breeding season, Nellore dams nursing pure-bred Nellore calves were found to have a higher biological efficiency compared with Nellore dams nursing cross-bred calves

Two Decades of Developmentalism: Bottlenecks and Plans of State Intervention in Brazil in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

This work takes as its theme public policies on development. It aims an overall analysis of the most urgent issues of political and economic plans launched in Brazil in the second half of the twentieth century. Specifically, the intention is to discuss the establishment of government policies in combating bottlenecks in the national economy through the Plans. This is an article based on concepts of development and the major general lines of the development plans in this country. Kon’s works (1999) are the fundamental theoretical basis. We notice that Brazil experienced two very different decades, the 1970s and 1980s: the first focused investment for economic growth; the second, turned to fighting inflation. Because of discourses and appointed limits, developmentalism occurred, but no development in the strict sense. Between public debt and inflation addiction, which were parallel in the two mentioned decades, (still) rests the same issue in the country: What is development? What is the country’s development

Inhibition of the formation in vitro of putatively carcinogenic metabolites derived from S. Haematobium and O. Viverrini by Combination of Drugs with Antioxidants

Infections caused by Schistosoma haematobium and Opisthorchis viverrini are classified as carcinogenic. Although carcinogenesis might be a multifactorial process, it has been postulated that these helminth produce/excrete oxysterols and estrogen-like metabolites that might act as initiators of their infection-associated carcinogenesis. Current treatment and control of these infections rely on a single drug, praziquantel, that mainly targets the parasites and not the pathologies related to the infection including cancer. Thus, there is a need to search for novel therapeutic alternatives that might include combinations of drugs and drug repurposing. Based on these concepts, we propose a novel therapeutic strategy that combines drugs with molecule antioxidants. We evaluate the efficacy of a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent the formation of putative carcinogenic metabolites precursors and DNA adducts. Firstly, we used a methodology previously established to synthesize metabolites precursors and DNA adducts in the presence of CYP450. Then, we evaluated the inhibition of their formation induced by drugs and antioxidants alone or in combination. Drugs and resveratrol alone did not show a significant inhibitory effect while N-acetylcysteine inhibited the formation of most metabolite precursors and DNA adducts. Moreover, the combinations of classical drugs with antioxidants were more effective rather than compounds alone. This strategy might be a valuable tool to prevent the initiation of helminth infection-associated carcinogenesis.This work was financed by FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020-Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in the framework of the projects "Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences" (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274). N.V. also acknowledges support from FCT and FEDER (European Union), award number IF/00092/2014/CP1255/CT0004. FUNDING TEXT 2: Funding: This work was financed by FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020-Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in the framework of the projects “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274). N.V. also acknowledges support from FCT and FEDER (European Union), award number IF/00092/2014/CP1255/CT0004

TEMPO DE SECAGEM DE ÁRVORES DE Eucalyptus dunnii E AJUSTES DAS FACAS DO PICADOR NA QUALIDADE DE CAVACOS PARA FINS ENERGÉTICOS

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito do tempo de secagem de árvores inteiras em campo e do ajuste de facas do picador na qualidade dos cavacos de Eucalyptus dunnii produzidos para alimentação energética de caldeiras. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na cooperativa Castrolanda, Castro PR, em plantio de E. dunnii com sete anos de idade. Foram avaliados nove tipos diferentes de cavacos, resultantes da interação entre três períodos de secagem das árvores e três ajustes de facas do picador. Estudou-se umidade, densidades básica e a granel, teor de cinzas, poderes caloríficos superior, inferior e útil, índice de valor combustível e granulometria dos cavacos. Propôs-se um índice de qualidade energética para os cavacos como parâmetro de comparação. Os cavacos possuem densidade básica igual a 0,506 g/cm³ e poderes caloríficos superior e inferior iguais a 4543,667 kcal/kg e 4219,667 kcal/kg. A umidade diferiu significativamente entre os tratamentos, de modo inversamente proporcional ao tempo de secagem. O teor de cinzas também apresentou diferença significativa, no entanto, não foi possível observar um padrão de comportamento. O poder calorífico útil e o índice de valor combustível diferiram entre os tratamentos em função da umidade da madeira, apresentando uma relação linear positiva. No entanto, o índice de valor combustível se mostrou mais eficiente que o poder calorífico útil na avaliação energética do material. Houveram diferenças significativas na granulometria e na densidade a granel devido aos diferentes ajustes de facas do picador e tempo de secagem do material em campo. Todos os cavacos produzidos com 90 dias de secagem das árvores foram considerados energeticamente ineficientes. O cavaco produzido com 150 dias de secagem e com ajuste de picador com 4 facas mais 1 calço se mostrou o melhor. Considerando o material com 120 dias de secagem, o ajuste do picador com 4 facas é o que fornece um cavaco de qualidade semelhante ao melhor tratamento. Para umidades diferentes de árvores a serem cavaqueadas, visando-se o mantimento de um mesmo padrão de qualidade, deve-se adotar diferentes ajustes de facas no picador. Palavras-chave: Biomassa florestal; Biocombustíveis; Caldeiras combustíveis; Processamento da madeira; Qualidade dos produtos

Experimental envenomation with Crotalus durissus terrificus venom in dogs treated with antiophidic serum - part I: clinical evaluation, hematology and myelogram

The present study aimed at evaluating clinical and laboratory aspects during experimental envenomation by Crotalus durissus terrificus in dogs treated with antiophidic serum. Twenty-one dogs were divided into three groups of seven animals each. Group I received 1mg/kg venom (sc); Group II received 1mg/kg venom (sc), 50mg antiophidic serum (iv), and fluid therapy including 0.9% NaCl solution (iv); and Group III received 1mg/kg venom (sc), 50mg antiophidic serum (iv), and fluid therapy including 0.9% NaCl solution containing sodium bicarbonate diluted to the dose of 4mEq/kg. The clinical signs of ataxia, sedation, flaccid paralysis, mydriasis, eyeball paralysis, mandible ptosis, sialorrhea, vomiting and diarrhea observed in the dogs were very similar to those observed in humans. The decrease in hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte, platelet and fibrinogen levels, prolongation of clotting time, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), as well as hypocellularity in the bone marrow characterized anemia, thrombocytopenia and blood incoagulability, as well as hypofibrinogenemia and decreased bone-marrow activity. Important bleeding was not observed. Increased numbers of leukocytes and neutrophils and decreased numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils characterized an acute inflammatory response and stress caused by generalized pain. The employed antiophidic serum was effective and all animals survived

Experimental envenomation with Crotalus durissus terrificus venom in dogs treated with antiophidic serum - part II: laboratory aspects, electrocardiogram and histopathology

The present work shows laboratory aspects, electrocardiogram and histopathology results during experimental envenomation by Crotalus durissus terrificus in dogs treated with antiophidic serum. Twenty-one dogs were divided into three groups of seven animals each. Group I received 1mg/kg venom (sc); Group II received 1mg/kg venom (sc), 50mg antiophidic serum (iv) and fluid therapy including 0.9% NaCl solution (iv); and Group III received 1mg/kg venom (sc), 50mg antiophidic serum (iv) and fluid therapy including 0.9% NaCl solution containing sodium bicarbonate diluted to the dose of 4mEq/kg. Urinalysis showed brown urine, proteinuria, occult blood and myoglobinuria. Respiratory acidosis and hypotension were also observed. At the venom inoculation site, there was discreet edema, popliteal lymph node response, musculature presenting whitish areas and necrotic myositis with myoregenerative activity. There was not evidence of electrocardiographical and biochemical alterations

Using the post‐operative quality recovery scale to evaluate recovery with different neuromuscular blocking reversal agentsin the Portuguese population ‐ interim analysis results: 1AP3‐8

Background and Goal of Study: Post-operative Quality Recovery Scale (PQRS), is the first scale evaluating several domains of postoperative recovery. The objectives of this study were to compare overal and physiologic, cognitive, and functional domains of post-operative recovery af ter elective surgical procedures using neostigmine or sugammadex as neuromuscular blocking (NMB) reversal agents, to validate the use of PQRS in the Portuguese population and to objectively assess muscular strength recovery. Materials and Methods: Prospective multicenter observational study comparing postoperative recovery between 2 cohorts of 50 adult patients submitted to elective surgical procedures with general anesthesia using Nondepolarizing Muscle Relaxants and NMB reversal with neostigmine or sugammadex. Measurements obtained using Portuguese version of PQRS at dif ferent timepoint: baseline,15 minutes (T15), 40 minutes (T40), one and three days af ter surgery. Full recovery defined as return to values identical or higher than those measured at baseline, prior to surgery. Muscular strength measured with KERN- MAP® Dynamometer. Ethics Committees approval was obtained. Statistics used linear T-Test, Qui Square and Fisher exact test, data presented as mean±SD for continuous variables. Interim analysis results presented Results and Discussion: Thirty patients received neostigmine and 21 sugammadex. Age and BMI 50.4±11.8 and 28.6±5.6 in the neostigmine group and 38.2±12.7 and 24.7± 4.5 in the sugammadex group (p< 0,001). Overall response rate at T15 was 86% for neostigmine and 95% for sugammadex (p= 0.22). Dif ferences in favor of sugammadex group noted in nociceptive and emotional domains, 80 vs 100% respectively (p=0.04). Overall response rate at T40 was 80% for neostigmine and 65% for sugammadex (p=0.33), primarily reflecting constraints on activities of daily life. Muscular strength did not dif fer. Improvements in recovery scores from T15 to T40 were observed in both groups, without significant dif ferences . Postoperative assessments were feasible using PQRS at T15 and T40 and seem appropriate for comparisons between postoperative recovery domains and overall recovery . These preliminary results suggest nociceptive and emotional domains recovery at T15 may be faster with sugammadex. Conclusion: The results support the adopted PQRS validation process and the potential of this scale as a tool for the evaluation of post operative recovery evaluation in the Portuguese populatio