Systematical study of the optical potential for systems like A+ 58Ni from sub-barrier data analyses

Elastic scattering differential cross sections were measured for the 28Si158Ni system at sub-barrier energies. The corresponding nuclear potential was compared with earlier results of systems like A158Ni. The present data also allowed the determination of the 28Si nuclear density through an unfolding method. The experimentally extracted 28Si density values are compared with those previously obtained for the 4,6He, 12C, 16,18O nuclei. We present a critical discussion of the absolute precision obtained for the density parameters extracted from the data analyses

Global and consistent analysis of the heavy-ion elastic scattering and fusion processes

We have developed a model for the nuclear interaction which is based on the effects of the Pauli nonlocality. In earlier works, we have successfully used this interaction to describe the elastic scattering for several systems in a very wide energy range. In the present work, we have checked the validity of the same interaction in the description of about 2500 fusion cross section data for 165 different systems. By introducing only one energyand system-independent effective parameter, the nonlocal model describes the global behavior of the fusion process with good precision

Estado nutricional e força de preensão manual em idosos residentes em comunidade com baixo índice de desenvolvimento humano

Modelo do estudo: Estudo epidemiológico transversal, populacional de base domiciliar. Objetivo: Verificar a relação entre indicadores antropométricos de estado nutricional e força muscular em idosos residentes em comunidade com baixo índice de desenvolvimento humano. Metodologia: Idosos (N =316) de uma cidade do Nordeste do Brasil foram submetidos a entrevista e avaliação física. A variável dependente analisada foi a força de preensão manual. As variáveis independentes foram o índice de massa corporal e a área muscular do braço. As variáveis de controle foram a idade, tabagismo, atividade física, hospitalização e hiperglicemia. Foram usados modelos de regressão linear simples e múltipla para as análises estatísticas. Resultados: Após controle pelas variáveis de ajuste, houve correlação positiva significante da força de preensão manual com o índice de massa corporal (βajustado = 0,439; p = 0,010; r2 ajustado = 0,062) e a área muscular do braço (βajustado = 0,046; p = 0,003; r2 ajustado = 0,087) para o sexo masculino, mas não para o sexo feminino. Conclusões: Indicadores antropométricos de estado nutricional foram relacionados a força de preensão manual em homens idosos, mas não em mulheres.Design of the study: Epidemiological cross-sectional population-based household study. Objective: To investigate the relationship between anthropometric indicators of nutritional status and muscular strength in community-dwelling elderly with low human development index. Methodology: Elderly (N = 316) residents of a city in Brazil’s Northeast Region were submitted to an interview and a physical evaluation. The dependent variable assessed was handgrip strength. The independent variables were body mass index and arm muscle area. The control variables were age, smoking, physical activity, hospitalization and hyperglycemia. Simple and multiple linear regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results: Following control by adjustment variables, there was significant positive correlation of handgrip strength with body mass index (βadjusted = 0.439; p = 0.010; r2 adjusted = 0.062) and arm muscle area (βadjusted = 0.046; p = 0.003; r2 adjusted = 0.087) for male individuals, but not for female individuals. Conclusions: Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status have been positively related to handgrip strength in elderly men, but not in women

Precise nuclear matter densities from heavy-ion collisions

An unfolding method is proposed to extract ground-state nuclear matter densities from heavy-ion elastic scattering data analyses at low (sub-barrier) and intermediate energies. The consistency of the results is fully checked. The method should be of value in determining densities for exotic nuclei

Determination of the 12C nuclear density through heavy-ion elastic scattering experiments

Precise elastic scattering differential cross sections have been measured for the 12C158Ni,208Pb systems at sub-barrier energies. The corresponding bare potentials have been determined at interaction distances larger than the respective barrier radii, and the results have been compared with those from an early extensive systematics for the nuclear potential. The present data have been combined with others for the 12C 112C,208Pb systems at intermediate energies, in order to extract the 12C ground-state nuclear density through an unfolding method

Influence of Genetic Polymorphisms in Prostaglandin E2 Pathway (COX-2/HPGD/SLCO2A1/ABCC4) on the Risk for Colorectal Adenoma Development and Recurrence after Polypectomy

OBJECTIVES: Deregulation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels reported in colorectal carcinogenesis contributes to key steps of cancer development. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of the genetic variability in COX-2/HPGD/SLCO2A1/ABCC4 PGE2 pathway genes on the development and recurrence of colorectal adenomas. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted gathering 480 unscreened individuals and 195 patients with personal history of adenomas. A total of 43 tagSNPs were characterized using the Sequenom platform or real-time PCR. RESULTS: Ten tagSNPs were identified as susceptibility biomarkers for the development of adenomas. The top three most meaningful tagSNPs include the rs689466 in COX-2 (odds ratio (OR)=3.23; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.52-6.86), rs6439448 in SLCO2A1 (OR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.22-0.65) and rs1751051 in ABCC4 genes (OR=2.75; 95% CI: 1.58-4.80). The best four-locus gene-gene interaction model included the rs1346271, rs1863642 and rs12500316 single nucleotide polymorphisms in HPGD and rs1678405 in ABCC4 genes and was associated with a 13-fold increased susceptibility (95% CI: 3.84-46.3, P<0.0001, cross-validation (CV) accuracy: 0.78 and CV consistency: 8/10). Interesting, in low-risk patients the ABCC4 rs9524821AA genotype was associated not only with a higher hazard ratio (HR=2.93; 95% CI: 1.07-8.03), but half of these patients had adenoma recurrence at 60 months, considerably higher than the 21% noticed in low-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic polymorphisms in COX-2/PGE2 pathway appear to contribute to the development of colorectal adenomas and influence the interval time to adenomas recurrence. The definition of risk models through the inclusion of genetic biomarkers might improve the adherence and optimization of current screening and surveillance guidelines for colorectal cancer prevention.Financial support: This study was supported by a research grant from the Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto— Centro de Investigação. Furthermore, C.P. was a recipient of a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/64805/2009) from FCT— Fundacão para a Ciência e Tecnologia, co-financed by European Social Funds (ESF) under Human Potential Operation Programme (POPH) from National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) and Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro—Núcleo Regional do Norte. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CHARACTERIZATION AND USE OF SUBSTRATES COMPOSED OF ORGANIC WASTE IN THE PRODUCTION OF Colubrina glandulosa PERKINS SEEDLINGS

Urban organic waste has been gaining prominence in the composition of substrates, as it is a source of natural nutrients and a sustainable alternative to mitigate environmental impacts caused by improper waste disposal. The aim of this study was to characterize chemically and physically substrates based on organic waste and to evaluate the development of Colubrina glandulosa seedlings using composted urban tree pruning waste. Treatments consisted of different proportions of organic compost (CP), soil from the A horizon (SAH), aged manure (BM) and vermiculite, kept in tubes (Citropote®) with volume of 1.7 L. C/N ratio, water holding capacity (10 hPa), electrical conductivity, macroporosity, microporosity and total porosity of substrates before their use were determined. Substrate fertility analyses were carried out before and after seedling production. During the development of the seedlings, height (H) and stem diameter (SD) were measured at 60, 90 and 120 days. At 90 and 120 days, the seedlings were divided into shoots and roots to determine the dry mass of each compartment, Dickson quality index (DQI) and contents of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg). After the analysis of the results, it can be observed that the treatments with high proportions of CP had better physical characteristics, but also showed chemical limitation in the development of the seedlings. Treatments based on BM, SAH and lower proportion of CP had the highest average results for H, SD, H/SD ratio and DQI.

Knitted textile KTPs for instrumented underwater building systems

[Excerpt] The main scope of this study was to assess the potential of knitted textiles for underwater instrumented underwater building systems, using textile knitted preforms (multi-shape; multimaterial; etc…), using natural fibres (Hemp, Linen and Cotton)

Iron, copper and manganese complexes with in vitro superoxide dismutase and/or catalase activities that keep Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells alive under severe oxidative stress

Due to their aerobic lifestyle, eukaryotic organisms have evolved different strategies to overcome oxidative stress. The recruitment of some specific metalloenzymes such as superoxide dismutases (SODs) and catalases (CATs) is of great importance for eliminating harmful reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion). Using the ligand HPCINOL {1-[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino]-3-chloropropan-2-ol}, we have synthesized three coordination compounds containing iron(III), copper(II), and manganese(II) ions, which are also present in the active site of the above-noted metalloenzymes. These compounds were evaluated as SOD and CAT mimetics. The manganese and iron compounds showed both SOD and CAT activities, while copper showed only SOD activity. The copper and manganese in vitro SOD activities are very similar (IC50 similar to 0.4 mu mol dm(-3)) and about 70-fold higher than those of iron. The manganese compound showed CAT activity higher than that of the iron species. Analyzing their capacity to protect Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells against oxidative stress (H2O2 and the O-2(center dot-) radical), we observed that all compounds act as antioxidants, increasing the resistance of yeast cells mainly due to a reduction of lipid oxidation. Especially for the iron compound, the data indicate complete protection when wild-type cells were exposed to H2O2 or O-2(center dot-) species. Interestingly, these compounds also compensate for both superoxide dismutase and catalase deficiencies; their antioxidant activity is metal ion dependent, in the order iron(III) > copper(II) > manganese(II). The protection mechanism employed by the complexes proved to be independent of the activation of transcription factors (such as Yap1, Hsf1, Msn2/Msn4) and protein synthesis. There is no direct relation between the in vitro and the in vivo antioxidant activities. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved