Virtual Coronary Intervention: A Treatment Planning Tool Based Upon the Angiogram

Objectives: This study sought to assess the ability of a novel virtual coronary intervention (VCI) tool based on invasive angiography to predict the patient's physiological response to stenting. Background: Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved clinical and economic outcomes compared with angiographic guidance alone. Virtual (v)FFR can be calculated based upon a 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the coronary anatomy from the angiogram, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. This technology can be used to perform virtual stenting, with a predicted post-PCI FFR, and the prospect of optimized treatment planning. Methods: Patients undergoing elective PCI had pressure-wire-based FFR measurements pre- and post-PCI. A 3D reconstruction of the diseased artery was generated from the angiogram and imported into the VIRTUheart workflow, without the need for any invasive physiological measurements. VCI was performed using a radius correction tool replicating the dimensions of the stent deployed during PCI. Virtual FFR (vFFR) was calculated pre- and post-VCI, using CFD analysis. vFFR pre- and post-VCI were compared with measured (m)FFR pre- and post-PCI, respectively. Results: Fifty-four patients and 59 vessels underwent PCI. The mFFR and vFFR pre-PCI were 0.66 ± 0.14 and 0.68 ± 0.13, respectively. Pre-PCI vFFR deviated from mFFR by ±0.05 (mean Δ = -0.02; SD = 0.07). The mean mFFR and vFFR post-PCI/VCI were 0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.92 ± 0.05, respectively. Post-VCI vFFR deviated from post-PCI mFFR by ±0.02 (mean Δ = -0.01; SD = 0.03). Mean CFD processing time was 95 s per case. Conclusions: The authors have developed a novel VCI tool, based upon the angiogram, that predicts the physiological response to stenting with a high degree of accuracy

Olive Oil Composition: Volatile Compounds

volatile composition of olive oil

PACCE: Perl Algorithm to Compute Continuum and Equivalent Widths

We present Perl Algorithm to Compute continuum and Equivalent Widths (pacce). We describe the methods used in the computations and the requirements for its usage. We compare the measurements made with pacce and "manual" ones made using iraf splot task. These tests show that for SSP models the equivalent widths strengths are very similar (differences <0.2A) for both measurements. In real stellar spectra, the correlation between both values is still very good, but with differences of up to 0.5A. pacce is also able to determine mean continuum and continuum at line center values, which are helpful in stellar population studies. In addition, it is also able to compute the uncertainties in the equivalent widths using photon statistics. The code is made available for the community through the web at http://www.if.ufrgs.br/~riffel/software.html.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Online Job Search: A Study on Optimizing Online Platforms to Facilitate Effective Job Search

Technological advancement along with the expanding number of users and internet-based businesses have created a worldwide market for both job recruiters and job seekers. This has drastically changed areas of job searching and job recruiting. Traditional methods of recruiting and job hunting have been obsoleting since the introduction of digitalized platforms to perform these tasks, leading to better results when matching the intents of job recruiters to job seekers. There are numerous online job search platforms but everyone one of them contains some major issues. We have examined the related studies and identified that these issues exist in the areas of screening job applications, optimizing job search queries, and demographic inequity in candidate selection. Although these topics have been researched independently, there is a lack of implementational solutions available to address all these issues together. As a result of our study on this deficiency, we have come up with a practical solution implemented as a web application addressing these issues and providing job seekers and job recruiters with an online platform with enhanced accuracy and user experience

Gas Chromatography in the Analysis of Compounds Released from Wood into Wine

Wood has been used in alcoholic beverages for centuries, mainly as material for containers used for alcoholic beverages aging. Recently OIV (Organisation International de la Vigne et du Vin) approved the use of chips (Resolution oeno 3/2005) and staves as alternatives for barrels. These practices are being rapidly spread among winemakers. The increased used of these alternatives are mainly related to low investments, similar sensorial results obtained in shorter time, simplicity of use and the possibility of avoiding contamination and offflavours, too-often related to aged or contaminated barrels. Besides oak, other woods are being looked at for enological purposes, such as acacia, cherry, chestnut and mulberry. Their characteristics are commonly compared to oak. In the past, chestnut (Castanea sativa) was widely used in the Mediterranean area, because of its availability and its cheap price. Chestnut wood has higher porosity than oak. Cherry wood (Prunus avium) has high porosity and oxygen permeation, and is usually used for short aging times. Acacia wood (Robinia pseudoacacia) is hard, with low porosity. Mulberry wood (Morus alba and Morus nigra) is tender and elastic, with medium porosity, and is characterized by a low release of compounds. The lack of properties for cooperage is now overcome by their possible use as staves or chips. The aim of this work is to present an overview on volatile and semi-volatile composition of different kind of wood with oenological interest. Within this purpose, this work will be focused on a bibliographic review of the most used chromatographic methods for characterization of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, including also a brief description of the most common reported sample preparation methods for chromatographic analysis

The Cyclonic Dryer - A Numerical And Experimental Analysis Of The Influence Of Geometry On Average Particle Residence Time

Particle residence time is an extremely important variable in a cyclonic dryer project. With the goal of obtaining a device that conduces to a long particle residence time, the influence of cyclone dimensions on particle residence time and on the type of flow is discussed here. The research was based on a device with a very high ratio of cyclone diameter to other dimensions. Simulations were developed with computational fluid dynamics techniques by the use of the commercial code CFX 4.4® of AEA Technology. Particles were treated individually. The fit of a turbulence model was also discussed. Theoretical and experimental results showed that the dimensions of the conical part of the cyclone had a very important influence on flow and consequently on particle residence time. The influence of volumetric concentration and particle diameter on particle residence time were also observed.211103112Abujelala, M.T., Lilley, D.G., Limitations and empirical extensions of the k-ε model as applied to turbulent confined swirling flows (1984) Chemical Eng. Communications, 31, pp. 223-236(2000) CFX-4.4 User Guide: Solver, , AEA Technology, United KingdomCorrêa, J.L.G., Rios, M.T.T., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Study of particle residence time in cyclones (2000) Proceedings of the 28th ENEMP, Teresópolis, RJ, pp. 165-172. , (in Portuguese)Corrêa, J.L.G., Chamma, M.O., Godoy, A.L., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Experimental study of drying and residence time of sugar cane bagasse in cyclonic devices (2001) Proceedings of 2nd Inter-American Drying Conference, Boca del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico, pp. 407-414. , ISBN 968-5401-01-2Corrêa, J.L.G., Graminho, D.R., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Simulation and experimental study of gas flow in a cyclonic chamber (2001) Proceedings of the 29th ENEMP, São João del Rei, MG, on CD-ROM, , (in Portuguese)Corrêa, J.L.G., Graminho, D.R., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Cyclone as a sugar cane bagasse dryer (2002) Proceedings of the 13th International Drying Symposium (IDS 2002), Beijing, China, C, pp. 1542-1549Corrêa, J.L.G., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Experimental and theoretical study of particle residence time in a cyclonic chamber (2002) Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Transport Phenomena, Elsevier, Victoria, BC, Canada, pp. 63-67. , ISBN 2-84299-391-8Corrêa, J.L.G., Peres, A.P., Graminho, D.R., Pacifico, A.L., Godoy, A.L., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Anaysis of flow in a venturi particle feeder (2002) Proceedings of the 14th Brazilian Congress of Chemical Engeneering, , (in Portuguese)Corrêa, J.L.G., Graminho, D.R., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Experimental study of sugar cane bagasse in cyclone (2003) 2nd Nordic Drying Conference, Copenhagen, DenmarkCorrêa, J.L.G., Graminho, D.R., Silva, M.A., Nebra, S.A., Cyclone as a sugar cane bagasse dryer (2003) Chinese Journal of Chemical EngineeringCorrêa, J.L.G., Discussion of cyclonic dryer project parameters (2003), Ph.D.diss., State University of Campinas, Campinas - SP(in Portuguese)Dibb, A., Silva, M.A., Cyclone as a drier - The optimum geometry (1997) Proceedings of the First Inter-American Drying Conference (IADC), Itu, SP, Brazil, B, pp. 396-403Dirgo, J., Leith, D., Performance of theoretically optimized cyclones (1985) Filtration and Separation, 22, pp. 119-125Griffiths, W.D., Boysan, F., Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and empirical modeling of the performance of a number of cyclone samplers (1996) Journal of Aerosol Science, 27 (2), pp. 281-304Heinze, C., A new cyclone dryer for solid particles (1984) Ger Chem. Eng., 7 (4), pp. 274-279Hoekstra, A.J., Derksen, J.J., Van Den Akker, H.E.A., An experimental and numerical study of turbulent swirling flow in gas cyclones (1999) Chemical Engineering Science, 54, pp. 2055-2065Iozia, D.L., Leith, D., Effect of cyclone dimensions on gas flow pattern and collection efficiency (1989) Aerosol Science and Technology, 10, pp. 491-500Ismail, K.A., Gonçalves, M.M., Benevenuto, F.J., Instrumentação básica para engenharia (1998), Editora da Unicamp, Campinas, SP. ISBN 85-900609-1-8Jackson, R., Mechanical equipment for removing grit and dust from gases (1963), Great Britain: The British Coal Utilization Research AssociationLaunder, B.E., Reece, G.J., Rodi, W., Progress in the development of a Reynolds stress turbulence closure (1975) Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 68, pp. 537-566Lede, J., The cyclone: A multifunctional reactor for the fast pyrolysis of biomass (2000) Ins. & Eng. Chem. Research, 39, pp. 893-903Lede, J., Soulignac, H.L., Li, F., Villermaux, J., Measurement of solid particle residence time in a cyclone reactor: A comparison of four methods (1987) Chem. Eng. Proc., 22, pp. 215-222Ter Linden, A.J., Investigations into cyclone dust collector (1949) Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. J., 160, pp. 233-251Ludera, L.M., Design methods for cyclone preheaters of rotary kilns (1989) Zement-Kalk-Gips, 1, pp. 10-12Meier, H.F., Peres, A.P., Fugihara, T.J., Martignoni, W.P., Mori, M., Comparison between turbulence models for 3-D turbulent flows in cyclones (2000) Proceedings of the XXI Cilance - Iberian Latin American Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, on CD-ROMMohammadi, B., Pironneau, O., Analysis of the k-epsilon turbulence model (1994) Research in Applied Mathematics, , John Wiley and Sons, ParisMori, T., Suganuma, A., Tanaka, S., On collection efficiency of gas cyclone in coarse particle range (1968) Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, 1, pp. 82-86Nebra, S.A., Silva, M.A., Mujumdar, A.S., Drying in cyclones - a review (2000) Drying Technology, 18, pp. 791-832Ogawa, A., Mechanical separation process and flow patterns of cyclone dust collectors (1997) American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 50, p. 97Patankar, S.V., (1980) Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, , Washington: Hemisphere Publishing CoXiang, S.H.R., Park, S.H., Lee, K.W., Effects of cone dimension on cyclone performance (2001) Aerosol Science, 32, pp. 549-561Santana, J.D.A.M., Arnosti Jr., S., Coury, J.R., Performance of cylindrical-conical cyclones with different geometrical configurations (2001) Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 18 (3), pp. 233-241Silva, M.A., Study of drying in cyclones (1991), Ph.D. diss., State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP(in Portuguese)Yuu, S., Jotaki, T., Tomita, Y., Yoshida, K., The reduction of pressure drop due to dust loading in a conventional cyclone (1978) Chemical Engineering Science, 33, pp. 1573-158

Anadenanthera colubrina vell brenan : anti-candida and antibiofilm activities, toxicity and therapeutical action

We evaluated the antifungal and antibiofilm potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of bark from Anadenanthera colubrina (vell.) Brenan, known as Angico, against Candida spp. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the microdilution technique through the Minimum Inhibitory and Fungicide Concentrations (MIC and MFC). The antibiofilm potential was tested in mature biofilms formed by Candida species and analyzed through the counting of CFU/mL and scanning electron micrograph (SEM). In vivo toxicity and therapeutic action was evaluated in the Galleria mellonella model. The treatment with the extract, in low doses, was able to reduce the growth of planktonic cells of Candida species. MIC values range between 19.5 and 39 µg/mL and MFC values range between 79 and 625 µg/mL. In addition was able to reduce the number of CFU/mL in biofilms and to cause structural alteration and cellular destruction, observed via SEM. A. colubrina showed low toxicity in the in vivo assay, having not affected the viability of the larvae at doses below 100mg/kg and high potential in the treatment of C. albicans infection. Considering its high antifungal potential, its low toxicity and potential to treatment of infections in in vivo model, A. colubrina extract is a strong candidate for development of a new agent for the treatment of oral candidiasis33CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ552562/2011-

AVALIAÇÃO DE REGISTROS SEDIMENTARES NA ÁREA DA ENCOSTA DA FACE LESTE DO DOMO DE ITABAIANA-SE: RESULTADOS PRELIMINARES

O Quaternário é reconhecido por variações das condições climáticas que deixaram na paisagem marcas dessas oscilações. O trabalho objetivou reconhecer características dos depósitos e estruturas presentes nas seções. A encosta encontra-se numa área susceptível as mudanças na sua estrutura, remodelando a forma do relevo, onde foram encontradas depósitos referentes a eventos de grande magnitude ou de alta torrencialidade capaz de remobilizar mantos de alteração em forma de fluxos em curtos

MONITORAMENTO DE PROCESSOS EROSIVOS EM UMA ENCOSTA DA BORDA LESTE NO DOMO DE ITABAIANA/SE

A região do Domo de Itabaiana localizada no agreste sergipano se apresenta como um importante compartimento morfoestrutural, de geodiversidade bem particularizada sob condições de marcante metamorfismo regional, neste são evidenciadas dinâmicas diferenciadas da Paisagem geomorfológica. Dá analise realizada emerge a relação pedogênese-morfogênese, onde hoje na área ocorre o predomínio da morfogênese

Screening and in silico characterization of prophages in Helicobacter pylori clinical strains

Publisher Copyright: © The AuthorsThe increase of antibiotic resistance calls for alternatives to control Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium associated with various gastric diseases. Bacteriophages (phages) can be highly effective in the treatment of pathogenic bacteria. Here, we developed a method to identify prophages in H. pylori genomes aiming at their future use in therapy. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique tested five primer pairs on 74 clinical H. pylori strains. After the PCR screening, 14 strains most likely to carry prophages were fully sequenced. After that, a more holistic approach was taken by studying the complete genome of the strains. This study allowed us to identify 12 intact prophage sequences, which were then characterized concerning their morphology, virulence, and antibiotic-resistance genes. To understand the variability of prophages, a phylogenetic analysis using the sequences of all H. pylori phages reported to date was performed. Overall, we increased the efficiency of identifying complete prophages to 54.1 %. Genes with homology to potential virulence factors were identified in some new prophages. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship among H. pylori-phages, although there are phages with different geographical origins. This study provides a deeper understanding of H. pylori-phages, providing valuable insights into their potential use in therapy.proofinpres