Mean-field analysis of the majority-vote model broken-ergodicity steady state

We study analytically a variant of the one-dimensional majority-vote model in which the individual retains its opinion in case there is a tie among the neighbors' opinions. The individuals are fixed in the sites of a ring of size $L$ and can interact with their nearest neighbors only. The interesting feature of this model is that it exhibits an infinity of spatially heterogeneous absorbing configurations for $L \to \infty$ whose statistical properties we probe analytically using a mean-field framework based on the decomposition of the $L$-site joint probability distribution into the $n$-contiguous-site joint distributions, the so-called $n$-site approximation. To describe the broken-ergodicity steady state of the model we solve analytically the mean-field dynamic equations for arbitrary time $t$ in the cases n=3 and 4. The asymptotic limit $t \to \infty$ reveals the mapping between the statistical properties of the random initial configurations and those of the final absorbing configurations. For the pair approximation ($n=2$) we derive that mapping using a trick that avoids solving the full dynamics. Most remarkably, we find that the predictions of the 4-site approximation reduce to those of the 3-site in the case of expectations involving three contiguous sites. In addition, those expectations fit the Monte Carlo data perfectly and so we conjecture that they are in fact the exact expectations for the one-dimensional majority-vote model

População de afídeos de cereais de inverno em Coxilha/RS, dados de 2013-2014.

Orientador: Douglas Lau

Complicações Neuropsiquiátricas doTratamento com Interferão alfa em doentes com Hepatite Viral tipo B ou C

As autoras fazem uma revisão bibliográfica acerca dos efeitos adversos neuropsiquiátricos da terapêutica com interferão alfa na hepatite viral tipo B (HVB) ou C (HVC). São referidos como efeitos adversos as perturbações do humor, os estados de ansiedade, os comportamentos parassuicidários e suicidários, os estados maneiformes e os quadros psicóticos. Estes muitas vezes são responsáveis pela iminuição da compliance com o tratamento ou necessidade de suspensão do mesmo. Contudo a boa resposta destes quadros à terapêutica psiquiátrica não condiciona muitas das vezes a suspensão da terapêutica com interferão. A abordagem multidisciplinar facilita a detecção e tratamento precoce destas complicações contribuindo para um melhor prognóstico destas doenças

População de parasitoides de afídeos de cereais de inverno em Coxilha/RS, dados de 2013-2014.

Orientador: Douglas Lau

Octatosylaminophthalocyanine: a reusable chromogenic anion chemosensor

Detailed herein is the use of 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octatosylaminophthalocyanine as a chromogenic chemosensor for anions. The host:guest complexes formed during the sensing event can be regenerated by acid treatment without loss of the sensing ability. This allows the phthalocyanine chemosensor to be reused. This system also responds in a colorimetric manner when exposed to the neutral solvent molecules, dimethyl sulfoxide and methanol. A single-crystal X-ray structure of the Pc 1:2 MeOH complex was obtained. It illustrates the main interactions between the host:guest species in the solid state. Fits of the binding curves are consistent with this stoichiometry predominating in the solution state

Partial characterization of nine bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from cold-smoked salmon with activity against listeria monocytogenes

Nine LAB bacteriocin-producers, isolated from vacuum-packaged cold-smoked salmon (CSS), were phenotypically and genotypically identified as Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fermentum, Enterococcus faecium, and Pediococcus acidilactici. Their bacteriocins were partially characterized. The antimicrobial spectrum was determined against Listeria monocytogenes, E. faecalis, E. faecium, and Staphylococcus aureus. The molecular size of bacteriocins ranged from 2.8 to 4.5 kDa. They were inactivated by treatment with proteolytic enzymes but not by lipolytic or glycolytic enzymes. Maximal activity against L. monocytogenes ranged between 800 and 10000 AU/mL at pH 6.5. Most of the bacteriocins maintained full activity in a pH range of 2.0 to 8.0 but were partially or completely inactivated at pH 10.0. After heating at 60°C and 100°C, only two bacteriocins from Lb. curvatus strains partially lost activity. All bacteriocins showed a narrow spectrum of activity and a high anti-listerial activity, which is characteristic of the class IIa bacteriocins. Isolated bacteriocinproducing LAB could be used successfully in the bio-preservation of CSS and development of new potential bio-preservatives for CSS active against L. monocytogenes

C-ERB-2, P53, Ki67 proteins and receptors of estrogen and progesterone on the prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. To date, many studies in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have reported on the association HER-2/neu, p53 proteins and steroid hormones and their respective receptors with prognosis and/or the carcinogenesis process, but no definitive conclusion has been reached. Objectives: To assess the proteins c-erbB-2, p53, Ki67 and receptors of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) of EOC, with regard to clinical stage findings and its effect on survival. Methods: 125 patients with a diagnosis of EOC treated by primary surgery and chemotherapy have participated. A surgical stage was noted and analyzed the correlation with c-erbB-2, p53, Ki67, ER and PR. Immunohistochemical analysis, using the anti-c-erbB-2, p53, Ki67 monoclonal antibodies, the antibody cod PR clone PgR and code ER-6-F11 Anti human estrogen. The c-erbB-2 study was complemented by genetic amplification and was reported univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Age 55.7 ± 16; 50.2% with residual disease (< 2 cm); initial (54.6%) and advanced (45.4%) stage. Univariate analysis showed positive staining for c-erbB-2, p-53, Ki67, PR and ER. The patients with negative receptors had a significantly shortened survival time (p = 0.01) than patients with positive receptors. Multivariable analysis revealed only clinical FIGO stage as an independent prognostic of overall survival (p = 0.002). Other variables like c-erbB-2, p53, Ki67, and ER were not significantly related to survival. Conclusions: We concluded that patients with negative PR had a significantly shortened survival time than patients with positive receptors. The overexpression of markers c-erbB-2, p53, Ki67, and ER, were not significantly related to survival in EOC. Only the FIGO stage was achieved to be an independent predictor of overall survival. They should be evaluated together with the patient’s clinical status and other prognostic factors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of MOF-5 on pyrrolidinium-based poly(ionic liquid)/ionic liquid membranes for biogas upgrading

PostprintBearing in mind that Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have remarkable CO2 adsorption selectivity and Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs) have been identified as potential solution for advancing the current state of the art of membrane separation technology, this work investigates the effect of combining a MOF, with high adsorption properties towards CO2 when compared to CH4 (MOF-5), with a blend of poly(ionic liquid)/ionic liquid (PIL/IL) for biogas upgrading. The blend system consisted of a pyrrolidinium-based PIL, poly([Pyr11][Tf2N]), and a free imidazolium-based IL, [C2mim][BETI]. The MOF-5 was incorporated at different loadings (10, 20, 30 wt%), and MMMs were prepared by solvent evaporation technique and characterized by diverse techniques (FTIR, SEM, TGA, puncture tests, water contact angle and single gas transport). The results showed that the free IL is miscible with the PIL, while MOF-5 particles were uniformly dispersed into the PIL/IL matrix. The formed PIL/IL/MOF-5 membranes revealed suitable thermal stability (Tonset up to 656 K) for biogas upgrading processes, but a loss of mechanical stability was found after the incorporation of MOF-5, and thus more rigid and fragile membranes were obtained. Besides, increasing MOF-5 content in the MMMs resulted in improved CO2 permeability. At 30 wt% of MOF-5 loading the CO2 permeability increased 133% when compared to that of the pristine PIL/IL membrane, while the ideal selectivity CO2/CH4 decreases. It was possible to demonstrate the relevance of studying different components within the polymeric matrix in order to assess not only thermal, mechanical and chemical properties, but also gas transport response.This work was supported by FCT (Fundação para Ciência e a Tecnologia) through the project PTDC/CTM-POL/2676/2014 and the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry - LAQV (UID/QUI/50006/2019). Ana R. Nabais and Luísa A. Neves are grateful to FCT/MCTES for their PhD grant (SFRH/BD/136963/2018) and FCT Investigador Contract (IF/00505/2014), respectively. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 745734

Enhancing bacterial photodynamic inactivation through combined action of potassium iodide and cationic phthalocyanines

Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of death all around the world. Over the last three decades, the alarming and escalating emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains has caused some concern among the scientific community [1,2]. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) emerges as an alternative for inactivating microorganisms, including bacteria [1–3]. The use of phthalocyanine (Pc) derivatives as photosensitizers (PS) in PDI has already proven effectiveness against various microorganisms [4]. Moreover, the addition of KI as a coadjutant can, in certain circumstances, enhance the efficiency of neutral, negative, and positively charged PS against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria [2,4]. In this study will be demonstrated the effect of KI in PDI of E. coli and S. aureus with cationic Pcs bearing tris(trimethylammoniummethyl) or pyridinium-pyrazolyl groups.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio