Iron Compounds in Brazilian Pre-Columbian Pigments Identified by \u3csup\u3e57\u3c/sup\u3eFe Mossbauer Spectroscopy and X-Ray Powder Diffraction

Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction have been used to identify iron compounds in pre-Columbian pigments, probably used for art decorating, collected from the oldest archaeological site of Early Man presently known in American at Sao Raimundo Nonato, in Northeastern Brazil. The iron compounds were identified as being alpha-Fe203 (haematite) with full Morin transition supressed and small particles of alpha-FeOOH (goethite)

Usefulness of a rapid immunometric assay for intraoperative parathyroid hormone measurements

Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IO-PTH) measurements have been proposed to improve operative success rates in primary, secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism (PHP, SHP and THP). Thirty-one patients requiring parathyroidectomy were evaluated retrospectively from June 2000 to January 2002. Sixteen had PHP, 7 SHP and 8 THP. Serum samples were taken at times 0 (before resection), 10, 20 and 30 min after resection of each abnormal parathyroid gland. Samples from 28 patients were frozen at -70ºC for subsequent tests, whereas samples from three patients were tested while surgery was being performed. IO-PTH was measured using the Elecsys immunochemiluminometric assay (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). The time necessary to perform the assay was 9 min. All samples had a second measurement taken by a conventional immunofluorimetric method. We considered as cured patients who presented normocalcemia in PHP and THP, and normal levels of PTH in SHP one month after surgery and who remained in this condition throughout the follow-up of 1 to 20 months. When rapid PTH assay was compared with a routine immunofluorimetric assay, excellent correlation was observed (r = 0.959, P < 0.0001). IO-PTH measurement showed a rapid average decline of 78.8% in PTH 10 min after adenoma resection in PHP and all patients were cured. SHP patients had an average IO-PTH decrease of 89% 30 min after total parathyroidectomy and cure was observed in 85.7%. THP showed an average IO-PTH decrease of 91.9%, and cure was obtained in 87.5% of patients. IO-PTH can be a useful tool that might improve the rate of successful treatment of PHP, SHP and THP.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Disciplina de EndocrinologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Disciplina de NefrologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Disciplina de Cirurgia de Cabeça e PescoçoUNIFESP, EPM, Disciplina de EndocrinologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Disciplina de NefrologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Disciplina de Cirurgia de Cabeça e PescoçoSciEL

Correlated disordered interactions on Potts models

Using a weak-disorder scheme and real-space renormalization-group techniques, we obtain analytical results for the critical behavior of various q-state Potts models with correlated disordered exchange interactions along d1 of d spatial dimensions on hierarchical (Migdal-Kadanoff) lattices. Our results indicate qualitative differences between the cases d-d1=1 (for which we find nonphysical random fixed points, suggesting the existence of nonperturbative fixed distributions) and d-d1>1 (for which we do find acceptable perturbartive random fixed points), in agreement with previous numerical calculations by Andelman and Aharony. We also rederive a criterion for relevance of correlated disorder, which generalizes the usual Harris criterion.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Physical Review

On Standard Reductions to Relative Gravity Measurements. A Case Study Through the Establishment of the New Local Gravity Net in the Province of Valencia (Spain)

This is an author's accepted manuscript of an article published in: “Survey Review"; Volume 43, Issue 319, 2011; copyright Taylor & Francis; available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/003962610X12747001420825Standard reductions to gravity readings due to Earth tides, ocean loading and attraction, polar motion, instrumental height and air pressure variations and loading of atmospheric masses are studied in this paper from a practical point of view, that is, taking into account their numerical values and their influence on gravimetric readings and relative gravimetric observations. The study was carried out using the observations and definition of a new local gravimetric net. This new local gravimetric net has been established in the province of Valencia (Eastern Spain) to meet the increasing requirements of geophysics, geology, geodesy and geodynamics. The net comprises 21 sites, which are an average of 45 km apart and was measured using Lacoste & Romberg D203 and G301 gravimeters. Gravity values were determined using one fixed station in relation to an absolute one and 202 relative gravimetric observables. Reductions are applied for Earth tides (with real accurate amplitude and phase-difference for the principal tidal waves analysed from 301 digitally recorded days of gravity readings) where oceanic attraction and loading has been considered. In addition, reductions for polar motion, vertical gradient to instrument height and air pressure and loading of atmospheric masses have been applied. The net was established using least square adjustment where the weights of each relative gravimetric observable were determined by iterative estimation in accordance with the Huber robust estimation procedure. Obtained standard deviations of the final gravity values have an average value of 18x10-8 ms-2 (18 µGal), minimum value of 10x10-8 ms-2 and maximum value of 26x10-8 ms-2 . The statistical analysis of the results concludes with a precision and reliability determination. Discussion of the numerical values obtained in the standard gravimetric reductions shows the importance of each one in the final solution, bearing in mind that the relative gravimetric observables have been obtained using Lacoste & Romberg instruments and the geographical location of the net. The main conclusion is that only Earth tides reduction (with approximate amplitude and phase-difference numbers for the principal tidal waves) have to be taken into accountMartín Furones, ÁE.; Anquela Julián, AB.; Padin Devesa, J.; Berné Valero, JL. (2011). On Standard Reductions to Relative Gravity Measurements. A Case Study Through the Establishment of the New Local Gravity Net in the Province of Valencia (Spain). Survey Review. 43(319):16-29. doi:10.1179/003962610X12747001420825S162943319Boedecker, G., & Richter, B. (1981). The new gravity base net 1976 of the Federal Republic of Germany (DSGN 76). Bulletin Géodésique, 55(3), 250-266. doi:10.1007/bf02530865Cartwright, D. E., & Tayler, R. J. (2007). New Computations of the Tide-generating Potential. Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 23(1), 45-73. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246x.1971.tb01803.xCharles, K. and Hipkin, R.G. 1994. British precise gravity net 1993. Joint symposium of the International Gravity Comission and the International Geoid Comission, Symposium 113: 39–45, Graz, Austria. Ed. Springer-Verlag.Farrell, W. E. (1972). Deformation of the Earth by surface loads. Reviews of Geophysics, 10(3), 761. doi:10.1029/rg010i003p00761Jentzsch, G. (s. f.). Earth tides and ocean tidal loading. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, 145-171. doi:10.1007/bfb0011461Torge, W. 1989. Gravimetry. Ed. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin-New York. 465 pages.Wahr, J. M. (1985). Deformation induced by polar motion. Journal of Geophysical Research, 90(B11), 9363. doi:10.1029/jb090ib11p09363Wenzel, G. 1998. Format and structure for the exchange of high precision tidal data, http://www.ife.uni-hannover.de/∼Wenzel/format/format.html, acceded on February 1999

Soil organisms in organic and conventional cropping systems.

Apesar do crescente interesse pela agricultura orgânica, são poucas as informações de pesquisa disponíveis sobre o assunto. Assim, num Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico foram comparados os efeitos de sistemas de cultivo orgânico e convencional, para as culturas do tomate (Lycopersicum esculentum) e do milho (Zea mays), sobre a comunidade de organismos do solo e suas atividades. As populações de fungos,bactérias e actinomicetos, determinadas pela contagem de colônias em meio de cultura, foram semelhantes para os dois sistemas de produção. A atividade microbiana, avaliada pela evolução de CO2, manteve-se superior no sistema orgânico, sendo que em determinadas avaliações foi o dobro da evolução verificada no sistema convencional. O número de espécimes de minhoca foi praticamente dez vezes maior no sistema orgânico. Não foi observada diferença na taxa de decomposição de matéria orgânica entre os dois sistemas. De modo geral, o número de indivíduos de microartrópodos foi superior no sistema orgânico do que no sistema convencional, refletindo no maior índice de diversidade de Shannon. As maiores populações de insetos foram as da ordem Collembola, enquanto para os ácaros a maior população foi a da superfamília Oribatuloidea. Indivíduos dos grupos Aranae, Chilopoda, Dyplopoda, Pauropoda, Protura e Symphyla foram ocasionalmente coletados e de forma similar entre os sistemas

A proteomic analysis of the interactions between poly(L-lactic acid) nanofibers and SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells

Poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that has been put forward as a promising material for therapeutic approaches aiming to restore neuronal function. The topographic cues present in PLLA-based scaffolds, defined by the technique used in their preparation, have been shown to play a role on the cellular behavior of adherent cells. Even though this interaction has been shown to influence the regenerative output of the scaffold, there is a lack of studies addressing this response at the proteomic level. Hence, this work focuses on the effect of electrospun PLLA-based nanofibers on the proteome, cellular processes and signaling pathways of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. It also further explores how these molecular mediators might influence cell proliferation and differentiation upon in vitro culture. For that, mass spectrometry followed by bioinformatics analysis was firstly performed and further complemented with Western blot, cell viability and imaging assays. Results show that PLLA nanofibers differentially activate and inhibit specific cellular functions and signaling pathways related to cell division, apoptosis, actin remodeling, among others. These ultimately block cellular proliferation and induce morphological rearrangements through cytoskeleton remodeling, adaptations that turn cells more prone to differentiate. In synthesis, PLLA nanofibers shift the SH-SY5Y cells proteome towards a state more responsive to differentiation-inductive cues such as the retinoic acid. Unveiling cells responses to nanomaterials is an important step to increase the tools available for their manipulation and potentiate their use in neural tissue engineering. Further studies should be performed to compare the effects of other topographic cues on cellular behavior