Searching for stable fullerenes in space with computational chemistry

We report a computational study of the stability and infrared (IR) vibrational spectra of neutral and singly ionised fullerene cages containing between 44 and 70 carbon atoms. The stability is characterised in terms of the standard enthalpy of formation per CC bond, the HOMO-LUMO gap, and the energy required to eliminate a C$_2$ fragment. We compare the simulated IR spectra of these fullerene species to the observed emission spectra of several planetary nebulae (Tc 1, SMP SMC 16, and SMP LMC 56) where strong C$_{60}$ emission has been detected. Although we could not conclusively identify fullerenes other than C$_{60}$ and C$_{70}$, our results point to the possible presence of smaller (44, 50, and 56-atom) cages in those astronomical objects. Observational confirmation of our prediction should become possible when the James Webb Space Telescope comes online.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication on MNRA

Congenital Toxoplasmosis: In Vivo Impact of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on Myogenesis and Neurogenesis

Congenital toxoplasmosis (TC) from Toxoplasma gondii positive mother to child transmission results in fetal death, abortion, or infantile neurologic and neurocognitive deficits as well as chorioretinitis. This study aims to analyze the morphological changes in brain and skeletal muscle cells of Swiss mouse embryos during experimental congenital toxoplasmosis. Swiss mice, before mating, were gavage inoculation infected with approximately 25 or 50 cysts of ME‐49 strain T. gondii. Eighteen day postcoitus maternal and embryonic muscle and brain samples were collected and processed for histopathological analysis. The muscle tissue from embryos of infected mothers, in comparison with healthy muscle myofibers, exhibited discontinuous and shorter myofibrils, more interfibrillar space and immature cells with fewer stained and poorly defined striated profiles. These in vivo findings might be related to an adhesion protein decrease, observed in vitro, where myogenesis was completely affected during Toxoplasma infection. The neurogenesis was severely affected with irregularly arranged cells, reduced cell density, and a significant intercellular space increase. The brain tissue presented ischemia, cell death, necrosis, and thrombi, increasing according to the degree of the acute infection, which compromised the neurogenesis, thereby justifying brain size decrease in these embryos

Is the bonding of self-adhesive cement sensitive to root region and curing mode?

Objectives To evaluate the influence of two curing techniques on the degree of conversion (DC) of resin cements and on bond strength (BS) of fiber posts in different regions of root dentin. Material and Methods Twenty single-rooted premolars were endodontically treated, and the post spaces were prepared. The roots were randomly divided into two groups (n=10), according to the activation mode of the resin cement RelyX™ U200 (3M ESPE Saint Paul, MN, USA): conventional (continuous activation mode) and soft-start activation mode (Ramp). The posts (WhitePost DC/FGM) were cemented according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and, after one week, the roots were cross-sectioned into six discs each of 1-mm thickness, and the cervical, medium, and apical thirds of the root canals were identified. The DC was evaluated under micro-Raman spectroscopy and the BS was evaluated by the push-out test. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α=0.05). Results Neither the activation mode nor the root regions affected the DC of the resin cement. Higher BS was achieved in the soft-start group (p=0.036); lower BS was observed in the apical third compared to the other root regions (

Radiometric survey on the exposure to and management of radioactive waste produced by patients on I131 treatment

The objective of this study is to perform a radiometric survey on the exposure of Occupationally Exposed Individuals (OEI) to radioactive waste and to evaluate the management of radioactive waste produced by patients treated with Iodine-131 (I131) in a hospital in São Luís, MA, Brazil. For this purpose, radiometric levels were measured using radiation measuring devices placed at strategic points in the hospital bed and the areas surrounding the tailings deposit. For four months, a team of professionals using equations of exposure rate, activity, and equivalent dose analyzed the waste disposal management and the exposure received by the OEI. It was concluded that the discarded waste had a level lower than 2 μCi/kg, thus complying with CNEN 6.05 standard. Patients who were administered I131 with 100 and 150 mCi activity needed to be hospitalized for only 24 hours, while those with 200 mCi activity required 36 to 48 hours of hospitalization. The exposure rate emitted by the wastes in the iodine rooms was 1.95 mR / h and in the area near the tailings deposit, the OEI received an equivalent dose of 0.01 mSv per week - values below the maximum limit allowed by CNEN 3.01/2014

Entre a estética e a política: uma proposta de análise para ‘O Coro’, de Abbas Kiarostami.

Este ensaio se propõe a analisar um pequeno curta-metragem chamado ‘O Coro’, do cineasta Abbas Kiarostami, de 1982. Nele, buscaremos articular elementos que dialoguem a respeito de aspectos encontrados na arte contemporânea, centrando nossas observações entre estética e política. Com isso, acabamos ainda por abordar a problemática questão da escuta e a presença do ‘outro’ em nossa sociedade

Satisfação no trabalho: um estudo de caso em uma fábrica de confecção e artigos esportivos na cidade de João Pessoa

Due to constant goals of organizations for competitive advantage, it is necessary to value the companies have more important, the human capital. This search aimed to evaluate the degree of satisfaction of the studied factory employees, the motivational and hygiene factors Herzberg, Maslow hierarchy of needs and the theory X and Y McGregor. The studied factory operates in the manufacturing industry and sporting goods. This research is a case study and used the deductive method, exploratory. The participants were 25 employees and the manager of the organization, which were applied structured interviews and one semi-structured. After this, was performed the analysis and interpretation of data. Overall, the level of employee satisfaction is high, although on many factors, they have not been shown to be satisfied. In this case, if this organization use research to improve low performance, employee point of view, the level of satisfaction tends to increase. In which case the theory has not been proven. The elements of autonomy, recognition, participation in decisions, work itself and career advancement, that are fundamental to the satisfaction of the individual were not achieved.Devido a constante busca das organizações pela vantagem competitiva, faz-se necessário a valorização do que as empresas têm de mais importante, que é o capital humano. Dessa forma, esta monografia teve como propósito verificar o grau de satisfação dos funcionários da fábrica X com relação ao fatores motivacionais e higiênicos de Herzberg, a hierarquia das necessidades de Maslow e a teoria X e Y de McGregor. A fábrica estudada atua no ramo de confecção e artigos esportivos. A presente pesquisa constitui um estudo de caso, sendo utilizado o método dedutivo, de caráter exploratório. Participaram da pesquisa 25 colaboradores e a gestora da organização, onde foram aplicadas entrevistas estruturadas e 1 semi-estruturada e, a partir delas, realizadas as análises e interpretação dos dados. De maneira geral, o nível de satisfação dos funcionários é alto, apesar de que em muitos fatores, eles não tenham se mostrado satisfeitos. Nesse caso, se a organização utilizar da pesquisa para melhorar os fatores de baixo rendimento do ponto de vista dos funcionários, o nível de satisfação do tende a aumentar, pois nesse caso a teoria não foi comprovada. Os elementos de autonomia, reconhecimento, participação nas decisões, trabalham em si e avanço na carreira que são fundamentais para a satisfação do indivíduo não foram alcançados

Marketing social na gestão pública

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (especialização)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade Gestão de Políticas Públicas, Departamento de Administração, Curso de Especialização em Gestão Pública Municipal, 2019.A presente pesquisa trata do Tema Marketing Social contextualizando a gestão pública municipal. Tem como objetivo verificar se há na cidade de Cavalcante- Goiás, projetos voltados para o marketing social, bem com se atendem a população, caso contrário, sugerir ao gestor público a adoção desta nova forma de gestão social. O trabalho foi elaborado por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica e fundamentação teórica, observações e conversas informais no âmbito dos órgãos públicos municipais, entrevistas por meio de questionários e análises de site e portal da transparência pública. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram sinais positivos em relação à aplicabilidade do Marketing Social no município campo da pesquisa, porém com a necessidade de melhorias no formato e no trato das relações com as comunidades. Notou-se entre a gestão e a população certa necessidade de maior aproximação e diálogo em relação às políticas públicas, o cenário atual da economia no país que abrange e afeta os municípios sem receitas próprias que depende da União

Corneal findings not related to entropion or trichiasis after trachoma

Purpose: To describe corneal findings not related to eyelid involvement after trachoma. Methods: Complete ocular evaluation was performed in 7 patients from the Cornea and External Diseases Clinics of the Escola Paulista de Medicina -Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). The selected patients had a previous diagnosis of trachoma with no eyelid deformities, previous entropion repair or trichiasis, but presented corneal opacities. Results: The most common findings were bilateral corneal opacities in 100% of the cases, corneal thinning in 85.7% of the cases, bilateral superior pannus in 71.4% of the cases and bilateral superior tarsal conjunctiva fibrosis in 85.7% of the cases. Conclusion: Corneal findings after trachoma may be present different clinical aspects, including opacities, thinning, infectious keratitis, vascularization, ectasy, sensibility decrease and xerosis. If entropion and trichiasis are absent, these findings may result from trachomatous inflamation, interstitial keratitis or forms of treatment performed in the past. Nevertheless their pathophysiology is still controversial.Objetivo: Descrever alterações corneanas pós-tracoma não associadas a deformidades palpebrais. Métodos: Foi realizada avaliação oftalmológica completa em 7 pacientes do ambulatório de Córnea e Doenças Externas da Escola Paulista de Medicina da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Para o nosso estudo selecionamos pacientes com diagnóstico prévio de tracoma sem deformidades palpebrais, história pregressa de correção de entrópio ou epilação, mas com opacidades corneanas. Resultados: Dentre os achados oftalmológicos observados neste estudo destacaram-se: opacidade corneana bilateral em 100% dos casos, afinamento corneano em 85,7% dos casos, pannus superior bilateral em 71,4% dos casos e fibrose da conjuntiva tarsal superior bilateral em 85,7% dos casos. Conclusão: As alterações corneanas pós-tracomatosas podem-se manifestar sob diversas formas clínicas, incluindo opacidades, afinamentos, ceratites secundárias a infecção, vas-cularização, ectasias, alteração da sensibilidade e xerose. Na ausência de entrópio ou triquíase, estas alterações podem resultar de inflamação tracomatosa, ceratite intersticial ou formas de tratamento utilizadas no passado, no entanto a sua fisiopatologia ainda é controversa.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de OftalmologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Oftalmologia Setor de Doenças Externas e CórneaUNIFESP, Depto. de OftalmologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de Oftalmologia Setor de Doenças Externas e CórneaSciEL

Reactivation of wild-type and mutant p53 by tryptophanolderived oxazoloisoindolinone SLMP53-1:a novel anticancer small-molecule

Restoration of the p53 pathway, namely by reactivation of mutant (mut) p53, represents a valuable anticancer strategy. Herein, we report the identification of the enantiopure tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinone SLMP53-1 as a novel reactivator of wild-type (wt) and mut p53, using a yeast-based screening strategy. SLMP53-1 has a p53-dependent anti-proliferative activity in human wt and mut p53R280K-expressing tumor cells. Additionally, SLMP53-1 enhances p53 transcriptional activity and restores wt-like DNA binding ability to mut p53R280K. In wt/mut p53-expressing tumor cells, SLMP53-1 triggers p53 transcription-dependent and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways involving BAX, and wt/mut p53 mitochondrial translocation. SLMP53-1 inhibits the migration of wt/mut p53-expressing tumor cells, and it shows promising p53-dependent synergistic effects with conventional chemotherapeutics. In xenograft mice models, SLMP53-1 inhibits the growth of wt/mut p53-expressing tumors, but not of p53-null tumors, without apparent toxicity. Collectively, besides the potential use of SLMP53-1 as anticancer drug, the tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinone scaffold represents a promissing starting point for the development of effective p53-reactivating drugs