Synthesis and characterization of the copolymer poly(L-co-D,L lactic acid)

Bioreabsorbable polymers are routinely used as temporary prostheses for fractured bones. Among the bioreabsorbable polymers the poly(L-co-D, L lactic acid), PLDLA, in the 70:30 rate has been studied to obtain plates and screws to recuperate traumas in the cranium and maxilla facial regions. In this monomers rate, an amorphous polymer is obtained, which allows adaptation of devices in the local for the implant during the surgery. A limiting factor to use this polymer is its high cost, due to the importation process. In this work PLDLA was synthesized by mass polymerization of the cyclical monomers L-lactic acid and D, L lactic acid, using Sn(Oct)(2) as catalyst. A material with high molar mass (10(5) g/mol) was obtained and characterized by H-1 RMN, C-13 RMN, GPC, FTIR and DSC.17212312

Comparative study between photodynamic therapy with urucum + Led and probiotics in halitosis reduction-protocol for a controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Halitosis is a term that defines any foul odor emanating from the oral cavity. The origin may be local or systemic. The aim of the proposed protocol is to determine whether treatment with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and treatment with probiotics are effective at eliminating halitosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-eight patients, from 18 to 25 years old with a diagnosis of halitosis (H2S≥112 ppb, determined by gas chromatography) will be randomly allocated to four groups (n = 22) that will receive different treatments: Group 1 -treatment with teeth brushing, dental floss and tongue scraper; Group 2 -brushing, dental floss and aPDT; Group 3 -brushing, dental floss and probiotics; Group 4 -brushing, flossing, aPDT and probiotics. The results of the halimetry will be compared before, immediately after, seven days and thirty days after treatment. The microbiological analysis of the coated tongue will be performed at these same times. The normality of the data will be determined using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Data with normal distribution will be analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Non-parametric data will be analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Wilcoxon test will be used to analyze the results of each treatment at the different evaluation periods. CLINICAL TRAIL REGISTRATION: NCT03996044

Accreting Black Holes

This chapter provides a general overview of the theory and observations of black holes in the Universe and on their interpretation. We briefly review the black hole classes, accretion disk models, spectral state classification, the AGN classification, and the leading techniques for measuring black hole spins. We also introduce quasi-periodic oscillations, the shadow of black holes, and the observations and the theoretical models of jets.Comment: 41 pages, 18 figures. To appear in "Tutorial Guide to X-ray and Gamma-ray Astronomy: Data Reduction and Analysis" (Ed. C. Bambi, Springer Singapore, 2020). v3: fixed some typos and updated some parts. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1711.1025

Growing at the limit: Reef growth sensitivity to climate and oceanographic changes in the South Western Atlantic

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordWhilst the impacts of climatic and oceanographic change on lower latitude reefs are increasingly well documented, our understanding of how reef-building has fluctuated in higher latitude settings remains limited. Here, we explore the timing and longevity of reef-building through the mid- to late Holocene in the most southerly known reef (24°S) in the Western Atlantic. Reef core data show that reef growth was driven by a single coral species, Madracis decactis, and occurred over two phases since ~6000 calibrated (cal.) yr B.P.. These records further indicate that there was a clear growth hiatus from ~5500 to 2500 cal. yr B.P., and that there is no evidence of reef accretion on the Queimada Grande Reef (QGR) over the past 2000 yrs. It thus presently exists as a submerged senescent structure colonized largely by non-reef building organisms. Integration of these growth data with those from sites further north (18°S and 21°S) suggests that Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), South Westerlies Winds (SWW) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability and shifts during the Holocene drove changes in the position of the Brazil-Falklands/Malvinas Confluence (BFMC), and that this has had a strong regional influence on the timing and longevity of reef growth. Our results add new evidence to the idea that reef growth in marginal settings can rapidly turn-on or -off according to regional environmental changes, and thus are of relevance for predicting high latitude reef growth potential under climate change.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)razilian Research Council (CNPq

Reviewing, indicating, and counting books for modern research evaluation systems

In this chapter, we focus on the specialists who have helped to improve the conditions for book assessments in research evaluation exercises, with empirically based data and insights supporting their greater integration. Our review highlights the research carried out by four types of expert communities, referred to as the monitors, the subject classifiers, the indexers and the indicator constructionists. Many challenges lie ahead for scholars affiliated with these communities, particularly the latter three. By acknowledging their unique, yet interrelated roles, we show where the greatest potential is for both quantitative and qualitative indicator advancements in book-inclusive evaluation systems.Comment: Forthcoming in Glanzel, W., Moed, H.F., Schmoch U., Thelwall, M. (2018). Springer Handbook of Science and Technology Indicators. Springer Some corrections made in subsection 'Publisher prestige or quality

Risco de câncer de pulmão, laringe e esôfago atribuível ao fumo

OBJECTIVE:Lung, laryngeal and esophageal cancers have smoking as one of their main risk factors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the population attributed risk (PAR) of smoking for these forms of cancer. METHODS: The study was based in three case-control studies conducted in medium size cities in Brazil. Incident cases of lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and esophageal cancer seen at a hospital setting and diagnosed through biopsy were analyzed; controls were hospitalized patients with another diagnoses. Smoking was the exposure factor measured at three levels: non-smokers, former smokers and smokers, which were defined using a questionnaire applied by trained interviewers. For effect measure, odds ratio was used and the populational attributed risk for smoking was then calculated for a 95% CI. RESULTS: A total of 122 lung cancer cases and 244 controls, 50 cases of laryngeal cancer and 48 cases of esophageal cancer, and 96 controls for both of them were studied. The prevalence of smoking exposure was 34%, which is the overall prevalence of smoking in this city's adult population. Odds ratios (OR) for the PAR analysis were the adjusted OR for confounding variables from each study. Lung cancer PAR was 63% (95% IC, 0.58-0.68) for former smokers and 71% (95%IC, 0.65-0.77) for smokers. Larynx cancer PAR was 74% (95% IC, 0.70-0.78) and 86% (95%IC, 0.81-0.85) for former smokers and smokers, respectively. Esophageal cancer PAR was 54% (95%IC, 0.46-0.62) for smokers. CONCLUSION: Smoking is an avoidable risk factor and smoking cessation could be responsible for significant reductions in the incidence of these three forms of cancer.OBJETIVO: Os tipos de câncer de pulmão, laringe e esôfago têm como um de seus principais fatores de risco o fumo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o risco populacional atribuível ao fumo nesses tipos de câncer. MÉTODOS: A pesquisa baseou-se em três estudos de caso-controle em cidade de médio porte do Brasil. Analisaram-se casos incidentes hospitalares de câncer de pulmão, de laringe e de esôfago diagnosticados por biópsias; os controles foram pacientes hospitalizados por outros motivos, sem ser câncer ou doenças altamente relacionadas ao fumo. O fator de exposição foi o tabagismo medido em três níveis: não-fumantes, ex-fumantes e fumantes atuais, definidos por meio de questionários aplicados por entrevistadores treinados. Para a medida de efeito, foi utilizado o odds ratio obtendo-se, dessa forma, o "risco populacional atribuível" ao fumo com IC de 95%. RESULTADOS: Foram estudados 122 casos e 244 controles de câncer de pulmão, 50 casos de câncer de laringe e 48 casos de câncer de esôfago, com um grupo de 96 controles comum a ambos. A prevalência da exposição ao fumo utilizada para a análise foi de 34%, que corresponde à prevalência de fumo na população adulta da cidade. Os odds ratios para o cálculo do risco populacional atribuível foram obtidos por análises ajustadas para os fatores de confusão de cada um dos estudos. Para ex-fumantes com câncer de pulmão, o risco populacional atribuível foi de 63% (IC95%, 0,58-0,68) e, para fumantes, de 71% (IC95%, 0,65-0,77). Para câncer de laringe, o RPA foi de 74% (IC95%, 0,70-0,78) para ex-fumantes e de 86% (IC95%, 0,81-0,85) para fumantes. O câncer de esôfago mostrou um risco de 54% (IC95%, 0,46-0,62) para fumantes. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que o fumo é um importante fator de risco e que a cessação do mesmo contribuiria para reduções significativas na incidência de câncer nesses três sítios

Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets