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| 2. |
- Sousa, Elsa, et al.
(författare)
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Ankylosing Spondylitis Susceptibility and Severity-Contribution of TNF Gene Promoter Polymorphisms at Positions-238 and-308
- 2009
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Ingår i: Contemporary Challenges in Autoimmunity. - : Wiley. - 0077-8923. ; 1173, s. 581-588
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which genetic factors play a central role. The efficacy of TNF blockers has reoriented research in this field in order to explain the influence of TNF in AS pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to access the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions -308 and -238 of the promoter region of TNF gene on AS susceptibility and prognosis. SNPS were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms in patients and controls. AS patients exhibited a decreased frequency of the A allele at position -238 (10%) when compared with controls (18%), suggesting that this could be a protective factor for disease susceptibility. In addition, the -308 GA/AA genotypes were associated with later disease onset in AS patients. These results suggest that TNF gene promoter polymorphisms at positions -238 and -308 could have a small influence on AS susceptibility and prognosis.
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| 3. |
- Antanas, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Semantic and geometric reasoning for robotic grasping : a probabilistic logic approach
- 2019
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Ingår i: Autonomous Robots. - : Springer. - 0929-5593 .- 1573-7527. ; 43:6, s. 1393-1418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While any grasp must satisfy the grasping stability criteria, good grasps depend on the specific manipulation scenario: the object, its properties and functionalities, as well as the task and grasp constraints. We propose a probabilistic logic approach for robot grasping, which improves grasping capabilities by leveraging semantic object parts. It provides the robot with semantic reasoning skills about the most likely object part to be grasped, given the task constraints and object properties, while also dealing with the uncertainty of visual perception and grasp planning. The probabilistic logic framework is task-dependent. It semantically reasons about pre-grasp configurations with respect to the intended task and employs object-task affordances and object/task ontologies to encode rules that generalize over similar object parts and object/task categories. The use of probabilistic logic for task-dependent grasping contrasts with current approaches that usually learn direct mappings from visual perceptions to task-dependent grasping points. The logic-based module receives data from a low-level module that extracts semantic objects parts, and sends information to the low-level grasp planner. These three modules define our probabilistic logic framework, which is able to perform robotic grasping in realistic kitchen-related scenarios.
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| 4. |
- Aroni, Mauricio Andres Tinajero, et al.
(författare)
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Loading deproteinized bovine bone with strontium enhances bone regeneration in rat calvarial critical size defects.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Clinical Oral Investigations. - : Springer. - 1432-6981 .- 1436-3771. ; 23:4, s. 1605-1614
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of grafting with strontium (Sr)-loaded deproteinized bovine bone (DBB) on bone healing in calvarial critical size defects (CSD) in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two circular bone defects (5 mm in diameter) were created in the calvaria of 42 rats. One of the defects, randomly chosen, was grafted with (a) DBB, (b) DBB loaded with 19.6 mug/g of Sr (DBB/Sr1), or (c) DBB loaded with 98.1 mug/g of Sr (DBB/Sr2). The other defect was left empty as negative control. Groups of seven animals from each of the groups were euthanized 15 and 60 days post-op. Bone healing in the CSD was evaluated by micro-CT and histology/histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: DBB/Sr2-grafted sites showed statistically significantly shorter radiographic residual defect length compared with DBB/Sr1- and DBB-grafted sites, and with empty controls at 60 days. Further, the amount of new bone formation in the DBB/Sr1- and DBB/Sr2-grafted sites was significantly higher compared with that in the DBB-grafted sites at 60 days. A larger number of DBB/Sr1- and DBB/Sr2-grafted sites presented with no- or only limited to mild inflammation, compared with the DBB-grafted sites, especially at 60 days. Higher expression of osteocalcin was observed in DBB/Sr1- and DBB/Sr2-grafted sites as compared to DBB-grafted sites. CONCLUSION: Grafting with Sr-loaded DBB enhanced bone formation in CSD in rats, when compared with grafting with non-loaded DBB. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Grafting with Sr-loaded DBB may enhance bone formation in bone defects.
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| 5. |
- Blösch, Günter, et al.
(författare)
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Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) - a community perspective
- 2019
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Ingår i: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 64:10, s. 1141-1158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through online media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focused on the process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come.
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| 6. |
- Gonçalves, Fernanda Castanheira, et al.
(författare)
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Cyclosporine A impairs bone repair in critical defects filled with different osteoconductive bone substitutes.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Brazilian Oral Research. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica. - 1806-8324 .- 1807-3107. ; 34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to assess the influence of cyclosporine administration on the repair of critical-sized calvaria defects (CSDs) in rat calvaria filled with diverse biomaterials. Sixty animals were divided into two groups: the control (CTR) group (saline solution) and the cyclosporine (CCP) group (cyclosporine, 10 mg/kg/day). These medications were administered daily by gavage, beginning 15 days before the surgical procedure and lasting until the day the animals were euthanized. A CSD (5 mm Ø) was made in the calvaria of each animal, which was allocated to one of 3 subgroups, according to the biomaterial used to fill the defect: coagulum (COA), deproteinized bovine bone (DBB), or biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics of hydroxyapatite and β-phosphate tricalcium (HA/TCP). Euthanasia of the animals was performed 15 and 60 days after the surgical procedure (n = 5 animals/period/subgroup). Bone repair (formation) assessment was performed through microtomography and histometry, while the analyses of the expression of the BMP2, Osteocalcin, and TGFβ1 proteins were performed using immunohistochemistry. The CSDs not filled with biomaterials demonstrated lower bone formation in the CCP group. At 15 days, less bone formation was observed in the CSDs filled with DBB, a smaller volume of mineralized tissue was observed in the CSDs filled with HA/TCP, and the expression levels of BMP2 and osteocalcin were lower in the CCP group compared to the CTR group. The use of cyclosporine impaired bone repair in CSD, and this effect can be partially explained by the suppression of BMP2 and osteocalcin expression.
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| 7. |
- Maia Paiva, Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Quantification of biodiesel and adulteration with vegetable oils in diesel/biodiesel blends using portable near-infrared spectrometer
- 2015
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Ingår i: Fuel. - : Elsevier. - 0016-2361 .- 1873-7153. ; 160, s. 57-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The performance of a portable near infrared spectrophotometer to determine biodiesel content in diesel/biodiesel blends, as well as to quantify adulteration by vegetable oil, was evaluated. The NIR transmittance/absorbance spectra of 118 samples in the range 950–1650 nm were acquired using an ultra-compact spectrophotometer (MicroNIR), and also by using a Fourier transform benchtop instrument (FT-NIR) from 800 to 2500 nm. In a preliminary step, partial least squares (PLS) models aimed at the determination of biodiesel quality parameters were developed by using full spectral information. Thereafter, the variables showing significant regression coefficients were selected and the PLS models were re-processed. Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA) was used to screen for the most orthogonal variables to be used in a model constructed by using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR). For determining the contents of both biodiesel and vegetable oil in diesel/biodiesel blends, using MicroNIR and FT-NIR, the results indicated MLR-SPA as the best modelling strategy. RMSEP values of 0.22% v/v (MicroNIR) and 0.13% v/v (FT-NIR) for biodiesel and 0.34% v/v (MicroNIR) and 0.22% (FT-NIR) for vegetable oil contents were obtained. LOD values of 0.31% (MicroNIR) and 0.22% (FT-NIR) for biodiesel and 0.40% (MicroNIR) and 0.34% (FT-NIR) for vegetable oil determination were achieved. The results revealed comparable performances between the portable and the benchtop instruments, demonstrating the feasibility of monitoring in situ the quality characteristics of diesel/biodiesel blends according to biodiesel content and for detection of adulteration with vegetable oils by using the portable spectrophotometer.
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| 8. |
- Pimentel Lopes de Oliveira, Guilherme Jose, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables on Osseointegration : A Proof-of-Principle Preclinical In Vivo Study
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants. - : Quintessence. - 0882-2786 .- 1942-4434. ; 29:4, s. 949-957
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To evaluate the influence of administration of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) on implant osseointegration in rat tibiae. Materials and Methods: Thirty rats were randomly assigned into one of three equal-sized groups: (1) ASU1: administration of ASU starting 7 days prior to implant placement; (2) ASU2: administration of ASU starting on the day of implant placement, and (3) CTL: administration of saline solution. In all animals, one titanium implant was placed in each tibia. All animals received ASU or saline solution by gavage daily until sacrifice 60 days postoperatively. Implant osseointegration and bone maturation were assessed by biomechanical and radiographic bone density analysis; descriptive histology; immunohistochemistry for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), and osteocalcin; and histomorphometric evaluation of bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and mineralized bone area fraction within the threads of the implant. Results: ASU1 and ASU2 showed three times higher expression of BMP-2 and nine times higher expression of TGF-beta compared with CTL (P < .05). Histomorphometric analysis, however, showed that both ASU1 and ASU2 groups presented significantly higher BIC values only in the cortical bone compartment when compared to CTL (P < .05). Conclusion: ASU consumption seems to exert only a subtle effect on implant osseointegration.
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| 9. |
- Pimentel Lopes de Oliveira, Guilherme Jose, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) on the treatment of ligature-induced periodontitis in rats
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brazilian Oral Research. - : Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica. - 1806-8324 .- 1807-3107. ; 31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) on the treatment of induced periodontitis in rats. Periodontitis was induced in 84 rats via ligature placement around the second upper molar, which was removed after 7 days, and scaling and root planning (SRP) was performed at this time. Subsequently, the rats were randomly allocated to four groups with 21 animals each: One SRP group in which saline solution was administered (SS), and three groups in which ASU was administered (0.6 g/kg/day), beginning either 7 days before the induction of periodontitis (SRP/ASU-7), on the day of periodontitis induction (SRP/ASU0), or on the day of treatment (SRP/ASU+7). ASU and SS were administered daily by gavage until the sacrifice of the animals (7, 15, and 30 days after SRP). The % bone in the furcation area was evaluated by histomorphometry and micro-CT. The expression of proteins (TRAP, RANKL, and alkaline phosphatase) and mRNA (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, RANKL, and alkaline phosphatase) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The SRP/ASU+7 group presented a higher percentage of bone fill in the furcation area and higher expression of alkaline phosphatase than in the SRP group (at 7 and 30 days, respectively). The SRP/ASU0 and SRP/ASU+7 groups presented lower expression levels of RANKL mRNA than the SRP and SRP/ASU-7 groups at 15 days. ASU administration on the day of the SRP treatment of the ligature-induced periodontitis promoted subtle beneficial effects on periodontal repair following the treatment of induced periodontitis within the experimental period of 7 days.
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| 10. |
- Pinotti, Felipe Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Use of a Non-Crosslinked Collagen Membrane During Guided Bone Regeneration Does Not Interfere With the Bone Regenerative Capacity of the Periosteum
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0278-2391 .- 1531-5053. ; 76:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To assess whether the use of a non-crosslinked porcine collagen type I and III bi-layered membrane inter-positioned between the periosteum and a bone defect would interfere with the bone regenerative capacity of the periosteum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty rats, each with 1 critical-size calvarial defect (CSD; diameter, 5 mm) in the parietal bone, were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 equal-size groups after CSD creation: 1) the periosteum was excised and the flap was repositioned without interposition of a membrane (no-periosteum [NP] group); 2) the flap including the periosteum was repositioned (periosteum [P] group); and 3) a non-crosslinked collagen membrane was inter-positioned between the flap, including the periosteum, and the bone defect (membrane [M] group). Micro-computed tomography, qualitative histology, immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed at 3, 7, 15, and 30 days postoperatively. RESULTS: A markedly increased radiographic residual defect length was observed in the NP group compared with the P group at 30 days. The NP group also presented a smaller radiographic bone fill area than the P group at 15 and 30 days and then the M group at 30 days. The P and M groups exhibited considerably greater expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteocalcin than the NP group at 7 days; expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 was considerably greater in the NP group at 15 days. Further, the P group presented considerably higher gene expression levels of Runx2 and Jagged1 at 7 days and of alkaline phosphatase at 3 and 15 days compared with the M and NP groups. CONCLUSION: Interposition of this specific non-crosslinked collagen membrane between the periosteum and the bone defect during guided bone regeneration interferes only slightly, if at all, with the bone regenerative capacity of the periosteum.
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