Effect of low intensity helium-neon (HeNe) laser irradiation on experimental paracoccidioidomycotic wound healing dynamics

The effect of HeNe laser on the extracellular matrix deposition, chemokine expression and angiogenesis in experimental paracoccidioidomycotic lesions was investigated. At days 7, 8 and 9 postinfection the wound of each animal was treated with a 632.8 nm HeNe laser at a dose of 3 J cm(-2). At day 10 postinfection, the wounds were examined by using histologic and immunohistochemical methods. Results revealed that laser-treated lesions were lesser extensive than untreated ones, and composed mainly by macrophages and lymphocytes. High IL-1beta expression was shown in the untreated group whereas in laser-treated animals the expression was scarce. On the other hand, the expression of CXCL-10 was found to be reduced in untreated animals and quite intensive and well distributed in the laser-treated ones. Also, untreated lesions presented vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a small area near the center of the lesion and high immunoreactivity for hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), whereas laser-treated lesions expressed VEGF surrounding blood vessels and little immunoreactivity for HIF-1. Laser-treated lesions presented much more reticular fibers and collagen deposition when compared with the untreated lesion. Our results show that laser was efficient in minimizing the local effects observed in paracoccidioidomycosis and can be an efficient tool in the treatment of this infection, accelerating the healing process.     

Symmetric differentiation on time scales

We define a symmetric derivative on an arbitrary nonempty closed subset of the real numbers and derive some of its properties. It is shown that real-valued functions defined on time scales that are neither delta nor nabla differentiable can be symmetric differentiable.     

Fuzzy optimization for distribution of frozen food with imprecise times

Problems concerning the distribution routes for frozen products need to incorporate constraints that avoid breaks in the cold chain. The decision making process under uncertain environments is a common one in real logistics problems. The purpose of this study is to apply a fuzzy approach which will provide an optimal solution to the distribution of frozen food with uncertainty in its time values. A soft computing approach is used where fuzzy constraints are included in the modeling and the solution of the problem.     

N‐(Tri­phenyl­methyl­sulfanyl)­phthal­imide

The title compound, C₂₇H₁₉NO₂S, contains chains of fused (19) rings formed by intermolecular C—H·O=C hydrogen bonds and running along the [011] and [01] directions. These chains are linked through short intermol­ecular C—H·π contacts, giving rise to sheets. The conformation of the title compound is dominated primarily by the nearly orthogonal lone‐pair orbitals on the N and S atoms.     

Functional analysis concepts and Fartree-Fock instability conditions

Concepts of functional analysis, namely, regular points, tangent subspaces, constraint surfaces, Lagrangian matrix restricted to the tangent subspace of a constraint surface, are presented in connection with the Hartree-Fock (HF) problem. The energy functional in LCAO approximation is considered to be a polynomial function of several variables subject to subsidiary conditions. General HF equations and instability conditions for the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) solutions are derived from this standpoint.     

Synthesis and luminescent properties of Eu-complexes with 2-acyl-1,3-indandionates (ACIND) and TPPO ligands: The first X-ray structure of Eu–ACIND complex

Europium complexes presenting general formulas [Eu(ACIND)₃(H₂O)₂] and [Eu(ACIND)₃(TPPO)₂] have been synthesized and characterized. In these formulas ACIND is stands for the ligands 2-acetyl-1,3-indandionate (AIND), 2-isovaleryl-1,3-indandionate (ISOVIND) or 2-benzyl-1,3-indandionate (BIND). The [Eu(ISOVIND)₃(H₂O)(EtOH)] complex was also prepared and its structure determined by single crystal X-ray analysis, showing that this complex crystallize in a monoclinic space group P2₁/n with the water molecules bridging through the hydrogen bond. The Eu(III) ion is eight-coordinate in a bicapped trigonal prismatic geometry defined by the oxygen donor atoms with a site of symmetry close to C_2ν. Isovaleryl groups in the ISOVIND molecules in the structure are disordered over two positions of the europium complex. Carbon atoms in ethanol molecule are disordered by the thermal vibration. Photoluminescence properties of these complexes in solid state were investigated both experimentally and theoretically, suggesting an efficient ligand-to-metal intramolecular energy transfer process.     

5‐(5‐Nitropyridin‐2‐yldithio)‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazole

In the title disulfide, C₁₂H₈N₆O₂S₂, all bond lengths and angles are within normal ranges, and the molecules are linked into centrosymmetric R₂²(20) dimers by simple C—H...N interactions. Weak intermolecular C—H...π(arene) and π–π interactions, involving the benzene CH groups and the benzene rings, and the pyridine rings, respectively, further stabilize and reinforce the crystal structure.