Algorithms for the Homogeneous Set Sandwich Problem

A homogeneous set is a non-trivial module of a graph, i.e. a non-empty, non-unitary, proper subset of a graph's vertices such that all its elements present exactly the same outer neighborhood. Given two graphs the Homogeneous Set Sandwich Problem (HSSP) asks whether there exists a sandwich graph which has a homogeneous set. In 2001 Tang et al. published an all-fast algorithm which was recently proven wrong, so that the HSSP's known upper bound would have been reset thereafter at the former determined by Cerioli et al. in 1998. We present, notwithstanding, new deterministic algorithms which have it established at We give as well two even faster randomized algorithms, whose simplicity might lend them didactic usefulness. We believe that, besides providing efficient easy-to-implement procedures to solve it, the study of these new approaches allows a fairly thorough understanding of the problem.     

Automatic measurement of arterial pressure

PURPOSE: To identify patients with lymphoma at risk for tumor lysis after chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The case records of 102 patients receiving combination chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (intermediate to high-grade histology) were reviewed. Patients were considered to have "laboratory tumor lysis" if two of the following metabolic changes occurred within 4 days of treatment: a 25% increase in the serum phosphate, potassium, uric acid, or urea nitrogen concentrations, or a 25% decline in the serum calcium concentration. "Clinical tumor lysis" was defined as laboratory tumor lysis plus one of the following: a serum potassium level greater than 6 mmol/L, a creatinine level greater than 221 mumol/L, or a calcium level less than 1.5 mmol/L, the development of a life-threatening arrhythmia, or sudden death. RESULTS: Laboratory tumor lysis occurred in 42% of patients and clinical tumor lysis in 6%. There was no statistical difference in the frequency of either tumor lysis syndrome among lymphoma subgroups. Clinical tumor lysis occurred more frequently in patients with pretreatment renal insufficiency (serum creatinine level greater than 132 mumol/L) than in patients with normal renal function (36% versus 2%; p = 0.01). The development of azotemia correlated with high pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase concentrations (p < 0.01; r2 = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Clinically significant tumor lysis is a rare occurrence in patients with lymphoma when they are receiving allopurinol. However, tumor lysis can occur in patients with all types of moderate to high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients with a high serum lactate dehydrogenase level or renal insufficiency are at increased risk for metabolic complications after chemotherapy and should be closely monitored.     

An Investigation into the Use of Water by Portuguese Industry

ABSTRACT

The continuous increase in water demand for various uses underlines the importance of supply problems in the general context of water resources management.

In this domain it would clearly be useful to collect and make available all the data currently stored on different paper supports and kept by several regional agencies. This would provide an immediate overview of tbe resources, and also permit forecasting the future demand for tbe various utilizations.

This paper describes a project involving a database to be used for groundwater resources management, conceived not only as a support for research activity, but also as a contribution to developing new and more efficient managementprocedures. The database has been designed to be used on a personal computer, with software readily available on the market.     

Hematopoietic progenitor constituents and adherent cell progenitor morphology isolated from black-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Wagler 1831) bone marrow

Stem cells are present in the adult tissues of most diverse species. Bone marrow is recognized to be the most exploited site to obtain stem cells and cell progenitors. The objective of the present study was to characterize hematopoietic progenitor (HP) morphology and analyze the performance of adherent cell progenitors (ACPs) cultivated in vitro from black‐rumped agouti bone marrow (Dasyprocta prymnolopha). Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from tibia crest and used to prepare histological slides and identify cell morphology. Cells were also scattered on culture plates for later isolation, expansion, and quantification. Smears obtained from bone marrow demonstrated HPs at different stages of maturity. In culture, these cells showed fibroblastoid morphology and a strong tendency to form colonies, demonstrated by the presence of cell aggregates, cytoplasmic elongations lying side by side. An 80% cell confluence was observed at 18 days in culture and progressive reduction in the percentage of nonadherent mononuclear cells. After eight passes, a mean cell viability of 96.07% was observed, from a pool of 1.6 × 10⁷ cells (ACP). Thirteen 25‐cm² culture bottles were trypsinized, resuspended in freezing medium, stored in 14 criotubes at a concentration of 1 × 10⁶ cells per milliliter, and placed in liquid nitrogen at ?196°C. Agouti bone marrow demonstrated high plasticity, moreover different HP lines, and a population of adherent cells demonstrated morphology similar to mesenchymal stem cells in culture. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Incorporation of polyfluorenes into poly(lactic acid) films for sensor and optoelectronics applications

Films of neat and plasticized biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrices containing anionic conjugated polyelectrolytes, poly[9,9‐bis(4‐phenoxybutylsulfonate)]fluorene‐2,7‐diyl‐alt‐arylenes, with 1,4‐phenylene and 4,4″‐p‐terphenylene, respectively, as arylene groups or a neutral poly(9,9‐dialkylfluorene) for comparison were prepared by solution casting. These films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, the effects of plasticizer on the thermal properties and the oxygen permeability of the PLA films were measured through the oxygen transmission rate. Results show that it is possible to obtain thin, optically transparent and luminescent films with potential in oxygen sensing, exhibiting good thermal and photochemical stability. At high polyelectrolyte content, evidence is found for phase separation and aggregate formation and it is no longer possible to obtain completely homogeneous films. The possibility of incorporating the cationic metal complex tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) into plasticized PLA films containing conjugated polyelectrolytes for dual‐wavelength ratiometric luminescence sensing is also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Extraction and characterization of highly purified collagen from bovine pericardium for potential bioengineering applications

Bovine pericardium is widely used as a raw material in bioengineering as a source of collagen, a fundamental structural molecule. The physical, chemical, and biocompatibility characteristics of these natural fibers enable their broad use in several areas of the health sciences. For these applications, it is important to obtain collagen of the highest possible purity. The lack of a method to produce these pure biocompatible materials using simple and economically feasible techniques presents a major challenge to their production on an industrial scale. This study aimed to extract, purify, and characterize the type I collagen protein originating from bovine pericardium, considered to be an abundant tissue resource. The pericardium tissue was collected from male animals at slaughter age. Pieces of bovine pericardium were enzymatically digested, followed by a novel protocol developed for protein purification using ion-exchange chromatography. The material was extensively characterized by electrophoresis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed a purified material with morphological properties and chemical functionalities compatible with type I collagen and similar to a highly purified commercial collagen. Thus, an innovative and relatively simple processing method was developed to extract and purify type I collagen from bovine tissue with potential applications as a biomaterial for regenerative tissue engineering.     

Nanosized dispersions based on chitosan and NaPSS

Interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) were obtained by the solution mixing method from chitosan and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), NaPSS. XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis indicated that IPEC formation inhibits the occurrence of crystalline regions in the resultant solid IPECs. Turbidimetry, viscometry, conductometry, and zeta potential measurements showed that at a sulfonate to aminium molar ratio = 1, the process of IPEC production is optimum. Average hydrodynamic diameters, calculated from DLS measurements, showed that IPEC formation occurs in two stages: first there is a decrease in macromolecular dimensions, as sulfonate to aminium molar ratio is increased. At a characteristic sulfonate to aminium molar ratio, soluble IPEC structures collapse to form phase segregated clusters that begin to nucleate the formation of larger, insoluble, IPEC particles.     

Antioxidant Stability in Vegetable Oils Monitored by the ASTM D7545 Method

The PetroOXY method was used to evaluate the kinetics of oxidation of two edible vegetable oils, extracted from moringa and passion fruit. This method, which uses pure oxygen at 700 kPa is effective and fast and our experiments were carried out at temperatures 110–140 °C with BHA antioxidant additive concentration ranging from 0 to 500 ppm. Moringa and passion fruit oils followed first-order kinetics although, in the case of passion fruit oil, mathematical approximations in the first-order kinetic expression resulted in a final equation that could also be interpreted as deriving from zero-order kinetics. The higher stability of moringa oil was characterized by an activation enthalpy ca. 50 % higher than the one related to passion fruit oil.     

Molds and Resists Studies for Nanoimprint Lithography of Electrodes in Low-Voltage Polymer Thin-Film Transistors

A low-cost patterning of electrodes was investigated looking forward to replacing conventional photolithography for the processing of low-operating voltage polymeric thin-film transistors. Hard silicon, etched by sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen gas mixture, and flexible polydimethylsiloxane imprinting molds were studied through atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. The higher the concentration of oxygen in reactive ion etching, the lower the etch rate, sidewall angle, and surface roughness. A concentration around 30 % at 100 mTorr, 65 W and 70 sccm was demonstrated as adequate for submicrometric channels, presenting a reduced etch rate of 176 nm/min. Imprinting with positive photoresist AZ1518 was compared to negative SU-8 2002 by optical microscopy and AFM. Conformal results were obtained only with the last resist by hot embossing at 120 °C and 1 kgf/cm² for 2 min, followed by a 10 min post-baking at 100 °C. The patterning procedure was applied to define gold source and drain electrodes on oxide-covered substrates to produce bottom-gate bottom-contact transistors. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices were processed on high-κ titanium oxynitride (TiO _x N _y ) deposited by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering over indium tin oxide-covered glass to achieve low-voltage operation. Hole mobility on micrometric imprinted channels may approach amorphous silicon (～0.01 cm²/V s) and, since these devices operated at less than 5 V, they are not only suitable for electronic applications but also as sensors in aqueous media.