Abstract This work proposes a new tactile sensing system for biometric authentication. The system operates based on the response of multiplexed optical fiber macro-bend sensors to plantar pressure. The setup contains a set of 6 in-series sensors installed in holes drilled in a foot-shaped slab of Polymethyl Methacrylate. Each sensor is a loop of standard single-mode telecommunication fiber with 2.5 mm radius, encapsulated with silicone elastomer. The instrumentation required for interrogation includes only a broadband visible light source and a ultraviolet-visible spectrometer. Personal authentication is based on recognizing the unique pattern of pressures applied by the person’s foot in the metatarsal, outside of the foot arch, and heel areas monitored by the 6 sensors. The light spectrum transmitted by the set of multiplexed sensors in the spectral range from 400 nm to 800 nm carries information about the magnitude of the pressure applied on each sensor by the foot. The distribution of pressures exerted by different individuals alters the geometry of the macro-bends, resulting in spectral changes in transmitted light that allow personal authentication. Principal component analysis and support vector machine method are responsible for foot recognition. Data analysis returned hit rates greater than 85% for 6 different feet. macrobend macro bend inseries series footshaped shaped Methacrylate singlemode single mode 25 2 5 2. radius elastomer ultravioletvisible ultraviolet spectrometer persons person s metatarsal arch 40 80 macrobends, macrobends bends, bends macro-bends recognition 85 feet 4 8

The oil from the macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) fruit, a native palm in Brazil, has a real potential for the industrial production of biodiesel. This report describes an experimental work devoted to monitor the chemical behavior of the fatty acid methyl esters from oil of the macaúba fruit kernel and the leaching of metal elements into the biodiesel put in contact with the ASTM A283 grade C and API X65 carbon steels, used to build fuel storage tanks and biodiesel pipelines. The mean values of esters contents points that the analytical precision from atomic absorption measurements was not enough to support a statistically reliable interpretation of the chemical leaching of metals into the biodiesel; a more accurate set of data must be obtained with more sensitive chemical analytical techniques. From the Mössbauer data, the surface of the non - galvanized steels in contact with this biodiesel for up to 105 days tend to be somehow protected against most oxidative reactions even in direct contact with air, although few amount magnetite (Fe3O4) was detected.

Abstract This work shows the experimental validation of a method developed for determining the strain profile applied to a fiber Bragg grating by solving the inverse scattering problem. The non-uniform strain profile is recovered by formulating an optimization problem, solved with an algorithm based on differential evolution. The method has proved to be able of recovering the shape and approximate amplitude of the actual strain profile applied to the FBG, opening new perspectives for optical sensing with fiber Bragg gratings.

Abstract Analysis of the state of polarization of light guided by structures recorded in lithium niobate and lithium fluoride crystals indicates that the recording method is determinant in the formation of birefringent structures. Each structure was written with a single and continuous translation of the crystal transversally to the laser beam. Birefringence was observed in the structures recorded in both crystals, despite the lack of intrinsic birefringence in lithium fluoride. The recorded structures are anisotropic showing regions with different birefringence. The structure generated with femtosecond laser is directly linked to the recording method and the crystalline lattice. This characteristic can be advantageous for application in photonic devices.

Resumen El presente manuscrito se hace con el fin de reportar un caso del tema en mención y realizar una revisión de la literatura disponible más reciente con respecto al diagnóstico y tratamiento. Antecedentes La granulomatosis de Wegener (GW) se caracteriza por ser una vasculitis de pequeños vasos que afecta generalmente la vía respiratoria alta, pulmones y riñones. La afección renal puede presentarse entre el 40 % y el 100 % de los casos. La enfermedad varía en su presentación clínica, desde formas asintomáticas hasta glomerulonefritis rápidamente progresiva, llevando a la insuficiencia renal terminal en pocos días. Metodología Se realiza la presentación del caso de una paciente diagnosticada con granulomatosis de Wegener (GW) en el Hospital San José (Bogotá, Colombia), y se muestra una revisión de la literatura enfocada en el compromiso renal de la patología. La revisión bibliográfica se realizó en las bases de datos: PubMEed, LILAC, SciELO y Cochrane, seleccionando para revisión artículos en inglés y español, sin restricción de fecha, pero asegurándose de que el 70 % de las referencias seleccionadas se hubieran publicado después del año 2010. Conclusiones El compromiso renal en pacientes con GW es frecuente y puede llegar a ser letal. Una proporción de pacientes considerable puede llegar a requerir terapia de reemplazo renal, con potencial recuperación de la función renal. No están claros los factores que se asocian al retorno de la función renal normal, pero sí se ha descrito que se asocia a tratamiento temprano con altas dosis de inmunomoduladores. El rituximab es un medicamento con uso frecuente en estos pacientes, que ha demostrado efectividad y menores efectos secundarios que los tratamientos convencionales, constituyendo una opción válida para el manejo de pacientes con GW y compromiso renal asociado.

Absctrat Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is characterized by small vessel vasculitis that affects the upper respiratory tract, lungs and kidneys. Renal involvement may occur between 40 and 100% of cases. The disease varies from asymptomatic to fulminant rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis forms, leading to terminal renal failure in days. Methodology We present a case of a patient diagnosed with WG in the Hospital de San José in Bogotá, Colombia, and a literature review focused on renal involvement. Literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMEed, LILAC, SciELO and Cochrane. Articles in english and spanish were selected and no restriction date was made, but at least 70% of selected references were published after 2010. Conclusions Renal involvement in patients with WG is common and can be lethal. A high percent may even require renal replacement therapy, although patients can return to normal renal function. Factors associated with return to normal renal function are unclear, but it depends on early therapy and high doses of immunomodulators. Rituximab has shown greater effectiveness and fewer side effects than conventional treatments, so it's a valid therapeutic option for the management of patients with WG and renal involvement.

AbstractIn this work, a refractometric fiber sensor for the liquid fuels sector is described. The use of etched FBGs produced in multimode fibers is proposed to overcome the drawbacks associated with sensing high refractive index samples employing fiber transducers. The transducer sensitivity can be tailored by adjusting the final diameter of the etched Bragg grating. Due to a trade-off between the signal-to-noise ratio and the sensitivity, operational parameters of the sensor must be designed to match the expected refractive index dynamic range for specific applications. Metrological properties of the sensor are determined, resulting in resolution from 5.6 % v/v to 0.4 % v/v for refractive indexes ranging from 1.4562 to 1.4729. Specific applications regarding the quality assessment of biodiesel and conformity analysis of diesel-biodiesel blends are discussed.

A ausência congênita do pericárdio é uma anomalia congênita rara, de difícil diagnóstico. Relatamos um caso de paciente de 42 anos, com dor torácica atípica, eletrocardiograma com distúrbio de condução no ramo direito, radiografia de tórax com desvio do eixo cardíaco no sentido anti-horário e ecocardiograma sugerindo sobrecarga de volume do ventrículo direito. Cateterismo cardíaco demonstrou ausência de shunts intracardíacos, e rotação e deslocamento do coração para o hemitórax esquerdo. Ressonância nuclear magnética confirmou o diagnóstico ao demonstrar ausência parcial do pericárdio à esquerda, com interposição do parênquima pulmonar entre o tronco da artéria pulmonar e a aorta.

Agenesis of the pericardium is a rare congenital anomaly, which is difficult to diagnose. We report a case of a 42-year-old patient, with atypical chest pain, electrocardiogram with an incomplete right bundle branch block, chest X-ray with a counterclockwise heart axis deviation and echocardiogram suggesting right ventricle volume overload. Cardiac catheterization showed no intracardiac shunts, and rotation and displacement of the heart into the left hemithorax. Magnetic nuclear resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis by revealing partial absence of the left pericardium, with interposition of lung parenchyma between the main pulmonary artery and the aorta.

Em 2005 houve um relato da presença da leprose dos citros no Estado de Chiapas, ao sul do México, baseado em sintomatologia. Subsequentemente a doença foi constatada em pomares de laranjeiras doces no Estado de Tabasco, nas localidades de Huimanguillo e Cunduacan. Amostras de folhas com lesões lepróticas de laranjeiras Valencia ou Hamlin foram coletadas e posteriormente examinadas ao microscópio eletrônico e submetidas a ensaios de detecção molecular por RT-PCR usando primers específicos. Estudos ultraestruturais revelaram alterações citopatológicas típicas causadas pelo CiLV-C (partículas baciliformes curtas no lúmen do retículo endoplasmático e a presença de viroplasmas vacuolados e elétron-densos no citoplasma) e hipertrofia em algumas células do parênquima lacunoso. Ensaios de RT-PCR resultaram na amplificação, na maioria das amostras de folhas dessecadas, de fragmento de DNA de tamanho esperado. Ácaros Brevipalpus coletados nos pomares foram identificados como B. phoenicis. Ensaios de transmissão com este ácaro confirmaram seu papel como vetor do CiLV-C para laranja doce, mas não houve transmissão para limão, limão Volkameriana, citrange C35 e citrange Carrizo. Todos estes dados considerados em conjunto confirmam que CiLV-C está presente em Tabasco, México e que a leprose dos citros descrita em Chiapas é causada pelo CiLV-C.

Citrus leprosis was detected in sweet oranges in Chiapas, Mexico, in 2005 based on symptoms. The disease was soon after observed in sweet orange orchards at Huimanguillo and Cunduacan, state of Tabasco. Leaf samples of leprosis-affected Valencia or Hamlin sweet oranges were collected and subjected to ultrastructural examination and molecular detection of CiLV-C by RT-PCR. Cytopathic effects typical of CiLV-C infection as presence of short, baciliform particles in the endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and electron dense, vacuolated viroplasma in the cytoplasm, as well as hypertrophy of some spongy parenchyma cells were observed in the tissues of the leaf lesions. RT-PCR using specific primers for CiLV-C produced DNA fragments of the expected size. Brevipalpus mites were present in these orchards and identified as B. phoenicis, the known vector for CiLV-C. Transmission tests with these mites confirmed their role as leprosis vectors to sweet orange but not to lemon, Volkamerian lemon, C35 citrange and Carrizo citrange. These data confirm the presence of CiLV-C in Tabasco, Mexico and that the citrus leprosis found in Chiapas was caused by CiLV-C.

A sífilis incide em 2,1% na população sexualmente ativa no Brasil, e em 30% dos casos não-tratados evolui para a forma terciária. Relatamos um caso de paciente com angina progressiva, com evidência de obstrução coronária biostial e insuficiência valvar aórtica acentuada à coronariografia. O paciente foi submetido a revascularização cirúrgica do miocárdio, associada a troca valvar aórtica. Em decorrência da suspeita de sífilis nos achados do intraoperatório (acúmulo de material caseoso na aorta e calcificação envolvendo os óstios coronários), foram solicitados os testes VDRL e FTA-Abs, que se revelaram positivos. O paciente recebeu alta, com a prescrição de penicilina G benzatina (2,4 milhões de unidades, uma vez por semana, por 3 semanas).

Syphilis has an incidence of 2.1% in the sexually active population in Brazil and evolves into its tertiary form in 30% of the non-treated cases. This is a case of a patient with progressive angina, evidence of biostial coronary obstruction and severe aortic valve insufficiency at coronary angiography. Patient was submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting, associated to aortic valve replacement. Because of the suspicion of syphilis in the intraoperatory findings (accumulation of caseous material in the aorta and calcification involving the coronary ostia), VDRL and FTA-Abs tests were required and results were positive. Patient was discharged and was prescribed Penicillin G Benzathine (2.4 million units, once a week, for 3 weeks).

The Letreiro do Quinto rock shelter is located in the rural area of the city of Pedro II, Piauí, Brazil. The sandstone walls of the shelter are covered with prehistoric rupestrian paintings, painted in patterns of yellow and light and dark red hues. The chemical-mineralogical characterization of the prehistoric pigments was made with energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and 57Fe transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy at 110 K. Results confirm the occurrence of hematite- and goethite-rich ochres and also that the pigment layers are indeed made of a mixture of clay minerals mixed with iron oxides.

This work presents a chemical study of human bones painted red located at the Morro dos Ossos site, Piauí State, Brazil. The pigment was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), complexation reactions with thiocyanate and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The results confirmed the presence of ochre and that the pigment layer is essentially composed of a mixture of clay and hematite, α-Fe2O3.

We report the use of an optical fiber sensor to measure the soybean oil concentration in samples obtained from the mixture of pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil. The operation of the device is based on the long-period grating sensitivity to the surrounding medium refractive index, which leads to measurable modifications in the grating transmission spectrum. The proposed analysis method results in errors in the oil concentration of 0.4% and 2.6% for pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil, respectively. Techniques of total glycerol, dynamic viscosity, density, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were also employed to validate the proposed method.

Neste trabalho propomos um experimento simples que tem por finalidade auxiliar no aprendizado dos fenômenos de interferência e difração da luz. Após uma análise pertinente da teoria de Fresnel da difração, os conhecimentos são aplicados na compreensão do funcionamento das placas de zonas de Fresnel. Apresentamos uma descrição detalhada dos processos usados para a fabricação e caracterização destas placas zonais, o que possibilita a produção de lentes difrativas com a distância focal desejada para um dado comprimento de onda de operação. As placas zonais produzidas e caracterizadas no trabalho atuam como lentes positivas com distâncias focais variando entre 8 e 50 cm para luz visível com comprimentos de onda compreendidos entre 630 e 680 nm de um apontador laser.

In this work we present a simple experiment that may be used to help in the learning of interference and diffraction of light. After an analysis of the Fresnel diffraction theory, the concepts are applied in the understanding of the working principle of the Fresnel zone plates. We present a detailed description of the process used in the production and characterization of the devices, allowing making diffractive lenses with the required focal length for a specific wavelength of operation. The zonal plates produced in this work behave like positive lenses with focal lengths in the range from 8 to 50 cm for light with wavelengths from 630 to 680 nm of a laser pointer.