Influence of preparation methods of LaCoO3 on the catalytic performances in the decomposition of N2O

This study reports the potential interest of LaCoO₃ in the catalytic decomposition of N₂O from nitric acid plants. Typically, the exhaust gas contains NO, water and O₂ which usually induce strong inhibiting effects depending on the surface properties of the solids particularly the surface mobility of oxygen from LaCoO₃. Different preparation methods have been implemented, involving citrate route, reactive grinding and the use of templates, which lead to different structural and textural properties examined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and N₂ physisorption. EDX analysis and XPS measurements also revealed that different surface composition may alter subsequent interactions between the surface and the reactants and related catalytic performances. LaCoO₃ prepared by reactive grinding was found to be the most active catalyst due to a high specific surface area but the presence of Fe and Zn impurities inherent to the preparation method were suggested to interfere on the catalytic performances.     

Evaluation of Therapeutic Targets in Histological Subtypes of Bladder Cancer

Histologically, bladder cancer is a heterogeneous group comprising urothelial carcinoma (UC), squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinomas (ACs), urachal carcinomas (UrCs), and small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (SCCs). However, all bladder cancers have been treated so far uniformly, and targeted therapy options are still limited. Thus, we aimed to determine the protein expression/molecular status of commonly used cancer targets (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), mismatch repair (MMR), androgen and estrogen receptors (AR/ER), Nectin-4, tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (Tacstd2, Trop-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3)) to give first insights into whether patients with SCC, AC/UrCs, and squamous-differentiated carcinomas (Sq-BLCA) of the bladder could be eligible for targeted therapies. In addition, for MMR-deficient tumors, microsatellite instability was analyzed. We completed our own data with molecular data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We present ratios for each drug and cumulative ratios for multiple therapeutic options for each nonurothelial subtype. For example, 58.9% of SCC patients, 33.5% of AC/UrCs patients, and 79.3% of Sq-BLCA patients would be eligible for at least one of the analyzed targets. In conclusion, our findings hold promise for targeted therapeutic approaches in selected patients in the future, as various drugs could be applied according to the biomarker status.     

Combination Chemotherapy with Cisplatin and Chloroquine: Effect of Encapsulation in Micelles Formed by Self-Assembling Hybrid Dendritic–Linear–Dendritic Block Copolymers

Clinical outcomes of conventional drug combinations are not ideal due to high toxicity to healthy tissues. Cisplatin (CDDP) is the standard component for many cancer treatments, yet its principal dose-limiting side effect is nephrotoxicity. Thus, CDDP is commonly used in combination with other drugs, such as the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ), to enhance tumor cell killing efficacy and prevent the development of chemoresistance. In addition, nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems can overcome chemotherapy limitations, decreasing side effects and increasing tumor accumulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of CQ and CDDP against tumor and non-tumor cells when used in a combined treatment. For this purpose, two types of micelles based on Pluronic^® F127 hybrid dendritic–linear–dendritic block copolymers (HDLDBCs) modified with polyester or poly(esteramide) dendrons derived from 2,2′-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (HDLDBC-bMPA) or 2,2′-bis(glycyloxymethyl)propionic acid (HDLDBC-bGMPA) were explored as delivery nanocarriers. Our results indicated that the combined treatment with HDLDBC-bMPA(CQ) or HDLDBC-bGMPA(CQ) and CDDP increased cytotoxicity in tumor cells compared to the single treatment with CDDP. Encapsulations demonstrated less short-term cytotoxicity individually or when used in combination compared to the free drugs. However, and more importantly, a low degree of cytotoxicity against non-tumor cells was maintained, even when drugs were given simultaneously.     

Design and parametric study of a pavement foundation layer made of cement-treated fine-grained lateritic soil

This study deals with the application of experimental results to the design of a roadway structure. It firstly addresses the design of a layer of pavement foundation made of cement-treated fine-grained lateritic soil, using the American empirical and the French mechanistic-empirical methods developed by AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) and LCPC (Central Laboratory of Roads and Bridges), respectively. Then, a comparison is made of the results obtained by these two pavement design methods with those provided by the CEBTP (Experimental Center for Research and Studies in Building and Public Works) pavement design manual for tropical countries. It is observed that there is very little difference between the thicknesses of the pavement layers (D) obtained by the LCPC mechanistic-empirical method of pavement design and the AASHTO empirical pavement design method. However, the pavement thicknesses (D) obtained by the LCPC pavement design method are lower than those obtained by the AASHTO pavement design method in the order of 8%, thereby reducing the input of a significant amount of lateritic soil at the worksite. It is further observed that the thicknesses (D) obtained by the LCPC and AASHTO pavement design methods are 1–1.9 times lower than those provided in the CEBTP pavement design manual, used for several decades in the tropics. This considerable decrease in the cement-treated fine grained lateritic soil required for the pavement body is both economically profitable for project managers and beneficial for the environment. Regression relationships were proposed based on the key parameters, namely, resilient modulus M_R, modulus of elasticity E, layer coefficient a_i and structural number SN. They provide strong relationships that yield good linear correlations.     

New redundant logic design concept for high noise and low voltage scenarios

This paper presents a new redundant logic design concept named Turtle Logic (TL). It is a new probabilistic logic method based on port redundancy and complementary data, oriented toward emerging technologies beyond CMOS, where the thermal noise could be predominant and the reliability of the future circuits could be limited. The TL is a technology independent method, which aims to improve error tolerance when these errors are caused by noise within logic and functional units, sequential elements, and in general synchronous pipeline Finite State Machines. Turtle Logic operation is based on the consistency relation of redundant inputs. In the case of discrepancy, the output of the system keeps the previous value, therefore avoiding the propagation of incorrect inputs. A two's complement 8×8-bit pipelined Baugh–Wooley multiplier is implemented, on which several experiments reveal a perfect tolerance (0% errors) to single line discrepancies for both primary and internal nodes, with a cost of lost clock periods between 6% and 25%. The error ratio for the proposed Turtle Logic implementation with double discrepancies in both true and complementary lines are lower than 0.1% when the noise affects primary input nodes, and lower than 0.9% when the noise affects internal nodes.     

Evidence for deficits on different components of theory of mind in Huntington's disease.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Huntington's disease (HD) on cognitive and affective Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities. The relation of ToM performance and executive functions was also examined. Method: Eighteen HD patients, early in the course of the disease, and 18 healthy volunteers matched for age and educational levels, were given two tasks: a nonverbal cognitive ToM task assessing attribution of intentions to others and a revised version of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test, which is an affective ToM task assessing the understanding of other people's mental states from their eyes. Participants were also given various executive tests. Results: The two ToM tasks revealed a significant impairment of ToM abilities in HD patients. Executive functioning was impaired in the HD group and ToM performance on the attribution of intentions task was dependent on several executive processes. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with the idea that both cognitive and affective aspects of ToM could be impaired in HD patients, indicating that cortico-subcortical circuits are underlying higher social functions such as ToM. The results are also consistent with the idea that only a few executive mechanisms regulate the ToM abilities we tested in this work. They also provide a basis for the understanding of the disorganized behavior and the breakdown of interpersonal relationships in daily life after HD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural and generational influences on privacy concerns: a qualitative study in seven European countries

This research examines how European citizens decide to disclose and protect their personal data and thereby reveals cultural and generational divides. Focus group discussions featured either young people, aged 15 to 24 years, or adults, between 25 and 70 years of age, and were conducted in seven EU member states. The results of a computer-aided text analysis with two complementary software packages suggest similarities and differences in participants’ views and privacy concerns (PC). Responsibility is relevant to personal data management, which represents a hotly contested issue. A geographical north–south divide appears for the importance of responsibility as opposed to trust. Moreover, people regard disclosure differently in the south (as a choice) and east (as forced) of Europe. Younger people express more positive attitudes toward data management, feel more responsible, and are more confident in their ability to prevent possible data misuse. Their lower PC and greater protective behaviours (i.e., a potential reversed privacy paradox) may help explain contradictory results in prior literature. These results offer significant and useful theoretical, managerial, and policy implications.     

About Sr isotopes in coffee ‘Bourbon Pointu’ of the Réunion Island

Demonstration of the regional source of a high-quality product is nowadays essential to protect it from commercial transactions and cheatings. In this study, Sr isotopes are proposed as a tool to identify the regional source of a vegetable, on the basis of a combined geochemical investigation on a Coffea Arabica var. Laurina cultivation plot located on th Réunion Island. The Sr isotopic composition (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) of the produced coffee beans (called Pointed Bourbon) and of their growing environment, including soils, parent rocks, waters and fertilizers are determined. Flux of Sr in coffee beans is mainly dominated by soil solutions that can be influenced by Sr-rich fertilizers. This influence is however low enough to detect the cultivation soils’ Sr isotopic ratio in the vegetable product, even after roasting. It also allows discrimination of coffees produced on varied geological areas. Measurements performed on the same variety of coffee beans produced in New Caledonia strengthen the demonstration.