Modification of the La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 coating deposited on ferritic stainless steel by spray pyrolysis after oxidation in air at high temperature

The behaviour of La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO₃ applied to ferritic stainless steel (AISI 430) by spray pyrolysis was investigated after oxidation at 800 °C in air. The film was characterized with regard to its morphology, structure and adhesion. The film was regular over the entire surface and adhered well to the metallic substrate. Oxidation modified the film structure, forming an oxide (SrCrO₄) in the metal/coating region due to Sr diffusion from the coating and Cr diffusion from the metallic substrate. A thermodynamic computational simulation confirmed the formation and stability of this oxide.     

Burial grounds’ impact on groundwater and public health: an overview

The most common practice for disposal of dead bodies is inhumation in soil, which favours interactions with the surrounding environment and returns nutrients to the life cycle. However, when the burial ground is located where hydrogeological, geological and climatic conditions are not favourable to the process, contamination of soils and groundwater may occur, and decomposition may be inhibited, leading to social, economic and political problems. The most critical parameters when assessing the pollution potential of a burial ground are inhumation depth, geological formation, depth of the water table, density of inhumations, soil type and climate. Considering that, this paper presents an overview of the potential threat that cemeteries can pose, analysing and discussing the influence of the main variables causing environmental impacts and public health risks.     

Maternal Flaxseed Oil During Lactation Enhances Bone Development in Male Rat Pups

Flaxseed oil is an alpha linolenic acid source important in the growth and body development stage; furthermore, this acid acts on adipose tissue and bone health. The aim of this study was to evaluate body composition, fatty acid composition, hormone profile, retroperitoneal adipocyte area and femur structure of pups at weaning, whose mothers were fed a diet containing flaxseed oil during lactation. After birth, pups were randomly assigned: control (C, n = 12) and flaxseed oil (FO, n = 12), rats whose mothers were treated with diet containing soybean or flaxseed oil. At 21 days, the pups were weaned and body mass, length, body composition, biochemical parameter, leptin, osteoprotegerin, osteocalcin, fatty acids composition, intra‐abdominal fat mass and femur structure were analyzed. FO showed (p < 0.05): higher body mass (+12 %) and length (+9 %); body fat mass (g, +45 %); bone mineral density (+8 %), bone mineral content (+55 %) and bone area (+35 %), osteocalcin (+173 %) and osteoprotegerin (+183 %). Arachidonic acid was lower (p < 0.0001), alpha‐linolenic and eicosapentaenoic were higher (p < 0.0001). Intra‐abdominal fat mass was higher (+25 %), however, the retroperitoneal adipocytes area was lower (?44 %). Femur mass (+10 %), distance between epiphyses (+4 %) and bone mineral density (+13 %) were higher. The study demonstrates that adequate flaxseed oil content during a lactation diet plays an important role in the development of pups.     

Experimental study of the response of radiochromic films to proton radiation of low energy

We have investigated the response of radiochromic films (MD-55 and HD-810) exposed to protons of 0.6 MeV. Each film is bombarded with a proton beam in an angular geometry, in such a way that the absorbed dose is related to angle. Depending on the energy and the angular fluence, the irradiated volume is total or partial. We compare the dose of these irradiated films with fully irradiated films exposed to γ radiation from a ⁶⁰Co calibrated source.     

Deficits on the continuous performance test within the schizophrenia spectrum and the mediating effects of family history of schizophrenia.

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum personality disorders (SSPD) and schizophrenia show similar cognitive impairments. The authors examined the contributions of SSPD symptoms and familial risk for schizophrenia to impairments on the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs Version. Participants included 103 schizophrenia patients, 66 first-degree relatives (29 SSPD), and 103 community controls (26 SSPD) screened for family history of psychosis. Patients and SSPD relatives performed significantly worse than non-SSPD relatives and SSPD and non-SSPD community controls. No differences in performance were observed among non-SSPD relatives and SSPD and non-SSPD community controls. Results suggest a continuum in which risk for schizophrenia-related cognitive impairments is highest among patients and SSPD relatives, intermediate among non-SSPD relatives, and lowest among SSPD and non-SSPD community controls. Results suggest that SSPD in the absence of a family history of psychosis may be a phenocopy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Connectionist Inductive Learning and Logic Programming System

This paper presents the Connectionist Inductive Learning and Logic Programming System (C-IL²P). C-IL²P is a new massively parallel computational model based on a feedforward Artificial Neural Network that integrates inductive learning from examples and background knowledge, with deductive learning from Logic Programming. Starting with the background knowledge represented by a propositional logic program, a translation algorithm is applied generating a neural network that can be trained with examples. The results obtained with this refined network can be explained by extracting a revised logic program from it. Moreover, the neural network computes the stable model of the logic program inserted in it as background knowledge, or learned with the examples, thus functioning as a parallel system for Logic Programming. We have successfully applied C-IL²P to two real-world problems of computational biology, specifically DNA sequence analyses. Comparisons with the results obtained by some of the main neural, symbolic, and hybrid inductive learning systems, using the same domain knowledge, show the effectiveness of C-IL²P.     

Identification of genes expressed in the rat prostate that are modulated differently by castration and Finasteride treatment

In mammals, testosterone and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are the principal male hormones (androgens). Testosterone is the most abundant circulating androgen, and is converted in specific tissues to DHT by the 5alpha-reductase enzymes. Although each of these androgens binds to the same receptor protein (androgen receptor, AR), each exerts biologically distinct effects. Theories to explain the specific effects of testosterone and DHT have centered on kinetic differences of binding of androgens to the receptor or differences in the metabolic fates of the two hormones. In the current experiments, differential display PCR (ddPCR) was used to identify genes regulated differently by testosterone and DHT. Adult male rats were treated as follows: castrated, treated with Finasteride (an inhibitor of 5alpha-reductase) or left intact for ten days. RNA was prepared from the dissected prostates of these animals and used for ddPCR. Genes exhibiting four distinct patterns of regulation were observed among the mRNAs. Class 1 genes showed equivalent expression in intact and Finasteride-treated animals, but were absent in castrated animals (mRNAs D1, D2, D6, D10). Class 2 genes showed higher expression in intact animals, intermediate levels following Finasteride treatment, but were absent in castrated animals (mRNA D8). Two classes of gene were particularly intriguing: class 3 showed gene expression only in the intact animal (mRNA D7, D9) and class 4 showed increased gene expression following Finasteride treatment (mRNA D3). While the patterns observed for some of these genes (e.g. D8) suggest that the different biological effects of testosterone and DHT may be due to the lower affinity of the AR for testosterone and limiting tissue concentrations of androgen, our results also suggest that some genes expressed in the rat prostate may be regulated in fundamentally different ways in response to testosterone and DHT.     

A group measure of the Piagetian concepts of conservation and egocentricity.

Presents a group test of Piagetian tasks. 30 male and 30 female 1st graders were tested using both group and individual procedures. A correlation was obtained across the 2 methods of assessment. Properties of the test were examined for internal and conceptual consistency. 2 scales employing a cartoon format were examined, each consisting of 6 items drawn from various clinical test situations described by Piaget. Scale I, conservation of substance, was shown to possess high internal consistency and a high degree of correspondence across the 2 methods of presentation. Scale II, egocentricity, was shown to possess poorer scale properties which are suggestive of a need for further refinement. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)