Structural and dielectric properties of Ba0.5Sr0.5(SnxTi1-x)O-3 ceramics obtained by the soft chemical method

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Road segment delineation using active testing principle and an edge-based post-processing strategy

This paper presents a semi-automated method for extracting road segments from medium-resolution images based on active testing and edge analysis. The method is based on two sequential and independent stages. Firstly, an active testing method is used to extract an approximated road centreline which is based on a sequential and local exploitation of the image. Secondly, an iterative strategy based on edge analysis and the approximated centreline is used to measure precisely the road centreline. Based on the results obtained using medium-resolution test images, the method seems to be very promising. In general, the method proved to be very accurate whenever the roads are characterized by two well-defined anti-parallel edges and robust even in the presence of larger obstacles such as trees and shadows.

Photoelectrocatalytic production of active chlorine on nanocrystalline titanium dioxide thin-film electrodes

The production of chlorine and hypochlorite is of great economical and technological interest due to their large-scale use in many kinds of commercial applications. Yet, the current processes are not without problems such as inevitable side reactions and the high cost of production. This work reports the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of chloride ions to free chlorine as it has been investigated by using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and several metal-doped titanium dioxide (M-TiO2) material electrodes. An average concentration of 800 mg L-1 of free chlorine was obtained in an open-air reactor using a TiO2 thin-film electrode biased at +1.0 V (SCE) and illuminated by UV light. The M-doped electrodes have performed poorly compared with the pure TiO2 counterpart. Test solutions containing 0.05 mol L-1 NaCl pH 2.0-4.0 were found to be the best conditions for fast production of free chlorine. A complete investigation of all parameters that influence the global process of chlorine production by the photoelectrocatalytic method such as applied potential, concentration of NaCl, pH solution, and time is presented in detail. In addition, photocurrent vs potential curves and the reaction order are also discussed.

Method for the evaluation of insecticidal activity over time in Atta sexdens rubropilosa workers (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The active ingredients used in the formulation of toxic baits for leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) should possess a delayed action defined as an insecticidal activity whereby worker mortality is ≤15% at 24 hours and ≥90% at 21 days. Serious shortcomings have occurred in the search for new active ingredients, such as the initial selection of fenoxycarb, copper oxychloride and diflubenzuron, compounds considered very promising but whose inefficiency was verified only later, indicating methodological problems. In view of this situation, we developed a classification method for insecticidal activity over time using workers of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel. The insecticides used were fipronil, sulfluramid GX071HB and sulfluramid GX439, vehicled in an attractive pasty formulation prepared based on citrus pulp. The results obtained were consistent from a toxicological viewpoint and agreed with the literature in terms of the control of colonies. Sulfluramids were found to possess a delayed action at a broad range of concentrations, in agreement with the fact that these substances are highly effective in the control of all leaf-cutting ant species. The smaller range of concentrations of fipronil with delayed action is probably related to its lower efficacy for species more difficult to control such as Atta capiguara (Forti et al. 2003). We discuss the importance of relating behavioral particularities to the specific feeding habits of leaf-cutting ants, with methodological adequacy of the assessment of insecticides aimed at toxic baits.

A neural networks-based method for single-phase harmonic content identification

A neural method is presented in this paper to identify the harmonic components of an ac controller. The components are identified by analyzing the single-phase current waveform. The method effectiveness is verified by applying it to an active power filter (APF) model dedicated to the selective harmonic compensation. Simulation results using theoretical and experimental data are presented to validate the proposed approach. © 2008 IEEE.

Effects of surface treatment, hydration and application method on the bond strength of a silorane adhesive and resin system to dentine

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of surface treatment, surface hydration (SH) and application method (AM) on the tensile bond strength of the Silorane Adhesive System (SAS) to dentine. Methods: Ninety bovine teeth were used. For the control group (n = 10), each dentine surface was treated according to the manufacturer's instructions of the SAS. The remaining teeth were randomly distributed into two groups (n = 40), according to the type of dentine surface treatment (ST) - 37% phosphoric acid or Er:YAG Laser prior to the application of the SAS. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups (n = 20), according to the SH status: dry (D) or wet (W). Each subgroup was further divided into 2 subgroups (n = 10), according to the application method [AM: Active (AC) mode or Passive (PA) mode]. A coat of resin composite (Filtek P90) was applied on the surface. Artificial ageing was performed with a thermo-mechanical cycling machine. The specimens were sectioned into 1 mm × 1 mm × 10 mm sticks and stressed to failure using a universal testing machine. The remaining teeth in each group were used for Scanning Electron Microscopy to examine the fractured area. Data were subjected to a three-way ANOVA, Tukey's test and Dunnet's test (α = 0.05). Results: The ANOVA showed significant differences for SH and AM, but not for ST. For SH, the results of Tukey's test were (in MPa): D-14.9(±3.8)a, W-17.1(±4.3)b; and for AM: PA-14. 9(±4.2)a, AC-17.1(±3.9) b. Conclusions: Acid etching, when combined with a moist dentine surface and the use of primer agitation, improves the bond strength of the SAS to dentine. Clinical Significance: According to the results of the present in vitro study, modification of the application protocols for the silorane-based adhesive system may improve its clinical performance. © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of an analytical method for the quantification of pfaffic acid in Brazilian ginseng (Hebanthe eriantha)

Hebanthe eriantha (Poir.) Pedersen (Amaranthaceae), which is known as Brazilian ginseng is widely used in folk medicine as an aphrodisiac and antidiabetic tonic. The anti-tumor activity, attributed to the pfaffic acid present in roots of H. eriantha, is responsible for the great interest in the commercialization of this species. In Brazil, the species H. eriantha is mainly used in commercial preparations, although other plants of the genus Pfaffia and Hebanthe have been marketed as Pfaffia paniculata or Brazilian ginseng. The pfaffic acid present in the roots is mainly conjugated with sugars (pfaffosides) and can be used as an active marker of H. eriantha, which helps to differentiate this species from others marketed as Brazilian ginseng. The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a liquid chromatographic method to quantify pfaffic acid in the roots of H. eriantha. The extraction and hydrolysis conditions were optimized using an univariate and experimental design, respectively, and the quantification of pfaffic acid by high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) was validated. This method was used to evaluate the pfaffic acid content in 30 different genotypes of the species from a germplasm collection. The content of pfaffic acid ranged from 0.97 to 4.29% (w/w) on a dry weight basis. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Nutritional strategies of physically active subjects with muscle dysmorphia

Background: The aim of this study was to identify dietary strategies for physically active individuals with muscle dysmorphia based on a systematic literature review. Method. References were included if the study population consisted of adults over 18 years old who were physically active in fitness centers. We identified reports through an electronic search ofScielo, Lilacs and Medline using the following keywords: muscle dysmorphia, vigorexia, distorted body image, and exercise. We found eight articles in Scielo, 17 in Medline and 12 in Lilacs. Among the total number of 37 articles, only 17 were eligible for inclusion in this review. Results: The results indicated that the feeding strategies used by physically active individuals with muscle dysmorphia did not include planning or the supervision of a nutritionist. Diet included high protein and low fat foods and the ingestion of dietary and ergogenic supplements to reduce weight. Conclusion: Physically active subjects with muscle dysmorphia could benefit from the help of nutritional professionals to evaluate energy estimation, guide the diet and its distribution in macronutrient and consider the principle of nutrition to functional recovery of the digestive process, promote liver detoxification, balance and guide to organic adequate intake of supplemental nutrients and other substances. © 2013 Contesini et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Structure-activity relationship of compounds which are anti-schistosomiasis active

O método do orbital molecular AM1 foi empregado para calcular um conjunto de descritores moleculares para vinte neolignanas sintéticas com atividade anti-esquistossomose. O método de reconhecimento de padrão (análise de componentes principais ACP, análise de conglomerados AC e análise de discriminante) foi utilizado para obter a relação entre a estrutura molecular e a atividade biológica. O conjunto de moléculas foi classificado em dois grupos de acordo com seus graus de atividade biológica. Estes resultados permitem que, projete-se racionalmente novos compostos, potenciais candidatos à síntese e à avaliação biológica.

Development and Validation of A Stability-Indicating Mekc Method for Determination of Flucloxacillin Sodium in Capsules

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Stability-indicating LC method for the determination of cephalothin in lyophilized powder for injection

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Responses of the geometric indices of heart rate variability to the active orthostatic test in women

OBJECTIVES: The effects of the orthostatic test on the cardiovascular system have been investigated, but there are no data on the behavior of the geometric indices of heart rate variability. We evaluated the effects of the active orthostatic test on the geometric indices of heart rate variability in women. METHOD: The study was performed on 12 healthy women between ages 18 and 30. For the analysis of heart rate variability, heart rate was recorded beat-to-beat. The RR intervals were transformed into geometric figures, and from these we calculated the triangular index, the triangular interpolation of RR intervals, the SD1, SD2 indexes and the SD1/SD2 ratio, which were obtained from the Poincaré plot. Visual analysis of the plot was also performed. For the test, participants quickly stood up from a seated position in 3 seconds or less, and remained standing still for 15 minutes. Heart rate variability samples were collected at four moments: rest, 0-5 minutes, 5-10 minutes and 10-15 minutes at standing position. RESULTS: The triangular index, the triangular interpolation of RR intervals, the SD1 and SD2 indices were reduced (p < 0.05) at 10-15 minutes after the volunteers stood up from seated position. The SD1/SD2 ratio was decreased at 0-15 minutes after the subjects changed from seated to orthostatic position.

Combined active and semi-supervised learning using particle walking temporal dynamicscombined active and semi-supervised learning using particle walking temporal dynamics

Both Semi-Supervised Leaning and Active Learning are techniques used when unlabeled data is abundant, but the process of labeling them is expensive and/or time consuming. In this paper, those two machine learning techniques are combined into a single nature-inspired method. It features particles walking on a network built from the data set, using a unique random-greedy rule to select neighbors to visit. The particles, which have both competitive and cooperative behavior, are created on the network as the result of label queries. They may be created as the algorithm executes and only nodes affected by the new particles have to be updated. Therefore, it saves execution time compared to traditional active learning frameworks, in which the learning algorithm has to be executed several times. The data items to be queried are select based on information extracted from the nodes and particles temporal dynamics. Two different rules for queries are explored in this paper, one of them is based on querying by uncertainty approaches and the other is based on data and labeled nodes distribution. Each of them may perform better than the other according to some data sets peculiarities. Experimental results on some real-world data sets are provided, and the proposed method outperforms the semi-supervised learning method, from which it is derived, in all of them.

Ce0.97Cu0.03O2 Nanocatalysts Synthesized via Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Method: Characterization and CO-PROX Catalytic Efficiency

In the work presented here, Ce0.97Cu0.03O2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method under different synthesis temperatures. The obtained nanoparticles were tested as catalysts in preferential oxidation of CO to obtain CO-free H2 (PROX reaction). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). X-ray diffraction measurements detected the presence of pure cubic CeO2 for all synthesized samples. TEM images of the Ce0.97Cu0.03O2 nanoparticles revealed that samples synthesized at 80°C are composed mainly of nanospheres with an average size of 20 nm. The formation of some nanorods with an average diameter of 8 nm and 40 nm in length, and the size reduction of the nanoparticles from 20 to approximately 15 nm is observed with increasing synthesis temperature. EPR spectra indicated that copper is found well dispersed in sample synthesized at 160°C, located predominant in surface sites of ceria. For samples synthesized at 80 and 120°C, the species are less dispersed than in the other one, resulting in the formation of Cu2+−Cu2+ dimmers at the surface of ceria. TPR profiles presented two reduction peaks, one below 400°C attributed to the reduction of different copper species and a second peak around 800°C attributed to the reduction of Ce4+→ Ce3+ species located in the volume of the nanoparticles. The peak related to the reduction of copper species shifts to lower temperatures with increasing synthesis temperature, i.e., the sample synthesized at 160°C is more easily reduced than the ones synthesized at 120 and 80°C. The nanoparticles showed active as catalysts for the CO-PROX reaction. The microwave-assisted method revealed efficient for the synthesis of Ce0.97Cu0.03O2 nanoparticles with copper species selective for the CO-PROX reaction, which reaches CO conversions up to 92% for the sample synthesized at 160°C.

Use of HEPG2 cells to assay the safety of cosmetic active substances

The importance of this study is based on the need to obtain simple and efficient in vitro models to predict the in vivo toxicity of cosmetics, aiming not to use animals as experimental model. Here, we proposed the use of HepG2 cells, which are widely applied to simulate the hepatic function of the human organism in vitro. This cell line was chose since recent studies have shown that the liver is potentially the most frequently targeted organ by cosmetic ingredients, and beyond that, considering the widely application of in vitro assays to test the cutaneous permeation of cosmetic products, including the assays applying modified Franz cells, this technique becomes indispensable. Three different cosmetic active substances were used, and the toxicity to HepG2 cells was assessed by the MTT method. The treatment with hyaluronic acid showed no toxicity to HepG2 cells. Treating the cells with P. guajava L. extract were verified that increasing the amount of the extract in the media, the cellular viability decreased, and finally, the treatment of alpha-lipoic acid showed a cytoprotective effect in relation to the treatment with propylene glycol. The study demonstrated the suitability in using HepG2 cells to assess the safety of cosmetic active substances, helping in the prediction of if the substance could be hepatotoxic if could reach the bloodstream