Biological activity of astilbin from Dimorphandra mollis against Anticarsia gemmatalis and Spodoptera frugiperda

Astilbin was isolated in high yield from Dimorphandra mollis, and its insecticidal and growth inhibiting activity by stomach ingestion were evaluated against Anticarsia gemmatalis and Spodoptera frugiperda. The insecticidal activity of astilbin, the weight reduction of the larval phase and the prolongation of the larval and pupal phases were verified for both species. Astilbin was identified on the base of its NMR, MS and physical data. (C) 2002 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fracture toughness characterization of aluminium-epoxy adhesive joints reinforced with electrospun Nylon 6,6 nanofibers

The use of adhesives to join two different substrates is an efficient replacement to classic joining technologies such as welding and soldering. One the one hand adhesion has different advantages over those techniques such as an improved stress distribution and the potential weight reduction of the structure; on the other hand, two of the most important drawbacks are a relatively low fracture toughness and the need of an accurate surface preparation. These two aspects will be accurately analysed in the present work: the use of Nylon nanofibers as reinforcement for the adhesive should increase fracture toughness, while a surface preparation method consisting of mechanical and chemical treatments will be developed. After the specimens are produced, they will be tested in mode I fracture using a DCB (Double Beam Cantilever) test, which allows to measure the fracture toughness during crack propagation. At the end of the test, the surfaces of the adherends will be visually observed and SEM (Scanning Electronic Microscope) analysed in order to evaluate if adhesive or cohesive fracture occurred, and thus if surface treatments has been well developed to allow a better adhesive-aluminium joining.

Vibro-acoustic analysis and design optimization to improve comfort and sustainability of future passenger aircraft

Due to the interest of general public and the industrial stakeholders, new challenges and demands are rising in aircraft design. The sustainability is taking its place amongst more traditional design factors, such as safety, performances and costs. Sustainability is both environmental and economic, and among the factors contributing to economic sustainability, there is also passengers' comfort. In order to win these two challenges, they must be considered in the early stages of aircraft design. In this work, the focus is on emissions generation and acoustic comfort, aiming at reducing pollution and internal noise in the preliminary design phases. These results can be achieved with both unconventional aircraft configurations and advanced materials, which also require new numerical formulations to be assessed. In this research, on one hand, the windowless configuration for a commercial aircraft is studied with traditional preliminary design methods in order to achieve a weight reduction and consequently a return in terms of emissions and costs. On the other hand, a new class of insulating materials, the acoustic metamaterials, is applied on the passenger cabin lining panels. The complex kinematic behaviour of these advanced materials is studied through the Carrera's Unified Formulation, that enhances a wide class of powerful refined shell and beam theories with a unique formulation.

Electric paralyzation and reduction of weight loss in the processing of round-cooked spiny lobsters

This study proposes alternatives to the current methods of processing round-cooked lobster. The paralyzation of lobsters with direct electric shock consumes 10.526 x 10-3 kWh, which is significantly less than the 11 kWh required by the traditional thermal-shock method (based on 60 kg of lobsters). A better weight gain was obtained by immersion of paralyzed lobsters in brine before cooking. Systematic trials combining 3, 6, or 9% brine concentrations with immersion periods of 15, 30, or 45 minutes were performed in order to determine the best combinations. A mathematical model was designed to predict the weight gain of lobsters of different sizes in any combination of treatments. For small lobsters, a 45 minutes immersion in 6% brine gave the best response in terms of weight gain (4.7%) and cooking produced a weight loss of only 1.34% in relation to fresh lobster weight. For medium-sized lobsters, a 45 minutes immersion in 9% brine produced a weight gain of 2.64%, and cooking a weight gain of 1.08%. For large lobsters, a 45 minutes immersion in 6% brine produced a weight gain of 3.87%, and cooking a weight gain of 1.62%.

Reduction of carcass weight loss in swines

The carcass fast freezing is one of the aspects of great prominence to the final quality of pork. In order to reduce weight loss, two experiments were performed, in which the carcasses were monitored during 20 hours to evaluate the main variables involved during two different freezing processes (standard and proposed) as follows: microbiological quality, storage temperature, relative humidity (RH) and air velocity. In experiment I, the carcasses were submitted to a system using heat shock (2 hours in static tunnel at - 25 °C) and subsequently sent to the equalization chamber. In experiment II, the carcasses were submitted to the heat shock and stored in a chamber with RH between 80-85%. The chambers used in both experiments showed no change in the variables studied (internal temperature of 5 °C and air velocity of approximately 0.3 m/s). However, the relative humidity in the three chambers was evaluated and significant differences were found; as a consequence, high levels of weight loss were observed in both chambers In experiment II there was an increase of RH, which reduced the weight loss of the carcasses.

Noise Reduction Using Low Weight and Constant Weight Coding Techniques

Signalling off-chip requires significant current. As a result, a chip's power-supply current changes drastically during certain output-bus transitions. These current fluctuations cause a voltage drop between the chip and circuit board due to the parasitic inductance of the power-supply package leads. Digital designers often go to great lengths to reduce this "transmitted" noise. Cray, for instance, carefully balances output signals using a technique called differential signalling to guarantee a chip has constant output current. Transmitted-noise reduction costs Cray a factor of two in output pins and wires. Coding achieves similar results at smaller costs.

Early light reduction for preventing retinopathy of prematurity in very low birth weight infants

BackgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a complex condition of the developing retinal blood vessels and is one of the leading causes of preventable childhood blindness. Several risk factors for ROP have been studied over the past 50 years. Among them, general immaturity (low birth weight and low gestational age) and prolonged oxygen therapy have been consistently related to disease onset. However, it is understood that the progression of the disease is multifactorial and may be associated with others risk factors, such as multiple gestation, apnoea, intracranial haemorrhage, anaemia, sepsis, prolonged mechanical ventilation, multiple transfusions and light exposure. Furthermore, the precise role of these individual factors in the development of the disease has not yet been well established.ObjectivesTo determine whether the reduction of early environmental light exposure reduces the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or poor ROP outcomes among very low birth weight infants.Search methodsWe searched the following databases: the Cochrane Neonatal Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, Science Citation Index Database, CANCERLIT, the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials and www.clinicaltrials.gov. We also searched previous reviews including cross-references, abstracts, conference and symposia proceedings, and contacted expert informants. This search was updated in October 2012.Selection criteriaRandomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that reduced light exposure to premature infants within the first seven days following birth were considered for this review. We also considered cluster-randomised controlled trials.Data collection and analysisData on clinical outcomes including any acute ROP and poor ROP outcome were extracted by both review authors independently and consensus reached. We conducted data analysis according to the standards of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group.Main resultsData from four randomised trials with a total of 897 participants failed to show any reduction in acute ROP or poor ROP outcome with the reduction of ambient light to premature infants' retinas. The overall methodological quality of the included studies was about evenly split between those in which the classification was unclear and those in which the studies were categorised as low risk of bias. There was no report on the secondary outcomes considered in this review: quality of life measures; and time of exposure to oxygen.Authors' conclusionsThe evidence shows that bright light is not the cause of retinopathy of prematurity and that the reduction of exposure of the retinas of premature infants to light has no effect on the incidence of the disease.

WITHDRAWN: The increase of dairy intake is the main dietary factor associated with reduction of body weight in overweight adults after lifestyle change program

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.

Effects of circuit-based exercise programs on the body composition of elderly obese women

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of circuit-based exercise on the body composition in obese older women by focusing on physical exercise and body weight (BW) gain control in older people. Methods: Seventy older women (>60 years old) voluntarily took part in the study. Participants were randomized into six different groups according to body mass index (BMI): appropriate weight (AW) control (AWC) and trained (AWT) groups, overweight (OW) control (OWC) and trained (OWT) groups, and obesity (O) control (OC) and trained (OT) groups. The exercise program consisted of 50 minutes of exercise three times per week for 12 weeks. The exercises were alternated between upper and lower body using rest between sets for 40 seconds with intensity controlled by heart rate (70% of work). The contraction time established was 5 seconds to eccentric and concentric muscular action phase. The following anthropometric parameters were evaluated: height (m), body weight (BW, kg), body fat (BF, %), fat mass (FM, kg), lean mass (LM, kg), and BMI (kg/m(2)). Results: The values (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) of relative changes to BW (-8.0% +/- 0.8%), BF (-21.4% +/- 2.1%), LM (3.0% +/- 0.3%), and FM (-31.2% +/- 3.0%) to the OT group were higher (P < .05) than in the AWT (BW: -2.0% +/- 1.1%; BF: -4.6% +/- 1.8%; FM: -7.0% +/- 2.8%; LM: 0.2% +/- 1.1%) and OWT (BW: -4.5% +/- 1.0%; BF: -11.0% +/- 2.2%; FM: -16.1% +/- 3.2%; LM: -0.2% +/- 1.0%) groups; additionally, no differences were found for C groups. While reduction (P < .03) in BMI according to absolute values was observed for all trained groups (AWT: 22 +/- 1 versus 21 +/- 1; OWT: 27 +/- 1 versus 25 +/- 1, OT: 34 +/- 1 versus 30 +/- 1) after training, no differences were found for C groups. Conclusion: In summary, circuit-based exercise is an effective method for promoting reduction in anthropometrics parameters in obese older women.

Cardiometabolic risk reduction through lifestyle intervention programs in the Brazilian public health system

Public health strategies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality should focus on global cardiometabolic risk reduction. The efficacy of lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes have been demonstrated, but low-cost interventions to reduce cardiometabolic risk in Latin-America have been rarely reported. Our group developed 2 programs to promote health of high-risk individuals attending a primary care center in Brazil. This study compared the effects of two 9-month lifestyle interventions, one based on medical consultations (traditional) and another with 13 multi-professional group sessions in addition to the medical consultations (intensive) on cardiometabolic parameters. Adults were eligible if they had pre-diabetes (according to the American Diabetes Association) and/or metabolic syndrome (International Diabetes Federation criteria for Latin-America). Data were expressed as means and standard deviations or percentages and compared between groups or testing visits. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: 180 individuals agreed to participate (35.0% men, mean age 54.7 ± 12.3 years, 86.1% overweight or obese). 83 were allocated to the traditional and 97 to the intensive program. Both interventions reduced body mass index, waist circumference and tumor necrosis factor-α. Only intensive program reduced 2-hour plasma glucose and blood pressure and increased adiponectin values, but HDL-cholesterol increased only in the traditional. Also, responses to programs were better in intensive compared to traditional program in terms of blood pressure and adiponectin improvements. No new case of diabetes in intensive but 3 cases and one myocardial infarction in traditional program were detected. Both programs induced metabolic improvement in the short-term, but if better results in the intensive are due to higher awareness about risk and self-motivation deserves further investigation. In conclusion, these low-cost interventions are able to minimize cardiometabolic risk factors involved in the progression to type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.

Food intake in nonpurging obese women who binge eat before and after a behavioral weight loss program

Little is known about the impact of behavioral programs to decrease binge eating in obese persons who do not purge. This study was conducted to compare the amount of change in the reduction of binge days and selected nutrients in women who had joined a behavioral weight loss program. Forty-six women in the behavioral self management (BSM) group and thirty-six women in the Wait List Control (WLC) groups completed seven day food records at baseline and six months. These records were analyzed for calories, percentage of calories from protein, carbohydrate, fat and dietary fiber/ 1000 calories and were marked as "binge" or "nonbinge" days. Foods were also divided into 12 food groups but only six contributing to fat intake were chosen for analysis: dairy; fat; grains and starchy vegetables; meat, fish, and poultry; meat, fish, and poultry combinations; snacks and desserts. At six months, there was no difference in the amount of change in any of the selected nutrients between the BSM and WLC groups or in the amount of change within each food group except in the meat, fish, and poultry combination and in the snacks and desserts groups because both groups experienced similar changes at six months. Binge and nonbinge day nutrient analysis by BSM and WLC showed that at baseline and six months within the BSM group, calories increased significantly on binge days. Within the WLC group at six months, percentage of calories from protein was significantly decreased on binge days.^ The significant finding of this study was the reduction in the amount of change in the number of binge days at six months between the BSM and WLC groups ($-$2.2 versus $-$1.1 respectively). These data suggest that behavioral programs can successful reduce binge days, but that significant change in food intake may require more intensive treatment. ^

Tab 1-4 Weight and volume reduction as well as surface subsidence during abrasion experiments

Antarctic land surfaces in South Victoria Land, all without a covering of vegetation, are actively formed by winds which often reach velocities of more than 100 km/h. Consequently, deflation and abrasion are essential factors in the process of slope formation. Water erosion, active only during the very short summer period, is limited to a few localities in South Victoria Land. Experiments in a wind tunnel proved that ventifacts in the Dry Valleys can be formed within a few decades or at the most, a few centuries. Yearly corrasion rates average around a maximum of a few millimeters. Considerable variability is caused by the different exposures of ventifacts within the micro relief end the varying resistance of the rocks. The importance of ice crystals (snow) for abrasion processes should not be overestimated.

Study of anticipated impact on DOE programs from proposed reduction to the external occupational radiation exposure limit.

Includes bibliographical references.

Operating cost based cruise speed reduction for ground delay programs: Effect of scope length

Ground delay programs typically involve the delaying of aircraft that are departing from origin airports within some set distance of a capacity constrained destination airport. Long haul flights are not delayed in this way. A trade-off exists when fixing the distance parameter: increasing the ‘scope’ distributes delay among more aircraft and may reduce airborne holding delay but could also result in unnecessary delay in the (frequently observed) case of early program cancellation. In order to overcome part of this drawback, a fuel based cruise speed reduction strategy aimed at realizing airborne delay, was suggested by the authors in previous publications. By flying slower, at a specific speed, aircraft that are airborne can recover part of their initially assigned delay without incurring extra fuel consumption if the ground delay program is canceled before planned. In this paper, the effect of the scope of the program is assessed when applying this strategy. A case study is presented by analyzing all the ground delay programs that took place at San Francisco, Newark Liberty and Chicago O’Hare International airports during one year. Results show that by the introduction of this technique it is possible to define larger scopes, partially reducing the amount of unrecovered delay.