TEMPORAL COUPLING BETWEEN EXTERNAL AUDITORY INFORMATION AND THE PHASES OF WALKING

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an imposed external auditory constraint upon the temporal organization of walking. Ten subjects were videotaped walking normally (N) and with instructions to couple naturally, at mid-swing, or at toe-off to a metronome beat. Based upon an analysis of variance and post hoc Scheffe tests most temporal variables were not significantly different among conditions. The duration of swing phase was significantly different between natural coupling and toe-off. The deviation from the metronome beat was significantly different between the natural coupling and both mid-swing and toe-off. Subjects generally were not successful in achieving coupling during the latter conditions. Thigh and shank phase portraits were used to describe the system's organization to the external constraint.

Effect of cooling procedure on final denture base adaptation

Well-fitted dentures prevent hyperplasic lesions, provide chewing efficiency and promote patient's comfort. Several factors may affect final adaptation of dentures, as the type of the acrylic resin, the flask cooling procedure and the water uptake. This investigation evaluated the effect of water storage and two different cooling procedures [bench cooling (BC) for 2 h; running water (RW) at 20 degreesC for 45 min] on the final adaptation of denture bases. A heat-cured acrylic resin (CL, Classico, Classico Artigos Odontologicos) and two microwave-cured acrylic resins [Acron MC, (AC) GC Dent. Ind. Corp.; Onda Cryl (OC), Classico Artigos Odontologicos] were used to make the bases. Adaptation was assessed by measuring the weight of an intervening layer of silicone impression material between the base and the master die. Data was submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (0.05). The following means were found: (BC) CL=0.72 +/- 0.03 a; AC=0.70 +/- 0.03 b; OC=0.76 +/- 0.04 c//(RW) CL= 1.00 +/- 0.11 a; AC=1.00 +/- 0.12 a; OC=0.95 +/- 0.10 a. Different labels join groups that are not statistically different (P > 0.05). Comparisons are made among groups submitted to the same cooling procedure (BC or RW). The conclusions are: interaction of type of material and cooling procedure had a statistically significant effect on the final adaptation of the denture bases (P < 0.05); water storage was not detected as a source of variance (P > 0.05) on the final adaptation.

GREEN-FUNCTION FOR A SPIN-1/2 PARTICLE IN AN EXTERNAL PLANE-WAVE ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELD

The Green function for a spin-1/2 charged particle in the presence of an external plane wave electromagnetic field is calculated by algebraic techniques in terms of the free-particle Green function.

Isolation of Malassezia pachydermatis and M. sympodialis from the external ear canal of cats with and without otitis externa

The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Malassezia spp. in the external ear canal of cats with and without otitis. Forty-five animals were studied, 20 with and 25 without otitis externa (OE). Cerumen or secretion from external ear canal samples was cultured on modified Mycosel agar and sterile olive oil was added to the surface of the medium before specimen seeding. The isolates were analysed for macro- and micromorphology and identified by catalase tests and on the basis of growth on Tween 20, 40, 60 and 80. Malassezia spp. were isolated from 15 out of 20 (75%) animals with otitis and from 7 out of 25 (28%) cats without OE; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P <= 0.05). Malassezia pachydermatis and M. sympodialis were isolated from 60% (12/20) and 40% (8/20) of cats with otitis, respectively, with no significant difference in the frequency of isolation between the two species. In the microflora of the healthy ear canal M pachydermatis was significantly more common (6/25, 24%) than M sympodialis (1/25, 4%). The present investigation confirms that M sympodialis can also act as an actiological agent of feline OE, and if commercial veterinary laboratories do not use media with added lipids for the isolation of Malassezia spp., this might lead to false-negative results.

INFLUENCE of HIP EXTERNAL ROTATION on HIP ADDUCTOR and RECTUS FEMORIS MYOELECTRIC ACTIVITY DURING A DYNAMIC PARALLEL SQUAT

Pereira, GR, Leporace, G, Chagas, DV, Furtado, LFL, Praxedes, J, and Batista, LA. Influence of hip external rotation on hip adductor and rectus femoris myoelectric activity during a dynamic parallel squat. J Strength Cond Res 24(10): 27492754, 2010-This study sought to compare the myoelectric activity of the hip adductors (HAs) and rectus femoris (RF) when the hip was in a neutral position or externally rotated by 30 degrees or 50 degrees (H0, H30, and H50, respectively) during a parallel squat. Ten healthy subjects performed 10 repetitions of squats in each of the 3 hip positions and the myoelectric activities of the HAs and RF were recorded. The signal was then divided into categories representing concentric (C) and eccentric (E) contractions in the following ranges of motion: 0-30 degrees (C1 and E1), 30-60 degrees (C2 and E2), and 60-90 degrees (C3 and E3) of knee flexion. From those signals, an root mean square (RMS) value for each range of motion in each hip position was obtained. All values were normalized to those obtained during maximum voluntary isometric contraction. We found that HAs showed a significant increase in myoelectric activity during C3 and E3 in the H30 and H50 positions, as compared with H0. Meanwhile, RF activity did not significantly differ between hip positions. Both muscles showed higher activation during 60-90 degrees (C3 and E3) of knee flexion, as compared with 0-30 degrees (C1 and E1) and 30-60 degrees (C2 and E2). The results suggest that if the aim is to increase HA activity despite the low percentage of muscle activation, squats should be performed with 30 degrees of external rotation and at least 90 degrees of knee flexion.

Viscoelastic and Thermal Properties of Collagen-Xanthan Gum and Collagen-Maltodextrin Suspensions During Heating and Cooling

The purpose of this work was to investigate the viscoelastic properties of aqueous suspensions of crude collagen powder extracted from bovine hides and nonsubmitted to the hydrolysis reaction that leads to gelatin. The studied variables included the collagen concentration and the addition of xanthan gum or maltodextrin at varied concentrations during heating/cooling of the mixtures. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms showed that the addition of polysaccharides decreased the endothermic peak areas observed at the denaturation temperature of collagen. The rheological properties of the pure collagen suspensions were highly dependent on concentration: 4% and 6% collagen suspensions presented a great increase in the storage modulus after heating/cooling, whereas for concentrations of 8% and 10% G' decreased during heating and did not recover its original value after heating/cooling. The frequency sweeps showed that the thermal treatment was responsible by the strengthening of the interactions that formed the polymer network. Addition of 0.1% xanthan gum to collagen suspensions increased the gel strength, especially after heating/cooling of the system, whereas increasing gum concentration to 0.3% resulted in a weaker gel, which could indicate thermodynamic incompatibility between the biopolymers. Mixtures of collagen and maltodextrin resulted in more fluid structures than those obtained with pure collagen at the same collagen concentration and the range of temperatures in which these mixtures behaved as a gel decreased with increasing concentrations of both collagen and maltodextrin, suggesting incompatibilities between the biopolymers.

Simultaneous solidification of two catalyst wastes and their effect on the early stages of cement hydration

Two catalyst wastes (RNi and RAI) from polyol production were considered as hazardous, due to their respective high concentration of nickel and aluminum contents. This article presents the study, done to avoid environmental impacts, of the simultaneous solidification/stabilization of both catalyst wastes with type II Portland cement (CP) by non-conventional differential thermal analysis (NCDTA). This technique allows one to monitor the initial stages of cement hydration to evaluate the accelerating and/or retarding effects on the process due to the presence of the wastes and to identify the steps where the changes occur. Pastes with water/cement ratio equal to 0.5 were prepared, into which different amounts of each waste were added. NCDTA has the same basic principle of Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), but differs in the fact that there is no external heating or cooling system as in the case of DTA. The thermal effects of the cement paste hydration with and without waste presence were evaluated from the energy released during the process in real time by acquiring the temperature data of the sample and reference using thermistors with 0.03 A degrees C resolution, coupled to an analog-digital interface. In the early stages of cement hydration retarding and accelerating effects occur, respectively due to RNi and RAl presence, with significant thermal effects. During the simultaneous use of the two waste catalysts for their stabilization process by solidification in cement, there is a synergic resulting effect, which allows better hydration operating conditions than when each waste is solidified separately. Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) of 4 and 24 h pastes allow a quantitative information about the main cement hydrated phases and confirm the same accelerating or retarding effects due to the presence of wastes indicated from respective NCDTA curves.

Daily sperm production and testicular morphometry in goats according to external scrotal conformation

The present study aimed to compare testicular histology and the testicular cell population as well as spermatogenic efficiency in goats with different scrotal conformations. Eighteen goats were divided into 3 groups: Group I - goats without bipartition of the scrotum, Group II - animals with bipartition of the scrotum up to 50% of the testicular length, Group III - goats with scrotal bipartition more than 50% of the testicular length. In goats in Groups I, II and III, the values for the volume density of seminiferous epithelium were 68.9 +/- 0.6%, 71.5 +/- 2.8% and 73.4 +/- 4.7% (P < 0.05), the height of the seminiferous epithelium were 60.2 +/- 4.9 mu m, 61.0 +/- 5.0 mu m and 73.1 +/- 6.6 mu m (P < 0.05), total length of seminiferous tubules found for Groups I, II and III were 2091.9 +/- 27 m, 2172.5 +/- 24.1 m, and 2340.1 14 m (P < 0.05), number of Sertoli and Leydig cells were 1.8 +/- 0.4 x 10(9) and 1.4 +/- 0.1 x 10(9), 2.2 +/- 0.4 and 2.2 +/- 0.7 x 10(9), and 2.5 +/- 0.1 10(9) and 2.3 +/- 0.510(9)(P < 0.05)and daily sperm production observed were 2.1 0.3 x 109, 2.8 0.4 x 109, and 3.1 0.7 x 109 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, goats with greater scrotal bipartition have a greater capacity to produce reproductive cells that is reflected in a greater reproductive potential. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cooling of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) embryos at various stages of development for 6 or 10 hours

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anomalous metamagnetic-like transition in a FeRh/Fe3Pt interface occurring at T approximate to 120 K in the field-cooled-cooling curves for low magnetic fields

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

External factors determining seasonal breeding in a subtropical population of the shore crab Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes, 1850) (Brachyura, Grapsidae)

Monthly samples of the shore crab Pachygrapsus transversus from two distinct annual periods showed that ovigerous females are present throughout the Year in the population. However, the relative ovigerous abundance of specimens among sexually mature changes from less than 10% during the winter months to almost 80% in summer. Linear correlations for each year revealed that both temperature and photoperiod were positively associated with relative abundance of ovigerous females. Multiple regression analyses suggested that photoperiod was the main factor affecting breeding in this species. Timing of observed reproductive pattern may enhance larval survival because of particular oceanographic conditions in the study region and favor early juvenile development due to certain species-specific growth features.