Quantitative 3D profilometry and SEM analysis of the adaptation of root-end filling materials placed under an optical microscope

P>Aim To evaluate by 3D profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the marginal adaptation of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Sealer 26 placed in root-end cavities with direct vision or under an optical microscope. Methodology The root ends of 52 root filled canine teeth were filled with MTA or Sealer 26 under direct vision or optical microscope (n = 13). In each group, eight specimens were analysed by profilometry for measurement of the area and depth of gaps. In the other five specimens, gap area was measured using SEM to verify marginal adaptation and surface characteristic. Data were analysed by parametric (anova and Tukey) and non-parametric (Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn) tests. Results The assessment of the adaptation of both materials to dentine was not influenced by the mode of visualization, which was confirmed by both profilometry and SEM observations. The voids measured with profilometry for Sealer 26 under direct vision were significantly wider and deeper than those for MTA under direct vision (P < 0.05). In SEM, significantly larger gap areas were observed with Sealer 26 (P < 0.05). Conclusion Root-end cavities filled with MTA had smaller gaps and better marginal adaptation than Sealer 26.

Quantifying stresses and support requirements in the undercut and production level drifts of block and panel caving mines

A numerical modelling strategy has been developed in order to quantify the magnitude of induced stresses at the boundaries of production level and undercut level drifts for various in situ stress environments and undercut scenarios. The results of the stress modelling were in line with qualitative experiential guidelines and a limited number of induced stress measurements documented from caving sites. A number of stress charts were developed which quantify the maximum boundary stresses in drift roofs for varying in situ stress regimes, depths and undercut scenarios. This enabled many of the experiential guidelines to be quantified and bounded. A limited number of case histories of support and support performance in cave mine drifts were compared to support recommendations using the NGI classification system, The stress charts were used to estimate the Stress Reduction Factor for this system. The back-analyses suggested that the NGI classification system might be able to give preliminary estimates of support requirements in caving mines with modifications relating to rock bolt length and the support of production level intersections. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brazil: an emerging military power? The problem of the use of force in Brazilian international relations in the 21st century

The central goal of this paper is thinking about the Brazilian military power and its linking to the international ambitions of the country in the 21st century. After a comparative analysis to other BRICs and with a historical one about Brazil's strategic irrelevance, we aim to establish what the minimum military capacity Brazil would need in order to meet the country's latest international interests. Similarly, it will be discussed if the National Strategy of Defense, approved in 2008, and the recent strategic agreements signed with France represent one more step toward this minimum military capacity.

The international harmonization process of public accounting in Portugal: the perspective of different stakeholders

This paper investigates the reform of public accounting in Portugal through the IPSAS adoption highlighting the perception of different stakeholders. Two competing theories (NPM and the institutional theory) are used to understand public accounting changes within the Portuguese context. In general, different stakeholders agree with the favorable moment and the context of the reform. The context of financial crises and the great external pressures to cut public deficits and to improve the quality of financial information seem to be the most important factors to stimulate changes in public accounting. In addition, stakeholders recommend the use of different strategies to ensure success.

Educational in a global environment: non-formal examples of learning practices at the international office

23rd SPACE AGM and Conference from 9 to 12 May 2012 Conference theme: The Role of Professional Higher Education: Responsibility and Reflection Venue: Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, Mikkeli, Finland

Determining the number of clusters in categorical data

Cluster analysis for categorical data has been an active area of research. A well-known problem in this area is the determination of the number of clusters, which is unknown and must be inferred from the data. In order to estimate the number of clusters, one often resorts to information criteria, such as BIC (Bayesian information criterion), MML (minimum message length, proposed by Wallace and Boulton, 1968), and ICL (integrated classification likelihood). In this work, we adopt the approach developed by Figueiredo and Jain (2002) for clustering continuous data. They use an MML criterion to select the number of clusters and a variant of the EM algorithm to estimate the model parameters. This EM variant seamlessly integrates model estimation and selection in a single algorithm. For clustering categorical data, we assume a finite mixture of multinomial distributions and implement a new EM algorithm, following a previous version (Silvestre et al., 2008). Results obtained with synthetic datasets are encouraging. The main advantage of the proposed approach, when compared to the above referred criteria, is the speed of execution, which is especially relevant when dealing with large data sets.

Beyond methodological nationalism: The contribution of Robert E. Park to the history of intercultural communication

The legacy of nineteenth century social theory followed a “nationalist” model of society, assuming that analysis of social realities depends upon national boundaries, taking the nation-state as the primary unit of analysis, and developing the concept of methodological nationalism. This perspective regarded the nation-state as the natural - and even necessary - form of society in modernity. Thus, the constitution of large cities, at the end of the 19th century, through the intense flows of immigrants coming from diverse political and linguistic communities posed an enormous challenge to all social research. One of the most significant studies responding to this set of issues was The Immigrant Press and its Control, by Robert E. Park, one of the most prominent American sociologists of the first half of the 20th century. The Immigrant Press and its Control was part of a larger project entitled Americanization Studies: The Acculturation of Immigrant Group into American Society, funded by the Carnagie Corporation following World War I, taking as its goal to study the so-called “Americanization methods” during the 1920s. This paper revisits that particular work by Park to reveal how his detailed analysis of the role of the immigrant press overcame the limitations of methodological nationalism. By granting importance to language as a tool uniting each community and by showing how the strength of foreign languages expressed itself through the immigrant press, Park demonstrated that the latter produces a more ambivalent phenomenon than simply the assimilation of immigrants. On the one hand, the immigrant press served as a connecting force, driven by the desire to preserve the mother tongue and culture while at the same time awakening national sentiments that had, until then, remained diffuse. Yet, on the other hand, it facilitated the adjustment of immigrants to the American context. As a result, Park’s work contributes to our understanding of a particular liminal moment inherent within many intercultural contexts, the space between emigrant identity (emphasizing the country of origin) and immigrant identity (emphasizing the newly adopted country). His focus on the role played by media in the socialization of immigrant groups presaged later work on this subject by communication scholars. Focusing attention on Park’s research leads to other studies of the immigrant experience from the same period (e.g., Thomas & Znaniecki, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America), and also to insights on multi-presence and interculturality as significant but often overlooked phenomena in the study of immigrant socialization.

The Visual Culture of Human Rights. Observations on Amnesty International

Trabalho de project de Mestrado em Antropologia de Direitos Humanos e Movimentos Sociais

Consolidation and chromatic reintegration of historical renders with lime-based pozzolanic products

Historical renders are exposed to several degradation processes that can lead to a wide range of anomalies,such as scaling, detachments, and pulverization. Among the common anomalies, the loss of cohesion and of adhesion are usually identified as the most difficult to repair; these anomalies still need to be deeply studied to design compatible, durable, and sustainable conservation treatments. The restitution of render cohesion can be achieved using consolidating products. Nevertheless, repair treatments could induce aesthetic alterations, and, therefore, are usually followed by chromatic reintegration. This work aims to study the effectiveness of mineral products as consolidants for lime-based mortars and simultaneously as chromatic treatments for pigmented renders. The studied consolidating products are prepared by mixing air lime,metakaolin, water, and mineral pigments. The idea of these consolidating and coloring products rises from a traditional lime-based technique, the limewash, widely diffused in southern Europe and in the Mediterranean area. Consolidating products were applied and tested on lime-based mortar specimens with a low binder–aggregate ratio and therefore with reduced cohesion. A physico-mechanical, microstructural, and mineralogical characterization was performed on untreated and treated specimens, in order to evaluate the efficacy and durability of the treatments. Accelerated aging tests were also performed to assess consolidant durability, when subjected to aggressive conditions. Results showed that the consolidants tested are compatible, effective, and possess good durability.

Desarrollo sustentable de geoestructuras compuestas por suelo loéssico compactado mejorado con agregado de materiales estabilizantes. Sustainable development of compacted loess soil geo-structures with addition of stabilizing materials.

Los suelos estabilizados mediante compactación, permiten obtener materiales con ventajas ténicas y economicas en diferentes tipos de obras de ingeniería. Ejemplos de su uso se tiene en bases viales de autopistas, rutas o calles urbanas, pistas de aterrizaje, barreras de contención para enterramientos sanitarios o lagunas de estabilización, apoyos de plateas para fundación de edificios, losas industriales, entre otras aplicaciones. Las fallas en este tipo de construcciones pueden resultar en catástrofes ambientales, sociales y elevadas pérdidas económicas, por lo que resulta de gran importancia optimizar el diseño e incrementar la seguridad de este tipo de construcciones. Las obras con estas características involucran grandes volúmenes y/o superficies que requieren controles sistemáticos durante su desarrollo, a los fines de garantizar el cumplimiento de las propiedades de los materiales establecidos en la etapa de diseño. De esta forma, es necesario contar con ensayos de campo sencillos, confiables y eficientes que permitan identificar propiedades físicas, mecánicas e hidráulicas. Las geoestructuras generadas mediante la compactación del suelo próximo al sector de construcción pueden funcionar adecuadamente, con reducidos costos de material y transporte. Su estabilización puede ejecutarse en forma natural, o con la incorporación de agregados minerales como bentonita, cal o cemento. Estas incorporaciones mejoran las propiedades hidráulicas y mecánicas del material, optimizando el comportamiento requerido para la obra. Para establecer la forma en la que estos minerales modifican el comportamiento del suelo local compactado deben realizarse investigaciones especiales con los materiales involucrados. En el ámbito internacional existen numerosas investigaciones sobre comportamiento de suelos compactados, no obstante, si bien aportan antecedentes para la planificación de estudios locales, sus resultados no pueden trasladarse de manera directa. Las características propias del suelo local constituye la principal variable debido a la diversidad en las propiedades geotécnicas de cada Región. Esta investigación, se focaliza en el empleo de suelos limosos de la formación loéssica de la zona central de Argentina. Los suelos de la llanura cordobesa poseen comportamientos particulares, los cuales son contemplados en los diseños presentados como resutado de las investigaciones internacionales. Esta particularidad se relaciona con su inestabilidad, lo que los clasifica como suelos colapsables. Los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo podrán ser extendidos a una gran superficie de la Provincia de Córdoba y a la Región Pampeana en general, a los fines de establecer recomendaciones de diseño y construcción para la confección de Pliegos de Especificaciones Técnicas de diferentes tipos de obras públicas y privadas. El estudio contempla la ejecución de un plan experimental a escala de laboratorio y campo. Los materiales corresponden a suelo limosos puros, y diferentes agregados tales como bentonita, cal y cemento. Se planifican ensayos para evaluar el desempeño del material, a partir de la confección de muestras preparadas con diferentes condiciones de compactación (energía, humedad y método), y en forma de mezcla con los distintos tipos de agregados. Se realizarán ensayos de permeabilidad en celdas de pared rígida y flexible, junto a ensayos mecánicos de compresión confinada, simple y triaxial. Para el trabajo experimental de campo se prevé la ejecución de terraplenes de prueba instrumentados con tensiómetros e infiltrómetros para evaluar el comportamiento hidraúlico en el tiempo, junto con ensayos de penetración y plato de carga para la caracterización mecánica. En forma conjunta se propone el desarrollo de modelos numéricos de caracterización hidromecánica. Stabilized soils by compaction, produce materials technical and economic advantages in different types of engineering works. For example, road bases in highways, roads or city streets, containment barriers for sanitary landfill or stabilization ponds, foundation support of building, industrial flat, and other applications. Failures can result in environmental catastrophes, social, and economic loss, so it is important to optimize the design and increase the safety of such buildings. These works involve large surfaces that require systematic tests during construction, so it is necessary to have simple field tests, reliable and efficient to identify physical, mechanical and hydraulic properties. The geo-structures generated by local soil compaction have reduced material and transportation costs. Stabilization can be naturally, or with the addition of mineral aggregates as bentonite, lime and cement. These additions improve the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the material. So, special investigations should be conducted with the materials involved. There are many international studies on compacted soils behavior but their results can not be transferred directly due to the particularities of regional soils. For this research silty soils of central Argentina are the main focus. The soils of Córdoba plains are instability, so are classified as collapsible soils. The results obtained in this work may be extended to a large area of the Province of Cordoba and the Pampas region in general, in order to establish design and construction recommendations. The study includes laboratory and field tests. The materials are pure silty soil, and different aggregates such as bentonite, lime and cement. Tests are planned to evaluate the performance. Laboratory includes rigid and flexible wall cells, confined, triaxial and simple compression tests. For field experimental instrumented embankments will be constructed. A numerical hydromechanical model will be developed.

Prácticas festivas y formas de sociabilidad de y entre varones homosexuales (ciudad de córdoba, 1976-1986) Parties and Forms of Sociability between and among Male Homossexuals (City of Córdoba AR, 1976-1986)

El presente proyecto de investigación está interesado en explorar y describir determinadas formas de sociabilidad de varones de clase media auto definidos como homosexuales entre el inicio de la última dictadura (1976) y la formación de un circuito de discos y pubs gays en la ciudad de Córdoba durante el llamado “destape alfonsinista” (1986). La investigación contempla la descripción densa de dos series de prácticas de sociabilidad. Por una parte, se analizará la sociabilidad de varones homosexuales, especialmente de un conjunto de sujetos que desempeñaban determinadas profesiones como “decoradores”, “modistos”, “cocineros”, “anticuarios” y organizadores de fiestas, contratados por las elites locales y clases medias acomodadas para diseñar sus formas de diversión durante el período. ¿Cómo estos sujetos se relacionaban con quienes no forman parte del “ambiente” homosexual y cómo gestionaban el “secreto público” de su identidad erótico-sexual en sus relaciones con las elites cordobesas? El estudio de estas formas de sociabilidad homosexual escasamente trabajadas por la literatura internacional se relacionará con un análisis de las formas de sociabilidad entre varones homosexuales y la formación de un “ambiente”. Para ello se estudiarán espacios colectivos de socialización como baños públicos, plazas, calles, fiestas privadas, bares, boliches y saunas. Los códigos de comunicación verbal y gestual utilizados en esos espacios, y la caracterización de las redes de personas que componían el “ambiente” también serán objeto de análisis. Dado el carácter inicial de esta investigación, ya que no se cuenta con estudios previos para Córdoba, proponemos la siguiente hipótesis de tipo exploratorio en relación a las formas de sociabilidad de determinados varones homosexuales: Estos sujetos habrían asegurado su reproducción social tanto como la posesión de ciertos salvoconductos para el ejercicio de su identidad sociosexual produciendo fiestas de las elites locales. A partir de erigirse en árbitros del “buen gusto” dichos sujetos habrían asegurado ciertos privilegios, entre ellos “feminizar” sus gustos y producirse como “locas”. Dada las nuevas condiciones impuestas por la recuperación democrática, los salvoconductos se hicieron cada vez menos valiosos al mismo tiempo que se formaba una identidad “gay” que, aunque buscó distanciarse del modelo negativo de “la loca”, continuó reclamando su dominio sobre el “buen gusto”. De esta manera, el cultivo experto del “buen gusto” sería parte de las prácticas que organizaban las formas de sociabilidad de varones homosexuales con sujetos heterosexuales de las elites. En relación a las formas de sociabilidad entre homosexuales proponemos que durante la dictadura, “el ambiente” se habría organizado en torno a un circuito callejero y una territorialidad de eventos privados (fiestas negras). Las diferentes performances sociales desarrolladas en tales espacios formaron parte de prácticas que desafiaron el estado de sitio impuesto. Reprimidas por la dictadura, estas prácticas no podían formar parte de un consumo cultural mercantilizado. La recuperación democrática y los cambios en las políticas del Estado con relación a los derechos y los reclamos de las minorías articulados con la expansión de un mercado gay global, habrían producido un cambio en las formas de sociabilidad homosexual. El ejercicio de esta sociabilidad supuso cada vez más el consumo de ciertas mercancías culturales asociadas con “la noche”. Así, la formación de una identidad “gay”, como opuesta al modelo “loca/chongo” dominante hasta los años ´80, aparecería fuertemente relacionada con la formación y segmentarización de un mercado del entretenimiento nocturno. Para la recolección de datos se recurrirá a entrevistas focalizadas e historias de vida de sujetos que trabajaron dando forma a las prácticas de divertimento nocturno de las elites locales y participaron en las redes de personas que componían el “ambiente”. This research project aims at exploring and describing determined forms of sociability among middle class self-identified as homossexual males betwwen the beginning of the last dictatorial period (1976) and the establishment of a network of disco and gay pubs in Cordoba, AR, during the so called “destape alfonsinista” (1986). This research will deal with the thick description of two series of sociability practices. On the one hand, it will analyze male homossexuals sociability practices themselves, barely studied in international literature, mainly those of a set of subjects whose professional careers were those of interior decorators, dressmakers, kitchen chefs, antiquarians and party promoters hired by the local elites and upper middle classes to design their forms of leisure durign that period. On the other, we will deal with the forms of sociability between male homossexuals and the the set of a social environment. This rearch will study collective spaces of socialization such as restrooms, squares, streets, private parties, pubs, discos and saunas. The communication codes in those spaces, both verbal and gestural, as well as the description of the social networks componing that enviroment will also be considered. Focused interviews with and life histories of those who worked structuring night leisure local elite practices and were part of that environment social networks will be the main techniques used in data collection.

Pharmacological inhibition of interleukin-15 prevents colitis and associated bone loss in IL-10 knockout mice

Bone loss secondary to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is largely explained by activated T cells producing cytokines that trigger osteoclastogenesis and accelerate bone resorptionwhile inhibiting bone formation. In IBD, elevated expression of interleukin (IL)-15, a T cell growth factor, plays a central role in T cell activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine production and the development of colitis. We previously reported that IL-15 enhances RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and that an IL-15 antagonist, CRB-15, prevents weight and bone loss in a mousemodel of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.We hypothesized that inhibition of IL-15 signalingmight prevent bone loss in IL-10 deficient (IL10−/−) mice, that develop spontaneous bowel inflammation associatedwith osteopeniawhen they are no longer raised under germ-free conditions.Mice received anIL-15 antagonist (CRB-15, 5 μg/day, n=5) or IgG2a (5 μg/day, n=4) fromweek 10 to 14 of age. The severity of colitis was assessed by histology and bowel cytokine gene expression by real time PCR. Bone mass and architecturewere evaluated by ex vivo DXA on femur and micro-computed tomography on femur and vertebra. Bodyweight gainwas similar in the two groups. After 4 weeks, colonwas 29% shorter in CRB-15 treatedmice (p<0.006), a sign of reduced inflammation. Histological analysis indicated a transmural infiltration of inflammatory cells, lymphoepithelial lesions and increased size of villi (histological score=4/6) in IgG2a treated mice, whereas colon from CRB-15 treated mice exhibited mild infiltration of inflammatory cells of the lamina propria, no mucosal damages and a minimal increased size of villi (histological score=1.6/6). Levels of TNFα, IL-17 and IL-6 mRNA in the colon were significantly reduced in CRB-15 treated mice (p<0.04 vs IgG2), indicating a decrease in colon inflammation. CRB-15 improved femur BMD (+10.6% vs IgG2a, p<0.002), vertebral trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV, +19.7% vs IgG2a, p<0.05) and thickness (+11.6% vs IgG2a, p<0.02). A modest but not significant increase in trabecular BV/TV was observed at the distal femur. Cortical thicknesswas also higher at themidshaft femur in CRB-15 treatedmice (+8.3% vs IgG2a, p<0.02). In conclusion, we confirm and extend our results about the effects of CRB-15 in colitis. Antagonizing IL-15 may exert favorable effects on intestinal inflammation and prevent bone loss and microarchitecture alterations induced by colitis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ECTS 2011. Disclosure of interest: B. Brounais-Le Royer Grant / Research Support from Novartis Consumer Health Foundation, S. Ferrari-Lacraz: none declared, D. Velin: none declared, X. Zheng: none declared, S. Ferrari: none declared, D. Pierroz: none declared.

Gastric banding induces negative bone remodelling in the absence of secondary hyperparathyroidism: potential role of serum C telopeptides for follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Data about the consequences of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) on phospho-calcic and bone metabolism remain scarce. SUBJECTS: We studied a group of 37 obese premenopausal women (age: 24-52 y; mean BMI = 43.7 kg/m2) who underwent LAGB. METHODS: Serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, parathormone (PTH), vitamin D3, serum C-telopeptides, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 were measured at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after surgery. Body composition, bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) were measured using dual-X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery. RESULTS: There was no clinically significant decrease of calcemia; PTH remained stable. Serum telopeptides increased by 100% (P < 0.001) and serum IGFBP-3 decreased by 16% (P < 0.001) during the first 6 months, and then stabilized, whereas IGF-1 remained stable over the 2 y. BMC and BMD decreased, especially at the femoral neck; this decrease was significantly correlated with the decrease of waist and hip circumference. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that there was no evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism 24 months after LAGB. The observed bone resorption could be linked to the decrease of IGFBP-3, although this decrease could be attributable to other confounding factors. Serum telopeptides seem to be a reliable marker of bone metabolism after gastric banding. DXA must be interpreted cautiously during major weight loss, because of the artefacts caused by the important variation of fat tissue after LAGB.