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Biochar is increasingly being assessed as a promising solution to address the challenges faced by tropical soils, as it can help mitigate land degradation, replenish nutrients, and enhance soil structure, increasing fertility and promoting the development of crops. This paper provides a systematic literature review towards an evaluation of the current knowledge on the influence of biochar addition in tropical soils on the development of plants. A total of 97 publications on the development of various species, particularly maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza), were chosen. The evaluation involved various parameters, which identified positive and negative effects and no significant differences from the control. Some of them also evaluated the contribution of biochar to the development of trees in degraded soils. Tropical soils from 24 different countries, with specific focus on Brazil and Malaysia, were studied. Most biochars were derived from agricultural biomass or wood and produced at temperatures close to 500 °C and with alkaline pH (8.3 average value). Subsequently, 25 articles that combined the most studied plant (Z. mays) with the most adopted test type (field) were selected—in this case, the main endpoints evaluated were grain yield and biomass, which generally showed a positive effect or no significant variation in relation to the control. Although the number of studies on biochars has increased in recent years, scientific knowledge shows several gaps, given the variety of physical and chemical characteristics of biochars and the complexity of natural ecosystems. Future research can potentially yield promising results by exploring a wider range of plant species, soil types, and climatic conditions in long-term trials. Appropriate indicators must be considered for assessments of the reduction in negative effects from the addition of biochar on soil health and quality of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the middle of the São Francisco Basin, the sub-basins of Indaiá and Borrachudo stand as attractive unconventional gas plays. However, the high complexity of developing unconventional reservoirs raises many issues concerning the environmental sustainability of this enterprise. In this context, a pre-operational assessment of the groundwater vulnerability is crucial to compound a robust environmental baseline for the shale gas industry. The present study assesses the groundwater's intrinsic and specific vulnerability of the Indaiá and Borrachudo basins as a part of an environmental baseline study for further shale gas exploration. GOD index method (an overlay and index geoprocessing technique) was applied to assess the aquifer's intrinsic susceptibility regarding the groundwater confinement (G), the overlying strata (O), and the depth of the groundwater table (D). The specific vulnerability assessment considered the intrinsic vulnerability and the land cover/use of the area, concerning the diversity and the toxicity of pollutants inherent to each anthropogenic activity. The results indicate that 52.69%, 25.12%, and 17.57% of the aquifer area have medium, high, and extreme intrinsic vulnerability, respectively. Medium, high, and extreme specific vulnerability occur, respectively, in 14.37%, 0.28%, and 17.10% of the total area. Specific vulnerability assessment suggests an overall vulnerability reduction due to the basin's low levels of anthropogenic pressures. Three gas wells overlay moderate intrinsic vulnerability, and one well is above the high vulnerability area. Findings from this research are helpful to design strategies and actions aimed to protect groundwater systems and guarantee an unconventional gas development grounded in environmental principles in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A macroscopic and kinetic relativistic description for a decoupled multi-fluid cosmology endowed with gravitationally induced particle production of all components is proposed. The temperature law for each decoupled particle species is also kinetically derived. The present approach points to the possibility of an exact (semi-classical) quantum-gravitational kinetic treatment by incorporating back reaction effects for an arbitrary set of dominant decoupled components. As an illustration we show that a cosmology driven by creation of cold dark matter and baryons (without dark energy) evolves like Λ CDM. However, the complete physical emulation is broken when photon creation is added to the mixture thereby pointing to a crucial test in the future. The present analysis also open up a new window to investigate the Supernova-CMB tension on the values of H 0 , as well as the S 8 tension since creation of all components changes slightly the CMB results and the expansion history both at early and late times. Finally, it is also argued that cross-correlations between CMB temperature maps and the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect may provide a crucial and accurate test confronting extended CCDM and Λ CDM models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine artificial semi-dry wetlands' performance to wastewater treatment from fish farming and Lactuca sativa production in an aquaponics system. This trial model observed the effects of different stocking biomass on the growth rate of Colossoma macropomum and yield of two L. sativa varieties. A factorial design consisting of three fish density treatments in quadruplicate and two Lettuces variety was used. Nine hundred and sixty fingerlings with 8.35 ± 0.91 g were stocked at three stocking biomass treatments in quadruplicate: 40 fingerlings or 334 g m−3; 80 fingerlings 668 g m−3; 120 fingerlings or 1002 g m−3. Delice American Lettuce and Purple Crested Lettuce were cultured in the semi-dry wetlands. The final mass (g), consumed food, feed conversion ratio, and yield of fingerling were statistically different between the tested densities, but survival did not. The artificial semi-dry wetlands were efficient on water treatment and the recovery of nutrients in all fish densities trials, and it has potential as support for lettuce production. The recovery of nutrients was shown on the increment of the number of leaves, total fresh mass (g), and lettuces yield by area (kg m−2) in both varieties of plants tested. Precocious flowering in 30% of lettuce varieties, incidence of mealybug and whitefly, temperature and deficiency of calcium and magnesium were factors that may have compromised the full lettuce development. The aquaponics system efficiently treated the fish effluent at the densities tested, being appropriate for fish farming and lettuces production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagation of optical solitons in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers through the varying gain dispersion effect without gain saturation are numerically investigated by using a modified propagation equation. Two closely gain dispersion profiles, namely linear and exponential, have been considered. The influence of these profiles on the propagation characteristics of the pulses has been analyzed and compared to the constant gain dispersion regime. The results show that a varying gain dispersion can effectively control the pulse amplification and the generation of additional subpulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market of citrus fruits for fresh consumption is greatly influenced by the external aspect of the fruit, which needs to meet certain quality requirements. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate fruit characteristics and leaf concentrations of nutrients, associating them with soil available water, for combinations of 'Pêra' orange with five different rootstocks, in two planting systems [conventional seedlings and direct seeding (DS) of rootstocks] in soil without subsoiling, in two sampling periods (wet and dry) of leaves and fruits. The attributes evaluated in the fruits were as follows: fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD) (cm), fruit weight (FW), juice yield, total soluble solids (TSS, in ºBrix), titratable acidity (TA, in g de citric acid mL−1), and ratio (TSS/TA). For nutritional evaluation of the plant, the contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn were determined in the leaves. The fruits produced in the rainy period showed better physical and chemical characteristics. Higher average ratios were found in 'Volkameriano' lemon, 'Índio' citrandarin and 'Cravo Santa Cruz' lemon. The planting system via DS led to higher values of FW, FD and FL. Leaf analysis indicated deficiency of N and Mn, excess of K and Fe; and P, Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn within the adequate range. The intensity of water stress, found in the dry period, increased the leaf concentrations of K, Ca, Mg and Cu. The preservation of the root system, promoted by DS, led to higher contents of N, Ca, Cu and Mn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzes the use of artificial neural networks in the short-term streamflow forecasting for large interconnected hydropower systems. The state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, activation functions, and weight initialization techniques are investigated together with classic methods. We present an algorithm to define the neural network inputs in large hydrosystems and apply it to create models for 55 major hydro plants located in the Paraná Basin, which contribute to more than 30% of the total power generated in Brazil. The paper also compares the performance of the neural networks with the hydrological models that are currently used by the independent system operator to define the dispatch of the electric power generators. Our results show that, overall, the neural network models provide more accurate forecasts than the hydrological models used by the Brazilian System Operator. Finally, the paper discusses the contributions of historical rainfall information in the forecasting of streamflow while using neural network models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 18 animals were fed two forage-based diets: red clover (RC) and grass silage (GS), in a crossover-design experiment in which methane (CH4) emissions were recorded in respiration chambers. Rumen samples obtained through naso-gastric sampling tubes were analysed by NMR. Methane yield (g/kg DM) was significantly lower from animals fed RC (17.8 ± 3.17) compared to GS (21.2 ± 4.61) p = 0.008. In total 42 metabolites were identified, 6 showing significant differences between diets (acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, 3-phenylopropionate, and 2-hydroxyvalerate). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to assess which metabolites were more important to distinguish between diets and partial least squares (PLS) regressions were used to assess which metabolites were more strongly associated with the variation in CH4 emissions. Acetate, butyrate and propionate along with dimethylamine were important for the distinction between diets according to the PLS-DA results. PLS regression revealed that diet and dry matter intake are key factors to explain CH4 variation when included in the model. Additionally, PLS was conducted within diet, revealing that the association between metabolites and CH4 emissions can be conditioned by diet. These results provide new insights into the methylotrophic methanogenic pathway, confirming that metabolite profiles change according to diet composition, with consequences for CH4 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies in the largest coal mining region of Brazil showed the strong influence of the coal-fired power plant in spatial distribution of As, especially in prevailing wind direction. However, it was not evaluated the risk of As on the local population. Thus, this study aims to assess the human health risk of As in a region under influence of atmospheric deposition of As from the coal-fired power plant. The human health risk assessment model was based on established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). It estimate the average daily dose (ADD), non-carcinogenic (HQ) and carcinogenic risk by in oral, dermal and inhalation exposure routes, as well as, the contribution of each via to ADD, HQ and carcinogenic risk to soil and air. Separately, both air and soil exposure pathways show HQ and HI below the risk threshold (< 1). However, when considerate the sum of both exposure pathways in the worst scenario of As contamination in air (maximum concentrations) there are a carcinogenic risk in the most of evaluated areas, including in a control area. The maximum values of As in PM10 contribute to health risk by air inhalation pathway (1.45 µg/m3). Inhalation pathway presents the major contribution to ADDair and ADDtotal. However, oral and dermal routes were more important to ADDsoil. The study reveals that there is a carcinogenic risk for exposure to As at a distance of almost 10 km from the coal-fired power plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide-rich materials, such as "red mud," an aluminum-mining by-product, are good (ad)sorbents for soil pollutants. This study evaluated sorption reactions of selected cations/anions on aluminum-mining by-product, proposing the calculation of a new distribution constant (i.e., distribution constant at half of the maximum adsorption capacity, Kd(MAC/2)) to assess aluminum-mining by-product sorption efficiency. Adsorption was performed with increasing doses of zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and phosphorus, followed by subsequent desorption (pH 5.5). Data fitted well to both Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The maximum adsorption capacity estimated by the Langmuir equation and the relative adsorption capacity parameter of the Freundlich equation followed the ascending order cadmium < zinc < copper < lead < arsenic < phosphorus, whereas the distribution constant at half of the maximum adsorption capacity increased as follows: cadmium < zinc < copper < arsenic < lead < phosphorus. Anionic (ad)sorbates (i.e., arsenic and phosphorus) showed higher affinity for aluminum-mining by-product than cationic ones. Among the studied cations, lead and copper were much more adsorbed by aluminum-mining by-product than zinc and cadmium. High adsorption and low desorption occurred mostly for elements known to form inner-sphere complexes, such as phosphorus and lead. Desorption from aluminum-mining by-product was very low for all sorbates, except cadmium. The aluminum-mining by-product, a low-cost by-product, proved to be an adequate adsorbent for pollutants removal. Moreover, the distribution constant at half of the maximum adsorption capacity could be used as an alternative parameter for sorption studies with aluminum-mining by-product and conceivably other sorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since electrons in a ballistic regime perceive a carbon nanotube or a graphene layer structure as a continuous medium, we can use the study of the quantum dynamics of one electron constrained to a curve or surface to obtain a qualitative description of the conduction electrons' behavior. The confinement process of a quantum particle to a curve or surface leads us, in the so-called confining potential formalism, to a geometry-induced potential in the effective Schrödinger equation. With these considerations, this work aims to study in detail the consequences of constraining a quantum particle to a helix, catenary, helicoid, or catenoid, exploring the relations between these curves and surfaces using differential geometry. Initially, we use the variational method to estimate the energy of the particle in its ground state, and thus, we obtain better approximations with the use of the confluent Heun function through numerical calculations. Thus, we conclude that a quantum particle constrained to an infinite helix has its angular momentum quantized due to the geometry of the curve, while in the cases of the catenary, helicoid, and catenoid the particle can be found either in a single bound state or in excited states which constitute a continuous energy band. Additionally, we propose measurements of physical observables capable of discriminating the topologies of the studied surfaces, in the context of topological metrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Emerging data have suggested that acid erosion has become an increasing clinical problem in pediatric dentistry. This study aimed to investigate the abrasive effects of two commercial toothpastes on primary enamel eroded by orange juice using an in vitro model. Methods: Thirty enamel slabs were obtained from primary teeth and then randomly assigned to three groups (n = 8) comprising two different toothpastes: G1-control-distilled water; G2-Dentifrice A (containing no fluoride); and G3-Dentifrice B (1.100 ppmF–NaF). Each slab had one half protected to provide a control side, and the other one was subjected to treatments. The slabs were submitted to daily erosive challenges (3×/day, 2 min) in concentrated orange juice (pH 3.38) associated with abrasive challenges using a tooth-brushing machine (150 brush movements for each cycle). During the experimental period, the slabs were kept in 37 °C artificial saliva, and the experiment was carried out for 5 days. The depths of the resulting eroded areas were measured by stylus profilometry. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and the Tukey–Kramer test (α = 5%). Results: Tooth loss (µm, mean ± SD) was 2.46 ± 1.18 for G1, 3.32 ± 2.12 for G2 and 2.14 ± 1.03 for G3. Therefore, the NaF dentifrice (Dentifrice B) produced significantly less mineral loss (p = 0.04) than dentifrice A. Conclusions: The findings suggest that fluoride toothpaste could protect primary enamel against erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the dynamics of an optomechanical cavity considering two modes of the electromagnetic field and a mechanical resonator. As a result of this interaction, the initial non-entangled state evolves into a final entangled state. In this work, we use the Q (α) function to observe the behavior of the system in the phase space, finding that such entanglement is a function of time showing collapses and revivals. To carry out this analysis, we use the generalization of the single-party Q (α) function towards three-party systems Q (α , μ , ν) and we ascertain that the entanglement perfectly maps into the Q (α , μ , ν) function because it becomes non-separable too. To prove that the Q function accurately certifies entanglement, we compare its behaviour with the plots of the van Loock inequalities. Additionally, as the optomechanical systems were proposed to carry out quantum information tasks, we investigate the kind of phase gate that is produced when we keep the Kerr term that arises in the evolution operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indiscriminate use of pesticides has caused several damages to the environment, in particular the pollution of water reservoirs, so that this has motivated the development of techniques to minimize its consequences. One of the main surface water pollutants is glyphosate, which is a widely used herbicide for weed control. Therefore, in this work, computational simulations were used with density functional theory and molecular dynamics to theoretically verify if C60 fullerene is capable of adsorbing glyphosate in aqueous media. As a result, we showed through the adsorption energies, molecular dynamics methods, and infrared absorption that C60 can adsorb glyphosate molecules in at least three distinct configurations, either in vacuum or in water, which theoretically indicates it as a good candidate for removal of this herbicide from water by nanotechnology techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanostructured GeSb4Te7 (GST147) phase was produced by mechanical alloying (MA), starting from a mixture with nominal GeSb2Te4 composition of high-purity elemental Ge, Sb and Te powders. The effect of milling on z-coordinates of Wyckoff sites 2c and 2d occupied by the Sb and Te atoms was studied using an approach combining the Rietveld method and pair distribution function analysis. The thermal stability of GST147 and the Raman active modes of GST147 were investigated. The results of photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy show that the thermal diffusivity of nanostructured GST147 produced by MA is similar that of its bulk counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that a CP-violating interaction induced by a derivative coupling between the running vacuum and a non-conserving baryon current may dynamically break CPT and trigger baryogenesis through an effective chemical potential. By assuming a non-singular class of running vacuum cosmologies which provides a complete cosmic history (from an early inflationary de Sitter stage to the present day quasi-de Sitter acceleration), it is found that an acceptable baryon asymmetry is generated for many different choices of the model parameters. It is interesting that the same ingredient (running vacuum energy density) addresses several open cosmological questions/problems: avoids the initial singularity, provides a smooth exit for primordial inflation, alleviates both the coincidence and the cosmological constant problems, and, finally, is also capable of explaining the generation of matter-antimatter asymmetry in the very early Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the development of detection and measurement systems for lightning strokes, the possibility arose for the identification of the characteristic parameters of lightning current and the resulting voltage waveforms that stress the power system insulating equipment. The real lightning voltages that stress the insulation may vary over a wide type of waveforms and may also differ significantly from the standard 1.2/50 $$\upmu \hbox {s}$$ lightning impulse voltage. Therefore, the prediction of volt-time characteristics of any insulating material for such non-standard voltages is required for a proper insulation design. In this regard, this paper aims at evaluating the dielectric behaviour of medium voltage insulators subjected to voltage impulses with standard and non-standard waveforms, by applying the disruptive effect method. The non-standard lightning overvoltage waveforms considered in this study were based on lightning overvoltages produced by real return stroke current waveforms observed on conveyed measurement data. The investigation involves a comparison between measured and predicted voltage-time characteristics of insulators, considering single-peaked and double-peaked non-standard impulsive voltage waveforms as well as the standard lightning impulse voltage. Three different types of insulating arrangement involving 15- and 25-kV pin-type porcelain insulators were investigated. The estimation of the parameters required for this prediction method was performed using a simulation language available at ATP/ATPDraw software called MODELS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the rainwater chemistry, the potential sources of its main inorganic components and bulk atmospheric deposition in a rural tropical semiarid region in the Brazilian Caatinga. Rainfall samples were collected during two wet seasons, one during an extremely dry year (2012) and one during a year with normal rainfall (2013). According to measurements of the main inorganic ions in the rainwater (H, Na, NH , K, Ca, Mg, Cl, NO , and SO ), no differences were observed in the total ionic charge between the two investigated wet seasons. However, Ca, K, NH and NO were significant higher in the wetter year ( p < 0.05) which was attributed to anthropogenic activities, such as organic fertilizer applications. The total ionic contents of the rainwater suggested a dominant marine contribution, accounting for 76 % and 58 % of the rainwater in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The sum of the non-sea-salt fractions of Cl, SO , Mg, Ca and K were 19 % and 33 % in 2012 and 2013, and the nitrogenous compounds accounted for 2.8 % and 6.0 % of the total ionic contents in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The ionic ratios suggested that Mg was probably the main neutralizing constituent of rainwater acidity, followed by Ca. We observed a low bulk atmospheric deposition of all major rainwater ions during both wet seasons. Regarding nitrogen deposition, we estimated slightly lower annual inputs than previous global estimates. Our findings contribute to the understanding of rainfall chemistry in northeastern Brazil by providing baseline information for a previously unstudied tropical semiarid ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water deficit is considered the main abiotic stress that limits agricultural production worldwide. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are natural substances that play roles in plant tolerance against abiotic stresses, including water deficit. This research aims to determine whether BRs can mitigate the negative effects caused by water deficiency, revealing how BRs act and their possible contribution to increased tolerance of cowpea plants to water deficit. The experiment was a factorial design with the factors completely randomised, with two water conditions (control and water deficit) and three levels of brassinosteroids (0, 50 and 100 nM 24-epibrassinolide; EBR is an active BRs). Plants sprayed with 100 nM EBR under the water deficit presented significant increases in Φ, q and ETR compared with plants subjected to the water deficit without EBR. With respect to gas exchange, P , E and g exhibited significant reductions after water deficit, but application of 100 nM EBR caused increases in these variables of 96, 24 and 33%, respectively, compared to the water deficit + 0 nM EBR treatment. To antioxidant enzymes, EBR resulted in increases in SOD, CAT, APX and POX, indicating that EBR acts on the antioxidant system, reducing cell damage. The water deficit caused significant reductions in Chl a, Chl b and total Chl, while plants sprayed with 100 nM EBR showed significant increases of 26, 58 and 33% in Chl a, Chl b and total Chl, respectively. This study revealed that EBR improves photosystem II efficiency, inducing increases in Φ, q and ETR. This substance also mitigated the negative effects on gas exchange and growth induced by the water deficit. Increases in SOD, CAT, APX and POX of plants treated with EBR indicate that this steroid clearly increased the tolerance to the water deficit, reducing reactive oxygen species, cell damage, and maintaining the photosynthetic pigments. Additionally, 100 nM EBR resulted in a better dose-response of cowpea plants exposed to the water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the necessity of photothermal alternative approaches for characterizing nonhomogeneous materials like maize seeds, the objective of this research work was to analyze statistically the amplitude variations of photopyroelectric signals, by means of nonparametric techniques such as the histogram and the kernel density estimator, and the probability density function of the amplitude variations of two genotypes of maize seeds with different pigmentations and structural components: crystalline and floury. To determine if the probability density function had a known parametric form, the histogram was determined which did not present a known parametric form, so the kernel density estimator using the Gaussian kernel, with an efficiency of 95 % in density estimation, was used to obtain the probability density function. The results obtained indicated that maize seeds could be differentiated in terms of the statistical values for floury and crystalline seeds such as the mean (93.11, 159.21), variance $$(1.64\times 10^{3}, 1.48\times 10^{3})$$ , and standard deviation (40.54, 38.47) obtained from the amplitude variations of photopyroelectric signals in the case of the histogram approach. For the case of the kernel density estimator, seeds can be differentiated in terms of kernel bandwidth or smoothing constant h of 9.85 and 6.09 for floury and crystalline seeds, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal history of a large class of running vacuum models in which the effective cosmological term is described by a truncated power series of the Hubble rate, whose dominant term is Λ(H) ∝ Hn+2, is discussed in detail. Specifically, by assuming that the ultrarelativistic particles produced by the vacuum decay emerge into space-time in such a way that its energy density ρr ∝ T4, the temperature evolution law and the increasing entropy function are analytically calculated. For the whole class of vacuum models explored here we find that the primeval value of the comoving radiation entropy density (associated to effectively massless particles) starts from zero and evolves extremely fast until reaching a maximum near the end of the vacuum decay phase, where it saturates. The late-time conservation of the radiation entropy during the adiabatic FRW phase also guarantees that the whole class of running vacuum models predicts the same correct value of the present day entropy, S0 ∼ 1087–1088 (in natural units), independently of the initial conditions. In addition, by assuming Gibbons–Hawking temperature as an initial condition, we find that the ratio between the late-time and primordial vacuum energy densities is in agreement with naive estimates from quantum field theory, namely, ρΛ0/ρΛI ∼ 10−123. Such results are independent on the power n and suggests that the observed Universe may evolve smoothly between two extreme, unstable, non-singular de Sitter phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of process temperature and reaction cycle number on atomic layer-deposited TiO thin films onto Si(100) using TiCl and HO precursors was investigated in order to discuss the correlation between the growth per cycle (GPC), film structure (crystallinity), and surface roughness as well as the dependence of some of these properties with gas phase environment such as HCl by-product. In this work, these correlations were studied for two conditions: (i) process temperatures in the range of 100-500 °C during 1000 reaction cycles and (ii) number of cycles in the range of 100-2000 for a fixed temperature of 250 °C. To investigate the material properties, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used. Mass spectrometry technique was used to investigate the time evolution of gas phase species HCl and HO during ALD process. Results indicate that the GPC does not correlate well with film crystallinity and surface roughness for the evaluated process parameters. Basically, the film crystallinity relies solely on grain growth kinetics of the material. This occurs due to higher HCl by-product content during each purge step. Furthermore, for films deposited at variable cycle number, the evolution of film thickness and elemental composition is altered from an initial amorphous structure to a near stoichiometric TiO and, subsequently, becomes fully stoichiometric TiO at 400 cycles or above. At this cycle value, the GIXRD spectrum indicates the formation of (101) anatase orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last years, the electricity sector has experienced great changes, especially within the economic regulation. After receiving several criticisms, the rate of return regulation has been replaced by incentive regulation. The main objective of this regulation is to stimulate business efficiency. This paper proposes an alternative application of data envelopment analysis to the Brazilian case, characterized by a large territory: the use of Unit Networks in the distribution segment to regionalize the concession area and then to analyse the efficiencies separately. Many regulators use the entire distribution company as a decision-making unit for price regulation when benchmarking is applied. However, in Brazil, quality performance is measured in detail using sets of consuming units, i.e. quality is measured using small parts of the company. Given that efficiency cannot be assessed without considering various aspects of quality performance and characteristics of the underlying environment in the utility's concession area, this paper tries to find the trade-off between management, quality, environment and costs. Therefore, the main contribution of this paper is twofold: the solution for Brazilian distribution companies' heterogeneity and the choice of variables that are better measures for an efficiency analysis. Some examples with Brazilian utilities are provided to show the advantages of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathophysiological mechanisms of arterial hypertension during hemodialysis (HD) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to investigate physiological, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine changes in patients with ESRD and its correlation with changes in blood pressure (BP) during the HD session. The present study included 21 patients with ESRD undergoing chronic HD treatment. Group A (study) consisted of patients who had BP increase and group B (control) consisted of those who had BP reduction during HD session. Echocardiograms were performed during the HD session to evaluate cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Before and after the HD session, blood samples were collected to measure brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), catecholamines, endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), electrolytes, hematocrit, albumin and nitrogen substances. The mean age of the studied patients was 43±4.9 years, and 54.6% were males. SVR significantly increased in group A (P<0.001). There were no differences in the values of BNP, NO, adrenalin, dopamin and noradrenalin, before and after dialysis, between the two groups. The mean value of ET-1, post HD, was 25.9 pg ml−1 in group A and 13.3 pg ml−1 in group B (P=<0.001). Patients with ESRD showed different hemodynamic patterns during the HD session, with significant BP increase in group A, caused by an increase in SVR possibly due to endothelial dysfunction, evidenced by an increase in serum ET-1 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usually, the mass media do not address hereditary cancer and their risk factors, nor are these topics discussed at the community level. We used an informative guide on cancer and hereditary cancer, followed by a questionnaire on these topics to investigate the relevant knowledge among women at high risk for hereditary breast and/or colorectal cancer from a population-based cohort. The cohort was composed of 81 Brazilian women with positive family histories of breast and/or colorectal cancer. Strauss and Corbin's Grounded Theory was used for qualitative analysis. The average age of the cohort was 49.9 years old. Three participants (3.9 %) were illiterate, 45 (59.2 %) had attended elementary school, 14 (18.4 %) had secondary school, and 14 (18.4 %) held higher education degrees. A total of 47 (54.3 %) volunteers were unable to fully understand the information provided in the guide because they did not know the meaning of words such as metastasis, malignant, hereditary, sporadic, or oncogenetics. Notwithstanding, the acceptance of the educational tool utilized was satisfactory, and it enhanced the volunteers' interest in a better understanding of cancer and heredity. Thereby, we concluded that the low knowledge of this important subject and the unawareness about fundamental terms required for the comprehension of this specific type of neoplasm made us believe that the use of the informative guide can provide a great value when used previously to the genetic counseling consultations. Besides, educational tools of easy understanding should be part of everyday clinical practice, from primary to specialized patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the latest developments in quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is the measurement of the speed of sound (SOS) of cortical bone of the midtibia. To determine the diagnostic validity of this method we measured 150 healthy women aged 22-94 years. Additionally, we report on first results of patients with hip fracture. Precision in vivo of the tibial QUS expressed as the percentage coefficient of variation (CV) was 0.39% for the first day and 0.45% after repositioning the second day (mean CV = 0.42%). No significant dependency of tibial SOS was found with weight, height, and body mass index in pre- and postmenopausal women. There was a significant decline of SOS with age in postmenopausal women (SOS = 4225 - 5.3 age, r = -0.46, P < 0. 001), whereas premenopausal women showed no decline (SOS = 3906 + 1. 3 age, r = 0.13, ns) Mean SOS values of premenopausal women were significantly higher than those of postmenopausal women (3960 +/- 78.7 m/second and 3898 +/- 120 m/second, respectively, P < 0.001). Postmenopausal women on estrogen substitution had significantly higher mean tibial SOS values than age-comparable postmenopausal women without estrogen substitution (3980 +/- 99 m/second and 3869 +/- 100 m/second, respectively, P < 0.001). Significant difference between age-matched healthy women, n = 11, and hip fracture patients, n = 13, expressed as z-score of -1.4 SD was found. In conclusion, tibial QUS declines with age and detects higher values in premenopausal women and postmenopausal women on estrogen substitution and lower values in hip fracture patients. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify its role in fracture risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of zinc ions (Zn) on the structure, morphology and optical properties of (CaZn)WO microcrystals with ( x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03) obtained by the microwave-hydrothermal method at 170 °C for 1 h is reported in this letter. These microcrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rietveld refinement, energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDXS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. The optical properties were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD patterns and Rietveld refinement data indicated that all the (CaZn)WO microcrystals present a tetragonal structure and a reduction of lattice parameters and unit cell volume occurs with the increase of Zn. EDXS data confirms that the elemental chemical composition was achieved for (CaZn)WO microcrystals. FE-SEM images showed that the replacement of Ca by the Zn promotes a reduction of average crystals size and considerable changes in crystal shape starting from dumbbell-like to decorative ball-like (CaZn)WO microcrystals. UV-Vis spectra evidenced a small increase in optical band gap values (from 5.72 to 5.76 eV). Finally, PL emission of (CaZn)WO microcrystals was improved until x = 0.02 due to the presence of defects at medium range and new intermediate electronic levels in the band gap associated to the Zn content. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversibility of airway obstruction in response to β2-agonists is highly variable among asthmatics, which is partially attributed to genetic factors. In a genome-wide association study of acute bronchodilator response (BDR) to inhaled albuterol, 534 290 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested in 403 white trios from the Childhood Asthma Management Program using five statistical models to determine the most robust genetic associations. The primary replication phase included 1397 polymorphisms in three asthma trials (pooled n=764). The second replication phase tested 13 SNPs in three additional asthma populations (n=241, n=215 and n=592). An intergenic SNP on chromosome 10, rs11252394, proximal to several excellent biological candidates, significantly replicated (P=1.98 × 10−7) in the primary replication trials. An intronic SNP (rs6988229) in the collagen (COL22A1) locus also provided strong replication signals (P=8.51 × 10−6). This study applied a robust approach for testing the genetic basis of BDR and identified novel loci associated with this drug response in asthmatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the most commonly used controller medications prescribed for asthma. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1876828 in corticotrophin releasing hormone receptor 1 and rs37973 in GLCCI1, have previously been associated with corticosteroid efficacy. We studied data from four existing clinical trials of asthmatics, who received ICS and had lung function measured by forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) before and after the period of such treatment. We combined the two SNPs rs37973 and rs1876828 into a predictive test of FEV1 change using a Bayesian model, which identified patients with good or poor steroid response (highest or lowest quartile, respectively) with predictive performance of 65.7% (P=0.039 vs random) area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve in the training population and 65.9% (P=0.025 vs random) in the test population. These findings show that two genetic variants can be combined into a predictive test that achieves similar accuracy and superior replicability compared with single SNP predictors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary aortoenteric fistula is a rare complication of aortic aneurysms. This cause of gastrointestinal bleeding poses significant diagnostic challenges due to its nonspecific presentation. We report a case of an 80-year-old man with right flank pain and rectal bleeding. The patient had been admitted 2 weeks before with the same symptoms. Upper and lower endoscopies were unremarkable, but abdominal computed tomography scan showed evidence of aortoduodenal fistula. An emergency laparotomy with aortic bypass and fistula closure was performed and the patient was able to recover in the following weeks. This case highlights the need for a high index of suspicion to avoid diagnostic delay that frequently has fatal results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an in vitro culture (IVC) medium containing either or not β-mercaptoethanol (BME), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), or pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) could be able to promote the development of capuchin monkeys’ preantral follicles enclosed in ovarian cortical strips. Follicular viability after IVC was similar to control (89.32%). Primordial follicle recruitment to primary stage was not reached with IVC, but the rate of secondary follicle formation was increased in the medium supplemented with BME, BMP4, and PMSG (44.86%) when compared to IVC control (9.20%). In the medium supplemented with BME, BMP4, and PMSG, contrary to other media, anti-müllerian hormone-messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in ovarian tissue was upregulated (3.4-fold), while that of growth differentiation factor-9 was maintained. The BMP4-mRNA expression, however, appeared downregulated in all cultured tissues. Our findings show a favorable effect of BME, BMP4, and PMSG on the in vitro development of secondary follicles from capuchin monkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interpatient variability in response to asthma controllers is significant and associates with pharmacogenomic variability. The goal of the present study was to identify novel variants that associate with response to common asthma controllers: fluticasone, combination of fluticasone + salmeterol and montelukast with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in β2-adrenergic receptor, corticosteroid and leukotriene pathway candidate genes. Participants in a large clinical trial of step-down strategies volunteered for this pharmacogenetic study. A total of 169 SNPs in 26 candidate genes were genotyped in 189 Caucasian participants with asthma who took either fluticasone (100 μg bid), fluticasone propionate (100 μg) + salmeterol (50 μg) (FP/Salm) or montelukast (5 or 10 mg) each night for 16 weeks. Primary outcomes were the slopes of plots of Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) scores versus time following randomization; and the percent change in percent predicted FEV1 (ΔFEV1%pred) from enrollment to the end of the study. Associations between SNPs and outcomes were analyzed using general linear models. False discovery rate and Bonferroni corrections were used to correct for multiple comparisons. In all, 16 SNPs in seven genes were significantly associated with outcomes. For FP/Salm, three SNPs in CHRM2 associated with ACQ slope (P=2.8 × 10−5), and rs1461496 in HSPA8 associated with ΔFEV1%pred. For fluticasone, five SNPs in CRHR1 (P=1.9 × 10−4), and three SNPs in COL2A1 associated with ACQ slope and ΔFEV1%pred, respectively. For montelukast, four SNPs in CHRM2 associated with ΔFEV1%pred and predicted an opposite effect compared with fluticasone (P=9 × 10−3). The present study indentified several novel SNPs that associate with response to common asthma controllers, and support further pharmacogenomic study and the use of genetic variants to personalize asthma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pro-asthmatic culture milieu and β2-agonist (isoproterenol) were previously shown to regulate the expression of select transcription factors (TFs) within human airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells. This study tests 1116 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 98 of these TF genes for association with bronchodilator response (BDR) in asthma patients. Genotyping was conducted using the Illumina HumanHap550v3 Beadchip in 403 non-Hispanic White asthmatic children and their parents. SNPs were evaluated for association with BDR using family and population-based analyses. Forty-two SNPs providing P-values <0.1 in both analyses were then genotyped in three adult asthma trials. One SNP 5′ of the thyroid hormone receptor-β gene was associated with BDR in the childhood population and two adult populations (P-value=0.0012). This investigation identified a novel locus for inter-individual variability in BDR and represents a translation of a cellular drug-response study to potential personalization of clinical asthma management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the antifungal efficacy of nanocapsules and nanoemulsions containing Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil (tea tree oil) in an onychomycosis model. The antifungal activity of nanostructured formulations was evaluated against Trichophyton rubrum in two different in vitro models of dermatophyte nail infection. First, nail powder was infected with T. rubrum in a 96-well plate and then treated with the formulations. After 7 and 14 days, cell viability was verified. The plate counts for the samples were 2.37, 1.45 and 1.0 log CFU mL (emulsion, nanoemulsion containing tea tree oil and nanocapsules containing tea tree oil, respectively). A second model employed nails fragments which were infected with the microorganism and treated with the formulations. The diameter of fungal colony was measured. The areas obtained were 2.88 ± 2.08 mm, 14.59 ± 2.01 mm, 40.98 ± 2.76 mm and 38.72 ± 1.22 mm for the nanocapsules containing tea tree oil, nanoemulsion containing tea tree oil, emulsion and untreated nail, respectively. Nail infection models demonstrated the ability of the formulations to reduce T. rubrum growth, with the inclusion of oil in nanocapsules being most efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies concerning competitive sorption of anions on oxidic materials eligible to be used as soil amendments are crucial for a better understanding of the adsorbent's effectiveness and ion mobility/availability in the environment. This study evaluated mono-/multi-element adsorption of phosphate and arsenate on aluminum (AMB) and iron mining by-products (IMB; used for comparison) and measured the effect of pH and thermal pretreatments on P and As adsorption on AMB and IMB. We also evaluated whether the desorption of As previously adsorbed on AMB and IMB increases with the addition of increasing doses of P. For adsorption, each adsorbent was reacted at selected pHs with solutions containing As and P individually or in combination. Non-competitive desorption was performed with 30 mmol L NaCl. Arsenate displacement was evaluated by reaction of the adsorbents containing previously adsorbed As with P-containing solutions. The competition between P and As decreased the adsorption of these anions by 2.7 and 23.2 %, respectively. Increasing pH decreased adsorption of both As and P, whereas the thermal pretreatment increased P adsorption by 40 % and As adsorption by 15 %. Phosphate in solution increased As desorption, with each millimoles per kilogram of adsorbed P desorbing as much as 2.3 ± 1.1 mmol kg of As. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study proposes three methodologies to define artificial neural network models through genetic algorithms (GAs) to predict the next-day hourly average surface ozone (O) concentrations. GAs were applied to define the activation function in hidden layer and the number of hidden neurons. Methods: Two of the methodologies define threshold models, which assume that the behaviour of the dependent variable (O concentrations) changes when it enters in a different regime (two and four regimes were considered in this study). The change from one regime to another depends on a specific value (threshold value) of an explanatory variable (threshold variable), which is also defined by GAs. The predictor variables were the hourly average concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide (NO), and O (recorded in the previous day at an urban site with traffic influence) and also meteorological data (hourly averages of temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and wind speed). The study was performed for the period from May to August 2004. Results and discussion: Several models were achieved and only the best model of each methodology was analysed. In threshold models, the variables selected by GAs to define the O regimes were temperature, CO and NO concentrations, due to their importance in O chemistry in an urban atmosphere. Conclusion: In the prediction of O concentrations, the threshold model that considers two regimes was the one that fitted the data most efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The type III secretion system (TTSS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, associated with acute infection, facilitates the direct injection of cytotoxins into the host cell cytoplasm. Mab166, a murine monoclonal antibody against PcrV, a protein located at the tip of the injectisome, has demonstrated efficacy against P. aeruginosa infection, resulting in reduced lung injury and increased survival in murine models of infection. We hypothesised that the administration of Mab166 in combination with an antibiotic would further improve the survival of P. aeruginosa-infected mice. A murine model of P. aeruginosa acute infection, three clinically relevant antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, tobramycin and ceftazidime) and the Mab166 antibody were used for this study. Consistently, compared to other treatment groups (antibiotic or antibody administered in isolation), the combination of Mab166 and antibiotic significantly improved the survival of mice infected with three times the lethal dose (LD) of the highly cytotoxic ExoU-secreting strain, PA103. This synergistic effect was primarily due to enhanced bactericidal effect and protection against lung injury, which prevented bacterial dissemination to other organs. Hence, the combination of Mab166 with antibiotic administration provides a new, more effective strategy against P. aeruginosa airway infection, especially when large numbers of highly virulent strains are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to gather quantitative data on the moult cycle and stages in laboratory-raised shrimp, kept at a constant temperature of 27°C. The stages of the moult cycle were differentiated and characterised by microscopic analysis of cuticle, epidermis and moulting processes in the uropods of P. vannamei and P. monodon. Five major moult stages were defined: early- and late post-moult (A and B), inter-moult (C) and early- and late pre-moult (D1 and D2). Total moult cycle duration was around 5 and 6.5 days for 2-g P. vannamei and P. monodon and 11 and 12 days for 15-g P. vannamei and P. monodon, respectively. Overall, the relative duration of the moult stages within the cycle was 5-10% for A, 9-16% for B, 12-20% for C, 28-36% for D1 and 30-38% for D2 stage. It was concluded from this study that the pre-moult stages comprised the dominant phase of the cycle and that P. monodon moulted at a significantly slower rate than P. vannamei, under the given conditions. Without the use of invasive techniques, the moult process was charted in laboratory-raised shrimp in Europe, providing a tool for taking into account this important physiological factor in further experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hubble constant, H, sets the scale of the size and age of the Universe and its determination from independent methods is still worthwhile to be investigated. In this article, by using the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect and X-ray surface brightness data from 38 galaxy clusters observed by Bonamente et al. (Astrophys J 647:25, ), we obtain a new estimate of H in the context of a flat Λ CDM model. There is a degeneracy on the mass density parameter (Ω) which is broken by applying a joint analysis involving the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) as given by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This happens because the BAO signature does not depend on H. Our basic finding is that a joint analysis involving these tests yield $${H_0 = 76.5^{+3.35}_{-3.33}}$$ km/s/mpc and $${\Omega_{m} = 0.27^{+0.03}_{-0.02}}$$. Since the hypothesis of spherical geometry assumed by Bonamente et al. is questionable, we have also compared the above results to a recent work where a sample of galaxy clusters described by an elliptical profile was used in analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, de Roany and Pacheco (Gen Relativ Gravit, doi:) performed a Newtonian analysis on the evolution of perturbations for a class of relativistic cosmological models with Creation of Cold Dark Matter (CCDM) proposed by the present authors (Lima et al. in JCAP 1011:027, ). In this note we demonstrate that the basic equations adopted in their work do not recover the specific (unperturbed) CCDM model. Unlike to what happens in the original CCDM cosmology, their basic conclusions refer to a decelerating cosmological model in which there is no transition from a decelerating to an accelerating regime as required by SNe type Ia and complementary observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a measure of endothelial nitric oxide bioavailability. Endothelial nitric oxide controls vascular tone and is likely to modify the ventricular muscle coupling mechanism. The association between left ventricular mass and FMD is not well understood. We assessed the association between left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and FMD in participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). MESA is a population-based study of 6814 adults free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline who were recruited from six US clinics. LVMI (left ventricular mass per body surface area) and FMD were measured in 2447 subjects. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the association. The subjects had a mean age of 61.2±9.9 years, 51.2% females with 34.3% Caucasians, 21.6% Chinese, 19.4% African Americans and 24.7% Hispanics. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.4±4.8 kg m−2, 9.4% had diabetes, 11% were current smokers and 38% hypertensives. The mean±s.d. LVMI was 78.1±15.9 g m−2 and mean±s.d. FMD was 4.4%±2.8%. In univariate analysis, LVMI was inversely correlated with FMD (r= −0.20, P<0.0001). In the multivariable analysis, LVMI was associated with FMD (β coefficient (se) = −0.50 (0.11), P<0.001 (0.5 g m−2 reduction in LVMI per 1% increase in FMD)) after adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, smoking, weight, statin use, antihypertensive medication use, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The association between brachial flow mediated dilation and LVMI maybe independent of traditional CV risk factors in population based adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the growth rate of the inguinal region in Brazilian fetuses, irrespective of the knowledge of ethnic genetic background. We studied 28 human fetuses ranging from 19 to 30 weeks of gestation. Gestational age (GA), crown–rump length (CRL), and body mass (BM) were measured. Our results indicate that there was not a significant difference between genders for the inguinal ligament length and inguinal region area (IA). With this study, we can conclude that, in the second and third trimester of gestation, the IA has a strong correlation with the GA and CRL. There is sexual dimorphism only in the second trimester of gestation when we analyzed the growth rates in the IA versus the CRL and GA. However, a relationship between these findings and the development of an inguinal hernia cannot be established, and further studies are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of the number and location of groundwater quality monitoring wells may require the consideration of different aspects such as: monitoring objectives, temporal frequency of monitoring, and monitoring costs. These aspects were examined using observations of groundwater quality variables made twice a year in 124 wells in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where groundwater is of the best quality. Considering these features the groundwater quality monitoring network was assessed and redesigned using entropy. The assessment procedure was based on expressing transinformation as a function of distance between wells. It was found that the number and location of groundwater quality monitoring wells varied if these aspects were embedded in the assessment and redesign procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusion of a mixing chamber in a flow system is critically rev—iewed in-relation to sample dilution, improvement of mixing conditions and exploitation of exponential concentration lessening. Analytical perspectives related to the use of a mixing chamber such as time-based flow analysis, flow titrations, and analyte separation/concentration are also discussed along with the examination of several ordinary manifold components that might act as mixing chambers. The possibility of using the mixing chamber in order to accommodate or to carry out the multiple steps inherent to the specific analytical procedure or, in other words, to behave as a mini-laboratory, is also highlighted. This aspect is foreseen as a logical evolution of the lab-on-a-valve and the flow-batch concepts. The article is published in the original. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics characteristics of picosecond soliton-like pulses propagating through add–drop optical filters, based on lossless uniform and Gaussian nonlinear fiber grating couplers, are numerically investigated under different power levels. To obtain the temporal profiles, the nonlinear coupled-mode equations, that model these devices, are solved numerically. These devices can perform the extraction (drop) of an optical signal, since there is the reflection of a pulse previously switched between adjacent waveguides. The extraction efficiency, recurrently better at low power levels, is subordinated to the matching between the associated spectra of the input pulses and the hybrid devices analyzed. The switching effects, as well the gratings responsiveness, impact on the outputs profiles, since diverse temporal shapes can be obtained. The results reinforce the importance and the potential of properly engineered structures for all-optical processing requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]