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In this study, artificial neural networks (NN) are applied to the design of a transtibial prosthesis to adapt triplanar and bidirectional movements of human locomotion for rehabilitation. NN-based control is used because the prosthesis system is highly nonlinear and has variables with too many uncertainties caused by variations in ankle movements, weight damping, dorsiflexion, and flexion in the amputation area due to biological stimuli. To identify and detect these movements in the transtibial prosthesis, myoelectric signals are used that determine its position and adapt its trajectory through linear and rotary actuators. The input and desired parameters for the NN controller and the backpropagation algorithm are obtained based on the movements of the human ankle and foot based on their trajectory. The prototype is manufactured from different types of plastic using a 3D grapher, which can perform the main stages of human locomotion due to the learning carried out by the NN, reducing the risk of falls, and having a more comfortable and natural gait cycle in the rehabilitation of people. From the output response obtained from the NN controller, only a time delay is obtained without overshoot terms, and the trajectory tracking is adjusted. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed NN-based control system can ensure the stability of the system and maintain good tracking of human locomotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel findings of boride layer adhesion resistance on AISI D2 steel after post-heat treatments were obtained using scratch tests. The boride layer on the steel was developed using powder-pack boriding assisted by a pulsed-DC field, with a constant temperature and exposure time and a current of 5A. In addition, the electrical resistivity behavior of the powder mixture was evaluated both before and during the boriding treatment. The results indicate that the post-heat treatments had a significant effect on the microstructure of the layer-substrate system. When a monophasic Fe2B layer was combined with a mixed martensite–bainite microstructure in the substrate, the scratch resistance was found to be almost twofold superior to the layer that was not exposed to the post-heat treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics of the thermal oxidation of white metal and Cu2S have been studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), which was carried out under atmospheric oxidative conditions (O2 100%) with heating rates of 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C min−1. Each experiment was performed three times, the indicated values being the average of the three experiments. The experimental data were evaluated using isoconversional models based on the Arrhenius equation. The models are constructed using first-order mechanisms in the reactions and therefore, since most of them present adequate regression coefficients, it can be verified that order 1 is the most predominant order among the reactions found. In addition, the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose model, which has the highest regression coefficient, is considered to be the most optimal. Similar behavior was recorded between Cu2S and white metal, as well as a similar regular increase in the apparent activation energy (Ea) of 10–30 kJ mol−1 for both materials. The reactions that took place during the oxidation of white metal and Cu2S were determined using a computational model based on thermodynamics developed in this work. The identified phases include CuSO4, Cu2SO4, Cu2O, CuO, CuO·CuSO4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine if ejaculation modifies the testicular and accessory sex glands’ blood flow after ejaculation, and if those changes differ according to the process that leads to ejaculation. Twelve adult Corriedale rams were used and assigned at random to the four procedures that lead to ejaculation: (G1) electroejaculation; (G2) artificial vagina; (G3) transrectal ultrasound-guided massage of the accessory sex glands; (G4) natural mating. Hemodynamic characteristics evaluation of the male reproductive system was conducted immediately before and at 30 and 90 min after ejaculation. The internal iliac artery peak systolic velocity (PSV) decreased (P=0.01) and supratesticular artery PSV increased (P=0.042) 90 min after ejaculation in all groups. In conclusion, ejaculation modifies the reproductive system’s blood flow, with slight variations depending on the studied ejaculation methods. Additionally, ejaculation altered the internal iliac and supratesticular arteries PSV, and the supratesticular artery end-diastolic velocity (EDV) in rams. The supratesticular artery PSV was the only studied variable that differed according to the procedure that triggered the ejaculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is centered on the study of the internal electrochemical variables of a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC), using characterization techniques such as: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and numerical modeling of the process, in order to obtain a deeper knowledge of the internal behavior of the solar cell. In this way, it was possible to evaluate loss of recombination, transportation and loss for resistance in series as a function of the intensity of illumination, as well as identifying degradation mechanisms. The experimental development consists in the construction, characterization and modeling of DSSC based on the nanometric titanium dioxide semiconductor. Three different behaviors were studied; (1) Effect of different forms of deposits of titanium oxide nanostructures, (2) evaluation of the influence of solvents (acetonitrile, ionic liquid) and (3) observing the behavior of additives (4-tert-butylpiridine 96%, Lithium), with the intention of determine which of them sensitizes most efficiently the titanium dioxide. The results indicate that the variables studied show a complex system in which optimal interaction between components, semiconductor, dye and electrolyte must be conducted for a good performance and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAS oncoproteins are molecular switches associated with critical signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Mutations in the RAS family, mainly in the KRAS isoform, are responsible for some of the deadliest cancers, which has made this protein a major target in biomedical research. Here we demonstrate that a designed bis-histidine peptide derived from the αH helix of the cofactor SOS1 binds to KRAS with high affinity upon coordination to Pd(II). NMR spectroscopy and MD studies demonstrate that Pd(II) has a nucleating effect that facilitates the access to the bioactive α-helical conformation. The binding can be suppressed by an external metal chelator and recovered again by the addition of more Pd(II), making this system the first switchable KRAS binder, and demonstrates that folding-upon-binding mechanisms can operate in metal-nucleated peptides. In vitro experiments show that the metallopeptide can efficiently internalize into living cells and inhibit the MAPK kinase cascade. Mutations to oncogenic protein KRAS are responsible for some of the deadliest cancers, and KRAS is thus a key target for new antitumour agents. Here, a short bis-histidine peptide derived from the αH helix of the cofactor SOS1 is designed and shown to reversibly bind to KRAS with high affinity upon coordination to Pd(II), inhibiting KRAS-activated pathways in live cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutaminase plays an important role in carcinogenesis and cancer cell growth. This biological target is interesting against cancer cells. Therefore, in this work, in silico [docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations] and in vitro methods (antiproliferative and LC–MS metabolomics) were employed to assay a hybrid compound derived from glutamine and valproic acid (Gln-VPA), which was compared with 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON, a glutaminase inhibitor) and VPA (contained in Gln-VPA structure). Docking results from some snapshots retrieved from MD simulations show that glutaminase recognized Gln-VPA and DON. Additionally, Gln-VPA showed antiproliferative effects in HeLa cells and inhibited glutaminase activity. Finally, the LC–MS-based metabolomics studies on HeLa cells treated with either Gln-VPA (IC60 = 8 mM) or DON (IC50 = 3.5 mM) show different metabolomics behaviors, suggesting that they modulate different biological targets of the cell death mechanism. In conclusion, Gln-VPA is capable of interfering with more than one pharmacological target of cancer, making it an interesting drug that can be used to avoid multitherapy of classic anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation 4 of polyamidoamine dendrimer (G4-PAMAM) has several biological effects due to its tridimensional globular structure, repetitive branched amides, tertiary amines, and amino-terminal subunit groups liked to a common core. G4-PAMAM is cytotoxic due to its positive charges. However, its cytotoxicity could increase in cancer cells due to the excessive intracellular negative charges in these cells. Furthermore, this work reports G4-PAMAM chemical structural characterization using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS (LC–MS) by electrospray ionization to measure its population according to its positive charges. Additionally, the antiproliferative effects and intracellular localization were explored in the HMC-1 and K-562 cell lines by confocal microscopy. The LC–MS results show that G4-PAMAM generated multivalent mass spectrum values, and its protonated terminal amino groups produced numerous positive charges, which allowed us to determine its exact mass despite having a high molecular weight. Additionally, G4-PAMAM showed antiproliferative activity in the HMC-1 tumor cell line after 24 h (IC50 = 16.97 µM), 48 h (IC50 = 7.02 µM) and 72 h (IC50 = 5.98 µM) and in the K-562 cell line after 24 h (IC50 = 15.14 µM), 48 h (IC50 = 14.18 µM) and 72 h (IC50 = 9.91 µM). Finally, our results showed that the G4-PAMAM dendrimers were located in the cytoplasm and nucleus in both tumor cell lines studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show the existence of non-Einstein homogeneous critical metrics for any quadratic curvature functional in dimension three. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrite is the most common mineral in polymetallic sulphides ores. In order to apply the combustion group theory to the pyrometallurgical processes that occur in the reaction shaft, it is necessary to know the kinetic processes that happen in pyrite. In this study, thermogravimetric analysis was carried out under oxidative atmospheric conditions with 100% O2 and a heating ramp of 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C min−1. The material used was pyrite with a grain size of 63–125 μm. From the thermogravimetric data, we got the kinetic parameters of the oxidative reactions of pyrite. The different kinetic methods used in this study have been E1641-16 ASTM, Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Friedman. These methods were used for obtaining the kinetic parameters through regression analysis, sum of squares, mean residuals between experimental and calculated values and Student coefficient (95%) and to determine which kinetic method is the most suitable to describe the kinetics of pyrite oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a new short self-contained proof of the result of Opozda (Differ Geom Appl 21:173–198, 2004) classifying the locally homogeneous torsion free affine surfaces and the extension to the case of surfaces with torsion due to Arias-Marco and Kowalski (Monatsh Math 153:1–18, 2008). Our approach rests on a direct analysis of the affine Killing equations and is quite different than the approaches taken previously in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with polycythemia vera (PV) or essential thrombocythemia (ET) presenting with splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) might have a specific clinico-biological profile. To investigate this hypothesis, 3705 PV/ET patients from three national registers, 118 of them presenting with SVT, were reviewed. After correction for age and sex, PV/ET patients with SVT showed an increased risk of death (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.5-4.01, p < 0.001), venous thrombosis (IRR 3.4, 95%CI 2.1-5.5, p < 0.001), major bleeding (IRR 3.6, 95%CI 2.3-5.5, p < 0.001), and second cancer (IRR 2.37, 95%CI 1.4-4.1, p = 0.002). No case of acute leukemia was documented among patients with PV/ET presenting with SVT and seven of them (6%) progressed to myelofibrosis. SVT was not associated with lower risk of MF after correction by age and sex. Patients with SVT more frequently died from complications related to hepatic disease, major bleeding, or second cancer, resulting in a 5-year reduction of age- and sex-adjusted median survival. In conclusion, PV and ET patients presenting with SVT have shorter survival than patients with PV and ET of the same age and sex. This excess mortality is related to liver disease, major bleeding, and second cancer rather than to the natural evolution of the MPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a numerical study of a technically premixed swirling combustor with central air injection at conditions close to flashback using large-eddy simulation with flamelet modelling. This burner has the characteristics of showing flashback at low equivalence ratios, so numerical simulations are set to identify the mechanisms behind the flashback formation. Experimental findings suggest the axial momentum ratio between fuel and air dominates the flame stabilization mechanism and flashback resistance over mixing and equivalence ratio fluctuations. This aspect is investigated here for two operating conditions with the same axial momentum ratio as in the experiment using a perfectly premixed assumption. The two test cases correspond to two stable operating points, far and close to the flashback point. The study shows the assumption of perfect premixing is valid during the stable operation of the burner up to flashback conditions. The experimental results are well predicted under inert and reacting conditions by using a perfectly premixed mixture. It is found that the non reacting flow field develops a self-excited oscillation in the form of a precessing vortex core. This oscillation is attenuated by the fuel injection due to the respective increase in axial momentum and it is ultimately suppressed in the reacting flow field. Both experiments and simulations confirm the same trends. The analysis of the flames have shown certain dynamics as the flashback point is approached. The flashback resistance of the burner is minimized due to an increase in the velocity deficit of the incoming mixture. The recirculation region is shifted upstream, the central recirculation is altered and the flame position is displaced towards the inlet of the reactants in the combustion chamber. The analysis of instabilities and flow dynamics suggest that the formation of flashback can be attributed to combustion induced vortex breakdown, which in turn is associated to the lower axial momentum introduced by the fuel jets in leaner conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient for cellular function, but in high concentrations, it is neurotoxic. Environmental exposure to Mn has been associated with cognitive effects in children. This study aimed to assess the effect of environmental exposure to Mn on verbal memory and learning in schoolchildren residents from two municipalities in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2006 and 2013 with a total of 265 schoolchildren of 7 to 11 years old. Children's Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2 (CAVLT-2) was used to assess verbal memory and learning. Mn exposure tertiles were defined according to hair manganese (MnH) levels determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between MnH levels and CAVLT-2 scores. The models were adjusted by potential confounders. The lowest and highest exposure tertiles were defined below and above MnH levels of ≤ 0.72 and ≥ 3.96 μg/g, respectively. Mn exposure was significantly associated with an average of 5- to 9-point decrease in learning curves and summary CAVLT-2 scores in the highest tertile. This study adds to the evidence of decreased verbal memory and learning in schoolchildren environmentally exposed to manganese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The clinical course in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) after biochemical failure (BF) has received limited attention. This study analyzes survival time from recurrence, patterns of progression, and the efficacy of salvage therapies in patients treated with radical or postoperative radiotherapy (RT). Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective comparative study of 1135 patients diagnosed with BF and treated with either radical (882) or postoperative (253) RT. Data correspond to the RECAP database. Clinical, tumor, and therapeutic characteristics were collected. Descriptive statistics, survival estimates, and comparisons of survival rates were calculated. Results: Time to BF from initial treatment (RT or surgery) was higher in irradiated patients (51 vs 37 months). At a median follow-up of 102 months (14–254), the 8-year cause-specific survival (CSS) was 80.5%, without significant differences between the radical (80.1%) and postoperative (83.4%) RT groups. The 8-year metastasis-free survival rate was 57%. 173 patients (15%) died of PCa and 29 (2.5%) of a second cancer. No salvage therapy was given in 15% of pts. Only 5.5% of pts who underwent radical RT had local salvage treatment and 71% received androgen deprivation (AD) ± chemotherapy. The worst outcomes were in patients who developed metastases after BF (302 pts; 26.5%) and in cases with a Gleason > 7. Conclusions: In PCa treated with radiotherapy, median survival after BF is relatively long. In this sample, no differences in survival rates at 8-years have been found, regardless of the time of radiotherapy administered. AD was the most common treatment after BF. Metastases and high Gleason score are adverse variables. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare outcomes after BF among patients treated with primary RT vs. those treated with postoperative RT and to evaluate recurrence patterns, treatments administered, and causes of death. The results allow avoiding overtreatment, improving quality of life, without negatively affecting survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series of novel chromonyl enaminones 1a–e and 2a–e and 3-alkylated chromones 3a–e were synthesized and evaluated in vitro as α-glucosidase inhibitors as well as antioxidant and antifungal agents. Antifungal activity was tested on strains of Candida albicans. Compounds 2a and 2d–e showed good inhibition of the α-glucosidase enzyme (IC50 = 5.5, 0.9, and 1.5 mM, respectively), their effect being better than that of 1a–e, 3a–e, and acarbose (the standard, IC50 = 7.73 ± 0.9 mM). The structure–activity relationship suggests that the phenyl group at the C-3 position of the chromone ring system and the 4-chlorophenyl group at the enaminone moiety (derivatives 2) increased the inhibition of α-glucosidase. Compounds 2a–e exhibited a slight antioxidant effect, and compounds 3a–e a moderate antifungal activity against C. albicans (IC50 70.5–83.1 µg/mL). Docking studies revealed that compounds 2 interact with the α-glucosidase residues of the binding pocket. Therefore, these chromone derivatives may be considered as potential α-glucosidase inhibitors, as well as antifungal agents against some Candida strains of yeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automatic description of digital multimedia content was mainly developed for classification tasks, retrieval systems and massive ordering of data. Preservation of cultural heritage is a field of high importance of application of these methods. We address classification problem in cultural heritage such as classification of architectural styles in digital photographs of Mexican cultural heritage. In general, the selection of relevant content in the scene for training classification models makes the models more efficient in terms of accuracy and training time. Here we use a saliency-driven approach to predict visual attention in images and use it to train a Deep Convolutional Neural Network. Also, we present an analysis of the behavior of the models trained under the state-of-the-art image cropping and the saliency maps. To train invariant models to rotations, data augmentation of training set is required, which posses problems of filling normalization of crops, we study were different padding techniques and we find an optimal solution. The results are compared with the state-of-the-art in terms of accuracy and training time. Furthermore, we are studying saliency cropping in training and generalization for another classical task such as weak labeling of massive collections of images containing objects of interest. Here the experiments are conducted on a large subset of ImageNet database. This work is an extension of preliminary research in terms of image padding methods and generalization on large scale generic database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cataract disease results from non-amyloid aggregation of eye lens proteins and is the leading cause of blindness in the world. A variety of studies have implicated both essential and xenobiotic metals as potential etiological agents in cataract disease. Essential metal ions, such as copper and zinc, are known to induce the aggregation in vitro of human γD crystallin, one of the more abundant γ-crystallins in the core of the lens. In this study, we expand the investigation of metal-crystallin interactions to heavy metal ions, such as divalent lead, cadmium and mercury. The impact of these metal ions in the non-amyloid aggregation, protein folding and thermal stability of three homologous human lens γ-crystallins has been evaluated using turbidity assays, electron microscopy, electronic absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopies. Our results show that Hg(II) ions can induce the non-amyloid aggregation of human γC and γS crystallins, but not γD crystallin. The mechanism of Hg-induced aggregation involves direct metal-protein interactions, loss of thermal stability, partial unfolding of the N-terminal domain of these proteins, and formation of disulfide-bridged dimers. Putative Hg(II) binding sites in γ-crystallins involved in metal-induced aggregation are discussed. This study reveals that mercury ions can induce the aggregation of human lens proteins, uncovering a potential role of this heavy metal ion in the bioinorganic chemistry of cataract disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the affine quasi-Einstein Equation for homogeneous surfaces. This gives rise through the modified Riemannian extension to new half conformally flat generalized quasi-Einstein neutral signature (2, 2) manifolds, to conformally Einstein manifolds and also to new Einstein manifolds through a warped product construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct shadowgraph with parallel light combined with high-speed recording has been used to analyze the water jet of a cutting machine. The use of image processing allowed observing sudden expansions in the jet diameter as well as estimating the jet velocity by means of the Mach angle, obtaining velocities of about 500ms-1. The technique used here revealed the development of hydrodynamic instabilities in the jet. Additionally, this is the first reporting of the onset of shock waves generated by small fluctuations of a continuous flow of water at high velocity surrounded by air, a result confirmed by a transient computational fluid dynamics simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain composition methods (DCM) consist in obtaining a solution to a problem, from the formulations of the same problem expressed on various subdomains. These methods have therefore the opposite objective of domain decomposition methods (DDM). Indeed, in contrast to DCM, these last techniques are usually applied to matching meshes as their purpose consists mainly in distributing the work in parallel environments. However, they are sometimes based on the same methodology as after decomposing, DDM have to recompose. As a consequence, in the literature, the term DDM has many times substituted DCM. DCM are powerful techniques that can be used for different purposes: to simplify the meshing of a complex geometry by decomposing it into different meshable pieces; to perform local refinement to adapt to local mesh requirements; to treat subdomains in relative motion (Chimera, sliding mesh); to solve multiphysics or multiscale problems, etc. The term DCM is generic and does not give any clue about how the fragmented solutions on the different subdomains are composed into a global one. In the literature, many methodologies have been proposed: they are mesh-based, equation-based, or algebraic-based. In mesh-based formulations, the coupling is achieved at the mesh level, before the governing equations are assembled into an algebraic system (mesh conforming, Shear-Slip Mesh Update, HERMESH). The equation-based counterpart recomposes the solution from the strong or weak formulation itself, and are implemented during the assembly of the algebraic system on the subdomain meshes. The different coupling techniques can be formulated for the strong formulation at the continuous level, for the weak formulation either at the continuous or at the discrete level (iteration-by-subdomains, mortar element, mesh free interpolation). Although the different methods usually lead to the same solutions at the continuous level, which usually coincide with the solution of the problem on the original domain, they have very different behaviors at the discrete level and can be implemented in many different ways. Eventually, algebraic-based formulations treat the composition of the solutions directly on the matrix and right-hand side of the individual subdomain algebraic systems. The present work introduces mesh-based, equation-based and algebraic-based DCM. It however focusses on algebraic-based domain composition methods, which have many advantages with respect to the others: they are relatively problem independent; their implicit implementation can be hidden in the iterative solver operations, which enables one to avoid intensive code rewriting; they can be implemented in a multi-code environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuZnSnS (CZTS) thin films were prepared by thermal sulfurization of co-electrodeposited CuZnSn (CZT) metal precursors. Electrodeposition times between 10 and 40 min were used to study the influence of this parameter on the composition, structure, thickness, and morphology of the sulfurized films. CZT precursors and CZTS films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. The morphologies were evaluated by electronic microscopy. The electrodeposition time was found to influence the chemical composition of the metal precursor, especially the Cu and Sn content. Furthermore, XRD results showed the formation of CuZn, while Sn seemed to be present in an amorphous state. A cauliflower-like morphology was observed in the precursors, especially at long deposition times, which can be related to an electrodeposition mechanism controlled by mass transfer. A significant increase of the film thickness was observed after sulfurization. The morphology changed to round particles and presented a bi-layered structure with an internal compact layer of nanometer size particles and an external layer formed by micrometer-size particles. Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and EDS measurements confirmed the formation of crystalline CZTS after sulfurization. In addition, a disperse CuS secondary phase co-existed in the film. Increasing the precursor deposition time increased the amount of secondary phases in the film after sulfurization. Direct energy gap values close to 1.5 eV were estimated for CZTS films using transmittance spectra in the infrared region. CZTS films obtained with short electrodeposition times are promising as absorbers in kesterite thin films solar cells. Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new procedure for the treatment of anal fistula. This preliminary study was designed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of this new technique in the treatment of anal fistula. Methods: Ten patients were treated with PDT. Intralesional 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) 2% was directly injected into the fistula. The internal and external orifices were closed. After an incubation period of 2 h, the fistula was irradiated using an optical fibre connected to a red laser (MULTIDIODE 630 PDT, INTERmedic, Spain) operating at 1 W/cm for 3 min (180 Joules). Patient demographics, operation notes and complications were recorded. Results: There were no complications. The average length of patient follow-up was 14.9 months (range 12-20 months). We could observe primary healing in eight patients (80%). Two patients (20%) showed persistence of suppuration after the operation. No patient reported incontinence postoperatively. Conclusions: PDT is a potential sphincter-saving procedure that is safe, simple and minimally invasive and has a high success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective was to identify anthropometric, bone age, and bone mineral density (BMD) changes after a family-based treatment program for obese children. We conducted a longitudinal prospective study of 50 obese children (body mass index percentage [BMI%] > or =120%) aged 9.12 +/- 1.72 years (range 6-13) at baseline. A family-based treatment program, based on inadequate feeding style with progressive modification, aerobic physical exercise increase, active parental involvement, and the use of behavioural strategies (contracting, self-monitoring, social reinforcement), was developed during a 12-month period. Anthropometric data, lumbar spine (L2-L4) BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, bone age (BA), bone age to chronological age ratio (BA/CA), and predicted adult height (PAH) were determined at baseline and 12 months. The statistical method used was analysis of variance and the paired Student t-test. Mean BMI standard deviation score (SDS) loss was -0.61 +/- 0.76 and BMI% loss was -5.17 +/- 9.73%. Height SDS significantly decreased, BA/CA ratio also decreased significantly, and PAH change was not significant. Lumbar spine BMD SDS and BMD% did not significantly change. A family-based treatment program was effective in obese children by reducing by 5% the BMI in 1 year and increasing the activity level. Treatment reduced growth velocity and delayed bone maturation rate without affecting PAH, reflecting a situation of previous early maturation. The treatment did not modify gaining bone mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk Ni-Sn-O catalysts have been synthesized, tested in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane and characterized by several physicochemical techniques. The catalysts have been prepared by evaporation of the corresponding salts using several additives in the synthesis gel, i.e. ammonium hydroxide, nitric acid, glyoxylic acid or oxalic acid, in the synthesis gel. The catalysts were finally calcined at 500 °C in air. Important changes in the catalytic behaviour have been observed depending on the additive. In fact, an important improvement in the catalytic performance is observed especially when some additives, such as glyoxylic or oxalic acid, are used. Thus the productivity to ethylene multiplies by 6 compared to the reference Ni-Sn-O catalyst if appropriate templates are used, and this is the result of an improvement in both the catalytic activity and the selectivity to ethylene. This improved performance has been explained in terms of the decrease of the crystallite size (and the increase in the surface area of catalyst) as well as the modification of the lattice parameter of nickel oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term spatial and temporal variation of aurora borealis events from 1600 to the present were studied using catalogues and other records of these phenomena. Geographic and geomagnetic coordinates were assigned to approximately 45 000 auroral events with more than 160 000 observations. They were analysed separately for three large-scale areas: i) Europe and North Africa, ii) North America, and iii) Asia. Variations in the cumulative numbers of auroral events with latitude (in both geographic and geomagnetic coordinates) were used to distinguish between the two main solar sources: coronal mass ejections and high-speed streams from coronal holes. We find significant long-term variations in the space-time distribution of auroras. We mainly identify these with four Gleissberg solar activity cycles whose overall characteristics we examine. The Asian observations are crucial in this context, and therefore merit further studies and verifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We classify, up to orbit equivalence, the cohomogeneity one actions on the noncompact Riemannian symmetric spaces of rank two G/G, SL( ℂ)/SU and SO/SOSO, n ≥ 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While solid mechanics codes are now conventional tools both in industry and research, the increasingly more exigent requirements of both sectors are fuelling the need for more computational power and more advanced algorithms. For obvious reasons, commercial codes are lagging behind academic codes often dedicated either to the implementation of one new technique, or the upscaling of current conventional codes to tackle massively large scale computational problems. Only in a few cases, both approaches have been followed simultaneously. In this article, a solid mechanics simulation strategy for parallel supercomputers based on a hybrid approach is presented. Hybrid parallelization exploits the thread-level parallelism of multicore architectures, combining MPI tasks with OpenMP threads. This paper describes the proposed strategy, programmed in Alya, a parallel multi-physics code. Hybrid parallelization is specially well suited for the current trend of supercomputers, namely large clusters of multicores. The strategy is assessed through transient non-linear solid mechanics problems, both for explicit and implicit schemes, running on thousands of cores. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed strategy under advance algorithmic evolution of computational mechanics, a non-local parallel overset meshes method (Chimera-like) is implemented and the conservation of the scalability is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The combined effect of phosphate ions as corrosion inhibitor and sodium hypochlorite as biocide is studied on aluminum brass in contact with artificial tap water. The interaction between phosphates and hypochlorite was evaluated by electrochemical techniques for films formed between 2 and 192 h and by weight loss tests for immersion times of 90 days. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the passive layer. When the biocide agent is present, dezincification is the predominant form of localized corrosion after long time exposures. When the inhibitor is present, a nobler pitting potential was found. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results suggest the development of a compact passive layer, regardless of the presence of the biocide. No localized attack was detected on samples immersed for 90 days at open circuit potential in the presence of phosphates, even when NaClO is present. Weight loss analysis showed inhibition efficiencies higher than 90 % when phosphates and the biocide are present. The oxidative nature of NaClO could favor Zn dissolution and enhance the precipitation of Zn(PO) layer, producing a more compact surface layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:Increasing evidence exists that maternal obesity (MO) and overnutrition during pregnancy and lactation have long-lasting consequences for progeny metabolism, cardiovascular and endocrine function. Data on effects of MO on offspring reproduction are limited. We hypothesized that MO during pregnancy and lactation in founder F0 rat mothers would increase testicular and sperm oxidative stress (OS) and adversely impact male fertility in their F1 offspring.Methods:We induced pre-pregnancy MO by feeding F0 females a high-fat diet from weaning through pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, all F1 rats ate control (C) diet. We determined serum testosterone, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in F1 testes and sperm at postnatal days (PNDs) 110, 450 and 650.Results:At PNDs 450 and 650, MO offspring had lower luteinizing hormone while testosterone levels were lower at all ages. Testicular MDA and ROS concentrations and SOD and GPx activity were higher in MO F1 at all ages. Nitrotyrosine immunostaining was higher at all ages in MO F1 testes than C F1. At PNDs 450 and 650, MO F1 spermatozoa showed higher MDA concentrations and lower SOD and GPx activity with reduced sperm concentration, viability and motility, and more sperm abnormalities. Fertility rate was not affected at PND 110 but was lower in MO F1 at PNDs 450 and 650.Conclusions:We conclude that MO during pregnancy and lactation increases F1 testicular and sperm OS leading to premature aging of reproductive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of low power laser irradiation in the bone consolidation of tibial fractures in rats. An experimental, comparative, prospective study with control group was designed. Twenty Wistar rats were grouped into control ( n = 10) and experimental groups ( n = 10). A tibial fracture, with a mechanical drill, was inflicted in all rats. The experimental group received ten days of low power arsenide-gallium laser irradiation of 850 nm (KLD, Sao Paulo, Brasil)-100 mW, 8 J/cm, 64 s. Before and after the laser treatment, a radiologic analysis was carried out in both groups, in which the rats were graded from 0 to IV according the Montoya scale of bone consolidation. Also, we histopathologically analyzed the bone to estimate the proliferation of fibroblasts, bone matrix, and angiogénesis with a microscopy, which were graded as I (thin layer of fibroblasts and osteoid matrix), II (thick layer of fibroblasts and osteoid matrix), or III (thick layer of fibroblasts and osteoid matrix and new blood vessels). Radiologic data showed that the experimental group had a higher bone consolidation of Montoya scale after ten days of laser irradiation compared to control group ( P < 0.004). Histopathologic data showed more fibroblasts and angiogenesis presence in the group receiving laser irradiation, compared to control group ( P < .002). The low power laser radiation therapy may expedite the bone repair after tibial fractures in rats, according to radiologic and histopathologic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuInS thin films were fabricated by one-step electrochemical deposition from a single alkaline aqueous solution and using conductive glass as the substrate. The electrolyte consisted in 0.01 mol L CuCl, 0.01 mol L InCl, 0.5 mol L NaSO and 0.2 mol L NaCHO(COO) (CitNa) at pH 8. The films were analyzed using a variety of techniques such as X-ray diffractometry, micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoelectrochemistry. After carrying out a thermal treatment in sulfur vapor, chalcopyrite CuInS thin films were obtained. Etching the films in KCN solution was found to be a key step, enabling a final adjustment in the stoichiometry. These thin films exhibited p-type semiconductor behavior with the bandgap of 1.43 eV. The results show that electrodeposition provides a cost-effective and versatile method for the preparation of thin films of CuInS, even when acidic precursors need to be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to describe the spatial risk-patterns of prematurity and low birth weight in Spain. A descriptive spatial analysis of births registered in the Spanish Vital Statistics during 2004-2008 using municipalities as the observation unit was carried out. Besag-York-Mollié autoregressive spatial models were adjusted using the Integrated Nested Laplace approximation to calculate relative risks and posterior probabilities of having very and moderate preterm or low weight newborns. Results were represented in maps to assess geographic risk-patterns. Spatial analysis shows geographical variations in the risk of adverse reproductive outcomes in Spain highlighting three main high-risk zones, namely, municipalities in Asturias, Madrid City and Murcia. The specific risk patterns identified on each zone suggests some differences regarding the potential underlying risk factors and specific areas for future research. A differential exposure during pregnancy to some risks potentially related to industry or agriculture and other contextual factors could underlie an unequal vulnerability to adverse reproductive outcomes in some Spanish regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalogues and other records of aurora-borealis events were used to study the long-term spatial and temporal variation of these phenomena in the period from 1700 to 1905 in the Northern Hemisphere. For this purpose, geographic and geomagnetic coordinates were assigned to approximately 27 000 auroral events with more than 80 000 observations. They were analyzed separately in three large-scale areas: i) Europe and North Africa, ii) North America, and iii) Asia. There was a clear need to fill some gaps existing in the records so as to have a reliable proxy of solar activity, especially during the 18th century. In order to enhance the long-term variability, an 11-year smoothing window was applied to the data. Variations in the cumulative numbers of auroral events with latitude (in both geographic and geomagnetic coordinates) were used to discriminate between the two main solar sources: coronal mass ejections and high-speed streams from coronal holes. The characteristics of the associated auroras correlate differently with the solar-activity cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Ti6Al4V samples have been welded under conduction regime by means of a high power diode laser. The main objective of the work has been to determine the actual influence of the surface pre-treatments on the laser welding process. Thus, six different pre-treatments were applied to Ti6Al4V samples before performing bead-on-plate and butt welding treatments. The depth, width, microstructure, and microhardness of the different weld zones were deeply analyzed. Grinding, sandblasting, and chemical cleaning pre-treatments lead to welds with the highest depth values, presenting high joint strengths. Treatments based on the application of dark coatings generate welds with lower penetration and worse mechanical properties, specially the graphite-based coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This single arm, phase II study aims to evaluate the role of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine-kinase inhibitor erlotinib as maintenance therapy following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) in unresectable locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients with unresectable stage IIIA o dry IIIB NSCLC with no evidence of tumor progression after receiving a standard cCRT regimen with curative intent were included. Oral erlotinib 150 mg/day was administered within 4-6 weeks after the end of the cCRT for a maximum of 6 months if no disease progression or intolerable toxicity occurred. Primary end point was the progression-free rate (PFR) at 6 months. Secondary end points included time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). Results: Sixty-six patients were enrolled and received maintenance treatment with erlotinib [average: 4.5 months (95 % CI 4.0-5.0)]. PFR at 6 months was 63.5 % (41/66). With a median follow-up of 22.7 months (95 % CI 13.5-37.1), the median TTP was 9.9 months (95 % CI 6.2-12.1), and the median OS was 24.0 months (95 % CI 17.3-48.6). Most common adverse events (AEs) related to erlotinib were rash (78.8 %; 16.7 % grade 3), diarrhea (28.8 %; 1.5 % grade 3), fatigue (15.2 %; 1.5 % grade 3), anorexia (7.6 %; 1.5 % grade 3) and vomiting (4.6 %; none grade 3). Five patients (7.6 %) were withdrawn due to AEs. Conclusions: Erlotinib as maintenance therapy is an active treatment after cCRT in unselected patients with stage III NSCLC, reaching a 6-month PFR of 63.5 % and a median OS of 24 months. The safety profile of maintenance erlotinib was as expected and manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that locally conformally flat quasi-Einstein manifolds are globally conformally equivalent to a space form or locally isometric to a Robertson-Walker spacetime or a $$pp$$ -wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]