A Aparição do Fantástico em Guy de Maupassant

FGW – Publications without University Leiden contrac

Hippocampal Insulin Signaling And Neuroprotection Mediated By Physical Exercise In Alzheimeŕs Disease

Epidemiological studies indicate continuous increases in the prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the next few decades. The key feature of this disease is hippocampal neurodegeneration. This structure has an important role in learning and memory. Intense research efforts have sought to elucidate neuroprotective mechanisms responsible for hippocampal integrity. Insulin signaling seems to be a very promising pathway for the prevention and treatment of AD. This hormone has been described as a powerful activator of neuronal survival. Recent research showed that reduced insulin sensitivity leads to low-grade inflammation, and both phenomena are closely related to AD genesis. Concomitantly, exercise has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects and to promote improvement in insulin signaling in the hippocampus, which supports neuronal survival and constitutes an interesting non-pharmacological alternative for the prevention and treatment of AD. This review examines recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in hippocampal neuroprotection mediated by exercise.2

Fibrinogen as independent risk factor for ischemic stroke

We have studied fibrinogen levels (Clauss technique) in atherothrombotic ischemic stroke patients, in order to determine its role as a thombogenic risk factor. Twenty nine patients (20 men and 9 women) between 25 and 79 years old were studied; they all have had a atherothrombotic stroke. They were classified into two groups according to the result of their carotid doppler ultrasonography: g1 - without carotid flow reduction (n=l 9) and g2 - with carotid flow reduction (n=10). The fibrinogen mean value was 269mg/dl in gl and 353 mg/dl in g2. There were 47% of patients in gl and 80% of patients in g2 who presented levels >300 mg/dl. The proportions of the groups were significantly different (p300 mg/dl. As diferenças obtidas entre os grupos neste estudo foram significantes. Conclusão- Considerando o nível de risco epidemiológico de 300 mg/dl, nossos resultados sugerem que o fibrinogênio é um fator de risco independente para AVC aterotrombótico, especialmente naqueles com alteração de fluxo carotídeo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de MedicinaSciEL

Efeitos da prática da natação adaptada sobre o perfil bioquímico e o estado de condicionamento físico de indivíduos com lesão medular

Introduction: The lack of physical exercises generated by immobilization of the lower limbs leads tochanges in body composition that are generally associated with the imbalance of metabolic rate coupledwith a sedentary status, which can result in obesity, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.Therefore, the improvement of physical fitness can contribute to promoting health and quality of life forthese patients. As there is a very small number of research in this direction, our purpose was to investigate the effects of an adapted swimming program in protocol interval, for people with spinal cord injury,aiming to verify the improvement of your fitness and, consequently, some biochemical variables important for health. Methodology: The study included 17 subjects with spinal cord injury, sedentary, divided intotwo groups: 11 participants in the training group (TG) and 6 in control group (CG). TG was applied by aprotocol of interval training in swimming for eight consecutive weeks, three times a week. The protocolemployed a stroke of breaststroke in work periods of moderate to severe, and stroke in the backstroke,in periods of active recovery. The CG has not participated in any physical activity. Both groups werecollecting blood for biochemical analysis, before (evaluation) and after (revaluation) the swimming program. Results and Discussion: The concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed no significant changes in assessment for reassessment in both groups. However the TG,the level of HDL-cholesterol were significant differences (p=0,0110), showing an improvement in posttraining, which did not occur in the CG. With respect to the state of fitness, the results revealed a significant difference in relation to time and distance covered in water when compared with the pre-training(p<0,001), showing a great improvement in the ability to shift with the stroke of breaststroke and asignificant improvement in cardiorespiratory function. Conclusion: The swimming program interval used,with moderate to severe intensity, can even in a short period of time, promote positive changes in HDLcholesterol in individuals with spinal cord injury studied, and substantially improve your fitness.Introdução: A ausência de exercícios físicos gerada pela imobilização dos membros inferiores conduza mudanças na composição corporal que geralmente estão associadas com o desequilíbrio da taxametabólica que somados ao estado sedentário podem resultar em obesidade, diabetes mellitus edoenças cardiovasculares. Assim, a melhora do condicionamento físico pode contribuir para promoçãode saúde e qualidade de vida desses indivíduos. Como existe um número muito reduzido de pesquisasnesse sentido, nossa proposta foi investigar os efeitos de um programa de natação adaptada, emprotocolo intervalado, para pessoas com lesão medular, tendo como objetivo verificar a melhora do seucondicionamento físico e, conseqüentemente, de algumas variáveis bioquímicas importantes para asaúde. Metodologia: Participaram do estudo 17 indivíduos com lesão medular, sedentários, distribuí-dos em 2 grupos: 11 participantes do grupo treinamento (GT) e 6 do grupo controle (GC). No GT foiaplicado um protocolo de treinamento intervalado em natação, durante oito semanas consecutivas, 3vezes por semana. O protocolo empregou a braçada do nado peito, nos períodos de trabalho de intensidade moderada a intensa, e a braçada do nado costas, nos períodos de recuperação ativa. O GC nãoparticipou de nenhuma atividade física. Em ambos os grupos foi realizada a coleta de sangue para aanálise bioquímica, antes (avaliação) e após (reavaliação) o programa de natação. Resultados e Discussão: As concentrações de triglicerídeos, colesterol total e LDL-colesterol não apresentaram altera-ções significativas da avaliação para a reavaliação, em ambos os grupos. Entretanto no GT, na dosagem de HDL-colesterol foram observadas diferenças significativas (p=0,0110), evidenciando umamelhora na fase pós-treinamento, o que não ocorreu no GC. Com relação ao estado de condicionamento físico, os resultados revelaram uma diferença significativa em relação ao tempo e à distância percorrida na água quando comparados com a fase pré-treinamento (p<0,001), demonstrando uma grande melhora na capacidade de deslocamento com a braçada do nado peito e uma melhora significativa dafunção cardiorrespiratória. Conclusão: O programa de natação intervalado empregado, com intensidade de moderada à intensa, pode, mesmo em curto período de tempo, promover alterações positivasnos valores de HDL-colesterol dos indivíduos com lesão medular estudados, além de melhorar substancialmente seu condicionamento físico

Mixedness and entanglement for two-mode Gaussian states

We analytically exploit the two-mode Gaussian states nonunitary dynamics. We show that in the zero temperature limit, entanglement sudden death (ESD) will always occur for symmetric states (where initial single mode compression is $z_0$) provided the two mode squeezing $r_0$ satisfies $0 < r_0 < 1/2 \log (\cosh (2 z_0)).$ We also give the analytical expressions for the time of ESD. Finally, we show the relation between the single modes initial impurities and the initial entanglement, where we exhibit that the later is suppressed by the former.Comment: Accepted for publication in Optics Communication

Caloric restriction is more efficient than physical exercise to protect from cisplatin nephrotoxicity via PPAR-alpha activation

The antineoplastic drug cisplatin promotes renal injury, which limits its use. Protocols that reduce renal cisplatin toxicity will allow higher doses to be used in cisplatin treatment. Here, we compare physical exercise and caloric restriction (CR) as protocols to reduce cisplatin renal injury in mice. Male C57BL/6 were divided into four groups: Control, cisplatin, exercise + cisplatin, and 30% CR + cisplatin. Animals were injected with a single dose of cisplatin (20 mg/kg i.p.) and sacrificed 96 h after injection. Quantitative real time PCR, histological analyses, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical measurements were performed to investigate renal injury, necrosis, apoptosis, and inflammatory mechanisms. Both protocols protected against cisplatin renal injury, but CR was more effective in reducing uraemia and renal necrosis. The CR + Cisplatin group exhibited reduced serum IL-1{beta} and TNF-{alpha} levels. No differences were noted in the renal mRNA expression of cytokines. Both interventions reduced apoptosis, but only the CR + Cisplatin group decreased TNFR2 protein expression. PPAR-{alpha} was activated in mice after CR. An antagonist of PPAR-{alpha} blocked the protective effect of CR. Both interventions attenuated the nephrotoxicity caused by cisplatin injection, but CR + Cisplatin showed a better response by modulating TNFR2. Moreover, part of the CR benefit depends on PPAR-{alpha} activation

Plantio direto, adubação verde e suplementação com esterco de aves na produção orgânica de berinjela.

Sob manejo orgânico, foram avaliados, em Seropédica, RJ, os sistemas de plantio direto da berinjela(Solanum melongena) nas palhadas de Crotalaria juncea (crotalária), Pennisetum glaucum (milheto, cv. BRS 1501)e vegetação espontânea (pousio), em comparação com o plantio convencional (aração e gradagem ou enxada rotativa). Simultaneamente, foram avaliados três tipos de cultivo: berinjela em monocultura, em consórcio com crotalária e em consórcio com caupi (Vigna unguiculata, cv. Mauá). Não houve diferença entre os sistemas de plantio direto e convencional quanto à produção comercial da berinjela. A palhada da crotalária foi mais eficiente que a do milheto e do pousio para cobertura morta do solo e conseqüentemente o controle de plantas espontâneas foi maior. O cultivo simultâneo com as leguminosas não acarretou redução da produtividade da berinjela.Em um segundo estudo, foram comparados plantio direto (palhadas de crotalária e da vegetação espontânea) e plantio convencional, combinados com doses crescentes de cama de aviário (0, 100, 200 e 400 kg ha-1 de N)aplicada em cobertura. Em termos de aporte de biomassa, a crotalária foi novamente superior à vegetação espontânea.A berinjela respondeu à adubação orgânica, com produtividade máxima de 50,6 t ha-1 , correspondendo à maior dose empregada, contra 36,9 t ha-1 referentes ao controle

Modelling and Interpreting The Effects of Spatial Resolution on Solar Magnetic Field Maps

Different methods for simulating the effects of spatial resolution on magnetic field maps are compared, including those commonly used for inter-instrument comparisons. The investigation first uses synthetic data, and the results are confirmed with {\it Hinode}/SpectroPolarimeter data. Four methods are examined, one which manipulates the Stokes spectra to simulate spatial-resolution degradation, and three "post-facto" methods where the magnetic field maps are manipulated directly. Throughout, statistical comparisons of the degraded maps with the originals serve to quantify the outcomes. Overall, we find that areas with inferred magnetic fill fractions close to unity may be insensitive to optical spatial resolution; areas of sub-unity fill fractions are very sensitive. Trends with worsening spatial resolution can include increased average field strength, lower total flux, and a field vector oriented closer to the line of sight. Further-derived quantities such as vertical current density show variations even in areas of high average magnetic fill-fraction. In short, unresolved maps fail to represent the distribution of the underlying unresolved fields, and the "post-facto" methods generally do not reproduce the effects of a smaller telescope aperture. It is argued that selecting a method in order to reconcile disparate spatial resolution effects should depend on the goal, as one method may better preserve the field distribution, while another can reproduce spatial resolution degradation. The results presented should help direct future inter-instrument comparisons.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics. The final publication (including full-resolution figures) will be available at http://www.springerlink.co

Solar Intranetwork Magnetic Elements: bipolar flux appearance

The current study aims to quantify characteristic features of bipolar flux appearance of solar intranetwork (IN) magnetic elements. To attack such a problem, we use the Narrow-band Filter Imager (NFI) magnetograms from the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board \emph{Hinode}; these data are from quiet and an enhanced network areas. Cluster emergence of mixed polarities and IN ephemeral regions (ERs) are the most conspicuous forms of bipolar flux appearance within the network. Each of the clusters is characterized by a few well-developed ERs that are partially or fully co-aligned in magnetic axis orientation. On average, the sampled IN ERs have total maximum unsigned flux of several 10^{17} Mx, separation of 3-4 arcsec, and a lifetime of 10-15 minutes. The smallest IN ERs have a maximum unsigned flux of several 10^{16} Mx, separations less than 1 arcsec, and lifetimes as short as 5 minutes. Most IN ERs exhibit a rotation of their magnetic axis of more than 10 degrees during flux emergence. Peculiar flux appearance, e.g., bipole shrinkage followed by growth or the reverse, is not unusual. A few examples show repeated shrinkage-growth or growth-shrinkage, like magnetic floats in the dynamic photosphere. The observed bipolar behavior seems to carry rich information on magneto-convection in the sub-photospheric layer.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figure