Design and performance assessment of a solid-state microcooler for thermal neuromodulation

It is well known that neural activity can be modulated using a cooling device. The applications of this technique range from the treatment of medication-resistant cerebral diseases to brain functional mapping. Despite the potential benefits of such technique, its use has been limited due to the lack of suitable thermal modulators. This paper presents the design and validation of a solid-state cooler that was able to modulate the neural activity of rodents without the use of large and unpractical water pipes. A miniaturized thermal control solution based exclusively on solid-state devices was designed, occupying only 5 mm × 5 mm × 3 mm, and featuring the potential for wireless power and communications. The cold side of the device was cooled to 26 °C, while the hot side was kept below 43 °C. This range of temperatures is compatible with brain cooling and efficient enough for achieving some control of neural activity.This work is supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) with the reference project PTDC/EEI-TEL/5250/2014, by FEDER funds through Projecto 3599 - Promover a Produção Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Constituição de Redes Temáticas (3599-PPCDT) and by grant SFRH/BD/100649/2014

A construção das personagens em The Zoo Story: uma abordagem sistêmico-funcional

Este trabalho busca mostrar como se dá a interação das personagens Peter e Jerry na peça The Zoo Story, de Edward Albee, tomando como aporte teórico a linguística sistêmico-funcional. Foram analisadas e quantificadas as trocas de informação e de bens e serviços e do recurso à modalidade nas falas das personagens, bem como dos tipos de processo associados a cada uma nas rubricas do texto, de modo a observar como se deu a construção dessas personagens e a dinâmica de sua interação ao longo da peça. A contabilização das funções atribuídas ao Finito mostrou que as personagens deram primazia a localizar aquilo que expressavam no tempo e no espaço; no entanto, os casos de modalidade e de modalização e modulação elucidaram um forte contraste na personalidade de ambas, reflexo de suas diferentes condições socioeconômicas. Finalmente, as manifestações das personagens no plano físico, através da quantificação dos tipos de processos associados a elas, serviram para mostrar as atitudes de cada uma com relação a sua contraparte, atitudes essas nem sempre manifestadas verbalmente, daí a utilidade de observar os processos que guiam as rubricas do texto. Este trabalho busca elucidar algumas propriedades das metafunções experiencial e interpessoal da LSF e mostrar como ela pode ser aplicada à análise do texto literário, revelando aspectos não somente formais do texto, mas também a maneira como as personagens são construídas em relação umas às outras.This paper seeks to show how the interaction between the characters Peter and Jerry takes place in the play The Zoo Story, by Edward Albee, taking systemic-functional linguistics as a theoretical contribution. The exchanges of information and goods and services and the use of modality in the characters’ dialogues were analyzed and quantified, as well as the types of process associated with each one in the performance rubrics, in order to observe the construction of these characters and the dynamics of their interaction throughout the play. The accounting of the functions attributed to Finite showed that the characters gave priority to locating what they expressed in time and space; however, modality and modulation cases elucidated a strong contrast in the personality of both, reflecting their different socioeconomic conditions. Finally, the physical manifestations of the, through the quantification of the types of processes associated with them, served to show the attitudes of each one in relation to their counterpart, attitudes not always manifested verbally, hence the utility of observing the processes that guide the text rubrics. This paper seeks to elucidate some properties of the experiential and interpersonal metafunctions and to show how they can be applied to the analysis of the literary text, revealing not only formal aspects of the text but also the way the characters are constructed in relation to one another.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uncommon Trimethoxylated Flavonol Obtained from Rubus rosaefolius

This study shows the evaluation the antiproliferative effect of the extract, fractions, and uncommon compounds isolated from R. rosaefolius leaves. The compounds were identified by conventional spectroscopic methods such as NMR-H1 and C13 and identified as 5,7-dihydroxy-6,8,4′-trimethoxyflavonol (1), 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,8,4′-pentamethoxyflavone (2), and tormentic acid (3). Both hexane and dichloromethane fractions showed selectivity for multidrug-resistant ovary cancer cell line (NCI-ADR/RES) with total growth inhibition values of 11.1 and 12.6 μg/ml, respectively. Compound 1 also showed selective activity against the same cell line (18.8 μg/ml); however, it was especially effective against glioma cells (2.8 μg/ml), suggesting that this compound may be involved with the in vitro antiproliferative action

Cannabidiol Administered During Peri-Adolescence Prevents Behavioral Abnormalities in an Animal Model of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is considered a debilitating neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorder and its pharmacotherapy remains problematic without recent major advances. The development of interventions able to prevent the emergence of schizophrenia would therefore represent an enormous progress. Here, we investigated whether treatment with cannabidiol (CBD – a compound of Cannabis sativa that presents an antipsychotic profile in animals and humans) during peri-adolescence would prevent schizophrenia-like behavioral abnormalities in an animal model of schizophrenia: the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) strain. Wistar rats and SHRs were treated with vehicle or CBD from 30 to 60 post-natal days. In experiment 1, schizophrenia-like behaviors (locomotor activity, social interaction, prepulse inhibition of startle and contextual fear conditioning) were assessed on post-natal day 90. Side effects commonly associated with antipsychotic treatment were also evaluated: body weight gain and catalepsy throughout the treatment, and oral dyskinesia 48 h after treatment interruption and on post-natal day 90. In experiment 2, serum levels of triglycerides and glycemia were assessed on post-natal day 61. In experiment 3, levels of BDNF, monoamines, and their metabolites were evaluated on post-natal days 61 and 90 in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. Treatment with CBD prevented the emergence of SHRs’ hyperlocomotor activity (a model for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia) and deficits in prepulse inhibition of startle and contextual fear conditioning (cognitive impairments). CBD did not induce any of the potential motor or metabolic side effects evaluated. Treatment with CBD increased the prefrontal cortex 5-HIAA/serotonin ratio and the levels of 5-HIAA on post-natal days 61 and 90, respectively. Our data provide pre-clinical evidence for a safe and beneficial effect of peripubertal and treatment with CBD on preventing positive and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, and suggest the involvement of the serotoninergic system on this effect

Association of genetic variants in the promoter region of genes encoding p22phox (CYBA) and glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and renal disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oxidative stress is recognized as a major pathogenic factor of cellular damage caused by hyperglycemia. NOX/NADPH oxidases generate reactive oxygen species and NOX1, NOX2 and NOX4 isoforms are expressed in kidney and require association with subunit p22phox (encoded by the <it>CYBA </it>gene). Increased expression of p22phox was described in animal models of diabetic nephropathy. In the opposite direction, glutathione is one of the main endogenous antioxidants whose plasmatic concentrations were reported to be reduced in diabetes patients. The aim of the present investigation was to test whether functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the generation of NADPH-dependent O₂^•-(-675 T → A in <it>CYBA</it>, unregistered) and in glutathione metabolism (-129 C → T in <it>GCLC </it>[rs17883901] and -65 T → C in <it>GPX3 </it>[rs8177412]) confer susceptibility to renal disease in type 1 diabetes patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>401 patients were sorted into two groups according to the presence (n = 104) or absence (n = 196) of overt diabetic nephropathy or according to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation: ≥ 60 mL (n = 265) or < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²(n = 136) and were genotyped.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No differences were found in the frequency of genotypes between diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. The frequency of GFR < 60 mL/min was significantly lower in the group of patients carrying <it>CYBA </it>genotypes T/A+A/A (18.7%) than in the group carrying the T/T genotype (35.3%) (P = 0.0143) and the frequency of GFR < 60 mL/min was significantly higher in the group of patients carrying <it>GCLC </it>genotypes C/T+T/T (47.1%) than in the group carrying the C/C genotype (31.1%) (<it>p </it>= 0.0082). Logistic regression analysis identified the presence of at least one A allele of the <it>CYBA </it>SNP as an independent protection factor against decreased GFR (OR = 0.38, CI95% 0.14-0.88, <it>p </it>= 0.0354) and the presence of at least one T allele of the <it>GCLC </it>rs17883901 SNP as an independent risk factor for decreased GFR (OR = 2.40, CI95% 1.27-4.56, <it>p </it>= 0.0068).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The functional SNPs <it>CYBA </it>-675 T → A and <it>GCLC </it>rs17883901, probably associated with cellular redox imbalances, modulate the risk for renal disease in the studied population of type 1 diabetes patients and require validation in additional cohorts.</p

[Photograph 2012.201.B1393.0227]

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "A Kansas City osteopath was charged Friday with manslaughter by abortion in the death of a 19-year-old University of Oklahoma coed.