Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice

Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. is a medicinal mushroom capable of inducing a large number of modulatory effects on human physiology ranging from the strengthening of the immune system to the improvement of cognitive functions. In mice, dietary supplementation with H. erinaceus prevents the impairment of spatial short-term and visual recognition memory in an Alzheimer model. Intriguingly other neurobiological effects have recently been reported like the effect on neurite outgrowth and differentiation in PC12 cells. Until now no investigations have been conducted to assess the impact of this dietary supplementation on brain function in healthy subjects. Therefore, we have faced the problem by considering the effect on cognitive skills and on hippocampal neurotransmission in wild-type mice. In wild-type mice the oral supplementation with H. erinaceus induces, in behaviour test, a significant improvement in the recognition memory and, in hippocampal slices, an increase in spontaneous and evoked excitatory synaptic current in mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. In conclusion, we have produced a series of findings in support of the concept that H. erinaceus induces a boost effect onto neuronal functions also in nonpathological conditions

Biocompatibility Assessment of Poly(lactic acid) Films after Sterilization with Ethylene Oxide in Histological Study In Vivo with Wistar Rats and Cellular Adhesion of Fibroblasts In Vitro

Biomaterials must meet certain fundamental requirements for their usage in living beings, such as biocompatibility, bifunctionality, and sterilizability, without having chemical and structural changes. The biocompatibility of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films, shaped by compression, was evaluated after sterilization by ethylene oxide by a histological in vivo test with Wistar rats and cytotoxicity in cell adhesion in vitro. The cytotoxicity test was performed by the reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT). Thermal and chemical changes in PLA films concerning the proposed sterilization process and characteristics were not observed to evidence polymer degradation due to sterilization. The analysis of the cytotoxicity by the MTT method has shown that the sterilized PLA films are not cytotoxic. The adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts on PLA films were homogeneously distributed over the evaluation period, showing an elongated appearance with unnumbered cytoplasmic extensions and cell-cell interactions. By examining the biocompatibility in a histological study, a mild tissue inflammation was observed with the presence of fibrosis in the samples that had been exposed for 21 days in the rats’ bodies. PLA films sterilized with ethylene oxide did not exhibit cell adhesion in vitro and toxicity to the surrounding tissue in vivo and they may be used in future in vivo testing, according to histological findings in Wistar rats in the present study

Thermal comfort in the building environment: a case study at an open-plan office

Este artigo traz uma avaliação de conforto térmico de um escritório coletivo open-plan, que opera com ventilação natural e artificial. O objetivo é caracterizar as variáveis pessoais, ambientais e coletar votos de sensação e preferência térmica dos usuários durante o período de trabalho, através da aplicação de questionários de satisfação. Foi realizada uma análise através de dois métodos de avaliação de conforto térmico: o primeiro modelo é aqui chamado de Modelo Estático, aonde são calculados os índices de Voto Médio Predito (PMV) e Porcentagem de Pessoas Insatisfeitas (PPD). O segundo modelo, conhecido por Modelo Adaptativo, relaciona temperatura operativa interna (faixas aceitáveis) e temperaturas do ar externo. Concluiu-se que ambos os métodos resultaram em boa representatividade do ambiente térmico, e que os resultados obtidos se assimilam aos votos subjetivos de sensação térmica dos ocupantes. Foi verificado que os ocupantes se adaptaram às mudanças climáticas e estavam confortáveis no ambiente térmico.This paper presents a thermal comfort evaluation conditions in an open-plan collective office operating through natural ventilation and eventually by the air conditioning system. The aim is to characterize personal and environmental variables thus collect occupants’ perception votes about thermal sensation over working time through satisfaction questionnaires. We carried an analysis out by two models of comfort. The first model, the Static Model, takes two indices: Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD). The second model, known as the Adaptive Model, tests thermal acceptability by environmental variables such as Operative Temperature and Mean Outdoor Air Temperature. We concluded it that both methods accurately represented the thermal environment, and the results got are similar the occupants’ thermal sensation votes. The occupants have adapted to climate change, and they were comfortable in the thermal environment

Visual comfort assessment in an open plan office environment: a case study

O presente trabalho tange sobre um estudo de caso, que avalia as condições de conforto visual de um ambiente de escritório da Fundação de ensino e Engenharia de Santa Catariana (FEESC), locada na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) no campus Trindade, em Florianópolis-SC. Foram realizadas simulações computacionais de iluminâncias e índices de luminância coletados in-loco e aplicação de questionário aos usuários do espaço, a fim de discutir o conforto visual desde a sua escala física, fisiológica até psicossocial, com ênfase na apresentação dos procedimentos utilizados nos levantamentos e nos parâmetros aplicados para a avaliação do ambiente luminoso. Foi possível perceber que no geral as condições de conforto visual são adequadas aos usuários, por meio do questionário aplicado, porém, em relação a norma NBR ISO/CIE 8995-1, alguns índices não satisfazem o recomendado, isso ocorre, graças as condições climáticas do dia, e horário analisado, limitações identificadas no estudo.This paper presents a case study, which evaluates the visual comfort conditions of an office environment of the Santa Catarina Teaching and Engineering Foundation (FEESC), at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) on the Trindade campus, in Florianópolis-SC. By running computer simulations of illuminances collected in-place, luminance indices, and an application of a questionnaire to space's users, to discuss visual comfort from its physical, physiological and psychosocial scale. We are emphasizing the procedures used in the surveys, and the parameters applied for the evaluation of the luminous environment. Through the questionnaire applied we concluded that, in general, the visual comfort conditions are satisfactory for users. However, according to the NBR ISO/CIE 8995-1 standard, some indices do not reach the recommendation. This occurs due to the climatic daily conditions, and the analyzed period, besides other limitations identified in this study

Nanoparticulate TiO2-promoted PtRu/C catalyst for methanol oxidation: TiO2 nanoparticles promoted PtRu/C catalyst for MOR

To improve the electrocatalytic properties of PtRu/C in methanol electrooxidation, nanoparticulate TiO2-promoted PtRu/C catalysts were prepared by directly mixing TiO2 nanoparticles with PtRu/C. Using cyclic voltammetry, it was found that the addition of 10 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles can effectively improve the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the catalyst during methanol electro-oxidation. The value of the apparent activation energy (Ea) for TiO2-PtRu/C was lower than that for pure PtRu/C at a potential range from 0.45 to 0.60 V. A synergistic effect between PtRu and TiO2 nanoparticles is likely to facilitate the removal of CO-like intermediates from the surface of PtRu catalyst and reduce the poisoning of the PtRu catalysts during methanol electrooxidation. Therefore, we conclude that the direct introduction of TiO2 nanoparticles into PtRu/ C catalysts offers an improved facile method to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of PtRu/C catalyst in methanol electrooxidation.Web of Scienc

Impact of complex NOTCH1 mutations on survival in paediatric T-cell leukaemia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Molecular alterations occur frequently in T-ALL and the potential impact of those abnormalities on outcome is still controversial. The current study aimed to test whether <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and additional molecular abnormalities would impact T-ALL outcome in a series of 138 T-ALL paediatric cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>T-ALL subtypes, status of <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>fusion, ectopic expression of <it>TLX3</it>, and mutations in <it>FBXW7</it>, <it>KRAS</it>, <it>PTEN </it>and <it>NOTCH1 </it>were assessed as overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) prognostic factors. OS and EFS were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The frequencies of mutations were 43.5% for <it>NOTCH1</it>, while <it>FBXW7</it>, <it>KRAS </it>and <it>PTEN </it>exhibited frequencies of 19.1%, 9.5% and 9.4%, respectively. In 78.3% of cases, the coexistence of <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and other molecular alterations was observed. In multivariate analysis no statistical association was revealed between <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and any other variable analyzed. The mean length of the follow-up was 68.4 months and the OS was 50.7%. <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>was identified as an adverse prognostic factor. <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutation status was not associated with outcome, while the presence of <it>NOTCH1 </it>complex mutations (indels) were associated with a longer overall survival (<it>p </it>= 0.031) than point mutations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations alone or in combination with <it>FBXW7 </it>did not impact T-ALL prognosis. Nevertheless, complex <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations appear to have a positive impact on OS and the <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>fusion was validated as a negative prognostic marker in our series of T-ALL.</p