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

Consumption of medicines in high-risk pregnancy: evaluation of determinants related to the use of prescription drugs and self-medication

The use of drugs during pregnancy still represents a challenge for medicine, since the majority of drugs cross the placental barrier with a potential to cause several congenital problems to the fetus, and most of them have not been clinically tested in pregnant patients. At the same time, the medicalization phenomenon, self-medication, and lack of patient information about the misuse of medicines are additional problems. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of medicine consumption in high-risk pregnancies and the determinants related to this consumption pattern. In order to do so, a cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with puerperal women who had a history of high-risk pregnancy. Statistically significant associations were found between self-medication and fewer prenatal visits, and cigarette use during pregnancy and a higher number of children. According to these data, the vulnerability of this population to the risks of drug use is evident, demonstrating a gap that requires urgent interventions in health-care education

Effect of Flow Rate on the Corrosion Behavior of API 5L X80 Steel in Water-Saturated Supercritical CO2 Environments

The effect of the water-saturated supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) flow rate on the corrosion behavior of API 5L X80 steel at a temperature of 35°C and pressure of 80 bar was investigated. Tests were performed with the samples attached to a rotating shaft inside an autoclave. Results indicate that increasing the scCO2 flow rate had no significant influence on the general/localized corrosion rate under the various dynamic conditions considered. The average general corrosion rate was 0.064 mm/y, while the average measured pitting penetration rates were one order of magnitude higher. The size of the corrosion features on the surface of the samples, which were believed to provide an indication as to the size of the condensed water droplets, was much smaller than the calculated critical droplet size needed to be displaced by the flow, supporting the theory as to why flow rate had little effect on the corrosion response