Simulação de Parâmetros Bioclimáticos em Ambiente BIM para o Planejamento e Otimização de uma Estufa Agrícola e sua Influência na Resposta Fisiológica da Cannabis sativa L.

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Tecnológico. Engenharia Civil.O crescente avanço de medicamentos extraídos da Cannabis sativa L. a nível global, em conjunto da disseminação de informações a respeito de sua segurança e eficácia, faz surgir a necessidade de padronizar seu cultivo para que seja possível atingir níveis de qualidade farmacêutica com regularidade. A cultura deve crescer em ambiente estável, em consonância com as condições bioclimáticas que influenciarão em sua fisiologia e fenologia, a fim de garantir a melhor condição de seus compostos químicos, em quantidade e qualidade. Portanto, este trabalho focou em analisar, com a simulação de parâmetros bioclimáticos, três modelos de estufas agrícolas, variando a forma de cobertura – em arco e capela – e seu material de revestimento – vidro e policarbonato –, em quatro diferentes localidades geográficas do Brasil, através do uso do software Autodesk Revit® 2019 em ambiente BIM (Modelagem da Informação da Construção), com enfoque na iluminância no interior do ambiente, e a demanda de energia necessária para manter a temperatura adequada, analisando sua relação com as exigências que a Cannabis sativa L. prevê. Diante disto o produtor interessado neste tipo de cultivo obtém dados para se planejar previamente e otimizar seu ambiente protegido durante as datas críticas de um ano nas diferentes localidades. Com os resultados destas análises o produtor adquire artifícios para rápida tomada de decisão, economia de gastos, planejamento de técnicas de cultivo que serão adotadas e, principalmente, um produto medicinal de qualidade.The growing number of medicines extracted from Cannabis sativa L. at a global level, together with the dissemination of information about its safety and efficacy, makes it necessary to standardize its cultivation so that it is possible to reach pharmaceutical quality levels regularly. The crop should grow in a stable environment, in accordance with the bioclimatic conditions that will influence its physiology and phenology, in order to guarantee the best condition of its chemical compounds, in quantity and quality. Therefore, this work focused on the analysis of three models of agricultural greenhouses, with the simulation of bioclimatic parameters, varying the form of cover - in arch and chapel - and its coating material - glass and polycarbonate - in four different geographic locations of Brazil, with the use of the software Autodesk Revit® 2019 in a BIM (Construction Information Modeling) environment, focusing on the illuminance inside the greenhouses, and the energy demand necessary to maintain the appropriate temperature, analyzing its relation with the conditions that the Cannabis sativa L. requires. In front of this, the producer interested in this type of crop obtains data to be previously planned and to optimize his protected environment during the critical dates of a year in the different localities. With the results of these analyzes, the producer acquires artifacts for rapid decision-making, cost savings, planning of cultivation techniques that will be adopted and, above all, a quality medicinal product

Genetic regulation of pituitary gland development in human and mouse

Normal hypothalamopituitary development is closely related to that of the forebrain and is dependent upon a complex genetic cascade of transcription factors and signaling molecules that may be either intrinsic or extrinsic to the developing Rathke’s pouch. These factors dictate organ commitment, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation within the anterior pituitary. Abnormalities in these processes are associated with congenital hypopituitarism, a spectrum of disorders that includes syndromic disorders such as septo-optic dysplasia, combined pituitary hormone deficiencies, and isolated hormone deficiencies, of which the commonest is GH deficiency. The highly variable clinical phenotypes can now in part be explained due to research performed over the last 20 yr, based mainly on naturally occurring and transgenic animal models. Mutations in genes encoding both signaling molecules and transcription factors have been implicated in the etiology of hypopituitarism, with or without other syndromic features, in mice and humans. To date, mutations in known genes account for a small proportion of cases of hypopituitarism in humans. However, these mutations have led to a greater understanding of the genetic interactions that lead to normal pituitary development. This review attempts to describe the complexity of pituitary development in the rodent, with particular emphasis on those factors that, when mutated, are associated with hypopituitarism in humans

A Prelude to a Third Dimension of the Periodic Table: Superatoms of Aluminum Iodide Clusters

Calculations have been carried out to investigate the stability and electronic structure of aluminum iodide clusters using first principles gradient-corrected density functional theory. Analysis of A113Ix-, A114Ix-, and A17I- clusters reveals that their stability is governed by the geometrically unperturbed A113-, A1142+, and A17+ units, respectively, that are demonstrated to constitute the compact cores of the clusters upon significant iodine content. The compact, icosahedral A113, icosahedral-like A1 14, and capped square bi-pyramid A17 superatom structures of the stable aluminum cores have an analogous electronic configuration to that of halogen, alkaline-earth, and alkaline atoms, respectively. Novel chemistry is demonstrated in superatoms, arising from two primary sources. Firstly, the calculations demonstrate the preference to break molecular I2 bonds in favor of iodine atoms individually adsorbing onto the aluminum sites of the central aluminum core surface. Secondly, the calculation show that observations of alternating stability trends dependent on the number of iodine ligands are connected to the formation and quenching of active sites. The significance of the induced active centers on aluminum iodide clusters upon association to alkenes is addressed, demonstrating a method towards predicting the location and extent of binding hydrocarbons. The novel chemistry of superatoms allows for a host of possible applications that integrate their unique properties in original ways and some key examples are described. Superatoms are the analogs to atoms and subsequently, just as the periodic table of elements lists atoms that can assemble into molecules and lattice structures, there exists the fathomable possibility to incorporate superatoms into extended structures such that they maintain their unique properties and result in a new class of materials. Initiation of such cluster-materials insinuates that cluster-mediated periodic table may be a proper extension to allow for a simple means for conveying fundamental information about clusters

The Effects of Genetic and Pharmacologic Loss of the Notch4 Protein on Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels form, as cells undergoing hypoxia secrete Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), which prompts a tip cell phenotype in adjacent endothelial cells. The new tip cell expresses DLL4 and presents it on its surface, which binds to Notch receptors on neighboring cells and inhibits them from also becoming tip cells, forcing them to adopt the stalk cell phenotype. Notch signaling is critical to the tip/stalk cell fate decision, and both Notch1 and Notch4 are expressed in the vasculature, but not much is known about the different roles and parallel functions of Notch4 in contrast to the well-studied Notch1. In order to quantify the effects of removing Notch4, Notch4 mutants were generated via genetic mutations, or Notch4 function was inhibited by an anti-Notch4 neutralizing antibody. The vasculature of postnatal retina from control animals was compared to either knockout or anti-Notch4 treated mice on measures of radial outgrowth, tip cell count, vascular density, large vessels count, and branching. The experimental groups were then compared to each other to understand the degree to which pharmacologic inhibition recapitulates the genetic knockout phenotype. Our data shows that the Notch4 genetic knockout mice tend to exhibit decreased radial outgrowth and reduced branching. This supports the hypothesis that Notch1 and Notch4 have unique targets, as Notch1 knockouts show a stark increase in tip cell density, which is not seen in Notch4 genetic knockouts. In contrast, the pharmacologic Notch4 knockouts resembled the Notch4 genetic knockouts in radial outgrowth, but Notch1 mutants in tip cell density, though the reason why is not yet known. The mapping of angiogenic pathways is of consequence because it offers many avenues for studying human health. For example, new cancer research aims to reduce blood flow to tumors by decreasing angiogenesis, and published data suggests that knocking out Notch4 reduces tumor perfusion and growth. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the role of Notch4, and in turn, angiogenesis, could aid the development of new medicinal therapies for some of our most deadly diseases

Stress and hope distinguish individuals with suicidal plan from suicide ideators among Chinese college students

BackgroundSuicide among college students is a significant public health concern in China. While suicidal ideation serves as a crucial predictor of subsequent suicidal plans and behaviors, it is important to recognize that most instances of suicidal ideation may only be fleeting thoughts that do not progress to an actual plan. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the factors associated with the transition from suicidal ideation to a concrete plan. Consequently, this study aims to investigate whether certain frequently cited factors can differentiate individuals who have formulated a specific suicidal plan from those who have experienced suicidal thoughts without planning, based on data obtained through a cross-sectional survey.Materials and methodsThis survey was conducted as part of routine mental health assessments among second-year college students in October 2023. Data from a total of 4,858 second-year college students were utilized for the final analyses. Two survey questions were employed to identify past-year suicidal ideation and past-year suicidal plan. All participants were required to complete various assessments, including the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 items (DASS-21), the Chinese version of Gratitude Questionnaire-six items (GQ-6), the Chinese version of Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Chinese version of State Hope Scale (SHS).ResultsAmong 4,858 participants, a total of 134 individuals (2.8%) were confirmed to have experienced past-year suicidal ideation. Out of these, 53 (1.1% overall) reported having a past-year suicidal plan, accounting for approximately 39.6% of those with suicidal ideation. Logistic regression analyses revealed that while most potential variables differentiated between students with and without suicidal ideation, only two factors stood out in distinguishing individuals with a suicidal plan from those who had not made such plans despite experiencing suicidal thoughts—presence of stress (OR=2.49, 95% CI: 1.04–5.96) and lower scores of hope agency (OR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.72–0.98).ConclusionThese findings suggest that the stress may contribute to susceptibility for transitioning from mere thoughts to actual planning regarding suicide; conversely, hope agency appears to offer protection against this transition process. Therefore, we advocate for targeted interventions aimed at fostering hope among individuals who have encountered adverse and stressful life events

Ablation of Dicer from murine Schwann cells increases their proliferation while blocking myelination

The myelin sheaths that surround the thick axons of the peripheral nervous system are produced by the highly specialized Schwann cells. Differentiation of Schwann cells and myelination occur in discrete steps. Each of these requires coordinated expression of specific proteins in a precise sequence, yet the regulatory mechanisms controlling protein expression during these events are incompletely understood. Here we report that Schwann cell-specific ablation of the enzyme Dicer1, which is required for the production of small non-coding regulatory microRNAs, fully arrests Schwann cell differentiation, resulting in early postnatal lethality. Dicer(-/-) Schwann cells had lost their ability to myelinate, yet were still capable of sorting axons. Both cell death and, paradoxically, proliferation of immature Schwann cells was markedly enhanced, suggesting that their terminal differentiation is triggered by growth-arresting regulatory microRNAs. Using microRNA microarrays, we identified 16 microRNAs that are upregulated upon myelination and whose expression is controlled by Dicer in Schwann cells. This set of microRNAs appears to drive Schwann cell differentiation and myelination of peripheral nerves, thereby fulfilling a crucial function for survival of the organism

Desarrollo de un robot péndulo invertido mediante un controlador PID

El presente proyecto se enfoca en el desarrollo de un robot péndulo invertido controlado mediante un sistema de control PID, con el propósito de participar en competencias robóticas y explorar nuevas categorías competitivas que involucren este tipo de robots. Su implementación brinda a los estudiantes la oportunidad de experimentar de manera práctica el diseño, ajuste y control de sistemas robóticos, fortaleciendo su comprensión de los principios de control automático. Para ello, se contempla la adaptación de un código PID preexistente, lo que permitirá ajustar sus parámetros en función de la dinámica del sistema y las restricciones del hardware utilizado. Para el diseño y desarrollo del proyecto, se ha recurrido al uso de software CAD, lo que facilitó la integración de los diferentes componentes del sistema, tales como motores, sensores y microcontroladores. Durante el proceso de diseño, se priorizó una estructura equilibrada que asegurara un ensamblaje eficiente y un adecuado funcionamiento. Además, se seleccionó PLA para la impresión 3D de la estructura, debido a su resistencia y capacidad para soportar el peso de los componentes. En términos de programación, se adaptó un código PID preexistente para optimizar su integración con el hardware seleccionado. La fase final del proyecto consistió en el ensamblaje de las piezas impresas y los componentes, verificando que contenga un diseño equilibrado. Asimismo, la estabilidad del sistema se logró mediante ajustes al código, realizados a través de pruebas iterativas que permitieron obtener los parámetros aproximados para mejorar el rendimiento. Este enfoque integral permitió superar varios desafíos técnicos, resultando en un prototipo robusto y funcional, listo para su implementación en entornos competitivos.This project focuses on the development of an inverted pendulum robot controlled by a PID control system, with the purpose of participating in robotic competitions and exploring new competitive categories involving this type of robots. Its implementation gives students the opportunity to experiment in a practical way the design, adjustment and control of robotic systems, strengthening their understanding of the principles of automatic control. For this purpose, the adaptation of a pre-existing PID code is contemplated, which will allow adjusting its parameters according to the dynamics of the system and the restrictions of the hardware used. For the design and development of the project, CAD software was used, which facilitated the integration of the different components of the system, such as motors, sensors and microcontrollers. During the design process, a balanced structure was prioritized to ensure efficient assembly and proper operation. In addition, PLA was selected for the 3D printing of the structure, due to its strength and ability to support the weight of the components. In terms of programming, a pre-existing PID code was adapted to optimize its integration with the selected hardware. The final phase of the project consisted of the assembly of the printed parts and components, verifying that it contained a balanced design. In addition, system stability was achieved through adjustments to the code, performed through iterative testing to obtain the approximate parameters to improve performance. This integrated approach overcame several technical challenges, resulting in a robust and functional prototype, ready for implementation in a competitive environmen

Resolving early mesoderm diversification through single-cell expression profiling.

In mammals, specification of the three major germ layers occurs during gastrulation, when cells ingressing through the primitive streak differentiate into the precursor cells of major organ systems. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear, as numbers of gastrulating cells are very limited. In the mouse embryo at embryonic day 6.5, cells located at the junction between the extra-embryonic region and the epiblast on the posterior side of the embryo undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and ingress through the primitive streak. Subsequently, cells migrate, either surrounding the prospective ectoderm contributing to the embryo proper, or into the extra-embryonic region to form the yolk sac, umbilical cord and placenta. Fate mapping has shown that mature tissues such as blood and heart originate from specific regions of the pre-gastrula epiblast, but the plasticity of cells within the embryo and the function of key cell-type-specific transcription factors remain unclear. Here we analyse 1,205 cells from the epiblast and nascent Flk1(+) mesoderm of gastrulating mouse embryos using single-cell RNA sequencing, representing the first transcriptome-wide in vivo view of early mesoderm formation during mammalian gastrulation. Additionally, using knockout mice, we study the function of Tal1, a key haematopoietic transcription factor, and demonstrate, contrary to previous studies performed using retrospective assays, that Tal1 knockout does not immediately bias precursor cells towards a cardiac fate.We thank M. de Bruijn, A. Martinez-Arias, J. Nichols and C. Mulas for discussion, the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research Flow Cytometry facility for their expertise in single-cell index sorting, and S. Lorenz from the Sanger Single Cell Genomics Core for supervising purification of Tal1−/− sequencing libraries. ChIP-seq reads were processed by R. Hannah. Research in the authors’ laboratories is supported by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Bloodwise, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Sanger-EBI Single Cell Centre, and by core support grants from the Wellcome Trust to the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Wellcome Trust - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and by core funding from Cancer Research UK and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Y.T. was supported by a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. W.J. is a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow. A.S. is supported by the Sanger-EBI Single Cell Centre. This work was funded as part of Wellcome Trust Strategic Award 105031/D/14/Z ‘Tracing early mammalian lineage decisions by single-cell genomics’ awarded to W. Reik, S. Teichmann, J. Nichols, B. Simons, T. Voet, S. Srinivas, L. Vallier, B. Göttgens and J. Marioni.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature1863