Extra-virgin olive oil ameliorates cognition and neuropathology of the 3xTg mice. Role of autophagy

OBJECTIVE: Consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a major component of the Mediterranean diet, has been associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanisms involved in this protective action remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS: Herein, we investigated the effect of daily consumption of EVOO on the AD-like phenotype of a mouse mode of the disease with plaques and tangles. RESULTS: Triple transgenic mice (3xTg) received either regular chow or a chow diet supplemented with EVOO starting at 6 months of age for 6 months, then assessed for the effect of the diet on the AD-like neuropathology and behavioral changes. Compared with controls, mice receiving the EVOO-rich diet had an amelioration of their behavioral deficits, and a significant increase in the steady state levels of synaptophysin, a protein marker of synaptic integrity. In addition, they had a significant reduction in insoluble Aβ peptide levels and deposition, lower amount of phosphorylated tau protein at specific epitopes, which were secondary to an activation of cell autophagy. INTERPRETATION: Taken together, our findings support a beneficial effect of EVOO consumption on all major features of the AD phenotype (behavioral deficits, synaptic pathology, Aβ and tau neuropathology), and demonstrate that autophagy activation is the mechanism underlying these biological actions

Assessment of Power System Equipment Insulation Based on Distorted Excitation Voltage

Electrical insulation plays a critical role in high voltage power system equipment. The presence of electrical, thermal, and mechanical stresses imposed when they are in operation for a long time cause gradual degradation of the insulation. Therefore, regular condition monitoring and diagnostic testing of power system equipment are of paramount importance for the reliable operation of electricity supply networks and systems. The dielectric dissipation factor (DDF) measurement is one of the most common techniques for insulation assessment. From a traditional perspective, a pure sinusoidal voltage is used for excitation in the testing. However, the grid voltage nowadays in reality is often distorted with a waveform having multiple harmonic components. Generally, there are distorted voltages and currents generated due to the presence of non-linear equipment or components in the system. Thus, testing under distorted voltage with harmonics provides a more realistic diagnostic measurement as compared to traditional AC sinusoidal high voltage testing. This dissertation investigates the impact of harmonically distorted excitation on the dielectric dissipation factor of high voltage power equipment. A practical measurement method based on distorted excitation is proposed and tested on a reference capacitor-resistor test object. A theoretical and mathematical model is developed to quantify the impact of distortion on the DDF measured in contrast to the case of non-distorted excitation. It is established that for the same total RMS magnitude of the applied excitation, the DDF decreases with the increasing harmonic proportion in the applied voltage waveform. For validation, laboratory experiments and computer simulations were carried out, and data obtained were compared with the analytical results. The proposed technique is then tested on some real high voltage components (33kV dry-type current transformers). The results confirm the monotonically decreasing trend, but the pattern is more complex. The dielectric dissipation factor mathematical and electrical circuit model is implemented based on the polarisation loss. The theoretical formulation is implemented in a computer simulation using MATLAB Simulink to validate the results. In summary, the thesis provides useful diagnostic insights on the characteristics of the dielectric dissipation factor measurement under distorted excitation

Structural health monitoring of asphalt pavements using smart sensor networks: A comprehensive review

Abstract Early, effective and continuous monitoring allows to reduce costs and to extend life of road infrastructure. For this reason, over the years, more and more efforts have been made to implement more advanced and effective monitoring systems at ever more contained costs, going from impractical manual and destructive methods through automated in vehicle equipment to the most recent wireless sensor network (WSN) embedded into the pavement. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date critical literature review of wireless sensor networks for pavement health monitoring, considering, also, the experience gained for wired sensor as fundamental point of reference. This work presents both the methodology used to collect and analyse the current bibliography and provides a description and comments fundamental characteristics of wireless sensor networks for pavement monitoring for damage detection purposes, among which energy supply, the detection method, the hardware and network architecture and the performance validation procedures. A brief analysis of other possible complementary applications of smart sensor networks, such as traffic and surface condition monitoring, is provided. Finally, a comment is provided on the gaps and possible directions that future research could follow to allow the extensive use of wireless sensor networks for pavement health condition monitoring

General aviation's meteorological requirements

Communication of weather theory and information about weather service products to pilots in an accurate and comprehensible manner is essential to flying safety in general. Probably no one needs weather knowledge more than the people who fly through it. The specific subject of this overview is General Aviation's Meteorological Requirements

The 5-Lipoxygenase as a Common Pathway for Pathological Brain and Vascular Aging

Epidemiological studies indicate age as a strong risk factor for developing cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. During the aging process, changes in the expression of particular genes can influence the susceptibility to these diseases. 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) by oxidizing fatty acids forms leukotrienes, potent mediators of oxidative and inflammatory reactions, two key pathogenic events in both clinical settings. This enzyme is widely distributed in the cardiovascular as well as in the central nervous system, where its expression levels increase with age, suggesting that it may be involved in their diseases of aging. The central theme of this article is that during aging, 5-LO acts as biologic link between different stressors and the development of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesize that the age-dependent upregulation of 5-LO represents a “priming” factor in the vasculature as well as in the brain, where a subsequent exposure to triggering stimuli (i.e., infections) leads to an abnormal chronic inflammatory reaction, and ultimately results in increased organ vulnerability and functional deficits

Histopathology of the muscle in rheumatic diseases.

The presence of muscular symptoms is common in rheumatological clinical practice, but often the differential diagnosis between muscular involvement in connective tissue diseases, vasculitis and drug-induced myopathy may be difficult. In addition to clinical assessment, laboratory analysis and instrumental examinations, muscle biopsy may help to clarify the diagnosis in patients with muscular involvement. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical analysis of the current medical literature on muscular histopathology, to help clinicians to identify when to perform muscular biopsy and to provide a practical guide to a better understanding of the pathology report. Moreover, we provide an overview of the muscular involvement and the most common histopathological findings in rheumatic diseases

Effects of calibration process on the simulation of rear-end conflicts at roundabouts

A methodology for calibrating and validating VISSIM simulation model is presented that allows to replicate the observed vehicles conflicts. A roundabout case study has been selected to test the usefulness of a combined approach of VISSIM simulation package and the surrogate safety assessment model (SSAM) for providing reliable estimates of traffic conflicts. Safety performance has been assessed from the field by video-recording vehicle interactions at the roundabout, and then expressed in terms of time to collision (TTC) values.The proposed calibration procedure has been performed by a multistage methodology involving microscopic drivers' car following behavior parameters to enhance the correlation between observed and simulated queue lengths at the roundabout's entries. The calibration procedure is based on a statistical screening of inputs leading to a linear expression relating significant parameters to the queue length. The best estimates of the model's parameters have been determined using a genetic algorithm technique.The spatial distribution of the rear-end conflicts and the TTC values determined by SSAM have been finally compared with the observed ones to analyze the capability of the model of replicating rear-end conflicts.The results suggest to this calibration procedure impacts positively on the estimate of the safety performance measures obtained through the simulation processes.Notwithstanding the good results in the evaluation of the model's accuracy, the simulation seems to fail in reproducing the traffic phenomena linked to unusual driving behavior, and therefore it is not able to replicate forced drivers' maneuvers that can lead to a conflict situation. Keywords: Simulation, Safety performance, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Roundabouts, Traffic conflict

Marketing em uma microempresa : a necessidade da estratégia e seu papel na captação de clientes B2B

Orientador : Camila CamargoTrabalho de Conclusão de Curso (especialização) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Curso de Especialização em Marketing EmpresarialInclui referênciasResumo : Este estudo pretende abordar a importância do marketing estratégico para embasar as escolhas de ações eficientes em uma microempresa de instalação de pisos de madeira de São José dos Pinhais e sua relevância na captação de clientes B2B. Foi descrita a atual situação do mercado e da empresa, apresentado o problema e indicações sobre a importância da marca e a oportunidade representada pelos clientes profissionais. A proposta de melhoria iniciou com a apresentação de meios de proporcionar o autoconhecimento da empresa utilizando conceitos de planejamento empresarial e modelos como o Business Model Canvas. Seguido pela apresentação de métodos adequados a microempresas para o estabelecimento da estratégia de marketing. A partir da verificação de planos de marketing apresentados por Kotler e Keller, por Ferrell e Hartline e pelo SEBRAE, foi formulado um plano de marketing com a sugestão de um calendário de ações. Demonstrando que o autoconhecimento do negócio e a prévia utilização de uma visão estratégica de marketing, podem gerar propostas de ações absolutamente acessíveis a uma microempresa na captação e relacionamento com clientes B2B

Aplicação e desenvolvimento do "Pratic Violão" para aprendizagem da guitarra e desenvolvimento da coordenação motora fina

Tem sido estudado que a música pode trazer ganhos ao indivíduo, corroborando a ideia de que ter vivência com o universo musical acarreta em benefícios como o desenvolvimento social, cognitivo, motor e psicológico. Esta investigação tem como objetivo a aprendizagem do instrumento, a potencializar as aptidões motoras através da prática da guitarra, utilizando o manual e desenvolvendo sua aplicação em crianças com paralisia cerebral. Os objetivos pretendidos neste trabalho extrapolam a aprendizagem tradicional do instrumento musical, visando trazer mais benefícios ao aluno em alguns aspectos que contemplam o indivíduo além da sala de aula. Pensando nisto, foi idealizado o “Pratic violão”, uma espécie de dispositivo adaptado que busca expandir a possibilidade de mais alunos terem acesso ao contacto e aprendizagem do instrumento. Nesta investigação foi feita uma abordagem inicial ao processo de ensino do “Pratic violão” de forma a observar a postura dos alunos, quais suas dificuldades ou facilidades ao tocar o instrumento, perceber o que seria útil para ajudar na aprendizagem da viola acústica. Buscar, de forma cada vez mais constante, a interação entre os indivíduos, de forma a melhorar suas relações, quebrar as barreiras de preconceitos e estimular a conscientização da sociedade de que todos somos capazes, ao nosso tempo e ao nosso jeito. Nesta investigação foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa, com uma avaliação baseada em anotações, durante as sessões de música com alunos que apresentam necessidades específicas, portadores de Paralisia Cerebral (PC), em uma instituição. Além do ensino do instrumento musical houve toda uma estimulação social. Participar do cotidiano destes alunos foi importante para entender suas motivações, personalidades e estabelecer um vínculo entre as partes. Proporcionar a estas pessoas autoconfiança, momentos de resiliência, empoderamento e autonomia de tocarem um instrumento, interagindo socialmente, a promover em seu cotidiano uma forma de serem capazes de superar suas batalhas interiores.It has been studied that music can bring positive effects to individuals, supporting that being in touch with the musical universe leads to many benefits as: social development, cognitive, motor coordination and psychological. This research has as objectives the learning of the instrument, the strengthening of the motor fitness through the practicing of the guitar utilizing the manual and the developing of its application within kids with Cerebral Palsy. The goals of this study overcome the traditional learning of musical instrument, aiming to provide more benefits to the students in some features that go beyond the classroom. Aware of this situation, it was designed the “Pratic violão”, a type of adapted tool seeking to expand the possibility of more students having access to the contact and the knowledge of the instrument. An initial approach to the teaching-learning process of the “Pratic violão” was done, in a way to observe the students’ posture, its difficulties and facilities when playing the instrument and to realize what would be useful to help in the learning to play the acoustic guitar. Seeking to constantly increase the interaction between individuals in a way to strength the relationships, breaking down the barriers of prejudice and stimulating the awareness of the society that we are all capable, in our own timing and own way. This research was done with a qualitative methodology, with students presenting Cerebral Palsy (CP), in an institution where besides teaching of musical instruments the social stimulation also happened. Participating in the daily life of this students was important for a better understanding of their motivations, personalities and to stablish a relationship. Providing those students, self-confidence, resiliency, empowerment and autonomy of playing an instrument, socially interacting, promoting on their routine a way of winning their own battles