Cognitive abilities that predict success in a computer-based training program.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were (a) to identify cognitive abilities and other factors related to successful completion of training for computer-based tasks that simulated real jobs and (b) to create a brief assessment battery useful in assessing older adults for these kinds of jobs. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants from three age groups (young, middle-aged, and older) completed a battery of cognitive measures. They then trained on one of three computer-based tasks that simulated actual jobs and were asked to perform the tasks for 3 days. We recorded whether they completed training and whether and how well they did the tasks. In a series of logistic regressions, we evaluated the ability of a subset of cognitive measures drawn from a larger battery to predict participants\u27 ability to successfully complete training and go on to task performance. RESULTS: Results confirmed theory-based expectations that measures of domain knowledge, crystallized intelligence, memory, and psychomotor speed would predict success in computer-based activities. A brief battery was able to predict older adults\u27 successful completion of training for one task but was less useful for another. IMPLICATIONS: A brief battery of cognitive measures may be useful in evaluating individuals for job selection. Different measures are related to job-related criteria depending on task and group evaluated, although it was not possible to identify a reduced battery for one task. The specific cognitive abilities related to participants\u27 success have implications for task and interface design for the elderly population

Estudo da infestação por Haematobia irritans e por larvas de Dermatobia hominis em bovinos de corte.

As miíases provocadas por larvas de conhecidas como berne e o parasitismo pela mosca-dos-chifres, causam graves prejuízos aos pecuaristas no Brasil. Como têm sido observadas diferenças nas infestações entre animais de diferentes grupos genéticos, o presente estudo teve por objetivo verificar se existe diferença na suscetibilidade/resistência às infestações por bernes e mosca-dos-chifres, em bovinos de dois grupos genéticos diferentes. Foram utilizados bovinos machos e fêmeas, nascidos de outubro a dezembro de 2008 puros , da raça Nelore (n=28) e animais com maior grau de sangue , filhos de vacas ½ Canchim + ½ Nelore inseminadas com Angus (TC, n=17). Estes animais foram mantidos sem qualquer tratamento químico para controle de parasitas, em piquetes rotacionados de capim tanzânia ( ), na fazenda experimental da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste e receberam suplementação somente no inverno. Mensalmente foram feitas avaliações por meio de inspeções visuais e táteis para contagem dos nódulos de bernes presentes em todo o corpo dos animais. As contagens das moscas-dos-chifres foram feitas simultaneamente às contagens de bernes, por meio da análise em computador de fotografias da região lombar de cada animal. Até o momento foram realizadas 10 contagens, totalizando 450 observações (de agosto de 2009 a maio de 2010). Todos os dados obtidos foram transformados em log (n+1) e analisados por meio do procedimento MIXED do SAS (2002/2003), de acordo com um modelo que incluiu os efeitos de grupo genético (GG), sexo (SX), contagem (CO) e interações, além do resíduo. Os resultados obtidos até o momento mostraram que os animais ?Nelore intensivo? (NI) apresentaram menores infestações pelos ectoparasitas estudados, que os animais ?Tricross? (TC). As maiores diferenças entre os grupos genéticos foram observadas para as infestações por bernes, sendo que as médias erro padrão foram de 0,10 0,04 e 0,58 0,05, para os animais NI e TC, respectivamente. As maiores infestações por bernes ocorreram durante os meses mais quentes e úmidos (dezembro/janeiro ). Para a mosca-dos-chifres as médias erro padrão foram de 1,01 0,05 para os animais NI e 1,41 0,064 para os animais TC e os machos apresentaram infestações superiores àquelas observadas para as fêmeas

Lysine-based surfactants in nanovesicle formulations: the role of cationic charge position and hydrophobicity in in vitro cytotoxicity and intracellular delivery

Understanding nanomaterial interactions within cells is of increasing importance for assessing their toxicity and cellular transport. Here, we developed nanovesicles containing bioactive cationic lysine-based amphiphiles, and assessed whether these cationic compounds increase the likelihood of intracellular delivery and modulate toxicity. We found different cytotoxic responses among the formulations, depending on surfactant, cell line and endpoint assayed. The induction of mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptosis were the general mechanisms underlying cytotoxicity. Fluorescence microscopy analysis demonstrated that nanovesicles were internalized by HeLa cells, and evidenced that their ability to release endocytosed materials into cell cytoplasm depends on the structural parameters of amphiphiles. The cationic charge position and hydrophobicity of surfactants determine the nanovesicle interactions within the cell and, thus, the resulting toxicity and intracellular behavior after cell uptake of the nanomaterial. The insights into some toxicity mechanisms of these new nanomaterials contribute to reducing the uncertainty surrounding their potential health hazards

Development of a device to study fatigue life of fixed partial dentures

[EN] Fixed partial dentures can be fabricated by means of different materials and with different manufacturing processes. In order to establish possible differences among them, their behaviour, as fatigue life or cement shear bond strength, have to be evaluated. This article presents a modular, economic and robust device to evaluate fixed partial dentures and dental crowns. A base to support the fixed partial dentures and a device to simulate masticatory loads have been developed. The device has got a simple design. It is based on a pneumatic piston, with a pressure regulator to control masticatory loads. On a first stage, only vertical forces have been taking into account. However, the device will allow simulating tangential masticatory loads on the other axis, studying the behaviour of the fixed partial dentures submerged in a solution similar to saliva, changing masticatory load application, etc. with little modifications.Gutiérrez Rubert, SC.; Meseguer Calas, MD.; Estal, R.; Folguera, F.; Vidal, V. (2012). Development of a device to study fatigue life of fixed partial dentures. AIP Conference Proceedings. 1431:877-884. doi:10.1063/1.4707646S877884143

Resposta da erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) a adubação, no Município de Taquaruçu do Sul, RS

bitstream/CNPF-2009-09/44320/1/pesq-andam-86.PD

Cigarette smoke induces pulmonary arterial dysfunction through an imbalance in the redox status of the soluble guanylyl cyclase

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whose main risk factor is cigarette smoking (CS), is one of the most common diseases globally. Some COPD patients also develop pulmonary hypertension (PH), a severe complication that leads to premature death. Evidence suggests reactive oxygen species (ROS) involvement in COPD and PH, especially regarding pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) dysfunction. However, the effects of CS-driven oxidative stress on the pulmonary vasculature are not completely understood. Herein we provide evidence on the effects of CS extract (CSE) exposure on PASMC regarding ROS production, antioxidant response and its consequences on vascular tone dysregulation. Our results indicate that CSE exposure promotes mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and increased mitochondrial superoxide levels. However, this superoxide increase did not parallel a counterbalancing antioxidant response in human pulmonary artery (PA) cells. Interestingly, the mitochondrial superoxide scavenger mitoTEMPO reduced mitochondrial fission and membrane potential depolarization caused by CSE. As we have previously shown, CSE reduces PA vasoconstriction and vasodilation. In this respect, mitoTEMPO prevented the impaired nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation, while vasoconstriction remained reduced. Finally, we observed a CSE-driven downregulation of the Cyb5R3 enzyme, which prevents soluble guanylyl cyclase oxidation in PASMC. This might explain the CSE-mediated decrease in PA vasodilation. These results provide evidence that there might be a connection between mitochondrial ROS and altered vasodilation responses in PH secondary to COPD, and strongly support the potential of antioxidant strategies specifically targeting mitochondria as a new therapy for these diseasesThe Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, ´ Programa Retos en Investigacion ´ (grant number PID2019-104406RB-100) to MJC provided the financial support for the conduct of the research included in this manuscript. Garantia Juvenil program from Comunidad de Madrid contributed with the research assistant contract to M-R,