Oscillatory brain responses to own names uttered by unfamiliar and familiar voices

AbstractAmong auditory stimuli, the own name is one of the most powerful and it is able to automatically capture attention and elicit a robust electrophysiological response. The subject’s own name (SON) is preferentially processed in the right hemisphere, mainly because of its self-relevance and emotional content, together with other personally relevant information such as the voice of a familiar person. Whether emotional and self-relevant information are able to attract attention and can be, in future, introduced in clinical studies remains unclear. In the present study we used EEG and asked participants to count a target name (active condition) or to just listen to the SON or other unfamiliar names uttered by a familiar or unfamiliar voice (passive condition). Data reveals that the target name elicits a strong alpha event related desynchronization with respect to non-target names and triggers in addition a left lateralized theta synchronization as well as delta synchronization.In the passive condition alpha desynchronization was observed for familiar voice and SON stimuli in the right hemisphere.Altogether we speculate that participants engage additional attentional resources when counting a target name or when listening to personally relevant stimuli which is indexed by alpha desynchronization whereas left lateralized theta synchronization may be related to verbal working memory load. After validating the present protocol in healthy volunteers it is suggested to move one step further and apply the protocol to patients with disorders of consciousness in which the degree of residual cognitive processing and self-awareness is still insufficiently understood

Cistern Project for Domestic Water use in Semi-Arid Regions

Water scarcity in semi-arid regions compromises the quality of life, principally human health, in these regions. The use of cisterns with adequate dimensions, that ensure the minimum of water required to meet human needs, is a practice recommended for these regions. This paper aims to estimate, considering the regional variability of precipitation, the most appropriate relationship between the capacity of cistern and the catchment area to ensure access to water considering the minimum recommended by WHO. A case study is presented for the Brazilian semi-arid region. A curve representing the relationship between these two variables was created for each region with similar precipitation conditions. In regions with low annual average precipitation, increasing the cistern capacity was found less efficient if there was no increase in the catchment area, while in areas with higher annual precipitation and longer periods of drought, the increased cistern capacity was the best alternative. Large differences in the relation between the cistern capacity and the catchment area were obtained in regions where the total precipitation and seasonal variability of precipitation throughout the year showed an intermediate behavior

Malvidin and cyanidin derivatives from açai fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) counteract UV-A-induced oxidative stress in immortalized fibroblasts

UV-A radiations are known to induce cellular oxidative stress, leading to premature skin aging. Consumption of açai fruit (Euterpe oleracea Martius) is known to have many health benefits due to its high level of antioxidants. Herein, we analyzed the ability of phenolic compounds extracted from this fruit to attenuate UV-A-induced oxidative stress in immortalized fibroblast. A methanol/water açai extract was fractionated by HPLC and each fraction tested for anti-oxidant stress activity. Immortalized fibroblasts were pre-incubated with açai fractions and then exposed to UV-A radiations. Açai extract was found to be able to strongly protect cells from oxidative stress. In particular, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, GSH depletion, lipid peroxidation and no increase in the phosphorylation levels of proteins involved in the oxidative stress pathway was observed in cells pre-incubated with the extract and then irradiated by UV-A. Mass spectrometry analyses of HPLC fractionated extract led us to the identification of malvidin and cyanidin derivatives as the most active molecules able to counteract the negative effects induced by UV-A irradiation. Our results indicate, for the first time, that açai fruit is a valuable natural source for malvidin and cyanidin to be used as anti-stress molecules and represent good candidates for dietary intervention in the prevention of age related skin damage

Insights into the interaction of the N-terminal amyloidogenic polypeptide of ApoA-I with model cellular membranes

BACKGROUND: About twenty variants of apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) are associated to hereditary systemic amyloidoses. Although the molecular bases of this disease are still largely unknown, it has been hypothesized that ApoA-I proteolysis is a key event in pathogenesis, since it triggers the release of an N-terminal fragment (80-100 residue long) that misfolds to form amyloid deposits in peripheral organs and tissues. It is also known that cell membrane lipids play a key role in the fibrillogenic pathway. In the case of ApoA-I related amyloidosis caused by L174S mutation, the 93-residue N-terminal fragment of ApoA-I ([1-93]ApoA-I) was found to be the major constituent of ex vivo fibrils. METHODS: With the main goal to investigate the interaction of either [1-93]ApoA-I and ApoA-I with biomimetic membranes, we set-up an experimental system based on the Raman Tweezers methodology. We tested GUVs composed by two types of zwitterionic lipids with a different fluidity degree, i.e. dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). RESULTS: We found that [1-93]ApoA-I induces conformational disorder in an ordered lipid bilayer. When interacting with fluid phases, instead, the fragment was found to be able to penetrate the membrane bilayer inducing an alignment of lipid chains. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction features of [1-93]ApoA-I with biomimetic membranes strongly depend on the lipid phase. Full-length ApoA-I was found to have similar effects, even if significantly less pronounced. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our observations shed light on still largely unknown molecular bases of ApoA-I fibrillogenic domain interaction with membranes

Scientific Reports / Night and day variations of sleep in patients with disorders of consciousness

Brain injuries substantially change the entire landscape of oscillatory dynamics and render detection of typical sleep patterns difficult. Yet, sleep is characterized not only by specific EEG waveforms, but also by its circadian organization. In the present study we investigated whether brain dynamics of patients with disorders of consciousness systematically change between day and night. We recorded 24h EEG at the bedside of 18 patients diagnosed to be vigilant but unaware (Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome) and 17 patients revealing signs of fluctuating consciousness (Minimally Conscious State). The day-to-night changes in (i) spectral power, (ii) sleep-specific oscillatory patterns and (iii) signal complexity were analyzed and compared to 26 healthy control subjects. Surprisingly, the prevalence of sleep spindles and slow waves did not systematically vary between day and night in patients, whereas day-night changes in EEG power spectra and signal complexity were revealed in minimally conscious but not unaware patients.(VLID)192043

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Methodology to estimate water demand and availability: a case study of Paracatu basin

O aumento da demanda pelo uso da água evidenciado ao longo do tempo, sobretudo nas últimas décadas, vem causando sérios conflitos entre os usuários em muitas regiões da Terra. A bacia do São Francisco possui uma demanda total de água de 224 m 3 s -1 , sendo o principal consumidor a irrigação, responsável por 71,4% dessa demanda. O rio Paracatu, situado no Médio São Francisco, é o maior afluente do São Francisco, contribuindo com cerca de 40% da vazão desse rio na seção de deságüe do Paracatu. A irrigação apresentou expressivo crescimento na bacia do Paracatu, principalmente após os incentivos advindos de programas governamentais iniciados na década de 1970, como o Plano de Desenvolvimento Integrado do Noroeste Mineiro (PLANOROESTE). Como conseqüência da grande expansão da agricultura irrigada, sérios conflitos têm surgido em várias partes da bacia, principalmente nas sub-bacias do ribeirão Entre Ribeiros e do rio Preto. Tendo em vista o complexo quadro de conflitos pelo uso da água existente na bacia do Paracatu, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos: analisar o comportamento hidrológico na bacia do Paracatu no período de 1970 a 2000; estimar as vazões de retirada e consumida pela irrigação e pelos abastecimentos animal e humano (urbano e rural); e avaliar o impacto dos usos consuntivos da água nas vazões do rio Paracatu e seus afluentes. Para a realização do estudo foi analisada a variação espacial da precipitação média anual, das vazões médias de longa duração, máximas e mínimas; da vazão associada à permanência de 95% (Q 95 ); das vazões específicas (média de longa duração, máxima e mínima); e do coeficiente de deságüe em 18 estações fluviométricas localizadas na bacia do Paracatu. A estimativa das vazões retiradas e consumidas para os usos consuntivos analisados foi realizada com base nos dados obtidos no Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, referentes a área irrigada, culturas cultivadas, número de cabeças dos diversos rebanhos de animais criados na bacia e população nos meios urbano e rural. Para a estimativa da vazão de retirada pela irrigação utilizaram-se, além da área irrigada, a evapotranspiração das culturas cultivadas na bacia e a precipitação efetiva, obtida pelo método proposto pelo boletim 24 da FAO. A evapotranspiração das culturas foi estimada com base na evapotranspiração potencial da cultura de referência, calculada pelo método de Penman- Monteith, e nos coeficientes das culturas. Com base nos resultados, constatou-se que: a) as precipitações médias anuais, bem como as vazões específicas (média, máxima e mínima), tiveram tendência de decréscimo das cabeceiras em direção à foz, oposta ao comportamento evidenciado nas vazões médias, máximas e mínimas, que aumentaram nesse sentido; b) a vazão consumida pela irrigação variou, ao longo da bacia, de 78 a 93% do total consumido; c) a vazão total consumida teve pouca influência na vazão média de longa duração, representando de 0,5 a 2,1% da vazão média de longa duração; d) a vazão de retirada pela irrigação chegou a atingir 85,1% (1,05 m 3 s -1 ) da Q 7,10 observada e 69,4% da Q 7,10 natural no ribeirão Entre Ribeiros; e e) a vazão de retirada pela irrigação chegou a atingir 47,0% da Q 95 nesse mesmo ribeirão.The increase in demand for water use that has been evidenced over the course of time, particularly in the last decades, is causing serious conflicts among users in many regions of the Earth. For instance, the San Francisco basin has a total demand of 224 m 3 s -1 of water, with irrigation being the main consumer, accounting for 71,4% of the demand. The river Paracatu, Middle San Francisco, is the largest San Francisco tributary, contributing with about 40% of the river flow in Paracatu discharge section. Irrigation presented expressive growth in the Paracatu basin, mainly after the incentives from government programs in the 1970s, such as the Integrated Development Plan for Northwest Minas Gerais (PLANOROESTE). The great expansion of irrigated agriculture brought about serious conflicts in several parts of the basin, mainly in the sub-basins of the river Entre Ribeiros and the river Preto. In view the complex picture of conflicts for the use of the existent water in the Paracatu basin, the objectives of the present work were: to analyze the hydraulic behavior in the Paracatu basin from 1970 to 2000; to evaluate the withdrawal and consumed flows through irrigation and water supply for animal and human (urban and rural); and to evaluate the impact of water use on the flow of river Paracatu and its tributaries. To carry out this study it was analyzed, the spatial variation of annual average precipitation, long duration average flow, maximum and minimum; flow associated to 95% permanence (Q95); specific flow (average of long duration, maximum and minimum); and discharge coefficient in 18 fluviometric stations in the Paracatu basin. The estimate of the withdrawal and consumed flows for the consulting uses analyzed was calculated based on data obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. These data refer to the irrigated area, grown crops, number of head of many herds raised in the basin and population in the urban and rural areas. To estimate the flow withdrawal for irrigation, the irrigated area, evapotranspiration of crops grown in the basin and the effective precipitation using the method proposed by bulletin 24, FAO, were used. Crop evapotranspiration was based on the potential evapotranspiration of the reference crop, calculated by the Penman-Monteith method, and on the crop coefficients. Based on the results, it was verified that: a) the annual average precipitation, as well as the specific flow (average, maximum and minimum), tended to decrease from the head to the mouth, opposed to the behavior showed in the average, maximum and minimum flows, which increased in that direction; b) the flow consumed by irrigation varied, along the basin, from 78 to 93% of the total consumed; c) the total flow consumed had little influence on the average flow of long duration, representing from 0,5 to 2,1% of the average flow of long duration; d) the flow retreated by irrigation reached 85,1% (1,05 m 3 s -1 ) of the Q 7,10 observed and 69,4% of the natural Q 7,10 in the river Entre Ribeiros; and e) the flow retreated by irrigation reached 47,0% of Q 95 in the same river.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológic

Conceptual proposal for the hydrologic regionalization

Para subsidiar o processo de decisão de outorgas nas bacias, é fundamental o conhecimento das disponibilidades hídricas ao longo da hidrografia, mas este conhecimento fica restrito aos locais onde estão localizadas as estações fluviométricas. A regionalização de vazões é uma técnica utilizada para suprir a carência de informações hidrológicas em locais com pouca ou nenhuma disponibilidade de dados. A bacia do São Francisco é a mais importante bacia brasileira sob o ponto de vista político-social, uma vez que abrange a região Sudeste, Centro-Oeste e Nordeste do país. O conhecimento das disponibilidades hídricas ao longo de sua hidrografia irá auxiliar nas decisões político-administrativas. Entretanto, algumas dificuldades específicas necessitam ser consideradas para a regionalização de suas vazões como por exemplo: o efeito de regularização dos reservatórios, a minimização das descontinuidades das vazões estimadas quando da troca de uma região hidrologicamente homogênea para outra, a presença de intermitência de vazões em alguns cursos de água e a consideração da variação da contribuição dos afluentes da margem direita e esquerda na vazão do rio São Francisco. Tendo em vista a importância da regionalização de vazão para o conhecimento da disponibilidade hídrica na hidrografia, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos: desenvolver e aplicar à bacia do São Francisco uma nova proposta conceitual para a regionalização de vazões média e mínima; avaliar o potencial de uso das vazões mínimas variáveis ao longo do ano na caracterização da disponibilidade hídrica; e avaliar o efeito do uso das vazões naturais em relação às vazões observadas para a bacia do Paracatu. Foi realizada em toda a bacia do São Francisco a regionalização das vazões média de longa duração (Qmld), da vazão mínima com sete dias de duração e período de retorno de 10 anos (Q7,10), das vazões associadas às permanências de 90 (Q90) e 95% (Q95) e da Q95 referente ao mês de maior disponibilidade hídrica (janeiro) (Q95jan). Os métodos de regionalização utilizados foram: tradicional e de conservação de massas (MCM). As variáveis independentes foram a área de drenagem, a vazão equivalente ao volume precipitado e as vazões equivalentes ao volume precipitado considerando uma diminuição da inércia hídrica igual a 700 (Peq700) e 750 mm (Peq750) (as quais consistem na precipitação média anual menos a inércia hídrica de 700 ou 750mm multiplicada pela área e convertida em m3 s-1). A seleção do modelo de regionalização foi baseada na análise do erro relativo, do coeficiente de escoamento (CE) (no caso da regionalização das vazões médias) e das vazões específicas mínimas (no caso da regionalização das vazões mínimas). Avaliou-se a relação entre a Q95jan e a Q95 em toda a extensão da hidrografia em que foi possível a regionalização destas vazões. O impacto do uso de vazões naturais na bacia do Paracatu foi estimado para as vazões média de longa duração e as mínimas. Com base nos resultados obtidos constatou-se que: a) o método tradicional foi o que melhor representou o comportamento das vazões médias e mínimas na bacia do São Francisco; b) a consideração de limites físicos para a Qmld (CE) e para as vazões mínimas (vazões específicas mínimas) possibilitou reduzir o risco de superestimativa quando da extrapolação das equações de regionalização de vazões; c) a consideração da precipitação média anual menos a inércia hídrica possibilitou ajustes das equações de regionalização das vazões média de longa duração e mínimas (Q90; Q95; Q7,10) mais precisos na maior parte das sub-bacias do São Francisco; d) a regionalização das vazões, considerando as interações diferentes nas sub-bacias e na calha do São Francisco, permitiu à redução das descontinuidades decorrentes da análise individualizada de cada região hidrológica homogênea; e) a comparação da regionalização feita entre a Q95jan e a Q95 mostra o potencial de vazões variáveis ao longo do ano para melhor caracterização da disponibilidade hídrica; e f) os impactos do uso das vazões naturais em substituição às vazões observadas verificados na bacia do Paracatu podem ser considerados inexpressivos para a estimativa da Qmld e de razoável expressividade para a estimativa das vazões mínimas.The knowledge water availability through hydrographic net is fundamental to management water resources concession use rights. Normally this knowledge is restrict to the places where exist fluviométrica measurement station. Hydrologic regionalization is a technical tool to supply lack of information where there are few or no data availability. From a socio- political point of view, the San Francisco basin is Brazil s most important river basin, as it covers the Southeast, Center- West, and Northeast regions. A better understanding of water availability along the hydrography net will help to smooth the political decision-making process. However, some specific difficulties need to be considered in order to implement the hydrologic regionalization, for example: reservoir effects in river flow, decrease discharges discontinuity when change from an homogenous hydrologic environment to another, river drying in some seasons of the year and contribution variation in tributaries in both side of the main river. The importance of hydrologic regionalization technique to know the water availability it is one of the most important tool to water management in this basin. The objectives this work are: to develop and to apply to the San Francisco basin a new conceptual framework for the regionalization of average and minimum discharges; to evaluate the use of minimum discharges variables throughout the year to characterize water availability; and to evaluate the differential impact of natural discharges with respect to observed discharges for the Paracatu basin. The regionalization was built on average long term discharges (Qmld), minimum discharge with ten years return period (Q7,10), discharges related with permanence of 90% (Q90) and 95% (Q95) and this Q95 related with the month of the largest water availability (January) (Q95jan) that was applied to all São Francisco basin. Two methods of regionalization were used: traditional and conservation of masses (MCM). The variables independent were drainage area, equivalent discharge relate to rain volume and the equivalent discharge to rain volume taking in account the decrease of hydrological inertia 700 mm (Peq700) and 750 mm (Peq750) (which consist of the annual average precipitation less the hydrological inertia of 700 or 750 mm multiplied by the area becoming m3 s-1. The regionalization model selection was base on the analysis of the relative residues, runoff coefficient (C) in the case of the average discharges regionalization, and the minimum specific flow in the case of the minimum discharges regionalization. Where possible, an evaluation of the relationship between Q95jan and Q95 was conducted. The impact of the use of natural flows in the Paracatu basin was estimated for the average long-term discharges and the minimum discharges. The results show that: a) the traditional method best represents the behavior of average and minimum discharges in the San Francisco basin; b) the physical limits for Qmld (CE) and for the minimum discharge (minimum specific discharge) showed to be possible to reduce the risk of the extrapolation of the equations of regionalization; c) regionalization equations for the average long-term discharges and minimum discharges (Q90; Q95; Q7,10) which consider average annual rainfall less the hydric inertia are more precisely estimated in most of the San Francisco sub-basin; d) the hydrologic regionalization, considering different interactions in the sub- basins and in the San Francisco river, allowed the reduction of the current discharge discontinuity of the individualized analysis of each homogeneous hydrological region; e) the comparison of the regionalization between Q95jan and Q95 shows the potential of variable discharges along the year for better characterization of the water availability; and f) the impact of the use of natural discharges in place of observed discharges in the Paracatu basin are insignificant in the estimation of average long-term discharges and are reasonably significant in the estimation of minimum discharges.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológic