Biological basis for cerebral dysfunction in schizophrenia in contrast with Alzheimer’s disease

Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease are two disorders that, while conceptualized as pathophysiologically and clinically distinct, cause substantial cognitive and behavioral impairment worldwide, and target apparently similar – or nearby – circuitry in regions such as the temporal and frontal lobes.We review the salient differences and similarities from selected historical, nosological, and putative mechanistic viewpoints, as a means to help both clinicians and researchers gain a better insight into these intriguing disorders, for which over a century of research and decades of translational development was needed to begin yielding treatments that are objectively effective, but still very far from entirely satisfactory. Ongoing comparison and “cross-pollination” among these approaches to disorders that produce similar deficits is likely to continue improving both our insight into the mechanisms at play, and the development of biotechnological approaches to tackle both conditions – and related disorders – more rapidly and efficaciously

Roles of Cholesterol and Lipids in the Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the principal cause of dementia throughout the world and the fourth cause of death in developed economies.This brain disorder is characterized by the formation of brain protein aggregates, namely, the paired helical filaments and senile plaques. Oxidative stress during life, neuroinflamamtion, and alterations in neuron-glia interaction patterns have been also involved in the etiopathogenesis of this disease. In recent years, cumulative evidence has been gained on the involvement of alteration in neuronal lipoproteins activity, as well as on the role of cholesterol and other lipids in the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disorder. In this review, we analyze the links between changes in cholesterol homeostasis, and the changes of lipids of major importance for neuronal activity and Alheimer's disease. The investigation on the fine molecular mechanisms underlying the lipids influence in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease may shed light into its treatment and medical management

Cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: Links with oxidative stress and cholesterol metabolism

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the progression of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We carried out an in-depth study of cognitive impairment and its relationships with oxidative stress markers such as ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), plasma malondialdehyde and total antioxidative capacity (TAC), as well as cholesterol parameters, in two subsets of subjects, AD patients (n = 59) and a control group of neurologically normal subjects (n = 29), attending the University Hospital Salvador in Santiago, Chile. Cognitive impairment was assessed by a set of neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination, Boston Naming Test, Ideomotor Praxia by imitation, Semantic Verbal Fluency of animals or words with initial A, Test of Memory Alteration, Frontal Assessment Battery), while the levels of those oxidative stress markers and cholesterol metabolism parameters were determined according with standard bioassays in fresh plasma samples of the two subgroups of patients. No significant differences were observed when the cholesterol parameters (low-, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol) of the AD group were compared with normal controls. Interestingly, a correlation was evidenced when the levels of cognitive impairment were analyzed with respect to the plasma antioxidant capacity (AOC) of patients. In this context, the subset of subjects exhibiting cognitive impairment were divided into two subgroups according with their Global Dementia Scale performance: a subgroup with mild AD and a subgroup with moderate to severe AD. Significant differences in AOC were found between subgroups. The different correlations between cognitive impairment of subgroups of subjects with the oxidative stress profile are discussed in the context of AD pathogenesis

SOLUCIÓN DE ECUACIONES EN TIEMPO REAL PARA SISTEMAS FÍSICOS (REAL-TIME EQUATION SOLUTION FOR PHYSICAL SYSTEMS)

ResumenEn este documento se muestra el desarrollo de un sistema térmico de primer orden programado en un sistema embebido MyRIO de National Instruments que puede manejar tiempo real. Se muestra la obtención del modelo dinámico del sistema y su solución usando métodos numéricos, específicamente el método de Euler hacía adelante, con la finalidad de obtener la repuesta en tiempo real de este tipo de sistemas físicos frecuentemente usados en la teoría de control.Se muestra la programación del método numérico y los resultados obtenidos son comparados contra la solución obtenida usando Simulink de MATLAB. Con estos resultados se comprueba que el comportamiento encontrado por la planta simulada en tiempo real es prácticamente la misma que la obtenida por otros métodos, llegando al mismo valor en el tiempo establecido en las simulaciones. Palabra(s) Clave: Control, Sistema, Función de transferencia, tiempo real. AbstractThis document shows the development of the first order thermal system programmed in a National Instruments MyRio embedded system that can handle real time. It shows the obtaining of the dynamic model of the system and its solution using numerical methods, specifically the method of Euler made forward, in order to obtain the real-time response of this type of systems physically used in control theory.The programming of the method is shown and the results obtained are compared against the solution obtained using MATLAB Simulink. With these results it is verified that the behavior found by the simulated plant in real time is really the same as obtaining other methods, reaching the same value in the time established in the simulations.Keyword (s): Control, System, Transfer function, real tim

GENERACIÓN DE UN PATRÓN PWM PARA UN CONVERTIDOR CD-CD BIDIRECCIONAL DOBLE PUENTE ACTIVO.

ResumenEn el presente artículo se muestra el desarrollo de la generación de un patrón PWM para el control de un convertidor doble puente activo, el cual es un convertidor CD-CD bidireccional. Este convertidor puede ser usado en micro redes de CD como una alternativa para permitir el flujo de potencia entre un sistema de almacenamiento y el bus de CD que alimenta a las cargas. El patrón es programado en LabVIEW el cual permite programar utilizando un lenguaje gráfico, lo que lo hace más sencillo que un lenguaje de descripción de hardware. La implementación del patrón se realiza en una tarjeta MyRIO que utiliza una arquitectura SoC.Palabra(s) Clave(s): FPGA, Micro red de CD, MyRIO, LabVIEW, Patrón PWM, Puente activo dual. GENERATION PWM PATTERN FOR A BIDIRECTIONAL CD-CD CONVERTER DOUBLE BRIDGE ACTIVE AbstractThe present article shows the development of the generation of a PWM pattern for the control of an active double bridge convertor, which is a DC-DC bidirectional convertor. This convertor can be used on micro DC nets like an alternative to allow the power flow between a storage system and the DC bus that feeds the loads. The pattern is programmed in LabVIEW which allows programming using graphic language, which make it simpler than a hardware description language. The implementation of the pattern it’s done on a MyRIO card that uses a SoC architecture.Keywords: FPGA, Micro DC net, MyRIO, LabVIEW, PWM Pattern, Active Dual Bridge

CONVERTIDOR CD-CD PUENTE COMPLETO EN MODO DE CONDUCCIÓN CONTINUA, AISLADO, A 1.2 KW PARA SU APLICACIÓN EN UNA MICRO-RED DE CD. (COMPLETE BRIDGE DC-DC CONVERTER IN CONTINUOUS DRIVING MODE, ISOLATED AT 1.2 KW FOR APPLICATION IN A DC MICRO-NETWORK)

Resumen   En este documento se presenta el desarrollo de un convertidor CD-CD para su aplicación en una Micro-Red de CD. El convertidor se diseñó para operar en lazo cerrado a una potencia de 1.2 KW y ser interconectado entre un bus de 190 V y uno de 125 V; en la sección 1 se presenta el principio de operación del convertidor. La sección 2 presenta la metodología de diseño del convertidor; se desarrolló un instrumento virtual en LabVIEW, en donde se implementó el procedimiento de diseño para obtener los valores mínimos necesarios de los elementos almacenadores de energía para operar al convertidor en modo de conducción continua. Se desarrolló también un instrumento virtual en LabVIEW para generar los pulsos de control del convertidor; desde la Interfaz Gráfica de Usuario se pueden configurar los diferentes modos de operación de los pulsos de control de los puentes activos que se están generando en el dispositivo programable MyRIO. En la sección e se presentan los resultados experimentales obtenidos al conectar diferentes cargas al convertidor.Palabra(s) Clave: Aislamiento, Bidireccional, Bus, Convertidor CD-CD, Micro Red. AbstractThis document presents the development of a DC - DC converter for application in a DC Micro-Grid. The converter was designed to operate in a closed loop at a power of 1.2 KW and be interconnected between a 190 V bus and a 125 V bus; Section 1 presents the principle of operation of the converter. Section 2 presents the converter design methodology; a virtual instrument was developed in LabVIEW, where the design procedure was implemented to obtain the minimum necessary values of the energy storage elements to operate the converter in continuous driving mode. A virtual instrument was also developed in LabVIEW to generate the control pulses of the converter; from the Graphical User Interface the different modes of operation of the control pulses of the active bridges that are being generated in the MyRIO programmable device can be configured. In section e the experimental results obtained by connecting different loads to the converter are presented.Keywords: Isolated, Bidirectional, Bus, DC-DC converter, Micro-grid

Análisis económico del uso de clorhidrato de zilpaterol en la alimentación de corderas

Con el objetivo de realizar un análisis económico sobre el uso de clorhidrato de zilpaterol en ovinos se realizó una investigación con datos provenientes de la engorda de 24 corderas Dorper - Pelibuey en finalización mediante la técnica de costos, ingresos y rentabilidad. Los animales se dividieron en dos grupos de 12 corderas cada uno: Testigo (T1), alimentados con una dieta basal + 100 g de trigo molido, y (T2), que recibieron la dieta basal + 100 g de trigo molido con 10 mg de clorhidrato de zilpaterol (CZ) cada animal durante 24 horas, por 34 días. El contenido de la dieta tuvo 15.8% de proteína cruda (PC) y 2.8 Mcal/kg de energía metabolizable (EM), con un costo de producción de $3.96 por kg. Las variables de interés fueron peso inicial, peso final, ganancia de peso, conversión alimenticia y peso en canal. Para T1 el costo de producción, ingreso y ganancia/animal, por venta en canal, fueron de$823.1, $918.4 y$95.3, mientras que para T2 fueron de $863.8,$1,111.0 y $247.1, respectivamente. Asimismo,la relación beneficio-costo (RB/C) en canal para T1 fue de 1.11 y para T2 de 1.29. Se concluye que la rentabilidad fue mayor en animales suplementados en la dieta con clorhidrato de zilpaterol en relación con los animales testigo

Composition and biological activity of the essential oil peruvian lantana camara

The composition of the essential oil from Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts was examined by GC, GC/MS, and 13C-NMR. The GC analysis showed that carvone is the most abundant monoterpene 75.9%, together with limonene 16.9%, accounting for 92.8% of the oil. The major components were also tested by 13C-NMR analysis of the essential oil. The L. camara oil was assayed against several microorganisms, showing moderate antibacterial activity against the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (MIC  200  μg/ml). High antioxidant activity evaluated by the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay (TEAC) was found (29.0  mmol Trolox/kg) and relative low anti-inflammatory activity due to its weak ability for inhibiting lipoxygenase (IC50  =   81.5  μg/ml)

Zilpaterol hydrochloride improves growth performance and carcass traits without affecting wholesale cut yields of hair sheep finished in feedlot

Growth of the sheep meat industry throughout the world has been slow compared with meat industries of other domestic animals. Therefore, increasing productivity and efficiency of sheep meat production are key factors to enhance the competi- tiveness of this industry (Montossi et al. 2013). The use of β2- adrenergic agonists (β2-AA) as growth promoters has demon- strated to increase sheep meat production by improving protein deposition in muscle (Domínguez-Vara et al. 2013). The use of such technology in the lamb fattening systems could be a nutritional strategy to improve their competitiveness.Fourteen Dorper × Pelibuey ram lambs (initial body weight [BW] = 37.4 ± 1.0 kg and age = 4.5 mo) were housed in individual pens during a 30-d feeding period, and then slaughtered to determine the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on productive performance, carcass characteristics and wholesale cut yields. Lambs were assigned under a randomized complete block design (initial BW as blocking factor) to one of two dietary treatments: basal diet without (control) or with 10 mg daily of ZH/lamb. Lambs fed ZH had greater (P ≤ .04) final BW, average daily gain and dry matter intake, but similar (P = .24) feed efficiency compared with control lambs. Hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage, longissimus muscle area and leg perimeter were greater (P ≤ .05) for ZH-fed lambs than for control lambs. With exception of blood percentage which decreased (P < .01) with ZH, wholesale cut yields and non-carcass components were unaffected (P ≥ .12) by ZH supplementation. In conclusion, ZH can be used to improve growth rate and dressing percentage, but not to increase wholesale cut yields in feedlot finishing ram lambs.This study was supported by PROMEP-SEP under the thematic network ‘Uso de Promotores de Crecimiento en Ovinos de Pelo (2014–2017