Disorder-specific functional abnormalities during sustained attention in youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and with Autism

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often comorbid and share behavioural-cognitive abnormalities in sustained attention. A key question is whether this shared cognitive phenotype is based on common or different underlying pathophysiologies. To elucidate this question, we compared 20 boys with ADHD to 20 age and IQ matched ASD and 20 healthy boys using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a parametrically modulated vigilance task with a progressively increasing load of sustained attention. ADHD and ASD boys had significantly reduced activation relative to controls in bilateral striato–thalamic regions, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior parietal cortex. Both groups also displayed significantly increased precuneus activation relative to controls. Precuneus was negatively correlated with the DLPFC activation, and progressively more deactivated with increasing attention load in controls, but not patients, suggesting problems with deactivation of a task-related default mode network in both disorders. However, left DLPFC underactivation was significantly more pronounced in ADHD relative to ASD boys, which furthermore was associated with sustained performance measures that were only impaired in ADHD patients. ASD boys, on the other hand, had disorder-specific enhanced cerebellar activation relative to both ADHD and control boys, presumably reflecting compensation. The findings show that ADHD and ASD boys have both shared and disorder-specific abnormalities in brain function during sustained attention. Shared deficits were in fronto–striato–parietal activation and default mode suppression. Differences were a more severe DLPFC dysfunction in ADHD and a disorder-specific fronto–striato–cerebellar dysregulation in ASD

Study ecotoxicity of biodiesel from residual oils and fats and the effects of salinity aquatic ecosystems

The increasing use of biodiesel raised concerns about its toxicological effects on the environment. However, few studies have analyzed the impact of biodiesel, especially ethyl biodiesel from residual frying oils and fats (RFOF), on aquatic organisms. Here, were used biodiesel produced by acid esterification followed the alkali transesterification and biodiesel produced by saponification, acidification and two acids esterification, both in the laboratory and their mixtures (B100, B20, and B7). The eluates were obtained by mixing biodiesel with saline water and tested the effect of several concentrations of them on the mortality rate of nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia salina. The results of study showed that blend of diesel with greater proportion of biodiesel caused less mortality rate to A. salina nauplii. The saline eluate with 93% diesel and 7 % biodiesel (E4 and E10) showed the mortality of A. salina on 50% eluate exposure while E7 it was 90%. The mixture does increase toxicity with the presence of diesel, B100, only in E8 mortality occurred (LD50 = 100%). Conversely, the eluates ER1/100 and ER2/100 produced from ethyl biodiesel of RFOF R1 and R2 biodiesel, respectively, did not have toxicity

3D scaffolds to model the hematopoietic stem cell niche: applications and perspectives

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are responsible for the production of blood and immune cells during life. HSC fate decisions are dependent on signals from specialized microenvironments in the bone marrow, termed niches. The HSC niche is a tridimensional environment that comprises cellular, chemical, and physical elements. Introductorily, we will revise the current knowledge of some relevant elements of the niche. Despite the importance of the niche in HSC function, most experimental approaches to study human HSCs use bidimensional models. Probably, this contributes to the failure in translating many in vitro findings into a clinical setting. Recreating the complexity of the bone marrow microenvironment in vitro would provide a powerful tool to achieve in vitro production of HSCs for transplantation, develop more effective therapies for hematologic malignancies and provide deeper insight into the HSC niche. We previously demonstrated that an optimized decellularization method can preserve with striking detail the ECM architecture of the bone marrow niche and support HSC culture. We will discuss the potential of this decellularized scaffold as HSC niche model. Besides decellularized scaffolds, several other methods have been reported to mimic some characteristics of the HSC niche. In this review, we will examine these models and their applications, advantages, and limitations143FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP2013/17227-

Using plant-based preparations to protect common bean against halo blight disease: the potential of nettle to trigger the immune system

Halo blight disease of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Pph), is responsible for severe losses in crop production worldwide. As the current agronomic techniques used are not effective, it is necessary to search for new ones which may prevent disease in common bean. In this study, we challenged four plant-based preparations (PBPs), with no other agronomic uses, as they come from industrial waste (grapevine pomace (R-G) and hop residue (R-H)) or wild plants (Urtica dioica (U) and Equisetum sp. (E)), to be used as immune defense elicitors against Pph in common bean. After studying their inhibitory effect against Pph growth by bioassays, the two most effective PBPs (R-G and U) were applied in common bean plants. By measuring the total H2O2, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymatic activities, as well as the expression of six defense-related genes-PR1, WRKY33, MAPKK, RIN4, and PAL1-, it was observed that U-PBP application involved a signaling redox process and the overexpression of all genes, mostly PR1. First infection trials in vitro suggested that the application of U-PBP involved protection against Pph. The elicitation of bean defense with U-PBP involved a decrease in some yield parameters, but without affecting the final production. All these findings suggest a future use of U-PBP to diminish halo blight disease

Associations of SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold values with age, gender, sample collection setting, and pandemic period

Cycle threshold (Ct) values in COVID-19 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests estimate the viral load in biological samples. Studies have investigated variables associated with SARS-CoV-2 viral load, aiming to identify factors associated with higher transmissibility. Using the results from tests performed between May/2020-July/2022 obtained from the database of a referent hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, we investigated associations between Ct values and patient’s age, gender, sample collection setting and pandemic period according to the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant locally. We also examined variations in Ct values, COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and vaccination coverage over time. The study sample included 42,741 tests. Gender was not significantly associated with Ct values. Age, sample collection setting and the pandemic period were significantly associated with Ct values even after adjustment to the multivariable model. Results showed lower Ct values in older groups, during the Gamma and Delta periods, and in samples collected in emergency units; and higher Ct values in children under 10 years old, home-based tests, during the Omicron period. We found evidence of a linear trend in the association between age and Ct values, with Ct values decreasing as age increases. We found no clear temporal associations between Ct values and local indicators of COVID-19 incidence, mortality, or vaccination between February/2020-November/2022. Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 Ct values, a proxy for viral load and transmissibility, can be influenced by demographic and epidemiological variables

COLLAGE: a collaborative Learning Design editor based on patterns

CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) constitutes a significant field that has drawn the attention of many researchers and practitioners (Dillenbourg, 2002). This domain is characterized by the coexistence of very different expectations, requirements, knowledge and interests posed by both collaborative learning practitioners and experts in information and communication technologies. In other words, CSCL is an intrinsically interdisciplinary field that implies a need for mutual understanding among the implied stakeholders. This need demands the active participation of all these stakeholders during the whole development cycle of CSCL solutions. Participatory Design (PD) approaches (Muller & Kuhn, 1993) propose a diversity of theories, practices, etc. with the goal of working directly with users and other stakeholders in the design of social systems. That is, PD methodologies define processes where users and developers work together during a certain period of time, while they identify the requirements of an application. In the CSCL case, it has been shown that it is not efficient enough to simply perform the identification and analysis of requirements for the development of CSCL solutions that support effective ways of learning. Collaborative learning practitioners also become active players in the process of customizing technological solutions to their particular needs in every learning situation. PD poses a new requirement that CSCL developers should tackle: how to obtain technological solutions for collaborative learning capable of being particularized/customized by practitioners that usually do not have technological skills

La dimensió subjectiva de la mobilitat a Catalunya. Anàlisi de 10 anys d'evolució (2008- 2018)

El treball de recerca pretén investigar i analitzar diferents percepcions de la població catalana segons el gènere, l'edat, l'ocupació i l'àmbit territorial envers la mobilitat els dies feiners (de dilluns a divendres no festius) de la població de 16 i més anys. Això s'ha dut a terme mitjançant les dades anuals proporcionades per l'Enquesta de Mobilitat en dia Feiner(EMEF). Té com a objectiu representar els patrons generals de mobilitat seguint l'evolució del període (2008-2018), tenint en compte l'opinió i la percepció que té la ciutadania respecte al transport en els seus desplaçaments quotidians. A partir dels resultats obtinguts, s'analitza la variació pel que fa a la satisfacció dels enquestats, tenint en compte el tipus d'elecció modal (mobilitat activa, transport públic i transport privat) en un període de 10 anys. Per fer-ho, s'utilitza el suport de taules i gràfiques representatives per mostrar de manera visual tota la informació.El trabajo de investigación pretende analizar diferentes percepciones de la población catalana según el género, edad, ocupación y ámbito territorial referente a la movilidad los días laborables (de lunes a viernes no festivos) de la población de 16 y más años. Esto se ha llevado a cabo mediante los datos anuales proporcionados por la "Enquesta de Mobilitat en dia Feiner" (EMEF). Tiene como objetivo representar los patrones generales de movilidad siguiendo la evolución a lo largo del periodo (200-2018), teniendo en cuenta la opinión y percepción que tiene la ciudadanía respecto al transporte en sus desplazamientos cotidianos. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, se analiza la variación por lo que se refiere a la satisfacción de los encuestados, teniendo en cuenta el tipo de elección modal (movilidad activa, transporte público y transporte privado) en un periodo de 10 años (2008-2018). Para hacerlo, se utiliza el soporte de tablas y gráficas representativas para mostrar de manera visual toda la información.This final degree project aims to investigate and analyze different perceptions of the Catalan population according to gender, age, occupation and territorial scope towards mobility on weekdays (from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays), from the population of 16 and over years. This has been done using the annual data provided by the "Enquesta de Mobilitat en dia Feiner" (EMEF). Its purpose is to determine the general patterns of mobility following the evolution throughout the period (200-2018), taking into account the opinion and perception that citizens have regarding transportation in their daily commute. Based on the results obtained, the variation has been analyzed in terms of the satisfaction of the surveyed, taking into account the type of modal choice (active mobility, public transport and private transport) over a period of 10 years (2008-2018). To do this, the representative tables and graphs have been used to visually display all the information

Seasons and Other Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Asthmatic Children

[email protected]: To study the effect of seasons on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of asthmatic children. Methods: Four groups of asthmatic children 7 to 14 years old were recruited by pediatricians during each season of the year. Their HRQL was assessed by means of the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). Other factors surveyed were asthma severity, atopy, medical treatment, immunotherapy, obesity, parental smoking, and anti-allergic measures. Results: The mean (SD) overall PAQLQ score was highest in summer at 6.2 (1.0) and lowest in autumn at 5.5 (1.2). The same trend was found for domains in summer and autumn, respectively: symptoms, 6.2 (1.0) vs 5.4 (1.4); emotions, 6.5 (0.8) vs 6.0 (1.0); and activities, 5.9 (1.4) vs 5.0 (1.5). Factors such as male gender (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confi dence interval [CI], 0.41–0.87), being on immunotherapy (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38–0.92), living in an urban environment (OR, 0.56; 0.33–0.93), and residing on the northern coast of Spain along the Bay of Biscay (OR, 0.56; 0.36-0.89) were independent protective factors against having a total PAQLQ score in the lower tertile. Conversely, being recruited in a primary care setting (OR, 1.55; 1.01–2.38) and having more severe asthma were risks for being in the lower tertile. Conclusions: Irrespective of the severity of the disease, season has a significant influence on the HRQL of asthmatic [email protected]