No impact of instructions and feedback on task integration in motor learning

This study examined the effect of instructions and feedback on the integration of two tasks. Task-integration of covarying tasks are thought to help dual-task performance. With complete task integration of covarying dual tasks, a dual-task becomes more like a single task and dual-task costs should be reduced as it is no longer conceptualized as a dual task. We covaried a tracking task with an auditory go/no-go task and tried to manipulate the extent of task-integration by using two different sets of instructions and feedback. A group receiving task-integration promoting instructions and feedback (N = 18) and a group receiving task-separation instructions and feedback (N = 20) trained a continuous tracking task. The tracking task covaried with the auditory go/no-go reaction time task because high-pitch sounds always occurred 250 ms before turns, which has been demonstrated to foster task integration before. The tracking task further contained a repeating segment to investigate implicit learning. Results showed that neither instructions, feedback, nor participants’ conceptualization of performing a single task vs. a dual task significantly affected task-integration. However, the covariation manipulation improved performance in both the tracking and the go/no-go task, exceeding performance in non-covarying and single tasks. We conclude that task-integration between covarying motor tasks is a robust phenomenon that is not influenced by instructions or feedback

A composição das aluviões do rio Neiva : indicadores do passado

A composição textural das aluviões do rio Neiva mostram que as áreas de fornecimento sedimentar são fora e dentro do canal. O sector a montante de Panque recebe grande quantidade de sdimentos provenientes das vertentes, por erosão das rochas com indícios de meteorização em condições distintas das que originaram as barras de cascalho, quartzítico, ainda conservadas no leito do canal no sector para jusante. Estas são indicadoras de condições de meteorização mais quentes e húmidas, semelhantes às que originaram os sedimentos da Formação de Alvarães. No entanto, a energia da corrente do Neiva tem sido de maior competência que a do sistema fluvial que originou a Formação de Alvarães.Abstract: The texture attributes of Neiva sediments were studied and compared to the Alvarães Formation. There were identified two sedimentary sources for Neiva sediments. The Neiva River is eroding older deposits channel. The actual alluvium is enriched with the quartzite clasts from those deposits that are mixed with the recent materials eroded from the basin rocks. The recent sediments are mainly of granite gravels and sands. They are results of different weathering processes. The quartzite gravels and the Alvarães Formation are indicators of chemical weathering processes at the source area. The recent material is supplied from the weathering conditions strongly influenced by the temperate climate. The Alvarães Formation was generated by less competence fluvial streams then Neiva River

Magnetic/plasmonic MnFe2O4/Au nanoparticles covered with lipid bilayers for applications in thermotherapy

In this work, three different types of magnetic/plasmonic nanoparticles were prepared: core-shell nanoparticles with a manganese ferrite core and a gold shell; plasmonic gold nanoparticles decorated with magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite; and magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite decorated with plasmonic gold nanoparticles. The structural, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of these nanoparticles were evaluated. In order to further develop applications in cancer therapy, the prepared mixed nanoparticles were covered with a lipid bilayer. The local heating capability of these nanosystems was tested through the quenching of rhodamine fluorescence incorporated in the lipid layer.Financial support by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013. A.R.O Rodrigues thanks the FCT for SFRH/BD/90949/2012 PhD grant and funding to MAP-Fis Doctoral Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of a selective and sensitive sensor for urate determination based on tris(1,10-phenantroline)copper(II) bis(tetracyanoquinodimethanide) adsorbed on carbon nanotubes

The present work describes the development of a selective electrochemical sensor for urate based on tris(1,10-phenantroline) copper(II) bis(tetracyanoquinodimethanide) (Cu(phen)(3)(TCNQ)(2)) adsorbed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). The composite material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composite material showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward oxidation of urate. The heterogeneous charge transfer rate constant (k') between the analyte and the sensor was determined using linear sweep voltammetry experiments. The composite material shows a linear range from 5 up to 2500 mu mol L-1 with limit of detection of 1.05 mu mol L-1 and limit of quantification of 3.50 mu mol L-1. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor for urate was sufficient for its determinationThe present work describes the development of a selective electrochemical sensor for urate based on tris(1,10-phenantroline)copper(II) bis(tetracyanoquinodimethanide) (Cu(phen)3(TCNQ)2) adsorbed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). The composite materi261020352045FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPEMA - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO A PESQUISA E AO DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO DO MARANHÃOsem informaçãosem informaçãosem informaçãoThe authors are grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), INCTBio, Rede Mineira de Química, and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Maranhão (FAPEMA

Comparative Cr, As and CCA induced Cytostaticity in mice kidney: a contribution to assess CCA toxicity

CCA (Chromium Copper Arsenate) treated wood, widely used in outdoor residential structures and playgrounds, poses considerable dangers of leaching of its components to the environment. In this study, mouse kidney samples were used to evaluate the effects of CCA, chromium trioxide (CrO3) and arsenic pentoxide (As2O5) on cell pathophysiology by flow cytometry. Samples were collected after 14, 24, 48 and 96 h of animal exposure. While Cr had no statistically significant cytostatic effects, As2O5 induced a S-phase delay in animals exposed for 24 h, and over time a G0/G1 phase blockage. The effects of CCA in S-phase were similar, but more severe than those of As2O5. Since environmental and public health hazards due to the long durability of CCA-treated wood products, these data confirm that CCA has profoundly toxic effects on cell cycle, distinct from the compounds themselves. These cytostatic effects support cell cycle dynamics as a valuable endpoint to assess the toxicity of remaining CCA-treated infrastructures, and the expected increased waste stream over the coming decades.publishe

Gestão da água e das águas residuais para uma viticultura e enologia sustentáveis no sul de Portugal - Revisão

Assessing sustainability of the wine industry requires improved characterization of its environmental impacts, namely in terms of water use. Therefore, quantification of water inputs and wastewater (WW) outputs is needed to highlight inefficiencies in wine production and related consequences for the environment. Water use and WW generation in irrigated viticulture and oenology remains insufficiently quantified for dry Mediterranean regions (e.g. South Portugal). This paper is focused on wine production under warm and dry climate conditions in the winegrowing region of Alentejo (South Portugal). This region experiences increasingly dry conditions, while the irrigated area keeps expanding, which puts exacerbates the pressure on existing local and regional water resources. Additionally, more erratic variation in climate conditions and the tendency for increasingly extreme climate events (e.g. heat waves) pose more challenges to Alentejo’s wine sector. We conclude that quantitative information on water use and management is not always easy to obtain or access, which hinders improved strategies and/or policies for water use at farm, winery and region-level. Up-to-date statistics and robust metrics can help to better characterize water use and WW flows for Alentejo’s wine region, while optimizing management in vineyards and wineries, in companies and region-wide. The paper is focused on a “Farm-Winery" scenario, which is the most common in South Portugal's wine sectorA avaliação da sustentabilidade da indústria vitivinícola requer uma caracterização detalhada do seu impacto ambiental, nomeadamente ao nível do factor água. A quantificação detalhada dos consumos de água e das águas residuais produzidas (WW) é crucial para identificação de ineficiências na indústria da vinha e do vinho. A utilização da água e a gestão dos efluentes em viticultura regada e na adega permanecem pouco quantificados nas regiões mediterrânicas. O presente trabalho centra-se na produção de vinho em condições de clima quente e seco, tomando como exemplo a região vitivinícola do Alentejo (Sul de Portugal). A região está sujeita a situações de seca mais frequentes e severas, enquanto a área regada continua em expansão, o que pressiona os recursos hídricos locais e regionais. Além disso, as condições climáticas altamente variáveis e a maior tendência para eventos climáticos extremos (e.g. ondas de calor) colocam desafios ao setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugal. Concluímos que a informação quantitativa relativa ao uso e gestão de água não está sempre facilmente disponível, limitando a otimização de estratégias e/ou políticas para o uso da água ao nível da vinha, da adega e da região. Dados atualizados e indicadores robustos podem ajudar a caracterizar melhor o uso de água e a geração de água residual na região vitivinícola do Alentejo, otimizando a gestão na vinha e na adega, ao nível da empresa e da região. O artigo centra-se num cenário de produtor-engarrafador (“Farm-Winery”), que é o mais comum no setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimal use of visual information in adolescents and young adults with developmental coordination disorder

Recent reports offer contrasting views on whether or not the use of online visual control is impaired in individuals with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). This study explored the optimal temporal basis for processing and using visual information in adolescents and young adults with DCD. Participants were 22 adolescents and young adults (12 males and 10 females; M = 19 years, SD = 3). Half had been diagnosed with DCD as children and still performed poorly on the movement assessment battery for children (DCD group; n = 11), and half reported typical development (TD group; n = 11) and were age- and gender-matched with the DCD group. We used performance on a steering task as a measure of information processing and examined the use of advance visual information. The conditions varied the duration of advance visual information: 125, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 ms. With increased duration of advance visual information, the TD group showed a pattern of linear improvement. For the DCD group, however, the pattern was best described by a U-curve where optimal performance occurred with about 750 ms of advance information. The results suggest that the DCD group has an underlying preference for immediate online processing of visual information. The exact timing for optimal online control may depend crucially on the task, but too much advance information is detrimental to performance

Molecular Characterization Of Intestinal Protozoa In Two Poor Communities In The State Of São Paulo, Brazil.

Several species of protozoa cause acute or chronic gastroenteritis in humans, worldwide. The burden of disease is particularly high among children living in developing areas of the world, where transmission is favored by lower hygienic standards and scarce availability of safe water. However, asymptomatic infection and polyparasitism are also commonly observed in poor settings. Here, we investigated the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in two small fishing villages, Porto Said (PS) and Santa Maria da Serra (SM), situated along the river Tietê in the State of São Paolo, Brazil. The villages lack basic public infrastructure and services, such as roads, public water supply, electricity and public health services. Multiple fecal samples were collected from 88 individuals in PS and from 38 individuals in SM, who were asymptomatic at the time of sampling and had no recent history of diarrheal disease. To gain insights into potential transmission routes, 49 dog fecal samples (38 from PS and 11 from SM) and 28 river water samples were also collected. All samples were tested by microscopy and PCR was used to genotype Giardia duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., Dientamoeba fragilis and Cryptosporidium spp. By molecular methods, the most common human parasite was Blastocystis sp. (prevalence, 45% in PS and 71% in SM), followed by D. fragilis (13.6% in PS, and 18.4% in SM) and G. duodenalis (18.2% in PS and 7.9% in SM); Cryptosporidium spp. were not detected. Sequence analysis revealed large genetic variation among Blastocystis samples, with subtypes (STs) 1 and 3 being predominant, and with the notable absence of ST4. Among G. duodenalis samples, assemblages A and B were detected in humans, whereas assemblages A, C and D were found in dogs. Finally, all D. fragilis samples from humans were genotype 1. A single dog was found infected with Cryptosporidium canis. River water samples were negative for the investigated parasites. This study showed a high carriage of intestinal parasites in asymptomatic individuals from two poor Brazilian villages, and highlighted a large genetic variability of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis.810

Molecular characterization of intestinal protozoa in two poor communities in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Several species of protozoa cause acute or chronic gastroenteritis in humans, worldwide. The burden of disease is particularly high among children living in developing areas of the world, where transmission is favored by lower hygienic standards and scarce availability of safe water. However, asymptomatic infection and polyparasitism are also commonly observed in poor settings. Here, we investigated the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in two small fishing villages, Porto Said (PS) and Santa Maria da Serra (SM), situated along the river Tiete in the State of Sao Paolo, Brazil. The villages lack basic public infrastructure and services, such as roads, public water supply, electricity and public health services. Multiple fecal samples were collected from 88 individuals in PS and from 38 individuals in SM, who were asymptomatic at the time of sampling and had no recent history of diarrheal disease. To gain insights into potential transmission routes, 49 dog fecal samples (38 from PS and 11 from SM) and 28 river water samples were also collected. All samples were tested by microscopy and PCR was used to genotype Giardia duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., Dientamoeba fragilis and Cryptosporidium spp. By molecular methods, the most common human parasite was Blastocystis sp. (prevalence, 45% in PS and 71% in SM), followed by D. fragilis (13.6% in PS, and 18.4% in SM) and G. duodenalis (18.2% in PS and 7.9% in SM); Cryptosporidium spp. were not detected. Sequence analysis revealed large genetic variation among Blastocystis samples, with subtypes (STs) 1 and 3 being predominant, and with the notable absence of ST4. Among G. duodenalis samples, assemblages A and B were detected in humans, whereas assemblages A, C and D were found in dogs. Finally, all D. fragilis samples from humans were genotype 1. A single dog was found infected with Cryptosporidium canis. River water samples were negative for the investigated parasites. This study showed a high carriage of intestinal parasites in asymptomatic individuals from two poor Brazilian villages, and highlighted a large genetic variability of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis8COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2011/52100-

The NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT2 attenuates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and improves insulin sensitivity in hepatocytes

Insulin resistance is a major predictor of the development of metabolic disorders. Sirtuins (SIRTs) have emerged as potential targets that can be manipulated to counteract age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes. SIRT2 has been recently shown to exert important metabolic effects, but whether SIRT2 regulates insulin sensitivity in hepatocytes is currently unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate this possibility and to elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we show that SIRT2 is downregulated in insulin-resistant hepatocytes and livers, and this was accompanied by increased generation of reactive oxygen species, activation of stress-sensitive ERK1/2 kinase, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Conversely, SIRT2 overexpression in insulin-resistant hepatocytes improved insulin sensitivity, mitigated reactive oxygen species production and ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction. Further analysis revealed a reestablishment of mitochondrial morphology, with a higher number of elongated mitochondria rather than fragmented mitochondria instigated by insulin resistance. Mechanistically, SIRT2 was able to increase fusion-related protein Mfn2 and decrease mitochondrial-associated Drp1. SIRT2 also attenuated the downregulation of TFAM, a key mtDNA-associated protein, contributing to the increase in mitochondrial mass. Importantly, we found that SIRT2 expression in PBMCs of human subjects was negatively correlated with obesity and insulin resistance. These results suggest a novel function for hepatic SIRT2 in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and raise the possibility that SIRT2 activators may offer novel opportunities for preventing or treating insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012: HealthyAging2020); COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation and Portuguese national funds via FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440, SFRH/BPD/109347/2015 to R.M.O., SFRH/BD/86655/2012 to L.N. and SFRH/BPD/111815/2015 to P.G.); FLAD Life Science 2020 Grant to A.C.R.; European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO Installation Grant to T.F.O.); DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB) to T.F.O