Efeito temporal de espécies vegetais no potencial de escoamento superficial e nas propriedades hidráulicas de substratos utilizados em telhados verdes para região de Curitiba-PR

Orientador: Robson André ArmindoCoorientador: Francine Lorena CuquelMonografia (graduação) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Curso de Graduação em Engenharia AmbientalInclui referênciasOs telhados verdes possuem impactos ambientais benéficos significativos em zonas urbanizadas. O principal benefício para o qual são promovidos e adotados está relacionado com a eficiência energética que esse sistema pode proporcionar às edificações. O substrato do telhado verde é sem dúvida o elemento mais importante de um telhado verde, fornecendo água, nutrientes e suporte físico para as plantas. Apesar disso, pouca investigação ocorre atualmente sobre o efeito da composição do substrato em relação às suas propriedades e funções hidráulicas, bem como em relação ao crescimento e desempenho fisiológico da vegetação do telhado verde. Para maior eficiência do telhado verde, é necessário que o substrato possua adequada densidade, boa aeração e boa capacidade de retenção de água, entre outras características. Deste modo, o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar as propriedades e funções físico-hidráulicas de diferentes substratos utilizados em telhados verdes avaliando o potencial de escoamento superficial. Deste modo, para simulações do movimento de água nos substratos, foi utilizado a software Hydrus 1-D. A simulação foi realizada durante 1 ano e meio (novembro de 2014, quando os telhados verdes experimentais foram instalados; e abril de 2016). Os resultados mostram que os substratos apresentaram potencial de escoamento superficial quando a intensidade da precipitação foi maior que 8 mm/dia, e que também dependeu das condições anteriores do substrato, além da precipitação antecedente. Obteve-se baixos valores de escoamento superficial, em média de 0,00005 cm/dia, mostrando a grande capacidade dos substratos analisados em permear água. A função de pedotransferência Rosetta foi avaliada na estimativa das propriedades hidráulicas de substratos, em que concluiu-se que este programa não é adequad

SoundScript - Supporting the acquisition of character writing by multisensory integration

This work is introducing a new movement sonification method called 'SoundScript' to support the acquisition of character writing by children. SoundScript creates 'sound traces' from the writing trace in real-time during the process of handwriting. The structural correlation of both - optic and acoustic - traces leads to an integrated audio-visual perception of writing with the expected stimulation of multisensory integration sites of the CNS. Data of a pilot study are introduced indicating that the writing kinematics is reproduced more adequately if additional sound traces are available during writing. In the future SoundScript shall be applied to verify if the establishment of internal character representations can be accelerated, if the conciseness of the specific shape of the particular characters can be made stronger and if thereby the efficiency of the handwriting learning process can be enhanced

Synergistic effect between plant extracts and fluoride to protect against enamel erosion: An in vitro study.

Polyphenol-rich solutions, such as plant extracts and teas, can modify the salivary pellicle and improve the protection against dental erosion. In this study, we further explored how these polyphenol-rich plant extracts solutions behave in the presence of fluoride. We distributed enamel specimens into 9 groups (n = 15): Control_No_F- (Deionized water); Control_F- (500 ppm F-), Grape_Seed_No_F- (Grape seed extract), Grape_Seed_F- (Grape seed extract + 500 ppm F-), Grapefruit_Seed_No_F- (Grapefruit seed extract), Grapefruit_Seed_F- (Grapefruit seed extract + 500 ppm F-), Blueberry_No_F- (Blueberry extract), Blueberry_F- (Blueberry extract + 500 ppm F-), and Sn2+/F-_Rinse (commercial solution containing 800 ppm Sn2+ and 500 ppm F-). The specimens were submitted to 5 cycles (1 cycle per day), and each cycle consisted of: salivary pellicle formation (human saliva, 30 min, 37°C), modification of the pellicle (2 min, 25°C), pellicle formation (60 min, 37°C), and an erosive challenge (1 min, citric acid). Between cycles, the specimens were kept in a humid chamber. Relative surface hardness (rSH), relative surface reflection intensity (rSRI) and calcium released to the acid were analysed, using general linear models, and Kruskal-Wallis with post-hoc Dunn's tests. We observed that the presence of fluoride in synergy with the extract solutions provided better protection than the groups containing extract or fluoride only. For rSH, we observed a significant main effect of extracts (F(4,117) = 9.20; p<0.001) and fluoride (F(1,117) = 511.55; p<0.001), with a significant interaction (F(3,117) = 6.71; p<0.001). Grape_Seed_F- showed the best protection, better than fluoride, and Sn2+/F-_Rinse. Calcium results also showed greater protection for the groups containing fluoride, whereas for rSRI, despite a significant interaction between extract and fluoride (F(3,117) = 226.05; p<0.001), the differences between the groups were not as clearly observed. We conclude that polyphenols from plant extracts, when combined with fluoride, improve the protective effect of salivary pellicles against enamel erosion

NF-κB regulates DNA double-strand break repair in conjunction with BRCA1–CtIP complexes

NF-κB is involved in immune responses, inflammation, oncogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Even though NF-κB can be activated by DNA damage via Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) signalling, little was known about an involvement in DNA repair. In this work, we dissected distinct DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms revealing a stimulatory role of NF-κB in homologous recombination (HR). This effect was independent of chromatin context, cell cycle distribution or cross-talk with p53. It was not mediated by the transcriptional NF-κB targets Bcl2, BAX or Ku70, known for their dual roles in apoptosis and DSB repair. A contribution by Bcl-xL was abrogated when caspases were inhibited. Notably, HR induction by NF-κB required the targets ATM and BRCA2. Additionally, we provide evidence that NF-κB interacts with CtIP–BRCA1 complexes and promotes BRCA1 stabilization, and thereby contributes to HR induction. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed accelerated formation of replication protein A (RPA) and Rad51 foci upon NF-κB activation indicating HR stimulation through DSB resection by the interacting CtIP–BRCA1 complex and Rad51 filament formation. Taken together, these results define multiple NF-κB-dependent mechanisms regulating HR induction, and thereby providing a novel intriguing explanation for both NF-κB-mediated resistance to chemo- and radiotherapies as well as for the sensitization by pharmaceutical intervention of NF-κB activation

Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells: Can We Re-Purpose a Potent Anti-Infection Mechanism for Cancer Therapy?

Cancer therapies based on in vivo stimulation, or on adoptive T cell transfer of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, have been tested in the past decades but have failed to provide consistent clinical efficacy. New, promising concepts such as γδ Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) -T cells and γδ T-cell engagers are currently under preclinical evaluation. Since the impact of factors, such as the relatively low abundance of γδ T cells within tumor tissue is still under investigation, it remains to be shown whether these effector T cells can provide significant efficacy against solid tumors. Here, we highlight key learnings from the natural role of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the elimination of host cells bearing intracellular bacterial agents and we translate these into the setting of tumor therapy. We discuss the availability and relevance of preclinical models as well as currently available tools and knowledge from a drug development perspective. Finally, we compare advantages and disadvantages of existing therapeutic concepts and propose a role for Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in immune-oncology next to Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 3 activating therapies

Recognizing the need for nursing support through energy data : a pilot project

Bei Personen im hohen Alter passieren 90 Prozent der Unfälle – wie zum Beispiel Stürze – zu Hause. Ein großer Anteil der Unfälle in Häusern betrifft Personen die älter sind als 65 Jahre. Das Erkennen von Aktivitäten kann dazu beitragen, dass Notfallsituationen frühzeitig erkannt werden. Bislang haben nur wenige Technologien zur Aktivitäts- und Notfallerkennung, welche in eine bestehende häusliche Infrastruktur integriert werden können, das Potenzial, die Sicherheit älterer, zu Hause lebender Personen zu erhöhen, indem Veränderungen im Alltag automatisch erkannt werden. Das Institut für Pflege (IFP) und das Institut für Energiesysteme und Fluid Engineering der ZHAW (IEFE) der Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) will mit einer Pilotstudie aufzeigen, dass Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens durch Energieverbrauchsdaten identifiziert werden können. Dazu wird untersucht, ob Daten aus einem Aktivitätsmonitoring-System dazu verwendet werden können, um einen pflegerischen Unterstützungsbedarf zu erkennen. Vor allem gebrechliche Personen über 70 Jahre, die sowohl kognitiv als auch sinnesbeeinträchtigt sind, könnten von intelligenten Technologien profitieren, was dazu beitragen kann, dass Personen im Alter länger zu Hause leben können. In older adults, 90 percent of accidents – such as falls – occur at home. A large proportion of accidents in homes affect people who are older than 65 years. Recognition of a pattern of activities can help ensure that emergency situations are detected early. Not many technologies for activity and emergency detection have the potential to improve the safety of older adults living alone. These technologies, which can be integrated into an existing domestic infrastructure, may automatically recognize changes in everyday life. The Institute of Nursing (IFP) and the Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE) of Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) wants to show with a pilot study whether activities of daily living can be identified by energy consumption data and whether data from an activity monitoring system can be used to detect needs that would benefit from nursing support. Especially elderly persons over 80 years who have cognitive or sensory impairments could benefit from intelligent technologies, which can help older adults to continue to live at home

Closed-loop auditory stimulation method to modulate sleep slow waves and motor learning performance in rats

Slow waves and cognitive output have been modulated in humans by phase-targeted auditory stimulation. However, to advance its technical development and further our understanding, implementation of the method in animal models is indispensable. Here, we report the successful employment of slow waves' phase-targeted closed-loop auditory stimulation (CLAS) in rats. To validate this new tool both conceptually and functionally, we tested the effects of up- and down-phase CLAS on proportions and spectral characteristics of sleep, and on learning performance in the single-pellet reaching task, respectively. Without affecting 24 hr sleep-wake behavior, CLAS specifically altered delta (slow waves) and sigma (sleep spindles) power persistently over chronic periods of stimulation. While up-phase CLAS does not elicit a significant change in behavioral performance, down-phase CLAS exerted a detrimental effect on overall engagement and success rate in the behavioral test. Overall CLAS-dependent spectral changes were positively correlated with learning performance. Altogether, our results provide proof-of-principle evidence that phase-targeted CLAS of slow waves in rodents is efficient, safe, and stable over chronic experimental periods, enabling the use of this high-specificity tool for basic and preclinical translational sleep research