Some queries retrieve points of interest (POIs) considering features in its neighborhood. The POIs are ranked in terms of the information needs defined by the user. However, the information provided ...by the users usually is not enough to distinguish the best POIs. Analyzing the distance between features and POIs, we propose a novel ranking function that extrapolates the information provided by the user. Recent findings suggest that the user’s interest in a POI increases as the distance between the POI and the feature decreases. We demonstrate the Pareto distribution suitability to model this interest in the ranking and propose two algorithms to search for POIs with the novel ranking function. Extensive experiments show that our method can boost ranking accuracy in comparison to top-ranked methods. The proposed ranking function achieves an average NDCG performance of 8.66% and Tau performance of 7.83% in comparison with the state-of-the-art ranking functions in real-world datasets.
•A spatial query based on user preference and query keywords is presented.•The movement pattern of the users is explored to retrieve places.•The Pareto distribution is exploited to model the average user pattern.•Performance on the proposed query model is evaluated on several datasets.
•PPS induces protracted depressive-like behaviors in H-CSR male rats.•H-CSR PPS rats have increased hippocampal TNF-α and microglia activation.•miR-342 is upregulated in the hippocampus of H-CSR PPS ...rats.•miR-342 expression positively correlates with TNF-α and microglial activation.•Depressive-like behaviors are associated with increased miR-342 expression.
Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as playing a critical role in depression. Early-life stress exposure and constitutive differences in glucocorticoid responsiveness to stressors are two key risk factors for depression, but their impacts on the inflammatory status of the brain is still uncertain. Moreover, there is a need to identify specific molecules involved in these processes with the potential to be used as alternative therapeutic targets in inflammation-related depression. Here, we studied how peripubertal stress (PPS) combined with differential corticosterone (CORT)-stress responsiveness (CSR) influences depressive-like behaviors and brain inflammatory markers in male rats in adulthood, and how these alterations relate to microglia activation and miR-342 expression. We found that high-CORT stress-responsive (H-CSR) male rats that underwent PPS exhibited increased anhedonia and passive coping responses in adulthood. Also, animals exposed to PPS showed increased hippocampal TNF-α expression, which positively correlated with passive coping responses. In addition, PPS caused long-term effects on hippocampal microglia, particularly in H-CSR rats, with increased hippocampal IBA-1 expression and morphological alterations compatible with a higher degree of activation. H-CSR animals also showed upregulation of hippocampal miR-342, a mediator of TNF-α-driven microglial activation, and its expression was positively correlated with TNF-α expression, microglial activation and passive coping responses. Our findings indicate that individuals with constitutive H-CSR are particularly sensitive to developing protracted depression-like behaviors following PPS exposure. In addition, they show neuro-immunological alterations in adulthood, such as increased hippocampal TNF-α expression, microglial activation and miR-342 expression. Our work highlights miR-342 as a potential therapeutic target in inflammation-related depression.
The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 caused a global pandemic. Due to the lack of treatment and vaccines, safety strategies must be found to stop the virus dissemination. The objective of this study was to ...evaluate the virucidal activity of ozonated water, a powerful oxidizing agent, against SARS-CoV-2. A special faucet was the source of ozonated water at a low concentration (0.2-0.8 ppm). At this concentration, tests with SARS-Cov-2 in Vero CCL81 lineage showed two log
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reduction in virus infectivity upon 1 min exposure to ozonated water, in comparison to controls. It shows the potential as an efficient and rapid alternative for controlling viral spread in hospitals and other environments.
We evaluated the antioxidant power of the natural extracts catechin, curcumin and quercetin on the oxidative stability of methylic cottonseed oil biodiesel by applying the simplex-centroid augmented ...mixture experimental design, in addition to verifying the existence and the type of synergy among the extracts. The oxidative stability was measured using Rancimat method (EN 14112) for biodiesel added with 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 ppm of additives, and compared with the commercial synthetic antioxidant butyl hydroxyanisole at the same concentrations. All additives had a positive effect on biodiesel oxidative stability; in addition, catechin and quercetin proved to be more efficient than the synthetic antioxidant, whereas curcumin showed similar results. The results also revealed that the interactions among the extracts varied not only with the proportion in which they were added to the biodiesel, but also with the total concentration, so that the increase in concentration reduced the magnitude of the synergistic effect.
In this paper, we address the problem of joint downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) channel estimation for millimeter wave (mmWave) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. Assuming a closed-loop and ...multifrequency-based channel training framework in which pilot signals received by multiple antenna mobile stations (MSs) are coded and spread in the frequency domain via multiple adjacent subcarriers, we propose two tensor-based semiblind receivers by capitalizing on the multilinear structure and sparse feature of the received signal at the BS equipped with a hybrid analog-digital beamforming (HB) architecture. As a first processing stage, the joint estimation of the compressed DL and UL channel matrices can be obtained in an iterative way by means of an alternating least squares (ALS) algorithm that capitalizes on a parallel factors model for the received signals. Alternatively, for more restricted scenarios, a closed-form solution is also proposed. From the estimated effective channel matrices, the users’ channel parameters such as angles of departure (AoD), angles of arrival (AoA), and path gains are then estimated in a second processing stage by solving independent compressed sensing (CS) problems (one for each MS). In contrast to the classical approach in the literature, in which the DL and UL channel estimation problems are usually considered as two separate problems, our idea is to jointly estimate both the DL and UL channels as a single problem by concentrating most of the processing burden for channel estimation at the BS side. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed receivers achieve a performance close to the classical approach that is applied on DL and UL communication links separately, with the advantage of avoiding complex computations for channel estimation at the MS side as well as dedicated feedback channels for each MS, which are attractive features for massive MIMO systems.
Highlights • Abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation leads to neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). • NFT are pathognomonic signals of Alzheimer’s disease. • ICV okadaic acid (OKA) induced to tau phosphorylation ...at fibrillogenic site 396. • We found a decreased glucose uptake in the hippocampus of OKA-treated rats. • Cognitive deficit, hippocampal gliosis and decrease of cerebrospinal fluid S100B also were found.
Local biodiversity can help students develop conservation attitudes regarding biodiversity. However, studies reveal students' preferences regarding exotic than local biodiversity. Therefore, more ...research can permit an improved understanding of the reasons for their interest in these organisms. This research aimed to investigate São Paulo state (Brazil) students' interests and perceptions about their local biodiversity and understand how teaching materials present this topic. A Likert-type questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding students' interests and perceptions. Textbooks and handouts analysis included counting quoted living beings and verifying their occurrence in local biomes using open-access datasets. Results showed that the students were less interested in local biodiversity than global biodiversity. They further expressed little knowledge about local biomes and their biodiversity. Teaching materials mostly name living beings that exist in Brazil. However, they offer few explicit examples of them in students' biome. Furthermore, regional teaching materials must deal with more contextualisation. Results from our study support previous research that suggests students need more than proximity to local biodiversity to be aware of it. Therefore, we recommend developing teaching materials focusing on local biodiversity, with follow-up studies examining their impact on student awareness of local biodiversity.
O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), an enzyme highly expressed in brain tissue, catalyzes the addition of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) to hydroxyl residues of serine and threonine of proteins. Brain ...protein O-GlcNAcylation is diminished in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and OGT targets include proteins of the insulin-signaling pathway (e.g., insulin receptor susbtrate-1, IRS-1). We hypothesized that ICV streptozotocin (STZ) also affects O-GlcNAc protein modification. We investigated hippocampal metabolic changes in Wistar rats, particularly OGT levels and insulin resistance, as well as related astroglial activities, immediately after ICV STZ administration (first week) and later on (fourth week). We found an early (at one week) and persistent (at fourth week) decrease in OGT in the ICV STZ model of AD, characterized by a spatial cognitive deficit. Consistent with this observation, we observed a decrease in protein O-GlnNAc modification at both times. Increased phosphorylation at serine-307 of IRS-1, which is related to insulin resistance, was observed on the fourth week. The decrease in OGT and consequent protein O-GlnNAc modifications appear to precede the decrease in glucose uptake and increment of the glyoxalase system observed in the hippocampus. Changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100B in the hippocampus, as well as the alterations in cerebrospinal fluid S100B, confirm the astrogliosis. Moreover, decreases in glutamine synthetase and glutathione content suggest astroglial dysfunction, which are likely implicated in the neurodegenerative cascade triggered in this model. Together, these data contribute to the understanding of neurochemical changes in the ICV STZ model of sporadic AD, and may explain the decreases in protein O-GlcNAc levels and insulin resistance observed in AD.
(1) Background: Lifestyles are referred to as conditioning factors for the frailty of older adults. However, there are few studies that explore its association. The objective of the present study is ...to analyze the association between sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors of older adults people with multidimensional frailty. (2) Methods: Descriptive and correlational study carried out with older adults people registered in a Health Unit in Portugal. Data were collected through a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire and application of the Individual Lifestyle Profile and Tilburg Frailty Index to assess the lifestyles and multidimensional frailty of older adults, respectively. This last instrument, being of a multidimensional nature, assesses not only physical, but also psychological and social frailty, with a cut-off point of 6. (3) Results: Of the 300 older adults who participated, most were female (60.3%) and had a mean age of 81.34 ± 6.75 years. Moreover, 60.3% of the sample were frail older adults. Gender, marital status, number of household members, number of chronic diseases, number of daily medications, self-perception of health status and lifestyle and use of a walking device were associated with multidimensional frailty (
≤ 0.001). Healthy eating habits, physical activity, relational behaviour, preventive behaviour, and stress management were significantly associated with lower physical, psychological, and social frailty (
≤ 0.001). (4) Conclusions: When community health workers are aware of multidimensional frailty predictors and their components, they can intervene early and, consequently, delay the onset and progression of frailty in older adults.
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