Physical exercise is a systematic sequence of movements executed with a predefined purpose. This muscular activity impacts not only on circulatory adaptations, but also neuronal integration with the ...potential to influence cognition. The aim of this review was to determine whether the literature supports the idea that physical exercise promotes cognitive benefits in healthy adults.
A systematic search for relevant articles was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis criteria using available databases (PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, Google Scholar and CENTRAL). The search terms included "humans" or "adults" or "cognition" or "awareness" or "cognitive dissonance" or "cognitive reserve" or "comprehension" or "consciousness" and "motor activity" or "exercise" or "physical fitness," and not "aged" or "nervous system diseases," with the purpose of finding associations between moderate physical exercise and cognition. A methodological quality and risk of bias unit assessed the eligibility of articles.
A total of 7179 articles were identified. Following review and quality assessment, three articles were identified to fulfill the inclusion criteria. An association between moderate physical exercise and cognition was observed. Improvements in cognitive parameters such as reduced simple reaction time, improved response precision and working memory were identified among the included articles.
This systematic review found that moderate physical exercise improves cognition.
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an onco-hematologic disease with distinct levels of peripheral blood cytopenias, dysplasias in cell differentiation and various forms of chromosomal and cytogenomic ...alterations. In this study, the Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA) was performed in patients with primary MDS without numerical and/or structural chromosomal alterations in karyotypes. A total of 17 patients was evaluated by GTG banding and eight patients showed no numerical and/or structural alterations. Then, the CMA was carried out and identified gains and losses CNVs and long continuous stretches of homozygosity (LCSHs). They were mapped on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, X, and Y. Ninety-one genes that have already been implicated in molecular pathways important for cell viability were selected and in-silico expression analyses demonstrated 28 genes differentially expressed in mesenchymal stromal cells of patients. Alterations in these genes may be related to the inactivation of suppressor genes or the activation of oncogenes contributing to the evolution and malignization of MDS. CMA provided additional information in patients without visible changes in the karyotype and our findings could contribute with additional information to improve the prognostic and personalized stratification for patients.
The lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (PFL) was adsorbed on superparamagnetic NiZnFe2O4 octyl-nanoparticles via interfacial activation, producing the biocatalyst OCTYL-NANO-PFL. In order to further ...improve the stability of the immobilized lipase, the immobilized enzyme biocatalyst was chemically modified with different concentrations of diverse bifunctional molecules (glutaraldehyde (GA), divinylsulfone (DVS) or p-benzoquinone (BQ)). The concentrations of bifunctional agents were varied (0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5% (v/v for GA and DVS and w/v for BQ)). The results showed a greatly improved stability after chemical modification with all bifunctional molecules, mainly with 5% (v/v) GA or 1% (v/v) DVS. The biocatalysts OCTYL-NANO-PFL-GA 5% and -DVS 1% were about 60 folds more stable at pH 7 than the unmodified preparation and, at pH 5, >200 folds for 5% GA modified enzyme. The most stable BQ treated biocatalysts, OCTYL-NANO-PFL-BQ 0.5%, was about 8.3 more stable than OCTYL-NANO-PFL at pH 7, while was 20 fold more stable at pH 9.
•New NiZnFe2O4 nanoparticles coated with octyl have been prepared and characterized.•PFL has been immobilized on the nanoparticles with high activity recovery.•Treatment with glutaraldehyde, divinyl sulfone or p-benzoquinone permitted to improve enzyme stability.•The stabilization depends on the inactivation pH.•Effective intermolecular crosslinking of immobilized PFL with all reagents was found.
Bacon is a product made from pork meat that is subjected to curing, drying, and smoking. Researchers aim to associate the worldwide high-acceptance of such a product with the sensory and chemical ...properties of bacon. In this context, the objective of the present study was to characterize bacon samples smoked with different woods from reforestation using chemical and sensory methodologies, which were subsequently correlated by means of statistical multi-block analysis. Volatile compounds (VCs) of the smoked bacons were studied using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the consumer sensory perception was explored by the Napping technique. VCs were identified in smoked samples, which triggered sensory attributes related to odor, flavor, and texture, such as “smoky flavor”, “salty taste”, “pleasant taste”, “woodsy flavor”, and “hard texture”. Multi-block analysis showed that the sensory attributes were associated with a group of VCs and not by a single compound.
Display omitted
•Thirty-nine volatile compounds (VCs) were found in bacons, mainly aldehydes and phenols.•Most of the VCs have been related to the Eucalyptus-smoked bacon and the commercial sample.•Sensory attributes were significantly different between bacon samples.•Eucalyptus sample was perceived as woodsy and pleasant and Acacia sample as smoked.•Aldehydes, phenols and ketones were the VCs most related to woodsy and pleasant terms.
A combined experimental and theoretical study was conducted on the structure and electronic properties of α-Ag2WO4 to clarify the nucleation and growth processes of Ag filaments on α-Ag2WO4 crystals ...induced by electron beam irradiation under electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction with Rietveld analysis, micro-Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to analyze the structural order/disorder of α-Ag2WO4 crystals. These complementary techniques indicated that the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method employed in the synthesis of α-Ag2WO4 crystals leads to the freezing of distorted WO6 and AgO y (y = 2, 4, 6 and 7) clusters as the constituent polyhedra of α-Ag2WO4. On the basis of the theoretical and experimental results, we provide a complete assignment of the structure of α-Ag2WO4 and describe the relationship among the disorder, nucleation growth, rate of Ag formation, and photoluminescence behavior before and after the irradiation of the accelerated electron beam. Density functional theory (DFT) studies indicated significant changes in the order–disorder of the initial α-Ag2WO4electronic structure, with a decrease in the band gap value from 3.55 to 2.72 eV. The first stages of the electron irradiation on α-Ag2WO4 crystal were investigated by DFT calculations, and we have derived a mechanism to describe the formation and growth of Ag filaments during the electronic excitation of the AgO2 cluster.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive breast cancer subtype. The high rate of metastasis associated to the fact that these cells frequently display multidrug resistance, make ...the treatment of metastatic disease difficult. Development of antitumor metal-based drugs was started with the discovery of cisplatin, however, the severe side effects represent a limitation for its clinical use. Ruthenium (Ru) complexes with different ligands have been successfully studied as prospective antitumor drugs. In this work, we demonstrated the activity of a series of biphosphine bipyridine Ru complexes (1) Ru(SO4)(dppb)(bipy), (2) Ru(CO3)(dppb)(bipy), (3) Ru(C2O4)(dppb)(bipy) and (4) Ru(CH3CO2)(dppb)(bipy)PF6 where dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, on proliferation of TNBC (MDA-MB-231), estrogen-dependent breast tumor cells (MCF-7) and a non-tumor breast cell line (MCF-10A). Complex (4) was most effective among the complexes and was selected to be further investigated on effects on tumor cell adhesion, migration, invasion and in apoptosis. Moreover, DNA and HSA binding properties of this complex were also investigated. Results show that complex (4) was more efficient inhibiting proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells over non-tumor cells. In addition, complex (4) was able to inhibit MDA-MB231 cells adhesion, migration and invasion and to induce apoptosis and inhibit MMP-9 secretion in TNBC cells. Complex (4) should be further investigated in vivo in order to stablish its potential to improve breast cancer treatment.
Display omitted
•J-aggregates possess reverse saturable absorption in the whole spectral range studied.•Aggregation does not change the energy and electron transfer of triplet state.•The aggregates ...generate singlet oxygen and convert light energy into heat.•J-aggregates can be considered theranostic agents.
The present work reports the effects of meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS4) aggregation on its excited states absorption spectra, triplet states quenching by molecular oxygen and singlet oxygen production. Experimental techniques such as optical absorption, Z-scan with a white light continuum source and the Laser Flash Photolysis were used to fulfil the study. J-aggregates possess reverse saturable absorption in the 505–660 nm spectral range with a peak centered close to 540 nm. These facts together with their fast relaxation time suggest that they can be employed as material for ultrafast optical limiting and switching. Even though aggregation reduces the porphyrin excited-state lifetimes and quantum yields, it does not reduce the probability of the contact between the quencher and the excited aggregate. Aggregation does not change the contribution of energy transfer mechanisms to triplet state quenching by molecular oxygen. The production of singlet oxygen, the intense absorption in the phototherapeutic window and the high efficiency of conversion of light energy into heat, allow consider J-aggregates as a theranostic agent for photomedicine. It is proposed to use J-aggregates for diagnostics by photoacoustic images and in combination with a near-infrared photodynamic/photothermal dual mode therapy, thus improving synergistically the therapeutic response.
Advances in genotyping technologies have contributed to a better understanding of human population genetic structure and improved the analysis of association studies. To analyze patterns of human ...genetic variation in Brazil, we used SNP data from 1129 individuals--138 from the urban population of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and 991 from 11 populations of the HapMap Project. Principal components analysis was performed on the SNPs common to these populations, to identify the composition and the number of SNPs needed to capture the genetic variation of them. Both admixture and local ancestry inference were performed in individuals of the Brazilian sample. Individuals from the Brazilian sample fell between Europeans, Mexicans, and Africans. Brazilians are suggested to have the highest internal genetic variation of sampled populations. Our results indicate, as expected, that the Brazilian sample analyzed descend from Amerindians, African, and/or European ancestors, but intermarriage between individuals of different ethnic origin had an important role in generating the broad genetic variation observed in the present-day population. The data support the notion that the Brazilian population, due to its high degree of admixture, can provide a valuable resource for strategies aiming at using admixture as a tool for mapping complex traits in humans.
Background and Purpose- The increasing demand and shortage of experts to evaluate and treat acute stroke patients has led to the development of remote communication tools to aid stroke management. We ...aimed to evaluate the JOIN App smartphone system-a low-cost tool for rapid clinical and neuroimaging data sharing to expedite decision-making in stroke. Methods- Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated at a University Hospital in Brazil from December 2014 to December 2015 were evaluated. The analysis included all patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke who underwent initial evaluation by neurology residents followed by JOIN teleconsultation with a stroke neurologist on call for management decisions. An expert panel of stroke neurologists and neuroradiologists revised all cases using a standard Picture Archiving and Communication System imaging workstation within 24 hours and analyzed the decision made with remote assistance during the emergency setting. Results- A total of 720 stroke codes were evaluated with 442 acute ischemic stroke qualifying. Seventy-eight (18%) patients were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. The main reasons for tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) exclusion were symptom onset >4.5 hours (n=295; 67%) and hypodense middle cerebral artery territory area >1/3 (n=31; 7%). The agreement rates between Picture Archiving and Communication System versus JOIN-based thrombolysis decisions were 100% for the stroke (unblinded) and 99.3% for the neuroradiologist (blinded) experts. The use of the application resulted in a significant reduction in the door-to-needle times across the pre- versus postimplementation periods (median, 90 interquartile range, 75-106 versus 63 interquartile range, 61-117 minutes;
=0.03). The rates of 90-day excellent outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, 0-1) were 51.3%; 90-day mortality, 2.6%; and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 3.8%. Conclusions- The JOIN smartphone system allows rapid sharing of clinical and imaging data to facilitate decisions for stroke treatment. The remote application-based decisions seem to be as accurate as the physical presence of stroke experts and might lead to faster times to treatment. This system represents an easily implementable low-cost telemedicine solution for centers that cannot afford the full-time presence of stroke specialists.
We report the structural evolution of BiPO
4
prepared in aqueous under different synthesis conditions viz., templates and temperatures to explore their electrochemical performance for supercapacitor ...applications. The templates (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were added in bismuth precursor solution at 60 °C, alternatively ethylene glycol (EG), a less toxic additive was incorporated at 90 °C. BiPO
4
exhibits a monoclinic phase, whereas a hexagonal structure was observed with the addition of the templates SDS and CTAB. Interestingly, both monoclinic and hexagonal phases were obtained by the addition of EG. The presence of mixed phase was thoroughly validated through Raman spectra, where vibrational modes for both monoclinic and hexagonal phases of BiPO
4
-EG were witnessed. The effect of template was clearly seen through electron microscopy with a rod-like morphology with (no template) and unfaceted (template). The electrochemical behavior of the synthesized materials was investigated, and it was found that the mixed structure of BiPO
4
-EG exhibited the highest specific capacity (167.15 C g
−1
) at a scan rate of 5 mV s
−1
, good capacitance retention at high current densities of up to 10 A g
−1
and the lowest electrochemical series resistance (ESR) of 57 Ω.
Graphical abstract
PDF
