Effects of a cognitive stimulation software on attention,memory, and activities of daily living in Mexican older adults

Universal Access in the Information Society - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a cognitive stimulation software on attention, memory, reasoning, planning, and frequency of...     

Characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate production from Halomonas titanicae KHS3 and manufacturing of electrosprayed nanoparticles

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolymers accumulated by a diversity of bacterial strains as carbon and energy reserve when grown under unbalanced nutritional conditions. Among the wide spectrum of applications for these biopolymers, the generation of nano and microparticles has drawn huge attention. PHA nanoparticles showed a high surface-to-volume ratio that makes them interesting for pharmaceutical uses. Bacteria from the Halomonas genus became interesting tools for biopolymer production in the last years, due to its metabolic plasticity that allows them to grow in a wide spectrum of compounds and salt concentrations. Halomonas titanicae KHS3 was previously isolated based on their ability to grow using aromatic hydrocarbons as the sole carbon source. In this work, the novelty lies in the evaluation of PHA accumulation by H. titanicae KHS3. Accumulation was successfully observed and thoroughly characterized on various carbon sources. Irrespective of the carbon source employed for growth, our experimental conditions consistently yielded PHB as the sole material identified. The truly intriguing aspect of this study is that PHB solutions in glacial acetic acid demonstrated exceptional suitability for electrospraying processing. This groundbreaking development led to the creation of nanoparticles with unique characteristics that hold immense promise for a wide range of applications.     

Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Piperaceae Extracts and Nisin on Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is a gram‐positive aerobic bacterium. This bacterium resists pasteurization temperatures and low pH and is usually involved in the spoilage of juices and acidic drinks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activities of nisin and the species Piper (Piperaceae) on A. acidoterrestris. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by the broth microdilution method. The species Piper aduncum had the lowest MIC and an MBC of 15.6 μg/mL and was selected for fractionation. Six fractions were obtained, and the dichloromethane fraction (F.3) had the lowest MIC/MBC (7.81 μg/mL). The dichloromethane fraction was again fractionized, and a spectral analysis revealed that the compound was prenylated chromene (F.3.7). The checkerboard method demonstrated that the crude extract (CE) of P. aduncum plus nisin had a synergistic interaction (fractional inhibitory concentration [FIC] = 0.24). The bactericidal activity of (F.3.7) was confirmed by the time–kill curve. P. aduncum, nisin, and prenylated chromene exhibited strong antibacterial activity against the spores and vegetative cells of A. acidoterrestris. The results of this study suggest that extracts of the genus Piper may provide an alternative to the use of thermal processing for controlling A. spoilage.     

Analysis of the Airflow in a Prototype of a Solar Chimney Dryer

The development of alternative energy sources is increasingly becoming a necessity. In this context, solar energy stands out because it is a renewable and low pollutant source of energy. The solar chimney uses solar energy to generate hot airflow that can be used to dry agricultural products or generate electric power. This paper presents an experimental study of the airflow inside a solar chimney. The tests were performed in a prototype built on the campus of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, with appropriate dimensions to dry agricultural products. The values of temperature, velocity, solar radiation, and humidity inside and outside the device were monitored over a nine month period, allowing the characterization of the airflow and the determination of the optical properties of the materials used.     

Mortality risk in hemodialysis patients according to anemia control and erythropoietin dosing

There is no consensus about the toxicity of erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents among hemodialysis patients. We aimed to calculate the risk of death according to anemia control and erythropoietin (EPO) dosing among end‐stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. We retrospectively studied 156 end‐stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis from a single renal unit during 12 months. Participants were classified according to anemia control into four groups: excellent (A), good (B), moderate (C) and bad (D) control. They were also classified according to EPO dosing into two groups: usual and high EPO dosing. The Cox proportional hazards regression model, adjusted for the difference in age, sex, time on dialysis, comorbidity, albumin, and Kt/V index, was performed to calculate the risk of death according to anemia control and EPO dosing profiles. Multivariate analysis by backward stepwise logistic regression was used to calculate the risk of death according to the variables that differed in the comparison between survivors and nonsurvivors. The hazard ratio of death was not significant according to anemia control profile C/D vs. A/B, but hazard ratio was 2.967 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.132–7.777; P = 0.027) for high EPO dosing profile patients. The multivariate analysis showed comorbidity (odds ratio [OR] = 8.958; 95% CI = 2.843–26.223; P < 0.001], high EPO dosing profile (OR = 5.172; 95% CI = 1.663–16,081; P = 0.005), age (OR = 1.056; 95% CI = 1.020–1.094; P = 0.002), and mean hemoglobin (OR = 0.435; 95% CI = 0.267–0.709; P = 0.001) to be predictive of death. Even though we cannot conclude that mortality risk is due to EPO toxicity, hemodialysis patients using high EPO dosing must be seen as at risk.     

Densities, Excess Volumes, and Partial Molar Volumes of m-Xylene+Ethyl Acrylate, +Butyl Acrylate, +Methyl Methacrylate, and +Styrene at 298.15 K

Densities of the binary systems of m-xylene with ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and styrene have been measured as a function of composition, at 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure, using an Anton Paar DMA 5000 oscillating U-tube densimeter. The calculated excess volumes were correlated with the Redlich–Kister equation and with a series of Legendre polynomials. The excess volumes are positive for the binaries of m-xylene with methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, and styrene. The excess volumes for the m-xylene+butyl acrylate system are positive for solvent (m-xylene) concentrations below 0.3 mole fraction and negative above this concentration.     

The Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase activates mitogenic signaling pathways and stimulates G1-to-S phase transition in hematopoietic cells

Bcr-Abl is a constitutively active tyrosine kinase that is expressed in Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive human leukemias. Bcr-Abl has been shown to inhibit apoptosis and cause anchorage independent growth. However, its ability to activate mitogenic signaling pathways is controversial. Here we show that Bcr-Abl signaling prevents down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase activity and cell cycle arrest after growth factor deprivation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Using an inducible system to regulate Bcr-Abl expression, we also demonstrate that Bcr-Abl expression is sufficient to induce G1-to-S phase transition, DNA synthesis, and activation of cyclin-dependent kinases in cells that were arrested in G0 by growth factor deprivation. Furthermore, Bcr-Abl activates Ras, Erk, and Jnk pathways as a primary consequence of expression. These data show that Bcr-Abl is one of a select group of oncogenes that is capable of both inhibiting apoptosis and deregulating cell proliferation. The combination of these activities is likely to be important for the progression of CML.