Metal chaperones: a holistic approach to the treatment of AD

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Paul Anthony Adlard

2012-03-01

Full Text Available As the burden of proof for the role of metal ion dysregulation in the pathogenesis of multiple CNS disorders grows, it has become important to more precisely identify and differentiate the biological effects of various pharmacological modulators of metal ion homeostasis. This is particularly evident in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, where the use of metal chaperones (that transport metals, as opposed to chelators (which exclude metals from biological interactions, may prove to be the first truly disease modifying approach for this condition. The purpose of this mini-review is to highlight the emerging notion that metal chaperones, such as PBT2 (Prana Biotechnology, modulate a variety of critical pathways affecting key aspects of the AD cascade to provide a more holistic approach to the treatment of this disease.

Effect of yoga practices on pulmonary function tests including transfer factor of lung for carbon monoxide (TLCO) in asthma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Savita; Soni, Ritu; Singh, K P; Tandon, O P

2012-01-01

Prana is the energy, when the self-energizing force embraces the body with extension and expansion and control, it is pranayama. It may affect the milieu at the bronchioles and the alveoli particularly at the alveolo-capillary membrane to facilitate diffusion and transport of gases. It may also increase oxygenation at tissue level. Aim of our study is to compare pulmonary functions and diffusion capacity in patients of bronchial asthma before and after yogic intervention of 2 months. Sixty stable asthmatic-patients were randomized into two groups i.e group 1 (Yoga training group) and group 2 (control group). Each group included thirty patients. Lung functions were recorded on all patients at baseline, and then after two months. Group 1 subjects showed a statistically significant improvement (Pincreased significantly. It was concluded that pranayama & yoga breathing and stretching postures are used to increase respiratory stamina, relax the chest muscles, expand the lungs, raise energy levels, and calm the body.

CINEMA COMO ARTE OU ENTRETENIMENTO: UMA VISÃO DE SEUS REALIZADORES E A ESTRUTURA ORGANIZACIONAL DE SUAS PRODUTORAS.

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Giordano Schmitz Toldo

Full Text Available RESUMO Esse trabalho abrange uma visão crítica sobre cinema como peça artística ou mercadológica estabelecendo uma relação com as características estruturais das produtoras. A pesquisa objetiva entender as formas como as empresas de cinema do Rio Grande do Sul se estruturam procurando uma correspondência com o tipo de cinema produzido. Para caracterizar as estruturas organizacionais foram utilizadas as definições de Richard Hall e Henry Mintzberg, sobre tipos de estruturas. O arcabouço teórico para compreender a visão dos realizadores sobre cinema foi construído com base em autores como Ricciotto Canudo, Jaques Aumont, Jean-Claude Bernadet, entre outros. As empresas estudadas foram: Avante Filmes, Gus Gus Cinema, Millimetros, Otto Desenhos, Tokyo Filmes, Panda Filmes, Prana Filmes, TGD. A partir de entrevistas realizadas com as produtoras, dois conceitos de Mintzberg (1994 foram determinantes para as definições de estrutura: a Adhocracia e a Burocracia Profissional. Como resultado, percebeu-se que as empresas Avante Filmes, Gus Gus Cinema, Millimetros, Tokyo Filmes e Prana Filmes se encaixaram na categoria adhocrática e foram elas que apresentaram uma inclinação para o cinema de arte, reflexivo e de maior preocupação estética. Na Burocracia Profissional, há as produtoras Otto Desenhos, Panda Filmes e TGD, cujas produções cinematográficas se relacionam com questões primordialmente mercadológicas. O reconhecimento das diferenças estruturais e ideológicas permite que se avance nas políticas de desenvolvimento do cinema no estado e no país. Desenvolvimento ainda enraizado em políticas públicas de incentivo, fomento e apoio que procura ser democrático na distribuição de seus prêmios. Novas medidas governamentais de apoio ao audiovisual já correlacionam a distribuição do incentivo conforme a visão sobre cinema dos realizadores. Questões estruturais também servem de critérios para a criação dos incentivos

Boundless energy. 2. rev. ed.; Grenzenlose Energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haege, Walter

2007-07-01

For thousands of years, all cultures of man have described and researched life energy, whether they called it Qi, Chi, Prana, Od or Orgon. Since Rupert Sheldrake published his theory of morphogenetic fields, the subject has been accessible to the population in general and is contributing to the decline of the current paradigm of science. Knowledge that seamed indisputable since the time of Newton and Descartes is waning, and science must restructure itself on quite a different basis. Einstein, too, is becoming history. The book spans the discoveries of Lord Kelvin to Nikola Tesla to Prof. Dr.-Ing. K. Meyl whose potential eddy theory leads to a new understanding of the world. The key to this is the neutrino, and the fundamentals of neutrino physics are quite simple: At every moment, more than 60 thousand millions of neutrinos flow through us, controlling everything that exists. In his book, author Walter Haege shows how we can all utilise this indispensable neutrino power. It is a book for everyday practice, an indispensable reference manual for all those who intend a radical change in their view of the world and their way of living. (orig.) [German] Seit Jahrtausenden wird in allen Kulturen jene Energie beschrieben und erforscht, die uns steuert und unsere Zeit am Leben erhaelt, jene Energie mit den vielen Namen, von denen uns die bekanntesten, Qi, Chi, Prana, Od oder Orgon vielleicht gelaeufig sind. Seit Rupert Sheldrake und seiner wieder aufgegriffenen Theorie vom morphogenetischen Feld ist dieses Thema grossen Bevoelkerungskreisen neu zugaenglich geworden und traegt dazu bei, dass das jetzige Paradigma der Wissenschaften seinem Ende zugeht. Unser gesichertes Wissen, seit Newton und Descartes scheinbar unumstoesslich, geht dahin und die Wissenschaft muss sich auf gaenzlich anderer Grundlage neu formieren. Auch Einstein wird Geschichte. Die Wirbelphysik Lord Kelvins fuehrt uns ueber die sensationellen Entdeckungen Nikola Teslas zu dem Physiker Prof. Dr.-Ing. K

Šalies ūkio konkurencinio pranašumo didinimo problemos ir galimybės: darbo produktyvumo atvejis

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Alma Mačiulytė-Šniukienė

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Straipsnyje atskleista nacionalinio konkurencingumo samprata, nustatyta darbo produktyvumo įtaka „Pasaulio ekonomikos forumo“ skaičiuojamam Pasaulio konkurencingumo indeksui (PKI. Aptarti teoriniai darbo produktyvumo klausimai, nustatyti veiksniai, galintys nulemti darbo produktyvumo pokyčius. Taip pat atlikta Lietuvos darbo produktyvumo pokyčių 2000–2009 m. analizė, nustatytos darbo produktyvumo sumažėjimo 2009 m. priežastys. Ištirta išlaidų moksliniams tyrimams ir technologijų plėtrai (MTTP, darbo užmokesčio, tiesioginių užsienio investicijų, materialaus ir nematerialaus kapitalo įtaka darbo produktyvumui. Prieita prie išvados, kad vienas iš būdų kelti Lietuvos darbo produktyvumą, o drauge ir konkurencingumą – didinti investicijas į MTTP verslo sektorių.Straipsnis lietuvių kalba

On analysis of operating efficiency of autonomous ventilation systems

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Kostuganov Arman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the causes and consequences of malfunctioning of natural and mechanical ventilation systems in civil buildings of Russia. Furthermore it gives their classification and analysis based on the literature review. On the basis of the analysis technical solutions for improving the efficiency of ventilation systems in civil buildings are summarized and the field of their application is specified. Among the offered technical solutions the use of autonomous ventilation systems with heat recovery is highlighted as one of the most promising and understudied. Besides it has a wide range of applications. The paper reviews and analyzes the main Russian and foreign designs of ventilation systems with heat recovery that are mostly used in practice. Three types of such systems: UVRK-50, Prana-150, ТеFо are chosen for consideration. The sequence of field tests of selected autonomous ventilation systems have been carried out in order to determine the actual air exchange and efficiency of heat recovery. The paper presents the processed results of the research on the basis of which advantages and disadvantages of the tested ventilation systems are identified and recommendations for engineering and manufacturing of new design models of autonomous ventilation systems with heat recovery are formulated.

Site-specific optimisation of the countermeasure structure on rehabilitation of radioactive contaminated territories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yatsalo, B.I.; Okhrimenko, D.V.; Lisyanski, B.G.; Okhrimenko, I.V.; Mirzeabassov, O.A. [Obninsk Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, Obninsk, Kaluga (Russian Federation)

2000-05-01

The use of 'soft' countermeasures (CMs) (agricultural CMs, some administrative ones, except for relocation/resettlement and some 'strong' measures on restriction of living conditions) allows considering the radiological and economic parameters for assessing their effectiveness. In this case cost-benefit analysis (CBA) or some its modification are used. However, the determination of various radiological and economic parameters (and their combination) is not enough for making final decisions on countermeasure implementation. All radiological, ecological and economic characteristics and other expert knowledge, corresponding standards and regulations should be taken into account, and many of them may not be used very often in analytical methods directly. The approaches to evaluating strong' CMs are based, as a rule, on expert judgements (MAUA, M-Crit). However, in practice they can lead to any result given in advance or to a choice of an weighted solution which does not comply with opinions by most experts due to considerable range of expert opinions and subjective weights for chosen attributes/criteria. Implementation of CMs on rehabilitation of contaminated territories should be based on the radiation protection principles. However, these principles are declared only when realising CMs on rehabilitation of contaminated territories after the Chernobyl accident. In practice some national or departmental standards are used and principles of justification'/'optimisation' are not examined. Taking into consideration a complex character of tasks on CM analysis and comparison of various alternatives it is quite necessary to use up-to-date computer decision support systems (DSSs). One of the systems which is directly intended for site-specific rehabilitation of territories subjected to radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident is the PRANA DSS. A key block of PRANA is 'analysis and optimisation of CMs structure

Site-specific optimisation of the countermeasure structure on rehabilitation of radioactive contaminated territories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yatsalo, B.I.; Okhrimenko, D.V.; Lisyanski, B.G.; Okhrimenko, I.V.; Mirzeabassov, O.A.

2000-01-01

The use of 'soft' countermeasures (CMs) (agricultural CMs, some administrative ones, except for relocation/resettlement and some 'strong' measures on restriction of living conditions) allows considering the radiological and economic parameters for assessing their effectiveness. In this case cost-benefit analysis (CBA) or some its modification are used. However, the determination of various radiological and economic parameters (and their combination) is not enough for making final decisions on countermeasure implementation. All radiological, ecological and economic characteristics and other expert knowledge, corresponding standards and regulations should be taken into account, and many of them may not be used very often in analytical methods directly. The approaches to evaluating strong' CMs are based, as a rule, on expert judgements (MAUA, M-Crit). However, in practice they can lead to any result given in advance or to a choice of an weighted solution which does not comply with opinions by most experts due to considerable range of expert opinions and subjective weights for chosen attributes/criteria. Implementation of CMs on rehabilitation of contaminated territories should be based on the radiation protection principles. However, these principles are declared only when realising CMs on rehabilitation of contaminated territories after the Chernobyl accident. In practice some national or departmental standards are used and principles of justification'/'optimisation' are not examined. Taking into consideration a complex character of tasks on CM analysis and comparison of various alternatives it is quite necessary to use up-to-date computer decision support systems (DSSs). One of the systems which is directly intended for site-specific rehabilitation of territories subjected to radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident is the PRANA DSS. A key block of PRANA is 'analysis and optimisation of CMs structure'. It is intended for : -determination of territories

[Weizsäcker and Indian philosophy - a new beginning in negotiating the dualism of mind and matter?].

Science.gov (United States)

von Brück, Michael

2014-01-01

Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker's thought is centred around the idea of the unity of reality. He tries to express this idea in his interpretation of quantum physics as well as on the background of neoplatonic thinking. Even his interest in Indian philosophies is based on this concept that would overcome the dualism of mind and matter as well as the dualism of subject and object. On this basis he also tries to reflect on his own inexpressible "mystical" experience in Tiruvannamalai, India, interpreting it with the help of the experience he has been told about by the Indian thinker Gopi Krishna. This is the concept of prana (vital energy) that he uses to find a common terminological ground for physical and mental events. According to Indian Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic interpretation of the Vedantic scriptures, reality is based on a non-dual oneness that is self-reflective, transparent and neither immanent nor transcendent but beyond any category. It is pure bliss in its self-expression. Human "mental" experience is a reflective mode of this one reality, subject and object coincide. The result is a holistic psycho-somatology. In view of these ideas Weizsäcker reformulates the notion of "matter". It is less an interaction of particles with specific mass than a non-dual net of interrelations and information, and this would correlate with a concept of mind (consciousness) that could be conceptualized as the energy of self-reflectivity in that very process.

Pranic meditation affects phagocyte functions and hormonal levels of recent practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, César A; Nóbrega, Yanna K M; Tosta, C Eduardo

2012-08-01

Despite the recognized importance of phagocytes in the maintenance and recovery of health, the influence of meditation on their functions is not properly established. This investigation aimed at evaluating the influence of pranic meditation on the functions of phagocytes, and on the levels of hormones that influence them. A pre-post design was adopted. The investigation was carried out at a university research laboratory. Twenty-nine (29) healthy individuals of both sexes, 24-67 years old (median 45), with no previous experience in meditation, received 3-hour-duration weekly training on pranic meditation during 10 weeks and agreed to engage in daily home practice for 20 minutes. Pranic meditation is a novel method of meditation, based on the Vedic tradition, which uses techniques of breathing and visualization for quieting the mind, and for capturing and intentionally directing prana ("vital energy") wherever necessary. For assessing phagocytosis, the production of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide by monocytes, and the concentrations of corticotrophin and cortisol, blood was collected at the beginning (week 1), at the middle (week 5), and by the end (week 10) of the practice period. At the same intervals, melatonin concentrations were evaluated in the saliva. Those who meditated for more than 980 minutes showed increased phagocytosis, their monocytes produced higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, and their plasma levels of corticotrophin were reduced. The production of nitric oxide by monocytes, and the levels of cortisol and melatonin were not modified by meditation. This is the first study to show that a short program of pranic meditation practice was able to upregulate the function and metabolism of phagocytes, in parallel with the reduction of the plasma levels of corticotrophin. The results of this study point to a possible causal effect between these events, and indicate that pranic meditation could be useful for stimulating the function and

FACTORES DE LA DESERCIÓN ESCOLAR EN BRASIL. El papel de la paternidad temprana, la mano de obra infantil y la pobreza

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Ana Rute Cardoso

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Este artículo tiene el objetivo de identificar los principales factores que conducen a la deserción escolar en un entorno urbano, en concreto las favelas de Fortaleza, al noreste de Brasil. Utilizamos una extensa encuesta centrada en los factores de riesgo a los que se enfrenta la población de estos barrios y dirigida a jóvenes de ambos sexos, tanto escolarizados como no escolarizados. El papel de la paternidad tem-prana, el trabajo infantil y la pobreza como impulsores de la deserción escolar de los adolescentes es objeto de una particular atención. La endogeneidad potencial de algunos de los factores determinantes se trata en el análisis empírico. Aprove-chamos el rico conjunto de variables disponible y aplicamos un método basado en variables instrumentales. Para la paternidad temprana se usa como instrumento la edad declarada por los jóvenes como la edad ideal para empezar a tener relaciones sexuales; para el trabajo se usa como instrumento el salario de reserva declarado (el salario mínimo considerado aceptable para trabajar. Los resultados indican que la paternidad temprana tiene un efecto grande en términos de la no escolarización de los adolescentes. La pobreza extrema es otro factor que disminuye la asistencia a la escuela, ya que los niños que en algún momento de su vida padecen hambre tienen menores probabilidades de asistir al colegio. En este contexto urbano en particular el trabajo no tiene forzosamente un efecto perjudicial en la asistencia al colegio, lo que podría asociarse al hecho de que el abandono escolar lleva con ma-yor frecuencia a la inactividad y no al trabajo, dada la escasez de oportunidades de empleo; además, las restricciones de liquidez podrían atenuarse para aquellos cuyos ingresos laborales permiten sufragar los gastos escolares.

Organ damage mitigation with the Baskent Sickle Cell Medical Care Development Program (BASCARE)

Science.gov (United States)

Ozdogu, Hakan; Boga, Can; Asma, Suheyl; Kozanoglu, Ilknur; Gereklioglu, Cigdem; Yeral, Mahmut; Buyukkurt, Nurhilal Turgut; Solmaz, Soner; Korur, Aslı; Aytan, Pelin; Maytalman, Erkan; Kasar, Mutlu

2018-01-01

Abstract The Eastern Mediterranean is among the regions where sickle cell disease (SCD) is common. The morbidity and mortality of this disease can be postponed to adulthood through therapies implemented in childhood. The present study focuses on the organ damage-reducing effects of the Baskent Sickle Cell Medical Care Development Program (BASCARE), which was developed by a team who lives in this region and has approximately 25 years of experience. The deliverables of the program included the development of an electronic health recording system (PRANA) and electronic vaccination system; the use of low citrate infusion in routine prophylactic automatic erythrocyte exchange (ARCE) programs including pregnant women; the use of leukocyte-filtered and irradiated blood for transfusion; the use of magnetic resonance imaging methods (T2∗) for the management of transfusion-related hemosiderosis; and the implementation of an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation protocol for adult patients. The sample was composed of 376 study subjects and 249 control subjects. The hospital's Data Management System and the central population operating system were used for data collection. BASCARE enabled better analysis and interpretation of complication and mortality data. Vaccination rates against influenza and pneumococcal disease improved (21.5% vs 50.8% and 21.5% vs 49.2%, respectively). Effective and safe ARCE with low citrate infusion were maintained in 352 subjects (1003 procedures). Maternal and fetal mortality was prevented in 35 consecutive pregnant patients with ARCE. Chelating therapy rates reduced from 6.7% to 5%. Successful outcomes could be obtained in all 13 adult patients who underwent allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplantation from a fully matched, related donor. No patients died by day 100 or after the first year. Cure could be achieved without graft loss, grades III to IV acute graft versus host disease, extensive chronic graft versus host disease, or

The Level of Customer Participation in Co-Production of Planning the Furniture Services Klientų įsitraukimo bendrai kuriant baldų projektavimo paslaugas laipsnis

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Rigita Tijūnaitienė

2011-02-01

established that co-production of furniture design service is effective when the level of participation in co-production of furniture design service is average and average high, because high-desired customer’s level of activity has not been noticed. Results of empirical investigation confirmed that in investigated (furniture design service, high level of participation results in creation of co-productive and effective service, and received result absolutely corresponds to customer’s needs and wishes. After summarizing the results of an investigation, it was noticed that it is possible to expect higher customer’s level of participation if customer’s participation is properly managed.

Keywords: co-production of service, customer participation, creator of service, the level of customer participation.

Šiuo metu dauguma gamybinių įmonių, siekdamos efektyvios veiklos, stengiasi gaminti produktus, atitinkančius individualius vartotojų poreikius. Pasikeitusi gamybinių įmonių aplinka lemia tai, jog jų veikloje aktualizuojasi paslaugų paradigma, orientaciją į prekę keičia orientacija į vartotoją. Siekiant prisitaikyti prie dinamiškos verslo aplinkos ir nuolat kintančių joje verslo sąlygų, būtina taikyti tokias veiklos vykdymo (valdymo priemones, kad įmonių konkurencingumas

būtų ne tik palaikomas, bet ir būtų sudaromos sąlygos įgyti konkurenciniam pranašumui. Straipsnyje keliama

Įvairialyčiai lantano ir mangano oksido ir multiferoinio bismuto ferito heterodariniai

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Bonifacas VENGALIS

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Pastaruoju metu naujų elektronikos prietaisų gamyboje buvo pasiekta didelė pažanga auginant, tyrinėjant ir pritaikant plonasluoksnes struktūras, sudarytas iš įvairių daugiakomponenčių funkcinių oksidų. Šiai oksidų grupei priklauso superlaidieji kupratai, mangano oksidai (manganitai, pasižymintys magnetovaržos reiškiniu, taip pat kiti feromagnetiniai, feroelektriniai, multiferoiniai oksidai. Manganitams (jų bendra formulė Ln1-xAxMnO3, kur Ln = La, Nd,..., o A - dvivalentis katijonas, toks kaip Ba, Sr ar Ca skiriama daug dėmesio dėl jų įdomių elektrinių savybių bei tinkamumo įvairiems spintronikos prietaisams kurti. Multiferoikai  (feroelektriniai feromagnetai pasižymi magnetoelektriniu efektu, duodančiu unikalią galimybę elektrinėms ir magnetinėms medžiagos savybėms valdyti panaudoti elektrinius ir magnetinius laukus. Bismuto feritas BiFeO3 (BFO, turintis romboedriškai deformuotą perovskito struktūrą, šiuo metu yra vienas labiausiai tyrinėjamų šios klasės junginių. Organiniai puslaidininkiai (OP taip pat atveria daug naujų galimybių elektronikai. Jų pranašumas yra didelė organinių junginių įvairovė ir palyginti paprasta ir pigi plonų sluoksnių gamybos technologija. Be to, OP pasižymi neįprastai didelėmis sukinių relaksacijos laiko vertėmis, todėl ateityje jie gali būti naudojami naujiems spintronikos prietaisams gaminti. Šiame straipsnyje apžvelgiami pastarųjų metų darbo autorių ir jų kolegų atlikti anksčiau minėtų medžiagų tyrimai. Daugiausia dėmesio skiriama magnetovaržinėmis savybėmis pasižyminčių lantano ir mangano oksidų (manganitų bei multiferoinio  BiFeO3 (BFO junginio plonųjų sluoksnių ir heterodarinių auginimui, tarpfazinių ribų tarp minėtų oksidų, laidžiojo SrTiO3 ir organinio puslaidininkio (Alq3 sudarymui, taip pat elektrinėms heterodarinių savybėms. Plonieji La2/3A1/3MnO3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Ce sluoksniai, kurių storis d