Neuroprotective effects of green coffee bean extract against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease: a mini review

Renalison Farias-Pereira(Renalison Farias-Pereira ),Lynnea Young(Lynnea Young),Yeonhwa Park(Yeonhwa Park) 한국축산식품학회 2021 Food and Life Vol.2021 No.1

Green coffee bean extract (GCBE) is known as an anti-obesity dietary supplement, but its neuroprotective effects have been recently reported. Since GCBE and its main phenolic acids, chlorogenic acids (CGA), share similar physiological effects, this mini review summarizes the most current research of the neurobiological effects of GCBE and CGA. GCBE and/or CGA act on acetylcholine, glutamate, and insulin signaling pathways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing amyloid-β proteins (Aβ) and tau proteins in the brain of rodents. Clinical trials, although limited, further suggest that CGA improves cognition, which was associated with changes in blood Aβ levels. In addition, CGA modulates the dopamine metabolism to reduce neurotoxicity in animal models of Parkinson’s disease, although there is no direct association between GCBE and Parkinson’s disease in humans. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of GCBE and CGA are suggested to be the underlying mechanisms that help to protect from the development of these diseases. GCBE and CGA have potential benefits to prevent the development of neurodegenerative diseases, but there is still a great need to further investigate their effects on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

RAILROAD INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE ANTEBELLUM UNITED STATES

RUI MANUEL PEREIRA,ALFREDO MARVÃO PEREIRA,WILLIAM J. HAUSMAN 중앙대학교 경제연구소 2017 Journal of Economic Development Vol.42 No.3

We measure the overall impact of railroad investment on economic development in the antebellum period in the United States using a vector autoregressive approach. Our results can be summarized as follows. First, we find bidirectional causality between railroad infrastructure investment and GDP. Second, we estimate a marginal product of $4.2 for railroad investment which corresponds to a 15.5% rate of return when considering a 10–year lifetime for railroad capital. While about two-thirds of this effect stems from the supply side, short run demand side effects also are substantial. Third, given the low effective tax rates practiced in the 1830s and the magnitude of the effects of railroad investment we estimate, it is very likely that these investments were not self-financing and may, therefore, have contributed to the high levels of public indebtedness observed in the period.

On the Macroeconomic and Distributional Effects of the Regulated Closure of Coal-Operated Power Plants

Alfredo Marvão Pereira,Rui Manuel Pereira 중앙대학교 경제연구소 2021 Journal of Economic Development Vol.46 No.4

This article examines the economic, distributional and environmental impacts of the regulated early closure of coal-fired power plants in Portugal using a multi-sector and multi-household dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The closure of the power plants has positive and significant environmental effects. It results, however, in an increase in electricity prices, which, in turn, leads to detrimental macroeconomic and distributional effects. We argue that a carbon tax with the same environmental impact would have substantial conceptual, pragmatic and pedagogical advantages over regulated early plant closures. It would generate the tax revenues necessary to mitigate or reverse the adverse macroeconomic and distributional effects. Regulated early closures could be a good second best alternative if there is no political will for or consensus on the implementation of a proper carbon tax with adequate revenue recycling. In any case, these plant closures are far from leading to the reductions in emissions established by the IPCC and adopted by the Portuguese authorities.

Infrastructure Investment, Labor Productivity, and International Competitiveness: The Case of Portugal

Alfredo Marvão Pereira,Rui Manuel Pereira 중앙대학교 경제연구소 2020 Journal of Economic Development Vol.45 No.2

This study analyzes the effects of infrastructure investment on labor productivity at the industry level using a new data set for Portugal. We consider twenty-two sectors and twelve infrastructure assets. We focus on the differential effects on traded and non-traded sectors. We find, first, that investment in national roads have positive effects, particularly large for public services, while the effects of investments in municipal roads are mixed, and investments in highways have mostly benefited non-traded sectors. Second, we find that railroad investments, and, to a lesser extent, airports have gains clearly biased toward non-traded sectors, while the effects of port investments are more muted and mixed. Third, for social infrastructures, the effects tend to be large and again particularly favorable to non-traded sectors. Fourth, for public utilities the effects are in general small, with the exception of telecommunications, which have large positive effects mainly on non-traded sectors. We conclude that infrastructure investments have contributed to the growth of labor productivity but have done so in a way that has benefited mostly non-traded goods sectors. This may be a matter of concern for a small open economy in a currency union and with a development model greatly reliant on exports.

Hypertension and the Risk of Breast Cancer in Chilean Women: a Case-control Study

Pereira, Ana,Garmendia, Maria Luisa,Alvarado, Maria Elena,Albala, Cecilia Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.11

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Although different metabolic factors have been implicated in breast cancer development, the relationship between hypertension and breast cancer has not been elucidated. Aim: To evaluate hypertension as a risk factor for breast cancer in Chilean women of low and middle socio-economic status. Methods: We conducted an age-matched (1:1) case-control study in 3 hospitals in Santiago, Chile. Breast cancer cases (n=170) were histopathologically confirmed. Controls had been classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System I (negative) or II (benign findings) within 6 months of recruitment. Blood pressure was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer and standardized procedures. We used 2 hypertension cut-off points: blood pressures of ${\geq}140/90$ mmHg and ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Fasting insulin and glucose levels were assessed, and anthropometric, sociodemographic, and behavioral information were collected. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for the entire sample and restricted to postmenopausal women using multivariable conditional logistic regression models. Results: Hypertension (${\geq}140/90$ mmHg) was significantly higher in cases (37.1%) than controls (17.1%) for the entire sample and in postmenopausal pairs (44.0% compared to 23.8%). In crude and adjusted models, hypertensive women had a 4-fold increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio: 4.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.8; 9.6) compared to non-hypertensive women in the entire sample. We found a similar association in the postmenopausal group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.1; 7.4). A significant effect was also observed when hypertension was defined as blood pressure of ${\geq}130/85$ mmHg. Conclusion: A significant association was found between hypertension and breast cancer over the entire sample and when restricted to postmenopausal women. Hypertension is highly prevalent in Latin America and may be a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer; therefore, a small association between hypertension and breast cancer may have broad implications.

PopAffiliator: online calculator for individual affiliation to a major population group based on 17 autosomal short tandem repeat genotype profile

Pereira, Luí,sa,Alshamali, Farida,Andreassen, Rune,Ballard, Ruth,Chantratita, Wasun,Cho, Nam Soo,Coudray, Clotilde,Dugoujon, Jean-Michel,Espinoza, Marta,Gonzá,lez-Andrade, Fabricio,Hadi, S Springer-Verlag 2011 International journal of legal medicine Vol.125 No.5

Water requirement and crop coefficient of sugarcane cultivated in Nicaragua

Pereira Rafael Menezes,Schwerz Felipe,Diotto Adriano Valentim,Sandoval Marlon Daniel Vargas,Aguirre Milton Javier Alvarado 한국작물학회 2024 Journal of crop science and biotechnology Vol.27 No.1

Sugarcane is one of the main agro-industrial crops in Nicaragua and Central America and one of the crops with the highest evapotranspiration rates. The lack of information related to sugarcane evapotranspiration as well as the crop coefficient (Kc) has limited productivity and water resources in Nicaragua. The knowledge of crop coefficient and water requirement for sugarcane, developed locally, will guide companies, farmers, and technicians for better irrigation management. In this context, this study aimed to determine the crop evapotranspiration and Kc for sugarcane in Nicaragua and to compare the results with those suggested by FAO. The study was performed in a field experiment at the Casur Sugarcane mill in Nicaragua, where the sugarcane was cultivated in a vertisol with a furrow irrigation method. The reference evapotranspiration was estimated using the Penman–Monteith FAO approach, and the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was determined using the field water balance method. During the crop season, the total ETc was 1346.6 mm, resulting in a 0.90 average of Kc. The determined Kc for initial, tillering, grand growth and maturity was 0.37, 0.91, 1.11, and 0.71, respectively. The Kc proposed by FAO showed values 11.11% higher than that obtained in this study. These results highlight the importance of determining the Kc values at a local scale, parameters that guide irrigation management to use the water resources efficiently.

siRNA Inhibition of Endocytic Pathways to Characterize the Cellular Uptake Mechanisms of Folate-Functionalized Glycol Chitosan Nanogels

Pereira, Paula,Pedrosa, Sí,lvia S.,Wymant, Jennifer M.,Sayers, Edward,Correia, Alexandra,Vilanova, Manuel,Jones, Arwyn T.,Gama, Francisco M. American Chemical Society 2015 MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS Vol.12 No.6

<P>Glycol chitosan nanogels have been widely used in gene, drug, and contrast agent delivery in an effort to improve disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we evaluate the internalization mechanisms and intracellular fate of previously described glycol chitosan nanogels decorated with folate to target the folate receptor. Uptake of the folate-decorated nanogel was impaired by free folate, suggesting competitive inhibition and shared internalization mechanisms via the folate receptor. Nanogel uptake was shown to occur mainly through flotillin-1 and Cdc42-dependent endocytosis. This was determined by inhibition of uptake reduction observed upon siRNA depletion of these two proteins and the pathways that they regulate. The data also suggest the involvement of the actin cytoskeleton in nanogel uptake via macropinocytosis. After 7 h of incubation with HeLa cells, approximately half of the nanogel population was localized in endolysosomal compartments, whereas the remaining 50% of the material was in undefined regions of the cytoplasm. Glycol chitosan nanogels may thus have potential as drug delivery vectors for targeting different intracellular compartments.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/mpohbp/2015/mpohbp.2015.12.issue-6/mp500785t/production/images/medium/mp-2014-00785t_0009.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/mp500785t'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

The Impact of Undernutrition Risk on Rehabilitation Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke Survivors: A Hospital-Based Study

Pereira Daniela Figueiredo Corrêa,Parron Fernandes Karen Barros,Aguiar Andreo Fernando,Casonatto Juliano 대한뇌신경재활학회 2024 뇌신경재활 Vol.17 No.1

Patients experiencing a cerebrovascular event are vulnerable to declining nutritional status, hindering rehabilitation. This study aims to analyze the association between malnutrition risk and hospital rehabilitation indicators in ischemic stroke sur vivors (ISS). This analytical study examined medical records of 160 adult patients (69.3 ± 13 years). Undernutrition risk (UR; independent variable) and rehabilitation indicators (dependent variables) like hospital stay, clinical outcome, functionality, stroke severity, food intake, mobility (bedridden), mechanical ventilation, and enteral nutrition were assessed. Data were dichotomized, and the chi-square test identified associations (p ≤ 0.05), followed by Poisson regression for prevalence ratios. Patients at UR had 2-fold higher risk of death (95% confidence inter val [CI], 0.99–4.79), 1.8-fold higher risk of high stroke severity (95% CI, 1.06–3.11), 76% higher chance of being bedridden (95% CI, 1.28–2.44), and 3-fold higher risk of mechanical ventilation (95% CI, 1.20–9.52). UR in hospitalized ISS is associated with deteriorating rehabilitation indicators, including mobility, decreased food intake, mechanical ventilation use, and neurological deficit, indicating an increased mortality risk post-stroke

Effect of intracanal medications on the interfacial properties of reparative cements

Pereira, Andrea Cardoso,Pallone, Mariana Valerio,Marciano, Marina Angelica,Cortellazzi, Karine Laura,Frozoni, Marcos,Gomes, Brenda P.F.A.,de Almeida, Jose Flavio Affonso,de Jesus Soares, Adriana The Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry 2019 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.44 No.2

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of calcium hydroxide with 2% chlorhexidine gel (HCX) or distilled water (HCA) compared to triple antibiotic paste (TAP) on push-out bond strength and the cement/dentin interface in canals sealed with White MTA Angelus (WMTA) or Biodentine (BD). Materials and Methods: A total of 70 extracted human lower premolars were endodontically prepared and randomly divided into 4 groups according to the intracanal medication, as follows: group 1, HCX; group 2, TAP; group 3, HCA; and group 4, control (without intracanal medication). After 7 days, the medications were removed and the cervical third of the specimens was sectioned into five 1-mm sections. The sections were then sealed with WMTA or BD as a reparative material. After 7 days in 100% humidity, a push-out bond strength test was performed. Elemental analysis was performed at the interface, using energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance and the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Results: BD presented a higher bond strength than WMTA (p < 0.05). BD or WMTA in canals treated with calcium hydroxide intracanal medications had the highest bond strength values, with a statistically significant difference compared to TAP in the WMTA group (p < 0.05). There were small amounts of phosphorus in samples exposed to triple antibiotic paste, regardless of the coronal sealing. Conclusions: The use of intracanal medications did not affect the bond strength of WMTA and BD, except when TAP was used with WMTA.