bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use Of Mosses In Biomonitoring Of Selected Areas In Poland And Spitsbergen In The Years From 1975 To 2014
Authors: Kłos Andrzej , Bochenek Zbigniew , Bjerke Jarle W. , Zagajewski Bogdan , Ziółkowski Dariusz , Ziembik Zbigniew , Rajfur Małgorzata , Dołhańczuk-Śródka Agnieszka , Tømmervik Hans , Krems Paweł , Jerz Dominik , Zielińska Maria
Published: September 2015

We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentration in mosses samples collected in Karkonosze decreased from 0.002 mg/g in 1975 to 0.0006 mg/g in 2014. It is interesting to observe relatively large concentrations of nickel in moss samples collected in 2014 in the Svalbard archipelago, in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (average 0.018 mg/g) which most likely originate from local mine waste piles.
Hall Effects And Rotation Effects On MHD Flow Past An Exponentially Accelerated Vertical Plate With Combined Heat And Mass Transfer Effects
Authors: Thamizhsudar M. , Pandurangan J. , Muthucumaraswamy R.
Published: September 2015

A theoretical solution of flow past an exponentially accelerated vertical plate in the presence of Hall current and MHD relative to a rotating fluid with uniform temperature and mass diffusion is presented. The dimensionless equations are solved using the Laplace method. The axial and transverse velocity, temperature and concentration fields are studied for different parameters such as the Hall parameter (m), Hartmann number (M), Rotation parameter (Ω), Schmidt number, Prandtl number, thermal Grashof number (Gr) and mass Grashof number (Gc). It has been observed that the temperature of the plate decreases with increasing values of the Prandtl number and the concentration near the plate increases with decreasing values of Schmidt number. It is also observed that both axial and transverse velocities increase with decreasing values of the magnetic field parameter or rotation parameter, but the trend gets reversed with respect to the Hall parameter. The effects of parameters m, M, Ω, Gr and Gc on the axial and transverse velocity profiles are shown graphically.
Ultrasound in Africa: what can really be done?
Authors: Aliyu Labaran Dayyabu , Kurjak Asim , Wataganara Tuangsit , de Sá Renato Augusto Moreira , Pooh Ritsuko , Sen Cihat , Ebrashy Alaa , Adra Abdallah , Stanojevic Milan
Published: September 2015

Today we are living in a globalized world in which information on what is happening in one part of the world is easily communicated to other parts of the world. This happens thanks to advancement in science and technology. One area where technology has made the greatest impact is heath care provision. Ultrasound technology is now playing a critical role in health care provision particularly in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This has significantly assisted in provision of quality health care to pregnant women and their unborn infants and in reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Africa the continent with greatest health care challenges and with the highest maternal and neonatal mortalities is yet to fully utilize this important technology. The need for this technology is great as the conditions requiring its application abound. The effective application of Ultrasound however faces serious challenges in Africa. To successfully entrench Ultrasound in quality Obstetrics and Gynaecology care various approaches must be adopted to overcome the challenges. The aim of this paper is to identify the benefits and the challenges inimical to the application Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Africa. It also examines what needs to be done to achieve better application of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Pulse Sequence Shaper For Radiospectroscopy And Relaxation Methods In NQR
Authors: Bobalo Yuriy , Hotra Zenon , Hotra Oleksandra , Politans’kyy Leonid , Samila Andriy
Published: September 2015

A pulse sequence shaper for the pursuance of the research using a wide spectrum of radiospectroscopy and relaxation methods in NQR is proposed. The distinctive feature of this product is its implementation with the application of a multi-functional programmable frequency synthesizer suitable for high-speed amplitude and phase manipulations.
Determination Of Gas Mixture Components Using Fluctuation Enhanced Sensing And The LS-SVM Regression Algorithm
Authors: Lentka Łukasz , Smulko Janusz M. , Ionescu Radu , Granqvist Claes G. , Kish Laszlo B.
Published: September 2015

This paper analyses the effectiveness of determining gas concentrations by using a prototype WO3 resistive gas sensor together with fluctuation enhanced sensing. We have earlier demonstrated that this method can determine the composition of a gas mixture by using only a single sensor. In the present study, we apply Least-Squares Support-Vector-Machine-based (LS-SVM-based) nonlinear regression to determine the gas concentration of each constituent in a mixture. We confirmed that the accuracy of the estimated gas concentration could be significantly improved by applying temperature change and ultraviolet irradiation of the WO3 layer. Fluctuation-enhanced sensing allowed us to predict the concentration of both component gases.
Changing arenas of underage adolescent binge drinking in Swedish small towns
Authors: Ander Birgitta , Abrahamsson Agneta , Gerdner Arne
Published: September 2015

Aim

The study explores arenas of adolescent binge drinking in small Swedish towns and the meanings these have for young persons. The focus is thus on space and place, and on the geography of underage drinking.

Design

An ethnographic approach was used, including direct observations, document studies and contacts with youth workers on local and national levels, and interviews with 28 underage binge-drinking adolescents chosen as informants.

Findings

Adolescent binge drinkers seem to have moved away from street and other outdoor drinking arenas to home environments, where they feel they have more control over their party location and participants.

Conclusions

One consequence of outdoor drinking moving indoors is that professional youth workers and police cannot enter party arenas and the only adults who can do so are the parents. This has implications for preventive alcohol strategies and outreach social work. Measures should be directed to parents to make them fully aware of the importance of the party location in their homes.
Thomas Aquinas and Alfred North Whitehead on God‘s Action in the World
Authors: Hosinski Thomas E.
Published: September 2015

Thomas Aquinas’ intentions in his position that God acts through secondary causes are both laudable and correct. In affirming God’s action within secondary causes Thomas intended to affirm true freedom and contingency in the world and the creatures’ limited participation in God’s creative power. But his interpretation of these topics rests on assumptions about divinity that subvert his intentions. This article summarizes Thomas’ analysis and discusses the principal difficulties with his interpretation of God’s action. It then presents an interpretation of how Alfred North Whitehead’s position on divine action avoids these difficulties and achieves a more coherent understanding of God’s action in the world, even though it too requires revision. If Whitehead’s metaphysics is revised to think of creativity as the divine life rather than as ultimately distinct from God, then it, too, presents God as sharing the divine life with creatures by endowing them with the creativity and freedom to create themselves on the divinely-given ground of possibility. Thomas’ intentions and a revised Whiteheadian interpretation of divine action are compatible and complement each other on the topic of divine action in and through creatures and on the idea of existence as participation in the divine life.
Performance Evaluation of Sweet Sorghum Juice and Sugarcane Molasses for Ethanol Production
Authors: Hatamipour Mohammad Sadegh , Almodares Abbas , Ahi Mohsen , Gorji Mohammad Ali , Jahanshah Qazaleh
Published: September 2015

Sweet sorghum juice and traditional ethanol substrate i.e. sugarcane molasses were used for ethanol production in this work. At the end of the fermentation process, the sweet sorghum juice yielded more ethanol with higher ethanol concentration compared to sugarcane molasses in all experiments. The sweet sorghum juice had higher cell viability at high ethanol concentrations and minimum sugar concentration at the end of the fermentation process. The ethanol concentration and yield were 8.9% w/v and 0.45 g/g for sweet sorghum in 80 h and 6.5% w/v and 0.37 g/g for sugarcane molasses in 60 h, respectively. The findings on the physical properties of sweet sorghum juice revealed that it has better physical properties compared to sugarcane molasses, resulting to enhanced performance of sweet sorghum juice for ethanol production
Use of biogas biscuit meal EKPO-EB for agricultural biogas plant for substitution of energy crops utilization with organic waste
Authors: Chamrádová Kateřina , Rusín Jiří
Published: September 2015

A laboratory experiment of two-stage mesophilic, low-dry mass, anaerobic digestion was carried out, focused on verifying the benefit of processing the biscuit meal EKPO-EB instead of triticale silage Agostino (GPS) and corn silage LG3266 in a regular batch for the agricultural biogas station in Pustějov. While anaerobic digestion of ensilages is largely difficult due to the content of lignocellulose, biscuit meal provides a high yield of biogas or methane, respectively, thanks to its high content of simple saccharides and lipids. When the original GPS (or the replacement EKPO-EB, respectively) represented 0.81% of weight of the daily input mixture dose for the first stage, the rise in volumetric methane production was 20% which is significant. The biscuit meal EKPO-EB decomposes almost completely in the first stage. Later, when the EKPO-EB represented 1.63% of weight of the daily input mixture dose for the first stage, the rise in volumetric methane production was 54% in the first stage and 16% in the second stage.
Production of ethanol from wheat straw
Authors: Smuga-Kogut Małgorzata , Wnuk Arkadiusz D. , Zgórska Kazimiera , Kubiak Mariusz S. , Wojdalski Janusz , Kupczyk Adam , Szlachta Józef , Luberański Adam
Published: September 2015

This study proposes a method for the production of ethanol from wheat straw lignocellulose where the raw material is chemically processed before hydrolysis and fermentation. The usefulness of wheat straw delignification was evaluated with the use of a 4:1 mixture of 95% ethanol and 65% HNO3 (V). Chemically processed lignocellulose was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis to produce reducing sugars, which were converted to ethanol in the process of alcoholic fermentation. Chemical processing damages the molecular structure of wheat straw, thus improving ethanol yield. The removal of lignin from straw improves fermentation by eliminating lignin’s negative influence on the growth and viability of yeast cells. Straw pretreatment facilitates enzymatic hydrolysis by increasing the content of reducing sugars and ethanol per g in comparison with untreated wheat straw.
Is YKL-40 (CHI3-L1) a new possible biomarker prognosticator in high grade glioma?
Authors: Oslobanu A. , Florian St.I.
Published: September 2015

A biomarker is “a naturally occurring molecule, gene, or characteristic by which a particular pathological or physiological process, disease, etc. can be identified” and it could be used a measurable indicator for the presence or severity of disease state. YKL-40 is a secreted glycoprotein associated with extracellular matrix, a member of the mammalian chitinase-like proteins that is expressed in a several types of solid tumors. Although the implication of this biomarker in tissue remodeling processes or the role in cancer cell proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix is going to be well recognized, the regulation and role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression remains unknown. Using the serum level of YKL-40 as a single screening test in cancer cannot be used, but in association with other tumoral biomarkers and imaging techniques can be a useful tool as a “prognosticator.” Moreover, elucidation of the YKL-40 functions could be an attractive target for antitumor therapy.
Three-level cervical disc herniation
Authors: St. Iencean Andrei , Poeata Ion
Published: September 2015

Multilevel cervical degenerative disc disease is well known in the cervical spine pathology, with radicular syndromes or cervical myelopathy. One or two level cervical herniated disc is common in adult and multilevel cervical degenerative disc herniation is common in the elderly, with spinal stenosis, and have the same cause: the gradual degeneration of the disc. We report the case of a patient with two level cervical disc herniation (C4 – C5 and C5 – C6) treated by anterior cervical microdiscectomy both levels and fusion at C5 – C6; after five years the patient returned with left C7 radiculopathy and MRI provided the image of a left C6 – C7 disc herniation, he underwent an anterior microsurgical discectomy with rapid relief of symptoms. Three-level cervical herniated disc are rare in adults, and the anterior microdiscectomy with or without fusion solve this pathology.
Long segment composite split cord malformation with double bony spur
Authors: Sharma Anand , Sharma Achal , Mittal R.S.
Published: September 2015

A composite type of SCM is very rare and only a few cases have been reported until today. The frequency of composite- type SCM is lower than 1% in the literature. In this report, we presented an unusual case of long segment composite type split cord malformation with double level bony spur with multiple associated bony anomalies.
RIM1/2-Mediated Facilitation of Cav1.4 Channel Opening Is Required for Ca2+-Stimulated Release in Mouse Rod Photoreceptors
Authors: Grabner Chad P. , Gandini Maria A. , Rehak Renata , Le Yun , Zamponi Gerald W. , Schmitz Frank
Published: September 2015

Night blindness can result from impaired photoreceptor function and a subset of cases have been linked to dysfunction of Cav1.4 calcium channels and in turn compromised synaptic transmission. Here, we show that active zone proteins RIM1/2 are important regulators of Cav1.4 channel function in mouse rod photoreceptors and thus synaptic activity. The conditional double knock-out (cdko) of RIM1 and RIM2 from rods starting a few weeks after birth did not change Cav1.4 protein expression at rod ribbon synapses nor was the morphology of the ribbon altered. Heterologous overexpression of RIM2 with Cav1.4 had no significant influence on current density when examined with BaCl2as the charge carrier. Nonetheless, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from cdko rods revealed a profound reduction in Ca2+currents. Concomitantly, we observed a 4-fold reduction in spontaneous miniature release events from the cdko rod terminals and an almost complete absence of evoked responses when monitoring changes in membrane incorporation after strong step depolarizations. Under control conditions, 49 and 83 vesicles were released with 0.2 and 1 s depolarizations, respectively, which is close to the maximal number of vesicles estimated to be docked at the base of the ribbon active zone, but without RIM1/2, only a few vesicles were stimulated for release after a 1 s stimulation. In conclusion, our study shows that RIM1/2 potently enhance the influx of Ca2+into rod terminals through Cav1.4 channels, which is vitally important for the release of vesicles from the rod ribbon.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTActive zone scaffolding proteins are thought to bring multiple components involved in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis into functional interactions. We show that removal of scaffolding proteins RIM1/2 from rod photoreceptor ribbon synapses causes a dramatic loss of Ca2+influx through Cav1.4 channels and a correlated reduction in evoked release, yet the channels remain localized to synaptic ribbons in a normal fashion. Our findings strongly argue that RIM1/2 facilitate Ca2+entry and in turn Ca2+evoked release by modulating Cav1.4 channel openings; however, RIM1/2 are not needed for the retention of Cav1.4 at the synapse. In summary, a key function of RIM1/2 at rod ribbons is to enhance Cav1.4 channel activity, possibly through direct or indirect modulation of the channel.
Flexible Use of Predictive Cues beyond the Orbitofrontal Cortex: Role of the Submedius Thalamic Nucleus
Authors: Alcaraz Fabien , Marchand Alain R. , Vidal Elisa , Guillou Alexandre , Faugère Angélique , Coutureau Etienne , Wolff Mathieu
Published: September 2015

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is known to play a crucial role in learning the consequences of specific events. However, the contribution of OFC thalamic inputs to these processes is largely unknown. Using a tract-tracing approach, we first demonstrated that the submedius nucleus (Sub) shares extensive reciprocal connections with the OFC. We then compared the effects of excitotoxic lesions of the Sub or the OFC on the ability of rats to use outcome identity to direct responding. We found that neither OFC nor Sub lesions interfered with the basic differential outcomes effect. However, more specific tests revealed that OFC rats, but not Sub rats, were disproportionally relying on the outcome, rather than on the discriminative stimulus, to guide behavior, which is consistent with the view that the OFC integrates information about predictive cues. In subsequent experiments using a Pavlovian contingency degradation procedure, we found that both OFC and Sub lesions produced a severe deficit in the ability to update Pavlovian associations. Altogether, the submedius therefore appears as a functionally relevant thalamic component in a circuit dedicated to the integration of predictive cues to guide behavior, previously conceived as essentially dependent on orbitofrontal functions.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn the present study, we identify a largely unknown thalamic region, the submedius nucleus, as a new functionally relevant component in a circuit supporting the flexible use of predictive cues. Such abilities were previously conceived as largely dependent on the orbitofrontal cortex. Interestingly, this echoes recent findings in the field showing, in research involving an instrumental setup, an additional involvement of another thalamic nuclei, the parafascicular nucleus, when correct responding requires an element of flexibility (Bradfield et al., 2013a). Therefore, the present contribution supports the emerging view that limbic thalamic nuclei may contribute critically to adaptive responding when an element of flexibility is required after the establishment of initial learning.
Intermediate Progenitors Facilitate Intracortical Progression of Thalamocortical Axons and Interneurons through CXCL12 Chemokine Signaling
Authors: Abe Philipp , Molnár Zoltán , Tzeng Yi-Shiuan , Lai Dar-Ming , Arnold Sebastian J. , Stumm Ralf
Published: September 2015

Glutamatergic principal neurons, GABAergic interneurons and thalamocortical axons (TCAs) are essential elements of the cerebrocortical network. Principal neurons originate locally from radial glia and intermediate progenitors (IPCs), whereas interneurons and TCAs are of extrinsic origin. Little is known how the assembly of these elements is coordinated. C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12), which is known to guide axons outside the neural tube and interneurons in the cortex, is expressed in the meninges and IPCs. Using mouse genetics, we dissected the influence of IPC-derived CXCL12 on TCAs and interneurons by showing thatCxcl12ablation in IPCs, leaving meningealCxcl12intact, attenuates intracortical TCA growth and disrupts tangential interneuron migration in the subventricular zone. In accordance with strong CXCR4 expression in the forming thalamus and TCAs, we identified a CXCR4-dependent growth-promoting effect of CXCL12 on TCAs in thalamus explants. Together, our findings indicate a cell-autonomous role of CXCR4 in promoting TCA growth. We propose that CXCL12 signals from IPCs link cortical neurogenesis to the progression of TCAs and interneurons spatially and temporally.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe cerebral cortex exerts higher brain functions including perceptual and emotional processing. Evolutionary expansion of the mammalian cortex is mediated by intermediate progenitors, transient amplifying cells generating cortical excitatory neurons. During the peak period of cortical neurogenesis, migrating precursors of inhibitory interneurons originating in subcortical areas and thalamic axons invade the cortex. Although defects in the assembly of cortical network elements cause neurological and mental disorders, little is known how neurogenesis, interneuron recruitment, and axonal ingrowth are coordinated. We demonstrate that intermediate progenitors release the chemotactic cytokine CXCL12 to promote intracortical interneuron migration and growth of thalamic axons via the cognate receptor CXCR4. This paracrine signal may ensure thalamocortical connectivity and dispersion of inhibitory neurons in the rapidly growing cortex.
Rapid Task-Related Plasticity of Spectrotemporal Receptive Fields in the Auditory Midbrain
Authors: Slee Sean J. , David Stephen V.
Published: September 2015

Previous research has demonstrated that auditory cortical neurons can modify their receptive fields when animals engage in auditory detection tasks. We tested for this form of task-related plasticity in the inferior colliculus (IC) of ferrets trained to detect a pure tone target in a sequence of noise distractors that did not overlap in time. During behavior, responses were suppressed at the target tone frequency in approximately half of IC neurons relative to the passive state. This suppression often resulted from a combination of a local tuning change and a global change in overall excitability. Local and global suppression were stronger when the target frequency was aligned to neuronal best frequency. Local suppression in the IC was indistinguishable from that described previously in auditory cortex, while global suppression was unique to the IC. The results demonstrate that engaging in an auditory task can change selectivity for task-relevant features in the midbrain, an area where these effects have not been reported previously.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTPrevious studies have demonstrated that the receptive fields of cortical neurons are modified when animals engage in auditory behaviors, a process that is hypothesized to provide the basis for segregating sound sources in an auditory scene. This study demonstrates for the first time that receptive fields of neurons in the midbrain inferior colliculus are also modified during behavior. The magnitude of the tuning changes is similar to previous reports in cortex. These results support a hierarchical model of behaviorally driven sound segregation that begins in the subcortical auditory network.
Age-Related Changes in 1/fNeural Electrophysiological Noise
Authors: Voytek Bradley , Kramer Mark A. , Case John , Lepage Kyle Q. , Tempesta Zechari R. , Knight Robert T. , Gazzaley Adam
Published: September 2015

Aging is associated with performance decrements across multiple cognitive domains. The neural noise hypothesis, a dominant view of the basis of this decline, posits that aging is accompanied by an increase in spontaneous, noisy baseline neural activity. Here we analyze data from two different groups of human subjects: intracranial electrocorticography from 15 participants over a 38 year age range (15–53 years) and scalp EEG data from healthy younger (20–30 years) and older (60–70 years) adults to test the neural noise hypothesis from a 1/fnoise perspective. Many natural phenomena, including electrophysiology, are characterized by 1/fnoise. The defining characteristic of 1/fis that the power of the signal frequency content decreases rapidly as a function of the frequency (f) itself. The slope of this decay, the noise exponent (χ), is often <−1 for electrophysiological data and has been shown to approach white noise (defined as χ = 0) with increasing task difficulty. We observed, in both electrophysiological datasets, that aging is associated with a flatter (more noisy) 1/fpower spectral density, even at rest, and that visual cortical 1/fnoise statistically mediates age-related impairments in visual working memory. These results provide electrophysiological support for the neural noise hypothesis of aging.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTUnderstanding the neurobiological origins of age-related cognitive decline is of critical scientific, medical, and public health importance, especially considering the rapid aging of the world's population. We find, in two separate human studies, that 1/felectrophysiological noise increases with aging. In addition, we observe that this age-related 1/fnoise statistically mediates age-related working memory decline. These results significantly add to this understanding and contextualize a long-standing problem in cognition by encapsulating age-related cognitive decline within a neurocomputational model of 1/fnoise-induced deficits in neural communication.
Lipid Rafts Are Physiologic Membrane Microdomains Necessary for the Morphogenic and Developmental Functions of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic FactorIn Vivo
Authors: Tsui Cynthia C. , Gabreski Nicole A. , Hein Sarah J. , Pierchala Brian A.
Published: September 2015

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes PNS development and kidney morphogenesis via a receptor complex consisting of the glycerophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored, ligand binding receptor GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) and the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret. Although Ret signal transductionin vitrois augmented by translocation into lipid rafts via GFRα1, the existence and importance of lipid rafts in GDNF–Ret signaling under physiologic conditions is unresolved. A knock-in mouse was produced that replaced GFRα1 with GFRα1–TM, which contains a transmembrane (TM) domain instead of the GPI anchor. GFRα1–TM still binds GDNF and promotes Ret activation but does not translocate into rafts. InGfrα1TM/TMmice, GFRα1–TM is expressed, trafficked, and processed at levels identical to GFRα1. AlthoughGfrα1+/TMmice are viable,Gfrα1TM/TMmice display bilateral renal agenesis, lack enteric neurons in the intestines, and have motor axon guidance deficits, similar toGfrα1−/−mice. Therefore, the recruitment of Ret into lipid rafts by GFRα1 is required for the physiologic functions of GDNF in vertebrates.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMembrane microdomains known as lipid rafts have been proposed to be unique subdomains in the plasma membrane that are critical for the signaling functions of multiple receptor complexes. Their existence and physiologic relevance has been debated. Based onin vitrostudies, lipid rafts have been reported to be necessary for the function of the Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of neurotrophic factors. The receptor for GDNF comprises the lipid raft-resident, glycerophosphatidylinositol-anchored receptor GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) and the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret. Here we demonstrate, using a knock-in mouse model in which GFRα1 is no longer located in lipid rafts, that the developmental functions of GDNF in the periphery require the translocation of the GDNF receptor complex into lipid rafts.
Representational Similarity of Body Parts in Human Occipitotemporal Cortex
Authors: Bracci Stefania , Caramazza Alfonso , Peelen Marius V.
Published: September 2015

Regions in human lateral and ventral occipitotemporal cortices (OTC) respond selectively to pictures of the human body and its parts. What are the organizational principles underlying body part responses in these regions? Here we used representational similarity analysis (RSA) of fMRI data to test multiple possible organizational principles: shape similarity, physical proximity, cortical homunculus proximity, and semantic similarity. Participants viewed pictures of whole persons, chairs, and eight body parts (hands, arms, legs, feet, chests, waists, upper faces, and lower faces). The similarity of multivoxel activity patterns for all body part pairs was established in whole person-selective OTC regions. The resulting neural similarity matrices were then compared with similarity matrices capturing the hypothesized organizational principles. Results showed that the semantic similarity model best captured the neural similarity of body parts in lateral and ventral OTC, which followed an organization in three clusters: (1) body parts used as action effectors (hands, feet, arms, and legs), (2) noneffector body parts (chests and waists), and (3) face parts (upper and lower faces). Whole-brain RSA revealed, in addition to OTC, regions in parietal and frontal cortex in which neural similarity was related to semantic similarity. In contrast, neural similarity in occipital cortex was best predicted by shape similarity models. We suggest that the semantic organization of body parts in high-level visual cortex relates to the different functions associated with the three body part clusters, reflecting the unique processing and connectivity demands associated with the different types of information (e.g., action, social) different body parts (e.g., limbs, faces) convey.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWhile the organization of body part representations in motor and somatosensory cortices has been well characterized, the principles underlying body part representations in visual cortex have not yet been explored. In the present fMRI study we used multivoxel pattern analysis and representational similarity analysis to characterize the organization of body maps in human occipitotemporal cortex (OTC). Results indicate that visual and shape dimensions do not fully account for the organization of body part representations in OTC. Instead, the representational structure of body maps in OTC appears strongly related to functional-semantic properties of body parts. We suggest that this organization reflects the unique processing and connectivity demands associated with the different types of information different body parts convey.
Antisemitismo en Vasconcelos: antiamericanismo, nacionalismo y misticismo estético
Authors: Jerade Dana Miriam
Published: September 2015

El presente artículo analiza las construcciones antisemitas en el discurso de José Vasconcelos durante la década de los treinta y principios de los cuarenta, principalmente en la revista Timón, publicación que expresaba abiertamente simpatía por el nacionalsocialismo, que se publicó durante algunos meses en 1940 y que Vasconcelos dirigió. Mi objetivo será analizar cómo el antisemitismo se relaciona tanto con sus ideas nacionalistas como con sus nociones de raza y de qué manera su atracción por el nacionalsocialismo se podría explicar por la dimensión estética y romántica de su pensamiento político.

This article analyzes anti-Semitic constructions in the discourse of José Vasconcelos throughout the 1930s and into the early 1940s, focusing on the magazine Timón, which openly supported national socialism, and which was published for a few months in 1940, under the direction of Vasconcelos. My aim is to examine how anti-Semitism is linked both to Vasconcelos's ideas about nationalism and race, and how the aesthetic and romantic dimensions of Vasconcelos's political thought help to explain his attraction toward national socialism.
Melanoma with regression and in-transit metastasis
Authors: Letcă Alina Florentina , Ungureanu Loredana , Grigore Lavinia Elena , Rogojan Liliana , Cosgarea Rodica
Published: September 2015

Introduction. Melanoma is an aggressive tumor with an increasing incidence worldwide. In-transit metastases represent a unique pattern of dissemination.Case report. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman who presented with two lesions on the left latero-cervical region: a pigmented macule with irregular borders and colors and a firm, dome-shaped 5 mm nodule with an erythematous base and a black crust on top, at the periphery of the first lesion. The clinical picture supported the diagnosis of melanoma with in-transit metastasis, but the histopathology examination raised, initially, the problem of two primary melanomas: a superficial spreading melanoma and a minimal deviation melanoma.Conclusions. Our case highlights the necessity of clinical and histopathological correlations in every case and the necessity of a good collaboration between the dermatologist and the pathologist.
275 YEARS SINCE THE EPIDEMIC OF PLAGUE IN CLUJ: DR. ALEXANDRU LENGHEL’S CONTRIBUTION TO ITS INVESTIGATION
Authors: Rogozea Liliana , Leașu Florin , Dumitrascu Dinu Iuliu , Dumitrascu Dan L.
Published: September 2015

Plague is one of the most impressive diseases in the cultural history of mankind. Its lethality has influenced the evolution of society and it is frequently represented in fine arts and literature.The principality of Transylvania was also affected by this infection, the plague having strongly impacted both economic and social development.Between 1738 and 1739 an important plague epidemic spread in Transylvania. The authors introduce and discuss a less known work on this epidemic, with focus on its impact on the city of Cluj - a book written in 1930 by Dr. Alexandru Lenghel, who later became a target of political persecution during the Stalinist period, while his work entered a cone of shadow.
Liberalización del sector bancario y persistencia de las formas organizativas
Authors: Orcos Raquel , Palomas Sergio
Published: September 2015

El sector bancario español tradicionalmente estaba compuesto por tres tipos de entidades: bancos comerciales, cajas de ahorros y cooperativas de crédito, cuyo comportamiento estaba controlado por una estricta regulación. Sin embargo, en el último cuarto del siglo XX un proceso liberalizador eliminó las diferencias en la regulación a la que estaban sometidas estas entidades. En consecuencia, todas las entidades del sector pasaron a estar legalmente capacitadas para desempeñar las mismas opciones estratégicas y prestar servicios a los mismos colectivos. La literatura previa sugiere que las entidades deberían haber cambiado notablemente su comportamiento y haberse vuelto más homogéneas, haciendo desaparecer las diferencias entre formas organizativas. Sin embargo, nuestros análisis muestran que las diferencias entre formas organizativas se mantuvieron. En este trabajo ofrecemos una explicación de por qué tras la desregulación las diferentes formas organizativas persistieron, a pesar de los notables cambios que se produjeron en su forma de operar. Los resultados muestran importantes implicaciones para la labor de los reguladores.
La autorreferencia como estrategia comunicativa de la organización Comité de Cafeteros del Quindío
Authors: Ocampo Villegas María Cristina
Published: September 2015

La imagen y el prestigio de la institucionalidad cafetera en Colombia han cambiado a lo largo de los ochenta y siete años de existencia de la agremiación. En los últimos veinte años del siglo XX, gran parte de los caficultores identificaron a los Comités de Cafeteros y a la Federación como salvadores y orientadores de su quehacer cotidiano. Aunque esta imagen y este prestigio estuvieron ligados a las acciones económicas adelantadas, la comunicación y, en particular, el uso de la autorreferencia como mecanismo persuasivo, fueron herramientas utilizadas para conseguir cohesión y apoyo de los campesinos que constituían las bases. El presente trabajo analiza el uso de la autorreferencia dentro de las estrategias de comunicación que adelantó el Comité de Cafeteros del Quindío con los campesinos cultivadores, en el periodo 1992-2010. La investigación, de carácter descriptivo, se realizó a partir del análisis de la columna "Cafetero con Garra", publicada en el periódico institucional Actualidad Cafetera. Se destaca el marcado interés de la agremiación por reforzar en los caficultores el sentido de alto estatus de la actividad, reconocer la importancia económica y social del café y resaltar las ventajas que tiene el ser un buen cafetero, según criterios de la organización. Con este trabajo se pretende rescatar algunas estrategias comunicativas que pueden contribuir a mejorar las relaciones que las organizaciones gremiales campesinas realizan con sus bases, en la actualidad.
Sensibilidad ética empresarial
Authors: Nicolás Alarcón Carolina , Valenzuela  Fernández Leslier , Gutiérrez Caques Alexis , Gil Lafuente Jaime
Published: September 2015

Considerando los distintos sucesos nacionales e internacionales que han puesto en duda el comportamiento ético de ejecutivos de empresas, surge la necesidad de investigar cuáles son las variables relevantes que podrían influir en la sensibilidad ética de los directivos. Este estudio contribuye, por una parte, con un modelo explicativo sobre el grado de sensibilidad ética de los ejecutivos de empresas y, por otra, con evidencia empírica a través de una encuesta auto-administrada aplicada a 143 de ellos en Chile. Los resultados corroboran que existen relaciones positivas y significativas entre las variables planteadas en el modelo y la sensibilidad ética. Asimismo, la investigación identifica diferencias entre grupos de ejecutivos con o sin código de ética en su empresa y entre grupos según su variable de género.
Compromisso com a RSE no Pacto Global da Organização das Nações Unidas
Authors: Castelo Branco Manuel , Castelo Branco Delgado , Baptista Isabel
Published: September 2015

Neste trabalho, analisou-se o compromisso com a Responsabilidade Social Empresarial (RSE) na Europa procurando-se verificar se há diferenças de comportamento em função da região de origem. O compromisso com a RSE foi analisado por meio do grau de descumprimento da exigência de divulgação de um relatório designado Communication on Progress por parte do Pacto Global da Organização das Nações Unidas (PG-ONU) e a percentagem de empresas pioneiras na adesão ao PG-ONU. Usou-se uma amostra de países europeus com empresas aderentes a essa iniciativa da ONU. Os resultados sugerem que o compromisso para com a RSE é maior por parte das empresas do países da Europa Ocidental quando comparados com os países do Ex-Bloco de Leste e que é nos países da Europa Ocidental em que a economia coordenada é mais forte (os países nórdicos) que esse compromisso é maior.
Aproximación a una categorización de los sistemas de productos: el uso y la experiencia del consumidor como configuradores
Authors: Cardozo Vásquez John Jairo , Hernandis Ortuño Bernabé , Ramírez Triana Nélida Yaneth
Published: September 2015

Con la transformación en las formas de relación con los productos, los consumidores han dejado de ser receptores pasivos de funciones para transformarse en co-creadores de los productos, así como buscadores de experiencias y sensaciones. Múltiples estudios demuestran cómo los ecosistemas de productos son el ambiente en el que se realizan estas interacciones entre consumidores y productos (Jiao, Xu, Du, Zhang, Helander, Khalid y Ni, 2007; Zhou, Xu y Jiao, 2011), donde las experiencias y sensaciones del usuario son optimizadas a través de la estrategia de categorización, lo que permite establecer agrupaciones de productos basadas en la similitud percibida. Este estudio busca establecer la manera como el uso y la experiencia influyen en el diseño de los productos de una categoría. Se proponen 8 agrupaciones que describen las formas de interacción de los consumidores con los productos, las cuales son estudiadas mediante el modelo de sistemas de productos. Para evaluar estos planteamientos se aplica una encuesta a 57 expertos en el área del diseño, enfocada en determinar el grado de afectación de la experiencia y el uso en la caracterización de los sistemas de productos. A partir del análisis de los datos, se extrae una escala del grado de énfasis requerido en cada variable. Los resultados son contrastados con la literatura y se discuten sus implicaciones para el diseño de categorías mediante el modelado de sistemas de productos.
Diseño y validación de un cuestionario que mide la percepción de efectividad del uso de metodologías de participación activa (CEMPA). El caso del Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABPrj) en la docencia de la contabilidad
Authors: Carrasco Gallego Amalia , Donoso Anes José Antonio , Duarte Atoche Teresa , Hernández Borreguero José Julián , López Gavira Rosario
Published: September 2015

Numerosos trabajos llevados a cabo en docencia de la contabilidad, que relacionan metodologías de participación activa con desarrollo de competencias técnicas y no técnicas, utilizan cuestionarios para sustentar los hallazgos obtenidos en los mismos. Sin embargo, no se ha llevado a cabo un proceso de validación de los cuestionarios utilizados que garantice la validez y la fiabilidad de cada uno de los ítems que forman parte de los mismos.El objetivo del trabajo ha sido el diseño y validación de un cuestionario que sirva para medir la efectividad de las metodologías de participación activa, en concreto en Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABPrj). La muestra utilizada está compuesta por alumnos de Administración y Dirección de Empresas que cursaron Contabilidad Avanzada y Análisis Contable, y el periodo de observación es de cuatro cursos (años) académicos.El trabajo examinó la estructura factorial del Cuestionario de Efectividad del Uso de Metodologías de Participación Activa (CEMPA) a través de un Análisis Factorial Exploratorio y Confirmatorio.Los resultados obtenidos revelaron que la estructura del cuestionario es válida y adecuada para medir la percepción que tienen los alumnos sobre las habilidades y capacidades adquiridas a través de la metodología de participación activa ABPrj.
Distribution extension and geographic distribution map of Elachistocleis helianneae (Anura: Microhylidae): new record for state of Amapá, Eastern Amazon
Authors: Costa-Campos Carlos Eduardo , Freire Eliza Maria Xavier
Published: September 2015

We provide a record of Elachistocleis helianneae from the municipality of Macapá, the first from the state of Amapá, northern Brazil. This is also the species’ most eastern occurrence and significantly extends the known distribution by 350 km from the closest previously known occurrence in the municipality of Belém, state of Pará; the new record is ca. 1,600 km from this species’ type locality at Humaitá, state of Amazonas.
Extraction Socket Management Utilizing Platelet Rich Fibrin: A Proof-of-Principle Study of the “Accelerated-Early Implant Placement” Concept
Authors: Kotsakis Georgios A. , Boufidou Foteini , Hinrichs James E. , Prasad Hari S. , Rohrer Michael , Tosios Kostantinos I.
Published: September 2015

Dental implants are widely accepted as the golden standard for the rehabilitation of an edentulous site following the extraction of a tooth. The ideal time for implant placement is dependent on the time required for partial or complete tissue healing and the adequacy of socket dimensions. The use of autologous growth factors is a promising new concept that aids clinicians in minimizing treatment time and increasing patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a protocol for “accelerated-early” implant placement. In this protocol, platelet rich fibrin is employed to accelerate soft and hard tissue healing and to provide a better-healed recipient site for accelerated, early implant placement. Histological analysis revealed that at 6 weeks postextraction, the application of our approach resulted in delicate newly formed bone showing intense osteoblastic activity surrounded by connective tissue as well as areas of mineralized tissue. The present study is a proof-of-principle study of the acceleration of the physiologic postextraction healing sequelae with the use of autologous growth factors. The accelerated-early implant placement concept is a bioengineered protocol that may aid clinicians to achieve increased primary stability, by placing implants in ridges in an advanced stage of bone healing, while offering patients the benefits associated with early implant placement. Controlled studies are warranted to verify the reproducibility of this treatment concept and identify specific indications where the use of the presented technique can lead to significant clinical results.
The hyporheic zone and its functions: revision and research status in Neotropical regions
Authors: Mugnai R , Messana G , Di Lorenzo T
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe hyporheic zone (HZ), as the connecting ecotone between surface- and groundwater, is functionally part of both fluvial and groundwater ecosystems. Its hydrological, chemical, biological and metabolic features are specific of this zone, not belonging truly neither to surface- nor to groundwater. Exchanges of water, nutrients, and organic matter occur in response to variations in discharge and bed topography and porosity. Dynamic gradients exist at all scales and vary temporally. Across all scales, the functional significance of the HZ relates to its activity and connection with the surface stream. The HZ is a relatively rich environment and almost all invertebrate groups have colonized this habitat. This fauna, so-called hyporheos, is composed of species typical from interstitial environment, and also of benthic epigean and phreatic species. The hyporheic microbiocenose consists in bacteria, archaea, protozoa and fungi. The HZ provides several ecosystem services, playing a pivotal role in mediating exchange processes, including both matter and energy, between surface and subterranean ecosystems, functioning as regulator of water flow, benthic invertebrates refuge and place of storage, source and transformation of organic matter. The hyporheic zone is one of the most threatened aquatic environments, being strongly influenced by human activities, and the least protected by legislation worldwide. Its maintenance and conservation is compelling in order to preserve the ecological interconnectivity among the three spatial dimensions of the aquatic environment. Although several researchers addressed the importance of the hyporheic zone early, and most contemporary stream ecosystem models explicitly include it, very little is known about the HZ of Neotropical regions. From a biological standpoint, hyporheos fauna in Neotropical regions are still largely underestimated. This review focuses on a brief presentation of the hyporheic zone and its functions and significance as an ecotone. We also highlighted the key aspects considering also the current status of research in Neotropical regions.
Jaguar (Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758) roadkill in Brazilian Atlantic Forest and implications for species conservation
Authors: Srbek-Araujo AC , Mendes SL , Chiarello AG
Published: September 2015

AbstractWe report the roadkill of a jaguar in one of the longest highways in Brazil (BR-101), in the stretch where this road crosses one of the most important Atlantic Forest remnants in the country: the Linhares-Sooretama block. The jaguar population present in this area represents the very last in entire Espírito Santo state. There is an approved project to the lines duplication of the entire BR-101 Highway and the company responsible by the work has already started the first activities in the state. However, there is no environmental impact assessment already done neither planning for the implementation of measures to avoid or reduce the roadkill risk in the region. Thus, to minimize the impacts associated with the BR-101, we do not recommend its lines duplication along the 15 km stretch traversing the Linhares-Sooretama block. In addition, alternatively, we suggest the deviation of the current route of the BR-101 Highway or the construction of overpasses to fauna in the most critical points, interspersing these overpasses with electronic speed monitoring devices and warning and educational plates.