969 research outputs found

    Developing an fMRI paradigm for studying reinforcement learning with gustatory stimuli

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    One of the main challenges for global public health in the modern world is the rising prevalence of obesity. Obtaining a better understanding of the dysregulated feeding behaviour that leads to obesity, by investigating the decision making and learning processes underlying it, could advance our capabilities in battling the obesity epidemic. Consequently, our aim in this study is to design an experiment that could evaluate these processes. We examined ten healthy participants using a modified version of the "probabilistic selection task". We used gustatory stimuli as a replacement for monetary rewards, to assess the effect of nutritional rewards on the learning behaviour. We subsequently analysed the behavioural results with computational modelling and combined this with imaging data simultaneously acquired with a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) multiband sequence. All participants in this study succeeded in interpreting and interacting with the gustatory stimuli appropriately. Performance on the task was affected by the subjective valuation of the reward. Participants whose motivation to drink the reward and liking of its taste decreased during the task presented difficulties correctly choosing the more rewarding cues. Computational modelling of the behaviour found that the so-called asymmetric learning model, in which positive and negative reinforcement are differently weighted, best explained the group. The acquired fMRI data was suboptimal and we did not detect the neurological activity we expected in the reward system, which is central to our scientific question. Thus, our study shows it is possible to implement the PST with gustatory stimuli. However, to evaluate the corresponding neurological activity, our fMRI configuration requires improvement. An optimised system could be used in further studies to improve our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of learning that lead to obesity and elucidate the role of food as a distinctive reinforcer

    2017 GREAT Day Program

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    SUNY Geneseo’s Eleventh Annual GREAT Day.https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/program-2007/1011/thumbnail.jp

    Juego entre la arquitectura y la educación

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    Descripció del recurs: 7 març 2023Textos en anglès i castellàThis volume shows the deep changes in architecture by the impact of the AI and the climate fast evolution in mankind. We are just now with the Covid to feel these changes, but it is just a start point, neither the medical sciences nor architecture in itself will never be the same.Primera edició

    Avaliação de risco de reutilização da água tratada da ETAR Viseu Sul para usos de rega e afins

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    A água é um bem essencial para sobrevivência humana e está diretamente ligada ao desenvolvimento socioeconómico. Sendo assim considerada um dos bens mais valiosos do mundo. Porém há uma limitação quanto a esse bem tão preciso, ele é finito. Devido as crescentes alterações climáticas e o aumento populacional a escassez de água já é uma realidade em diversas partes do mundo. Esta necessidade impulsiona a procura de soluções sustentáveis para a crise hídrica que está a crescer. Neste contexto surge a possibilidade de reutilizar águas residuais tratadas como fonte de água não potável para atividades básicas. A reutilização de águas tratadas traz benefícios ambientais e sociais, porém também há riscos associados, o que torna necessário o desenvolvimento de uma avaliação de riscos. Esta dissertação teve como objetivo desenvolver a avaliação de risco da reutilização de águas, a nível de saúde pública e de recursos hídricos, para produção e utilização interna pela Estação de Tratamento de Águas Residuais (ETAR) de Viseu Sul e para utilização externa na rega dos espaços verdes de Viseu. Também foram desenvolvidos uma ferramenta que facilita o processo de desenvolvimento da avaliação no Microsoft Excel e um vídeo para uma campanha de sensibilização a população sobre a reutilização de água. A metodologia utilizada foi a semi-quantitativa de avaliação de risco relativamente à saúde pública e aos recursos hídricos. Foram identificados 8 recetores, sendo 3 destes na produção e utilização interna e 5 envolvidos na utilização externa, dispostos em 47 cenários, divididos entre cenários de ingestão, inalação e adsorção dérmica. O resultado obtido demonstrou que há viabilidade para produção e utilização de Água para Reutilização (ApR) pela ETAR Viseu Sul, com risco global para saúde pública de 0,68, e para utilização na rega dos espaços verdes de Viseu, com risco de 0,75. O risco global para os recursos hídricos foi de 2,33 para azoto e fósforo e 0,78 para E. coli.Todos os riscos foram considerados desprezáveis, considerando os critérios definidos pelo método. Sendo assim, possível concluir que a reutilização de água residual tratada na ETAR Viseu Sul é uma possibilidade boa e viável para suprir as necessidades hídricas da cidade de Viseu, sem colocar em risco a população e o meio ambiente.ABSTRACT: Water is essential for human survival, it is directly related to socioeconomic development, it is indispensable for food production and industrial growth. Thesecharacteristics make it one ofthe most valuable assetsin the world, however there is a limitationon this resource, it is finite. Due to constant climate changes and population growth, water scarcity is already a reality in many parts of the world. This need drives the search for sustainable solutions to the growing water crisis. In this context, the possibility of reusing treated wastewater as a source of non-potable water for basic activities. The reuse of treated water brings environmental and social benefits, but there are also risks associated with the reuseof water, which makes it necessary to develop a risk assessment. This dissertation aimed to develop the risk assessment of the reuse of water for production and internal use by the WWTP Viseu Sul and for external use in the irrigation of the green spaces of Viseu, in terms of public health and water resources. A tool that facilitates the evaluation development process in Microsoft Excel and a video were also developed for a campaign to raise awareness among the population about water reuse. The methodology used was semi-quantitative risk assessment in relation to public health and resources. 8 receptors were identified, 3 of which were in production and internal use and 5 involved in external use, arranged in 47 scenarios, divided between ingestion, inhalation and dermal adsorption scenarios. The result obtained was favorable, demonstrating that there is feasibility for the production and use of Water for Reuse (ApR) by the WWTP Viseu Sul, with a global public health risk of 0.68, and for use in the irrigation of the green spaces of Viseu, with risk overall for public health of 0.75. The overall risk for water resources was 2.33 for nitrogen and phosphorus and 0.78 for E. coli. All risks were considered negligible. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the reuse of treated wastewater is a good and viable possibility to supply the Viseu’s water needs, without risks to the population and the environment

    Public Perception of and Preference for Designed Naturalistic Urban Plantings in Beijing, China

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    Naturalistic plantings provide environmental and human well-being benefits and have become increasingly popular in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe and North America. China, a major carbon emitter with a mission to achieve carbon neutrality, is gradually recognizing the ecological benefits of naturalistic plantings in promoting sustainable environmental improvement. In recent years, naturalistic plantings have been introduced in major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Chengdu. If this approach is to be upscaled to deliver environmental and wellbeing effects across China, there is an urgent need for a greater understanding of the level of acceptance of naturalistic planting design amongst the Chinese public. This study aimed to explore public perceptions of and preferences for designed naturalistic planting design in Beijing, China to inform future urban landscape design and management throughout China. An on-site questionnaire was conducted with 1600 participants who were visiting national nature reserves, urban parks, and EXPO show gardens in Beijing. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were then carried out online or on-site with a sub-set of 47 interviewees. Our results show that most respondents recognized and defined nature according to the degree of human intervention and the scale of a scene. Respondents surveyed in urban parks perceived designed naturalistic urban plantings, more positively than conventional Chinese planting design. They recognized and appreciated naturalistic plantings for their ecological values, enjoyment, and fitness, as well as acknowledging the perception of disorder and unsafety in small-scale design show gardens. We identified relationships between respondents’ gender, age, education level, income and professional background and their preference for designed naturalistic urban plantings. Our study contributes to the growing body of research on urban plantings and provides valuable insights for urban planners and greenspace designers in China. By harnessing the preferred planting characteristics identified in our study, urban planners and designers can shape greener, more sustainable environments that effectively address the challenges of urbanization while creating harmonious spaces that benefit both urban residents and the ecosystem

    Investigaciones Geográficas. N. 80 (2023)

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    Implementing new genomic tools to study ventral midbrain development and injury response in the newt Pleurodeles waltl

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    Mammals have a poor ability to regenerate organs or tissues. In particular, brain neurons do not regenerate after damage. A good example of this limitation is the irreversible degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Several strategies are being developed to treat PD. The proposed treatments include transplantations and local reprogramming of brain cells. Transplantation approaches involve different sources of dopaminergic progenitors or neurons which can be sourced either in vivo from fetal ventral midbrain tissues, or in vitro from either embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells. Reprogramming approaches try to directly convert local glial cells into dopaminergic neurons in vivo. While clinical progress has been made in trials, several issues need to be addressed, such as the safety of the techniques, and ethical considerations. In this thesis I explored how dopaminergic neurons could be generated locally in the ventral midbrain from the endogenous neural stem cells. I used newts as the animal model, which have an extraordinary ability to regenerate organs and tissues including limb, tail, heart, lens, spinal cord, and the brain. Previous studies showed that newts functionally recovered after mesencephalic and diencephalic ablation of dopaminergic neurons by a process which is fueled by regenerative neurogenesis. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms after dopaminergic lesion have remained largely unrevealed, mostly because of the paucity of available molecular tools. In addition to the regeneration studies, studying newts broadens our understanding of the function and the shaping of the midbrain from a developmental and evolutionary perspective. The work in this thesis made use of recent technological advances, such as a newly assembled genomic resource, single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) and single-nucleus RNAseq (snRNAseq) methods, and genomic modification techniques. I implemented and refined those tools in the following projects. In Project I, I made use of new genomic and transcriptomic resources for the Iberian ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl. I identified gene orthologues of key dopaminergic determinants and other genes expressed in vertebrate ventral midbrain. I found examples of both evolutionary conservation and divergence. I designed and produced plasmids and gRNAs which were used to generate transgenic and mutant newts. I predicted reactivities of multiple commercially available antibodies that I tested in Pleurodeles waltl tissues. I also designed probes for single and multiplexed in situ hybridizations. In Project II, I studied the development of the Pleurodeles waltl ventral midbrain. Using scRNAseq/snRNAseq analyses in combination with immunohistochemical and functional analyses I focused on two aspects: (i) cellular heterogeneity, and (ii) transition of neural stem/progenitor cells from active proliferation to quiescence. Based on marker gene expression, I found high degree of conservations of major cell types between Pleurodeles waltl and mammals. I then studied in detail the development of the ventral midbrain with emphasis on the dopaminergic system. I uncovered that the cellular diversity observed in the adult ventral midbrain is established at the late larval stage, though the proportions of cell types change as development proceeds. I used the snRNAseq data to detect changes in gene expression from development to adulthood. The in silico data were confirmed by validating protein expression in the midbrain, by which I could observe defined subpopulations in their spatial distribution. Furthermore, I found that overexpression of the transcription factor NFI in vivo promotes the natural transition of stem/progenitor cells into quiescence. In Project III, I explored the cellular and molecular responses to dopaminergic injury in the Pleurodeles waltl ventral midbrain. I found, in accordance with the results of Project II, a downregulation of NFI correlating with the reactivation of ependymolial cells, which are neural stem cells in the newt brain. Overexpression of NFI after dopaminergic ablation inhibited the activation of ependymoglia. Bulk RNAseq analyses revealed sets of up- and downregulated genes which I explored further in the snRNAseq datasets. Furthermore, using the transgenic line mpeg1:GFP and PLX3397-mediated depletion, I revealed a role for microglia/macrophages in the reactivation of ependymolia after the ablation of dopaminergic neurons. In sum, the work provides new resources and entry points in how to consider the development and evolution of the newt ventral midbrain, and its ability to recover following loss of dopaminergic neurons
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