Qalb ta’ Tifel

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Lil Malta ta’ Dun Karm – Fuq il-Fruntiera ta’ Dun Karm – Jum li jibqa’ jissemma ta’ Ġużè Chetcuti – Xbihet Malta ta’ Arthur V. Vassallo – Għanja ta’ Mħabba ta’ Ġużè Chetcuti – Żewġ Poeżijiet tal-kittieb Malti Antonio Calleja ta’ A. C. – Twettiqa ta’ Calleja – Lil Ħabib Għeluq Sninu ta’ Calleja – Taħt is-Salib ta’ R. M. B. – Lil Dun Karm ta’ Fran. Camilleri – Frak mill-weraq ta’ Byron ta’ A. C. – Irrid Immur Ta’ Xbiex ta’ Fran. Camilleri – Il-Cottonera fil-Ħamrun ta’ N. Biancardi – Qalb ta’ Tifel ta’ R. M. B.N/

Behavioral Indices of Neuropsychological Processing Implicated in Moral Domain Reasoning amongst Children and Adolescents

Moral domain theory posits that moral knowledge is organized in separate domains related to moral and socio-conventional rules, with the latter being reliant on a statement made by authority. Domains may be contingent on different neuropsychological processing that may vary with age. Behavioral indices were measured in three age groups, to detect differences in the neuropsychological processing allegedly involved in the evaluation of rule transgressions in different domains. Acceptance of the transgressions was also investigated. Twenty-four children, 32 early adolescents, and 31 adolescents judged acceptability of rule transgressions when an authority figure allowed the transgression. Across age, moral-rule transgressions were less accepted and took significantly longer to be evaluated. In evaluating moral rule scenarios, children had the longest reaction times. Older adolescents took the least amount of time evaluating socio-conventional rule scenarios. Results suggest differences in the neuropsychological processing underlying decision making for moral and socio-conventional domains and that rule comprehension and distinction amongst domains increase by age

Dendritic Peptide Release Mediates Interpopulation Crosstalk between Neurosecretory and Preautonomic Networks

SummaryAlthough communication between neurons is considered a function of the synapse, neurons also release neurotransmitter from their dendrites. We found that dendritic transmitter release coordinates activity across distinct neuronal populations to generate integrative homeostatic responses. We show that activity-dependent vasopressin release from hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons in the paraventricular nucleus stimulates neighboring (∼100 μm soma-to-soma) presympathetic neurons, resulting in a sympathoexcitatory population response. This interpopulation crosstalk was engaged by an NMDA-mediated increase in dendritic Ca2+, influenced by vasopressin’s ability to diffuse in the extracellular space, and involved activation of CAN channels at the target neurons. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this interpopulation crosstalk plays a pivotal role in the generation of a systemic, polymodal neurohumoral response to a hyperosmotic challenge. Because dendritic release is emerging as a widespread process, our results suggest that a similar mechanism could mediate interpopulation crosstalk in other brain systems, particularly those involved in generating complex behaviors.Video Abstrac

Qalb

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Mituli ħuti ta’ J. M. Manara – Dlam ta’ George Stevens – Il-qalb ta’ George Zammit – L-arloġġ ta’ C. Cassar – Addio, Manwel!... ta’ Nikol Biancardi – Ħsibijiet ta’ Emanuel Agius.N/

Promovendo a comercialização solidária: o caso da RCS-Alegre

Esse relato se refere a experiência da Rede de Comercialização Solidária de Alegre, que apoia a economia solidária por meio da comercialização de produtos da agricultura familiar local. Os alimentos são produzidos sem o uso de agrotóxicos ou processados em agroindústrias familiares rurais. A Rede, hoje com mais de 20 agricultores e mais de 100 consumidores, tem grande potencial no apoio às práticas agroecológicas, contribuindo com a renda sustentável aos agricultores familiares, com a segurança alimentar dos consumidores, e com o exercício de valores de ética e solidariedade nas relações comerciais.Eje: B3 Economía y agroecología (Relatos de experiencias)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Promovendo a comercialização solidária: o caso da RCS-Alegre

Esse relato se refere a experiência da Rede de Comercialização Solidária de Alegre, que apoia a economia solidária por meio da comercialização de produtos da agricultura familiar local. Os alimentos são produzidos sem o uso de agrotóxicos ou processados em agroindústrias familiares rurais. A Rede, hoje com mais de 20 agricultores e mais de 100 consumidores, tem grande potencial no apoio às práticas agroecológicas, contribuindo com a renda sustentável aos agricultores familiares, com a segurança alimentar dos consumidores, e com o exercício de valores de ética e solidariedade nas relações comerciais.Eje: B3 Economía y agroecología (Relatos de experiencias)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Promovendo a comercialização solidária: o caso da RCS-Alegre

Esse relato se refere a experiência da Rede de Comercialização Solidária de Alegre, que apoia a economia solidária por meio da comercialização de produtos da agricultura familiar local. Os alimentos são produzidos sem o uso de agrotóxicos ou processados em agroindústrias familiares rurais. A Rede, hoje com mais de 20 agricultores e mais de 100 consumidores, tem grande potencial no apoio às práticas agroecológicas, contribuindo com a renda sustentável aos agricultores familiares, com a segurança alimentar dos consumidores, e com o exercício de valores de ética e solidariedade nas relações comerciais.Eje: B3 Economía y agroecología (Relatos de experiencias)Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Hypothalamic Kinin B1 Receptor Mediates Orexin System Hyperactivity in Neurogenic Hypertension

Brain orexin system hyperactivity contributes to neurogenic hypertension. We previously reported upregulated neuronal kinin B1 receptor (B1R) expression in hypertension. However, the role of central B1R activation on the orexin system in neurogenic hypertension has not been examined. We hypothesized that kinin B1R contributes to hypertension via upregulation of brain orexin-arginine vasopressin signaling. We utilized deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension model in wild-type (WT) and B1R knockout (B1RKO) mice. In WT mice, DOCA-salt-treatment increased gene and protein expression of orexin A, orexin receptor 1, and orexin receptor 2 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and these effects were attenuated in B1RKO mice. Furthermore, DOCA-salt- treatment increased plasma arginine vasopressin levels in WT mice, but not in B1RKO mice. Cultured primary hypothalamic neurons expressed orexin A and orexin receptor 1. B1R specific agonist (LDABK) stimulation of primary neurons increased B1R protein expression, which was abrogated by B1R selective antagonist R715 but not by the dual orexin receptor antagonist, ACT 462206, suggesting that B1R is upstream of the orexin system. These data provide novel evidence that B1R blockade blunts orexin hyperactivity and constitutes a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of salt-sensitive hypertension

Assessment of the influence of lung inflation state on the quantitative parameters derived from hyperpolarized gas lung ventilation MRI in healthy volunteers.

In this study, the effect of lung volume on quantitative measures of lung ventilation was investigated using MRI with hyperpolarized 3He and 129Xe. Six volunteers were imaged with hyperpolarized 3He at five different lung volumes (residual volume (RV), RV+1L, functional residual capacity (FRC), FRC+1L and total lung capacity (TLC)), and three were also imaged with hyperpolarized 129Xe. Imaging at each of the lung volumes was repeated twice on the same day with corresponding 1H lung anatomical images. Percentage lung ventilated volume (%VV) and variation of signal intensity (heterogeneity score, Hscore) were evaluated. Increased ventilation heterogeneity, quantified by reduced %VV and increased Hscore, was observed at lower lung volumes with the least ventilation heterogeneity observed at TLC. For 3He MRI data, the coefficient of variation of %VV was less than 1.5% and less than 5.5% for Hscore at all lung volumes, whilst for 129Xe data the values were 4% and 10% respectively. Generally, %VV generated from 129Xe images was lower than that seen from 3He images. The good repeatability of 3He %VV found here supports prior publications showing that percentage lung ventilated volume is a robust method for assessing global lung ventilation. The greater ventilation heterogeneity observed at lower lung volumes indicates that there may be partial airway closure in healthy lungs and that lung volume should be carefully considered for reliable longitudinal measurements of %VV and Hscore. The results suggest that imaging patients at different lung volumes may help to elucidate obstructive disease pathophysiology and progression