Gobernar la (in) seguridad: un estudio a partir de las representaciones sociales cognitivas del crimen

Artículo de investigaciónLa (in)seguridad ciudadana se perfila en la agenda actual de los Estados como una problemática social en aumento que demanda la creación de estrategias por parte de las instituciones estatales para ejercer su control y administración. El concepto de seguridad ciudadana se consolida de manera diferente según el contexto cultural y social en el que se le pretenda dotar de significado, el cual se configura desde imaginarios colectivos producto tanto de relaciones intersubjetivas como de la participación de los medios de comunicación que no permiten distinguir de forma clara el límite entre la realidad y la ficción; en este caso en torno a las experiencias de violencia trasmitidas en forma de relatos del crimen. Las representaciones cognitivas del crimen se materializan en sentimientos de inseguridad que a su vez estimulan el nacimiento de exigencias de seguridad ciudadana las cuales, ante la incapacidad del actuar público, provocan, como un efecto domino, la aparición de prácticas de privatización de la seguridad y desigualdad social: situación que deja en entredicho la naturaleza del Estado democrático.23 p.Introducción. 1. (In) seguridad. Un intento por definirla. 2. Representaciones colectivas del crimen. 3. Gobernar la (in) seguridad ciudad. Conclusiones. BibliografíaPregradoAbogad

Deciphering the mechanisms of phonological therapy in jargon aphasia

Background: Severe word production difficulties remain one of the most challenging clinical symptoms to treat in individuals with jargon aphasia. Clinically, it is important to determine why some individuals with jargon aphasia improve following therapy when others do not. We report a therapy study with AM, an individual with severe neologistic jargon aphasia, and provide a subsequent comparison to previous cases, with the purpose of informing both our theoretical and clinical understanding of jargon aphasia. Aims: This research aimed to investigate AM’s locus of word production deficit and determine the effectiveness of Phonological Component Analysis (PCA) therapy, a phonological cueing therapy, in the re-learning and generalization of naming responses for words. In addition, AM’s performance in therapy, linguistic profile, and ability to engage with therapy/cues were compared in a retrospective analysis with the background linguistic and therapy data of two other individuals with jargon aphasia (P9, Leonard et al., 2008; FF, Bose, 2013), who responded differentially to PCA. This was undertake to explore possible prognostic indicators of phonological therapy for jargon aphasia. Methods and Procedures: A battery of linguistic and neuropsychological tests was used to identify AM’s word production deficit. A single-subject multiple probe design across behaviours was employed to evaluate the effects of PCA therapy on the re-learning and generalization of naming responses. In the retrospective analysis of AM, P9 and FF, we compared differences and similarities in performance on various linguistic tasks, the ability to engage in therapy (i.e., ability to generate and utilize the cues), as well as to retain and maintain cues. Outcomes and Results: AM’s locus of deficit was identified in the mapping between semantics and phonology. PCA was found to be effective in improving naming in two of the three treated word lists during the treatment phase; however, these gains were not maintained. Generalization to untreated picture names was not observed. Findings from the retrospective analysis illustrated that oral reading skills, ability to segment phonological information from words and active engagement with provided cues are likely prerequisites for obtaining robust and long-term gains. Conclusions and Implications: We demonstrated that phonological therapy could be beneficial for the remediation of naming abilities at least in the re-learning phase; however, maintenance and generalization of these gains were limited. This research helps to elucidate the considerations and evaluations necessary for the appropriateness of phonological therapy and candidacy of individuals with jargon aphasia for this treatment approach

In search of phylogenetic congruence between molecular and morphological data in bryozoans with extreme adult skeletal heteromorphy

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tsab20© Crown Copyright 2015. This document is the author's final accepted/submitted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it

Quantum jumps of light recording the birth and death of a photon in a cavity

A microscopic system under continuous observation exhibits at random times sudden jumps between its states. The detection of this essential quantum feature requires a quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement repeated many times during the system evolution. Quantum jumps of trapped massive particles (electrons, ions or molecules) have been observed, which is not the case of the jumps of light quanta. Usual photodetectors absorb light and are thus unable to detect the same photon twice. They must be replaced by a transparent counter 'seeing' photons without destroying them3. Moreover, the light has to be stored over a duration much longer than the QND detection time. We have fulfilled these challenging conditions and observed photon number quantum jumps. Microwave photons are stored in a superconducting cavity for times in the second range. They are repeatedly probed by a stream of non-absorbing atoms. An atom interferometer measures the atomic dipole phase shift induced by the non-resonant cavity field, so that the final atom state reveals directly the presence of a single photon in the cavity. Sequences of hundreds of atoms highly correlated in the same state, are interrupted by sudden state-switchings. These telegraphic signals record, for the first time, the birth, life and death of individual photons. Applying a similar QND procedure to mesoscopic fields with tens of photons opens new perspectives for the exploration of the quantum to classical boundary

Effects of syntactic cueing therapy on picture naming and connected speech in acquired aphasia

Language therapy for word-finding difficulties in aphasia usually involves picture naming of single words with the support of cues. Most studies have addressed nouns in isolation, even though in connected speech nouns are more frequently produced with determiners. We hypothesised that improved word finding in connected speech would be most likely if intervention treated nouns in usual syntactic contexts. Six speakers with aphasia underwent language therapy using a software program developed for the purpose, which provided lexical and syntactic (determiner) cues. Exposure to determiners with nouns would potentially lead to improved picture naming of both treated and untreated nouns, and increased production of determiner plus noun combinations in connected speech. After intervention, picture naming of treated words improved for five of the six speakers, but naming of untreated words was unchanged. The number of determiner plus noun combinations in connected speech increased for four speakers. These findings attest to the close relationship between frequently co-occurring content and function words, and indicate that intervention for word-finding deficits can profitably proceed beyond single word naming, to retrieval in appropriate syntactic contexts. We also examined the relationship between effects of therapy, and amount and intensity of therapy. We found no relationship between immediate effects and amount or intensity of therapy. However, those participants whose naming maintained at follow-up completed the therapy regime in fewer sessions, of relatively longer duration. We explore the relationship between therapy regime and outcomes, and propose future considerations for research

A Systematic Review of Semantic Feature Analysis Therapy Studies for Aphasia

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to review treatment studies of semantic feature analysis (SFA) for persons with aphasia . The review documents how SFA is used, appraises the quality of the included studies and evaluates the efficacy of SFA. Methods : The following electronic databases were systematically searched (last search February 2017) : Academic Search Complete; CINAHL Plus; E -journals; Health Policy Reference Centre; MEDLINE; PsycART ICLES; PsycINFO; and SocINDEX. The quality of the included studies was rated. Clinical efficacy was determined by calculating effect sizes ( Cohen’s d ) or percent of non-overlapping data when d could not be calculated. Results: Twenty -one studies were reviewed reporting on 55 persons with aphasia. SFA was used in six different types of studies: confrontation naming of nouns, of verbs , connected speech /discourse, group, multilingual and studies where SFA was compared with other approaches . The quality of included studies was high [ Single Case Experimental Design Scale (SCED S) average (range) =9.55 ( 8.0- 11 )]. Naming of trained items improved for 45 participants ( 81.82%). Effect sizes indicated there was a small treatment effect. Conclusions: SFA leads to p ositive outcomes despite the variability of treatment procedures, dosage, duration and variations to the traditional SFA protocol. Further research is warranted to examine the efficacy of SFA and generalization effects in larger controlled studies

Blob dynamics in the TORPEX experiment:a multi-code validation

Three-dimensional and two-dimensional seeded blob simulations are performed with five different fluid models, all based on the drift-reduced Braginskii equations, and the numerical results are compared among themselves and validated against experimental measurements provided by the TORPEX device (Fasoli et al 2006 Phys. Plasmas 13 055902). The five models are implemented in four simulation codes, typically used to simulate the plasma dynamics in the tokamak scrape-off layer, namely BOUT++ (Dudson et al 2009 Comput. Phys. Commun. 180 1467), GBS (Ricci et al 2012 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 54 124047), HESEL (Nielsen et al 2015 Phys. Lett. A 379 3097), and TOKAM3X (Tamain et al 2014 Contrib. Plasma Phys. 54 555). Three blobs with different velocities and different stability properties are simulated. The differences observed among the simulation results and the different levels of agreement with experimental measurements are investigated, increasing our confidence in our simulation tools and shedding light on the blob dynamics. The comparisons demonstrate that the radial blob dynamics observed in the three-dimensional simulations is in good agreement with experimental measurements and that, in the present experimental scenario, the two-dimensional model derived under the assumption of ${{k}_{\parallel}}=0$ is able to recover the blob dynamics observed in the three-dimensional simulations. Moreover, it is found that an accurate measurement of the blob temperature is important to perform reliable seeded blob simulations

Maize ABP9 enhances tolerance to multiple stresses in transgenic Arabidopsis by modulating ABA signaling and cellular levels of reactive oxygen species

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) play critical roles in mediating abiotic stress responses in plants. It is well known that ABA is involved in the modulation of ROS levels by regulating ROS-producing and ROS-scavenging genes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation are poorly understood. Here we show that the expression of maize ABP9 gene, which encodes a bZIP transcription factor capable of binding to the ABRE2 motif in the maize Cat1 promoter, is induced by ABA, H2O2, drought and salt. Constitutive expression of ABP9 in transgenic Arabidopsis leads to remarkably enhanced tolerance to multiple stresses including drought, high salt, freezing temperature and oxidative stresses. ABP9 expressing Arabidopsis plants also exhibit increased sensitivity to exogenously applied ABA during seed germination, root growth and stomatal closure and improved water-conserving capacity. Moreover, constitutive expression of ABP9 causes reduced cellular levels of ROS, alleviated oxidative damage and reduced cell death, accompanied by elevated expression of many stress/ABA responsive genes including those for scavenging and regulating ROS. Taken together, these results suggest that ABP9 may play a pivotal role in plant tolerance to abiotic stresses by fine tuning ABA signaling and control of ROS accumulation

Asymmetric response of forest and grassy biomes to climate variability across the African Humid Period : influenced by anthropogenic disturbance?

A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between land cover, climate change and disturbance dynamics is needed to inform scenarios of vegetation change on the African continent. Although significant advances have been made, large uncertainties exist in projections of future biodiversity and ecosystem change for the world's largest tropical landmass. To better illustrate the effects of climate–disturbance–ecosystem interactions on continental‐scale vegetation change, we apply a novel statistical multivariate envelope approach to subfossil pollen data and climate model outputs (TraCE‐21ka). We target paleoenvironmental records across continental Africa, from the African Humid Period (AHP: ca 14 700–5500 yr BP) – an interval of spatially and temporally variable hydroclimatic conditions – until recent times, to improve our understanding of overarching vegetation trends and to compare changes between forest and grassy biomes (savanna and grassland). Our results suggest that although climate variability was the dominant driver of change, forest and grassy biomes responded asymmetrically: 1) the climatic envelope of grassy biomes expanded, or persisted in increasingly diverse climatic conditions, during the second half of the AHP whilst that of forest did not; 2) forest retreat occurred much more slowly during the mid to late Holocene compared to the early AHP forest expansion; and 3) as forest and grassy biomes diverged during the second half of the AHP, their ecological relationship (envelope overlap) fundamentally changed. Based on these asymmetries and associated changes in human land use, we propose and discuss three hypotheses about the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on continental‐scale vegetation change

NEXMIF encephalopathy:an X-linked disorder with male and female phenotypic patterns

Purpose Pathogenic variants in the X-linked gene NEXMIF (previously KIAA2022) are associated with intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy. We aimed to delineate the female and male phenotypic spectrum of NEXMIF encephalopathy. Methods Through an international collaboration, we analyzed the phenotypes and genotypes of 87 patients with NEXMIF encephalopathy. Results Sixty-three females and 24 males (46 new patients) with NEXMIF encephalopathy were studied, with 30 novel variants. Phenotypic features included developmental delay/ID in 86/87 (99%), seizures in 71/86 (83%) and multiple comorbidities. Generalized seizures predominated including myoclonic seizures and absence seizures (both 46/70, 66%), absence with eyelid myoclonia (17/70, 24%), and atonic seizures (30/70, 43%). Males had more severe developmental impairment; females had epilepsy more frequently, and varied from unaffected to severely affected. All NEXMIF pathogenic variants led to a premature stop codon or were deleterious structural variants. Most arose de novo, although X-linked segregation occurred for both sexes. Somatic mosaicism occurred in two males and a family with suspected parental mosaicism. Conclusion NEXMIF encephalopathy is an X-linked, generalized developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by myoclonic-atonic epilepsy overlapping with eyelid myoclonia with absence. Some patients have developmental encephalopathy without epilepsy. Males have more severe developmental impairment. NEXMIF encephalopathy arises due to loss-of-function variants