A theory for the alignment of cortical feature maps during\ud development

We present a developmental model of ocular dominance column formation that takes into account the existence of an array of intrinsically specified cytochrome oxidase blobs. We assume that there is some molecular substrate for the blobs early in development, which generates a spatially periodic modulation of experience–dependent plasticity. We determine the effects of such a modulation on a competitive Hebbian mechanism for the modification of the feedforward afferents from the left and right eyes. We show how alternating left and right eye dominated columns can develop, in which the blobs are aligned with the centers of the ocular dominance columns and receive a greater density of feedforward connections, thus becoming defined extrinsically. More generally, our results suggest that the presence of periodically distributed anatomical markers early in development could provide a mechanism for the alignment of cortical feature maps

Consumer and carer consultants in mental health: The formation of their role identity

Following the introduction of the first National Mental Health Plan in 1992 consumer participation was and continues to be identified as a key component of the reform of Australia's mental health services. One strategy to achieve participation has been the creation of the role of consumer and carer consultants (CCCs) who have been employed in public mental health services since the early 1990s. Despite over two decades of service by CCCs there seems to be little consensus between the CCCs and mental health professionals regarding the roles and function of these positions. This qualitative study sought to explore the question of 'what is the role of consultants?' from the perspective of CCCs, focusing in particular on the formation of CCCs' role identity. Four themes were identified, namely: role motivation; role preparation; role practice/focus; and role ambiguity/conflict. This paper explores these themes and their implications, and finally makes recommendations regarding clinical practice

Flexible generation of correlated photon pairs in different frequency ranges

The feasibility to generate correlated photon pairs at variable frequencies is investigated. For this purpose, we consider the interaction of an off-resonant laser field with a two-level system possessing broken inversion symmetry. We show that the system generates non-classical photon pairs exhibiting strong intensity-intensity correlations. The intensity of the applied laser tunes the degree of correlation while the detuning controls the frequency of one of the photons which can be in the THz-domain. Furthermore, we observe the violation of a Cauchy-Schwarz inequality characterizing these photons.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spatial and spatio-temporal patterns in a cell-haptotaxis model

We investigate a cell-haptotaxis model for the generation of spatial and spatio-temporal patterns in one dimension. We analyse the steady state problem for specific boundary conditions and show the existence of spatially hetero-geneous steady states. A linear analysis shows that stability is lost through a Hopf bifurcation. We carry out a nonlinear multi-time scale perturbation procedure to study the evolution of the resulting spatio-temporal patterns. We also analyse the model in a parameter domain wherein it exhibits a singular dispersion relation

I RAPPORTI ECONOMICO-FINANZIARI TRA ITALIA E REPUBBLICA DI SAN MARINO

Circadian clocks coordinate 24-hr rhythms of behavior and physiology. In mammals, a master clock residing in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is reset by the light-dark cycle, while timed food intake is a potent synchronizer of peripheral clocks such as the liver. Alterations in food intake rhythms can uncouple peripheral clocks from the SCN, resulting in internal desynchrony, which promotes obesity and metabolic disorders. Pancreas-derived hormones such as insulin and glucagon have been implicated in signaling mealtime to peripheral clocks. In this study, we identify a novel, more direct pathway of food-driven liver clock resetting involving oxyntomodulin (OXM). In mice, food intake stimulates OXM secretion from the gut, which resets liver transcription rhythms via induction of the core clock genes Per1 and 2. Inhibition of OXM signaling blocks food-mediated resetting of hepatocyte clocks. These data reveal a direct link between gastric filling with food and circadian rhythm phasing in metabolic tissues

Efeito do KMnO4 e 1-MCP com atmosfera modificada na conservação pós-colheita de melão Cantaloupe.

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do uso de permanganato de potássio (KMnO) e 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP), associados à atmosfera modificada passiva (AMP), na conservação pós-colheita de melão Cantaloupe (Cucumis melon L.)

Eficiência de métodos alternativos utilizando atmosfera modificada passiva, no controle da podridão de melão Cantaloupe.

Este trabalho avalia a eficiência do permanganato de potássio (KMnO4) e outras alternativas no controle da podridão do melão, associados a atmosfera modificada (AM). Este foi conduzido na Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical em Fortaleza com melões Cantaloupe ?Vera Cruz` provenientes de fazenda comercial Dinamarca, localizada em Mossoró-RN. Os frutos foram selecionados, lavados com álcool 70%, inoculados com Fusarium pallidoroseum e separados por tratamentos. Foram acondicionados 5 frutos por caixa, sendo cada caixa uma repetição. Os sachês de vermiculita impregnados com KMnO4 foram distribuídos de acordo com o peso de frutos por caixa. Foram armazenados em câmara fria na temperatura de 3 ± 2°C e UR de 85 ± 2%, onde permaneceram por 14 dias. A pós esse período foram retiradas as embalagens e as caixas a rmazenadas em temperatura ambiente de 23 ± 2°C e URde 90 ±2%. A partir daí foram feitas avaliações de perda de massa e escalas de notas aos 15 e 18 dias de arma zenamento. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 5x2, sendo 5 tratamentos (1-MCP, KMnO4, Cera de Carnaúba, Funginat e frutos testemunha) e duas AM (com e sem X-tend). Os resultados das notas referentes à incidência de doenças foram expressos em percentagem por caixa. Foi observada diferença significativa principalmente com relação à utilização de embalagens, provando que o armazenamento de melão sem AM afeta a qualidade do mesmo, diminuindo assim sua vida útil. E se associado a outros métodos de conservação pós-colheita, pode aumentar a eficiência de ambos os métodos

Hybrid Algorithms Based on Integer Programming for the Search of Prioritized Test Data in Software Product Lines

In Software Product Lines (SPLs) it is not possible, in general, to test all products of the family. The number of products denoted by a SPL is very high due to the combinatorial explosion of features. For this reason, some coverage criteria have been proposed which try to test at least all feature interactions without the necessity to test all products, e.g., all pairs of features (pairwise coverage). In addition, it is desirable to first test products composed by a set of priority features. This problem is known as the Prioritized Pairwise Test Data Generation Problem. In this work we propose two hybrid algorithms using Integer Programming (IP) to generate a prioritized test suite. The first one is based on an integer linear formulation and the second one is based on a integer quadratic (nonlinear) formulation. We compare these techniques with two state-of-the-art algorithms, the Parallel Prioritized Genetic Solver (PPGS) and a greedy algorithm called prioritized-ICPL. Our study reveals that our hybrid nonlinear approach is clearly the best in both, solution quality and computation time. Moreover, the nonlinear variant (the fastest one) is 27 and 42 times faster than PPGS in the two groups of instances analyzed in this work.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER under contract TIN2014-57341-R, the University of Málaga, Andalucía Tech and the Spanish Network TIN2015-71841-REDT (SEBASENet)