Inner retinal inhibition shapes the receptive field of retinal ganglion cells in primate

The centre-surround organisation of receptive fields is a feature of most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and is critical for spatial discrimination and contrast detection. Although lateral inhibitory processes are known to be important in generating the receptive field surround, the contribution of each of the two synaptic layers in the primate retina remains unclear. Here we studied the spatial organisation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs onto ON and OFF ganglion cells in the primate retina. All RGCs showed an increase in excitation in response to stimulus of preferred polarity. Inhibition onto RGCs comprised two types of responses to preferred polarity: some RGCs showed an increase in inhibition whilst others showed removal of tonic inhibition. Excitatory inputs were strongly spatially tuned but inhibitory inputs showed more variable organisation: in some neurons they were as strongly tuned as excitation, and in others inhibitory inputs showed no spatial tuning. We targeted one source of inner retinal inhibition by functionally ablating spiking amacrine cells with bath application of tetrodotoxin (TTX). TTX significantly reduced the spatial tuning of excitatory inputs. In addition, TTX reduced inhibition onto those RGCs where a stimulus of preferred polarity increased inhibition. Reconstruction of the spatial tuning properties by somatic injection of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic conductances verified that TTX-mediated inhibition onto bipolar cells increases the strength of the surround in RGC spiking output. These results indicate that in the primate retina inhibitory mechanisms in the inner plexiform layer sharpen the spatial tuning of ganglion cells. © 2013 The Physiological Society

Desafios Do Financiamento Das Universidades Estaduais Paulistas

O presente artigo trata dos desafios do financiamento das Universidades Estaduais Paulistas frente ao aumento da demanda por vagas nos seus cursos de graduação e ao crescimento das pressões sobre o orçamento do setor educacional do Estado, em decorrência da recente eleveção do percentual mínimo de aplicação de recursos na educação básica definido pelo FUNDEB. Desde o final dos anos 80, as Universidades Estaduais Paulistas possuem suas receitas vinculadas à arrecadação do ICMS. Entretanto, ao contrário da educação básica, cuja vinculação decorre de dispositivo constitucional, a vinculação das universidades apresenta uma maior fragilidade, uma vez que é definida a cada ano por meio da Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias do Estado. Possíveis pressões por aumento de recursos poderão ser mais facilmente acomodadas diante de um cenário de crescimento econômico mais robusto. Caso contrário, as Universidades Estaduais precisarão encontrar alternativas para o financiamento de sua expansão

Jubilados con diabetes tipo 2 en la salud de la familia en Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo - Brasil

O estudo objetivou caracterizar idosos aposentados com Diabetes tipo 2, usuários de um serviço de atenção primária, e contou com 43 sujeitos que atenderam a critérios de inclusão. Os dados foram obtidos em fontes primárias e secundárias, e analisados no programa SPSS 15.0. A média de idade foi 75,3 anos. Houve pouca participação em grupos comunitários e na prática de atividade física. Dezessete idosos utilizam a atenção primária. Doze homens aposentaram-se por tempo de serviço, e 12 mulheres recebem pensão. Níveis pressóricos apresentaram média de 130x80 mmHg e a Glicemia, média de 141 mg/dl. Orientações sobre dieta foram realizadas na sua maioria pelos médicos. São necessários novos estudos para avaliar os motivos que levam a baixa adesão a grupos e prática de atividade física. Sugere-se participação efetiva da equipe no controle do Diabetes e no incentivo à participação da família nos cuidados, visto que essa doença demanda gerenciamento de longo prazo.The objective of the present study was to characterize aged pensioners with type 2 diabetes, users of a primary health care service. Participants were 43 individuals selected according to the inclusion criteria. Data was obtained from primary and secondary sources, and analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. The average age was 75.3 years. There was little participation in community groups and in physical activities. Seventeen aged individuals used the primary healthcare service. Twelve men were retired and twelve women received pension. The average arterial blood pressure was 130x80 mmHg and the average glucose level was 141 mg/dl. Diet orientations were given mostly by physicians. Further studies are necessary to analyze the cause of the little adherence to the groups and to physical activity. Health teams should have an effective participation in diabetes control and should encourage the family to participate in the care process, as this diseases requires long term management.El estudio tuvo como objetivo caracterizar ancianos jubilados afectados por diabetes tipo 2, usuarios de un servicio de atención primaria. Contó con 43 sujetos que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. Los datos fueron obtenidos en fuentes primarias y secundarias, y analizados en el Programa Estadístico SPSS 15.0. La media de edad fue de 75,3 años. Se verificó escasa participación de los sujetos en grupos comunitarios y en la práctica de actividad física. Diecisiete ancianos utilizan la atención primaria. Doce hombres se jubilaron por tiempo de servicio y 12 mujeres reciben pensión. Los niveles de presión arterial se ubicaron en un promedio de 130 x 80 mmHg y la glucemia media fue de 141 mg/dl. Orientaciones sobre dieta fueron realizadas en su mayoría por los médicos. Se necesita de nuevos estudios para evaluar los motivos que originan la baja adhesión a grupos y a la práctica de actividad física. Se sugiere participación del equipo de salud en el control de la diabetes y en la motivación para la participación de la familia en el cuidado del anciano, entendiéndose que esta enfermedad demanda tratamiento de largo plazo

As Estações do Ano decorrentes da posição da Terra em Relação ao sol

Falar sobre Astronomia no Ensino Fundamental, atrai a atenção e curiosidade dos alunos, facilitando seu processo de ensino/aprendizagem. Sendo considerada por muitos estudiosos a mais antiga das Ciências e a fonte de conhecimentos e questionamentos para o surgimento dos demais saberes, a Astronomia é a ciência que estuda o Universo, desde a sua origem e formação dos astros que o compõe e os fenômenos que nele ocorrem. Originou-se a partir da observação dos astros e de seu efeito no cotidiano do ser humano, que desde a pré-história vem utilizando o conhecimento astronômico acumulado durante o tempo para desenvolver as atividades humana

Probing the photoreactivity of aryl chlorides with oxygen

Molecular oxygen was used to probe the mechanism of the phototransformation of chlorobenzene and 4-chloroanisole in organic solvents. Laser. ash photolysis, electron paramagnetic resonance and product distribution studies clarified the reaction mechanisms of these compounds under a wide range of conditions. The main primary photochemical reaction step is the homolytic cleavage of the C-Cl bond to produce a triplet radical pair in the solvent cage. In non-polar solvents hydrogen abstraction, after radical diffusion, leads to reduction. In polar solvents, in addition to H-abstraction, electron transfer within the caged radical pair occurs and leads to an ion pair (phenyl cation and Cl(-)). In the presence of oxygen, phenyl radicals can form phenylperoxyl radicals which have a bathochromically shifted absorption, thus making the homolytic cleavage visible by. ash photolysis. The peroxyl radicals can couple, leading to more polar compounds, or undergo back reaction to the phenyl radical. For concentrations of the aryl chlorides of higher than 10(-3) M, dimerization becomes an important transformation process and occurs after reaction of the transients with ground state molecules. In addition, excimer formation is postulated to be involved in the dimerization process

A laboratory-scale annular continuous flow reactor for UV photochemistry using excimer lamps for discrete wavelength excitation and its use in a wavelength study of a photodecarboxlyative cyclisation

This paper describes a new annular reactor for continuous UV photochemistry, which uses easily interchangeable excimer lamps of different wavelengths. The reactor has narrow clearance to form thin films of material for efficient irradiation of molecules. Its use is demonstrated by investigating the effect of discrete wavelength lamps (222, 282 and 308 nm) on the reaction of potassium N-phthalimidobutanoate 1. The ability of the reactor to be integrated into multistep processes is illustrated by combining it with an Amberlyst scavenger and a solid acid catalyst, NbOPO4, to access a second product 3 that is obtained in a single telescoped process. The tricyclic scaffold in 3 is a motif found in several biologically active compounds and has possibilities as a synthon for new pharmaceutical products

De-Centering the Organism: Psychedelic Therapies, Fungi and the Body without Organs

The encounter of clinical psychology with psychedelic compounds, plants, and mushrooms opens up new possibilities for psychotherapy practices. In the Schizoanalysis of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, conceptual and experimental tools are found that not only assist in thinking about the psychedelic experience but also enrich clinical practice. The concept of the Body without Organs, which partly stems from Antonin Artaud’s psychedelic experience with peyote in the Mexican deserts, is central to this approach. The philosophical question of “how to create for oneself a Body without Organs?” involves an ethical, aesthetic, and political task. A shift is proposed, dissociating psychology from the neuroscience linked to the organic body, body-form, reified in the image of the organism. By revisiting the anatomophysiological paradigm, based on Foucault's analyses of disciplinary power and biopower, rigid definitions of the body are questioned, and the field of experience is broadened to include other possible narratives and decompositions. The psychedelic experience is not limited to the organic body, but involves an intensive body, body as force. Psychedelic mushrooms can act as powerful intermediaries, deconstructing fixed forms of subject and body, while the mycelium, decentralized and non-binary, unfolds new possibilities. The implications for psychedelic therapies must be approached with caution and awareness of the risks, as Deleuze and Guattari warn. Presenting a framework that shifts the focus away from human-centered views, capturing the “humusity” of Donna Haraway, a fertile ground is proposed for new narratives and fabulations, where mycelium, rhizomes and seeds can thrive in the folds.El encuentro de la psicología clínica con los compuestos psicodélicos, las plantas y los hongos abre nuevas posibilidades para las prácticas psicoterapéuticas. En la esquizoanálisis de Gilles Deleuze y Félix Guattari, se encuentran herramientas conceptuales y experimentales que no solo ayudan a pensar la experiencia psicodélica, sino que también enriquecen la práctica clínica. El concepto del Cuerpo sin Órganos, que en parte proviene de la experiencia psicodélica de Antonin Artaud con peyote en los desiertos mexicanos, es central en este enfoque. La cuestión filosófica de "¿cómo crear para uno mismo un Cuerpo sin Órganos?" implica una tarea ética, estética y política. Se propone un cambio, disociando la psicología de la neurociencia vinculada al cuerpo orgánico, a la forma del cuerpo, reificada en la imagen del organismo. Al revisar el paradigma anatomofisiológico, basado en los análisis de Foucault sobre el poder disciplinario y la biopolítica, se cuestionan las definiciones rígidas del cuerpo, y el campo de la experiencia se amplía para incluir otras posibles narrativas y descomposiciones. La experiencia psicodélica no se limita al cuerpo orgánico, sino que implica un cuerpo intensivo, un cuerpo-fuerza. Los hongos psicodélicos pueden actuar como poderosos intermediarios, deconstruyendo las formas fijas de sujeto y cuerpo, mientras que el micelio, descentralizado y no binario, despliega nuevas posibilidades. Las implicaciones para las terapias psicodélicas deben ser abordadas con cautela y atención a los riesgos, como advierten Deleuze y Guattari. Presentando un marco que desplaza el enfoque de visiones centradas en el ser humano, capturando la "humanidad" de Donna Haraway, se propone un terreno fértil para nuevas narrativas y fabulación, donde los micelios, los rizomas y las semillas pueden prosperar en los pliegues.The encounter of clinical psychology with psychedelic compounds, plants, and mushrooms opens up new possibilities for psychotherapy practices. In the Schizoanalysis of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, conceptual and experimental tools are found that not only assist in thinking about the psychedelic experience but also enrich clinical practice. The concept of the Body without Organs, which partly stems from Antonin Artaud’s psychedelic experience with peyote in the Mexican deserts, is central to this approach. The philosophical question of “how to create for oneself a Body without Organs?” involves an ethical, aesthetic, and political task. A shift is proposed, dissociating psychology from the neuroscience linked to the organic body, body-form, reified in the image of the organism. By revisiting the anatomophysiological paradigm, based on Foucault's analyses of disciplinary power and biopower, rigid definitions of the body are questioned, and the field of experience is broadened to include other possible narratives and decompositions. The psychedelic experience is not limited to the organic body, but involves an intensive body, body as force. Psychedelic mushrooms can act as powerful intermediaries, deconstructing fixed forms of subject and body, while the mycelium, decentralized and non-binary, unfolds new possibilities. The implications for psychedelic therapies must be approached with caution and awareness of the risks, as Deleuze and Guattari warn. Presenting a framework that shifts the focus away from human-centered views, capturing the “humusity” of Donna Haraway, a fertile ground is proposed for new narratives and fabulations, where mycelium, rhizomes and seeds can thrive in the folds. El encuentro de la psicología clínica con los compuestos psicodélicos, las plantas y los hongos abre nuevas posibilidades para las prácticas psicoterapéuticas. En la esquizoanálisis de Gilles Deleuze y Félix Guattari, se encuentran herramientas conceptuales y experimentales que no solo ayudan a pensar la experiencia psicodélica, sino que también enriquecen la práctica clínica. El concepto del Cuerpo sin Órganos, que en parte proviene de la experiencia psicodélica de Antonin Artaud con peyote en los desiertos mexicanos, es central en este enfoque. La cuestión filosófica de "¿cómo crear para uno mismo un Cuerpo sin Órganos?" implica una tarea ética, estética y política. Se propone un cambio, disociando la psicología de la neurociencia vinculada al cuerpo orgánico, a la forma del cuerpo, reificada en la imagen del organismo. Al revisar el paradigma anatomofisiológico, basado en los análisis de Foucault sobre el poder disciplinario y la biopolítica, se cuestionan las definiciones rígidas del cuerpo, y el campo de la experiencia se amplía para incluir otras posibles narrativas y descomposiciones. La experiencia psicodélica no se limita al cuerpo orgánico, sino que implica un cuerpo intensivo, un cuerpo-fuerza. Los hongos psicodélicos pueden actuar como poderosos intermediarios, deconstruyendo las formas fijas de sujeto y cuerpo, mientras que el micelio, descentralizado y no binario, despliega nuevas posibilidades. Las implicaciones para las terapias psicodélicas deben ser abordadas con cautela y atención a los riesgos, como advierten Deleuze y Guattari. Presentando un marco que desplaza el enfoque de visiones centradas en el ser humano, capturando la "humanidad" de Donna Haraway, se propone un terreno fértil para nuevas narrativas y fabulación, donde los micelios, los rizomas y las semillas pueden prosperar en los pliegues

Stability indicating method for a thiazolylhydrazone derivative with antifungal activity and experimental/theoretical elucidation of its degradation products

RN104 (2-[2-(cyclohexylmethylene)hydrazinyl]-4-phenylthiazole) is a thiazolylhydrazone derivative with promising in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity. A stability indicating highperformance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) method was carried out using C18 end-capped column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and a mobile phase composed of water and acetonitrile (15:85 v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL min-1, injection volume 25 μL and DAD detection at 240 nm. The method showed to be selective, linear in the range of 20 to 240 μg mL-1, precise, accurate and robust. RN104 forced degradation study under different stress conditions (acidic, alkaline and neutral hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and thermolysis) was performed using the validated analytical method. The results showed that RN104 underwent significant degradation when subjected to alkaline hydrolysis and oxidation by metallic ions. Quantum mechanics calculations were carried out to assist in the structural elucidation of the formed degradation products. The obtained data may be useful for the development of future formulation based on RN104