Effects of Reading Direction on Visuospatial Organization: A Critical Review

Over the past decades, a growing literature on perceptual bias has investigated the factors that determine normal performance in simple visuospatial tasks, such as line bisection and aesthetic preference. Normal right-handed participants may exhibit spatial asymmetries in these tasks with a tendency to bisect to the left of the objective middle in line bisection and a preference for images with the center of interest in their right half in aesthetic preference tasks. These patterns of performance have mostly been attributed to hemispheric imbalance. Other explanations have also been put forth to explain the spatial asymmetries seen in the normal population. Here we review studies that target the role of reading direction on visuospatial tasks. In addition to presenting several of our studies that investigated differences in line bisection and aesthetic preference performances between left-to-right readers (French) and right-to-left readers (Israeli), we present a discussion of the existing literature on reading direction, culture and visuospatial processing. The findings are discussed regarding the interaction between cultural factors, such as reading habits, and biological factors, such as cerebral lateralization, in visual perception

Mathematics anxiety, working memory, and mathematics performance in secondary-school children

Mathematics anxiety (MA) has been defined as \u201ca feeling of tension and anxiety that interferes with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of math problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations\u201d. Previous studies have suggested that a notable proportion of children in primary and secondary school suffer from MA, which is negatively correlated with calculation skills. The processing efficiency and attentional control theories suggest that working memory (WM) also plays an important part in such anxious feelings. The present study aimed to analyze the academic achievement and cognitive profiles of students with high math anxiety (HMA) and low math anxiety (LMA). Specifically, 32 students with HMA and 34 with LMA matched for age, gender, generalized anxiety, and vocabulary attending sixth to eighth grades were selected from a larger sample. The two groups were tested on reading decoding, reading comprehension, mathematics achievement, and on verbal short-term memory and WM. Our findings showed that HMA students were weak in several measures of mathematics achievement, but not in reading and writing skills, and that students with HMA reported lower scores on short-term memory and WM performances (with associated difficulties in inhibiting irrelevant information) than children with LMA. In addition, a logistic regression showed that weaknesses in inhibitory control and fact retrieval were the strongest variables for classifying children as having HMA or LMA

A retrospective analysis of oral and maxillofacial pathology in a pediatric population from Rio de Janeiro?Brazil over a 75-year period

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of oral and maxillofacial lesions affecting children and adolescents patients from a single oral pathology laboratory from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Oral and maxillofacial lesions biopsied in patients younger than 19-years were retrieved from the oral pathology files of the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro over a 75-year period (1942-2017). The clinical data and the diagnoses of each case were included in a Microsoft Excel® database, being classified into 13 categories according to the etiology. A descriptive analysis of the variables age, gender and final diagnosis was made. From 19.095 lesions diagnosed in this period, 2408 (12.61%) were from patients aged 0 to19 years, with a higher incidence in females in the second decade. Salivary gland pathology was the most common group of lesions (24.30%), followed by reactive lesions (16.82%) and odontogenic cysts (14.66%). Mucocele was the most common lesion (21.72%), followed by dentigerous cyst (6.48%) and fibrous hyperplasia (6.44%). Malignant lesions were observed in 1.12% of all cases with Burkitt lymphoma as the most frequent. Our results were similar to previous studies and knowledge of these data may contribute to the understanding of oral lesions that most commonly affects children

Ciclos econômicos e a composição da pobreza no Brasil: uma análise para as décadas recentes

This work assesses the impact of macroeconomic cycles on poverty composition in the Brazilian economy (1987 – 2005). Specifically, it intends to find answers to three questions: first, who are the demographic groups that are most harmed in the recessive cycles; second, if economic growth in itself sufficient to benefit the groups most associated with poverty; third, which are the macroeconomic policies most associated with poverty and with its alleviation. The study used an interaction of micro data form PNAD with macroeconomic data from sources such as IPEA-DATA, Brazilian Central Bank and Secretariat of the Federal Revenue of Brazil. Using logistical regressions with pooled micro-data banks, the work found two main results. First, recession and economic downturns, are more harmful to people with less schooling. Second, tax policy significantly affects poverty: firstly the primary surplus is associated with lower levels of well-being of the population and, on the other hand, the welfare expenditure of the Union may be used to alleviate poverty during the critical stages of the cycles.Macroeconomic Cycles, Welfare Economics, Pooled Cross-Section Models, Poverty alleviation, Brazil.

A macroeconomia do bem-estar social: relações e controvérsias

According to recent studies, shocks on aggregated variables are associated with unequal impacts on the economic system, affecting more some agents and sectors than others according, depending on their characteristics. Theoretically, the mechanisms that differentiate shocks’ effects on economic agents are the variations in relative prices of inputs and output, the variation of labor demand, the workers characteristics and the design of economic policies. The purpose of this article is, through a both theoretical and empirical literature review of the relationship between macroeconomic performance and social welfare, to find answers to three questions. First, which are the agents that most suffer the effects of economic recessions? Second, which are the agents that benefit the most from economic growth? Third, which are the policy alternatives related to macroeconomic management of social welfare?welfare, macroeconomic policy, business cycles, social development.

Antitumoral efficacy of the protease inhibitor gabexate mesilate in colon cancer cells harbouring KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations

The employment of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies represents a backbone of the therapeutic options for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, this therapy is poorly effective or ineffective in unselected patients. Mutations in KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA genes have recently emerged as the best predictive factors of low/absent response to EGFR-targeted therapy. Due to the need for efficacious treatment options for mCRC patients bearing these mutations, in this short report we examined the antitumoral activity of the protease inhibitor gabexate mesilate, alone and in combination with the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab, in a panel of human CRC cell lines harbouring a different expression pattern of wild-type/mutated KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA genes. Results obtained showed that gabexate mesilate significantly inhibited the growth, invasive potential and tumour-induced angiogenesis in all the CRC cells employed in this study (including those ones harbouring dual KRAS/PIK3CA or BRAF/PIK3CA mutation), while cetuximab affected these parameters only in CRC cells with KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA wild-type. Notably, the antitumoral efficacy of gabexate mesilate and cetuximab in combination was found to be not superior than that observed with gabexate mesilate as single agent. Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that gabexate mesilate could represent a promising therapeutic option for mCRC patients, particularly for those harbouring KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations, either as monotherapy or in addition to standard chemotherapy regimens. Further studies to better elucidate gabexate mesilate mechanism of action in CRC cells are therefore warranted

Tricotomia anteparto : validade ou não de sua realização

São abordados aspectos a serem considerados na realização da tricotomia anteparto e levantadas questões sobre a sua validade ou não, como procedimento de rotina hospitalar. São sugeridos estudos que justifiquem a manutenção ou não desta conduta.Are examined herein aspects to be approached in performing ante partum trichotomy, questions being raised regarding its vai idity as a hospital routine procedure . Studies are suggested legitimating the continuation of, or casting aside, such method

Tricotomia anteparto: validade ou não de sua realização

São abordados aspectos a serem considerados na realização da tricotomia anteparto e levantadas questões sobre a sua validade ou não, como procedimento de rotina hospitalar. São sugeridos estudos que justifiquem a manutenção ou não desta conduta

Maternidade e adolescência: sentimentos e atitudes

Em um estudo de 96 puérperas adolescentes, observamos os sentimentos e atitudes das mesmas com relação ao futuro, no que se refere ao trabalho e à escola. Foram também avaliados os problemas ocorridos com as adolescentes quanto à aceitação delas pelo seu meio social. O relacionamento com o pai da criança também foi objeto do estudo, assim como quais as expectativas das mesmas frente ao atendimento recebido através dos profissionais da área da Saúde

Adolescence : information about contraception

São analisadas prospectivamente, 96 puérperas adolescentes internadas em um hospital-ensino de Porto Alegre, de idades variáveis entre 13 e 19 anos. Discutem também os prováveis fatores que envolvem o uso de anticoncepcional e atividade sexual, o abortamenta e o desconhecimento sobre métodos contraceptivos.Ninety six puerperal teenagers, age between 13 and 19 years old, hospitalized in a Uníversity Hospital of Porto Alegre, were prospectively analysed. Possible factors involved, including the use of anticonception and sexual activity, abortion and ignorance about contraception, are discussed