Dysfunction of the visual sensory thalamus in developmental dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a reading disorder with a prevalence of 5-10%. Neuroscientific research has typically focused on explaining DD symptoms based on pathophysiological changes in the cerebral cortex. However, DD might also be associated with alterations in sensory thalami – central subcortical stations of sensory pathways. A post-mortem study on the visual sensory thalamus (lateral geniculate nucleus, LGN) showed histopathological changes in the magnocellular (M-LGN), but not in the parvocellular (P-LGN), subdivisions. M-LGN and P-LGN have different functional properties and belong to two different visual systems. Whether M-LGN alterations also exist in DD in-vivo is unclear. Also, the potential relevance of M-LGN alterations to DD symptoms is unknown. This lack of knowledge is partly due to considerable technical challenges in investigating LGN subdivisions non-invasively in humans. Here, we employed recent advances in high-field 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map the M- and P-LGN in-vivo in DD adults (n=26) and matched controls (n=28). We show that (i) M-LGN responses differ between DD and control participants, (ii) these differences are more pronounced in male than in female DD participants, and (iii) M-LGN alterations predict a core symptom of DD in male DD participants only, i.e., rapid naming ability. Our results provide a first functional interpretation of M-LGN changes in DD and support DD theories that propose a direct relevance of sensory thalamus alterations for DD symptoms. In addition, the sex-specific behavioral relevance of M-LGN alterations within DD calls for taking sex differences into account when planning brain-based therapeutic interventions

Actividad antioxidante de extractos de torta de aceite de semilla de Sclerocarya birrea

The antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts from Sclerocarya birrea kernel oil meal, extracted using two different methods was evaluated. The extraction was carried out using magnetic stirring of the material in methanol/water (80:20 v/v) overnight followed by two ultra-sonic treatments for 45 min. (Overnight extract, ONEXT) and three ultra-sonic treatments for 45 min. only (Ultra-sonic extract, USEXT), respectively. Three fractions were obtained from each extract and the contents of total phenolic compounds were determined in each fraction according to the Folin-Ciocalteau method as 34.6, 54.8, and 58.6 mg/g of dry product in ONEXT and 29.6, 84.8, 143.9 mg/g in USEXT, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated according to the β-carotene-linoleic acid assay, where the extracts and their fractions showed significant effect (pSe ha evaluado la actividad antioxidante de extractos metanólicos de torta de aceite de semilla de Sclerocarya birrea extraídos usando dos métodos diferentes. La extracción se llevó a cabo mediante agitación magnética del material en metanol/agua (80:20 v/v) durante toda la noche seguida de dos tratamientos con ultrasonidos durante 45 min. (extracto ONEXT) y solo tres tratamientos con ultrasonidos durante 45 min. (extracto USEXT), respectivamente. Se obtuvieron tres fracciones de cada extracto y el contenido total de compuestos fenólicos se determinó en cada fracción según el método de Folin-Ciocalteau como 34.6, 54.8 y 58.6 mg/g de producto seco en ONEXT y 29.6, 84.8 y 143.9 mg/g en USEXT, respectivamente. La actividad antioxidante de los extractos fue evaluada mediante el ensayo del β-carotenoácido linoleico donde los extractos y sus fracciones mostraron efectos significativos (

Test of the Conserved Vector Current Hypothesis by beta-ray Angular Distribution Measurement in the Mass-8 System

The beta-ray angular correlations for the spin alignments of 8Li and 8B have been observed in order to test the conserved vector current (CVC) hypothesis. The alignment correlation terms were combined with the known beta-alpha-angular correlation terms to determine all the matrix elements contributing to the correlation terms. The weak magnetism term, 7.5\pm0.2, deduced from the beta-ray correlation terms was consistent with the CVC prediction 7.3\pm0.2, deduced from the analog-gamma-decay measurement based on the CVC hypothesis. However, there was no consistent CVC prediction for the second-forbidden term associated with the weak vector current. The experimental value for the second-forbidden term was 1.0 \pm 0.3, while the CVC prediction was 0.1 \pm 0.4 or 2.1 \pm 0.5.Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Power-law persistence and trends in the atmosphere: A detailed study of long temperature records

We use several variants of the detrended fluctuation analysis to study the appearance of long-term persistence in temperature records, obtained at 95 stations all over the globe. Our results basically confirm earlier studies. We find that the persistence, characterized by the correlation C(s) of temperature variations separated by s days, decays for large s as a power law, C(s) ~ s^(-gamma). For continental stations, including stations along the coastlines, we find that gamma is always close to 0.7. For stations on islands, we find that gamma ranges between 0.3 and 0.7, with a maximum at gamma = 0.4. This is consistent with earlier studies of the persistence in sea surface temperature records where gamma is close to 0.4. In all cases, the exponent gamma does not depend on the distance of the stations to the continental coastlines. By varying the degree of detrending in the fluctuation analysis we obtain also information about trends in the temperature records.Comment: 5 pages, 4 including eps figure

Detrended fluctuation analysis as a statistical tool to monitor the climate

Detrended fluctuation analysis is used to investigate power law relationship between the monthly averages of the maximum daily temperatures for different locations in the western US. On the map created by the power law exponents, we can distinguish different geographical regions with different power law exponents. When the power law exponents obtained from the detrended fluctuation analysis are plotted versus the standard deviation of the temperature fluctuations, we observe different data points belonging to the different climates, hence indicating that by observing the long-time trends in the fluctuations of temperature we can distinguish between different climates.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to JSTA

Mapping the human lateral geniculate nucleus and its cytoarchitectonic subdivisions using quantitative MRI

International audienc

Conservación a largo plazo de tres aceites no convencionales

Three samples, Sclerocarya birrea oil (SCO), Melon bug oil (Aspongubus viduatus) (MBO), and Sorghum bug oil (Agonoscelis pubescens) (SBO), were stored (autoxidized) in the dark at 30±2 °C for 24 months. Oil aliquots were withdrawn every 2-4 month for analyses of changes in four quality indexes, namely fatty acid composition, tocopherol content, peroxide value and oxidative stability index by Rancimat. After 24 months of storage the fatty acid composition of the three oils showed no change while tocopherol contents were decreased. SCO and MBO showed only slight changes in their oxidative stability as indicated by the peroxide value and induction period during the 24 months of storage. Sorghum bug oil showed a periodical increase in the peroxide value and had less stability as measured by the Rancimat in comparison to other oils.Tres muestras de aceite, Sclerocarya birrea oil (SCO), Melon bug oil (Aspongubus viduatus) (MBO), and Sorghum bug oil (Agonoscelis pubescens) (SBO), fueron almacenadas en la oscuridad a 30±2 °C durante 24 meses. Cada 2- 4 meses se toman alícuotas para analizar los cambios de calidad. Se determinaron la composición en ácidos grasos, el contenido en tocoferol, el índice de peróxidos y la estabilidad oxidativa mediante el aparato Rancimat. Después de 24 meses de almacenamiento, la composición en ácidos grasos no experimentó variación mientras que el contenido en tocoferol disminuyó en los tres aceites. SCO y MBO mostraron cambios minoritarios como se comprobó por los indices de peroxides y estabilidad a los 24 meses. SBO fue el menos estable de los tres aceites

High gradient experiments on NLCTA accelerator structures

This paper presents new results of high-gradient studies performed on a 1.8 m traveling-wave accelerator section with detuned high-order deflecting modes. This structure was designed initially for studies of detuned structures and will be installed in the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA). The paper describes the test set-up in the Accelerator Structure Test Area (ASTA) including electron gun, prebuncher, pre-accelerator, spectrometer, Faraday cups, 200 MW SLED-II power compression system, Magic-T type phase shifters and attenuators. Rf processing, detailed dark current analysis, radiation problems, and beam acceleration measurements are discussed

Scenario-based modeling in industrial information systems

This manuscript addresses the creation of scenario-based models to reason about the behavior of existing industrial information systems. In our approach the system behavior is modeled in two steps that gradually introduce detail and formality. This manuscript addresses the first step, where text-based descriptions, in the form of structured rules, are used to specify how the system is or should be regulated. Those rules can be used to create behavioral snapshots, which are collections of scenario-based descriptions that represent different instances of the system behavior. Snapshots are specified in an intuitive and graphical notation that considers the elements from the problem domain and permit designers to discuss and validate the externally observable behavior, together with the domain experts. In the second step (not fully covered in this manuscript), the system behavior is formalized with an executable model. This formal model, which in our approach is specified using the Colored Petri Net (CP-nets) language, allows the system internal behavior to be animated, simulated, and optimized. The insights gained by experimenting with the formal model can be subsequently used for reengineering the existing system