Hippocampal connectivity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): more than Papez circuit impairment

Emerging evidence suggests that memory deficit in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease with varying impairment of motor abilities and cognitive profile, may be independent from executive dysfunction. Our multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach, including resting state functional MRI (RS-fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM), aimed to investigate structural and functional changes within and beyond the Papez circuit in non-demented ALS patients (n = 32) compared with healthy controls (HCs, n = 21), and whether these changes correlated with neuropsychological measures of verbal and non-verbal memory. We revealed a decreased functional connectivity between bilateral hippocampus, bilateral parahippocampal gyri and cerebellum in ALS patients compared with HCs. Between-group comparisons revealed white matter abnormalities in the genu and body of the corpus callosum and bilateral cortico-spinal tracts, superior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi in ALS patients (p <.05, family-wise error corrected). Interestingly, changes of Digit Span forward performance were inversely related to RS-fMRI signal fluctuations in the cerebellum, while changes of both episodic and visual memory scores were inversely related to mean and radial diffusivity abnormalities in several WM fiber tracts, including middle cerebellar peduncles. Our findings revealed that ALS patients showed significant functional and structural connectivity changes across the regions comprising the Papez circuit, as well as more extended areas including cerebellum and frontal, temporal and parietal areas, supporting the theory of a multi-system pathology in ALS that spreads from cortical to subcortical structures

Agriculture in the Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade and investment agreement under negotiation by 12 countries in the Pacific Rim. This report assesses this partnership's potential impacts on the region's agriculture in 2025

How to increase technology transfers to developing countries: a synthesis of the evidence

The existing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has failed to deliver the rate of low-carbon technology transfer (TT) required to curb GHG emissions in developing countries. This failure has exposed the limitations of universalism and renewed interest in bilateral approaches to TT. Gaps are identified in the UNFCCC approach to climate change TT: missing links between international institutions and the national enabling environments that encourage private investment; a non-differentiated approach for (developing) country and technology characteristics; and a lack of clear measurements of the volume and effectiveness of TTs. Evidence from econometric literature and business experience on climate change TT is reviewed, so as to address the identified pitfalls of the UNFCCC process. Strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches are highlighted. International policy recommendations are offered aimed at improving the level of emission reductions achieved through TT

La valutazione neuropsicologica della simulazione: uno studio su pazienti cerebrolesi

Neuropsychological assessment relies on objective procedures to evaluate cognitive deficits in brain-damaged patients. These procedures are relevant in forensic setting for assessment of feigned cognitive disorders. Here we aimed to assess the neuropsychological profile of brain-damaged patients “with a high feigning tendency” and of brain-damaged patients “with a low feigning tendency” by means of a standard neuropsychological battery also including a task specifically devised to detect simulation (i.e., the Test of Memory Malingering, TOMM). Results showed that the group “with a high feigning tendency” was significantly impaired with respect to the other group (and a group of healthy controls) on specific long-term memory tasks and on TOMM. Implications of the present findings are discussed with respect to the best practice for assessing cognitive deficits in forensic setting.L’esame neuropsicologico consiste in un insieme di procedure finalizzate alla valutazione obiettiva dei disturbi cognitivi conseguenti a danno cerebrale. Tali procedure appaiono di grande utilità per la detezione della simulazione. Scopo del presente lavoro è verificare se sia possibile differenziare pazienti cerebrolesi “ad elevato rischio di simulazione” (contesto medicolegale) da pazienti “a basso rischio di simulazione” (contesto clinico) grazie all’uso combinato di test neuropsicologici standard e del Test of Memory Malingering neuropsicologia, simulazione, Test of Memory Malingering, memoria, danno neurocognitivo(TOMM). I risultati hanno mostrato nel gruppo medico-legale prestazioni significativamente peggiori rispetto al gruppo clinico (e a un gruppo di controlli sani) in prove di memoria a lungo termine verbale e al TOMM. Sono discusse le implicazioni rispetto alla selezione di metodi di indagine efficaci per la misurazione del danno neurocognitivo

The effect of global trade liberalization on toxic emissions in industry

F17, Q28,

Do stronger intellectual property rights induce more agricultural trade?: a dynamic panel data model applied to seed trade

Do stronger intellectual property rights (IPRs) induce more agricultural trade? Based on panel data for 60 countries during 1990-2000 and using a dynamic panel data model, this article assesses whether and how national differences in IPRs affect the trade flow of planting seeds imports from the United States. The empirical results show that whether or not a country adheres to IPRs agreements has no discernible impact on planting seeds that are imported from the United States, implying that the strengthening of IPRs seems not to induce more agricultural trade. This result sheds some light on the debate in the theoretical literature on the importance of IPRs and trade. Copyright 2006 International Association of Agricultural Economists.