Elisée Reclus (1830-1905) : un geògraf francès i un anarquista

Dans la première partie de l'article, consacrée à la biographie d'Elisée Reclus, l'auteur a mis l'accent sur les aspects de sa vie ayant un rapport avec ses deux oeuvres les plus importantes, la Nouvelle Géographie Universelle et L'Homme et la Terre. La deuxième partie est consacrée à l'étude de l'influence de Reclus sur la géographie de son époque mais aussi sur celle d'aujourd'hui. Finalement l'auteur a analysé les influences de l'anarchisme sur les points de vue et le contenu de ses oeuvres.The first part of the article consists of a biographic study of Elisée Reclus, emphasizing above all aspects related to the publication of two of his most important works, Nouvelle Géographie Universelle and L'Homme et la Terre. This study is followed by an analysis of the influence which Reclus exerciced in geographical spheres, not only among his contemporaries but also at present. Finally, the author evaluates the extent to which the anarchist model influenced the perspective and content of his work.En la primera parte del articulo se hace un estudio biográfico de Elisée Reclus insistiendo en aquellos aspectos relacionados con la producción de dos de sus obras más importantes, Nouvelle Géographie Universelle y L'Homme et la Terre. Seguidamente se analiza la influencia que Reclus ejerció en el mundo de la geografia tanto en su momento como en el presente, y finalmente se estudian las influencias que el modelo anarquista tuvo en el enfoque y contenido de su obra

Urban form as a transportation interchange: a formal theory.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Thesis. 1966. M.Arch.Accompanying drawings held by MIT Museum.Bibliography: leaves 48-49.M.Arch

Genetic Rat Models of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a specific loss of dopaminergic neurons. Although the vast majority of PD cases are idiopathic in nature, there is a subset that contains genetic links. Of the genes that have been linked to PD, α-synuclein and leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 have been used to develop transgenic rat models of the disease. In this paper we focused on the various transgenic rat models of PD in terms of their ability to mimic key symptoms of PD in a progressive manner. In general, we found that most of these models provided useful tools for the early stages of PD, but the development of new transgenic rats that present significant neuropathologic and motoric deficits in a progressive manner that more accurately mimics PD is needed

Plastic Adaptation: A Neuronal Imperative Capable of Confounding the Goals of Stem Cell Replacement Therapy for either Huntington’s or Parkinson’s Disease

Although stem cell transplant therapy offers considerable promise for deteriorative diseases, the efficacy of its application may be mitigated by endogenous compensatory mechanisms in the host brain. Plastic compensation follows neurodegeneration, beginning at its very onset and minimizing early symptom expression. As researchers attempt to correlate symptom remission with the ability of transplanted cells to adopt specific cell phenotypes, they need to be vigilant of the possibility that competing, local compensatory effects may be altering the outcome. Clearly plastic compensatory mechanisms could confound desired transplant-derived improvements by supplanting the beneficial contributions of the transplants. As circuit-level adaptations occur, more explicit explorations of their relevance to neuronal transplantation success are needed. Conceptual models of undirected transplanted cells adopting preconceived appropriate roles require revision. The notion that newly transplanted neuronal precursors will incorporate themselves into host circuitry with mutual cooperation across both parties (i.e., transplant and host) without some symbiosis-promoting mechanism is naïve. Undirected local circuits could react to newly transplanted additions as intruders. We advocate that appropriate signaling from transplanted cells to the host environment is required to optimize the therapeutic relevance of transplantation. This review surveys critical signaling mechanisms that might promote symbiotic interdependence between the host and new transplants

Combined aerobic and resistance exercise program improves task performance in patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of a home-based aerobic and resistance training program on the physical function of adults with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II and III patients and systolic heart failure (HF). DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Home based. PARTICIPANTS: Stable patients (N=24; mean age, 60±10y; left ventricular ejection fraction, 25%±9%; 50% white; 50% women) with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes II and III (NYHA class III, 58%) systolic heart failure (HF). INTERVENTION: A 12-week progressive home-based program of moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise. Attention control wait list participants performed light stretching and flexibility exercises. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 10-item performance-based physical function measure, the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance test (CS-PFP10), was the major outcome variable and included specific physical activities measured in time to complete a task, weight carried during a task, and distance walked. Other measures included muscle strength, HRQOL (Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale), functional capacity (Duke Activity Status Index), and disease severity (brain natriuretic peptide) levels. RESULTS: After the exercise intervention, 9 of 10 specific task activities were performed more rapidly, with increased weight carried by exercise participants compared with the attention control wait list group. Exercise participants also showed significant improvements in CS-PFP10 total score (P<.025), upper and lower muscle strength, and HRQOL (P<.001) compared with the attention control wait list group. Adherence rates were 83% and 99% for the aerobic and resistance training, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stable HF who participate in a moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise program may improve performance of routine physical activities of daily living by using a home-based exercise approach. Performance-based measures such as the CS-PFP10 may provide additional insights into physical function in patients with HF that more commonly used exercise tests may not identify. Early detection of subtle changes that may signal declining physical function that are amenable to intervention potentially may slow further loss of function in this patient population