Parkinson's disease and the influence of the forebrain dopaminergic system on dreaming

Bibliography: leaves 32-37.The purpose of the study was to investigate a hypothesis proposed by Solms (2000) to the effect that a forebrain dopaminergic mechanism is the final common path to dreaming. It was hypothesised that sufferers of Parkinson's disease (PO) would have decreased intensity and frequency of dreams - that is that PO disease may lead to cessation or reduced dreaming, reduced duration of dreams, reduced narrative complexity of dream and a change in dream emotion and that this will further decrease with the duration of the disease irrespective of the medication that the patient is taking. Self-report questionnaires (N=40) and the Most Recent Dream Report (Oomhoff, 1996) was used for assessment. PO patients were found to have shorter as well as more pleasant dreams. A correlation (p < .05) was found in the PO sample between duration of illness and emotional quality of dreams and dream duration. The specific hypothesis of the study was not fully supported. However, the findings do support the suggestion that dreaming is generated by the mesocortical-mesolimbic dopamine system

Neuropsychological, functional and behavioural outcome and predictors of outcome in a sample of traumatic brain injury litigants

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-162).Generally, this study aimed to explore whether financial settlement in litigation influences outcome and recovery from closed head injury in a sample of traumatic brain injured (TBI) litigants who were tested and interviewed both during litigation (at time 1, or T1) and 1 year or more after case settlement (at time 2, or T2). More specifically, my major goals were to assess (a) changes between TI and T2 on outcome variables such as neuropsychological test scores and self- and other-reported cognitive function, behaviour, activities of daily living (ADL), and physical dependency (PD), and (b) the impact of demographic (e.g., years of education, employment status) and clinical (e.g., severity of injury, degree of post-traumatic amnesia, Glasgow Coma Scale score) variables on the aforementioned outcome variables

"Create music that will open a person's heart": a perspective on emotional and social wellbeing as depicted in three films

Abstract "Create music that will open a person's heart":  a perspective on emotional and social wellbeing as depicted in three filmsMusic in film is a powerful means for highlighting particular themes or messages. Furthermore, film music provides a background to what the viewer perceives in scenes or events through the experiences of the actors. Although mostly fictional, many emotions or situations depicted in films can be assimilated with the life experiences of the viewer. The three films in question in this article, As it is in Heaven, Les Choristes and Harmony show that, in facing life’s many challenges, singing as a form of music can serve as a means to express and/or attain a measure of emotional and social wellbeing. The meaning of group singing, the relationship between singing and wellbeing as well as the comments of conferences attendees and the interpretation of some lyrics are discussed in this qualitative research article. The preceding points link to the “broaden-and-build” model of positive emotions. Keywords: wellbeing, positive experiences, group singing, As it is in Heaven (2004), Les Choristes (2004), Harmony (2008), “broaden-and-build” model.  Opsomming“Maak musiek wat die mens se hart ontvanklik sal maak”:  ?n perspektief op emosionele en sosiale welstand soos wat dit in drie films uitgebeeld wordDie gebruik van musiek in films is ?n besonder kragtige wyse om spesifieke temas of boodskappe uit te lig. Filmmusiek verskaf ook ?n agtergrond vir wat die kyker in besondere tonele of gebeurtenisse deur die ondervindinge van die spelers beleef. Alhoewel heelwat emosies of situasies wat in films uitgebeeld word, fiktief is, kan die kykers as gevolg van hul eie lewenservaringe hulle daarmee vereenselwig. Die drie films wat in hierdie artikel ondersoek word, As it is in Heaven, Les Choristes en Harmony, wys dat sang as wyse kan dien om uitdrukking aan emosionele en sosiale welstand te gee wanneer verskillende uitdagings in die lewe ?n mens in die gesig staar. Die betekenis van groepsang, die verwantskap tussen sang en welstand sowel as die kommentaar van kongresgangers en die interpretasie van sekere lirieke word in hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsingsartikel bespreek.   Die voorafgaande aspekte word met die “verruiming-en-bou”-model van positiewe emosies verbind. Kernbegrippe: welstand, positiewe ervaringe, groepsang, As it is in Heaven (2004), Les Choristes (2004), Harmony (2008), “verruiming-en-bou”–model.https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.80.4.224

Effects of heat treatment on protein feeds evaluated in vitro utilizing the method utilizable protein

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of heat treatments on protein feeds for dairy cows utilising the in vitro method utilisable protein (uCP) using three protein feeds, field beans (Vicia faba), lupines (Lupinus albus) and peas (Pisum sativum). All the feeds in the study were grinded (1 mm sieve) and the three protein feeds were autoclaved with steam at increasing temperatures (105, 120 and 135°C) or dry oven-heated (120, 140 and 160°C) at increasing intervals (30, 60 and 90 min). The feeds (heat treated and untreated as a control) were incubated in vitro as components in complete diets for dairy cows utilising the method uCP. All diets were isonitrogenous with concentrations of 18% crude protein (CP) on dry matter (DM) basis. The diets consisted of grass silage (50% of DM) and varying proportions of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and protein feeds depending on the CP concentrations. The complete diets were incubated in buffered rumen fluid and the concentration uCP was calculated based on ammonia nitrogen measurements at different intervals in the liquid of the in vitro vessels. The gas productions during the fermentation in vitro were continuously recorded by an automatic system. The two methods for heat treatments, autoclaving with steam and dry oven-heating at medium and high levels were effective methods to increase the uCP concentrations. However, low heating temperatures decreased uCP concentrations for the pea diets and had no significant effect for the diets with lupines. Short exposure time (30 min) at the highest temperature in the autoclave increased uCP concentrations for the diets with field beans by 31%, lupines by 10% and peas by 7%, whereas the same time in the dry oven treatment decreased uCP concentrations by 10%, 14.% and 12%, respectively. Increasing the heat exposure time from 60 to 90 minutes at the highest treatment levels did not have any improving effects, except for the diets with the oven-treated peas. However at medium temperatures there was significant increase of the uCP concentrations for all evaluated diets. It was concluded heat treatment will affect the concentrations of uCP in dairy cow diets but the responses in animal production needs to be evaluated by production trials

“In a Golden Coach”: an educational musical event about fullness of life

This article discusses a community musical event that took place in Winchester Cathedral on 17 November 2012. June Boyce-Tillman annually composes a participatory community music making event with a specific theme. One such event, In a Golden Coach, was designed for mass participation, in which school-children, dispersed instruments, an orchestra, solo singers, three community choirs and the cathedral organ participated. The central theme of the musical event was that the nature of the Queen’s vocation to serve people which can make her a role model for children.  She lived a life that could be associated with fullness of life.  Unstructured interviews with a group of pupils from two schools who participated in the performance, combined with an autoethnographic account of the composer’s intentions and aspirations, shed an interesting light on the role of musicking in the expression of spirituality. These two data sources are combined using grounded theory, and then applied to prominent concepts in the literature on spirituality particularly from Radboud University, Nijmegen. Finally, the expression of spirituality of performance is linked with the Aristotelian concept of eudaimonia, which is commonly translated as ‘wellbeing’ and can be related to fullness of life. The educational value of the musical event has moments that highlight fullness of life. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.83.1.243

SHUFFLE SHUFFLE BOM! Om översättning av onomatopoetiska interjektioner i Jussi ”Juba” Tuomolas Viivi och Wagner

Tutkimukseni käsittelee onomatopoeettisten interjektioiden ääntämistä sarjakuvissa. Tutkimusaineistoni koostuu Jussi ”Juba” Tuomolan kahdesta Viivi ja Wagner -albumista, Viivi ja Wagner 1, Sikspäkki ja salmiakkia (2003) ja Viivi ja Wagner 3, Ei banaaninkuoria paperikoriin (2005). Olen tutkimustani varten valinnut näistä yhteensä 135 onomatopoeettista interjektiota, joita vertailen niiden ruotsinkielisiin käännöksiin. Tarkoituksenani on ensinnäkin selvittää, millaisia onomatopoeettisia interjektioita sarjakuvissa esiintyy. Tätä varten tarkastelen onomatopoeettisten interjektioiden typografiaa ja fonologiaa. Toiseksi tutkin, mitä käännösstrategioita käytetään onomatopoeettisia interjektioita käännettäessä. Tutkimukseni kohdistuu mustavalkoiseen sarjakuvaan, ja lähinnä efekteinä toimiviin onomatopoeettisiin interjektioihin. Kolmanneksi tutkin, miten toimivia kohdekieliset onomatopoeettiset interjektiot ovat. Analyysissa tarkastelemani onomatopoeettiset interjektiot luokitellaan niiden funktioiden mukaan Thorellin (1973) interjektiojaottelua mukaellen kolmeen eri ryhmään: 1) impulsiivisiin, 2) imitatiivisiin ja 3) imperatiivisiin interjektioihin. Impulsiiviset interjektiot ilmaisevat tunnetta, kuten iloa, kipua ja pelkoa. Imitatiiviset interjektiot jaetaan neljään eri ryhmään sen mukaan, ilmaisevatko ne tapahtumia, toimintaa, liikettä vai eläinten ääniä. Imperatiiviset interjektiot ilmaisevat tahtoa, ja niihin kuuluvat muun muassa erilaiset eläinten houkutusäänet (esim. KISS KISS), tuuditteluilmaisut ja huudahdukset. Onomatopoeettisten interjektioiden kääntämistä olen analysoinut Hygrellin (1997) neljän eri käännösstrategian pohjalta. Tarkasteltavia strategioita ovat alkuperäisen ilmaisun siirto (övertagande), poisto (uteslutning), jäljitelmä (efterbildning) ja korvaus (ersättning). Käännösten toimivuutta tarkastelen Reissin ja Vermeerin (1986) funktionaalisen käännösteorian pohjalta. Tutkimuksessani käy ilmi, että Tuomolan sarjakuvissa esiintyy eniten imitatiivisia onomatopoeettisia interjektioita, joista valtaosa ilmaisee toimintaa. Hieman yli puolet impulsiivisista interjektioista ilmaisee negatiivisia tunteita. Imperatiivisia interjektioita esiintyy vähiten. Huomattavaa tutkimustuloksissani on, että suurin osa aineistossani esiintyvistä onomatopoeettisista interjektioista on käännetty. Typografia ei käännöksissä muutu, ja kääntäjät ovat pyrkineet myös jäljittelemään alkuperäisen kaltaista äänimaailmaa käännöksissään. Yleisimmin käytetyksi käännösstrategiaksi osoittautuu lähdekielisen ilmaisun jäljitelmä kohdekielellä. Kääntäjät ovat usein myös korvanneet alkuperäisen onomatopoeettisen interjektion etenkin imperatiivisten interjektioiden kohdalla. Interjektion poistamista ei esiinny juuri lainkaan. Alkuperäinen ilmaisu on säilytetty etenkin niissä tapauksissa, joissa onomatopoeettinen interjektio on joko lainasana tai uudelleen kehitelty ilmaisu englannin kielestä, tai se muodostaa olennaisen osan itse kuvaa. Käännösten toimivuuden tarkastelu osoittaa, että onomatopoeettiset interjektiot täyttävät niiden alkuperäisen ekspressiivisen funktionsa ja että niissä toteutuu Tuomolan intentio. Käännöksissä tärkeimmäksi arvoksi nousee käännöksen tarkoitus, eli kohdeyleisön huomioon ottaminen

Phytochemical Investigation of Egyptian Spinach Leaves, a Potential Source for Antileukemic Metabolites: In Vitro and In Silico Study

Spinacia oleracea L., Amaranthaceae, leaves cultivated in Egypt demonstrated a potential antileukemic activity against the chronic myeloid leukemia, K562 cell line. Thus, the aim of this study is to carry out a phytochemical investigation of S. oleracea leaves as well as the isolation of its antileukemic phytoconstituents. Phytochemical investigation of S. oleracea leaves resulted in the isolation of seventeen known compounds. The biological study revealed that compounds hexaprenol, phytol, and 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid exhibited a remarkable antiproliferative activity against K562 cells in vitro. A mechanistic in silico study showed that hexaprenol, phytol, and 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid exhibited a strong binding affinity towards topoisomerase (docking score −12.50, −9.19, and −13.29 kcal/mol, respectively), and showed as well a strong binding affinity towards Abl kinase (docking score −11.91, −9.35, and −12.59 kcal/mol, respectively). Molecular dynamics study revealed that 18-[(1-oxohexadecyl) oxy]-9-octadecenoic acid produced stable complexes with both topoisomerase and Abl kinase with RMSD values of 1.81 and 1.85 Å, respectively. As a result of our findings, we recommend more in vivo and preclinical studies to confirm the potential benefit of spinach leaves for chronic myeloid leukemia patients. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Improvement of lipid profile and antioxidant of hypercholesterolemic albino rats by polysaccharides extracted from the green alga Ulva lactuca Linnaeus

AbstractSulfated polysaccharides from Ulva lactuca were extracted in hot water and precipitated by ethanol then orally gavaged to rats fed on a hypercholesterolemic diet for 21 days to evaluate the antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidant actions. Atorvastatine Ca (Lipitor) was used as a reference drug. The intragastric administration of U. lactuca extract to hypercholesterolemic rats caused significant decrease of serum total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and vLDL-cholesterol levels. Whereas, HDL-cholesterol concentration was markedly increased by 180%. Aqueous extract showed a significant ameliorative action on elevated atherogenic index, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities of hypercholesterolemic group. Furthermore, serum activities of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase were also improved. High fat diet intake caused a highly significantly elevated serum urea, creatinine concentration. These effects were reversed by oral administration of U. lactuca extract. Sulfates polysaccharides extract of U. lactuca ameliorate hepatic enzymatic (catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase), non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione & total thiol) antioxidant defenses and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In conclusion, the tested U. lactuca polysaccharides extract has potent hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant effects in experimentally-induced hypercholesterolemic animal model

Revealing patterns in the aggregation and deposition kinetics of the solid phase in drilling wastewater

Досліджено вплив концентрації твердої фази бурових стічних вод на змінення швидкості осiдання твердої фази при агрегатоутворенні під час фізико-хімічного методу очистки води з використанням флокулянтів та коагулянтiв. Це важливо, тому що зміна концентрації твердої фази у стічній водi є неконтрольованим процесом під час реагентної очистки та суттєво впливає на механізм агрегатоутворення та кінетику осiдання твердої фази. Дослідження проводилися на модельній стічній водi, виготовленій шляхом розбавлення відпрацьованого бурового розчину водопровідною водою. Було встановлено, що застосування флокулянтів без коагулянтiв не ефективне i не призводить доагрегатоутворення. Встановлено, що оптимальною дозою коагулянту сульфату алюмінію для порушення стійкості дисперсної системи буровий стiчної води є 65 мiлiграм/г, а збiльшення дозування коагулянта не впливає на швидкість осадження пластiвцiв. Серед флокулянтiв найбiльшу активнiсть проявляє анiонний флокулянт А-19. При згущуваннi шламу спостерiгається руйнування флокул i за 9 хвилин швидкiсть осадження флокул знижується вдвiчi. Збiльшення концентрацiї флокулянта з 0,8 міліграм/г до 1,6 міліграм/г приводить до збiльшення швидкостi осадження твердої фази в 2–2,5 разiв. Показано, що концентрація твердої фази впливає на швидкість осадження флокул, оптимальні умови агрегатоутворення спостерiгаються за концентрації 4–6 г/л. Механiчнi дії на агрегати призводять до руйнування флокул залежно вiд концентрації твердої фази. Встановлено, що змiни в дисперсній системi можна спостерігати за зміною водневого показника, який змiнюється залежно вiд концентрацiї твердої фази в буровій стічній водi. Зростання концентрації твердої фази з 1 до 10 г/л призводить до зміни рН вiд 7,2 до 8,3, після введення коагулянта спостерігається зниження рН, а подальше руйнування агрегатiв приводить до збільшення водневого показника. Одержані в результатi досліджень дані i запропонована методика можуть бути використані для підбору оптимальних дозувань реагентiв при очищенні бурових стічних води