60 research outputs found
Superior Facial Expression, But Not Identity Recognition, in Mirror-Touch Synesthesia
Simulation models of expression recognition contend that to understand another's facial expressions, individuals map the perceived expression onto the same sensorimotor representations that are active during the experience of the perceived emotion. To investigate this view, the present study examines facial expression and identity recognition abilities in a rare group of participants who show facilitated sensorimotor simulation (mirror-touch synesthetes). Mirror-touch synesthetes experience touch on their own body when observing touch to another person. These experiences have been linked to heightened sensorimotor simulation in the shared-touch network (brain regions active during the passive observation and experience of touch). Mirror-touch synesthetes outperformed nonsynesthetic participants on measures of facial expression recognition, but not on control measures of face memory or facial identity perception. These findings imply a role for sensorimotor simulation processes in the recognition of facial affect, but not facial identity
Dissociation between Face Perception and Face Memory in Adults, but Not Children, with Developmental Prosopagnosia
Cognitive models propose that face recognition is accomplished through a series of discrete stages, including perceptual representation of facial structure, and encoding and retrieval of facial information. This implies that impaired face recognition can result from failures of face perception, face memory, or both. Studies of acquired prosopagnosia, autism spectrum disorders, and the development of normal face recognition support the idea that face perception and face memory are distinct processes, yet this distinction has received little attention in developmental prosopagnosia (DP). To address this issue, we tested the face perception and face memory of children and adults with DP. By definition, face memory is impaired in DP, so memory deficits were present in all participants. However, we found that all children, but only half of the adults had impaired face perception. Thus, results from adults indicate that face perception and face memory are dissociable, while the results from children provide no evidence for this division. Importantly, our findings raise the possibility that DP is qualitatively different in childhood versus adulthood. We discuss theoretical explanations for this developmental pattern and conclude that longitudinal studies are necessary to better understand the developmental trajectory of face perception and face memory deficits in DP
Caracterização das lesões em desportos de combate: Kickboxing e Muaythai
O Kickboxing e o Muaythai pela sua técnica individual, exigem a
concretização de movimentos amplos para a manutenção do equilíbrio, agilidade e
resistência muscular. A frequência e intensidade exigida pela prática destas modalidades,
podem predispor o atleta a possíveis lesões musculosqueléticas, bem como a alterações
posturais e ocorrência de traumas.
Objetivo: Analisar as lesões ocorridas durante a prática de desportos de combate e os
fatores que lhe estão associados.
Método: Realizamos um estudo transversal analítico, numa população de 400 atletas que
praticam kickboxing, muaythai ou ambos, obtendo-se uma amostra de 128 atletas de
ambos os sexos, com idades compreendidas entre os 15 e os 45 anos e residentes em
Portugal Continental e Ilhas, que se disponibilizaram a participar no estudo. Como
instrumento de recolha de dados foi elaborado um questionário fechado para a
caraterização sociodemográfica, hábitos de vida, contexto desportivo e histórico de lesão
desportiva. O questionário foi inserido na plataforma informática Google Forms, onde se
gerou um link de convite, facultado ao Presidente da Federação Portuguesa de Kickboxing
e Muaythai, que após contactar os treinadores pertencentes aos clubes de kickboxing e
muaythai, enviou via email o link do questionário para preenchimento aos seus atletas.
Estes, após consentirem participar no estudo acederam ao questionário. O estudo obteve
o parecer favorável nº 66/2021 da Comissão de Ética do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança,
assim como da Federação Portuguesa de Kickboxing e Muaythai. Para todas as variáveis
foi determinada a frequência absoluta e relativa, bem como a média e desvio padrão para
as variáveis contínuas. Foram utilizados os testes ANOVA e Tukey para a comparação
múltipla de variáveis, o valor de significância foi de 0,05.
Resultados: A amostra do estudo é maioritariamente do sexo masculino (84; 65,6%),
com maior prevalência do estado civil solteiro (79; 61,7%) e nacionalidade portuguesa
(124; 96,8%), com uma média de idades de 28,23 anos no sexo feminino e 30,13 anos no
sexo masculino. O peso foi significativamente mais elevado nos homens bem como a
altura. O IMC médio foi de 24 kg/m2. A prevalência de lesões foi de 49,2%. Verificou-se
associação estatisticamente significativa, entre o número de lesões com o sexo masculino,
a altura do(a) atleta, com a prática das duas modalidades em simultâneo, nos atletas que
realizam maior número de treinos por semana, com o escalão sénior em competição e na classe profissional e também nos atletas que praticam a modalidade há mais de dez anos
(p<0,05). Verificou-se ainda uma associação nos atletas que ingerem entre três a quatro
cafés diariamente.
Conclusões: Observamos que aproximadamente metade da amostra sofreu lesão. O
número de lesões relacionou-se com o sexo masculino, com o escalão sénior, com os
atletas mais altos, os que praticam as duas modalidades e há mais tempo, em competição
e na classe profissional, ainda nos atletas que ingerem entre três a quatro cafés
diariamente. Assim, sugerimos uma monitorização clínica mais frequente dos atletas,
essencialmente nos grupos identificados e acompanhamento dos mesmos durante o treino
e competição. A inclusão do Enfermeiro Especialista em Médico-Cirúrgica na equipa
multidisciplinar de assistência aos atletas, em contexto competitivo para o
acompanhamento do atleta no local aquando da ocorrência de lesões e planeamento do
seu encaminhamento. Sugerimos também a promoção de campanhas para uma melhoria
dos hábitos de vida, relacionadas com a diminuição da ingestão de cafeína, bem como, a
realização de outros estudos com amostras maiores, com a inclusão de outras variáveis e
metodologias diferentes.Kickboxing e o Muaythai, due to their individual technique, require the
implementation of wide movements to maintain balance, agility and muscular endurance.
The frequency and intensity required by the practice of these modalities can predispose
the athlete to possible musculoskeletal injuries, as well as postural changes and the
occurrence of trauma.
Aim: Analyse the injuries that occurred during the practice of combat sports and the
factors associated with them.
Method: We carried out na analytical cross-sectional study, in a population of 400
athletes who practice kicboxing, muaythai or both, obtaining a sample of 128 athletes of
both sexes, aged between 15 and 45 years and residing in Mainland Portugal and Islands,
who volunteered to participate in the estudy. As a data collection instrument, a closed
questionnaire was prepared for the sociodemographic characterization, life habits, sports
context and history of sports injuries. The questionnaire was inserted into the Google
Forms computer platform, where an invitation link was generated, provided to the
President of the Portuguese Kickboxing and Muaythai Federation, who, after contacting
the coaches belonging to the kickboxing and muaythai clubs, sent the questionnaire link
by email to fill in your athletes. These, after consenting to participate in the study,
accessed the questionnaire. The study obtained favorable opinion nº 66/2021 from the
Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, as well as from the Portuguese
Kickboxing and Muaythai Federation. For all variables, the absolute and relative
frequencies were determinated, as well as the mean and standard deviation for continuous
variables. The ANOVA and Tukey tests were used for the multiple comparison of
variables, the significance value was 5%.
Results: The study sample is mostly male (84; 65,6%), with a higher prevalence of single
marital status (79; 61,7%) and Portuguese nationality (124; 96,8%), with na average age
28,23 years old for females and 30,13 years old for males. Weight was significantly higher
in men as was height. The mean BMI was 24 kg/m2
. The prevalence of injuries was
49,2%. There was a statistically significant association between the number of injuries
with males, the athlete's height, with the practice of both modalities simultaneously, in
athletes who perform a greater number of training sessions per week, with the senior level
in competition and in the professional class and also in athletes who have been practicing the modality for more than ten years (p<0.05). There was also an association in athletes
who ingest between three to four coffees daily.
Conclusion: We observed that approximately half of the sample suffered injury. The
number of injuries was related to males, to the senior level, to the highest athletes, those
who practice both modalities and for a longer time, in competition and in the professional
class, even in athletes who ingest between three to four coffees daily. Thus, we suggest a
more frequent clinical monitoring of athletes, essentially in the identified groups and
monitoring them during training and competition. The inclusion of the Specialist
Medical-Surgical Nurse in the multidisciplinary team to assist athletes, in a competitive
context, to monitor the athlete on the spot when injuries occur and plan their referral. We
also suggest promoting campaigns to improve lifestyle habits, related to reducing caffeine
intake, as well as carrying out other studies with larger samples, with the inclusion of
other variables and different methodologies
Efeito de três ecótipos de Cynara cardunculus L. na proteólise do qeijo de Évora ao longo da maturação
O extrato aquoso da flor de Cynara cardunculus L. tem sido muito utilizado no fabrico
de queijos DOP, estimulando a investigação da ação das enzimas deste extrato nas
transformações bioquímicas do queijo.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de três ecótipos de Cynara cardunculus L.
(Cynara 1, Cynara 2, Cynara 3) e de um agente coagulante animal (Animal) na degradação das
frações de caseína do Queijo de Évora, com 1, 7, 14, 21, 35, 49 e 63 dias de maturação.
Os resultados obtidos por ureia-PAGE evidenciam uma maior degradação proteica dos
queijos fabricados com os agentes coagulantes vegetais relativamente ao agente coagulante
animal. Até aos 35 dias de maturação a taxa de degradação das caseínas aumenta,
permanecendo relativamente constante até ao final da maturação. Após 63 dias de maturação
as αS-caseínas (54,90%) foram mais degradadas do que as β-caseínas (37,27%) nos queijos
fabricados com Cynara cardunculus L. Proteolytic effect of three ecotypes of Cynara Cardunculus L. in “Queijo de Évora” during ripening
Abstract:
Cynara cardunculus L. flower aqueous extracts have been employed for many centuries
in the manufacture of PDO cheeses, leading to the investigation of the action of the enzymes of
this extract on the biochemical transformations of cheese.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of three ecotypes of Cynara cardunculus
L. (Cynara 1, Cynara 2, Cynara 3) and an animal coagulant (Animal) in the casein fractions
degradation of Évora cheese, during day 1, 7, 14, 21, 35, 49 and 63 of ripening.
Urea-PAGE electrophoretic results showed a higher protein degradation of cheeses
made with vegetable coagulant than cheeses made with animal coagulant. Up to 35 days of
ripening there was an increase of the casein degradation rate, remaining relatively constant until
the end of maturation. After 63 days of ripening, αS-caseins (54.90%) were more degraded than
β-caseins (37.27%) in cheeses made with the Cynara cardunculus L. ecotypes
The development of upright face perception depends on evolved orientation-specific mechanisms and experience
Here we examine whether our impressive ability to perceive upright faces arises from evolved orientation-specific mechanisms, our extensive experience with upright faces, or both factors. To do so, we tested Claudio, a man with a congenital joint disorder causing his head to be rotated back so that it is positioned between his shoulder blades. As a result, Claudio has seen more faces reversed in orientation to his own face than matched to it. Controls exhibited large inversion effects on all tasks, but Claudio performed similarly with upright and inverted faces in both detection and identity-matching tasks, indicating these abilities are the product of evolved mechanisms and experience. In contrast, he showed clear upright superiority when detecting “Thatcherized” faces (faces with vertically flipped features), suggesting experience plays a greater role in this judgment. Together, these findings indicate that both evolved orientation-specific mechanisms and experience contribute to our proficiency with upright faces
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Case Series
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a reversible clinical-radiographic abnormality. It is characterized by headache, altered consciousness, seizures, and visual disruption, in addition to characteristic white matter edema lesions in the parieto-occipital areas of the brain. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent irreversible damage. This paper presents the cases of three patients with PRES with concurrent diagnoses of glomerulonephritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and sickle cell disease. All patients experienced systemic hypertension, seizures, and altered consciousness. All patients were admitted to intensive care for decreased level of awareness or status epilepticus requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Anticonvulsants and antihypertensive therapy were essential. No chronic complications were recorded.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Acute Fulminant Cerebral Edema in a Child With Suspected Meningoencephalitis
Acute fulminant cerebral edema (AFCE) is a recently identified encephalitis type associated with significant morbimortality. Described as rare, limited data exists on its early detection and treatment. This paper describes a case of AFCE that progressed to unresponsive intracranial hypertension. A previously healthy four-year-old boy presented with fever, myalgias, and neurological symptoms. Diagnostic assessments showed cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities, and despite medical interventions, his condition deteriorated rapidly and developed severe cerebral edema and herniation within 24 hours. A decompressive craniectomy was attempted to decrease intracranial pressure, without success. This case emphasizes the urgency of early AFCE recognition and effective management strategies given its severe prognosis, aiming to improve understanding and spur further researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Cynara cardunculus: Use in Cheesemaking and Pharmaceutical Applications
Cynara cardunculus L. is the most widespread species of Cynara genus (f. Asteraceae). This herbaceous perennial plant is native to the Mediterranean region and invasive in other parts of the world, growing naturally in harsh habitat conditions. There are three subspecies: globe artichoke; cultivated cardoon and the progenitor of the two, the wild cardoon. The culture of Cynara cardunculus L. follows an annual growth cycle, emerging in autumn and harvesting in summer. Cynara cardunculus has been considered as a multi-purpose crop due to its relevant biochemical profiles. Inflorescences have been used as food, whereas leaves are a rich source of bioactive compounds. Consequently, larger plants without spines have been selected for technological purposes. Due to its high cellulose and hemicellulose content, the lignocellulosic fraction has been used as solid biofuel, biogas and bioethanol. Both pulp fibers production and seeds oil are suitable for biodiesel production. Over the centuries, the inflorescence pistils of Cynara cardunculus L. have been widely used for cheesemaking. The present chapter gives an overview of the Cynara cardunculus L. emphasizing recent knowledge regarding the use, conservation, preparation and application of Cynara cardunculus in ovine milk cheesemaking, as well as other biotechnological applications
The Glasgow Voice Memory Test: Assessing the ability to memorize and recognize unfamiliar voices
One thousand one hundred and twenty subjects as well as a developmental phonagnosic subject (KH) along with age-matched controls performed the Glasgow Voice Memory Test, which assesses the ability to encode and immediately recognize, through an old/new judgment, both unfamiliar voices (delivered as vowels, making language requirements minimal) and bell sounds. The inclusion of non-vocal stimuli
allows the detection of significant dissociations between the two categories (vocal vs. non-vocal stimuli). The distributions of accuracy and sensitivity scores (d’) reflected a wide range of individual differences in voice recognition performance in the population. As expected, KH showed a dissociation between the recognition of voices and bell sounds, her performance being significantly poorer than matched controls for voices but not for bells. By providing normative data of a large sample and by testing a developmental phonagnosic subject, we demonstrated that the Glasgow Voice Memory Test, available online and accessible fromall over the world, can be a valid screening tool (~5 min) for a preliminary detection of potential cases of phonagnosia and of “super recognizers” for voices
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