163 research outputs found
Explicit boundary form factors: the scaling Lee-Yang model
We provide explicit expressions for boundary form factors in the boundary
scaling Lee-Yang model for operators with the mildest ultraviolet behavior for
all integrable boundary conditions. The form factors of the boundary stress
tensor take a determinant form, while the form factors of the boundary primary
field contain additional explicit polynomials.Comment: 18 pages, References adde
Noninvasive Modalities Used in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
In the past three decades, research on plasticity after spinal cord injury (SCI) has led to a gradual shift in SCI rehabilitation: the former focus on learning compensatory strategies changed to functional neurorecovery, that is, promoting restoration of function through the use of affected limbs. This paradigm shift contributed to the development of technology-based interventions aiming to promote neurorecovery through repetitive training. This chapter presents an overview of a range of noninvasive modalities that have been used in rehabilitation after SCI. Among others, we present repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), surface electrical stimulation tools such as transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tcSCS), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and functional electrical stimulation (FES), as well as its integration with cycling training and assistive robotic devices. The most recent results attained and the potential relevance of these new techniques to strengthen the efficacy of the residual neuronal pathways and improve spasticity are also presented. Future efforts toward the widespread clinical application of these modalities include more advances in the technology, together with the knowledge obtained from basic research and clinical trials. This can ultimately lead to novel customized interventions that meet specific needs of SCI patients
The cataract and glucosuria associated monocarboxylate transporter MCT12 is a new creatine transporter
Creatine transport has been assigned to creatine transporter 1 (CRT1), encoded by mental retardation associated SLC6A8. Here, we identified a second creatine transporter (CRT2) known as monocarboxylate transporter 12 (MCT12), encoded by the cataract and glucosuria associated gene SLC16A12. A non-synonymous alteration in MCT12 (p.G407S) found in a patient with age-related cataract (ARC) leads to a significant reduction of creatine transport. Furthermore, Slc16a12 knockout (KO) rats have elevated creatine levels in urine. Transport activity and expression characteristics of the two creatine transporters are distinct. CRT2 (MCT12)-mediated uptake of creatine was not sensitive to sodium and chloride ions or creatine biosynthesis precursors, breakdown product creatinine or creatine phosphate. Increasing pH correlated with increased creatine uptake. Michaelis-Menten kinetics yielded a Vmax of 838.8 pmol/h/oocyte and a Km of 567.4 µm. Relative expression in various human tissues supports the distinct mutation-associated phenotypes of the two transporters. SLC6A8 was predominantly found in brain, heart and muscle, while SLC16A12 was more abundant in kidney and retina. In the lens, the two transcripts were found at comparable levels. We discuss the distinct, but possibly synergistic functions of the two creatine transporters. Our findings infer potential preventive power of creatine supplementation against the most prominent age-related vision impaired conditio
Portuguese emigration to Angola (2000-2015): Strengthening a specific postcolonial relationship in a new global framework?
Outflows to the Portuguese-speaking countries, although not dominant, played an important role in the growth of Portuguese emigration during the economic recession and austerity period, between 2010 and 2016. This chapter examines this migration process, considering that contemporary migration from Portugal to Angola is an example of reverse post-colonial migration within the framework of North-South movements.
It presents the historical and socio-demographic background of Angola and some theoretical insights on the issue of North-South migration. The analyses of the migration process and the emigrants’ profiles rely in statistics and academic literature but especially on data gathered in a direct survey. Attention is given to indicators of integration, relations with Portugal and the post-colonial nature of the process. The profile of Portuguese in Angola shows an overrepresentation of highly skilled males over 35 years old, which migrated for professional reasons and sustain relations with Portugal through diverse transnational practices. This supports explanations for the emergence of North-South migration by appeal to economic expansion associated to the increasing insertion of several developing countries into global networks. However, the analysis fails to back up the hypothesis that Portuguese emigration to Angola is a form of reverse post-colonial migration based in ancestral return.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Hepatica transsilvanica Fuss (Ranunculaceae) is an allotetraploid relict of the tertiary flora in Europe – molecular phylogenetic evidence
The Hepatica section Angulosa consists of mainly tetraploid (2n = 28) species that
are distributed disjunctly throughout Eurasia. Karyological evidence proves the
hybrid origin of the polyploid species of this section. Hepatica transsilvanica is
a member of this species group with a conspicuous distribution restricted to the
Eastern Carpathians. Based on genome size and cytotypes, the paternal parent of
H. transsilvanica is described to be the only diploid species in section Angulosa,
H. falconeri. The maternal species is hypothesized to be H. nobilis, a European
species with entirely lobed leaves and a wider distribution area. Although the
hybrid origin of H. transsilvanica is well documented by karyological evidence,
the time of hybridization has never been studied. By using sequences of both the
nuclear and plastid genome, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships and
divergence times of H. transsilvanica and its parental species. The identity of the
parental species is corroborated by discordant gene tree topologies of the nrITS
and plastid sequences. Moreover, both gene copies of the parental species could
be identified with the low-copy nuclear gene, MLH1. Divergence dating analysis
using Bayesian phylogenetic methods strongly supported the long-term survival
of H. transsilvanica in the Southeastern Carpathians, as the most recent common
ancestor of the hybrid and parent species existed not later than the beginning
of the Pleistocene, ca. 3 million years ago. These results not only highlight the
biogeographic importance of the Southeastern Carpathians in the Quaternary
glaciation periods, but also emphasize that Tertiary lineages could have survived
in a Central European cryptic refugium
Out of Colchis: The colonization of Europe by Primula vulgaris Huds. (Primulaceae)
In the cold periods of Quaternary climatic fluctuations, many temperate species
underwent severe range contractions, and their survival during these periods was
associated with climatically more favorable regions, so-called glacial refugia, from
which subsequent range expansions took place. In this regard, the relative roles of
the Southern (“main”), Northern (i.e., cryptic northern), and Eastern European
(e.g., Colchis) refugia in shaping the evolutionary history of European temperate
plants should be evaluated. In this study, we investigated the phylogeographic
structure of Primula vulgaris, a European mesophilous species, by comparing
DNA sequences derived from the nuclear (nrITS) and the plastid (trnL-trnF and
rpl32-trnL) genomes of specimens covering the entire distribution range of the
species. The variability in flower morphology was also studied on an area-wide
scale with geometric morphometry. Our results clearly show the importance of
the northern and eastern refugia (the Carpathian Basin and Colchis) as sources
of genetic variation among European mesophilous plant species. Primula vulgaris
spread initially from the Colchis refugium westwards, and a proportion of the
colonists survived during the last glacial period in the Carpathian Basin, which
may have served as a secondary center of diversity from which all Europe was
subsequently populated
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