Contact Isotropic Realisations of Jacobi Manifolds via Spencer Operators

Motivated by the importance of symplectic isotropic realisations in the study of Poisson manifolds, this paper investigates the local and global theory of contact isotropic realisations of Jacobi manifolds, which are those of minimal dimension. These arise naturally when considering multiplicity-free actions in contact geometry, as shown in this paper. The main results concern a classification of these realisations up to a suitable notion of isomorphism, as well as establishing a relation between the existence of symplectic and contact isotropic realisations for Poisson manifolds. The main tool is the classical Spencer operator which is related to Jacobi structures via their associated Lie algebroid, which allows to generalise previous results as well as providing more conceptual proofs for existing ones

Intracameral lidocaine as supplement to classic topical anesthesia for relieving ocular pain in cataract surgery

● AIM: To evaluate safety, efficacy, and patient adherence of intracameral lidocaine as supplement of classic topical anesthetic drops in cataract surgery. ● METHODS: A prospective and controlled trial including a large cohort of 1650 individuals suffering with bilateral cataract not complicated, in program by phacoemulsification surgery, were randomly assigned to 2 different groups for the type of anesthesia received, 0.4% oxybuprocaine hydrochloride (INN) drops, and INN drops associated to intracameral 1% lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate. At the end of surgery, tables were assigned to each patient indicating the degree of pain (0-3) felt during the operation. ● RESULTS: Thirty-two percent of patients in group 1 declared to have not felt any pain against the 77% of patients in group 2. Fifty-nine percent of patients in group 1 complained about only a slight discomfort against 20% of group 2 patients. Only a small percentage of patients in group 1 (5%) admitted severe pain, while no patient in group 2 admitted severe pain. Four patients of group 2 reported an episode of transient amaurosis, lasting several hours after surgery. ● CONCLUSION: Intracameral administration of lidocaine is a simple and secure method able to increase the analgesia during the cataract surgery, eliminating the discomfort and increasing also the cooperation of the patients during the steps of manipulation

A functional study of the endocannabinoid system in zebrafish neurodevelopment: implications in vision and locomotion

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is constituted by a group of endogenous arachidonate-based lipids [endocannabinoids (eCBs)] and their receptors, capable of regulating neuronal excitability as well as a variety of physiological processes. The 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is a retrograde neurotransmitter present at relatively high levels in the central nervous system, with cannabinoid neuromodulatory effects on synaptic transmission in the adult brain. Recently, several lines of evidence have demonstrated the presence of eCBs, their receptors and metabolizing enzymes, also in early stages of brain development, suggesting an important role of ECS in the regulation of neural progenitor proliferation and specification as well as migration and differentiation. In this study we focus on the importance of 2-AG signaling in central nervous system development, with the aim to investigate the role of 2-AG in the development and differentiation of neurons, and in the formation of neuronal circuits that control spontaneous locomotion and visual system, using zebrafish as model organism. The vertebrate Danio rerio (zebrafish) represents a valid animal model system to study eCB biology, since phylogenetic analyses of the zebrafish ECS have demonstrated that it is highly conserved with the mammalian counterpart. Here we report the presence of a complete endocannabinoid system during zebrafish development and show that the genes coding for enzymes that catalyze the anabolism and catabolism (daglα and mgll respectively) of the endocannabinoid 2-AG, as well as its main receptor in the brain, cannabinoid receptor type 1 (cnr1), are co-expressed in defined regions of neurogenesis and axogenesis. Through the use of morpholino-induced transient knockdown of the zebrafish daglα and its pharmacological rescue, we suggest that the synthesis of 2-AG is implicated in the control of axon formation in defined areas of the developing brain, such as optic tectum, cerebellum and optic nerve. Animals lacking Daglα display defective axonal growth and fasciculation, and abnormal physiological behaviors in tests measuring stereotyped eye movement and motion perception. Moreover the use of daglα morpholino in the zebrafish transgenic line 'ath5:gap-gfp', in which it is possible to follow the retinal ganglion cells (RGC) pathfinding, reveals abnormalities in RGC fiber tracts and in the correct arborization in the optic tectum. Furthermore, pharmacological treatments using antagonists of the two main zebrafish eCBs receptors (CB1 and CB2) suggest their putative role in the correct formation of the tectal neuropile in transgenic line 'ath5:gap-gfp' and in the correct lamination of neuroretina in SoFa line, in which all the major retina neuronal subtypes are labeled simultaneously. In details, pharmacological treatments using antagonists of CB1 receptor suggest its putative role in the correct formation of the tectal neuropile in zebrafish transgenic line 'ath5:gap-gfp'. On the other hands, by using SoFa zebrafish line, in which all the major retina neuronal subtypes are simultaneously labeled, similar treatments highlight the possible role of CB2 in the correct lamination of neuroretina by regulating the number and positioning of interneurons (amacrine cells) in the inner plexiform layer of developing retina. Animals treated with these antagonists display also defective swimming behavior, suggesting, in addition, the implication of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the correct formation of neuronal circuits that control spontaneous locomotion. In conclusion, our results point to the important role of eCBs as mediators in axonal outgrowth with implications in the control of vision and movement, highlighting that the well-established role of 2-AG in axon guidance is required in brain areas that control locomotor and optokinetic functions. On the other hand, the eCBs receptors CB1 and CB2 can specifically regulate the formation of retinotectal system, the differentiation and lamination of zebrafish neuroretina, as well as direct the control of swimming behaviour

A dynamic interface between ubiquitylation and cAMP signaling

Phosphorylation waves drive the propagation of signals generated in response to hormones and growth factors in target cells. cAMP is an ancient second messenger implicated in key biological functions. In mammals, most of the effects elicited by cAMP are mediated by protein kinase A (PKA). Activation of the kinase by cAMP results in the phosphorylation of a variety of cellular substrates, leading to differentiation, proliferation, survival, metabolism. The identification of scaffold proteins, namely A-Kinase Anchor proteins (AKAPs), that localize PKA in specific cellular districts, provided critical cues for our understanding of the role played by cAMP in cell biology. Multivalent complexes are assembled by AKAPs and include signaling enzymes, mRNAs, adapter molecules, receptors and ion channels. A novel development derived from the molecular analysis of these complexes nucleated by AKAPs is represented by the presence of components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). More to it, the AKAP complex can be regulated by the UPS, eliciting relevant effects on downstream cAMP signals. This represents a novel, yet previously unpredicted interface between compartmentalized signaling and the UPS. We anticipate that impairment of these regulatory mechanisms could promote cell dysfunction and disease. Here, we will focus on the reciprocal regulation between cAMP signaling and UPS, and its relevance to human degenerative and proliferative disorders

Efektivitas Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Think Pair Share (Tps) Terhadap Hasil Belajar Dan Aktivitas Siswa Pada Materi Sistem Pernapasan Manusia

Purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of cooperative learning Think Pair Share through approach to the learning outcomes and student activity. Data were collected through interviews and an essay test learning outcomes. Interview data were analyzed by qualitative descriptive essay test while learning outcomes quantitatively analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the application of the learning model Think Pair Share (TPS) can effectively improve student learning outcomes, it is seen from an average of 34,06% pretest on posttest increased by 83,13% with an average increase in pretest to posttest amounting to 49,06%, and the classical completeness amounted to 87.50% of learning outcomes as well as the implementation of learning model Think Pair Share (TPS) activity can be enhanced student learning.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui efektivitas penerapan model pembelajaran kooperatif melalui pendekatan Think Pair Share terhadap hasil belajar dan aktivitas siswa. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara dan tes esai hasil belajar. Data hasil wawancara dianalisis secara deskriptif kualitatif, sedangkan tes esai hasil belajar dianalisis secara deskriptif kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan model pembelajaran Think Pair Share (TPS) efektif dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar siswa. Hal ini dilihat dari rata-rata pretest sebesar 34,06% mengalami peningkatan pada posttest sebesar 83,13 % dengan rata-rata peningkatann pretest ke posttest sebesar 49,06 %, dan ketuntasan klasikal hasil belajar sebesar 87,50% begitu juga dengan penerapan model pembelajaran Think Pair Share (TPS) aktivitas belajar siswa dapat ditingkatkan

Analysis and modelling of motility of cell populations with MotoCell

Background Cell motility plays a central role in development, wound-healing and tumour invasion. Cultures of eucariotic cells are a complex system where most cells move according to 'random' patterns, but may also be induced to a more coordinate migration by means of specific stimuli, such as the presence of chemical attractants or the introduction of a mechanical stimulus. Various tools have been developed that work by keeping track of the paths followed by specific objects and by performing statistical analysis on the recorded path data. The available tools include desktop applications or macros running within a commercial package, which address specific aspects of the process. Results An online application, MotoCell, was developed to evaluate the motility of cell populations maintained in various experimental conditions. Statistical analysis of cell behaviour consists of the evaluation of descriptive parameters such as average speed and angle, directional persistence, path vector length, calculated for the whole population as well as for each cell and for each step of the migration; in this way the behaviour of a whole cell population may be assessed as a whole or as a sum of individual entities. The directional movement of objects may be studied by eliminating the modulo effect in circular statistics analysis, able to evaluate linear dispersion coefficient (R) and angular dispersion (S) values together with average angles. A case study is provided where the system is used to characterize motility of RasV12 transformed NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Conclusion Here we describe a comprehensive tool which takes care of all steps in cell motility analysis, including interactive cell tracking, path editing and statistical analysis of cell movement, all within a freely available online service. Although based on a standard web interface, the program is very fast and interactive and is immediately available to a large number of users, while exploiting the web approach in a very effective way. The ability to evaluate the behaviour of single cells allows to draw the attention on specific correlations, such as linearity of movement and deviation from the expected direction. In addition to population statistics, the analysis of single cells allows to group the cells into subpopulations, or even to evaluate the behaviour of each cell with respect to a variable reference, such as the direction of a wound or the position of the closest cell

Ras activated ERK and PI3K pathways differentially affect directional movement of cultured fibroblasts.

Background: Cell migration is essential in physiological and pathological processes, such as wound healing and metastasis formation. Ras involvement in these processes has been extensively demonstrated. This work attempts to characterize Ras regulation of the phenomena determining directional cell migration by separately analyzing the role of its principal effector pathways, MAPK and PI3K. Methods: NIH3T3 and NIHRasV12 fibroblasts were followed in wound healing assays to study, in time and under a directional stimulus, cell migration both under standard conditions and in presence of MAPK and PI3K inhibitors. Several parameters, descriptive of specific aspects of cell motion, were evaluated by coupling dynamic microscopy with quantitative and statistical methods. Quantitative Western Blots coupled with immunofluorescence stainings, were used to evaluate ERK activation. Results: Constitutive RasV12 activation confers to NIH3T3 the ability to close the wound faster. Neither increased cell proliferation nor higher speed explains the accelerated healing, but the increased directional migration drives the wound closure. Inhibition of ERK activation, which occurs immediately after wound, greatly blocks the directional migration, while inhibition of PI3K pathway reduces cell speed but does not prevent wound closure. Conclusion: Ras is greatly involved in determining and regulating directionality, ERK is its key effector for starting, driving and regulating directional movement

PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PROBLEM BASED LEARNING (PBL) DAN COOPERATIVE SCRIPT (CS) TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KRITIS, MOTIVASI DAN HASIL BELAJAR MAHASISWA PADA MATA KULIAH ANATOMI FISIOLOGI MANUSIA DI UNIVERSITAS KATOLIK WIDYA MANDIRA KUPANG TAHUN AKADEMIK 2016/2017

Abstrak: Permasalahan yang dihadapi dalam dunia pendidikan saat ini adalah rendahnya hasil belajar peserta didik. Berbagai penelitian telah dilakukan pada bebagai jenjang pendidikan untuk mengatasi hasil belajar yang rendah melalui penerapan berbagai model pembelajaran dan terbukti bahwa penerapan berbagai model pembelajaran tersebut dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar peserta didik. Penelitian ini merupakan eksperimen semu (quasy eksperimental design). Rancangan penelitian ini menggunakan nonequivalent control group design. Ada pengaruh model pembelajaran Problem Based Learning (PBL) dan Cooperative Script (CS) terhadap keterampilan berpikir kritis dan hasil belajar mahasiswa pada mata kuliah anatomi fisiologi manusia di Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira Kupang Tahun Akademik 2016/2017. Tidak ada pengaruh model pembelajaran Problem Based Learning (PBL) dan Cooperative Script (CS) terhadap motivasi mahasiswa pada mata kuliah anatomi fisiologi manusia di Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira Kupang Tahun Akademik 2016/2017 Kata Kunci: PBL, CS, keterampilan berpikir kiritis, motivasi, hasil belaja

Bioactive Compounds in Goat Milk and Cheese: The Role of Feeding System and Breed

This chapter provides an introductory overview of some bioactive compounds in goat milk, presenting a selection of key results from literature. The aim of the chapter is to review the effects of the feeding system and of the breed on goat milk and cheese fine quality in order to identify management options aimed at improving the nutraceutical characteristics of milk and dairy products. We will discuss a series of case studies focused on the assessment of the effects of feeding system and breed and their interaction on specific health-promoting bioactive compounds: (i) fatty acid (FA) profile, (ii) antioxidant compounds and (iii) oligosaccharides (OS). Experimental data will be discussed highlighting the potential role of local Mediterranean breeds for the production of functional dairy products