Space and time in the parietal cortex: fMRI Evidence for a meural asymmetry

How are space and time related in the brain? This study contrasts two proposals that make different predictions about the interaction between spatial and temporal magnitudes. Whereas ATOM implies that space and time are symmetrically related, Metaphor Theory claims they are asymmetrically related. Here we investigated whether space and time activate the same neural structures in the inferior parietal cortex (IPC) and whether the activation is symmetric or asymmetric across domains. We measured participants’ neural activity while they made temporal and spatial judgments on the same visual stimuli. The behavioral results replicated earlier observations of a space-time asymmetry: Temporal judgments were more strongly influenced by irrelevant spatial information than vice versa. The BOLD fMRI data indicated that space and time activated overlapping clusters in the IPC and that, consistent with Metaphor Theory, this activation was asymmetric: The shared region of IPC was activated more strongly during temporal judgments than during spatial judgments. We consider three possible interpretations of this neural asymmetry, based on 3 possible functions of IPC

Towards strong inference in research on embodiment – Possibilities and limitations of causal paradigms

A central question in the cognitive sciences is which role embodiment plays for high- level cognitive functions, such as conceptual processing. here, we propose that one reason why progress regarding this question has been slow is a lacking focus on what platt (1964) called “strong inference”. strong inference is possible when results from an experimental paradigm are not merely consistent with a hypothesis, but they provide decisive evidence for one particular hypothesis compared to competing hypotheses. We discuss how causal paradigms, which test the functional relevance of sensory-motor processes for high-level cognitive functions, can move the field forward. in particular, we explore how congenital sensory-motor disorders, acquired sensory-motor deficits, and interference paradigms with healthy participants can be utilized as an opportunity to better understand the role of sensory experience in conceptual processing. Whereas all three approaches can bring about valuable insights, we highlight that the study of congenitally and acquired sensorimotor disorders is particularly effective in the case of conceptual domains with strong unimodal basis (e.g., colors), whereas interference paradigms with healthy participants have a broader application, avoid many of the practical and interpretational limitations of patient studies, and allow a systematic and step-wise progressive inference approach to causal mechanisms

The nature of semantic priming by subliminal spatial words: Embodied or disembodied?

Theories of embodied semantics (ES) suggest that a critical part of understanding what a word means consists of simulating the sensorimotor experience related to the word's referent. Some proponents of ES have suggested that sensorimotor activations are mandatory and highly automatic during semantic processing. Evidence supporting this claim comes from masked priming studies showing that unconsciously perceived spatial words (e.g., up, down) can directly modulate action performance on the basis of their meaning. However, a closer look reveals that such priming effects can be explained also in terms of symbolic (disembodied) semantic priming or nonsemantic mechanisms. In this study we sought to understand whether sensorimotor processing takes place during language understanding outside awareness. We used spatial words as a test bed and across 6 experiments we teased apart the possibility that action priming could be explained by: (a) nonsemantic mechanisms, (b) symbolic semantic priming, or (c) embodied semantic priming. The critical finding is that when symbolic and nonsemantic mechanisms were prevented, allowing only for a genuinely embodied semantic priming, no effect was found. Conversely, facilitation emerged in the same experimental paradigm when embodied priming was prevented and symbolic priming was allowed. Despite extensive testing, we found no evidence that unconsciously perceived words can activate sensorimotor processes, although these words are processed up to the semantic level. We thus conclude that sensorimotor activations might need conscious access to emerge during language understanding. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Urised As An Alternative To Phase-contrast Microscopy In The Differentiation Between Glomerular And Non-glomerular Hematuria

Background: Differentiation between glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria by observation of the erythrocyte morphology using phase-contrast is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure that requires skilled personnel. This paper has the purpose to evaluate the performance of UriSed (also called sediMAX (R) in some countries) as an alternative to the phase-contrast microscopic analysis of erythrocyte morphology. Methods: 312 urine samples with hematuria were analyzed by UriSed and by phase-contrast microscopy. Based on the presence of codocytes and/or acanthocytes, samples were classified as non-glomerular and glomerular. Kappa correlation was used to assess the agreement between both methods. Results: Our data showed excellent agreement between erythrocyte morphology analyzed by both methods (r = 0.974, kappa = 0.9484, p <0.001) with only 8 samples presenting discordant results. Conclusions: UriSed proved to be a precise and accurate alternative to the gold standard phase-contrast microscopy.615/Jun64364

Frequency-based neural discrimination in fast periodic visual stimulation

Humans capitalize on statistical cues to discriminate fundamental units of information within complex streams of sensory input. We sought neural evidence for this phenomenon by combining fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) and EEG recordings. Skilled readers were exposed to sequences of linguistic items with decreasing familiarity, presented at a fast rate and periodically interleaved with oddballs. Crucially, each sequence comprised stimuli of the same category, and the only distinction between base and oddball items was the frequency of occurrence of individual tokens within a stream. Frequency-domain analyses revealed robust neural responses at the oddball presentation rate in all conditions, reflecting the discrimination between two locally-emerged groups of items purely informed by token frequency. Results provide evidence for a fundamental frequency-tuned mechanism that operates under high temporal constraints and could underpin category bootstrapping. Concurrently, they showcase the potential of FPVS for providing a direct neural measure of implicit statistical learning

Field reliability of GaAs emitters for fiber optic telecommunication systems

GaAs based emitters are widely used in telecommunication systems, and will be probably the core of short haul communications, even if a lot of doubts still exist on their reliability and the few available field results are not too optimistic. For these reasons we decided to follow with a particular attention all the problems related to these devices, investigating reliability by means of accelerated tests and of an accurate survey of field troubles. In this paper, we first of all report our field data, coming from more than five years experience, which show that "reasonable" results (in the range of 2000 FITs for LDs), can be obtained with commercially available devices; as a second step, failure analysis allows to localize failures,thus understanding the appropriate corrective actions to be taken. highlighting the specific process report also same For chip related failures, detailed examples are reported, different failure mechanisms, that, when not related to defects, are the same found during accelerated tests; we examples of failures due to interconnections and packaging

Using Virtual Reality to Rehabilitate Neglect

Purpose: Virtual Reality (VR) platforms gained a lot of attention in the rehabilitation field due to their ability to engage patients and the opportunity they offer to use real world scenarios. As neglect is characterized by an impairment in exploring space that greatly affects daily living, VR could be a powerful tool compared to classical paper and pencil tasks and computer training. Nevertheless, available platforms are costly and obstructive. Here we describe a low cost platform for neglect rehabilitation, that using consumer equipments allows the patient to train at home in an intensive fashion. Method: We tested the platform on IB, a chronic neglect patient, who did not benefit from classical rehabilitation. Results: Our results show that IB improved both in terms of neglect and attention. Importantly, these ameliorations lasted at a follow up evaluation 5 months after the last treatment session and generalized to everyday life activities. Conclusions: VR platforms built using equipment technology and following theoretical principles on brain functioning may induce greater ameliorations in visuo-spatial deficits than classical paradigms possibly thanks to the real world scenarios in association with the "visual feedback" of the patient's own body operating in the virtual environmen

Draft genome sequence of streptococcus agalactiae TA B490, a multidrug-resistant strain isolated from bovine mastitis in Argentina

Streptococcus agalactiae is a bovine pathogen that causes intramammary infections. For humans, S. agalactiae is a leading cause of neonatal death and an emerging pathogen in adults. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of S. agalactiae TA B490, a multidrug-resistant strain isolated from bovine mastitis in Argentina.Fil: Cadona, Jimena Soledad. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva. Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Hernandez, Luciana Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva. Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Lorenzo, R.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Bottini, E.. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva. Laboratorio de Microbiología Clínica y Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Bustamante, A.V.. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva. Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Sanso, Andrea Mariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentin

Studying the evolution of large-scale structure with the VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey

The VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS) currently offers a unique combination of depth, angular size and number of measured galaxies among surveys of the distant Universe: ~ 11,000 spectra over 0.5 deg2 to I_{AB}=24 (VVDS-Deep), 35,000 spectra over ~ 7 deg2 to I_{AB}=22.5 (VVDS-Wide). The current ``First Epoch'' data from VVDS-Deep already allow investigations of galaxy clustering and its dependence on galaxy properties to be extended to redshifts ~1.2-1.5, in addition to measuring accurately evolution in the properties of galaxies up to z~4. This paper concentrates on the main results obtained so far on galaxy clustering. Overall, L* galaxies at z~ 1.5 show a correlation length r_0=3.6\pm 0.7. As a consequence, the linear galaxy bias at fixed luminosity rises over the same range from the value b~1 measured locally, to b=1.5 +/- 0.1. The interplay of galaxy and structure evolution in producing this observation is discussed in some detail. Galaxy clustering is found to depend on galaxy luminosity also at z~ 1, but luminous galaxies at this redshift show a significantly steeper small-scale correlation function than their z=0 counterparts. Finally, red galaxies remain more clustered than blue galaxies out to similar redshifts, with a nearly constant relative bias among the two classes, b_{rel}~1.4, despite the rather dramatic evolution of the color-density relation over the same redshift range.Comment: 14 pages. Extended, combined version of two invited review papers presented at: 1) XXVIth Astrophysics Moriond Meeting: "From Dark Halos to Light", March 2006, proc. edited by L.Tresse, S. Maurogordato and J. Tran Thanh Van (Editions Frontieres); 2) Vulcano Workshop 2006 "Frontier Objects in Astrophysics and Particle Physics", May 2006, proc. edited by F. Giovannelli & G. Mannocchi, Italian Physical Society (Editrice Compositori, Bologna

Exposición natural y envejecimiento acelerado de polietilenos para invernaderos, en diferentes condiciones climáticas

p.221-228Se evaluaron las propiedades mecánicas y ópticas de cuatro films de polietileno durante tres años de envejecimiento natural a la intemperie y mil horas de envejecimiento acelerado en laboratorio. Se expusieron en Yavi (Jujuy, Argentina) y se siguieron las normas A.S.T.M. Se correlacionaron los resultados obtenidos a la intemperie con los de envejecimiento acelerado para predecir la vida útil de un plástico, en condiciones climáticas similares, realizando sólo ensayos de laboratorio. Se observó que las propiedades mecánicas alcanzan más rápido las condiciones de envejecimiento y, por lo tanto, son mas relevantes para caracterizar el comportamiento de los mismos. Se analizaron las propiedades en función de la radiación solar y la precipitación acumulada, para independizarse de las variaciones climáticas. En Yavi la duración de los plásticos fue mayor que en Buenos Aires (Capital Federal, Argentina), en el mismo período. Se concluye que aunque la radiación en Yavi es elevada, el menor deterioro de los films probablemente sea por la baja precipitación y ausencia de contaminación