Resting frontal asymmetry and reward sensitivity theory motivational traits

The revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (rRST) of personality has conceptualized three main systems: the behavioural approach system (BAS), behavioural inhibition system (BIS), and fightflight- freeze system (FFFS). Research links greater relative left-frontal activity with BAS-related tendencies and impulsivity and greater relative right-frontal activity with “withdrawal” motivation that included both BIS and FFFS. Although rRST has addressed the separation of FFFS and BIS, much of personality neuroscience research does not indicate which system is related to right frontal activity. We administered the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) to measure the BAS and its facets (goal-drive persistence, reward interest, reward reactivity, and impulsivity), BIS, and the withdrawal FFFS. We examined the association of RST-PQ traits with resting electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha-asymmetry in female participants (N = 162) by considering the influence of experimenter’s gender. In the total group, that included two subgroups with experimenters of different gender, BAS-impulsivity was related to greater left- than right-frontal activity, and FFFS, but not BIS, was related to greater relative right-frontocentral activity. These associations remained significant for the subgroup with a young same-sex experimenter, but not with opposite-sex experimenter

Economía alimentaria : trabajos prácticos : guía 2012

111 p. Libro electrónicoLa producción de esta guía de trabajos prácticos surge de la necesidad de contar con material acorde a los contenidos y modalidad de la materia Economía Alimentaria I. En la misma se disponen los temas que se desarrollan en la materia. Cada capítulo se estructura con una introducción teórica y a continuación la guía de actividades con diferentes ejercicios que permitirá una mejor comprensión del ítem desarrollado como así también la ejemplificación de su aplicación en el trabajo profesional. En la confección de los prácticos se contó con la colaboración del Lic. Juan M. Quesada, y en la elaboración del capitulo referido a indicadores de precios alimentarios con la colaboración de la Lic. Luciana Carabelos. Agradecemos a ambos su contribución.1a ed

Analysis of Factors Affecting E-supply Chain Performances

The relevance of supply chain (SC) behaviour is continuously increasing, especially with respect to companies adopting e-commerce strategies. Although the huge number of works on this topic, an integrated approach to design and implement effective electronic supply chain (e-SC) - that is supply chain (SC) in which business actors are connected via Internet technologies - is still not available. In order to contribute towards the definition of an integrated and comprehensive framework for e-SC analysis and design, in this paper factors affecting e-SC performances are investigated, including organization, management and control

Sex moderates the association between the COMT Val158Met single-nucleotide polymorphism and disorderliness facet of novelty seeking

Previous studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the effect of the Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene on personality and cognition. Here, nonclinical Caucasian university students of Italian origin were administered the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, Tellegen Absorption Scale, Differential Attentional Processes Inventory, and Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. We found that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism was significantly associated with the disorderliness facet of novelty seeking (NS4) and that sex was a moderator of this association. Females with the Met/Met genotype showed higher NS4 scores compared to those with the Val/Met and Val/Val genotypes. No significant genotype effect was found for males. Additionally, we failed to find a significant effect of the COMT gene on attention and hypnotic suggestibility measures. These results provide further evidence for a sex-specific influence on the gene-behaviour associations. Polymorphisms in dopamine system genes are reported to play a crucial role in influencing various aspects of plays a crucial role in influencing various aspects of personality traits and cognitive performance; however, previous studies have shown inconsistent results on the involvment of the functional Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. In the present study, nonclinical Caucasian university students of Italian origin were administered the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, Tellegen Absorption Scale, Differential Attentional Processes Inventory, and Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. We found that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism was significantly associated with the disorderliness facet of novelty seeking (NS4) and that sex was a moderator of this association. Females with the Met/Met genotype showed higher NS4 scores compared to those with the Val/Met and Val/Val genotypes. In contrast, no significant genotype effect was found for males. Additionally, we failed to find a significant association of COMT enzyme activity with attention and hypnotic suggestibility measures. These results provide further evidence of a sex-specific influence on the gene-behaviour association

Polymorphonuclear cells and reactive oxygen species in contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: New insight from in vitro investigations

Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, a severe respiratory disorder caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides ( Mmm ). The present study investigated the generation of ROS by different strains of Mmm , as well as their effect on the oxidative response of bovine neutrophils. The production of ROS was indirectly measured using a luminol-based chemiluminescence assay. Our results confirm that Mmm can produce ROS via the metabolism of glycerol, significant differences existing between African and European strains. Mmm was capable of adhering to the external surface of neutrophils. Interestingly, Mmm enhanced the respiratory burst of bovine neutrophils. This activity was particularly pronounced with the African field strain and in presence of glycerol. Taken together, our data argue in favour of a major role for neutrophils as the main source of ROS in contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

Plasma levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 during a course of experimental contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by <it>Mycoplasma mycoides </it>subsp. <it>mycoides</it>, is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. The current live vaccine T1/44 has limited efficacy and occasionally leads to severe side effects in the animals. A better understanding of the immune responses triggered by <it>Mycoplasma mycoides </it>subsp. <it>mycoides </it>and their role in disease progression will help to facilitate the design of a rational vaccine. Currently, knowledge of cytokines involved in immunity and immunopathology in CBPP is rather limited. The aim of this study was to characterize the <it>in vivo </it>plasma concentrations of the cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 and the overall role of CD4⁺T cells in the development of cytokine levels during a primary infection. Plasma cytokine concentrations in two groups of cattle (CD4⁺T cell-depleted and non-depleted cattle) experimentally infected with <it>Mycoplasma mycoides </it>subsp. <it>mycoides </it>were measured and their relationship to the clinical outcomes was investigated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plasma cytokine concentrations varied between animals in each group. Depletion of CD4⁺T cells did not induce significant changes in plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10, suggesting a minor role of CD4⁺T cells in regulation or production of the three cytokines during the time window of depletion (1-2 weeks post depletion). Unexpectedly, the IFN-γ concentrations were slightly, but statistically significantly higher in the depleted group (p < 0.05) between week three and four post infection. Three CD4⁺T cell-depleted animals that experienced severe disease, had high levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Only one severely diseased non-depleted animal showed a high serum concentration of IL-4 post infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Comparison of most severely diseased animals, which had to be euthanized prior to the expected date, versus less severe diseased animals, irrespective of the depletion status, suggested that high TNF-α levels are correlated with more severe pathology in concomitance with high IFN-γ levels.</p

Clinical, pathological and microbiological profiles of spontaneous enteropathies in growing rabbits

[EN] In a rabbit production facility, health monitoring for enteropathies was performed in 15 production cycles for 20 mo. For each cycle, up to a hundred 35 d old rabbits weaned the same day were randomly selected, reared in the same fattening unit, but separately from the source batch and fed with the same feed except for antimicrobial supplementation. Clinical symptoms and enteric lesions of the selected group were recorded, using two checklists with binomial response (yes/no answer to a list of 54 clinical and enteric variables). The day after weaning, one week later, at the beginning of the enteric symptoms and 4-5 d after the start of the symptoms, inocula from the small intestine and caecum of selected animals were subjected to microbiological, C. spiroforme, Eimeria oocyst and rotavirus antigen detection tests. Representative samples of E. coli and C. perfringens isolates were tested, respectively, for serotype, biotype, eae, afr/2 genes and for a, b1, b2, e, i and enterotoxin toxin genes. The answers to the clinical-pathological variables were subjected to statistical analysis with a cluster analysis programme in order to obtain homogeneous, statistically significant groups of diseased animals (clusters). Then, the clusters were statistically associated with the laboratory outcomes. The cluster to which the enterotyphlitis lesions significantly contributed was associated with E. coli detection, E. coli O103 serotype detection and C. spiroforme ("several elements" variable). C. spiroforme ("rare elements" variable) was significantly associated with a cluster, characterised by a pathological profile consisting of bloating/rumbling noise and liquid content in stomach and caecum, without enteric inflammation. C. perfringens was significantly associated with a cluster, characterised by a pathological profile consisting of dilation/liquid content of small intestine, caecal impaction and mucoid content in the colon. Eighteen out of twenty-fi ve C. perfringens strains, examined for their toxin genotypes, proved to be toxin type A, while 7 out of 25 strains showed the a and b2 toxin genes in combination. The rotavirus antigen and Eimeria oocysts were detected from healthy rabbits (specimens of the day after weaning and one week later) in about 15% of specimens examined, but their presence in the sick animals was not significantly associated with any cluster.This study was supported by a financial contribution from Avitalia, Unione Nazionale Associazioni di Produttori Avicunicoli, Forlì, Italy, as part of the programme entitled “Miglioramento della qualità, della gestione dell’offerta delle produzioni cunicole e di rafforzamento dei rapporti di filiera. Azione 4.3”. Our thanks go to breeder Leta Covelli and Dasco srl for supplying the rabbits, to our colleague Romolo Salini and to Fabrizio Agnoletti of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Veneto, Trevise, ItalyBadagliacca, P.; Letizia, A.; Candeloro, L.; Di Provvido, A.; Di Gennaro, A.; Scattolini, S.; Pompei, G.... (2010). Clinical, pathological and microbiological profiles of spontaneous enteropathies in growing rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 18(4):187-198. doi:10.4995/wrs.2010.77518719818