There She Blows: Public Perceptions of Mt. Merapi and Mt. Agung

Since Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the archipelago is repeatedly affected by tsunamis, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Indonesia has the most active volcanoes of any country in the world due to subduction zones between the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates. The last major eruptions were in 2017 (Mt. Agung in Bali) and 2010 (Mt. Merapi in Central Java) which both required thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes. Since volcanoes have such a geological presence in the country, I was interested in investigating how aware the public is of volcanoes and their associated risks. Where and how do they get their information about them? How much of their knowledge is religiously, culturally, a/o scientifically rooted? Furthermore, I wanted to understand the dynamics between communities, government organizations, and academia when it comes to volcano monitoring, disaster mitigation, and rehabilitation efforts. I believe it is important to understand public perceptions of volcanoes because that information can be used to modify disaster mitigation policies and practices. However, the purpose of this study was not to pass personal judgement, but rather gain insight into the various dynamics at play in areas frequently impacted by natural phenomena. Volcanoes have been pivotal in shaping Indonesia’s geological and socio-cultural history from its inception until now

A pilot study of myoelectrically controlled FES of upper extremity

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) of upper limbs can be used for the recovery of some hand functions on patients with CNS lesions. This study deals with the control of FES by means of myoelectrical activity detected from voluntarily activated paretic muscles. The specific aim of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of myoelectrical control in terms of produced force and movement. For this purpose, a specific device called myoelectrical controlled functional electrical stimulator (MeCFES) has been developed and applied to six tetraplegic patients with a spinal cord lesion and one stroke hemiplegic patient. Residual myoelectric signals from the paretic wrist extensor (m. extensor carpi radialis, ECR) have been used to control stimulation of either the wrist extension (i.e., the same muscle) or thumb flexion. A tracking test based on a visual feedback of the produced force or movement compared to a reference target trajectory was used to quantify control accuracy. A comparison was made between the tracking performances of each subject with and without the MeCFES and the learning process for two of the subjects were observed during consecutive sessions. Results showed that the wrist extension was improved in three out of five C5 SCI patients and the thumb flexion was largely increased in one incomplete C3 SCI patient. The hemiplegic patient showed limited thumb control with the MeCFES but indicated the possibility of a carry over effect. It was found that a low residual natural force resulted in a less accurate movement but also with a large increase (up to ten times) of the muscle output. On the contrary, persons with a medium residual force obtained a smaller amplification of muscle force with a higher tracking accurac

Fattori di rischio occupazionale nell’insorgenza di disturbi vocali negli insegnanti

Un terzo della forza lavoro svolge attività professionali in cui la voce è lo strumento principale. La comparsa di disturbi e sintomi di affaticamento vocale tra gli insegnanti è significativamente superiore rispetto alle altre professioni e comporta lunghi periodi di assenza da lavoro, la necessità di interventi riabilitativi, eventuali interventi chirurgici, con conseguenze non soltanto economiche, ma anche professionali, personali e psicoemotive.Lo scopo di questo studio è stato valutare la percezione soggettiva dell’handicap vocale in un campione di 135 insegnanti, suddivisi in modo omogeneo tra docenti della scuola dell’infanzia, primaria e secondaria diprimo grado, evidenziare tra questi i soggetti maggiormente a rischio e individuare le azioni preventive da intraprendere. A tale scopo è stato utilizzato un questionario validato quale il Voice Handicap Index (VHI),composto di 30 domande che esplorano i seguenti item: I) impatto delle problematiche vocali sulle normali attività quotidiane; II) impatto psicologico; III) percezione delle caratteristiche dell’emissione vocale.Il campione esaminato, composto principalmente da donne (91%), si colloca prevalentemente nella fascia con percezione lieve dell’handicap vocale 83%, con un 6% con percezione di alterazione moderata e un 11%con percezione di assenza di alterazioni.I casi di percezione moderata sono stati riscontrati principalmente fra le docenti della scuola dell’infanzia e tra i docenti della scuola secondaria di primo grado, di età compresa tra i 46 e i 64 anni e con più di 20 anni diinsegnamento, caratterizzati da un carico vocale che varia dalle 18 alle 26 ore settimanali, prevalentemente non fumatori che riferiscono un consumo saltuario di alcolici.Riteniamo che il questionario VHI possa rappresentare uno strumento utile al docente per riconoscere e individuare precocemente i disturbi vocali e modificare di conseguenza i comportamenti errati che ne favoriscono l’insorgenza e la cronicizzazione; questo comporta anche che gli insegnanti ricevano una formazione adeguata attraverso l’educazione e l’igiene vocale, che permetta loro di prendere coscienza del problema e adottare comportamenti e tecniche vocali corrette per evitare di ledere l’apparato fonatorio

Étude du comportement en fusion des poudres de coulée continue pour brames d'acier

Mise en situation-enquête et revue de la littérature -- Évaluation des poudres de coulée en usine -- Description des tests en usine -- Analyse des tests en usine -- Évaluation du taux de fusion des poudres en laboratoires -- Description du montage -- Proposition d'une méthode de choix des poudres

Preliminary results on resistance to PPV-M in Prunus persica (L.) Batsch

Preliminary results of trials evaluating peach cultivar resistance to Plum pox virus (PPV) and aphid colonization were obtained. Data after one vegetative cycle since an inoculation assay showed that most of the peach cultivars analyzed were susceptible to PPV-M isolate, used as inoculum source. Also, in our experiments two cultivars, Ambra and Cappucci 18, were found to be tolerant while cultivars Fei Cheng, Harrow Blood, Jing Yu and Rosa Dardi were resistant.Moreover, to evaluate the possible epidemiological impact of the peach cultivars NJ WEEPING and S6699 resistant to aphid colonization, experimental transmissions were carried out. This was done by using a clonal culture of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) as vector and PPV-M isolate as inoculum source under controlled acquisition access period. The results showed that in our conditions aphids were not able to transmitted PPV-M isolate to healthy plants of NJ WEEPING and S6699. Under the same conditions PPV-M was transmitted by aphids from infected to healthy GF305 plants.Keywords: sharka, peach, ELISA, aphid transmission, virus toleranc

Interindividual variability in functional connectivity as long-term correlate of temporal discounting

During intertemporal choice (IT) future outcomes are usually devaluated as a function of the delay, a phenomenon known as temporal discounting (TD). Based on task-evoked activity, previous neuroimaging studies have described several networks associated with TD. However, given its relevance for several disorders, a critical challenge is to define a specific neural marker able to predict TD independently of task execution. To this aim, we used restingstate functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) and measured TD during economic choices several months apart in 25 human subjects.We further explored the relationship between TD, impulsivity and decision uncertainty by collecting standard questionnaires on individual trait/ state differences. Our findings indicate that fcMRI within and between critical nodes of taskevoked neural networks associated with TD correlates with discounting behavior measured a long time afterwards, independently of impulsivity. Importantly, the nodes form an intrinsic circuit that might support all the mechanisms underlying TD, from the representation of subjective value to choice selection through modulatory effects of cognitive control and episodic prospection

Domain-general signals in the cingulo-opercular network for visuospatial attention and episodic memory

We investigated the functional properties of a previously described cingulo-opercular network (CON) putatively involved in cognitive control. Analyses of common fMRI task-evoked activity during perceptual and episodic memory search tasks that differently recruited the dorsal attention (DAN) and default mode network (DMN) established the generality of this network. Regions within the CON (anterior insula/frontal operculum and anterior cingulate/presupplementary cortex) displayed sustained signals during extended periods in which participants searched for behaviorally relevant information in a dynamically changing environment or from episodic memory in the absence of sensory stimulation. The CON was activated during all phases of both tasks, which involved trial initiation, target detection, decision, and response, indicating its consistent involvement in a broad range of cognitive processes. Functional connectivity analyses showed that the CON flexibly linked with the DAN or DMN regions during perceptual or memory search, respectively. Aside from the CON, only a limited number of regions, including the lateral pFC, showed evidence of domain-general sustained activity, although in some cases the common activations may have reflected the functional-anatomical variability of domain-specific regions rather than a true domain generality. These additional regions also showed task-dependent functional connectivity with the DMN and DAN, suggesting that this feature is not a specific marker of cognitive control. Finally, multivariate clustering analyses separated the CON from other frontoparietal regions previously associated with cognitive control, indicating a unique fingerprint. We conclude that the CON's functional properties and interactions with other brain regions support a broad role in cognition, consistent with its characterization as a task control network

Dynamics of EEG rhythms support distinct visual selection mechanisms in parietal cortex: A simultaneous transcranial magnetic stimulation and EEG study

Using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), we have recently shown a functional anatomical distinction in human parietal cortex between regions involved in maintaining attention to a location [ventral intraparietal sulcus (vIPS)] and a region involved in shifting attention between locations [medial superior parietal lobule (mSPL)]. In particular, while rTMS interference over vIPS impaired target discrimination at contralateral attended locations, interference over mSPL affected performance following shifts of attention regardless of the visual field (Capotosto et al., 2013). Here, using rTMS interference in conjunction with EEG recordings of brain rhythms during the presentation of cues that indicate to either shift or maintain spatial attention, we tested whether this functional anatomical segregation involves different mechanisms of rhythm synchronization. The transient inactivation of vIPS reduced the amplitude of the expected parieto-occipital low-alpha (8 - 10 Hz) desynchronization contralateral to the cued location. Conversely, the transient inactivation of mSPL, compared with vIPS, reduced the high-alpha (10 - 12 Hz) desynchronization induced by shifting attention into both visual fields. Furthermore, rTMS induced a frequency-specific delay of task-related modulation of brain rhythms. Specifically, rTMS over vIPS or mSPL during maintenance (stay cues) or shifting (shift cues) of spatial attention, respectively, caused a delay of alpha parieto-occipital desynchronization. Moreover, rTMS over vIPS during stay cues caused a delay of delta (2-4 Hz) frontocentral synchronization. These findings further support the anatomo-functional subdivision of the dorsal attention network in subsystems devoted to shifting or maintaining covert visuospatial attention and indicate that these mechanisms operate in different frequency channels linking frontal to parieto-occipital visual regions

Anatomical segregation of visual selection mechanisms in human parietal cortex

none8siVisual selection requires mechanisms for representing object salience and for shifting the focus of processing to novel objects. It is not clear from computational or neural models whether these operations are performed within the same or different brain regions. Here, we use repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to briefly interfere with neural activity in individually localized regions of human posterior parietal cortex (PPC) that are putatively involved in attending to contralateral locations or shifting attention between locations. Stimulation over right ventral intraparietal sulcus impaired target discrimination at contralateral locations, whereas stimulation over right medial superior parietal lobule impaired target discrimination after a shift of attention regardless of its location. This double dissociation is consistent with neuroimaging studies and indicates that mechanisms of visual selection are partly anatomically segregated in human PPC.mixedCapotosto, Paolo; Tosoni, Annalisa; Spadone, Sara; Sestieri, Carlo; Perrucci, Mauro Gianni; Romani, Gian Luca; Della Penna, Stefania; Corbetta, MaurizioCapotosto, Paolo; Tosoni, Annalisa; Spadone, Sara; Sestieri, Carlo; Perrucci, Mauro Gianni; Romani, Gian Luca; Della Penna, Stefania; Corbetta, Maurizi