Emergence of visually-evoked reward expectation signals in dopamine neurons via the superior colliculus in V1 lesioned monkeys

Responses of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons reflecting expected reward from sensory cues are critical for reward-based associative learning. However, critical pathways by which reward-related visual information is relayed to DA neurons remain unclear. To address this question, we investigated Pavlovian conditioning in macaque monkeys with unilateral primary visual cortex (V1) lesions (an animal model of 'blindsight'). Anticipatory licking responses to obtain juice drops were elicited in response to visual conditioned stimuli (CS) in the affected visual field. Subsequent pharmacological inactivation of the superior colliculus (SC) suppressed the anticipatory licking. Concurrent single unit recordings indicated that DA responses reflecting the reward expectation could be recorded in the absence of V1, and that these responses were also suppressed by SC inactivation. These results indicate that the subcortical visual circuit can relay reward-predicting visual information to DA neurons and integrity of the SC is necessary for visually-elicited classically conditioned responses after V1 lesion

Sistem Pengisi dan Pengatur Tekanan Udara Ban Mobil secara Otomatis dengan Mikrokontroler

Sometimes to fill a tire with a air pump were made us tired. Not even to fill it up but we must check it up the tire pressure. The process of air pressure filling and control device for car tire automatically using microcontroller is the way of solution to every people to check up the tire easily. The systems can be measure maximum pressure until 50 psi then the system can be check for every change of voltage level to prove there is any leakage of tire. This system can help us more better to know our tire condition easily

Desenvolvimento de um dispositivo de administração de insulina para crianças diabéticas

Este projeto visou o desenvolvimento de um dispositivo deadministração de insulina para crianças diabéticas que permitisse aumentar aqualidade de vida do doente através de um produto discreto e inovador. Assim,foi estudado o histórico da doença, identificado os dispositivos existentes nomercado, levantadas as novas tecnologias no tratamento da doença e asnecessidades do utilizador. O fator motivador para o desenvolvimento desteprojeto foi dado pela inexistência de um dispositivo de administração de insulinaexclusivo para crianças e adolescentes diabéticos. O conceito do dispositivo foibaseado em uma órtese umbilical, tornando o dispositivo imperceptível no corpodo diabético em sua vida diária. Além disso, aplicação tecnológica do dispositivopermite a conexão dos dados referentes a administração de insulina viabluetooth com medidores de glicemia, telemóveis, smartphones e tablets

Estimasi Nilai Lingkungan Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit Ditinjau dari Neraca Air Tanaman Kelapa Sawit (Studi Kasus: Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit di Kecamatan Dayun, Kabupaten Siak, Propinsi Riau)the Estimation Of Oil Palm Plantation ...

Dayun area is one of the centers of oil palm plantation in Siak Regency. State-owned company that develops oil palm plantation in Dayun is PT Perkebunan Nusantara V (PTPN V) which is the first company developing oil palm plantation in Siak Regency. The oil palm plantations cause various effects to the environment; one of them is the decreasing water availability for the water stakeholders. The decreasing water availability causes additional cost to the community. The objectives of this study were to determine the decreasing of water availability which was caused by oil palm plantation, and its cost to meet the needs of water. The study used water balance model by Thornwhite 1957 and Willingness to Pays (WTP) analysis using questionaire of Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) in Sawit Permai, Dayun Subdistrict, Siak Regency. The land cover, before and after, affects the water balance which impacts the water availability in Dayun. The decreasing water availability was comparable with the increasing water demand in oil palm plantation, equal to 67 mm/year. Oil palm plantation had greater runoff than that of forest. The need of water in oil palm plantation in Dayun was 42.728 liters/ha/day, with the daily need of a single palm tree equal to 0,012 m3/s. Based on the analysis of debt estimation, there is debt decreasing which indicates the decreasing water availability in Dayun, around 349 m3/s yearly. The estimated value of the environment for oil palm plantation by water resources consumption based on the difference of forest and oil palm plantation during the dry season (JJA) is equal to Rp 7.500.000. Average WTP for the water conservation program is Rp 26.400, with WTP maximum and minimum up to Rp 45.000 and Rp 5.000, respectively. The economic value of water conservation program is Rp 18.850.000/month.Dayun area is one of the centers of oil palm plantation in Siak Regency. State-owned company that develops oil palm plantation in Dayun is PT Perkebunan Nusantara V (PTPN V) which is the first company developing oil palm plantation in Siak Regency. The oil palm plantations cause various effects to the environment; one of them is the decreasing water availability for the water stakeholders. The decreasing water availability causes additional cost to the community. The objectives of this study were to determine the decreasing of water availability which was caused by oil palm plantation, and its cost to meet the needs of water. The study used water balance model by Thornwhite 1957 and Willingness to Pays (WTP) analysis using questionaire of Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) in Sawit Permai, Dayun Subdistrict, Siak Regency. The land cover, before and after, affects the water balance which impacts the water availability in Dayun. The decreasing water availability was comparable with the increasing water demand in oil palm plantation, equal to 67 mm/year. Oil palm plantation had greater runoff than that of forest. The need of water in oil palm plantation in Dayun was 42.728 liters/ha/day, with the daily need of a single palm tree equal to 0,012 m3/s. Based on the analysis of debt estimation, there is debt decreasing which indicates the decreasing water availability in Dayun, around 349 m3/s yearly. The estimated value of the environment for oil palm plantation by water resources consumption based on the difference of forest and oil palm plantation during the dry season (JJA) is equal to Rp 7.500.000. Average WTP for the water conservation program is Rp 26.400, with WTP maximum and minimum up to Rp 45.000 and Rp 5.000, respectively. The economic value of water conservation program is Rp 18.850.000/month

Development of a flexible pressure sensor for measurement of endotension

An aneurysm is a bulge in a weakened portion of a blood vessel wall much like the bulge that results from over-inflating an inner tube. If left untreated, it may burst or rupture causing shock and/or death due to massive blood loss. Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is one of the treatments available for aortic aneurysms but, in spite of major advances in the operating techniques, complications still occur and lifelong surveillance is recommended. Current surveillance protocols are based on medical imaging exams that besides being expensive are time consuming. After a brief introduction to EVAR and its complications, this paper reviews post-EVAR surveillance protocols and the current devices to measure endotension. Finally, are introduced two new concepts for a flexible pressure sensor with passive telemetry.The first author wishes to thank FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, in Portugal, for the financial support provided by the grant SFRH/BD/42967/2008.This work is supported by FCT under the project MIT-Pt/EDAM-EMD/0007/2008

Pemberdayaan Guru-guru SD melalui Pembimbingan Penulisan Proposal Pips (Ptk)

Pengembangan inovasi pembelajaran di sekolah, yang selanjutnya disingkat PIPS atau yang biasa disebut dengan istilah penelitian tindakan kelas (PTK) adalah suatu program pengembangan inovasi pembelajaran yang ditujukan untuk mengenali masalah pembelajaran, menemukan pemecahan masalah pembelajaran yang aktual dengan mengembangkan inovasi pembelajaran dalam konteks per sekolahan. Inovasi dapat berupa rekayasa, pengembangan baru, modifikasi, penggabungan, dan/atau penyesuaian komponen pembelajaran dengan kondisi setempat. Dalam kaitannya dengan masalah-masalah yang muncul dalam pembelajaran, maka guru dituntut memiliki kompetensi mengidentifikasi masalah-masalah tersebut, menyusunhipotesis, menentukan langkah-langkah ilmiah pemecahannya untuk menguji hipotesis dan mendapatkan solusi dari masalah tersebut. Langkah-langkah ilmiah tersebut disusun dalam suatu bentuk karya ilmiah yang disebut proposal penelitian. Proposal merupakan panduan bagi peneliti dalam melaksanakan kegiatan penelitian, agar mendapatkan hasil yang empiris, terukur dan dapat dipertanggungjawabkan secara keilmuan. Permasalahan riil yang melatarbelakangi kegiatan ini yaitu belum banyak guru sekolah dasar (SD) yang memiliki keterampilan cukup untuk menyusun sebuah proposal dan laporan penelitian tindakan kelas yang standar. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah (1) memberikan (sharing) pelatihan dan mendampingi guru-guru SD dalam membuat proposal penelitian PIPS secara tepat, dan (2) menambah wawasan dan meningkatkan keterampilan guru-guru SD dalam membuat proposal penelitian PIPS secara tepat. Kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini dilaksanakan untuk guru-guru SD di lingkup UPTD Pendidikan Dasar kecamatan Gubug kabupaten Grobogan. Peserta kegiatan berjumlah 50 guru. Pelaksanaan kegiatan ini dalam bentuk pelatihan dan pendampingan. Pelaksanaan kegiatan pelatihan ini dilakukan beberapa kali, yang dapat memberikan masukan dan manfaat, diantaranya yaitu: (1) guru-guru SD mendapatkan pelatihan dan bimbingan dalam membuat proposal penelitian PIPS secara intensif, dan (2) wawasan dan keterampilan guru-guru SD meningkat dalam membuat proposal penelitian PIPS

Should outbreak response immunization be recommended for measles outbreaks in middle- and low-income countries? An update.

Measles caused mortality in >164,000 children in 2008, with most deaths occurring during outbreaks. Nonetheless, the impact and desirability of conducting measles outbreak response immunization (ORI) in middle- and low-income countries has been controversial. World Health Organization guidelines published in 1999 recommended against ORI in such settings, although recently these guidelines have been reversed for countries with measles mortality reduction goals

Anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and their correlation with lipid profile and nutritional status in adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether levels of autoantibodies to oxidized LDL (anti-oxLDL) in the plasma of adolescents correlates with their anthropometric measurements and lipid profiles. METHODS: The study enrolled 150 adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years, recruited from the obesity clinic at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) (SP) and from public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index and waist and arm circumferences were used to classify the adolescents as having healthy weight, overweight or obesity. Colorimetric enzymatic methods were used for biochemical lipid profile analysis and ELISA was used to determine anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels. RESULTS: Analysis of anthropometric variables indicated that the obese group's profile was abnormal compared to the healthy weight and overweight groups (p < 0.01), indicating cardiovascular risk. Analysis of the lipid profiles demonstrated statistically significant differences in concentrations of total cholesterol (p = 0.011), HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.042) between the healthy weight group and the obese group. Analysis of plasma anti-oxLDL autoantibodies demonstrated that the overweight (p = 0.012) and obese groups (p < 0.001) had higher values than the healthy weight group. There were also correlations between anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels and anthropometric variables. CONCLUSIONS: In adolescents the presence of anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and metabolic changes to the lipid profile vary in proportion with anthropometric parameters, which makes anti-oxLDL concentration a potential biochemical indicator of risk of metabolic syndrome.OBJETIVO: Avaliar se o conteúdo de auto-anticorpos anti-LDL oxidada (anti-LDLox) no plasma de adolescentes correlaciona-se com suas medidas antropométricas e com o perfil lipídico. MÉTODOS: O estudo incluiu 150 adolescentes com idade entre 10 e 15 anos, recrutados do ambulatório de obesidade da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) (SP) e de escolas públicas de Piracicaba (SP). Foram avaliadas medidas antropométricas, como índice de massa corporal, circunferência de cintura e do braço, classificando os adolescentes em eutrófico, sobrepeso e obeso. Para as análises bioquímicas, foi realizado o perfil lipídico através de métodos enzimáticos colorimétricos, e para detecção do conteúdo de auto-anticorpos anti-LDLox, utilizou-se o método de ELISA. RESULTADOS: Segundo análises das variáveis antropométricas, o grupo obeso apresentou perfil alterado em relação aos grupos eutrófico e sobrepeso (p < 0,01), indicando risco cardiovascular. Quando o perfil lipídico foi avaliado, observaram-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas para as concentrações de colesterol total (p = 0,011), HDL-colesterol (p = 0,001) e LDL-colesterol (p < 0,042) nos grupos eutrófico e obeso. Para as análises de auto-anticorpos anti-LDLox plasmática, os grupos sobrepeso (p = 0,012) e obeso (p < 0,001) apresentaram valores superiores ao grupo eutrófico. Também houve correlações entre os auto-anticorpos anti-LDLox e variáveis antropométricas. CONCLUSÃO: A presença de auto-anticorpos anti-LDLox em adolescentes e as alterações metabólicas no perfil lipídico variaram de modo proporcional com parâmetros antropométricos, o que torna o conteúdo de anti-LDLox um potencial indicador bioquímico de risco para síndrome metabólica.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade de São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PediatriaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Centro de Atendimento e Apoio ao AdolescenteUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) CAAAUSP Faculdade de Saúde PúblicaUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaUNIFESP, Centro de Atendimento e Apoio ao AdolescenteUNIFESP, CAAASciEL

Asymptotics of Universal Probability of Neighboring Level Spacings at the Anderson Transition

The nearest-neighbor level spacing distribution is numerically investigated by directly diagonalizing disordered Anderson Hamiltonians for systems of sizes up to 100 x 100 x 100 lattice sites. The scaling behavior of the level statistics is examined for large spacings near the delocalization-localization transition and the correlation length exponent is found. By using high-precision calculations we conjecture a new interpolation of the critical cumulative probability, which has size-independent asymptotic form \ln I(s) \propto -s^{\alpha} with \alpha = 1.0 \pm 0.1.Comment: 5 pages, RevTex, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter