Saccadic Suppression of Retinotopically Localized Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Responses in Human Primary Visual Area V1

Saccadic eye movements are responsible for bringing relevant parts of the visual field onto the fovea for detailed analysis. Because the retina is physiologically unable to deliver sharp images at very high transsaccadic speeds, the visual system minimizes the repercussion of the blurry images we would otherwise perceive during transsaccadic vision by reducing general visual sensitivity and increasing the detection threshold for visual stimuli. Ruling out a pure retinal origin, the effects of saccadic suppression can be already observed some 75 ms before the onset of a saccadic eye movement and are maximal at the onset of motion. The perception of a briefly presented stimulus immediately before the onset of any retinal motion is thus impaired despite the fact that this stimulus is projected onto the stationary retina and is, therefore, physically identical to that presented when no saccadic programming is in course. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging event-related study, we flashed Gabor patches at different times before the onset of a horizontal saccade and measured blood oxygen level-dependent responses at their encoding regions in primary visual cortex (V1) while subjects judged the relative orientation of the stimuli. Closely matching the significant reduction in behavioral performance, the amplitude of the responses in V1 consistently decreased as the stimuli were presented closer to the saccadic onset. These results demonstrate that the neural processes underlying saccade programming transiently modulate cortical responses to briefly presented visual stimuli in areas as early a V1, providing additional evidence for the existence of an active saccadic suppression mechanism in humans

Proceso monitorio europeo: la revisión de un requerimiento de pago ejecutivo no procede cuando se basa en circunstancias que el demandado pudo haber tenido en cuenta para presentar un escrito de oposición = European order for payment procedure: review of an enforceable order for payment is not admissible when based on grounds that the defendant might have taken into account in order to lodge a statement of opposition

Resumen: La STJUE de 22 de octubre de 2015 declara que, en el marco de un proceso monitorio europeo, el demandado que, con base en la existencia de un pacto de sumisión expresa, desea impugnar la competencia del tribunal tiene la carga de presentar un escrito de oposición del art. 16 del Reglamento 1896/2006; y, si no lo presenta, una vez que el requerimiento de pago se haya hecho ejecutivo, no podrá hacer valer esa misma alegación como motivo de una solicitud de revisión del art. 20.2 del mismo Reglamento. De esta interpretación, cabe concluir que la falta de presentación del escrito de oposición tiene graves consecuencias preclusivas para quien ha sido demandado en un proceso monitorio europeo.Palabras clave: proceso monitorio europeo, oposición, revisión.Abstract: ECJ Judgment of 22 October 2015 rules that, in the context of a European order for payment procedure, a defendant willing to contest jurisdiction on grounds of an agreement conferring jurisdiction to another Member State shall lodge a statement of opposition under article 16 of Regulation 1896/2006; and, if he or she fails to do so, once the European order for payment has become enforceable, no review of the order will be granted on the very same grounds under article 20.2 of Regulation 1896/2006. This interpretation may lead to the conclusion that failure to lodge a statement of opposition shall have devastating preclusive consequences for a defendant within a European order for payment procedure.Keywords: European order for payment, opposition, revie

No procedural limits for consumers challenging unfair contract terms? (C-869/19, C-600/19 and C-693/19 & C-831/19)

Depto. de Derecho Procesal y Derecho PenalFac. de DerechoFALSEpu

"In vitro" study of inflammatory response induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis

[Resumen]: La artritis reumatoide (AR) es uno de los trastornos autoinmunes más comunes. Se muestra como una enfermedad crónica, caracterizada por la inflamación del tejido sinovial de las articulaciones, siendo capaz de provocar daños articulares a largo plazo acompañados de dolor. Se puede desencadenar por factores genéticos, epigenéticos o ambientales, teniendo gran influencia el incremento de estrés oxidativo y el propio envejecimiento. Con este trabajo se busca profundizar en el desarrollo de la respuesta inmune que caracteriza la artritis reumatoide, por lo que se empleó la línea celular THP-1 monocítica. Esta es una línea de monocitos de leucemia humana con la que se pueden observar las funciones de los monocitos/macrófagos in vitro. Con este fin, se diferenciaron las células THP-1 a macrófagos a través del inductor forbol-12- miristato-13-acetato (PMA). Posteriormente, se comprobó la eficacia del lipopolisacárido bacteriano (LPS) sobre la inducción de la respuesta inflamatoria, utilizándolo como control positivo del estudio piloto. Para ello, se cuantificaron mediante expresión génica los mediadores inflamatorios que forman parte del inflamasoma (NLRP3, Caspasa-1 e IL-1β) así como la citoquina IL-8, a través de la PCR a tiempo real. También se determinó la posible capacidad de regulación de la respuesta inflamatoria que tiene el resveratrol, un compuesto antiinflamatorio natural.[Resumo]: A artrite reumatoide (AR) é un dos trastornos autoinmunes máis comúns. Móstrase como unha enfermidade crónica, caracterizada pola inflamación do tecido sinovial das articulacións, sendo capaz de provocar danos articulares a longo prazo acompañados de dor. Pódese desencadear por factores xenéticos, epixenéticos ou ambientais, tendo gran influencia o incremento do estrés oxidativo e o propio envellecemento. Con este traballo búscase profundar no desenvolvemento da resposta inmune que caracteriza a artrite reumatoide, polo que se empregou a liña celular THP-1 monocítica. Esta é unha liña de monocitos de leucemia humana coa que se poden observar as funcións dos monocitos/ macrófagos in vitro. Con esta finalidade, diferenciáronse as células THP-1 a macrófagos a través do indutor forbol-12- miristato-13- acetato (PMA). Posteriormente, comprobouse a eficacia do lipopolisacárido bacteriano (LPS) sobre a indución da resposta inflamatoria, utilizándoo como control positivo do estudo piloto. Para iso, cuantificáronse mediante expresión xénica os mediadores inflamatorios que forman parte do inflamasoma (NLRP3, Caspasa-1 e IL-1β) así como a citoquina IL-8, a través da PCR a tempo real. Tamén se determinou a posible capacidade de regulación da resposta inflamatoria que ten o resveratrol, un composto antiinflamatorio natural.[Abstract]: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune disorders. It is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the synovial tissue of the joints, capable of causing long-term joint damage accompanied by pain. It can be triggered by genetic, epigenetic or environmental factors, being the increase of oxidative stress and ageing itself a great influence. In this work, we seek to deepen in the development of the immune response that characterizes rheumatoid arthritis, so the monocytic THP-1 cell line was used. This is a human leukemia monocyte line with which the functions of monocytes/macrophages can be observed in vitro. To this end, THP-1 cells were differentiated to macrophages via the inducer phorbol-12- myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Subsequently, the efficacy of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the induction of the inflammatory response was tested by using it as a positive control in the pilot study. For this purpose, the inflammatory mediators that are part of the inflammasome (NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β) as well as the cytokine IL-8 were quantified by gene expression through real-time PCR. The possible capacity of resveratrol, a natural anti-inflammatory compound, to regulate the inflammatory response was also determined.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.CIE). Bioloxía. Curso 2021/202

Effects of nonspatial selective and divided visual attention on fMRI BOLD responses

Using an uncertainty paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we studied the effect of nonspatial selective and divided visual attention on the activity of specific areas of human extrastriate visual cortex. The stimuli were single ovals that differed from an implicit standard oval in either colour or width. The subjects’ task was to classify the current stimulus as one of two possible alternatives per stimulus dimension. Three different experimental conditions were conducted: “colour-certainty”, “shape-certainty” and “uncertainty”. In all experimental conditions, the stimulus differed in only one stimulus dimension per trial. In the two certainty conditions, the subjects knew in advance which dimension this would be. During the uncertainty condition they had no such previous knowledge and had to monitor both dimensions simultaneously. Statistical analysis of the fMRI data (with SPM2) revealed a modest effect of the attended stimulus dimension on the neural activity in colour sensitive area V4 (more activity during attention to colour) and in shape sensitive area LOC (more activity during attention to shape). Furthermore, cortical areas known to be related to attention and working memory processes (e.g., lateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex) exhibit higher activity during the condition of divided attention (“uncertainty”) than during that of selective attention (“certainty”)

Improving our practice as mathematics teacher educators through teaching research

Four mathematics teacher educators from a large, minority-serving university formed a teaching research group in Fall 2016. The goal for this project is to establish a repeated cycle of improving our mathematics content course for pre-service teachers and to contribute a shared knowledge base which rests on foundation of well-defined learning goals in mathematics courses for elementary pre-service teachers. Guide by the continuous improvement framework (Berk & Hiebert, 2009), we utilized a data-driven approach to improving teaching, as well as embedding a discussion of classroom implementation into an investigation of an innovation (or, in our case, a mathematical task). In this paper, we present an example of iterative task design for the topic of Geometric of Similarity, we hope to share this as a model of professional development for mathematics teacher educators that highlights the benefits to our students and to ourselves