Gyrification, cortical and subcortical morphometry in neurofibromatosis type 1: an uneven profile of developmental abnormalities.

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a monogenic disorder associated with cognitive impairments. In order to understand how mutations in the NF1 gene impact brain structure it is essential to characterize in detail the brain structural abnormalities in patients with NF1. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings and have focused only on volumetric measurements. Here, we investigated the volumes of subcortical structures and the composite dimensions of the cortex through analysis of cortical volume, cortical thickness, cortical surface area and gyrification. Methods: We studied 14 children with NF1 and 14 typically developing children matched for age, gender, IQ and right/left-handedness. Regional subcortical volumes and cortical gyral measurements were obtained using the FreeSurfer software. Between-group differences were evaluated while controlling for the increase in total intracranial volume observed in NF1. Results: Subcortical analysis revealed disproportionately larger thalami, right caudate and middle corpus callosum in patients with NF1. Cortical analyses on volume, thickness and surface area were however not indicative of significant alterations in patients. Interestingly, patients with NF1 had significantly lower gyrification indices than typically developing children primarily in the frontal and temporal lobes, but also affecting the insula, cingulate cortex, parietal and occipital regions. Conclusions: The neuroanatomic abnormalities observed were localized to specific brain regions, indicating that particular areas might constitute selective targets for NF1 gene mutations. Furthermore, the lower gyrification indices were accompanied by a disproportionate increase in brain size without the corresponding increase in folding in patients with NF1. Taken together these findings suggest that specific neurodevelopmental processes, such as gyrification, are more vulnerable to NF1 dysfunction than others. The identified changes in brain organization are consistent with the patterns of cognitive dysfunction in the NF1 phenotype. © 2013 Violante et al

Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy of the Thoracic Spine in Combination with Stretch and Strengthening Exercises, in Improving Postural Kyphosis in Woman

Abstract: Purpose: This study serves to determine the effectiveness of either chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine or stretch and strengthening exercises (stretching the pectoralis major muscle and strengthening the rhomboid, middle and inferior trapezius muscles) versus the combined treatment of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine in conjunction with stretch and strengthening exercises. Method: A randomised study design with thirty female participants between the ages of twenty and thirty nine was selected. Group 1 (n= 10) received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine. Group 2 (n = 10) received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine as well as stretch and strengthening exercises i.e. stretching the pectoralis major muscles and strengthening the rhomboid, middle and inferior trapezius muscles. Group 3 (n = 10) received stretch and strengthening exercises. The stretch and strengthening exercises were performed in the consultation rooms to ensure that the participants were complying with the treatment and doing the exercises properly. The study consisted of seven consultations for group 1 (they received treatment once a week for six weeks) and for groups 2 and 3 there were nineteen consultations (they received three treatments a week for six weeks). Objective data was recorded at the beginning of the first, fourth and seventh consultations for group 1, and the first, tenth and nineteenth consultations for groups 2 and 3. On the seventh consultation (for group 1) and nineteenth consultation for groups 2 and 3, only data collection was done. Objective data were obtained by using the Flexicurve® Ruler measurements for the angle of kyphosis. Visual analysis was done by taking lateral (sagittal) view photographs at the beginning of the initial and final consultations..

Suscetibilidade a inseticidas e parasitismo natural por Trichogramma sp. em Traça-do-tomateiro.

A traça-do-tomateiro é uma praga importante do tomate e inseticidas são freqüentemente empregados para o seu controle. Porém, devido ao impacto ambiental e a possibilidade de resistência aos produtos utilizados para o controle do inseto, o controle biológico com o uso de Trichogramma pode ser uma alternativa para eliminar os dois problemas. Neste trabalho foi avaliada em bioensaios de laboratório a eficiência da dose recomendada de inseticidas do grupo químico dos organofosforados, piretróides e benzoiluréia para o controle da traça-do-tomateiro. Foi também avaliada a ocorrência natural de Trichogramma sp. em áreas pulverizadas ou não pulverizadas com inseticidas. A ocorrência do parasitismo natural foi determinada por meio da coleta de folhas em campo contendo ovos de traça-do-tomateiro, a fim de determinar, em avaliações de laboratório, a percentagem de ovos parasitados. Os resultados mostraram que todos os inseticidas testados causaram uma mortalidade de larvas menor que 70%, o que sugere uma eficiência reduzida dos produtos. O parasitóide Trichogramma sp. ocorreu naturalmente em todas as áreas, mas a percentagem de parasitismo foi menor nas áreas pulverizadas. Outros estudos devem ser realizados a fim de avaliar o potencial dos parasitóides locais, provavelmente mais bem adaptados as condições locais, para o controle da traça-do-tomateiro. Se esses organismos forem efetivos, o uso de inseticidas em lavouras de tomate pode ser reduzido.bitstream/CNPH-2009/33237/1/bpd_28.pd

Visual Cortex Plasticity Following Peripheral Damage To The Visual System: fMRI Evidence

Over the last two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a powerful research method to investigate cortical visual plasticity. Abnormal fMRI response patterns have been occasionally detected in the visually deprived cortex of patients with bilateral retinal diseases. Controversy remains whether these observations indicate structural reorganization of the visual cortex or unmasking of previously silent cortico-cortical connections. In optic nerve diseases, there is weak evidence showing that early visual cortex seems to lack reorganization, while higher-order visual areas undergo plastic changes which may contribute to optimise visual function. There is however accumulating imaging evidence demonstrating trans-synaptic degeneration of the visual cortex in patients with disease of the anterior visual pathways. This may preclude the use of restorative treatments in these patients. Here, we review and update the body of fMRI evidence on visual cortical plasticity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo de caso no sector agrícola em Angola: prática contabilística aplicável e proposta para a sua melhoria

Mestrado APNORAs últimas décadas aparecem grandemente marcadas pelo fenómeno da internacionalização e crescente globalização da economia. Nesta circunstância, a atuação das empresas multinacionais, a progressiva interdependência política, económica e financeira entre os diferentes países, o crescimento dos mercados financeiros internacionais e a evolução de informação e comunicação ampliaram o âmbito de atuação dos diferentes agentes económicos e consequentemente das necessidades de informação financeira. Neste estudo pretende-se analisar o normativo contabilístico vigente em Angola, face ao referencial contabilístico internacional, com particular enfoque no normativo aplicável ao setor agrícola, com o objetivo de analisar a sua capacidade, e em que medida, para dar resposta às necessidades informativas das entidades do setor agrícola angolano num mercado global. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade do normativo angolano se adaptar para responder às exigências de setores específicos, designadamente o setor agrícola. A falta de resposta do normativo tem-se traduzido em dificuldades acrescidas para profissionais e demais stakeholders e na adoção de práticas discricionárias e contrárias à natureza dos próprios ativos, com os consequentes efeitos ao nível da informação financeira.The last decades are markedly marked by the phenomenon of internationalization and the increasing globalization of the economy. In this circumstance, the performance of multinational companies, the progressive political, economic and financial interdependence between the different countries, the growth of the international financial markets and the evolution of information and communication have broadened the scope of action of the different economic agents and consequently the information needs financial management. This study intends to analyze the current accounting standards in Angola, in relation to the international accounting framework, with a particular focus on the regulation applicable to the agricultural sector, with the objective of analyzing their capacity and, to what extent, to respond to the information needs of Angola´s agricultural sector in a global market. The results point to the need for Angolan legislation to adapt to meet the requirements of specific sectors, namely the agricultural sector. The lack of response of the regulation has resulted in increased difficulties for professionals and other stakeholders and in the adoption of discretionary practices and contrary to the nature of the assets themselves, with the consequent effects on the financial information.Las últimas décadas estan muy marcadas por el fenómeno de la internacionalización y crescient globalización de la economia. En esta circunstancia, la actuación de las empresas multinacionales, la progressiva interdependencia política, económica y financiera que existe entre los diferentes países, el crecimento de los mercados financieros internacionales y la evolución de la información y de la comunicación han ampliado el ámbito de actuación de los diferentes agentes económicos y consecuentemente de las necesidades de infomación financiera. En este estudio se pretende analizar el normativo contable vigente en Angola, frente al referencial contable internacional, con particular enfoque en la normativa aplicable al sector agrícola, con el objetivo de analizar su capacidad, y en qué medida lo hace, para dar respuesta a las necesidades informativas de las entidades del sector agrícola angoleño en un mercado global. Los resultados apuntan a la necesidad del normativo angoleño ter de se adaptar a las exigencias de sectores específicos, en particular el sector agrícola. La falta de respuesta de la normativa se há traducido en mayores dificultades para profesionales y demás stakeholders y en la adopción de prácticas discrecionales y contrarias a la naturaleza de los propios activos, con los consecuentes efectos a nivel de la información financiera

Integration of touch attention mechanisms to improve the robotic haptic exploration of surfaces

This text presents the integration of touch attention mechanisms to improve the efficiency of the action-perception loop, typically involved in active haptic exploration tasks of surfaces by robotic hands. The progressive inference of regions of the workspace that should be probed by the robotic system uses information related with haptic saliency extracted from the perceived haptic stimulus map (exploitation) and a “curiosity”-inducing prioritisation based on the reconstruction's inherent uncertainty and inhibition-of-return mechanisms (exploration), modulated by top-down influences stemming from current task objectives, updated at each exploration iteration. This work also extends the scope of the top-down modulation of information presented in a previous work, by integrating in the decision process the influence of shape cues of the current exploration path. The Bayesian framework proposed in this work was tested in a simulation environment. A scenario made of three different materials was explored autonomously by a robotic system. The experimental results show that the system was able to perform three different haptic discontinuity following tasks with a good structural accuracy, demonstrating the selectivity and generalization capability of the attention mechanisms. These experiments confirmed the fundamental contribution of the haptic saliency cues to the success and accuracy of the execution of the tasks