Facial affect recognition training in autism: can we animate the fusiform gyrus?

One of the most consistent findings in the neuroscience of autism is hypoactivation of the fusiform gyrus (FG) during face processing. In this study the authors examined whether successful facial affect recognition training is associated with an increased activation of the FG in autism. The effect of a computer-based program to teach facial affect identification was examined in 10 individuals with high-functioning autism. Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) changes in the FG and other regions of interest, as well as behavioral facial affect recognition measures, were assessed pre- and posttraining. No significant activation changes in the FG were observed. Trained participants showed behavioral improvements, which were accompanied by higher BOLD fMRI signals in the superior parietal lobule and maintained activation in the right medial occipital gyrus.

Energy expenditure, body-part discomfort and mental work load among nurses

The purpose of this prospective observational field study was to present a model for measuring energy expenditure among nurses and to determine if there was a difference between the energy expenditure of nurses providing direct care to adult patients on general medical-surgical units in two major metropolitan hospitals and a recommended energy expenditure of 3.0 kcal/minute over 8 hours. One-third of the predicted cycle ergometer VO2max for the study population was used to calculate the recommended energy expenditure.^ Two methods were used to measure energy expenditure among participants during an 8 hour day shift. First, the Energy Expenditure Prediction Program (EEPP) developed by the University of Michigan Center for Ergonomics was used to calculate energy expenditure using activity recordings from observation (OEE; n = 39). The second method used ambulatory electrocardiography and the heart rate-oxygen consumption relationship (HREE; n = 20) to measure energy expenditure. It was concluded that energy expenditure among nurses can be estimated using the EEPP. Using classification systems from previous research, work load among the study population was categorized as "moderate" but was significantly less than (p = 0.021) 3.0 kcal/minute over 8 hours or 1/3 of the predicted VO2max.^ In addition, the relationships between OEE, body-part discomfort (BPCDS) and mental work load (MWI) were evaluated. The relationships between OEE/BPCDS and OEE/MWI were not significant (p = 0.062 and 0.091, respectively). Among the study population, body-part discomfort significantly increased for upper arms, mid-back, lower-back, legs and feet by mid-shift and by the end of the shift, the increase was also significant for neck and thighs.^ The study also provided documentation of a comprehensive list of nursing activities. Among the most important findings were the facts that the study population spent 23% of the workday in a bent posture, walked an average of 3.14 miles, and spent two-thirds of the shift doing activities other than direct patient care, such as paperwork and communicating with other departments. A discussion is provided regarding the ergonomic implications of these findings. ^

Ocean variability in the U.S. Fishery Conservation Zone, 1976 /

"July 1979"

mecA locus diversity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates in Brisbane, Australia, and the development of a novel diagnostic procedure for the Western Samoan phage pattern clone

An emerging public health phenomenon is the increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections that are acquired outside of health care facilities. One lineage of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is known as the Western Samoan phage pattern (WSPP) clone. The central aim of this study was to develop an efficient genotyping procedure for the identification of WSPP isolates. The approach taken was to make use of the highly variable region downstream of mecA in combination with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) defined by the S. aureus multilocus sequence typing (MLST) database. The premise was that a combinatorial genotyping method that interrogated both a highly variable region and the genomic backbone would deliver a high degree of informative power relative to the number of genetic polymorphisms-interrogated. Thirty-five MRSA isolates were used for this study, and their gene contents and order downstream of mecA were determined. The CA-MRSA isolates were found to contain a truncated mecA downstream region consisting of mecA-HVR-IS431 mec-dcs-Ins117, and a PCR-based method for identifying this structure was developed. The hospital-acquired isolates were found to contain eight different mecA downstream regions, three of which were novel. The Minimum SNPs computer software program was used to mine the S. aureus MLST database, and the arcC 2726 polymorph was identified as 82% discriminatory for ST-30. A real-time PCR assay was developed to interrogate this SNP. We found that the assay for the truncated mecA downstream region in combination with the interrogation of arcC position 272 provided an unambiguous identification of WSPP isolates.

A Treinabilidade da Atenção na Prática Esportiva: uma abordagem com goleiros de futebol de campo.

Alguma forma de atenção está continuamente presente na atividade consciente humana, trazendo implicações e interesses tanto de cunho clínico quanto para a Psicologia da Saúde. A atenção é entendida como um estado seletivo, intensivo e dirigido da percepção. Dentro do contexto esportivo a muito da atenção para ser explorada. O objetivo neste trabalho foi testar a atenção de goleiros de futebol de campo através de duas tarefas experimentais. Nossas hipóteses foram que prática esportiva, especificamente em goleiros, e em função do seu treinamento, melhora seu desempenho em tarefas dissociativas do contexto peculiar ao esporte. E ainda; havendo melhora no desempenho, se é devida a componente perceptivo de discriminação, ao alocamento temporal de atenção, ou à sustentação da mesma por períodos prolongados, isto é, uma maior capacidade de concentração ou menos fadigabilidade. Comparamos 27 goleiros de futebol de campo, com idades entre 15 e 27 anos; separados por tempo de treino. Utilizamos neste estudo um programa comercial de computador, configurado para a criação de testes de atenção (Stim, Neurosoft. Inc); que controla todos os aspectos da tarefa. Correlacionamos tempo de reação e porcentagem de acertos com duração do treinamento dos goleiros em meses (e com a idade). Dividimos o grupo de goleiros em dois subgrupos, pela mediana de tempo de treinamento. Apesar da alta correlação entre tempo de treinamento e idade, inevitavelmente em nossa amostra, não houve correlação significativa entre idade e desempenho em ambas as tarefas. A correlação entre desempenho e tempo de treinamento foi altamente significativa na tarefa I. Não verificamos a correlação entre desempenho e tempo de treinamento na tarefa II, apesar da correlação significativa entre desempenhos nas duas tarefas. Foram feitas análises de correlações entre tempo de treinamento e desempenho nas tarefas separadas por blocos. Na tarefa I, a correlação entre tempo de treino e desempenho em cada bloco foi sempre significativa; tanto em teste paramétrico quanto em teste não paramétrico. Já na tarefa II não houve correlação significativa em tempo de treinamento e desempenho em qualquer dos blocos. Na análise categórica, ou seja, dos grupos divididos em dois subgrupos pela mediana de tempo de treinamento; a diferença de desempenho entre os subgrupos foi significativa apenas na tarefa I, no total de acertos (T- test de amostras independentes; F=4.36, p=0.037) e em acertos nos últimos dois blocos (bloco 3 p=0.048; bloco 4 p=0.026). Com o tempo de treinamento, a melhora no que diferenciar e o aumento na condição da fadigabilidade, tende a refinar e a diminuir. A prática esportiva pode de fato melhorar a capacidade perceptiva e a sustentação da atenção, que é à base da disciplina humana para realização de qualquer tarefa. Conseqüentemente, uma melhora afetiva e somática, além disso, uma melhora cognitiva e intelectual traz consigo uma aplicabilidade real na qualidade de vida das pessoas

Posterior retinal contour in adult human anisomyopia

PURPOSE. It is well documented that myopia is associated with an increase in axial length or, more specifically, in vitreous chamber depth. Whether the transverse dimensions of the eye also increase in myopia is relevant to further understanding of its development. METHODS. The posterior retinal surface was localized in two-dimensional space in both eyes of young adult white and Taiwanese-Chinese iso- and anisomyopes (N = 56), from measured keratometry, A-scan ultrasonography, and central and peripheral refraction (±35°) data, with the aid of a computer modeling program designed for this purpose. Anisomyopes had 2 D or more interocular difference in their refractive errors, with mean values in their more myopic eyes of -5.57 D and in their less myopic eyes of -3.25 D, similar to the means of the two isomyopic groups. The derived retinal contours for the more and less myopic eyes were compared by way of investigating ocular shape changes that accompany myopia, in the posterior region of the vitreous chamber. The presence and size of optic disc crescents were also investigated as an index of retinal stretching in myopia. RESULTS. Relative to the less myopic eyes of anisometropic subjects, the more myopic eyes were more elongated and also distorted into a more prolate shape in both the white and Chinese groups. However, the Chinese eyes showed a greater and more uniform relative expansion of the posterior retinal surface in their more myopic eyes, and this was associated with larger optic disc crescents. The changes in the eyes of whites displayed a nasal-temporal axial asymmetry, reflecting greater enlargement of the nasal retinal sector. CONCLUSIONS. Myopia is associated with increased axial length and a prolate shape. This prolate shape is consistent with the proposed idea that axial and transverse dimensions of the eye are regulated differently. The observations that ocular shape changes are larger but more symmetrical in Chinese eyes than in eyes of whites warrant further investigation.

Alternative service organizations: Funding environment, strategies, and patterns of adaptation

This study explored the strategies that community-based, consumer-focused advocacy, alternative service organizations (ASOs), implemented to adapt to the changes in the nonprofit funding environment (Oliver & McShane, 1979; Perlmutter, 1988a, 1994). It is not clear as to the extent to which current funding trends have influenced ASOs as little empirical research has been conducted in this area (Magnus, 2001; Marquez, 2003; Powell, 1986). ^ This study used a qualitative research design to investigate strategies implemented by these organizations to adapt to changes such as decreasing government, foundation, and corporate funding and an increasing number of nonprofit organizations. More than 20 community informants helped to identify, locate, and provide information about ASOs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 30 ASO executive directors from diverse organizations in Miami-bade and Broward Counties, in South Florida. ^ Data analysis was facilitated by the use of ATLAS.ti, version 5, a qualitative data analysis computer software program designed for grounded theory research. This process generated five major themes: Funding Environment; Internal Structure; Strategies for Survival; Sustainability; and Committing to the Cause, Mission, and Vision. ^ The results indicate that ASOs are struggling to survive financially by cutting programs, decreasing staff, and limiting service to consumers. They are also exploring ways to develop fundraising strategies; for example, increasing the number of proposals written for grants, focusing on fund development, and establishing for-profit ventures. Even organizations that state that they are currently financially stable are concerned about their financial vulnerability. There is little flexibility or cushioning to adjust to "funding jolts." The fear of losing current funding levels and being placed in a tenuous financial situation is a constant concern for these ASOs. ^ Further data collected from the self-administered Funding Checklist and demographic forms were coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive information and frequencies generated findings regarding the revenue, staff compliment, use of volunteers and fundraising consultants, and fundraising practices. The study proposes a model of funding relationships and presents implications for social work practice, and policy, along with recommendations for future research. ^

Guiding Monte Carlo tree searches with neural networks in the game of go

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements to the degree of Master in Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Análise gráfica de estruturas porosas sobre a ótica da estereologia

In this work we developed a computer simulation program for physics porous structures based on programming language C + + using a Geforce 9600 GT with the PhysX chip, originally developed for video games. With this tool, the ability of physical interaction between simulated objects is enlarged, allowing to simulate a porous structure, for example, reservoir rocks and structures with high density. The initial procedure for developing the simulation is the construction of porous cubic structure consisting of spheres with a single size and with varying sizes. In addition, structures can also be simulated with various volume fractions. The results presented are divided into two parts: first, the ball shall be deemed as solid grains, ie the matrix phase represents the porosity, the second, the spheres are considered as pores. In this case the matrix phase represents the solid phase. The simulations in both cases are the same, but the simulated structures are intrinsically different. To validate the results presented by the program, simulations were performed by varying the amount of grain, the grain size distribution and void fraction in the structure. All results showed statistically reliable and consistent with those presented in the literature. The mean values and distributions of stereological parameters measured, such as intercept linear section of perimeter area, sectional area and mean free path are in agreement with the results obtained in the literature for the structures simulated. The results may help the understanding of real structures.

Assessment of in vitro sperm characteristics and their importance in the prediction of conception rate in a bovine timed-AI program

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Computer-aided Drug Design of Novel PLA(2) Inhibitor Candidates for Treatment of Snakebite

Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)) are enzymes commonly found in snake venoms from Viperidae and Elaphidae families, which are major components thereof. Many plants are used in traditional medicine its active agents against various effects induced by snakebite. This article presents the PLA(2) BthTX-I structure prediction based on homology modeling. In addition, we have performed virtual screening in a large database yielding a set of potential bioactive inhibitors. A flexible docking program was used to investigate the interactions between the receptor and the new ligands. We have performed molecular interaction fields (MIFs) calculations with the phospholipase model. Results confirm the important role of Lys49 for binding ligands and suggest three additional residues as well. We have proposed a theoretically nontoxic, drug-like, and potential novel BthTX-I inhibitor. These calculations have been used to guide the design of novel phospholipase inhibitors as potential lead compounds that may be optimized for future treatment of snakebite victims as well as other human diseases in which PLA(2) enzymes are involved.

Prediction of coal ash fusion temperatures with the F*A*C*T thermodynamic computer package

This paper outlines research on the processes taking place within the coal mineral matter at high temperatures and development of the relationship between ash fusion temperatures (AFT) and phase equilibria of the coal ash slags. A new thermodynamic database for the Al-Ca-Fe-O-Si system developed by the author was used in conjunction with the thermodynamic computer package F*A*C*T for these purposes. In addition, high temperature experimental studies were undertaken that involved heat treatment and quenching of the ash cones followed by the analyses using different techniques. The study provided new information on the processes taking place during AFT test and demonstrated the validity of the AFTs predictions with F*A*C*T. Examples of practical applications of the AFT prediction method are given in the paper. The results of this study are important not only for the AFT predictions, but also in general for the application of phase equilibrium science to the characterisation of the coal mineral matter interactions at high temperature. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of Golgi Type II membrane proteins based on their transmembrane domains

Motivation: A major issue in cell biology today is how distinct intracellular regions of the cell, like the Golgi Apparatus, maintain their unique composition of proteins and lipids. The cell differentially separates Golgi resident proteins from proteins that move through the organelle to other subcellular destinations. We set out to determine if we could distinguish these two types of transmembrane proteins using computational approaches. Results: A new method has been developed to predict Golgi membrane proteins based on their transmembrane domains. To establish the prediction procedure, we took the hydrophobicity values and frequencies of different residues within the transmembrane domains into consideration. A simple linear discriminant function was developed with a small number of parameters derived from a dataset of Type II transmembrane proteins of known localization. This can discriminate between proteins destined for Golgi apparatus or other locations (post-Golgi) with a success rate of 89.3% or 85.2%, respectively on our redundancy-reduced data sets.

Criminal Liability of Organizations, Corporations, Legal Persons, and Similar Entities on Law of Portuguese Cybercrime: A Brief Discussion on the Issue of Crimes of “False Information,” the “Damage on Other Programs or Computer Data,” the “Computer-Software Sabotage,” the “Illegitimate Access,” the “Unlawful Interception,” and “Illegitimate Reproduction of the Protected Program”

Abstract: in Portugal, and in much of the legal systems of Europe, «legal persons» are likely to be criminally responsibilities also for cybercrimes. Like for example the following crimes: «false information»; «damage on other programs or computer data»; «computer-software sabotage»; «illegitimate access»; «unlawful interception» and «illegitimate reproduction of protected program». However, in Portugal, have many exceptions. Exceptions to the «question of criminal liability» of «legal persons». Some «legal persons» can not be blamed for cybercrime. The legislature did not leave! These «legal persons» are v.g. the following («public entities»): legal persons under public law, which include the public business entities; entities utilities, regardless of ownership; or other legal persons exercising public powers. In other words, and again as an example, a Portuguese public university or a private concessionaire of a public service in Portugal, can not commit (in Portugal) any one of cybercrime pointed. Fair? Unfair. All laws should provide that all legal persons can commit cybercrimes. PS: resumo do artigo em inglês.