Right hemisphere contributions to imitation tasks

Humans imitate biological movements faster than non-biological movements. The faster response has been attributed to an activation of the human mirror neuron system, which is thought to match observation and execution of actions. However, it is unclear which cortical areas are responsible for this behavioural advantage. Also, little is known about the timing of activations. Using whole-head magnetoencephalography we recorded neuronal responses to single biological finger movements and non-biological dot movements while the subjects were required to perform an imitation task or an observation task, respectively. Previous imaging studies on the human mirror neurone system suggested that activation in response to biological movements would be stronger in ventral premotor, parietal and superior temporal regions. In accordance with previous studies, reaction times to biological movements were faster than those to dot movements in all subjects. The analysis of evoked magnetic fields revealed that the reaction time benefit was paralleled by stronger and earlier activation of the left temporo-occipital cortex, right superior temporal area and right ventral motor/premotor area. The activity patterns suggest that the latter areas mediate the observed behavioural advantage of biological movements and indicate a predominant contribution of the right temporo-frontal hemisphere to action observation–execution matching processes in intransitive movements, which has not been reported previously.

The rhetoric and reality of supply chain management in Irish business

A strong focus of NITL’s research activity is on monitoring the extent to which SCM principles and concepts are adopted by organisations based in Ireland. For more than a decade this work has aimed to develop a profile of SCM adoption, as well as identifying some of the critical success factors and barriers influencing firms in their attempts to improve supply chain capability and performance. This article explains the role of SCM in Ireland’s economic recovery and provides an overview of NITL’s latest findings in relation to the adoption of SCM practices by firms in Ireland.

Electronic Education in the Field of Electrical Engineering Disciplines. Combined Didactic Interactive Program System

At present in the educational process of electrical engineering disciplines electronic learning program, providing control over reproductive educational-cognitive activity (the decision of standard problems) and universal modeling program systems, for instance Electronics Workbench, giving a chance of organizing productive, in particular research activity are basically used. However universal modeling program systems can not provide auto control over educational-cognitive activity because of the absence of the feedback with students. The combined didactic interactive program system, providing the closed directed auto control over both the reproductive and productive heuristic educational-cognitive activity of the student is offered.

Social resources in local development. Conference proceedings

It was the intention of the Institute for Sociology and Social Policy at the Corvinus University Budapest in collaboration with the University of Trento to reflect the breadth of local development studies in the conference it staged in June 2011 ‘Social Resources in Local Development’. The event was in the framework of ‘Efficient Government, Professional Public Administration and Regional Development for a Competitive Society’ which is part of the TAMOP Project 4.2.1/B-09/1/KMR – 2010-0005 (Social and Cultural Resources Development Policies and Local Development Research Workshop led by Professor Zoltán Szántó). All the papers which feature in this volume were presented at the workshop. The research activity behind these papers (with the exception of Blokker) was supported by the aforementioned TAMOP project. The event was attended by a range of international participants including Erasmus Mundus students from the University of Trento and Corvinus students taking the MA in Local Development. It is hoped that this publication of conference proceedings highlights some current and key issues and controversies in local development research and academic debate.

Társadalmi felelősségvállalás a személyes vélemények oldaláról = Social responsibility from the viewpoint of personal opinions

A vállalatok társadalmi felelősségvállalása választ adhat a globális problémák megoldására. Azzal, hogy a környezeti és társadalmi ügyeket üzleti kategóriaként kezeli, új lehetőségeket nyitott meg a megközelítés, azonban az alapvető változások még nem érezhetők. A szerző kutatásában e témakört vizsgálja a személyes vélemények és attitűdök oldaláról. A gazdasági érdekek elsődlegessége mellett az ismerethiány az olyan tényező, amely szakadékot képez az elmélet és a gyakorlat között. Mivel a magatartásformák megváltoztatása időigényes kihívás, a közeljövő eredményei azzal biztosíthatók, ha a leendő döntéshozók sajátosságaikat megismerve a menedzsmenteszközöket igazítják a lehetőségekhez. A tanulmány egy átfogó, empirikus kutatás eredményei alapján mutatja be, hogy a felsőoktatásban tanulók, mint a jövő vezetői, hogyan viszonyulnak a fenntartható fejlődés és a CSR kérdéséhez. _____ The tools of corporate social responsibility (CSR) may support the solving of global problems by handling them as a business category. This expands the possibilities, but the breakthrough is still missing. The author’s research activity analyses the relations from the viewpoint of personal opinions and attitudes. There is a huge lack between the theories and the practical application that can be explained by the economic interest and the deficiencies of knowledge. Since changing the behaviour is a time-consuming challenge, the focus must be on discovering the present characteristics of the future decision makers and adjusting the management methods to the results. The paper summarises the results of an empiric research that opinions and attitudes of higher education students to sustainable development and CSR.

Historia del Instituo Lorente, (1894-1997)

Introduction. This thesis is the result of study of the Llorente Institute since its origins, contemporaries of the Pasteur Institute in France and in Sclavo Institute in Italy, until its disappearance in 1997 as a pharmaceutical laboratory. Synthesis. The first objective was to demonstrate the development of research activity of Llorente Institute. It was also intended to clarify what were the real causes of its decline, which can be attributed not only to internal factors, but also to general policies that concerned a set of pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Vicente Llorente figure is not the essential part of this thesis, although it have made new contributions about on their way through politics as a member of the Restoration Parliament during the legislatures between 1899 and 1905. Research carried out in the General Archive of the State Administration and in the Mercantile Register are the main sources of this research, together with the testimony and unpublished documents provided by his last owners. Also, it has been important to the development of products that constituted the vademecum of Llorente Institute...

Profil d’activité physique des enfants et adolescents diabétiques de type 1

Les patients diabétiques de type 1 (DT1) ont avantage à avoir un bon contrôle glycémique pour réduire les effets négatifs à court et long terme d’un mauvais contrôle glycémique sur leur santé. Pour contrôler leur glycémie, ils doivent prendre de l’insuline, mais il est aussi recommandé qu’ils aient de bonnes habitudes de vie comme une nutrition appropriée et une pratique adéquate d’activité physique. Par contre, les patients DT1 ne suivent généralement pas les recommandations en activité physique et une partie du problème vient de leurs barrières personnelles à un style de vie actif, telle la peur des hypoglycémies. L’utilisation de la pompe comme traitement à l’insuline aide à mieux contrôler la glycémie, plus précisément l’hémoglobine glyquée, que les injections d’insuline, et le dispositif est de plus en plus prescrit chez les enfants et adolescents. Par contre, son impact sur la pratique des activités sédentaire et physique n’est pas encore bien connu. L’objectif de la présente étude est donc de révéler le profil d’activité physique complet, incluant les barrières à l’exercice et les habitudes de vie des parents, des enfants et adolescents DT1, selon leur type de traitement à l’insuline (pompe ou injections). L’étude a été conduite à la clinique d’endocrinologie du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sainte-Justine (Montréal, Canada). Un questionnaire auto-administré a été complété par 188 patients DT1 âgés de 6 à 17 ans et un de leurs parents. Soixante pourcent des patients étaient des utilisateurs de la pompe à insuline. Il n’y avait pas de différence significative pour aucune des composantes du profil d’activité physique, des habitudes sédentaires et des barrières à l’exercice entre les patients DT1 utilisant les injections et ceux utilisant la pompe. La peur de faire des hypoglycémies était la barrière à l’activité physique principale pour les deux groupes de traitement. Les adolescents dont les parents pratiquaient une plus grande variété d’activités physiques faisaient plus d’activité physique d’intensité moyenne à élevée et passaient moins de temps devant les écrans. En conclusion, le type de traitement n’était pas associé à un style de vie plus sain chez les patients pédiatriques DT1, mais un profil d’activité physique parental varié était le facteur principal d’intérêt pour des habitudes de vie plus saines chez les adolescents DT1.

Profil d’activité physique des enfants et adolescents diabétiques de type 1

Les patients diabétiques de type 1 (DT1) ont avantage à avoir un bon contrôle glycémique pour réduire les effets négatifs à court et long terme d’un mauvais contrôle glycémique sur leur santé. Pour contrôler leur glycémie, ils doivent prendre de l’insuline, mais il est aussi recommandé qu’ils aient de bonnes habitudes de vie comme une nutrition appropriée et une pratique adéquate d’activité physique. Par contre, les patients DT1 ne suivent généralement pas les recommandations en activité physique et une partie du problème vient de leurs barrières personnelles à un style de vie actif, telle la peur des hypoglycémies. L’utilisation de la pompe comme traitement à l’insuline aide à mieux contrôler la glycémie, plus précisément l’hémoglobine glyquée, que les injections d’insuline, et le dispositif est de plus en plus prescrit chez les enfants et adolescents. Par contre, son impact sur la pratique des activités sédentaire et physique n’est pas encore bien connu. L’objectif de la présente étude est donc de révéler le profil d’activité physique complet, incluant les barrières à l’exercice et les habitudes de vie des parents, des enfants et adolescents DT1, selon leur type de traitement à l’insuline (pompe ou injections). L’étude a été conduite à la clinique d’endocrinologie du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sainte-Justine (Montréal, Canada). Un questionnaire auto-administré a été complété par 188 patients DT1 âgés de 6 à 17 ans et un de leurs parents. Soixante pourcent des patients étaient des utilisateurs de la pompe à insuline. Il n’y avait pas de différence significative pour aucune des composantes du profil d’activité physique, des habitudes sédentaires et des barrières à l’exercice entre les patients DT1 utilisant les injections et ceux utilisant la pompe. La peur de faire des hypoglycémies était la barrière à l’activité physique principale pour les deux groupes de traitement. Les adolescents dont les parents pratiquaient une plus grande variété d’activités physiques faisaient plus d’activité physique d’intensité moyenne à élevée et passaient moins de temps devant les écrans. En conclusion, le type de traitement n’était pas associé à un style de vie plus sain chez les patients pédiatriques DT1, mais un profil d’activité physique parental varié était le facteur principal d’intérêt pour des habitudes de vie plus saines chez les adolescents DT1.

Scale-dependent to scale-free: daily behavioural switching and optimized searching in a marine predator

Highlights • We study diel behavioural differences in activity patterns in bigeye tuna. • Daytime activity patterns showed scale free movements consistent with searching. • Night-time activity showed simpler movements indicative of rich patch exploitation. • The results confirm predictions of the Lévy foraging hypothesis.

Scale-dependent to scale-free: daily behavioural switching and optimized searching in a marine predator

Highlights • We study diel behavioural differences in activity patterns in bigeye tuna. • Daytime activity patterns showed scale free movements consistent with searching. • Night-time activity showed simpler movements indicative of rich patch exploitation. • The results confirm predictions of the Lévy foraging hypothesis.

Comparing gold nano-particle enhanced radiotherapy with protons, megavoltage photons and kilovoltage photons: a Monte Carlo simulation

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have shown potential to be used as a radiosensitizer for radiation therapy. Despite extensive research activity to study GNP radiosensitization using photon beams, only a few studies have been carried out using proton beams. In this work Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the dose enhancement of GNPs for proton therapy. The enhancement effect was compared between a clinical proton spectrum, a clinical 6 MV photon spectrum, and a kilovoltage photon source similar to those used in many radiobiology lab settings. We showed that the mechanism by which GNPs can lead to dose enhancements in radiation therapy differs when comparing photon and proton radiation. The GNP dose enhancement using protons can be up to 14 and is independent of proton energy, while the dose enhancement is highly dependent on the photon energy used. For the same amount of energy absorbed in the GNP, interactions with protons, kVp photons and MV photons produce similar doses within several nanometers of the GNP surface, and differences are below 15% for the first 10 nm. However, secondary electrons produced by kilovoltage photons have the longest range in water as compared to protons and MV photons, e.g. they cause a dose enhancement 20 times higher than the one caused by protons 10 μm away from the GNP surface. We conclude that GNPs have the potential to enhance radiation therapy depending on the type of radiation source. Proton therapy can be enhanced significantly only if the GNPs are in close proximity to the biological target.

Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Ready-to-Eat Meals: A Case of Quality Innovation

This paper reviews literature on alternative convenience food choices and analyses the findings from consumer behaviour and manufacturing/retailing perspective. As consumers’ demand for easy prepared and healthier food products has gradually increased, so has the related research activity. This address provides a synopsis of 60 relevant peer-review publications based on an online research carried out using related to organic ready-to-eat meals search terms. An overview of topic’s most important outcomes is presented, compared and evaluated. Results reveal positive attitudes, increased interest and willingness to purchase such products. Research gaps are identified in the field of personal and social norms as well as in the regulation and seeking information process. Policy making implications and recommendations are also discussed in conjunction with future research opportunities

Occupied childhoods: discourses and politics of childhood and their place in Palestinian and Pan-­Arab screen content for children

This thesis explores changing discourses of childhood and the ways in which power relations intersect with socio-cultural norms to shape screen-based media for Palestinian children. Situated within the interdisciplinary study of childhood, the research is an institutional and textual analysis that includes discursive and micro-level analysis of the socio-political circumstances within which children consume media in present-day Palestine. The thesis takes a social constructionist view, arguing that ‘childhood’ is not a fixed universal concept and that discourses of childhood are produced at specific historical moments as an effect of power. The study has a three-part research agenda. The first section uses secondary literature to explore theories and philosophies relating to definitions of childhood in Arab societies. The second employs participant observation and semi-structured interviews to understand the history and politics of children’s media in the West Bank. The final part of the research activity focuses on the impact that definitions of childhood and the politics of children’s media have on broadcasting outcomes through an analysis of (a) discourses on children’s media that circulate in Palestinian society, and (b) local and pan-Arab cultural texts consumed by Palestinian children. The analysis demonstrates that complex ideological and political factors are at play, which has led to the marginalisation, politicisation and internationalisation of local production for children. Due to the lack of alternatives, local producers often rely on international funding, and are hence forced to negotiate competing definitions of childhood, which while fitting with an international agenda of normalising the Israeli occupation, conflict culturally and politically with local conceptions of childhood and hopes for the Palestinian nation. While the Palestinian community appreciates the positive potential of local production, discourses and strategies around children’s media show that Palestinian children are constructed as vulnerable, incomplete and in constant need of guidance. Pan-Arab content presents a slightly less didactic approach and in certain cases presents childhood as a dynamic space of empowerment. However, by constructing children as ‘consumercitizens’, it alienates Arab (and Palestinian) children from disadvantaged backgrounds,as the preferred audience is middle-class children living in oil-rich countries of the Gulf.

The impact of the MARINET initiative on the development of Marine Renewable Energy

Marine Renewable Energy Conversion systems comprise wave energy and tidal stream converters as well as offshore-wind turbines for electrical generation. These technologies are currently at different stages of development but are mostly at the pre-commercial stage and require research to be undertaken at a series of scales along the path to commercialization. However each of these technologies also needs specific research infrastructures in order to conduct this research. The aim of the MARINET initiative is to coordinate research and development at all scales (small models through to prototype scales, from laboratories through to open sea tests) and to allow access for researchers and developers to infrastructures which are not available universally in Europe, including test facilities for components such as power take-off systems, grid integration, moorings and environmental monitoring so as to ensure a focusing of activities in this area. The initiative offers researchers and developers access to 45 research facilities as well as to the associated network of expertise at all scales in Offshore Marine Renewable Energy technology research and development. The aim of this paper is to present this MARINET initiative that was started in 2011, bringing together a network of 29 partners spread across twelve countries. Details of the MARINET Transnational Access (TA) program are presented, for which over 260 applications were received throughout the 5 official calls for proposals. In particular, statistics on applications and completed projects are presented which provide an overview of the global development progress of the different offshore renewable energy conversion technologies at a European level. It also provides a good overview of the current research activity, as well as evidence of the requirement for specialised research facilities, in this burgeoning field.

Radiografía de los observatorios de medios en España: una herramienta ciudadana para la reforma mediática

Introducción: Desde finales del pasado siglo XX, los observatorios vienen jugando un papel muy destacado entre las instituciones orientadas a la reforma mediática por cuanto suponen una vital herramienta para el análisis y fiscalización ciudadana de los medios. En este contexto, la investigación plantea una cartografía pionera de los observatorios de medios en España e intenta sistematizar su origen, evolución y sus principales características, entre otras: objetivos, promotores y ámbitos de especialización. Metodología: Partiendo de una extensa revisión documental, el estudio construye un censo de 28 observatorios que se analizan a partir de un protocolo de observación y una entrevista cualitativa a una decena de responsables de las distintas iniciativas. Resultados y conclusiones: Los resultados demuestran la existencia de un panorama heterogéneo de experiencias entre las que predominan las fiscalizadoras y promovidas por universidades. No obstante, los observatorios se caracterizan por su difícil sostenibilidad y por una actividad investigadora discontinua y poco constante.