Reusability of dictionaries in the compilation of NLP lexicons

This paper discusses particular linguistic challenges in the task of reusing published dictionaries, conceived as structured sources of lexical information, in the compilation process of a machine-tractable thesaurus-like lexical database for Brazilian Portuguese. After delimiting the scope of the polysemous term thesaurus, the paper focuses on the improvement of the resulting object by a small team, in a form compatible with and inspired by WordNet guidelines, comments on the dictionary entries, addresses selected problems found in the process of extracting the relevant lexical information form the selected dictionaries, and provides some strategies to overcome them.

Anxiolytic effect of estradiol in the median raphe nucleus mediated by 5-HT1A receptors

Estrogen deficiency has been associated with stress, anxiety and depression. Estrogen receptors have been identified in the median raphe nucleus (MRN). This structure is the main source of serotonergic projections to the hippocampus, a forebrain area implicated in the regulation of defensive responses and in the resistance to chronic stress. There is evidence showing that estrogen modulates 5-HT1A receptor functions. In the MRN, somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors control the activity of serotonergic neurones by negative feedback. The present study evaluated the effect of intra-MRN injection of estradiol benzoate (EB) (600 or 1200 ng/0.2 mu l) on the performance of ovariectomised rats submitted to the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety and to the open-field test. Additionally, the same effect was evaluated with a previous intra-MRN injection of WAY 100635 (100 ng/0.2 mu l), an antagonist of 5-HT1A receptors. The results showed that both doses of EB increased the percentage of entries and the percentage of time spent into the open arms, suggestive of an anxiolytic effect. The highest dose of the drug also increased the number of entries into the enclosed arm and locomotion in the open field, indicating a stimulatory motor effect. WAY 100635 antagonised the effect of estradiol in the elevated plus-maze and in the open-field. The results show that estrogen receptors of the MRN are implicated in the regulation of anxiety-related behaviour. The results also support claims that the effect of estrogen involves a change in 5-HT1A receptor function. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical evolution in the Asteraceae. The Oxidation-Reduction mechanism and production of secondary metabolites

This work describes the application of partial least squares (PLS) regression to variables that represent the oxidation data of several types of secondary metabolite isolated from the family Asteraceae. The oxidation states were calculated for each carbon atom of the involved compounds after these had been matched with their biogenetic precursor. The states of oxidation variations were named oxidation steps. This methodology represents a new approach to inspect the oxidative changes in taxa. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used to inspect the relationships among terpenoids, cournarins, polyacetylenes, and flavonoids from a data base containing approximately 27,000 botanical entries. The results show an interdependence between the average oxidation states of each class of secondary metabolite at tribe and sub tribe levels.

Effect of electrolytic and neurotoxic lesions of the median raphe nucleus on anxiety and stress

To study the role played by 5-HT mechanisms of the MRN, behavioural and physiological parameters were presently measured in rats having either electrolytic or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) lesion of the MRN made 7 days before testing. Half the animals were submitted to 2-h restraint 24 h before the test. In the elevated plus-maze, the electrolytic lesion increased the percentage of open-arm entries and of time spent on open arms - an anxiolytic effect - in both restrained and nonrestrained rats. The neurotoxic lesion had a similar effect, but only on restrained rats. Restraint had anxiogenic effect. The electrolytic lesion increased transitions between the light and dark compartments and the time spent in the bright compartment of the light-dark box in both restrained and nonrestrained rats. The neurotoxic lesion only increased bright time in restrained rats. The incidence, number and size of gastric ulcers were increased by either the electrolytic or the neurotoxic lesion in both restrained and nonrestrained animals. Both types of lesion depleted 5-HT in the hippocampus in restrained and nonrestrained rats. Restraint increased 5-HT levels. These results implicate 5-HT mechanisms of the median raphe nucleus in the regulation of anxiety and in the genesis of gastric stress ulcers. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implication of the 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) (but not 5HT(1A)) receptors located within the periaqueductal gray in the elevated plus-maze test-retest paradigm in mice

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Similar anxiolytic-like effects following intra-amygdala infusions of benzodiazepine receptor agonist and antagonist: Evidence for the release of an endogenous benzodiazepine inverse agonist in mice exposed to elevated plus-maze test

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Anxiogenic-like effects induced by NMDA receptor activation are prevented by inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the periaqueductal gray in mice

Glutamate-NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor activation within the periaqueductal gray (PAG) leads to antinociceptive, autonomic and behavioral responses characterized as the fear reaction. We have recently demonstrated that the vigorous defensive-like behaviors (e.g. jumping and running) and antinociception induced by intra-PAG injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were completely blocked by prior infusion of N(omega)-propyl-L-arginine (NPLA), a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthesis (nNOS) enzyme inhibitor, into the same midbrain structure. It remains unclear however, whether the inhibition of nNOS within the mouse PAG changes the anxiety-like behavior per se or the effects of the inhibition of nNOS depend on the suppression of downstream of glutamate-NMDA receptor activation. This study investigated whether intra-PAG infusion of NPLA (i) attenuates anxiety in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and (ii) antagonizes the anxiogenic-like effects induced by intra-PAG injection of NMDA. Test sessions were videotaped and subsequently scored for conventional indices of anxiety (percentage of open arm entries and percentage of open arm time) and locomotor activity (closed arm entries). Results showed that intra-PAG infusions of NPLA (0.2, 0.4 or 0.8 nmol/0.1 mu l) did not alter significantly any behavioral response in the EPM when compared to control group (Experiment 1). Intra-PAG infusion of NMDA (0 and 0.02 nmol/0.1 mu l; a dose that does not provoke vigorous defensive behaviors per se in mice) significantly reduced open arm exploration, confirming an anxiogenic-like effect (Experiment 2). When injected into the PAG 10 min prior local NMDA injection (0.02 nmol/0.1 mu l), NPLA (0.4 nmol/0.1 mu l) was able to revert the anxiogenic-like effect of glutamate-NMDA receptor activation. Neither intra-PAG infusion of NMDA nor NPLA altered closed arm entries, a widely used measure of locomotor activity in the EPM. These results suggest that intra-PAG nitric oxide synthesis does not play a role on anxiety-like behavior elicited during EPM exposure; however its synthesis is important for the proaversive effects produced by activation of glutamate-NMDA receptors located within this limbic midbrain structure. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anxiolytic-like effects produced by bilateral lesion of the periaqueductal gray in mice: Influence of concurrent nociceptive stimulation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Behavioral effects of acute exposure to the insecticide fipronil

The effects of fipronil (Frontline (R) Top Spot) were investigated in 40 days old rats utilizing open field (OF), hole-board (HB) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) apparatus. Rats (N=15) received topical application of fipronil (70, 140 and 280 mg/kg) in the neck region and behavior was tested 3 h after administration. Animals treated with corn oil (vehicle) were used as controls. In the of test animals treated with fipronil at 140 mg/kg showed increased rearing, whereas animals exposed to 280 mg/kg showed increased freezing, grooming, and rearing. In the HB test fipronil at 280 mg/kg increased head-dip and head-dipping behaviors. In the EPM test the only observed effect was increased number of entries in both open and closed EPM arms in animals treated with 280 mg/kg. In conclusion, dermal exposure to fipronil causes effects related to emotionality, fear, and exploratory activity; results add strength to the growing concern that pirazole insecticides can be neurotoxic to humans. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Microinjection of histamine into the cerebellar vermis impairs emotional memory consolidation in mice

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of electrolytic lesion of the median raphe nucleus on behavioral and physiological measures of stress.

The effect of electrolytic lesion of the median raphe nucleus was measured on behavioral and physiological parameters related to stress 24 h after the lesion. In of the elevated plus-maze the lesion decreased the percentage of open arm entries and tended to shorten the time spent on the open arms indicating an increase in anxiety. In contrast, the lesion markedly increased the time spent in the bright (aversive) compartment of the light-dark box and decrease in attempts to cross from the dark toward the bright compartment, an anxiolyic effect. With the exception of plasma prolactin level, which was lowered by the lesion, the physiological measures used in the present study indicate that the lesioned animals are under stress. Thus, death rate and weight loss after the surgery were higher in lesioned than in control animals. In addition, lesioned animals showed higher plasma corticosterone levels, a high incidence of gastric ulcers in the fundus and a depressed immune response to the mitogen concavaline A. These results highlight the importance of the median raphe nucleus in the regulation of stress and anxiety. They also show that behavioral and physiological measures of stress may be dissociated.

Quantum entanglement and information: The effect of entropy revisited

In non-extensive statistical mechanics [14], it is a nonsense statement to say that the entropy of a system is extensive (or not), without mentioning a law of composition of its elements. In this theory quantum correlations might be perceived through quantum information process. This article, that is an extension of recent work [4], is a comparative study between the entropies of Von Neumann and of Tsallis, with some implementations of the effect of entropy in quantum entanglement, important as a process for transmission of quantum information. We consider two factorized (Fock number) states, which interact through a beam splitter bilinear Hamiltonian with two entries. This comparison showed us that the entropies of Tsallis and Von Neumann behave differently depending on the reflectance of the beam splitter. © 2011 Academic Publications.

A variedade léxica da língua espanhola em dicionários bilíngues espanhol-português para aprendizes brasileiros

Due to factors such as globalization and the demography of Hispanic countries, the Spanish language has influenced worldwide, especially since the last decade of the 20th century, mainly countries which are geographically close to Spanish American countries, such as Brazil. In this context, it is necessary to think of the linguistic variation of the Spanish language, in which we emphasize the lexical variation. As any language, Spanish has a colossal and wealthy lexicon with different varieties related to the characteristics from each region: history, culture, customs etc. This diversity influences the development, the amplification and the renewal of a language, as well as the teaching-learning process. Thus, we proposed to analyze the lexicon varieties of Spanish language entries in some Spanish-Portuguese bilingual dictionaries for Brazilian learners. In order to achieve this goal, we selected some examples of lexical variety in a corpus organized with texts of different textual genres and we verified if these lexical items are registered in the dictionaries chosen. As the corpus is organized from texts present in didactic manuals used in Brazil, our goal is to verify if the vocabulary which the Brazilian learner has contact in formal education is registered in the analyzed dictionaries.

The lauraceae collected in brazil by ludwig riedel - I

The species of Lauraceae collected by Ludwig Riedel, excluding Ocotea, are commented and contex-tualized according to the different itineraries he travelled in Brazil, from 1821 to 1836, indicating the localities and dates of collections, whenever possible. To complete this work, two diaries of Riedel have been consulted and the information from them cross-checked with the annotations found on specimen labels. An annotated list of 48 entries provides information on the status of species names and their types, currently accepted names, and collections found in different herbaria. Lectotypes for five names, Aydendron verrucosum var. attenuata, Aydendron parviflorum, Mespilodaphne parviflora, Nectandra spicata, and Oreodaphne fasciculata, are designated. The species of Ocotea collected by Riedel will be treated in part II of this series. © President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2012.

Distribuição de fisioterapeutas entre estabelecimentos públicos e privados nos diferentes níveis de complexidade de atenção à saúde

Background: The Brazilian Health System is organized on a regional and hierarchical form with three levels of complexity of health care. The Primary Care represents the first element of a continuing health care process, complemented by specialized actions. However, the centrality of the specialized care is still a problem in Brazil, especially in the private sector. Studies on the distribution of professionals in the health system allowing the formulation of appropriate policies are needed. Objectives: To investigate the distribution of physical therapists in the levels of complexity of health care and between public and private establishments, according to data from the National Register of Health Service Providers (NRHSP). Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed considering NRHSP-national bank data collected in March 2010 and demographic census 2010 data. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics techniques. Results: We identified 53,181 registries of physical therapists, 60% linked to the private sector. Only 13% of all entries were linked to primary care. The predominance in specialized care occurred in the public sector (65%) and private sector (100%). The specialized establishments of private sector linked to the southeast region (16,043) were the main sites of physical therapists. Only the public sector in the south had a majority in the Primary Care. When considering the sizes of the cities, there is focus on specialist care in bigger cities. Conclusions: This study identified the concentration of physical therapists in the specialized care, mostly in metropolis and big cities and in the private sector, with restricted to participation in the primary care.