Bacteria are different: Observations, interpretations, speculations, and opinions about the mechanisms of adaptive evolution in prokaryotes

To some extent, the genetic theory of adaptive evolution in bacteria is a simple extension of that developed for sexually reproducing eukaryotes. In other, fundamental ways, the process of adaptive evolution in bacteria is quantitatively and qualitatively different from that of organisms for which recombination is an integral part of the reproduction process. In this speculative and opinionated discussion, we explore these differences. In particular, we consider (i) how, as a consequence of the low rates of recombination, “ordinary” chromosomal gene evolution in bacteria is different from that in organisms where recombination is frequent and (ii) the fundamental role of the horizontal transmission of genes and accessory genetic elements as sources of variation in bacteria. We conclude with speculations about the evolution of accessory elements and their role in the adaptive evolution of bacteria.

The roles of language processing in a spoken language interface.

This paper provides an overview of the colloquium's discussion session on natural language understanding, which followed presentations by M. Bates [Bates, M. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 9977-9982] and R. C. Moore [Moore, R. C. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 9983-9988]. The paper reviews the dual role of language processing in providing understanding of the spoken input and an additional source of constraint in the recognition process. To date, language processing has successfully provided understanding but has provided only limited (and computationally expensive) constraint. As a result, most current systems use a loosely coupled, unidirectional interface, such as N-best or a word network, with natural language constraints as a postprocess, to filter or resort the recognizer output. However, the level of discourse context provides significant constraint on what people can talk about and how things can be referred to; when the system becomes an active participant, it can influence this order. But sources of discourse constraint have not been extensively explored, in part because these effects can only be seen by studying systems in the context of their use in interactive problem solving. This paper argues that we need to study interactive systems to understand what kinds of applications are appropriate for the current state of technology and how the technology can move from the laboratory toward real applications.

Nutraceutical approach to the modulation of cholesterol metabolism: in vitro and in vivo studies

Negli ultimi anni, si sono diffusi nuove strategie per il trattamento delle malattie cardiovascolari, che possano supportare una terapia medica, o in alcuni casi, sostituirla. Infatti, l’abbandono delle terapie è il più importante problema di salute pubblica del mondo occidentale, soprattutto per le malattie croniche. Ciò è dovuto alla complessità delle terapie farmacologiche e ai numerosi e in alcuni casi gravi effetti collaterali dei farmaci somministrati. Di conseguenza, una riduzione di questi effetti migliorerebbe le condizioni di vita del paziente e quindi diminuirebbe il rischio di abbandono della terapia. Per ottenere ciò, è possibile affiancare al trattamento farmacologico una terapia nutraceutica, consistente nella somministrazione di complessi molecolari o microorganismi, provenienti da piante, latte o cibi funzionali. Lo scopo generale di questo studio è indagare le attività ipolipidemizzanti di un composto nutraceutico e di un ceppo batterio specifico nel modello animale che presenta elevati alti livelli plasmatici di colesterolo. Inoltre, sono stati analizzati gli effetti del trattamento nutraceutico sui meccanismi fisiologici che contrastano la creazione della placca aterosclerotica come l’efflusso di colesterolo dalle “foam cells” presenti nell’ateroma, o la riduzione dell’assorbimento intestinale di colesterolo. La presente tesi è divisa in due parti. Nella prima parte, abbiamo analizzato la capacità dei Bifidobacteria di ridurre i livelli di colesterolo nel medium di crescita. Dall’analisi, si è osservato che vari ceppi del genere Bifidobacteria presentano un’ampia capacità di assimilazione del colesterolo all’interno della cellula batterica, in particolare il Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010. Le analisi di trascrittomica del Bb PRL2010 incubato in presenza di colesterolo, hanno rivelato un significativo aumento dei livelli di trascrizione di geni codificanti trasportatori e riduttasi, responsabili del meccanismo di accumulo all’interno della cellula batterica e della conversione del colesterolo in coprostanolo. L’attività ipolipidemizzante del Bb PRL2010 è stata poi valutata nel modello murino, mostrando la modificazione del microbiota dei topi trattati dopo somministrazione del batterio in questione. Nella seconda parte del progetto di ricerca, abbiamo indagato sugli effetti di un composto coperto da brevetto, chiamato “Ola”, sull’efflusso di colesterolo di criceti trattati con questo composto nutraceutico. L’efflusso di colesterolo è il primo step del meccanismo fisiologico noto come Trasporto Inverso del Colesterolo, che consente l’eliminazione del colesterolo dalle placche aterosclerotiche, attraverso l’interazione fra le HDL, presenti nella circolazione sanguigna, e specifici trasportatori delle foam cells, come ABCA1/G1 e SR-BI. In seguito, le lipoproteine rilasciano il colesterolo alle cellule epatiche, dove è metabolizzato ed escreto attraverso le feci. Per valutare l’effetto dell’Ola sul profilo lipidico dei criceti, sono state condotte analisi in vitro. I risultati mostrano un aumento dell’efflusso di colesterolo in cellule che esprimono il trasportatore ABCA1, comparato con il gruppo controllo. Questi due studi mostrano come l’approccio nutraceutico può essere un importante modo per contrastare l’aterosclerosi. Come mostrato in letteratura, gli effetti dei composti nutraceutici sull’aterosclerosi e su altre malattie croniche, hanno portato a un ampio uso come supporto alle terapie farmacologiche, ed in alcuni casi hanno rimpiazzato la terapia farmacologica stessa.

The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Decreasing Depressive Symptomology: A Meta-Analysis

Art therapy is an increasingly popular treatment modality with various mental health professionals; however, despite its increasing popularity and utilization, the field suffers from a continued lack of empirically validated studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. Thus, this study performed a meta-analysis on studies that utilized therapeutic art interventions with depressive symptoms in order to produce an overall effect size (ES) regarding the effectiveness of art therapy on depression. Additionally, this study attempted to determine moderating factors that might influence the magnitude of the ES. The present meta-analysis included 18 published and unpublished studies that produced a significant (p=0.001) ES of -1.10 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) of -1.64 to -0.56), thus demonstrating that art therapy has a large effect on the reduction of depression-related symptoms in participants. The results of this analysis are comparable to other meta-analyses of psychotherapeutic treatments for depression (Mazzucchelli, Kane, & Rees, 2009; Gloaguen, Cottraux, Cucherat, & Blackburn, 1998; Cuijper, van Straten, Andersson, & van Oppen, 2008). This study also covers clinically relevant issues regarding treating depression with art therapy and makes recommendations for further research.

Sights for Sounds: The Roles of Illuminated Initials in Italian Music Manuscripts

The scholarship on illuminated initials is substantial, yet there is a significant absence of information when discussing the initials found in music manuscripts specifically. In this paper, I endeavor to supplement the current scholarship by focusing my research on music manuscripts produced in Italy between 1250 and 1500 A.D. in order to provide examples of the relationships between image, music, and text in the context of use. I use mainly iconographic research methods, though a considerable amount of background information is reliant on the research of other authors in the field of medieval philosophy and theology. Through my research I have concluded that the use of illuminated initials in medieval Italian music manuscripts enhances the function of the manuscript by providing another layer of understanding which audience members could use to aid them in their meditation, prayer, and in the performance of the music.

An Analysis of U.S. Air Force Policy and Installation CO2 Emissions to Determine Best Practices for the Implementation of Executive Order 13514

United States Air Force (USAF) energy policy is a measured but aggressive response to federal energy policy guidance. Previous USAF efforts, like those of the federal government, focused primarily on energy intensity reduction, cost, and BTU savings, and in certain cases have resulted in facility greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. The USAF now faces the challenge of integrating GHG reduction goals and inventory requirements set forth in Executive Order 13514. Using USAF reported energy consumption data, facility GHG emission estimates have been synthesized to identify trends and elucidate existing energy best practices to be applied as part of overarching USAF GHG mitigation efforts and to highlight areas of possible concern for the integration of EO 13514 into operational USAF policy.

New-Generation Hybrid Contact Lens for the Management of Extreme Irregularity in a Thin Cornea After Unsuccessful Excimer Laser Refractive Surgery

Purpose: To report a very successful outcome obtained with the fitting of a new-generation hybrid contact lens of reverse geometry in a thin cornea with extreme irregularity due to the presence of a central island after unsuccessful myopic excimer laser refractive surgery. Methods: A 32-year-old man attended to our clinic complaining of very poor vision in his right eye after bilateral laser in situ keratomileusis (treatment or surgery) for myopia correction and some additional retreatments afterward. After a comprehensive ocular evaluation, contact lens fitting with a reverse geometry hybrid contact lens (SynergEyes PS, SynergEyes, Carlsbad, CA) was proposed as a solution for this case. Visual, refractive, and ocular aberrometric outcomes with the contact lens were evaluated. Results: Distance visual acuity improved from a prefitting uncorrected value of 20/200 to a postfitting corrected value of 20/16. Prefitting manifest refraction was +6.00 sphere and −3.00 cylinder at 70°, with a corrected distance visual acuity of 20/40. Higher order root mean square for a 5-mm pupil changed from a prefitting value of 1.45 to 0.34 µm with the contact lens. The contact lens wearing was reported as comfortable, and the patient was very satisfied with this solution. Conclusions: The SynergEyes PS contact lens seems to be an excellent option for the visual rehabilitation of corneas with extreme irregularity after myopic excimer laser surgery, minimizing the level of higher order aberrations and providing an excellent visual outcome.

How can directories of open access repositories improve the reuse of learning objects in building engineering?

This paper studies the use of directories of open access repositories worldwide (DOARW) to search Spanish repositories containing learning objects in the field of building engineering (BE). Results show that DOARW are powerful tools, but deficiencies (indicated in this study) have to be solved in order to obtain more accurate searches, and to facilitate repository-finding for potential users who are seeking learning objects (LOs) for reuse. Aiming to contribute to the promotion of the reuse of Spanish LOs, this study exposes to the academic community all existing Spanish repositories with LOs, and in particular, the repositories that contain LOs in the field of BE. This paper also studies the critical mass of available content (LOs) in the field of BE in Spain. It has been found to be low.

Exploring the use of cooperative activities in a language subject to develop students’ social competences at the University

Cooperative learning has been successfully implemented in the last 60 years for teaching at different educational levels including the Higher Studies due to its solid theoretical foundation, the principles it proposes and its practical applications. The purpose of this article is to offer a proposal for some cooperative activities that allow students to work in small groups in a language subject in order to learn not only contents but also putting into practice what they learn, i.e., they learn by being active. This article discusses how the said activities make it possible for students to work with the main principles of cooperative learning, i.e.: positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual and group accountability, interpersonal and small-group skills and group processing. Moreover, this research will also point out that the proposed activities allow students to acquire some of the social competences required in the labour market such as leadership, conflict solving and cooperation.

List of the specimens of British animals in the collection of the British Museum.

pt.15 (1853) [Nomenclature of Diptera.I]

Development of a magnetic resonance compatible wrist device for the analysis of movement encoding in the brain

Tese de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Biomédica e Biofísica, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2016

The Impact of Visa Liberalisation in Eastern Partnership Countries, Russia and Turkey on Trans-Border Mobility. CEPS Liberty and Security in Europe No. 63, March 2014

Schengen Visa liberalisation in the Eastern Partnership countries, Russia and Turkey has proven to have a huge transformative potential across the justice, liberty and security policies of the countries where it has been deployed. Far-reaching technical reforms in the fields of document security, irregular migration and border management, public order security and fundamental rights have to be implemented so that visa-free travel can be allowed. Evidence provided by visa applications data reveals that visa liberalisation is a logical step, provided that the technical reforms are adopted and implemented. This study analyses the current state of play of the implementation of the EU visa policy instruments and assesses the positive impact of visa-free travel on trans-border mobility according to current visa application statistics.

The Penetration of Financial Instability in Agricultural Credit and Leveraging. Factor Markets Working Paper No. 2, September 2011

This paper describes the aggregate rural capital markets of the EU and the main differences between the markets of its member countries. The results of our study suggest that the agricultural credit markets are still quite segmented and the segments are country- rather than currency- or region specific. Financial instability in Europe is also penetrating the agricultural sector and the variation of interest rates for agricultural credit is increasing across countries. Perhaps the most dramatic signal of growing financial instability is that the financial leverage (gearing rate) of European farms rose in 2008 by almost 4 percentage points, from 14 to 18%. The 4 percentage-point annual rise was twice the 2 percentage-point rise observed during the economic recession in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The distribution of the financial leverage of agriculture across countries does not, however, reflect the distribution of country-specific risk premiums in the manner that they are observed in government bond yields. Therefore, in those countries that have the weakest financial situation in the public sector and in which the bond markets are encumbered with high country-specific risk premiums, the agricultural sector is not directly exposed to a very large risk of increasing interest rates, since it is not so highly leveraged. For example in Greek and Spanish agriculture, the financial leverage (gearing) rate is only 0.6% and 2.2% respectively, while the highest gearing rates are found elsewhere (in Denmark), reaching 50%.

R&D, Spillovers, Innovation Systems and the Genesis of Regional Growth in Europe. Bruges European Economic Research (BEER) Papers 5/October 2006

Research on the impact of innovation on regional economic performance in Europe has fundamentally followed three approaches: a) the analysis of the link between investment in R&D, patents, and economic growth; b) the study of the existence and efficiency of regional innovation systems; and c) the examination of geographical diffusion of regional knowledge spillovers. These complementary approaches have, however, rarely been combined. Important operational and methodological barriers have thwarted any potential cross-fertilization. In this paper, we try to fill this gap in the literature by combining in one model R&D, spillovers, and innovation systems approaches. A multiple regression analysis is conducted for all regions of the EU-25, including measures of R&D investment, proxies for regional innovation systems, and knowledge and socio-economic spillovers. This approach allows us to discriminate between the influence of internal factors and external knowledge and institutional flows on regional economic growth. The empirical results highlight how the interaction between local and external research with local and external socioeconomic and institutional conditions determines the potential of every region in order to maximise its innovation capacity. They also indicate the importance of proximity for the transmission of economically productive knowledge, as spillovers show strong distance decay effects. In the EU-25 context, only the innovative efforts pursued within a 180 minute travel radius have a positive and significant impact on regional growth performance.

The role of cultural attributes in inequality. ACES Working Paper No. 1, 2008

This paper used cross country data in order to identify the variables that determine the inequality and poverty within countries. The main result is that culture differences have a significant role in the explanation of inequality and poverty differences between countries. Other interesting results are that globalization above a certain level contributes to inequality and poverty, and that inequality and poverty have an inverse U relation in relation to literacy.