Motor overactivity and loss of motor circadian rhythm in fatal familial insomnia: an actigraphic study.

The 24-hour rest-activity pattern and the amount of motor activity was studied in a patient with fatal familial insomnia (FFI) by means of wrist actigraphy. During the study, the patient underwent indirect calorimetry. The 52-day recording showed severe disruption of the 24-hour rest-activity pattern with increased motor activity up to 80%. The 24-hour energy expenditure, assayed in a respiration chamber, was strikingly elevated by 60%. Chronic motor overactivity and loss of circadian rest-activity rhythm may play a role in the progressive metabolic exhaustion leading to death in FFI patients.

La dona a Roma (del segle IV aC al segle III dC)

Estudi interdisciplinari de la dona romana entre els segles IV aC i III dC. El treball s'ha basat en estudis monogràfics, justificats i comprovats mitjançant la lectura i l'examen de fonts de l'època.

Correlations between motor and intellectual functions in normally developing children between 7 and 18 years.

The relationship between motor and intellectual functions was examined in 252 healthy children from 7 to 18 years using the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment and standardized intelligence tests. The magnitude of Spearman correlations between neuromotor and intellectual scores was generally weak (r = 0.15-0.37). The strongest correlations were found between performance in the pegboard task and visuomotor intelligence (r = 0.35) and between contralateral associated movements and intelligence in boys (r = 0.37). We conclude that specific connections between motor and intellectual functions may exist. However, because the magnitude of correlations is generally weak, we suggest that motor and intellectual domains in healthy children are largely independent.

Pre-diagnostic concordance with the WCRF/AICR guidelines and survival in European colorectal cancer patients: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND Cancer survivors are advised to follow lifestyle recommendations on diet, physical activity, and body fatness proposed by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) for cancer prevention. Previous studies have demonstrated that higher concordance with these recommendations measured using an index score (the WCRF/AICR score) was associated with lower cancer incidence and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between pre-diagnostic concordance with WCRF/AICR recommendations and mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS The association between the WCRF/AICR score (score range 0-6 in men and 0-7 in women; higher scores indicate greater concordance) assessed on average 6.4 years before diagnosis and CRC-specific (n = 872) and overall mortality (n = 1,113) was prospectively examined among 3,292 participants diagnosed with CRC in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort (mean follow-up time after diagnosis 4.2 years). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality. RESULTS The HRs (95% CIs) for CRC-specific mortality among participants in the second (score range in men/women: 2.25-2.75/3.25-3.75), third (3-3.75/4-4.75), and fourth (4-6/5-7) categories of the score were 0.87 (0.72-1.06), 0.74 (0.61-0.90), and 0.70 (0.56-0.89), respectively (P for trend <0.0001), compared to participants with the lowest concordance with the recommendations (category 1 of the score: 0-2/0-3). Similar HRs for overall mortality were observed (P for trend 0.004). Meeting the recommendations on body fatness and plant food consumption were associated with improved survival among CRC cases in mutually adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS Greater concordance with the WCRF/AICR recommendations on diet, physical activity, and body fatness prior to CRC diagnosis is associated with improved survival among CRC patients.

The Franco-German motor before the eastern enlargement: the causes of its decline

The Franco-German axis has been a transcendent force behind the European integration ever since the early years of the EEC. Nevertheless, since the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the perception of a progressive distancing between France and Germany as far as the EU politics is concerned, has increased. There has not been a definitive break in Franco-German relations. However, the influence of the Franco-German axis in the EU has been reduced in the 90s. Finally, in the Nice IGC (December 2000), the misunderstandings of these two “big” states about their weight in the Council, almost caused the failure to conclude the Treaty of Nice, clearing the way for the Eastern enlargement. The traditional balance between France and Germany has been eroded. Germany has consolidated its role of leadership in the EU, and above all towards the candidate countries. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the fifth enlargement as one of the causes of the decline of the Franco-German axis as the motor of the process of European integration.

L'Àmbit urbà i periurbà de Rhode entre el 195 aC i el segle II dC

Aquest projecte de recerca es planteja, com a objectiu principal, elaborar una contextualització de Rhode entre el 195 aC i mitjan segle II dC. Es tracta d’assolir noves hipòtesis sobre el final relativament sobtat que pateix la fundació massaliota, quin són els motius del seu abandonament, si aquest es produeix totalment, quins fets porten a la recuperació d’aquest espai i quin paper pot jugar l'àmbit periurbà de Rhode durant tot aquest període. Alhora, es cerca posar en relació els esdeveniments que passen a Rhode amb el procés de romanització que pateix el territori

Modelització i simulació del motor d'inducció en règim transitori amb PSIM

El present treball pretén modelitzar i simular el motor d’inducció trifàsic en règim transitori amb PSIM 6.0 Demo(la versió del programa que s’utilitza actualment a l’Escola Politècnica Superior de la UdG), però també s’estudia el model en règim permanent, per tal de comparar a nivell teòric els resultats dels dos règims. Primer cal entendre i implementar el model del motor d’inducció, i així obtenir l'esquema equivalent en règim transitori, per després poder-lo simular. Abans de dur a terme la simulació, cal obtenir els paràmetres del circuit equivalent del motor real per introduir-los al programa informàtic, amb la finalitat de tenir precisió en les respostes. Aquests valors s’obtindran mitjançant assajos necessaris al laboratori. Posteriorment, es fan simulacions i pràctiques reals amb el motor treballen en diferents condicions per veure el seu comportament, i així poder comparar els resultats de la simulació amb els valors reals. També s’implementa un estudi de la influencia dels paràmetres interns en el funcionament del motor. Així es podrà visualitzar i comparar les respostes de diferents variables en cadascunes de les simulacions que es duguin a terme. Finalment, seria interessant la introducció de la màquina d’inducció trifàsica actuant com a generador en la simulació.Aquest és un estudi en el qual se simula la màquina d'inducció trifàsic en règim transitori i en règim permanent mitjançant l'ús del PSIM, que és el programa informàtic de simulació

Millora d'un motor monocilíndric de 4T

En el nostre treball final de carrera tindrem com objecte la millora de les prestacions d’un motor de 4T per a una motocicleta d’enduro. L’augment de potència s’aconseguirà des de diferents perspectives, variant el sistema d’admissió, el canvi de la distribució de les vàlvules de la culata o variant la lubrificació del pistó. Per realitzar l’objecte d’aquest treball utilitzarem com a base de l’estudi el motor de 4T de la FSE 450 del 2004 de GASGAS Motos SA. El motor de 4T utilitzat està orientat cap a una utilització d’enduro, per tant amb unes característiques de parell determinades. Partirem de l’anàlisi d’un motor amb sistema d’admissió per depressió (carburador convencional) idesprés instal·larem el sistema d’injecció indirecta monopunt. La millora també afectarà a l’estil de conducció de la motocicleta, per tant comentarem els resultats obtinguts des de dues perspectives: d’una conducció estàndard i una d’esportiva

Primary motor cortex involvement in Alzheimer disease.

In Alzheimer disease (AD) the involvement of entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and associative cortical areas is well established. Regarding the involvement of the primary motor cortex the reported data are contradictory. In order to determine whether the primary motor cortex is involved in AD, the brains of 29 autopsy cases were studied, including, 17 cases with severe cortical AD-type changes with definite diagnoses of AD, 7 age-matched cases with discrete to moderate cortical AD-type changes, and 5 control cases without any AD-type cortical changes. Morphometric analysis of the cortical surface occupied by senile plaques (SPs) on beta-amyloid-immunostained sections and quantitative analysis of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) on Gallyas-stained sections was performed in 5 different cortical areas including the primary motor cortex. The percentage of cortical surface occupied by SPs was similar in all cortical areas, without significant difference and corresponded to 16.7% in entorhinal cortex, 21.3% in frontal associative, 16% in parietal associative, and 15.8% in primary motor cortex. The number of NFTs in the entorhinal cortex was significantly higher (41 per 0.4 mm2), compared with those in other cortical areas (20.5 in frontal, 17.9 in parietal and 11.5 in the primary motor cortex). Our findings indicate that the primary motor cortex is significantly involved in AD and suggest the appearance of motor dysfunction in late and terminal stages of the disease.

Natureza e gravidade das lesões em vítimas de acidente de trânsito de veículo a motor

Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo que teve por objetivo caracterizar a natureza e gravidade da lesão de pacientes hospitalizados, vítimas de acidente de trânsito de veículo a motor através da Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Foram analisadas 220 vítimas internadas em uma Instituição referência para trauma em São Paulo, Brasil. Do total de pacientes, 111 eram pedestres, 83 ocupantes de auto e 26 ocupantes de moto. As lesões mais frequentes localizaram se em membros/cintura pélvica e cabeça/pescoço para toda população do estudo com gravidade de lesão AIS £ 3. Faleceram 45 vítimas, sendo dois terços de pedestres.

Relatedness among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi drives plant growth and intraspecific fungal coexistence.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbioses with most plant species. They are ecologically important determinants of plant growth and diversity. Considerable genetic variation occurs in AMF populations. Thus, plants are exposed to AMF of varying relatedness to each other. Very little is known about either the effects of coexisting AMF on plant growth or which factors influence intraspecific AMF coexistence within roots. No studies have addressed whether the genetics of coexisting AMF, and more specifically their relatedness, influences plant growth and AMF coexistence. Relatedness is expected to influence coexistence between individuals, and it has been suggested that decreasing ability of symbionts to coexist can have negative effects on the growth of the host. We tested the effect of a gradient of AMF genetic relatedness on the growth of two plant species. Increasing relatedness between AMFs lead to markedly greater plant growth (27% biomass increase with closely related compared to distantly related AMF). In one plant species, closely related AMF coexisted in fairly equal proportions but decreasing relatedness lead to a very strong disequilibrium between AMF in roots, indicating much stronger competition. Given the strength of the effects with such a shallow relatedness gradient and the fact that in the field plants are exposed to a steeper gradient, we consider that AMF relatedness can have a strong role in plant growth and the ability of AMF to coexist. We conclude that AMF relatedness is a driver of plant growth and that relatedness is also a strong driver of intraspecific coexistence of these ecologically important symbionts.

L'évaluation actuarielle de la dangerosité: impasses éthiques et dérives sociétales

Le débat qui s'est instauré autour de l'évaluation de la dangerosité par des outils statistiques actuariels s'inscrit dans une évolution préoccupante des pratiques pénales et des attentes sociales. L'instauration de privations de liberté à durée indéterminée et l'utilisation de l'évaluation psychiatrique pour déterminer cette privation peuvent conduire à utiliser ces outils d'évaluation comme facteurs de stigmatisation et d'exclusion. Outils cliniques lorsqu'ils ont été créés, ils sont souvent utilisés comme supports de nouveaux modes de gestion des populations pénales. Ils peuvent aussi contribuer à un renforcement de la stigmatisation sociale à l'égard de la maladie psychique en assimilant celle-ci à un risque de violence. L'évaluation du risque de violence doit donc rester une pratique avant tout clinique où l'usage d'instruments d'aide à la réflexion garde sa pertinence, mais doit faire l'objet d'une interrogation éthique et de définition de règles de bonne pratique.