Neural Dynamics of Saccadic and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement Coordination during Visual Tracking of Unpredictably Moving Targets

How does the brain use eye movements to track objects that move in unpredictable directions and speeds? Saccadic eye movements rapidly foveate peripheral visual or auditory targets and smooth pursuit eye movements keep the fovea pointed toward an attended moving target. Analyses of tracking data in monkeys and humans reveal systematic deviations from predictions of the simplest model of saccade-pursuit interactions, which would use no interactions other than common target selection and recruitment of shared motoneurons. Instead, saccadic and smooth pursuit movements cooperate to cancel errors of gaze position and velocity, and thus to maximize target visibility through time. How are these two systems coordinated to promote visual localization and identification of moving targets? How are saccades calibrated to correctly foveate a target despite its continued motion during the saccade? A neural model proposes answers to such questions. The modeled interactions encompass motion processing areas MT, MST, FPA, DLPN and NRTP; saccade planning and execution areas FEF and SC; the saccadic generator in the brain stem; and the cerebellum. Simulations illustrate the model’s ability to functionally explain and quantitatively simulate anatomical, neurophysiological and behavioral data about SAC-SPEM tracking.

Target Selection by Frontal Cortex During Coordinated Saccadic and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement

Oculomotor tracking of moving objects is an important component of visually based cognition and planning. Such tracking is achieved by a combination of saccades and smooth pursuit eye movements. In particular, the saccadic and smooth pursuit systems interact to often choose the same target, and to maximize its visibility through time. How do multiple brain regions interact, including frontal cortical areas, to decide the choice of a target among several competing moving stimuli? How is target selection information that is created by a bias (e.g., electrical stimulation) transferred from one movement system to another? These saccade-pursuit interactions are clarified by a new computational neural model, which describes interactions among motion processing areas MT, MST, FPA, DLPN; saccade specification, selection, and planning areas LIP, FEF, SNr, SC; the saccadic generator in the brain stem; and the cerebellum. Model simulations explain a broad range of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological data. These results are in contrast with the simplest parallel model with no interactions between saccades and pursuit than common-target selection and recruitment of shared motoneurons. Actual tracking episodes in primates reveal multiple systematic deviations from predictions of the simplest parallel model, which are explained by the current model.

Feleucin-BO1: A Novel Antimicrobial Non-Apeptide Amide from the Skin Secretion of the Toad, Bombina orientalis, and Design of a Potent Broad-Spectrum Synthetic Analogue, Feleucin-K3

Feleucins-BV1 and -BV2 are recently-described prototypes of a novel antimicrobial nonapeptide (AMP) family identified in the skin secretion of the bombinid toad, Bombina variegata. They are encoded on different precursors that also encode a novel bombinin. Here we describe the identification of feleucin-BO1 (FLGLLGSLLamide) which is co-encoded with a different novel bombinin, named feleucin precursor-associated bombinin (FPA-bombinin-BO), from the skin secretion of Bombina orientalis. Synthetic feleucin-BO1 displayed activity against a reference Gram-positive bacterium. Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 34 μM) but was inactive (> 250 μM) against the Gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli, and the yeast, Candida albicans. This pattern of activity was similar to that of the prototypes. Design and synthesis of a cationicity-enhanced analogue, feleucin-K3 (F-K3), in which the amino acid residues at positions 3 (G), 6 (G) and 7 (S) of feleucin-BO1 were substituted with Lys (K) residues, resulted in a peptide with significantly-enhanced potency and spectrum of activity. The MICs of F-K3 against the reference microorganisms were 7 μM (S. aureus), 14 μM (E. coli) and 7 μM (C. albicans). These data indicate that the skin secretions of amphibians can continue to provide novel peptide templates for the rational design of analogues with possible therapeutic utility.

Foreign Policy as Ethics: Toward a Re-Evaluation of Values

This article notes that while ethics is increasingly talked of in foreign policy, it remains a blind-spot for FPA. It argues that this must be rectified through a critical approach which conceptualises foreign policy as ethics. The first section examines how even constructivist approaches, which are highly attuned to the intersubjective sphere, still generally avoid dealing with morality. The second section looks at the possibilities and limits of one piece of constructivist theorizing that explores the translation of morality into foreign policy via ‘norms’. This demonstrates the problems that a constructivist account, with its tendency toward explanatory description without evaluation, will always face. The final section argues, through an examination of EU foreign policy (from 1999-2004) and its innovative use of ‘hospitality’, that FPA must critically reassess the value of the norms and principles by which foreign policy operates in order to suggest potentially more ethical modes of encounter.

A sad tale: has the small mussel Idas argenteus lost its symbionts?

Idas argenteus (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) belongs to a genus of mussels that are often associated with sunken wood and vertebrate bones in the deep sea. By contrast to other species currently included within the genus Idas and other related genera, such as Bathymodiolus, I. argenteus was documented to lack chemosynthetic symbionts bacterial symbionts in its gills. In the present study, new specimens are assigned to I. argenteus based on shell and soft parts analysis. Molecular data confirm the absence or low abundance of symbionts. Phylogeny based on five genes indicates that the symbiont-bearing I. washingtonius is the closest relative of I. argenteus. Symbiosis loss or extreme reduction is thus inferred to have occurred subsequent to the speciation event, 11–13 Mya. This is the first report of a loss of symbiosis within the clade of deep-sea chemosynthetic mussels.

The impact of the Arrábida Marine Park (Portugal) on the decapod crustacean Eualus cranchii: a case study

Dissertação de mestrado, Biologia Marinha, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Univerisdade do Algarve, 2015

La formación profesional.

La formación profesional es un reto en la sociedad actual, dado el desajuste existente entre necesidades profesionales y formación educativa. Se recoge la opinión del Ministro de Trabajo a este respecto, en un discurso pronunciado en la universidad de La Laguna. Por otro lado hay que tener en cuenta tres aspectos en la formación profesional: la formación técnica, humana y cultural, aunque solo se va a profundizar en la formación técnica, y su influencia en la promoción social. La enseñanza de la formación técnica ha evolucionado, ya que se ha producido un aumento de los conocimientos tecnológicos, de las relaciones con la industria y de la coordinación entre el plano teórico y práctico. Para su enseñanza hay que considerar dos elementos: los conocimientos y la metodología didáctica. Además la sociedad industrial desarrollada tiene unos requerimientos concretos en torno a la formación profesional. Se pueden distinguir tres tipos de formación profesional: la acelerada (FPA), la integral (FPI) y la clásica (FP). Se trata de adecuar cada tipo de formación a las distintas necesidades. Para terminar se trata el problema de la formación profesional en la empresa. Aquí se distinguen dos tipos de formación profesional: formación en la empresa y la formación profesional integral.

Situación actual de la educación en España : aportaciones educativas al margen del MEN (2).

Se describe en estas páginas la tarea que desarrollaban determinadas instituciones para el caso de las denominadas enseñanzas no cíclicas, exponiéndose las actividades educativas de los Ministerios de Trabajo, Organización Sindical, Iglesia y Consejo Superior Bancario. En el Ministerio de Trabajo, algunas de las actividades que se realizaban eran: la Escuela de Capacitación Social de Trabajadores, las Universidades Laborales de Tarragona, Córdoba, Sevilla y Gijón, Formación Profesional Industrial, Enseñanza Media y Profesional y Estudios Técnicos de Grado Medio. En cuanto a la Organización Sindical, organizaba cursos de Formación Profesional Industrial, Formación Profesional Agrícola, se daba la cooperación como sistema económico-social, Formación Profesional Artesana, la Oficina Sindical de Formación Profesional Acelerada (FPA), Protección escolar a través de la Junta Central de Becas, programas de capacitación social y sindical. La Iglesia disponía de centros de Enseñanza Primaria y formación de maestros, Enseñanza Media y Enseñanza Superior. Por último, el Consejo Superior Bancario ofrecía programas de formación para el profesorado, perfección de planes de estudio y programas de extensión cultural.

Efeitos de fontes de fósforo e da calagem na produção de amendoim

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Brazil Anticorpos anti-Brucella canis e anti-Brucella abortus em caes de Araguaina, Tocantins

The aims of the present study were to determine the seroprevalence of infection by Brucella canis and Brucella abortus and to evaluate possible risk factors for infection in dogs from Araguaina, Tocantins, Brazil. Sera from 374 dogs, of the urban zones of the municipality, from both sexes, were submitted to the agar-gel immunodiffusion for Brucella canisantibodies and to rose Bengal test (AAT) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) for Brucella abortus-antibodies. From the 374 tested dogs, 21 reacted in the AAT, but no one was positive in the FPA. The seroprevalence of B. canis infection found in Araguaina, Tocantins, Brazil, was 44.53% (95% IC; 39.43 to 49.72). No association was found among seropositivity for B. canis and the risk factors studied. Thus, data from the present study showed that there was no infection by B. abortus among dogs in the sample and that infection by B. canis is widespread and at high prevalence in Araguaina, Tocantins, Brazil.

Resposta sorológica de bezerras da raça Tabapuã recém-vacinadas com amostra B19 de Brucella abortus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desenvolvimento e validação geométrica de um sistema para mapeamento com câmeras digitais de médio formato

Pós-graduação em Ciências Cartográficas - FCT

Leptospira spp. e Brucella spp. em tartarugas-da-Amazônia (Podocnemis expansa) do Vale do Rio Araguaia - GO

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Avaliação de testes sorológicos no diagnóstico da brucelose suína em amostras provenientes de um frigorífico e de um rebanho naturalmente infectado do Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Anticorpos contra Leptospira spp. e Brucella spp. em equiídeos da região Sul do Brasil abatidos em matadouro-frigorífico

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV