16/6-idiotype expressing antibodies induce brain inflammation and cognitive impairment in mice: the mosaic of central nervous system involvement in lupus

Background: The 16/6-idiotype (16/6-Id) of the human anti-DNA antibody was found to induce experimental lupus in naive mice, manifested by production of autoantibodies, leukopenia and elevated inflammatory markers, as well as kidney and brain involvement. We assessed behavior and brain pathology of naive mice injected intracerebra-ventricularly (ICV) with the 16/6-Id antibody. Methods: C3H female mice were injected ICV to the right hemisphere with the human 16/6-Id antibody or commercial human IgG antibodies (control). The mice were tested for depression by the forced swimming test (FST), locomotor and explorative activity by the staircase test, and cognitive functions were examined by the novel object recognition and Y-maze tests. Brain slices were stained for inflammatory processes. Results: 16/6-Id injected mice were cognitively impaired as shown by significant differences in the preference for a new object in the novel object recognition test compared to controls (P = 0.012). Similarly, the preference for spatial novelty in the Y-maze test was significantly higher in the control group compared to the 16/6-Id-injected mice (42% vs. 9%, respectively, P = 0.065). Depression-like behavior and locomotor activity were not significantly different between the16/6-Id-injected and the control mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed an increase in astrocytes and microglial activation in the hippocampus and amygdala, in the 16/6-Id injected group compared to the control. Conclusions: Passive transfer of 16/6-Id antibodies directly into mice brain resulted in cognitive impairments and histological evidence for brain inflammation. These findings shed additional light on the diverse mosaic pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric lupus.

The institutional environment and its influence on political options to Protect Winnipeg’s Female garments Workers against the impact of globalization

The principal objective of this paper is to identify the relationship between the re­sults of the Canadian policies implemented to protect female workers against the impact of globalization on the garment industry and the institutional setting in which this labour market is immersed in Winnipeg. This research paper begins with a brief summary of the institutional theory appro­ach that sheds light on the analysis of the effects of institutions on the policy options to protect female workers of the Winnipeg garment industry. Next, this paper identi­fies the set of beliefs, formal procedures, routines, norms and conventions that cha­racterize the institutional environment of the female workers of Winnipeg’s garment industry. Subsequently, this paper descri­bes the impact of free trade policies on the garment industry of Winnipeg. Afterward, this paper presents an analysis of the ba­rriers that the institutional features of the garment sector in Winnipeg can set to the successful achievement of policy options addressed to protect the female workforce of this sector. Three policy options are considered: ethical purchasing; training/retraining programs and social engage­ment support for garment workers; and protection of migrated workers through promoting and facilitating bonds between Canada’s trade unions and trade unions of the labour sending countries. Finally, this paper concludes that the formation of isolated cultural groups inside of factories; the belief that there is gender and race discrimination on the part of the garment industry management against workers; the powerless social conditions of immi­grant women; the economic rationality of garment factories’ managers; and the lack of political will on the part of Canada and the labour sending countries to set effective bilateral agreements to protect migrate wor­kers, are the principal barriers that divide the actors involved in the garment industry in Winnipeg. This division among the prin­cipal actors of Winnipeg’s garment industry impedes the change toward more efficient institutions and, hence, the successful achievement of policy options addressed to protect women workers. 

The Pedagogical Congresses of Portuguese Secondary Teaching : the participation of female teachers (1927-1928)

This paper was written within the context of the research project “The development of teacher’ associative organizations and unionism (1889-1990)” funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology). Five important congresses about secondary education were organized in Portugal between 1927 and 1931. These congresses served to claim the rights of teachers and the consolidation of the class, as well as to promote the discussion of scientific and pedagogical problems. In these congresses, the presence of female teachers was residual. However, the few teachers who participated had a significant contribution to the definition of secondary education during the following decades. Among other issues, it contributed to the discussion of female education and to analyze the importance of Biology and Physical Education in high schools. This paper presents the analysis of the minutes of the 1927s and 1928s Congresses. This analysis allowed the assessment of the important role played by a group of teachers to define, at the end of the first third of the 20th century, the future guidelines of Portuguese secondary education. It also reported that these teachers were pioneers who opened the way for the increasing number of teachers in secondary education during the 20th century.

A case of intestinal lymphangictasia with lipogranulomatous lymphangitis in a female rottweiler dog

Uma cadela, fêmea, de raça Rottweiller de três anos de idade apresentou-se com sinais clínicos de diarreira crónica, perda de peso grave e vómito esporádico. A histopatologia revelou uma linfangiectasia intestinal com linfangite lipogranulomatosa. A linfangiectasia intestinal consiste numa dilatação patológica dos vasos linfáticos intestinais, sendo a causa mais frequente de enteropatia com perda de proteína no cão. Este trabalho consiste na apresentação do caso clínico e numa breve revisão da literatura.

Find the difference! : eye tracking study on information seeking behavior using an online game

With the advent of digital era web applications have become inevitable part of our lives. We are using the web to manage even the financially or ethically sensitive issues. For this reason exploration of information seeking behavior is an exciting area of research. Current study provides insight on information seeking behavior using a classic ‘Find the Difference’ game. 50 university students between the age of 19 and 26 participated in the study. Eye movement data were recorded with a Tobii T120 device. Participants carried out 4 continuous tasks. Each task included two pictures side by side with 7 hidden differences. After finishing the tasks, participants were asked to repeat the game with the same picture set. This data collection methodology allows the evaluation of learning curves. Additionally, participants were asked about their hand preference. For the purpose of analysis the following metrics were applied: task times (including saccades), fixation count and fixation duration (without saccades). The right- and left-hand side on each picture was selected as AOI (Area of Interest) to detect side preference in connection with hand preference. Results suggest a significant difference between male and female participants regarding aggregated task times (male 58.37s respectively female 68.37s), deviation in the number of fixations and fixation duration (apparently female have less but longer fixations) and also in the distribution of fixations between AOIs. Using eyetracking data current paper highlights the similarities and differences in information acquisition strategies respectively reveals gender and education (Arts vs. Sciences) dependent characteristics of interaction.

Pathomechanics of posterior ankle impingement syndrome in female ballet dancers

A dança é uma actividade de grande exigência atlética, que pode conduzir a um elevado número de lesões, particularmente na região do tornozelo, possivelmente devido à amplitude extrema do movimento articular de flexão plantar do mesmo, que os bailarinos, especialmente do sexo feminino possuem, para realizar a ponta e meia ponta tão características do ballet clássico (Kadel, 2006; Motta-Valencia, 2006; Russel, Kruse, Koutedakis, McEwan, Wyon, 2010). Estas posições de flexão plantar extrema produzem força excessiva na região posterior do tornozelo, o que muitas vezes pode resultar em conflito, dor e incapacidade, representando na maioria das vezes um desafio de diagnóstico. O síndrome do conflito posterior do tornozelo refere-se a um grupo de entidades patológicas que resultam da flexão plantar forçada do tornozelo, de forma repetitiva ou traumática, causando um conflito das estruturas ósseas e/ou de tecidos moles (Hamilton, Geppert, Thompson, 1996; Hamilton, 2008) . Os objectivos deste projecto são compreender os quais os factores de risco, mecânicos e funcionais que contribuem para a mecânica patológica da lesão descritos na literatura, e proceder a uma avaliação biomecânica do movimento de flexão plantar do tornozelo. Método. Realizar uma revisão sistemática de literatura dirigida á mecânica patológica do síndrome do conflito posterior do tornozelo em bailarinas e conduzir um estudo caso-controlo, cujo objectivo é avaliar, comparar e descrever o movimento da flexão plantar do tornozelo realizado ao efectuar os movimentos de ponta e meia-ponta, em bailarinas pré-profissionais com e sem lesão recorrente resultante do conflito posterior do tornozelo. Resultados. Não foram encontrados estudos relacionados especificamente com a mecânica patológica do tornozelo, no entanto vários estudos foram encontrados considerando as características clínicas e anatómicas assim como os procedimentos de tratamento, indicando que os principais factores de risco relacionados com a lesão se dividem em factores mecânicos e funcionais que quando combinados entre si e associados ao sobre-uso podem resultar no conflito posterior do tornozelo. Na avaliação do movimento foram observadas diferenças na actividade muscular entre os sujeitos com lesão e controlos, tendo sido possível a observação de um padrão na sequência de activação para um dos movimentos testados. Na oscilação postural e na rigidez do tornozelo foram também observadas diferenças entre os sujeitos bem como entre as posições realizadas. Conclusão. Concluiu-se que não sendo possível alterar a anatomia do bailarino, por vezes é possível intervir a nível funcional melhorando a capacidade técnica de forma obter um melhor desempenho e a actuar preventivamente em relação às lesões, uma vez que estas podem apresentar padrões cinéticos próprios, relacionados com a função muscular, a estabilidade postural e a rigidez articular.

Effect of auditory processing on the preference of monaural amplification for adults with symmetrical hearing loss

The purpose of this project was to determine if subjects with symmetrical hearing loss who prefer a monaural hearing aid fit to a binaural hearing aid fit may demonstrate an auditory processing disorder causing them to experience binaural interference when fit binaurally.

Subjective preference for a high power hearing aid utilizing a directional microphone

This paper discusses the use of a directional microphone by hearing aid users.