Comparison of the reliability of multifocal visual evoked cortical potentials generated by pattern reversal and pattern pulse stimulation

This study compared the effectiveness of the multifocal visual evoked cortical potentials (mfVEP) elicited by pattern pulse stimulation with that of pattern reversal in producing reliable responses (signal-to-noise ratio >1.359). Participants were 14 healthy subjects. Visual stimulation was obtained using a 60-sector dartboard display consisting of 6 concentric rings presented in either pulse or reversal mode. Each sector, consisting of 16 checks at 99% Michelson contrast and 80 cd/m² mean luminance, was controlled by a binary m-sequence in the time domain. The signal-to-noise ratio was generally larger in the pattern reversal than in the pattern pulse mode. The number of reliable responses was similar in the central sectors for the two stimulation modes. At the periphery, pattern reversal showed a larger number of reliable responses. Pattern pulse stimuli performed similarly to pattern reversal stimuli to generate reliable waveforms in R1 and R2. The advantage of using both protocols to study mfVEP responses is their complementarity: in some patients, reliable waveforms in specific sectors may be obtained with only one of the two methods. The joint analysis of pattern reversal and pattern pulse stimuli increased the rate of reliability for central sectors by 7.14% in R1, 5.35% in R2, 4.76% in R3, 3.57% in R4, 2.97% in R5, and 1.78% in R6. From R1 to R4 the reliability to generate mfVEPs was above 70% when using both protocols. Thus, for a very high reliability and thorough examination of visual performance, it is recommended to use both stimulation protocols.

Effect of ATP and 2-oxoglutarate on the in vitro interaction between the NifA GAF domain and the GlnB protein of Azospirillum brasilense

Azospirillum brasilense is a diazotroph that associates with important agricultural crops and thus has potential to be a nitrogen biofertilizer. The A. brasilense transcription regulator NifA, which seems to be constitutively expressed, activates the transcription of nitrogen fixation genes. It has been suggested that the nitrogen status-signaling protein GlnB regulates NifA activity by direct interaction with the NifA N-terminal GAF domain, preventing the inhibitory effect of this domain under conditions of nitrogen fixation. In the present study, we show that an N-terminal truncated form of NifA no longer required GlnB for activity and lost regulation by ammonium. On the other hand, in trans co-expression of the N-terminal GAF domain inhibited the N-truncated protein in response to fixed nitrogen levels. We also used pull-down assays to show in vitro interaction between the purified N-terminal GAF domain of NifA and the GlnB protein. The results showed that A. brasilense GlnB interacts directly with the NifA N-terminal domain and this interaction is dependent on the presence of ATP and 2-oxoglutarate.

Interaction between affordance and handedness recognition: a chronometric study

The visualization of tools and manipulable objects activates motor-related areas in the cortex, facilitating possible actions toward them. This pattern of activity may underlie the phenomenon of object affordance. Some cortical motor neurons are also covertly activated during the recognition of body parts such as hands. One hypothesis is that different subpopulations of motor neurons in the frontal cortex are activated in each motor program; for example, canonical neurons in the premotor cortex are responsible for the affordance of visual objects, while mirror neurons support motor imagery triggered during handedness recognition. However, the question remains whether these subpopulations work independently. This hypothesis can be tested with a manual reaction time (MRT) task with a priming paradigm to evaluate whether the view of a manipulable object interferes with the motor imagery of the subject's hand. The MRT provides a measure of the course of information processing in the brain and allows indirect evaluation of cognitive processes. Our results suggest that canonical and mirror neurons work together to create a motor plan involving hand movements to facilitate successful object manipulation.

Novel Interaction Techniques for Mobile Augmented Reality applications. A Systematic Literature Review

This study reviews the research on interaction techniques and methods that could be applied in mobile augmented reality scenarios. The review is focused on themost recent advances and considers especially the use of head-mounted displays. Inthe review process, we have followed a systematic approach, which makes the reviewtransparent, repeatable, and less prone to human errors than if it was conducted in amore traditional manner. The main research subjects covered in the review are headorientation and gaze-tracking, gestures and body part-tracking, and multimodality– as far as the subjects are related to human-computer interaction. Besides these,also a number of other areas of interest will be discussed.

Interaction on the Page: Paratexts in two manuscripts of the Middle English Polychronicon

Tutkimuksessani tarkastelen myöhäiskeskiaikaisen maailmanhistoriateoksen, Ranulph Higdenin Polychroniconin, materiaalisia ilmentymiä. Vertailuun valittiin kaksi käsikirjoitusta, jotka sisältävät John Trevisan keskienglanninkielisen käännöksen kyseisestä teoksesta. Tutkielman lähtökohtana on ajatus, jonka mukaan käsikirjoitusten ja painettujen kirjojen välisistä eroista huolimatta myös ensin mainittuja voidaan tutkia kirjoina eli lukijan kohtaamina fyysisinä esineinä, jotka sisältävät varsinaisen tekstin lisäksi tekstuaalisia ja visuaalisia elementtejä, joilla tekstiä jäsennellään ja esitellään lukijalle ja jotka vaikuttavat lukijan lukukokemukseen ja ohjaavat lukuprosessia. Näiden elementtien kuvaamiseen ja analysointiin olen soveltanut Gérard Genetten parateksti-käsitettä, jonka käyttö käsikirjoitusten tutkimuksessa on toistaiseksi ollut vähäistä. Tutkielman tavoitteena on historiallisen pragmatiikan mukaisesti ottaa huomioon tekstien fyysinen ja sosiaalinen konteksti. Näkökulma painottuu vuorovaikutukseen kirjan tuottajien ja sen lukijoiden välillä, ja tutkielman tarkoitus on paitsi selvittää, millaisia elementtejä käsikirjoituksista löytyy lukijan lukuprosessia ohjaamaan ja tukemaan, myös tarkastella lukijoiden itsensä tekemiä merkintöjä. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että lukijoiden merkinnät noudattelivat osin samoja muotoja ja käyttötarkoituksia kuin kirjurien valmiiksi täydentämät elementit (esim. glossat) käsikirjoituksissa, mutta joitakin elementtejä täydennettiin mahdollisesti myös painettujen kirjojen myötä yleistyneiden käytäntöjen pohjalta. Analyysissani tarkastelen lähemmin myös teokseen liitettyjä esipuheita ja muita tekstejä tarkoituksenani selvittää, mitkä niistä voidaan luokitella parateksteiksi ja mikä merkitys niillä on kokonaisuuden kannalta. Tutkimuksessa kävi ilmi, että tekijän ja kääntäjän esipuheista löytyivät kaikki Genetten määrittämät kriteerit, kun taas aineiston toiseen käsikirjoitukseen sisältyvät muiden kirjoittajien tekstit eivät ole luokiteltavissa parateksteiksi, vaikka ne ulkoisesti sellaisilta vaikuttavat ja vaikka niistä on tullut paratekstien kaltainen kiinteä osa Polychroniconia.

Psychophysical estimation of acid intensity and determination of sweet-acid interaction in a fish paste containing glycerol

In a fish paste made with cooked Brazilian flathead (Percophis brasiliensis), glycerol (17%), sodium chloride (1.5%) and potassium sorbate (0.1%) the following acid percentages: 0.2; 0.4; 0.6; 0.8, 1 and 1.5% w/w were incorporated to determine the relationship between added acetic acid and the sensorially perceived intensity, and the effects of the combination of sweet-acid tastes. Tests for paired comparison, ranking and structured verbal scales for sweet and acid attributes and psychophysical test were carried out. There was a perceptible difference among samples for differences of 0.4 units of acid concentration. Samples indicated as sweeter by 89.47% of the judges were those containing a lesser acid concentration. A reduction in glycerol sweetness when increasing acid levels was observed. Acetic acid reduced the sweetness of glycerol and inversely glycerol reduced the acidity of acetic acid. The data obtained with the magnitude estimation test agree with Steven's law.

Stromal interaction molecule 1 and its role in the regulation, proliferation and protein expression in follicular ML-1 thyroid cancer cells

Calcium (Ca2+) is involved in the regulation of variety of cellular functions including hallmarks of cancer development such as cellular migration and cellular proliferation. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a central mechanism in cellular calcium signaling and in maintaining the cellular calcium balance. Stromal interaction molecule 1(STIM1) has been identified as an important constituent of SOCE. In this thesis , the STIM1 proteins are studied for their importance in cellular processes and their effects on the expression of S1P1, S1P2, S1P3, VEGFR-2, and TRPC-1 in follicular ML-1 thyroid cancer cells. The results show the importance of STIM1 proteins in SOCE in these cells. The SOCE is significantly reduced in the STIM1 knockdown cells. The results also show the importance of STIM1 proteins in the expression of S1P2 and VEGFR-2 in these cells, as knockdown of STIM1 was shown to upregulate the expression of S1P2 and VEGFR-2. The migration and proliferation is also considerably reduced in the cells in which STIM1 has been knocked down showing the significance of STIM1 in the migration and proliferation in these cells.

Mobilization of reserves and germination of seeds of Erythrina velutina Willd. (Leguminosae - Papilionoideae) under different osmotic potentials

Some environmental factors, including water availability, may influence seed germination. This study investigated the germination of E. velutina seeds submitted to different osmotic potentials and mobilization of reserves during water-stress. Scarified seeds were arranged in paper rolls and soaked in solutions of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) prepared in osmotic potentials 0.0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, and -0.8 MPa and kept into a seed germinator, at 25 °C, and 12/12 h photoperiod (L/D), during 10 days. The percentage, mean time, mean speed, germination speed index; as well as the germination uniformity coefficient were assessed. During germination process the total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, soluble protein, and total amino acids were quantified in the cotyledon, hypocotyl and radicle of soaked seeds and cotyledons of quiescent seeds (control). There was influence of osmotic potential on E. velutina seed germination. The germination percentage remained at high levels until -0.6 MPa and above this osmotic potential there has been no germination. The mobilization of stored reserves of carbon and nitrogen in E. velutina seeds was also influenced by water-stress. There was sensitiveness between -0.2 and -0.6 MPa; however, the degradation and the mobilization of reserves was slower when the osmotic potential decreased.

Integrated reporting – a new form of a firm’s interaction with stakeholders

This study examines a new kind of public reporting, called integrated reporting as a form of a firm’s interaction with stakeholders. The study concerned issues such as how the studied organization defined its stakeholders and how this definition evolved during the transition period from 2009 to 2013, how has the integrated reporting of the organization evolved as an instrument of interaction with stakeholders over the transition period, and how the organization reported its value creation according to the international integrated reporting framework in the final, full-featured report. In examining the theory, the study used a qualitative analysis method that allowed deriving conceptual tools necessary to carry out the study. This study is based on the material of the five integrated reports written in Russian from a subsidiary of a Russian public company. The subsidiary carried out the transition to an integrated reporting for the five years from 2009 to 2013. A comparative qualitative method was used in reviewing the empirical material. During the research, an active cooperation of the organization with key stakeholders was revealed, which occurred during the whole period of development of integrated reporting. As a result, integrated reports were produced in cooperation with various key stakeholders, allowing balancing the financial and non-financial information in the reports. The study found that during the transition period, integrated reports gradually changed in the direction of greater clarity and ease of access to perception, consistency of presentation and materiality. The integrated reporting of the organization began reflect the basic requirements of the international integrated reporting framework regarding the content elements and guiding principles. Thus, the organization’s reports began including features of financial and non-financial reporting and connecting the three aspects of the organization's activities: economic, environmental and social. This study reveals the importance of identifying key stakeholders and their influence on the creation of organizational value. The new form of reporting suits better the requirements of modern organizations to interact with their stakeholder groups. The integrated reporting, which reflects the principles of the international integrated reporting framework, is an active resource for companies to communicate with stakeholders and a platform of transmission the necessary information on the creation of value in the long term.

Energy Efficiency in Electrical Drive Systems: Technical potentials, barriers and policy approaches for small and medium industries in Ghana

Today industries and commerce in Ghana are facing enormous energy challenge. The pressure is on for industries to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions and provide se-cured power supply. Industrial electric motor energy efficiency improvement is one of the most important tools to reduce global warming threat and reduce electricity bills. In order to develop a strategic industrial energy efficiency policy, it is therefore necessary to study the barriers that inhibit the implementation of cost – effective energy efficiency measures and the driving forces that promote the implementation. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the energy consumption pattern of electric motors, study factors that promote or inhibit energy efficiency improvements in EMDS and provide cost – effective solutions that improve energy efficiency to bridge the existing energy efficiency gap in the surveyed industries. The results from this thesis has revealed that, the existence of low energy efficiency in motor-driven systems in the surveyed industries were due to poor maintenance practices, absence of standards, power quality issues, lack of access to capital and limited awareness to the im-portance of energy efficiency improvements in EMDS. However, based on the results pre-sented in this thesis, a policy approach towards industrial SMEs should primarily include dis-counted or free energy audit in providing the industries with the necessary information on potential energy efficiency measures, practice best motor management programmes and estab-lish a minimum energy performance standard (MEPS) for motors imported into the country. The thesis has also shown that education and capacity development programmes, financial incentives and system optimization are effective means to promote energy efficiency in elec-tric motor – driven systems in industrial SMEs in Ghana

Characterization of the chitinolytic system during the mycoparasitic interaction between Trichoderma aggressivum f. aggressivum and different host strains of Agaricus bisporus /

Green mould is a serious disease of commercially grown mushrooms, the causal agent being attributed to the filamentous soil fungus Triclzodenna aggressivum f. aggressivu11l and T. aggressivum f. ellropaellm. Found worldwide, and capable of devastating crops, this disease has caused millions of dollars in lost revenue within the mushroom industry. One mechanism used by TricllOdenlla spp. in the antagonism of other fungi, is the secretion of lytic enzymes such as chitinases, which actively degrade a host's cell wall. Therefore, the intent of this study was to examine the production of chitinase enzymes during the host-parasite interaction of Agaricus bisporus (commercial mushroom) and Triclzodemza aggressivum, focusing specifically on chitinase involvement in the differential resistance of white, off-white, and brown commercial mushroom strains. Chitinases isolated from cultures of A. bisporus and T. aggressivu11l grown together and separately, were identified following native PAGE, and analysis of fluorescence based on specific enzymatic cleavage of 4-methylumbelliferyl glucoside substrates. Results indicate that the interaction between T. aggressivulll and A. bisporus involves a complex enzyme battle. It was determined that T. aggressivum produces a number of chitinases that appear to correlate to those isolated in previous studies using biocontrol strains of T. Izarziallilm. A 122 kDa N-acetylglucosaminidase of T. aggressivu11l revealed the highest and most variable activity, and is therefore believed to be an important predictor of antifungal activity. Furthermore, results indicate that brown strain resistance of mushrooms may be related to high levels of a 96 kDa N-acetylglucosaminidase, which showed elevated activity in both solitary and dual cultures with T. aggressivum. Overall, each host-parasite combination produced unique enzyme profiles, with the majority of the differences seen between day 0 and day 6 for the extracellular chitinases. Therefore, it was concluded that the antagonistic behaviour of T. aggressivli1ll does not involve a typical response, always producing the same types and levels of enzymes, but that mycoparasitism, specifically in the form of chitinase production, may be induced and regulated based on the host presented.