Absence of flash-lag when judging global shape from local positions

When a flash is presented aligned with a moving stimulus, the former is perceived to lag behind the latter (the flash-lag effect). We study whether this mislocalization occurs when a positional judgment is not required, but a veridical spatial relationship between moving and flashed stimuli is needed to perceive a global shape. To do this, we used Glass patterns that are formed by pairs of correlated dots. One dot of each pair was presented moving and, at a given moment, the other dot of each pair was flashed in order to build the Glass pattern. If a flash-lag effect occurs between each pair of dots, we expect the best perception of the global shape to occur when the flashed dots are presented before the moving dots arrive at the position that physically builds the Glass pattern. Contrary to this, we found that the best detection of Glass patterns occurred for the situation of physical alignment. This result is not consistent with a low-level contribution to the flash-lag effect.

Estudo de otimização de imagens em fluoroscopia intervencionista

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho é o de estudar a otimização da qualidade da imagem fluoroscópica e a taxa de kerma no ar de entrada na superfície do paciente em procedimentos de radiologia intervencionista, utilizando-se de um objeto simulador adaptado para fluoroscopia. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi utilizado um objeto simulador desenvolvido para avaliação de imagens em radiologia convencional. O objeto simulador foi adaptado para fluoroscopia mediante incorporação de dois cateteres com diferentes espessuras, ambos utilizados em radiologia intervencionista. Os níveis de taxa de kerma no ar de entrada na superfície do paciente foram determinados utilizando-se este objeto simulador. RESULTADOS: A avaliação dos parâmetros técnicos para diversos modos de exposição de um equipamento fluoroscópico com digitalização de imagens permitiu estabelecer os indicadores de taxa de kerma no ar, que permitem a otimização da qualidade das imagens em procedimentos intervencionistas. A redução na taxa de kerma no ar de entrada na superfície do paciente pode chegar a 67%. CONCLUSÃO: A otimização da qualidade da imagem utilizando-se um objeto simulador possibilita reduzir a taxa de kerma no ar de entrada na superfície do paciente, sem perda considerável de informação diagnóstica.

Otimização da dose em exames de rotina em tomografia computadorizada: estudo de viabilidade em um Hospital Universitário

OBJETIVO: Estudar a viabilidade de redução da dose de radiação em protocolos de aquisição de imagens de tomografia helicoidal em um hospital universitário. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi realizado levantamento de dose de radiação de protocolos de tomografia com objetos simuladores e câmara de ionização. Foram propostas variações de kVp e mAs, determinando-se a média de ruído. Protocolos com valores de ruído menores ou iguais a 1% foram submetidos à avaliação qualitativa de contraste e resolução espacial por três observadores. RESULTADOS: Foram realizados 22 testes de variações para o protocolo de crânio pediátrico, 26 para crânio adulto, 28 para abdome e 18 para tórax. A redução da dose conseguida variou entre 7,4-13% para protocolo de crânio pediátrico, 3,8-25% para crânio adulto, 9,6-34,3% para abdome e 6,4-12% para tórax. Notou-se também que a utilização de ferramentas de janelamento e zoom favoreceu o aceite das imagens pelos observadores. CONCLUSÃO: É possível reduzir os níveis de dose de radiação em até 34,4%, comparativamente aos protocolos utilizados na rotina, mantendo-se o ruído em níveis aceitáveis. O uso de ferramentas de manipulação digital das imagens possibilitou a aceitação de imagens com níveis maiores de ruído, favorecendo o processo de redução de dose de radiação.

La competència intercultural com a recurs per a contemplar una dimensió global i inclusiva del col·lectiu amazic. En relació amb les competències bàsiques i l'àrea d'educació física de primària

Des que es va iniciar el segle, i a causa dels grans fluxos migratoris de procedències diverses, la població de Catalunya s’ha incrementat en més d’1 milió d’habitants. Diferents actors socials reivindiquen que un dels reptes presents en la societat catalana és reduir les diferències i en alguns casos les desigualtats que es detecten entre la població autòctona i la població d’origen estranger. Amb tot això, diversos autors afirmen que l’espai d’Educació Física de Primària és un espai òptim per atendre a la diversitat cultural, promoure els valors humans, la no discriminació entre l'alumnat i la cohesió i inclusió social. Amb tot aquest marc, apareix el professorat d’Educació Física de Primària i la competència intercultural com a agents de canvi per tal de promocionar la inclusió social en les seves sessions i de retruc en societat. En aquest Treball de Fi de Grau, s’intentarà analitzar i aportar solucions sobre algunes de les qüestions que afecten tant als Mestres d’Educació Física de Primària com a la competència intercultural a l’hora de promocionar la inclusió social del col•lectiu Marroquí, ja que aquest és més nombrós de població estrangera empadronada a Catalunya.

The whereabouts of an ancient wonderer: Global phylogeography of the solitary ascidian Styela plicata

Genetic tools have greatly aided in tracing the sources and colonization history of introduced species. However, recurrent introductions and repeated shuffling of populations may have blurred some of the genetic signals left by ancient introductions. Styela plicata is a solitary ascidian distributed worldwide. Although its origin remains unclear, this species is believed to have spread worldwide by travelling on ship's hulls. The goals of this study were to infer the genetic structure and global phylogeography of S. plicata and to look for present-day and historical genetic patterns. Two genetic markers were used: a fragment of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) and a fragment of the nuclear gene Adenine Nucleotide Transporter/ADP-ATP Translocase (ANT). A total of 368 individuals for COI and 315 for ANT were sequenced from 17 locations worldwide. The levels of gene diversity were moderate for COI to high for ANT. The Mediterranean populations showed the least diversity and allelic richness for both markers, while the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans had the highest gene and nucleotide diversities. Network and phylogenetic analyses with COI and ANT revealed two groups of alleles separated by 15 and 4 mutational steps, respectively. The existence of different lineages suggested an ancient population split. However, the geographic distributions of these groups did not show any consistent pattern, indicating different phylogeographic histories for each gene. Genetic divergence was significant for many population-pairs irrespective of the geographic distance among them. Stochastic introduction events are reflected in the uneven distribution of COI and ANT allele frequencies and groups among many populations. Our results confirmed that S. plicata has been present in all studied oceans for a long time, and that recurrent colonization events and occasional shuffling among populations have determined the actual genetic structure of this species.

Thermal Degradation of Small Molecules: A Global Metabolomic Investigation.

Thermal processes are widely used in small molecule chemical analysis and metabolomics for derivatization, vaporization, chromatography, and ionization, especially in gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In this study the effect of heating was examined on a set of 64 small molecule standards and, separately, on human plasma metabolite extracts. The samples, either derivatized or underivatized, were heated at three different temperatures (60, 100, and 250 °C) at different exposure times (30 s, 60 s, and 300 s). All the samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and the data processed by XCMS Online ( xcmsonline.scripps.edu ). The results showed that heating at an elevated temperature of 100 °C had an appreciable effect on both the underivatized and derivatized molecules, and heating at 250 °C created substantial changes in the profile. For example, over 40% of the molecular peaks were altered in the plasma metabolite analysis after heating (250 °C, 300s) with a significant formation of degradation and transformation products. The analysis of 64 small molecule standards validated the temperature-induced changes observed on the plasma metabolites, where most of the small molecules degraded at elevated temperatures even after minimal exposure times (30 s). For example, tri- and diorganophosphates (e.g., adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate) were readily degraded into a mono-organophosphate (e.g., adenosine monophosphate) during heating. Nucleosides and nucleotides (e.g., inosine and inosine monophosphate) were also found to be transformed into purine derivatives (e.g., hypoxanthine). A newly formed transformation product, oleoyl ethyl amide, was identified in both the underivatized and derivatized forms of the plasma extracts and small molecule standard mixture, and was likely generated from oleic acid. Overall these analyses show that small molecules and metabolites undergo significant time-sensitive alterations when exposed to elevated temperatures, especially those conditions that mimic sample preparation and analysis in GC/MS experiments.

Estudo de otimização de protocolo em cintilografia de perfusão miocárdica com a utilização de um simulador antropomórfico

Objetivo:Realizar um estudo de otimização de exames de cintilografia de perfusão miocárdica.Materiais e Métodos:Foram adquiridas imagens de um objeto simulador antropomórfico de tórax contendo coração, pulmões, fígado e coluna vertebral, em uma gama câmara SPECT GE modelo Ventri, utilizando-se diferentes atividades e variando-se os tempos de aquisição, de forma a verificar a influência destes parâmetros na qualidade da imagem clínica reconstruída. Foi utilizado o radiofármaco 99mTc-sestamibi e os testes realizados foram avaliados clinicamente a partir de notas, tanto para o summed stress score quanto para a qualidade técnica da imagem e perfusão. As quantificações foram realizadas pelo software ImageJ.Resultados:Os resultados demonstraram que, para o tempo padrão utilizado na realização dos exames de 15 segundos por ângulo, a atividade injetada poderia ser reduzida em 33,34%. Além disso, se o tempo usual de exame for reduzido em 54,34% (7 segundos por ângulo), ainda assim a atividade padrão injetada poderia ser reduzida em 16,67%, sem prejudicar a qualidade da imagem e a confiabilidade do diagnóstico.Conclusão:O método desenvolvido e os resultados obtidos podem ser utilizados para o desenvolvimento de um estudo clínico de pacientes em um protocolo otimizado.

La societat civil global: les complexitats d’un espai de contestació

Societat civil global és un concepte contestat utilitzat des de diferents aproximacions per a descriure una realitat global. El working paper assenyala la utilitat d’una aproximació de societat civil global per analitzar les potencialitats de l’esfera d’abordar els reptes globals del món d’avui. D’acord amb aquesta aproximació la societat civil global és una àrea global complexa de conflicte i contestació, una àrea que ofereix un lloc i uns valors per a reconsiderar el món de diferents maneres, incloent les visions dels marginats de la societat civil. Per una millor comprensió del concepte i dels debats actuals, el paper repassa les concepcions històriques de societat civil des de la Il·lustració fins avui i el context en el qual el concepte adquireix un nou significat i incorpora l’aspecte global. El paper és la fase inicial d’una futura recerca sobre les potencialitats de la societat civil global per a influir i modelar l’estructura del sistema internacional.

Complex patterns of global spread in invasive insects: eco-evolutionary and management consequences

The advent of simple and affordable tools for molecular identification of novel insect invaders and assessment of population diversity has changed the face of invasion biology in recent years. The widespread application of these tools has brought with it an emerging understanding that patterns in biogeography, introduction history and subsequent movement and spread of many invasive alien insects are far more complex than previously thought. We reviewed the literature and found that for a number of invasive insects, there is strong and growing evidence that multiple introductions, complex global movement, and population admixture in the invaded range are commonplace. Additionally, historical paradigms related to species and strain identities and origins of common invaders are in many cases being challenged. This has major consequences for our understanding of basic biology and ecology of invasive insects and impacts quarantine, management and biocontrol programs. In addition, we found that founder effects rarely limit fitness in invasive insects and may benefit populations (by purging harmful alleles or increasing additive genetic variance). Also, while phenotypic plasticity appears important post-establishment, genetic diversity in invasive insects is often higher than expected and increases over time via multiple introductions. Further, connectivity among disjunct regions of global invasive ranges is generally far higher than expected and is often asymmetric, with some populations contributing disproportionately to global spread. We argue that the role of connectivity in driving the ecology and evolution of introduced species with multiple invasive ranges has been historically underestimated and that such species are often best understood in a global context.

Predicted decrease in global climate suitability masks regional complexity of invasive fruit fly species response to climate change

Climate change affects the rate of insect invasions as well as the abundance, distribution and impacts of such invasions on a global scale. Among the principal analytical approaches to predicting and understanding future impacts of biological invasions are Species Distribution Models (SDMs), typically in the form of correlative Ecological Niche Models (ENMs). An underlying assumption of ENMs is that species-environment relationships remain preserved during extrapolations in space and time, although this is widely criticised. The semi-mechanistic modelling platform, CLIMEX, employs a top-down approach using species ecophysiological traits and is able to avoid some of the issues of extrapolation, making it highly applicable to investigating biological invasions in the context of climate change. The tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprise some of the most successful invasive species and serious economic pests around the world. Here we project 12 tephritid species CLIMEX models into future climate scenarios to examine overall patterns of climate suitability and forecast potential distributional changes for this group. We further compare the aggregate response of the group against species-specific responses. We then consider additional drivers of biological invasions to examine how invasion potential is influenced by climate, fruit production and trade indices. Considering the group of tephritid species examined here, climate change is predicted to decrease global climate suitability and to shift the cumulative distribution poleward. However, when examining species-level patterns, the predominant directionality of range shifts for 11 of the 12 species is eastward. Most notably, management will need to consider regional changes in fruit fly species invasion potential where high fruit production, trade indices and predicted distributions of these flies overlap.

Estratégias para a obtenção de compostos farmacologicamente ativos a partir de plantas medicinais: conceitos sobre modificação estrutural para otimização da atividade

In the present paper we discuss, based in our experience, some experimental procedures which may be employed for isolation of active compounds from medicinal plants. We have also emphasized some insights about the way to obtain more active and selective compounds from natural products through structural modifications oriented for analysis of structure-activity relationships.

Construção e otimização de um sistema para produção e aplicação de ozônio em escala de laboratório

This paper shows the assembly of an ozonization system to be used in laboratory scale, mainly to study effluent treatability. The system is simple, practical and provides easy acquisition of data when interfaced to a microcomputer. The performance of ozone generation and K La values are also described.

Otimização de um mecanismo fotoquímico para a simulação da atmosfera urbana brasileira

A photochemical reaction mechanism for the description of air quality in Brazilian urban regions is described and evaluated by comparison with chamber experiments. The mechanism was developed for use in ozone modeling and application of control strategies. The oxidation of ethanol and methyl-ter-butyl-ether is also considered. Using this chemical model, a trajectory simulation of Brazil Avenue, Rio de Janeiro, was performed. The model predicts that ozone should reach a maximum of 22.4 ppb at 14:57 h. This value is in good agreement with the experimental measurements of 22.5 ppb for 14:00 h and 22.3 ppb for 15:00 h.

Development of tender information process by business intelligence in a global company unit

The purpose of this Thesis was to study what is the present situation of Business Intelligence of the company unit. This means how efficiently unit uses possibilities of modern information management systems. The aim was to resolve how operative informa-tion management of unit’s tender process could be improved by modern information technology applications. This makes it possible that tender processes could be faster and more efficiency. At the beginning it was essential to acquaint oneself with written literature of Business Intelligence. Based on Business Intelligence theory is was relatively easy but challenging to search and discern how tender business could be improved by methods of Busi-ness Intelligence. The empirical phase of this study was executed as qualitative research method. This phase includes theme and natural interviews on the company. Problems and challenges of tender process were clarified in a part an empirical phase. Group of challenges were founded when studying information management of company unit. Based on theory and interviews, group of improvements were listed which company could possible do in the future when developing its operative processes.