Integration of olfactory information in a spatial representation enabling accurate arm choice in the radial arm maze

The aim of the present study was to determine whether and how rats can use local olfactory cues for spatial orientation. Rats were trained in an eight-arm radial maze under different conditions as defined by the presence or absence of supplementary olfactory cues marking each arm, the availability of distant visuospatial information, and the illumination of the maze (light or darkness). The different visual conditions were designed to dissociate among the effects of light per se and those of visuospatial cues, on the use of olfactory cues for accurate arm choice. Different procedures with modifications of the arrangement of olfactory cues were used to determine if rats formed a representation of the spatial configuration of the olfactory cues and if they could rely on such a representation for accurate arm choice in the radial maze. The present study demonstrated that the use of olfactory cues to direct arm choice in the radial arm maze was critically dependent on the illumination conditions and implied two different modes of processing of olfactory information according to the presence or the absence of light. Olfactory cues were used in an explicit manner and enabled accurate arm choice only in the absence of light. Rats, however, had an implicit memory of the location of the olfactory cues and formed a representation of the spatial position of these cues, whatever the lighting conditions. They did not memorize the spatial configuration of the olfactory cues per se but needed these cues to be linked to the external spatial frame of reference.

The cells and peripheral representation of sodium taste in mice.

Salt taste in mammals can trigger two divergent behavioural responses. In general, concentrated saline solutions elicit robust behavioural aversion, whereas low concentrations of NaCl are typically attractive, particularly after sodium depletion. Notably, the attractive salt pathway is selectively responsive to sodium and inhibited by amiloride, whereas the aversive one functions as a non-selective detector for a wide range of salts. Because amiloride is a potent inhibitor of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), ENaC has been proposed to function as a component of the salt-taste-receptor system. Previously, we showed that four of the five basic taste qualities-sweet, sour, bitter and umami-are mediated by separate taste-receptor cells (TRCs) each tuned to a single taste modality, and wired to elicit stereotypical behavioural responses. Here we show that sodium sensing is also mediated by a dedicated population of TRCs. These taste cells express the epithelial sodium channel ENaC, and mediate behavioural attraction to NaCl. We genetically engineered mice lacking ENaCalpha in TRCs, and produced animals exhibiting a complete loss of salt attraction and sodium taste responses. Together, these studies substantiate independent cellular substrates for all five basic taste qualities, and validate the essential role of ENaC for sodium taste in mice.

Record keeping by Swiss physiotherapists--a national survey of knowledge regarding legal requirements.

A national survey conducted in Switzerland aimed to evaluate the knowledge of physiotherapists regarding the legal requirements for record keeping and to collect their feedback about record keeping in general. Three physiotherapists from various professional practice groups and a lawyer specialised in health law developed a questionnaire that was sent to the 7,753 members of two existing national associations of physiotherapists. The questionnaire evaluated the participants' knowledge by calculating a score of legal knowledge, which had a maximum of 30 points. We included 825 questionnaires in the analysis. The large majority (83.4%) of participants confessed an ignorance of the legal requirements concerning record keeping prior to the survey. The average score of legal compatibility was 8 points. The younger age of the physiotherapists was a significant predictor of having knowledge of the legal requirements for record keeping (p <0.001). The participants had an appreciation of the value of records, but they did not have the relevant knowledge regarding the legal requirements for keeping records. The participants blamed a lack of time and remuneration for their failure to keep records according to known requirements. All practising allied health professionals should keep up-to-date and accurate records that conform to active legal requirements and existing international guidelines. In addition to the existing legal requirements, the emergence of e-health and the electronic era will trigger major changes in patient record management by physiotherapists.

Secular trends in legal and illegal substance use among 16 to 20 year old adolescents in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Data targeting trends in legal and illegal substance use by adolescents are scarce. Using the data from two similar large national surveys run in 1993 and 2002, this paper assesses secular trends in rates of substance use among 16-20-year-old Swiss adolescents. METHODS: Self-reported regular use of tobacco, alcohol misuse, regular cannabis use (01 occasion over last 30 days) and lifetime use of psychoactive medication, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and heroine were assessed through identical questions using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. 9268 (1993) and 7428 (2002) high school students and apprentices were included in the analyses. RESULTS: There is a higher proportion of regular smokers among apprentices than among students (p <0.001). Between 1993 and 2002 the increase in regular tobacco consumption was significant among both female and male apprentices (p <0.001) but not among students. Between 1993 and 2002 alcohol misuse significantly increased in all four groups (p <0.001). It is more prevalent among males than among females (p <0.001) and higher among apprentices than among students (p <0.001). Regular use of cannabis has increased in the four groups (p <0.0001). It is higher among males than among females (p <0.001), while it is largely the same among students and apprentices. While the increase in ecstasy use is highly significant in all four groups (p <0.001), the increase in LSD and cocaine use is significant among apprentices only (p <0.001). Use of LSD, ecstasy and cocaine is more prevalent among males than among females (<0.001) and higher among apprentices than among students (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: The secular increase in psychoactive substance use among older Swiss adolescents calls for the implementation of effective strategies both from individual and public health viewpoints.

Molecular autopsy in sudden cardiac death and its implication for families: discussion of the practical, legal and ethical aspects of the multidisciplinary collaboration.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major cause of premature death in young adults and children in developed countries. Standard forensic autopsy procedures are often unsuccessful in determining the cause of SCD. Post-mortem genetic testing, also called molecular autopsy, has revealed that a non-negligible number of these deaths are a result of inherited cardiac diseases, including arrhythmic disorders such as congenital long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome. Due to the heritability of these diseases, the potential implications for living relatives must be taken into consideration. Advanced diagnostic analyses, genetic counselling, and interdisciplinary collaboration should be integral parts of clinical and forensic practice. In this article we present a multidisciplinary collaboration established in Lausanne, with the goal of properly informing families of these pathologies and their implications for surviving family members. In Switzerland, as in many other countries, legal guidelines for genetic testing do not address the use of molecular tools for post-mortem genetic analyses in forensic practice. In this article we present the standard practice guidelines established by our multidisciplinary team.

Effect of the Knowledge Representation Form on the Efficiency of Knowledge Sharing

The goal of this thesis is to estimate the effect of the form of knowledge representation on the efficiency of knowledge sharing. The objectives include the design of an experimental framework which would allow to establish this effect, data collection, and statistical analysis of the collected data. The study follows the experimental quantitative design. The experimental questionnaire features three sample forms of knowledge: text, mind maps, concept maps. In the interview, these forms are presented to an interviewee, afterwards the knowledge sharing time and knowledge sharing quality are measured. According to the statistical analysis of 76 interviews, text performs worse in both knowledge sharing time and quality compared to visualized forms of knowledge representation. However, mind maps and concept maps do not differ in knowledge sharing time and quality, since this difference is not statistically significant. Since visualized structured forms of knowledge perform better than unstructured text in knowledge sharing, it is advised for companies to foster the usage of these forms in knowledge sharing processes inside the company. Aside of performance in knowledge sharing, the visualized structured forms are preferable due the possibility of their usage in the system of ontological knowledge management within an enterprise.

Informe Final: Evaluación de satisfacción del cliente interno en la CCB 2009, Vicepresidencia Jurídica Eje delegados por el estado Departamento legal

Banco del conocimiento

Resolución N° 141 ¿Cuál es el criterio legal sobre el cual se apoya la Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá para evaluar posibles ineficacias de actas y/o documentos sujetos a registro?

Servicios registrales

Resolución N° 04 ¿Qué verifica la Cámara de Comercio respecto de la remoción de un administrador? ¿ cual es el efecto legal que produce la interposición del recursos en la vía gubernativa frente al acto contrato o negocio jurídico presentado para inscripción?

Servicios registrales

Resolución N° 066 ¿Cuál es la consecuencia legal de actuar a nombre de una sociedad sin tener facultades de representación?

Servicios registrales

Resolución N° 75 ¿Cuál es el régimen aplicable a las asociaciones mutuales? ¿En caso de vació legal, cuál es la jerarquía normativa para efectos de la interpretación?

Servicios registrales

Resolución N° 149 ¿Qué norma es aplicable para el intervalo requerido entre primera y segunda convocatoria de asamblea de la junta de socios cuando los estatutos regulan dicho término de forma diversa a la disposición legal aplicable?

Servicios registrales

Resolución N° 209 ¿Cómo entiende la Cámara de comercio el evento de suspensión de deliberaciones en una asamblea de accionistas respecto del tiempo que estas se pueden suspender sin que la reunión pierda validez legal?

Servicios registrales