La réalisation autonome des activités de la vie quotidienne dans la démence.

A côté de la pratique psychothérapique, de la recherche en laboratoire et des travaux classificatoires, nous proposons une approche anthropologique de la démence. Cette approche combine et coordonne recherche, réhabilitation et transfert des résultats dans les soins. Les activités de la Lebenswelt nous servent de situation d'observation participante. Elles satisfont les conditions nécessaires pour comprendre le patient souffrant de démence comme sujet, agent de ses actions et animé d'une motivation qui lui est propre. C'est à partir du fonctionnement subjectif, constituant une unité Individu-Environnement, que nous pouvons à la fois évaluer l'autonomie, la respecter et la promouvoir. L'étude du cas présenté sert à illustrer cette approche fonctionnelle et à définir trois catégories ancrées dans la réalisation des activités de la vie quotidienne (AVQ) : articulation, lien intentionnel et transition critique. A partir d'extraits d'observations d'une patiente réalisant deux types d'AVQ (prise du repas et toilette-habillage), nous faisons une analyse qualitative des moments-clés correspondant à nos catégories, du point de vue des capacités de la patiente et du point de vue des aides offertes. L'ordre descriptif et catégoriel de notre travail permet de dégager une structure générale en deux phases de la réalisation autonome des AVQ dans la démence.

Trypanocidal constituents in plants: 7. Mammea-type coumarins

Calophyllum brasiliense and Mammea americana (Clusiaceae) are two trees from the tropical rain forests of the American continent. A previous screening showed high trypanocidal activity in the extracts of these species. Several mammea-type coumarins, triterpenoids and biflavonoids were isolated from the leaves of C. brasiliense. Mammea A/AA was obtained from the fruit peels of M. americana. These compounds were tested in vitro against epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. The most potent compounds were mammea A/BA, A/BB, A/AA, A/BD and B/BA, with MC100 values in the range of 15 to 90 g/ml. Coumarins with a cyclized ,-dimethylallyl substituent on C-6, such as mammea B/BA, cyclo F + B/BB cyclo F, and isomammeigin, showed MC100 values > 200 g/ml. Several active coumarins were also tested against normal human lymphocytes in vitro, which showed that mammea A/AA and A/BA were not toxic. Other compounds from C. brasiliense, such as the triterpenoids, friedelin, canophyllol, the biflavonoid amentoflavone, and protocatechuic and shikimic acids, were inactive against the epimastigotes. The isopropylidenedioxy derivative of shikimic acid was inactive, and its structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Our results suggest that mammea-type coumarins could be a valuable source of trypanocidal compounds.

OER in Portugal as agent of curriculum innovation and technological change. Inducing practices of "new" teaching standards

This research project aimed the following goal: promote the creation, use and disclosure of OER in a Group of Schools, involving schools and teachers from different learning levels, expecting to test and validate the use of OER, in a learning-teaching model towards curricular innovation. Defining as a starting point different subjects and teachers from distinct academic areas, we have implemented a set of activities leading to the creation of OER supported, when possible, in FLOSS tools. We adopted an action research methodology with a dual purpose: to act within a community of teachers and students, while increasing at the same time their knowledge, as well as the researcher's. The activity was developed cooperatively in order to process a certain reality of the teaching-learning process, through practical/reflective action towards it and inducing its implementation by others in the Portuguese School System, based on the production and sharing OER.

Anti-leishmanial and structure-activity relationship of ring substituted 3-phenyl-1-(1,4-di-N-oxide quinoxalin-2-yl)-2-propen-1-one derivatives

A series of ring substituted 3-phenyl-1-(1,4-di-N-oxide quinoxalin-2-yl)-2-propen-1-one derivatives were synthesized and tested for in vitro leishmanicidal activity against amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis in axenical cultures and murine infected macrophages. Structure-activity relationships demonstrated the importance of a radical methoxy at position R3', R4' and R5'. (2E)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)-1-(3,6,7-trimethyl-1,4-dioxy-quinoxalin-2-yl)-propenone was the most active. Cytotoxicity on macrophages revealed that this product was almost six times more active than toxic.

Population structure and diversity of the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from different sources and geographic origins

Fifty-five clinical and environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from Mexico, Argentina, France and Peru were analyzed to determine their genetic variability, reproductive system and level of differentiation using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. The level of genetic variability was assessed by measuring the percentage of polymorphic loci, number of effective alleles, expected heterozygocity and by performing an association index test (I A). The degree of genetic differentiation and variation was determined using analysis of molecular variance at three levels. Using the paired genetic distances, a dendrogram was built to detect the genetic relationship among alleles. Finally, a network of haplotypes was constructed to determine the geographic relationship among them. The results indicate that the clinical isolates have greater genetic variability than the environmental isolates. The I A of the clinical and environmental isolates suggests a recombining population structure. The genetic differentiation among isolates and the dendrogram suggest that the groups of isolates are different. The network of haplotypes demonstrates that the majority of the isolates are grouped according to geographic origin.

Phylogenetic plant community structure along elevation is lineage specific

The trend of closely related taxa to retain similar environmental preferences mediated by inherited traits suggests that several patterns observed at the community scale originate from longer evolutionary processes. While the effects of phylogenetic relatedness have been previously studied within a single genus or family, lineage-specific effects on the ecological processes governing community assembly have rarely been studied for entire communities or flora. Here, we measured how community phylogenetic structure varies across a wide elevation gradient for plant lineages represented by thirty-five families, using a co-occurrence index and net relatedness index (NRI). We propose a framework that analyses each lineage separately and reveals the trend of ecological assembly at tree nodes. We found prevailing phylogenetic clustering for more ancient nodes and overdispersion in more recent tree nodes. Closely related species may thus rapidly evolve new environmental tolerances to radiate into distinct communities, while older lineages likely retain inherent environmental tolerances to occupy communities in similar environments, either through efficient dispersal mechanisms or the exclusion of older lineages with more divergent environmental tolerances. Our study illustrates the importance of disentangling the patterns of community assembly among lineages to better interpret the ecological role of traits. It also sheds light on studies reporting absence of phylogenetic signal, and opens new perspectives on the analysis of niche and trait conservatism across lineages.

La dinàmica de les práctiques científiques des del punt de vista de l'experiencialisme

La tesi doctoral titulada "La Dinàmica de les Pràctiques Científiques des d'un punt de vista experiencialista" té com a objectiu oferir una alternativa a les tesis de Kuhn defensades a l'"Estructura de les Revolucions Científiques". En aquest sentit, s'utilitzaran diferents experiments i models teòrics actuals en l'àmbit de les ciències cognitives per tal de superar la teoria estructuralista de la cognició, quee Kuhn proposa com la base de la seva filosofia de la ciència. Contràriament a aquesta teoria, l'experiencialisme se situa lluny de les tesis estructuralistes, en la mesura en què assumeix que la cognició humana emergeix des de la dinàmica interactiva dels agents cognitius humans entre ells en un entorn material, en tant que agents corporals. A partir d'aquesta interacció dinàmica, l'ésser humà genera un horitzó de sentit. Ja que la interacció entre els éssers humans en un entorn cultural i material és complex, dinàmic i canviant, la generació de sentit emergent no és com una estructura semàntica, coherent i sistemàtica, sinó que ha de ser considerada com un conjunt asistemàtic de perspectives exploratòries que se succeeixen en el temps, en funció dels diferents contextos i propòsits que un agent corporal porta a terme al llarg de la seva interacció dinàmica i temporal amb l'entorn. Com a resultat de tot això, els èssers humans apliquen diferents criteris interactius que donen lloc a diferents perspectives per categoritzar o estructurar el món material i cultural. Aquest punt de vista és completament diferent del kuhnià, donat que el segon argumenta que cada èsser humà té la seva pròpia Gestalt o estructura semàntica que projecta "a priori" sobre la realitat. Aquesta diferència serà molt important no només des d'un punt de vista teòric, sinó també des d'un punt de vista pràctic. Per exemple, s'argumentarà que en l'àmbit de la didàctica de les ciències empíriques, es poden produir canvis beneficiosos significatius si s'utilitzen tesis extretes del model experiencialista de la cognició humana, i es deixen de banda el cognitivisme i el teoreticisme, que són actualment les bases teòriques de la manera en qué funciona l'educació científica. Finalment, conclourem afirmant que la visió experiencialista de la cognició implica assumir una forta relació entre l'ètica i la ciència, puix que els èssers humans són capaços d'utilitzar diferents criteris interactius per explorar la realitat i, per tant, sempre poden buscar millors estragègies per entendre's els uns amb els altres.

Genetic structure of Aedes aegypti in the city of Córdoba (Argentina), a recently reinfested area

To understand the transmission of a vector-borne disease, knowledge of the magnitude of dispersal among vector populations is essential because of its influence on pathogen transfer. The principal vector of dengue, the most common arboviral disease in the world, is the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.). This tropical and subtropical species is native to Africa but has dispersed worldwide since the XV century. In Argentina, the species was declared eradicated in 1963, but has reinfested the country in recent years. In the present work, we used RAPD-PCR markers to assess the levels of genetic variability and differentiation among populations of Ae. aegypti (the vector of dengue and yellow fever) in Córdoba, the second largest city in Argentina. We detected similar levels of genetic variability (He between 0.351-0.404) across samples and significant genetic differentiation between most population pairs within the city (F ST between 0.0013-0.0253). Genetic distances indicate that there are three distinct groups, formed predominantly by populations that are connected by, or near, main roads. This suggests that, in addition to other factors such as availability of oviposition sites or step-by-step migration, passive transport plays an important role in gene flow within the city.

Using problem-based learning for introducing producer theory and market structure in intermediate microeconomics

This paper shows how instructors can use the problem‐based learning method to introduce producer theory and market structure in intermediate microeconomics courses. The paper proposes a framework where different decision problems are presented to students, who are asked to imagine that they are the managers of a firm who need to solve a problem in a particular business setting. In this setting, the instructors’ role isto provide both guidance to facilitate student learning and content knowledge on a just‐in‐time basis

Granada Virus: a Natural Phlebovirus Reassortant of the Sandfly Fever Naples Serocomplex with Low Seroprevalence in Humans

A new member of the phlebovirus genus, tentatively named Granada virus, was detected in sandflies collected in Spain. By showing the presence of specific neutralizing antibodies in human serum collected in Granada, we show that Granada virus infects humans. The analysis of the complete genome of Granada virus revealed that this agent is likely to be a natural reassortant of the recently described Massilia virus (donor of the long and short segments) with ayet unidentified phlebovirus (donor of the medium segment)