Universitat De Barcelona Research Articles

Joan Martinez‐Alier

Joan Martinez-Alier has been Professor of Economic History and Institutions at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona since 1975. He was Director of the Doctoral Programme in Environmental Sciences at ICTA-UAB between 1997 and 2009, where he helped to create a strong international group on ecological economics and political ecology. He studied economics as an undergraduate at the Universitat de Barcelona and agricultural economics as a graduate student at the University of Oxford. He received his PhD from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. During his career, he has been Research Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and has held visiting positions at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Sao Paulo), Freie Universit¨at Berlin, Stanford University, the University of California (Davis), FLACSO (Ecuador) and Yale University. He was a founding member, member of the board and president of the International Society for Ecological Economics. Professor Martinez-Alier is member of the editorial board of Ecological Economics, Environmental Values, Journal of Agrarian Change and Journal of Peasant Studies. He is the author of numerous renowned books and articles (see the selected list below) that have contributed to illuminating the relationship between economic systems, resources (materials and energy) and social issues. A foundational contributor to the development of ecological economics, he has also engaged with social movements at the local and international scale.

The Knowledge Fair: An Activity for High School Students

Abstract This activity is organized by the “Exploratori dels Recursos de la Natura”, a Project of the Barcelona Knowledge Campus BKC (UPC and UB) and the Berga Town Council. The Fair aims to increase the interest of young people and society in these subjects, encouraging the learning spirit based in research. The purpose is to raise scientific vocations, and can proof that science is available to everyone. The Fair had nine stands with leading research projects related to science and technology from the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya and the Universitat de Barcelona.

Electrophysiological Measures of Infant Siblings of Children with Autism

Event Abstract Back to Event Electrophysiological Measures of Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Jordy Kaufman1*, Leila Dafner1, Angela Mayes1, Lauren Pigdon1 and Shuk Man Sumie Leung2 1 Swinburne University of Technology, Brain & Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Australia 2 Universitat de Barcelona, Spain In this presentation we describe research from the Swinburne Babylab investigating possible electrophysiolgical predictors of autism spectrum disorders in young infants (aged 4 to 14 months). Infants were classified as belonging to a "high-risk" or "low-risk" group autism spectrum disorder, where high-risk was defined as having an older sibling with autism. Current data analysis reveals differences in duration mismatch responses when comparing both 4-month-old and 14-month-old high-risk infants to an age-matched low-risk group. While neither group shows a strong MMN response, the high-risk group shows a sustained (approximately 350 ms) increase in EEG amplitude, over the right hemisphere, beginning about 100 ms following deviant tone offset. Additionally, the high-risk group shows higher levels of resting gamma oscillatory activity at frontal and temporal regions than the low-risk group. This data is consistent with a number of recent findings from other labs demonstrating ectrophysiological elements in the broader autism phenotype. This work paves the way for our ongoing reasearch aimed at determining the suitability of these measures as neuromarkers for early diagnosis. Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Bennelong Foundation and the Fred P Archer Charitable Trust. Keywords: Infant, mismatch negativity (MMN), time-frequency analysis, Autistic Disorder, neuromarkers Conference: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 29 Nov - 2 Dec, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Sensation and Perception Citation: Kaufman J, Dafner L, Mayes A, Pigdon L and Leung S (2012). Electrophysiological Measures of Infant Siblings of Children with Autism. Conference Abstract: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.208.00198 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 25 Oct 2012; Published Online: 24 Nov 2012. * Correspondence: Dr. Jordy Kaufman, Swinburne University of Technology, Brain & Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 3122, Australia, jkaufman@swin.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Jordy Kaufman Leila Dafner Angela Mayes Lauren Pigdon Shuk Man Sumie Leung Google Jordy Kaufman Leila Dafner Angela Mayes Lauren Pigdon Shuk Man Sumie Leung Google Scholar Jordy Kaufman Leila Dafner Angela Mayes Lauren Pigdon Shuk Man Sumie Leung PubMed Jordy Kaufman Leila Dafner Angela Mayes Lauren Pigdon Shuk Man Sumie Leung Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The Use of the Past in the Crown of Aragon: The MS 1 of the Library of the Universitat de Barcelona

This article considers the relationship between power and the act of writing in the Crown of Aragon during the reign of Peter IV of Aragon (1336–1387). I focus my attention on the MS 1 of the Library of the Universitat de Barcelona, which relates the lifetime of James I of Aragon (1213–1276), looking for its historical meaning and taking as reference the context in which it was made (1343). Thus, my aim in this article is to find an answer (or possible answers) to the following question: “What is the meaning of the narrative of this manuscript when studied from the perspective of the context of composition in 1343?” In this sense I analyze the content of the MS 1 of the Library of the Universitat de Barcelona and relate it to the context of the beginning of the reign of Peter IV of Aragon (1343), the same year of the confiscation of the Crown of Majorca by Peter IV of Aragon.

Empirical approach to the analysis of university student absenteeism: proposal of a questionnaire for students to evaluate the possible causes

Works on student absenteeism in the universities have not been preferential for the authors in the field of educational research. Usually, what has been made is an approach to the available absenteeism data as an intervening variable or as a variable characteristic of the educational process, but not as a dependent variable in the strict sense of the term. In this work, we intend to make an empirical approach to the possible reasons of student absenteeism. There is a double point of view: the students’ and the professors’; the reasons that justify it according to its protagonists are studied. This paper focuses on the six university degrees taught at the School of Economy and Business of the University of Barcelona (Facultat d’Economia i Empresa de la Universitat de Barcelona). An “ad-hoc” questionnaire has been prepared and the opinions of 1,162 undergraduates have been analyzed. The reasons given by each population differ in hierarchy and motivations.

Francesc Graus: solving paraneoplastic puzzles

Francesc Graus: solving paraneoplastic puzzles

Recolonisation of Acropora hyacinthus following climate-induced coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 438:97-104 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09272 Recolonisation of Acropora hyacinthus following climate-induced coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef C. Linares1,2,*, M. S. Pratchett2, D. J. Coker2 1Departament d’Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain 2ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia *Email: cristinalinares@ub.edu ABSTRACT: Given projected increases in the frequency and/or severity of climatic disturbances, the persistence of corals may be more a function of their capacity for regeneration than resistance to such episodic disturbances. If so, climate change may favour those corals that regenerate fastest following acute disturbance. The tabular coral Acropora hyacinthus is fast-growing and typically dominates shallow wave-exposed habitats on the Great Barrier Reef, but it is extremely vulnerable to climate-induced coral bleaching and other disturbances (e.g. cyclones and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish). The present study explores temporal changes in percentage cover and size structure of A. hyacinthus on reefs affected by the 2001−2002 bleaching event. Annual surveys conducted at 3 mid-shelf reefs from 2008 to 2010 revealed rapid, but very patchy, recovery of A. hyacinthus. Following extensive coral loss, local cover of A. hyacinthus increased due to growth of established colonies as well as addition and subsequent growth of new colonies. At one reef, recovery was mostly due to increased abundance of small colonies, assumed to have recruited since the bleaching, whereas recovery at the 2 other study reefs (<5 km away) was the sustained growth of established colonies. These results show that resilience of A. hyacinthus populations may be due to either recolonisation or ­persistence, but that, either way, these corals are well suited to rapid recovery following acute ­disturbance. KEY WORDS: Bleaching · Climate change · Coral reefs · Disturbance · Recovery · Resilience Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Linares C, Pratchett MS, Coker DJ (2011) Recolonisation of Acropora hyacinthus following climate-induced coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 438:97-104. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09272 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 438. Online publication date: October 05, 2011 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.

Urban Aboriginal Creation Stories and History: contesting the past and the present

This paper is based on the 11 th annual Doireann MacDermott public lecture presented at the Universitat de Barcelona in November, 2010. It is a critique of discourses and representations in Australian society, and indeed, embedded in all western societies (and many non-western societies I suspect) which support and reinforce artificial binary oppositions which make up social structures and institutions. Binary oppositions reinforce oppositional power dynamics, making one term positive and the other negative, not recognizing categories in-between. Linguistically, for example, the terms ‘Indigenous’ and ‘non-Indigenous’ articulate a false dichotomy between people who, empirically, are not two discrete groups, but rather, multiple groups within each category which interact within and between groups in complex and fluid engagements.

Implicit and explicit language learning: conditions, processes, and knowledge in SLA and bilingualism

1. IntroductionCristina Sanz and Ronald P. Leow, Georgetown University Part I: Theory 2. Stubborn Syntax: How It Resists Explicit Teaching and LearningBill VanPatten, Texas Tech University 3. An Epitaph for Grammar: An Abridged HistoryArthur S. Reber, University of British Columbia 4. Implicit and Explicit SLA and Their InterfaceNick C. Ellis, University of Michigan 5. How Analysis and Control Lead to Advantages and Disadvantages in Bilingual ProcessingEllen Bialystok, York University Part II: Methodological Issues and Empirical Research on Awareness, Pedagogical Contexts, and Individual Differences in SLA 6. Getting a Grip on the Slippery Construct of Awareness: Toward a Finer-Grained Methodological PerspectiveRonald P. Leow, Ellen Johnson, and German Zarate-Sandez, Georgetown University 7. Aging, Pedagogical Conditions, and Differential Success in SLA: An Empirical StudyAlison E. Lenet and Cristina Sanz, Georgetown University Beatriz Lado, University of San Diego James H. Howard Jr., The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Medical Center and Darlene V. Howard, Georgetown University 8. Effects of Feedback Timing in SLA: A Computer-Assisted Study on the Spanish SubjunctiveFlorencia Henshaw, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 9. Working Memory Predicts the Acquisition of Explicit L2 KnowledgeJared A. Linck and Daniel J. Weiss, The Pennsylvania State University 10. The Effects of Formal Instruction and Study Abroad Contexts on Foreign Language Development: The SALA ProjectCarmen Perez-Vidal, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Maria Juan-Garau, University of the Balearic Islands and Joan C. Mora, Universitat de Barcelona 11. Input Processing Principles: A Contribution from First-Exposure DataRebekah Rast, The American University of Paris Part III: Empirical Research on L2 Phonology 12. What Is Implicit and What Is Explicit in L2 Speech? Findings from an Oral CorpusHeather E. Hilton, Universite Paris 8 13. Explicit Training and Implicit Learning of L2 Phonemic ContrastsFred R. Echman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Gregory K. Iverson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language Robert Allen Fox and Ewa Jacewicz, The Ohio State University, and Sue Ann Lee, Texas Tech University Part IV: Empirical Studies on Key Issues in Bilingualism: Aging, Third Language Acquisition, and Language Separation 14. English Speakers' Perception of Spanish Vowels: Evidence for Multiple Category AssimilationLeslie S. Gordon, The University of Georgia 15. Early Phonological Acquisition in a Set of English-Spanish Bilingual TwinsDavid Ingram and Virginia Dubasik, Arizona State University Juana Liceras, University of Ottawa and Racquel Fernandez Fuertes, University of Valladolid 16. Language Learning Strategies in Adult L3 Acquisition: Relationship between L3 Development, Strategy Use, L2 Levels and GenderHui-Ju Lin, Georgetown University 17. Effects of Bilingualism on Inhibitory Control in Elderly Brazilian BilingualsIngrid Finger, Johanna Dagort Billig, and Ana Paula Scholl, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

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A voxel-based morphometry study of semantic deficits in alzheimer?s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients

Event Abstract Back to Event A voxel-based morphometry study of semantic deficits in alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro1*, Fernando Cuetos2, Asunción Monsalve2, Carmen Martínez3, Ana Julia Pérez3 and Annalena Venneri4, 5 1 Universitat de Barcelona, Spain 2 Universidad de Oviedo, Spain 3 Hospital de Cabueñes, Spain 4 University of Hull, United Kingdom 5 San Camillo Hospital (IRCCS), Italy The aim of this study was to determine the brain areas responsible for the semantic impairment observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. Thirteen 13 AD, 14 MCI patients, and 13 matched healthy seniors were assessed with a test battery aimed to study their semantic competence. Different subtasks were designed to study their semantic knowledge related to objects and faces in the context of semantic retrieval- and semantic association-dependent tasks. Aggregate scores obtained in the different tests were entered into voxel-based regression analyses with grey matter volume values obtained from three-dimensional brain MRI scans. Areas of significant correlation between volume loss and poor semantic scores were restricted to the temporal lobe in the AD group, while in the MCI and control groups significant associations were found with lower grey matter volume values in a network of bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal regions. Our results suggest that degradation of partially overlapping and widely distributed neural networks, mainly including temporal regions, subserve semantic deficits related to objects and faces in AD and MCI patients. Keywords: AD, Aging, MCI Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Sessions: Cognitive Aging Citation: Rodríguez-Ferreiro J, Cuetos F, Monsalve A, Martínez C, Pérez A and Venneri A (2011). A voxel-based morphometry study of semantic deficits in alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00546 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Nov 2011; Published Online: 28 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, xabelferreiro@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro Fernando Cuetos Asunción Monsalve Carmen Martínez Ana Julia Pérez Annalena Venneri Google Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro Fernando Cuetos Asunción Monsalve Carmen Martínez Ana Julia Pérez Annalena Venneri Google Scholar Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro Fernando Cuetos Asunción Monsalve Carmen Martínez Ana Julia Pérez Annalena Venneri PubMed Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro Fernando Cuetos Asunción Monsalve Carmen Martínez Ana Julia Pérez Annalena Venneri Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the developing and regenerating nervous system of the acoel Symsagittifera roscoffensis

AbstractBery,A.andMarti´nez, P. 2010. Acetylcholinesterase activity in the developingand regenerating nervous system of the acoel Symsagittifera roscoffensis. —ActaZoologica (Stockholm) 00:1–10.The use of the cholinergic system is wid espread in the animal kingdom. It con-trols different processes, including reproduction and neural transmission. How-ever, its evolutionary history is not yet well understood. For instance, the roleplayed by the cholinergic system in the nervous system of basal bilaterian taxa,where the first signs of architectural complexity appear, is still unknown. Here,we describe the structure of the cholinergic system during the development andregeneration of the acoel flatworm Symsagittifera roscoffensis, using acetylcholines-terase (AchE) activity as a marker. In this species, AchE activity is observed at alldevelopmental stages, including in the early embryos. The juvenile and adultpatterns reveal the presence of a comple x nervous system that includes threepairs of longitudinal neurite bundles, whi ch are connected to an anterior central-ized mass of neurons and neural processes formed by two pairs of connectivesand four commissures. The power of the technique also allows the detection ofnewly born neurons as they are incorpo rated into the growing nervous system(during regeneration).Pedro Marti´nez, Departament de Gene`tica, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diag-onal, 645. E- 08028-Barcelona. Spain. E-mail: Pedro.martinez@ub.eduIntroductionAcetylcholine (Ach) is a molecule that has been detected inbacteria, fungi, plants and animals (Horiuchi et al. 2003).The synthesis of the neurotransmitter Ach is modulated bythe enzymes choline acetyl transferase and carnitine acetyltransferase. Conversely, the determination of neurotransmis-sion at cholinergic synapses is produced by the hydrolysis ofthis neurotransmitter mediated by the enzyme acetylcholines-terase (AchE) (Silman and Sussman 2008). The biologicalfunction of Ach has been studied extensively in bilaterians,especially insects and vertebrates (Le Nove`re et al. 2002).However, in organisms without a nervous system and in morebasal metazoans, the physiological function of Ach has yet tobe determined, although it may be a local mediator.Moreover, even in biological systems that have a well-orga-nized nervous system, the presence of components of the cho-linergic system is not restricted to neurons (Ellwanger andNickel 2006; Denker et al. 2008; Wessler and Kirkpatrick2008).To understand the origin and the diversification of the neu-ral cholinergic system, we studied AchE activity in a memberof the supposedly earliest offshoot of the Bilateria, the phylumAcoela. Molecular phylogenies indicate that the Acoela is thesister group of the remaining Bilateria (Ruiz-Trillo et al. 1999,2004; Halanych 2004; Sempere et al. 2007; Wallberg et al.2007; Hejnol et al. 2009). According to Wallberg et al. (2007)Acoela and Nemertodermatida are two early bilaterian clades.However, a recent phylogenomic analysis suggests, on thecontrary, the monophyletic nature of the Acoelomorpha(Hejnol et al. 2009). Obviously, this is still an unsettled issue.Nevertheless, Acoela probably represents the first group witha ‘centralized’ nervous system (Tyler and Hyra 1998; Reuteret al. 2001) or, more specifically, with a mass of neurons

HABITAT AND HABITANTS IN THE CATALAN PYRENEES: DYNAMICS AND POLICIES FOR UNDER-POPULATED HIGH MOUNTAIN VILLAGES

This paper is the result of a research carried out in 2006 in a partnership between the Universitat de Barcelona and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, which was aimed to define guidelines to recover the architectural and scenic values of villages in almost abandoned Pyrenean valleys in Catalunya. The research studied at different levels (geographical, urban and architectural) the villages of several valleys in order to find out the factors more determinant to explain their degree of revitalization or decay. As a result of the research, the paper presents some conclusions on how to intervene on those pyrenean valleys: to work at the level of geographical units rather than with singular villages or individuals; to establish degrees of priority of intervention between the valleys in order to increase the efficiency of the actions; to ensure high quality infrastructure levels on the selected valleys; to fix strict limits to the construction of new vacation houses in high mountain villages in order to orient the real state demand to the rehabilitation of existing buildings; to create a program of subsidies to help the permanent population working on the primary sector to rehabilitate their dwellings; to promote the display of the natural and cultural richness of the valleys as a main factor for their revitalization; to support private and civic actions oriented to the recover of the valleys.

Isoform‐selective phosphoinositide 3‐kinase inhibitors induce apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells

Isoform‐selective phosphoinositide 3‐kinase inhibitors induce apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells

Abnormal multifocal cerebral blood flow on Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT in a patient with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis

-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) encephali-tis has been related with teratomas of the ovary in youngwomen. However, this syndrome is non-paraneoplastic inabout 40% of patients, particularly in the youngest patients[1, 3]. This encephalitis is associated with antibodies againstthe NMDA-R NR1 and NR2 subunits. The clinical pictureincludes movement disorders (dystonia, orolingual dyski-nesias, chewing movements, myoclonias,…), decreasedlevel of consciousness, seizures, central hypoventilation andautonomic disturbances. Frequently it is preceded by psy-chiatric symptoms such as changes of mood, behavior andpersonality, or acute psychosis.Brain MRI is normal or with mild changes in mostpatients. To date, scarce data from functional neuroimagingstudies [4] or MR spectroscopy are available. Few neuro-pathological cases have been described [2, 6, 7].We present a patient with anti-NMDA-R encephalitiswith a previously unreported abnormal multifocal cerebralblood flow on Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT.A 14-year-old girl was admitted to the ICU for an acutepsychiatric episode that developed 48 h after an upperrespiratory tract infection. She showed agitation, auditoryand visual hallucinations and aberrant behaviour. A con-ventional neurological examination, CT of the brain andfunduscopy were normal. A lumbar tap yield a colourlessCSF with 140 lymphocytes/ml and a normal glucose andprotein level. PCR for HSV DNA and cytology were nor-mal or negative.In the following days she worsened, developing a gen-eralized dystonia, severe facial grimacing and oculogyriccrisis with a decreased level of consciousness. Autonomicsymptoms were present with hypertensive crisis, tachy-cardia and hypersalivation. The patient did not developcentral hypoventilation. She showed generalized seizuresand was treated with phenytoin.Two gadolinium-enhanced brain MRI were normal(Fig. 1). Several EEGs showed continuous 2.5–3.5 Hz slowwaves without spikes. Brain Tc-99m HMPAO SPECTimages showed multiple focal areas of increased radiotraceruptake in both striatum and cerebral cortex more intense inthe frontal lobes (Fig. 1). Antibodies to NR1/NR2 hetero-mers of the NMDA receptor were found in CSF (immuno-logical studies performed by Drs F. Graus and A. SaizNeurology Service, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barce-lona). Ovarian teratoma or other tumors were not identifiedwith repeated specifically oriented CT, MRI, or ultrasound.The patient did not improve after one high dose steroidcourse. A dramatic recovery was observed with the admin-istration of IVIg at standard doses. Repeated brain-Tc-99mHMPAO-SPECT showed a near complete normalization.Brain MR Spectroscopy was performed after resolution of

All Astir

All Astir Adown the Dolorosa Lane The mounted pilgrims file in train Whose clatter jars each open space; Then, muffled in, shares change apace As, striking sparks in vaulted street, Clink, as in cave, the horses’ feet. Clarel 2.1.1-6 T he opening lines of the canto Melville titled “The Cavalcade” capture the unconscious clamor of “pilgrims” making their way through urban space—the Old City of Jerusalem—that, though “open,” is also enclosed, like a cave wherein their “clatter” resounds all the more for being “muffled in.” In his discussion of this passage at the International Melville Society conference in Jerusalem ( June 17-21), Michael Jonik (SUNY Albany) drew attention to the spaces that surround visitors to Melville’s Holy Land, an “ambient world” that hums in resonance but also tension with the pilgrims. To attend thoughtfully to this conference, to be part of the Melville Society’s cavalcade , was also to jar and be jarred within a variety of competing landscapes: the city of cities, the texts we imaginatively and critically traversed, Melville’s nineteenth-century world, our twenty-first century reality. Sometimes, as when in the same day this writer managed to offend guardians of the holiest Christian and Islamic sanctuaries alike, when the light at Yad Vashem seemed unbearably hot and bright, when the graffiti on walls everywhere cried out in anguished colors, the tensions became overwhelming. At other times, when the fragrant juices of a falafel sandwich seeped through one’s fingers, when daylight stole into the sleeping streets of the Old City, and one could see the place of which Melville wrote, “Yonder is the arch where Christ was shown to the people, & just by that open window is sold the best coffee in Jerusalem, &c. &c. &c.” (NN Journal 89), then delight mixed with wonder and a hush descended, within which one might, as Prof. Jonik invited us to do, hear the hum of the city’s “tide processional” (NN Clarel 1.31.256) as a “mysterious melodiousness” (NN Pierre 150). In this special issue of “Extracts,” we feature the conference in reports and photographs, as we have done with international conferences in the past. Basem Ra’ad of Al-Quds University initiated, guided, and led the venture from start to finish, with the inspired teamwork of Timothy Marr (University of North Carolina) and Hilton M. Obenzinger (Stanford). Prof. Obenzinger’s opening essay frames this “Extracts” and displays their deep devotion to grand ideas and minute details, which, along with their abundant patience, skill, C 2010 The Authors Journal compilation C 2010 The Melville Society and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 30 L E V I A T H A N A J O U R N A L O F M E L V I L L E S T U D I E S E X T R A C T S energy, and kindness, made the event a pleasure for all. We are pleased to offer reports from Milette Shamir (Tel Aviv University) and Rodrigo Andrés (Universitat de Barcelona) on the intellectual content and experience of the conference. Photographs from Dennis Berthold (Texas A & M University), John Bryant (Hofstra University), Tony McGowan (USMA), Bayne Peterson (Somerville, MA), Elizabeth Schultz (University of Kansas), and Robert K. Wallace (Northern Kentucky University) evoke the many people and places of the week, but much remains unpictured to the last. Also in this issue you will find essays based on the texts of the keynote addresses by Thomas L. Thompson (Emeritus, University of Copenhagen) and Amy Kaplan (University of Pennsylvania); an essay on the Arabic translation of Moby-Dick by Jeffrey Einboden, a Note by Robert D. Madison (University of Arkansas) and Gordon M. Poole (Università degli studi l’Orientale, Napoli) about the correct pronunciation of “Clarel”; and a letter from Walter Bezanson and Gail Coffler, who, respectively, as editor of Clarel and encyclopedist of Melville’s ancient and religious references, beamed virtually, if not actually, over every feature of this Holy Land gathering. The conference took place during an annus mirabilis for Melville events. One way to put this is to say that Robert K. Wallace has been a very busy man. First he curated the exhibit, Moby...

Optimal management of cancer anorexia&amp;ndash;cachexia syndrome

According to a recent consensus, cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with underlying illness and characterized by loss of muscle with or without loss of fat mass. The prominent clinical feature of cachexia is weight loss. Cachexia occurs in the majority of cancer patients before death and it is responsible for the deaths of 22% of cancer patients. Although bodyweight is the most important endpoint of any cachexia treatment, body composition, physical performance and quality of life should be monitored. From the results presented here, one can speculate that a single therapy may not be completely successful in the treatment of cachexia. From this point of view, treatments involving different combinations are more likely to be successful. The objectives of any therapeutic combination are two-fold: an anticatabolic aim directed towards both fat and muscle catabolism and an anabolic objective leading to the synthesis of macromolecules such as contractile proteins.

Population structure in a highly pelagic seabird, the Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea: an examination of genetics, morphology and ecology

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 382:197-209 (2009) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07974 Population structure in a highly pelagic seabird, the Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea: an examination of genetics, morphology and ecology E. Gómez-Díaz1,2,3,*, J. González-Solís1, M. A. Peinado2 1Departament de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, Barcelona 08028, Spain 2Institut de Medicina Predictiva i Personalitzada del Càncer (IMPPC), Badalona 08916, Barcelona, Spain 3Present address: Génétique et Évolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, B.P. 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France *Email: elena.gomez-diaz@mpl.ird.fr ABSTRACT: Increasing evidence suggests oceanic traits may play a key role in the genetic structuring of marine organisms. Whereas genetic breaks in the open ocean are well known in fishes and marine invertebrates, the importance of marine habitat characteristics in seabirds remains less certain. We investigated the role of oceanic transitions versus population genetic processes in driving population differentiation in a highly vagile seabird, the Cory’s shearwater, combining molecular, morphological and ecological data from 27 breeding colonies distributed across the Mediterranean (Calonectris diomedea diomedea) and the Atlantic (C. d. borealis). Genetic and biometric analyses showed a clear differentiation between Atlantic and Mediterranean Cory’s shearwaters. Ringing-recovery data indicated high site fidelity of the species, but we found some cases of dispersal among neighbouring breeding sites (<300 km) and a few long distance movements (>1000 km) within and between each basin. In agreement with this, comparison of phenotypic and genetic data revealed both current and historical dispersal events. Within each region, we did not detect any genetic substructure among archipelagos in the Atlantic, but we found a slight genetic differentiation between western and eastern breeding colonies in the Mediterranean. Accordingly, gene flow estimates suggested substantial dispersal among colonies within basins. Overall, genetic structure of the Cory’s shearwater matches main oceanographic breaks (Almería-Oran Oceanic Front and Siculo-Tunisian Strait), but spatial analyses suggest that patterns of genetic differentiation are better explained by geographic rather than oceanographic distances. In line with previous studies, genetic, phenotypic and ecological evidence supported the separation of Atlantic and Mediterranean forms, suggesting the 2 taxa should be regarded as different species. KEY WORDS: Almería-Oran Oceanic Front · Atlantic Ocean · Biometrics · Genetic differentiation · Mediterranean Sea · Marine transition · Oceanic habitat · Procellariforms · Ringing-resight Full text in pdf format Supplementary appendix PreviousNextCite this article as: Gómez-Díaz E, González-Solís J, Peinado MA (2009) Population structure in a highly pelagic seabird, the Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea: an examination of genetics, morphology and ecology. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 382:197-209. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07974Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 382. Online publication date: April 30, 2009 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2009 Inter-Research.

Argyrophilic grain disease

Event Abstract Back to Event Argyrophilic grain disease Isidro Ferrer1* 1 Universitari de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, CIBERNED, Hospitalet de LLobregat, Institut de Neuropatologia, Servei Anatomia Patològica, IDIBELL-Hospital, Spain Argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is a common sporadic neurodegenerative disease of old age characterised by the presence of argyrophilic grains (AGs) – dendritic-derived appendages as now revealed with the Golgi method – together with pre-tangle neurons in the limbic system. Clinical symptoms largely depend on the extension of AGs together with the very common associated tauopathies, mainly Alzheimer’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and synucleinopathies. AGD is very often asymptomatic. This is due because AGD, as other degenerative diseases of the nervous system is a progressive disorder, starting by the entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and temporal cortex, and rarely involving the isocortex of the frontal and parietal lobes. AGd may present as mild cognitive impairment and accounts for about 5% of all demented cases. AGs and pre-tangle neurons contain hyperphosphorylated 4R tau. This is associated with a typical 64-kDa and 68-kDa pattern accompanied by tau-truncated forms of low molecular mass, probably resulting from thrombin-mediated proteolysis. Hyper-phosphorylated tau also accumulates in oligodendroglial-coiled bodies and in limbic astrocytes. Ballooning neurons in the amygdala are non-specific accompanying abnormalities. Pathogenesis of AG and related lesions includes oxidative stress and oxidative damage of several proteins. This is accompanied by increased expression of oxidative response markers as superoxide dismutases, and activation of stress activated protein kinase SAPK/JNK and p38. These kinases, together with glycogen synthase kinase 3β, co-localize with hyperphosphorylated tau deposits in neurons and glial cells, thus indicating a link between oxidative stress and tau phosphorylation in AGD. Hyperphosphorylated tau, in turn, co-localizes with p62/sequestosome 1 and ubiquitin, thus pointing to activation of protein aggregation and protein degradation pathways, respectively. Finally, AGs and tangles co-localise with mutant ubiquitin (UBB+1), resulting from molecular misreading of mRNA, thus further hampering normal proteasomal function. The sequestration of active kinases in AGs and tangles is an additional local cause of tau hyperphosphorylation. Whether expression levels of phosphatases are reduced and methylation of PP2Ac is modified in AGD, thus contributing to tau hyperphosphorylation is controversial. Local modifications in the expression of modulator neurotransmitters and receptors, as adenosine receptors, point to additional plastic changes in sensitive brain regions to AGD. Conference: 3rd Mediterranean Conference of Neuroscience , Alexandria, Egypt, 13 Dec - 16 Dec, 2009. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Plenary lectures Citation: Ferrer I (2009). Argyrophilic grain disease. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 3rd Mediterranean Conference of Neuroscience . doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.01.2009.16.123 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Nov 2009; Published Online: 23 Nov 2009. * Correspondence: Isidro Ferrer, Universitari de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, CIBERNED, Hospitalet de LLobregat, Institut de Neuropatologia, Servei Anatomia Patològica, IDIBELL-Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, 8082ifa@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Isidro Ferrer Google Isidro Ferrer Google Scholar Isidro Ferrer PubMed Isidro Ferrer Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Filtering spike firing frequencies through subthreshold oscillations

Event Abstract Back to Event Filtering spike firing frequencies through subthreshold oscillations Belen Sancristobal1*, Jose Maria-Sancho2 and Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo3 1 Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Departament de Física i Enginyeria Nuclear, Spain 2 Universitat de Barcelona, Spain 3 Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain In order to understand the role of subthreshold oscillations in filtering input signals, we study the spiking behavior of a FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron with subthreshold oscillations, when subject to a periodic train of action potentials. We also examine the situation in which the receiving neuron is electrically coupled to another one. We relate the effectivity of frequency filtering with iterative maps arising from phase resetting curves obtained from the simulations. Our results show and explain in which situations a resonant behavior arises. We extend the study to a chain of neurons in order to analyse the propagation of spikes. Conference: Bernstein Conference on Computational Neuroscience, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 30 Sep - 2 Oct, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Dynamical systems and recurrent networks Citation: Sancristobal B, Maria-Sancho J and Garcia-Ojalvo J (2009). Filtering spike firing frequencies through subthreshold oscillations. Front. Comput. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Bernstein Conference on Computational Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.10.2009.14.073 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 26 Aug 2009; Published Online: 26 Aug 2009. * Correspondence: Belen Sancristobal, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Departament de Física i Enginyeria Nuclear, Terassa, Spain, belen.sancristobal@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Belen Sancristobal Jose Maria-Sancho Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo Google Belen Sancristobal Jose Maria-Sancho Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo Google Scholar Belen Sancristobal Jose Maria-Sancho Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo PubMed Belen Sancristobal Jose Maria-Sancho Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.