Resposta dos parâmentros do andar após intervenção com dicas auditivas rítmicas em idosos com doença de Parkinson / Response of gait parameters after intervention with rhythmic auditory cues in older people with parkinson's disease

Introdução: os comprometimentos do andar em idosos com doença de Parkinson (DP) estão associados à elevada ocorrência de quedas e à redução dos níveis de independência. O objetivo do estudo foi comparar a resposta dos parâmetros do andar em idosos com doença de Parkinson (DP), durante, imediatamente após e até uma hora após o término de uma sessão de treinamento do andar com e sem dicas auditivas rítmicas, utilizando três ritmos diferentes para o grupo dica (10% abaixo da cadência preferida, cadência preferida e 10% acima) e um ritmo diferente para o grupo controle (velocidade usual de cada participante). Métodos: vinte e nove idosos foram aleatoriamente distribuídos em dois grupos: "controle" e "dica". As sessões de intervenção tiveram 30 minutos de duração e a diferença entre os grupos foi a utilização de dicas auditivas rítmicas oferecidas por um metrônomo no grupo dica. O andar foi avaliado antes, durante e até uma hora após a sessão de intervenção. Resultados: os grupos apresentaram desempenhos similares ao longo das avaliações, com aumento do comprimento do passo e redução da variabilidade da duração do passo. Conclusão: a sessão de intervenção com dicas auditivas rítmicas apresentou efeitos similares aos da sessão de treino sem dica para o andar de idosos com DP.(AU)

Introduction: Gait impairments in older people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are associated with a high occurrence of falls and reduced levels of patients' independence. The objective of the study was to compare the response of gait parameters in older people with Parkinson's disease (PD), during, immediately after, and up to 1h after the end of a single locomotion training session with and without rhythmic auditory cues, using 3 different rhythms for the tip group (10% below the preferred cadence, preferred cadence and 10% above) and 1 different rhythm for the control group (usual speed of each participant). Materials and method: 29 older people were randomly assigned to two groups: Control and "Cue". The intervention sessions lasted 30 minutes and the difference between the groups was the use of rhythmic auditory cues offered by a metro-nome in the Cue group. Gait was assessed before, during, and up to 1 hour after the intervention session. Results: The groups showed similar performances throughout the assessments, with increased step length and reduced step time variability in response to the intervention (compared to the baseline assessment). Conclusion: The intervention session with rhythmic auditory cues had similar effects on gait as the session without cues in older people with PD.(AU)

Differentiation of stem cells regulated by biophysical cues / 生物医学工程学杂志

Stem cells have been regarded with promising application potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation abilities. However, their fate is relied on their local microenvironment, or niche. Recent studied have demonstrated that biophysical factors, defined as physical microenvironment in which stem cells located play a vital role in regulating stem cell committed differentiation. In vitro, synthetic physical microenvironments can be used to precisely control a variety of biophysical properties. On this basis, the effect of biophysical properties such as matrix stiffness, matrix topography and mechanical force on the committed differentiation of stem cells was further investigated. This paper summarizes the approach of mechanical models of artificial physical microenvironment and reviews the effects of different biophysical characteristics on stem cell differentiation, in order to provide reference for future research and development in related fields.

Looming cue sounds: effects on alertness and attention orientation / Dica auditiva em aproximação: efeitos no alerta e na orientação da atenção / Sonido que se acerca: efectos sobre la atención

Studies suggest a prioritization in the neural processing of looming sounds. A little explored issue is the relationship between this perceptual bias and the orienting and alerting auditory attention networks. The present study investigated the effect of a warning sound on the speed of response to a subsequent target sound (Experiment 1) and a possible influence of this type of cue sound on the auditory orientation of attention (Experiment 2). The results of the two experiments suggest a significant reduction in the reaction time for a subsequent target sound due to the previous presentation (500 ms) of a looming warning sound. There was no significant effect of the cue sound on auditory attention orientation.

Estudos sugerem uma priorização no processamento neural de sons em movimento de aproximação. Uma questão ainda pouco explorada é a relação entre esse viés perceptivo e as redes atentivas auditivas de orientação e alerta. O presente estudo investigou o efeito de um sinal sonoro de alerta na rapidez de resposta a um alvo sonoro subsequente (Exp.1) e uma possível influência desse tipo de dica auditiva na orientação auricular da atenção (Exp. 2). Os resultados sugerem uma redução significativa no tempo de reação para um alvo sonoro subsequente em função da apresentação prévia (500 ms) de um sinal sonoro de alerta em aproximação. Não foi observado um efeito significativo da dica auditiva na orientação auditiva da atenção.

Estudios sugieren dar prioridad al procesamiento neural de sonidos que se mueven aproximándose. Un aspecto poco explorado es la relación entre ese y las redes de la atención. El presente estudio investigó el efecto de una señal previa sonora de alerta, en la rapidez de respuesta a un objetivo sonoro subsecuente (Exp. 1) y una posible influencia de ese tipo de señal previa en la orientación de la atención (Exp. 2). Los resultados sugieren una reducción significativa en el tiempo de reacción para un objetivo sonoro subsecuente, en función de la presentación (500 ms) de una señal previa sonora de alerta que se aproxima. No fue observado un efecto significativo de la señal previa en la orientación de la atención.

Research progress of acupuncture and moxibustion on axon guidance cues / 针刺研究

Axon guidance cues includes Slit, Semaphorin, Ephrin and Netrin. They have the function of regulating the regeneration of axons and guiding the regenerated axons to the correct target. They can affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and participate in the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. The current research on the influence of acupuncture and moxibustion(mainly focusing on electroacupuncture) on axon guidance cues is limited to animal experiments. Electroacupuncture can treat diseases dominated by the nervous system by regulating the expression of axon guidance cues. This review summarizes the research progress of acupuncture and moxibustion on regulating axonal guidance cues, is hoped to provide references for the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating nervous system disease and ideas for acupuncture treatment of diseases related to axon guidance cues.

Diversity of phenological patterns of Handroanthus ochraceus (Bignoniaceae) in Costa Rica

The study of phenological patterns in plant communities is of vital importance for understanding the temporal cycles of ecosystems, but there is little information on the diversity of phenological patterns that can occur at the intraspecific level, as well as the genetic or environmental factors causing this variation. In Handroanthus ochraceus, a deciduous tree species of neotropical dry forests, ecophysiological studies have proposed the release of water stress as the mechanism that triggers flowering and the sprouting of new leaves. During four years, I observed the cycles of leaf fall, flowering, fruiting, and new leaf production in seven Costa Rican sites that differed in their proximity to water courses and in soil moisture. Six were located in dry forest areas, and one in premontane forest. There were two general phenological patterns: the explosive, where trees depend on the first rains for floral anthesis and the expansion of leaf meristems, and the staggered pattern, with unsynchronized flowering at the beginning and middle of the dry season, independently of rainfall. Although this phenological variation has been previously recognized, the occurrence of these two patterns is not determined by the proximity of water courses, contradicting phenological models proposed for this tree species.

El estudio de los patrones fenológicos en comunidades de plantas es de importancia vital para entender los ciclos temporales de los ecosistemas, pero hay poca información sobre la diversidad de patrones fenológicos que pueden ocurrir a nivel intraespecífico, así como sobre los factores genéticos o ambientales que explican esta variación. En Handroanthus ochraceus, una especie arbórea de bosques secos, estudios ecofisiológicos han propuesto la reducción del estrés hídrico como el mecanismo que dispara la floración y la brotación de hojas nuevas. Durante cuatro años se observaron los ciclos de caída de hojas, floración, fructificación y producción de hojas nuevas en esta especie en siete sitios en Costa Rica, que diferían en su proximidad a fuentes de agua y por consiguiente en los niveles de humedad del suelo. Dos patrones fenológicos generales fueron observados: el patrón explosivo, en el cual los árboles dependen de las primeras lluvias para desarrollar la antesis floral y la expansión de los meristemos foliares, y el patrón escalonado, en el cual los árboles pueden florecer en una forma modular durante el comienzo y parte media de la estación seca, en forma independiente de las lluvias. Aunque esta variación en patrones fenológicos ha sido previamente reconocida, en este estudio se demuestra por vez primera que esta variación no está necesariamente asociada a diferentes niveles de humedad del suelo, contradiciendo modelos fenológicos propuestos para esta especie de árbol.

Mechanistic role of perfusion culture on bone regeneration

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) aims to develop engineered bone tissue to substitute conventional bone grafts. To achievethis, culturing the cells on the biocompatible three-dimensional (3D) scaffold is one alternative approach. The newfunctional bone tissue regeneration could be feasible by the synergetic combinations of cells, biomaterials and bioreactors.Although the field of biomaterial design/development for BTE applications attained reasonable success, development ofsuitable bioreactor remains still a major challenge. Tissue engineering bioreactors provide the microenvironment requiredfor neo-tissue regeneration, and also can be used to study the physio-chemical cues effect on cell proliferation anddifferentiation in order to produce functional tissue. In this direction, various bioreactors have been developed andevaluated for the successful development of engineered bone tissue. Continues assessment of tissue development andlimitations of the bioreactors lead to the progression of perfusion flow bioreactor system. Improvements in perfusion reactorsystem were able to yield multiple tissue engineered constructs with uniform cell distribution, easy to operate protocols andalso effectively handled for the functional tissue development to meet the adequate supply of engineered graft for clinicalapplication.

Verbal retrieval cues prevent renewal and spontaneous recovery of predictive judgments in university students / Las señales de recuperación verbal evitan la renovación y la recuperación espontánea de juicios predictivos en estudiantes universitarios

Long-term effectiveness is one of the major problems of psychotherapy because successfully eliminated unhealthy behaviors may reappear relatively easily under certain contextual changes. In two experiments, we explored the impact of verbal retrieval cues on renewal and spontaneous recovery in humans. During the first phase, all participants learned a relationship between one cue and one outcome (X-O1). The following phase involved a change in the original relationship (X-O2). Finally, participants were presented with cue X and asked about the relationships with both outcomes. Half of the participants were asked to remember Phase 2, while the other half did not receive any instruction at all. In Experiment 1, testing took place in a different context, while participants in Experiment 2 were tested after two days. The results indicated that remembering Phase 2 eliminated both renewal and spontaneous recovery. Our findings are discussed under the contemporary learning theory. We also mention the probable benefits in therapeutic settings.

Uno de los principales problemas de las psicoterapias es su efectividad a largo plazo porque las conductas poco saludables que se eliminaron exitosamente pueden reaparecer con relativa facilidad bajo ciertos cambios contextuales. En dos experimentos, exploramos el impacto de señales de recuperación verbales en la renovación y en la recuperación espontánea en humanos. En la primera fase, todos los participantes aprendieron una asociación entre una clave y una consecuencia (X-O1). La siguiente fase involucró un cambio en la relación original (X-O2). Finalmente, se les presentó a los participantes la clave X y se les preguntó acerca de las asociaciones con las dos consecuencias. A la mitad de los participantes se les pidió que recordaran la Fase 2, mientras que la otra mitad no recibió ninguna instrucción. En el Experimento 1, la prueba se condujo en un contexto diferente, mientras que en el Experimento 2 la prueba se realizó dos días después. Los resultados indicaron que recordar la Fase 2 eliminó tanto la renovación como la recuperación espontánea. Nuestros hallazgos se discuten bajo la teoría contemporánea del aprendizaje. Asimismo, se mencionan probables beneficios para escenarios terapéuticos

Usefulness of Korean Version of Behavioral Cue Checklist for Predicting of Patient Violence in Emergency Departments

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a behavioral cue checklist (BCC) containing 17 items developed by Wilkes et al. (2010) for identifying potentially violent patients in emergency departments. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study to evaluate the usefulness of the Korean version of a BCC (K-BCC) as an assessment tool for predicting patient violence in emergency departments, and was conducted over 4 weeks in a regional emergency medical center located in B City. A total of 1,324 patients were finally analyzed. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether each item of the K-BCC predicts violence, and a parsimonious set of 8 statistically significant items was selected for the tool. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of the BCC showed that the area under the curve was .97 (95% confidence interval: .94~1.0). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value at the cut-off score of 2 were 75.6%, 98.9%, 68.2%, and 99.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The K-BCC was found to be useful in predicting patient violence toward emergency department staff. This tool is simple, and fast to use and can play a significantly role identifying potentially violent patients. Owing to this advance identification, this tool can be helpful in preventing the potential for violence from manifesting as violent behaviors.

La información situacional probabilística en el deporte: un metaanálisis / Situational probability information in sport: A meta-analysis

Resumen El objetivo del estudio es cuantificar el efecto de la información situacional probabilística (ISP) sobre el rendimiento deportivo y en concreto sobre el inicio en el tiempo de respuesta y la precisión de los deportistas. Existe evidencia científica de que los deportistas de mayor nivel deportivo desarrollan la habilidad perceptiva para usar la ISP, realizando comportamientos anticipatorios, si bien se desconoce la magnitud de dicho efecto. Se realiza un metaanálisis de efectos aleatorios para cuantificar el tamaño del efecto (TE) de la ISP en el comportamiento motor de los deportistas. Los resultados muestran un TE medio final grande de 1.29 para el tiempo de respuesta (en 7 estudios y 252 participantes) y de 1.31 para la precisión (en nueve investigaciones y 292 participantes), seleccionados de acuerdo con los criterios establecidos. Con la limitación del reducido número de estudios analizados (n = 9), los resultados indican que los deportistas expertos anticipan más respuestas y con más precisión que los noveles debido al uso de la ISP. Se recomienda entrenar perceptivamente la identificación y el uso de la ISP a nivel deportivo, ya que aquellos deportistas que hagan un mejor uso de esta información contextual podrán anticipar sus respuestas con precisión.

Abstract The aim of the study is to quantify the effect of Situational Probability Information (SPI) on athletic performance, specifically on the onset of the response time and the accuracy of athletes. There is scientific evidence that shows that higher sport level athletes develop the perceptive skills to use SPI, thereby performing anticipatory behaviors. However, the magnitude of this effect remains unknown. A meta-analysis of random effects was carried out to quantify the effect size (ES) of SPI on the motor behavior of athletes. The results showed an overall final mean ES of 1.29 for the response time (in 7 studies and 252 participants), and 1.31 for accuracy (in 9 studies and 292 participants), according to the criteria established. With the limitation of the low number of studies analyzed (n = 9), the results suggest that expert athletes anticipate more frequently and with higher accuracy than beginners, due to the use of SPI. It is recommended to train in the identification and use of the SPI in the sports domain, as athletes who use this contextual information more effectively could anticipate the responses with precision.

Conspecific and heterospecific alarm substances induce behavioral responses in juvenile catfish Rhamdia quelen

The recognition of chemical information indicating the presence of a predator is very important for prey survival. In this study we tested antipredator behavioral response of juvenile silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) against predator odor released by two different potential predators, Hoplias malabaricus and the snake Helicops infrataeniatus, and alarm cues and disturbance cues released by conspecifics and by non-predator species, Megaleporinus obtusidens and Astyanax lacustris. We used juvenile catfish that were naive to predators. The trials consisted of a 10-min prestimulus and a 10-min post-stimulus observation period. The behavioral response displayed by silver catfish exposed to alarm cues comprised a decrease in shelter use and an increase in locomotion, and also a longer latency period before feeding. Our results showed that juvenile silver catfish can perceive chemical cues released by predators, heterospecifics and conspecifics.(AU)

O reconhecimento das informações químicas indicando a presença de predadores é muito importante para a sobrevivência da presa. Neste estudo foi testada a resposta comportamental anti-predação de juvenis de jundiás (Rhamdia quelen) a substâncias liberadas por dois predadores potenciais, Hoplias malabaricus e a cobra Helicops infrataeniatus, e substâncias de alarme liberadas por conspecíficos e pelas espécies não predadoras Megaleporinus obtusidens e Astyanax lacustris. Foram usados juvenis de jundiá que não possuíam nenhum contato prévio com predadores. Os testes consistiram em observações de períodos de 10 minutos pré estímulo e 10 minutos pós estímulo. As respostas comportamentais apresentadas pelos jundiás expostos às substâncias de alarme consistiram em diminuição no uso do abrigo, aumento na locomoção e também um longo período de latência antes de ingerir o alimento. Os resultados demonstram que juvenis de jundiá percebem substâncias químicas liberadas por predadores, heterospecíficos e conspecíficos.(AU)

Sensory cues employed for the acquisition of familiarity-dependent recognition of a shoal of conspecifics by climbing perch (Anabas testudineus Bloch).

In this study we showed that a freshwater fish, the climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) is incapable of using chemical communication but employs visual cues to acquire familiarity and distinguish a familiar group of conspecifics from an unfamiliar one. Moreover, the isolation of olfactory signals from visual cues did not affect the recognition and preference for a familiar shoal in this species.

Effect of monocular depth perception on accommodative response / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Different depthes or distances are prompted with many visual cues on the flat screen.Which kind of depth cues plays a major role in the accommodation of human eyes,in addition,whether this effect exists in the different distance are still below understood.Objective This study was to research the effect of the monocular space depth perception on accommodative response at different distances,and to analyze the effect of linear perspective and size-constancy perceptual depth cues on the level and amplitude of accommodative fluctation.Methods Four groups of visual targets were designed by FLASH software and placed at the front of eyes with the distance of 50 cm or 33.3 cm,representing static change from far to near and dynamic change from far to near,from near to far respectively.Twenty-six healthy volunteers aged 22-26 years were included in this study,with the spherical power of (-4.06± 1.99) D and cylindrical power of (-0.38±0.41) D under the informed consent.The accommodative response and accommodative fluctuations during monocularly watching the targets were recorded at 5 times/second by Grand Seiko WAM 5500 automatic infrared refractor.This study was approved by Ethic Committee of Wenzhou Medical University,and written informed consent was obtained from each subject before entering the study group.Results At the distance of 50 cm,the accommodative response caused by the depth perception of near was (1.52±0.46) D,the one of distance was (1.37±0.46) D,with a significant difference of 0.15 D under the combined effect of linear perspective and size-constancy (P =0.016).The accommodative response caused by the depth perception of big car was (1.43 ± 0.35) D,and the one of small car was (1.43 ± 0.36) D,without statistically significant difference under the effect of size-constancy alone (P =0.467).At the distance of 33.3 cm,the accommodative response caused by the depth perception of near was (2.40±0.53)D,and the one of distance was (2.35 ±0.51) D,without significant difference under the combined effect of linear perspective and size-constancy (P=0.379).The accommodative response caused by the depth perception of big car was (2.38±0.48)D,the one of small car was (2.39±0.52)D,without statistically significant difference under the effect of size-constancy alone (P =0.820).In addition,the total curve of accommodative microfluctuation showed apparent fluctuation periodically caused by the distance perception involving linear perspective only.Conclusions Monocular space depth perception has some impacts on the accommodative response at certain distance.Linear perspective,which is one of the depth cues of space perception,plays a major role in the accommodative response.Compared with the size-constancy,linear perspective can provide depth perception at higher level.The size-constancy has a little or contrast impact to the accommodation,because it depends on the assistance from other depth cues like linear perspective.

Stigma Cues Increase Self-Conscious Emotions and Decrease Likelihood of Attention to Information about Preventing Stigmatized Health Issues / Señales sobre Estigma Aumentan las Emociones Conscientes y Disminuyen la Probabilidad de Atención a la Información sobre Prevención de Cuestiones Estigmatizadas de Salud

Health communications are only effective if target audiences actually receive the messages. One potential barrier to effective health communication is the potential stigma of attending to health information, particularly for stigmatizing health issues. The purpose of the present paper was to examine when participants report self-conscious emotions (e.g., shame, embarrassment) in response to health communications, as well as likelihood of reading health information associated with these emotions. Across three studies, participants read information about preventing diseases that are either highly stigmatized or non-stigmatized. Increased accessibility of stigma cues by (a) manipulating the perceived absence vs. presence of others, or (b) measuring lower vs. higher rejection sensitivity resulted in increased self-conscious emotions in response to information about stigmatized health issues. In addition, stigma cues decreased the likelihood of reading information about stigmatized (but not non-stigmatized) health information. Implications for health outcomes and intervention design are discussed.

La comunicación en torno a la salud solo es efectiva si la audiencia meta recibe el mensaje. Una barrera potencial que tiene la comunicación efectiva sobre salud es el estigma potencial de hacer caso a la información sobre salud, particularmente en temas estigmatizados. El objetivo del presente estudio fue examinar cuándo reportan los participantes emociones conscientes (p.e. vergüenza, culpa) en respuesta a comunicación sobre salud, así como la probabilidad de leer información asociada con estas emociones. A través de tres estudios, los participantes leyeron información sobre prevención de enfermedades que son altamente estigmatizadas o que no lo son. El aumento de la accesibilidad de las señales sobre estigma mediante (a) la manipulación de la ausencia percibida vs. presencia de otros, o (b) la medición de alta o baja sensibilidad al rechazo, resultó en aumento de emociones conscientes en respuesta a la información sobre temas de salud estigmatizados. Además, las señales sobre estigma disminuyeron la probabilidad de lectura de información sobre información estigmatizada (no así para la no estigmatizada). Se discuten las implicaciones sobre consecuencias de salud y diseño de intervención.

Are first-order disparity gradients spatial primitives of the orientation of lines on the ground plane?

The present study investigated the mechanisms involved in processing orientation on the frontal and ground planes. The stimuli comprised two yellow circles conceived as the endpoints of a segment and depicted on a black background. In Experiment 1, the observers performed two tasks on both planes (frontal and ground). In Task 1 they were asked to indicate the absolute location of the two endpoints, presented one at a time (successive task). In Task 2 they had to locate the relative position of the endpoints presented simultaneously (simultaneous task). Relative and absolute errors were analyzed according to a cyclopean coordinate system derived from the geometry of the visual scene. These two kinds of errors were studied within the framework of the hypothesis that each kind of task would minimize the error related to its codification. The results showed greater absolute errors in the simultaneous task than in the successive task and greater relative errors in which the successive task seemingly activated a more accurate way of codification of the orientation. In Experiment 2 we controlled the availability of visual depth cues by changing the presentation time (50 and 3000 ms) and viewing conditions (monocular and binocular) in the simultaneous task. The results showed that the precision of orientation judgments was poorer on the ground plane than on the frontal plane, except when the observers used binocular vision. These results suggest that the orientation of a segment, at least on the ground plane, can be conceptualized as a gradient of disparities.

Determining sensitive stages for learning to detect predators in larval bronzed frogs: Importance of alarm cues in learning.

Successful survival and reproduction of prey organisms depend on their ability to detect their potential predators accurately and respond effectively with suitable defences. Predator detection can be innate or can be acquired through learning.We studied prey–predator interactions in the larval bronzed frogs (Sylvirana temporalis), which have the innate ability to detect certain predators. We conducted a series of experiments to determine if the larval S. temporalis rely solely on innate predator detection mechanisms or can also learn to use more specific cues such as conspecific alarm cues for the purpose. The results of our study clearly indicate that larval S. temporalis use both innate and learned mechanisms for predator detection. Predator-naïve tadpoles could detect kairomones alone as a potential threat and responded by reducing activity, suggesting an innate predator detection mechanism. Surprisingly, predator-naïve tadpoles failed to detect conspecific alarm cues as a potential threat, but learned to do so through experience. After acquiring the ability to detect conspecific alarm cues, they could associate novel predator cues with conspecific alarm cues. Further, post feeding stages of larval S. temporalis are sensitive for learning to detect conspecific alarm cues to label novel predators.

¿Pueden los perros domésticos (canis lupus familiaris) reconocer expresiones emocionales humanas? una revisión crítica de las evidencias / Can domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) recognize human emotional expressions? a critical review of the evidence

Las expresiones emocionales tienen un papel fundamental en las interacciones de especies sociales, brindando información acerca del emisor, las características e importancia del estímulo o situación que desencadena tales interacciones, y también funcionan regulando los vínculos sociales. Los perros poseen notorias capacidades comunicativas hacia los humanos por lo que resulta interesante estudiar si estas habilidades se extienden al reconocimiento de las expresiones emocionales. Se han realizado diversas investigaciones acerca del reconocimiento de expresiones emocionales humanas en perros exponiéndolos a una situación representada por personas durante la evaluación, así como mediante el uso de imágenes, videos y grabaciones. El análisis de las evidencias permite concluir que los perros podrían distinguir entre distintas emociones humanas ya sea en presencia de modelos en vivo o mediante la observación de imágenes y modulan su conducta conforme esta discriminación, así como también pueden utilizar esta información como clave en la resolución de problemas. Sin embargo, aún no están claros los mecanismos que subyacen a estas habilidades.

Emotional expressions play a critical role in the interactions among individuals, particularly, in social species. They provide information about the sender and the characteristics and importance of the triggering stimulus or situation, also regulating social ties. Dogs have notorious communication skills towards humans, which makes the study of their ability to recognize human emotional expressions an interesting endeavor. There have been several studies in which dogs have been tested using real people in an experimental situation as well as images, video and audio recordings of people's expressions. The evidence suggests that dogs can discriminate between different human emotions either in the presence of live models or by looking at images. This type of information has been shown to modulate their behavior and to be used as cues to solve problems. However, the mechanisms underlying these abilities are not fully understood yet.

Expression of axon guidance cues Slit2 and Robo4 in lung tissue of rat with acute lung injury / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To observe the expression of axon guidance cues Slit2 and Robo4 in lung tissue of rat with acute lung injury (ALI) and explore the function of Slit2 and Robo4 in ALI.Methods Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly (random number) divided into control group (n =24) and ALl group (n =24).ALI model was reproduced by cecum ligation and puncture (CLP).The control group only experienced a simulated operation without CLP.Both groups were further divided into 3 subgroups with 8 rats in each subgroup:12 h,24 h,and 48 h subgroups.artery blood gas analysis,lung tissue wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio,lung histopathologic changes,pulmonary microvascular permeability were observed.The serum tumor nocrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The expression of Slit2 and Robo4 mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The expression of Slit2 and Robo4 protein in lung tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry.Date were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with SPSS version 13.0 software.Statistical significance was established at a P value of less than 0.05.Results Compared with the control group,in ALI rats at different time points,partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) decreased significantly,lung W/D weight ratio and pulmonary microvascular permeability,the serum TNF-α increased significantly (all P ＜ 0.05),histopathology of lung revealed signs of injury.The expression of Slit2 mRNA in lung tissues was decreased markedly after CLP compared with control group [(0.56±0.13) vs.(0.87±0.05),F=41.39,P＜0.05,(0.42±0.10) vs.(0.85±0.07),F=93.54,P＜0.05,(0.26±0.08) vs.(0.89 ±0.09),F=227.05,P＜0.05].but there were no significant difference in expression of Robo4 mRNA in lung tissue between ALI group and control group [(0.86±0.07) vs.(0.83±0.05),F=0.695,P＞0.05,(0.82±0.05) vs.(0.89±0.08),F=2.061,P ＞ 0.05,(0.86 ± 0.08) vs.(0.86 ± 0.05),F =0.035,P ＞ 0.05].Immunohistochemistry study showed Slit2 protein was mainly expressed on the extracellular surface of vascular endothelial cells,while lung epithelial cell nuclei and endochylema.Robo4 protein was only expressed on the extracellular surface of vascular endothelial cells.Compared with the control group,expression of Slit2 protein in lung tissue in ALI group decreased markedly [(0.37 ± 0.05) vs.(0.45 ± 0.07),F =6.82,P ＜ 0.05,(0.32±0.06) vs.(0.47±0.09),F=23.54,P＜0.05,(0.28±0.07) vs.(0.46±0.06),F=28.01,P ＜ 0.05].As good as RT-PCR,there were no significant difference in expression of Robo4 protein in lung tissue between two groups [(0.53±0.04) vs.(0.52±0.05),F=0.155,P＞0.05,(0.53± 0.09) vs.(0.50±0.05),F=0.498,P＞0.05,(0.55±0.06) vs.(0.56±0.07),F=0.073,P ＞ 0.05].Conclusions Lung tissues of control group rats express Slit2 and Robo4.The decreased Slit2 mRNA and protein expressions in the lung tissue of rat with ALI caused by CLP may be associated with the occurrence of ALI.

Aquisição da habilidade motora rebater na educação física escolar: um estudo das dicas de aprendizagem como conteúdo de ensino / The acquisition of striking motor skill in school physical education: a study of learning cues as educational con

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar o efeito das dicas verbais na aquisição da habilidade rebater na Educação Física Escolar (EFE), com foco de atenção no seu aspecto perceptivo e motor. Participaram do estudo 84 alunos de três turmas de uma escola (faixa etária entre seis a oito anos). Cada turma correspondeu a um grupo: sem dicas, com dica perceptiva e com dica motora. O experimento teve três fases: pré-teste, aulas de EFE e pós-teste. O grupo com dica perceptiva apresentou melhores resultados. Portanto, verificou-se o efeito das dicas relacionado com a especificidade da tarefa no que se refere às suas demandas de processamento. Assim concluiu-se que a dica de aprendizagem relacionada à especificidade da tarefa mostrou o seu potencial como um conhecimento que orienta os alunos em direção à melhoria da qualidade do movimento, confirmando a possibilidade de sua inclusão como conteúdo de ensino da EFE.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of verbal cues on the acquisition of a striking skill, focusing on their perceptual and motor aspects. The sample of this study was made of 84 public school students aged between six to eight years old from three classrooms of the same school. Each classroom constituted a group: no cue, perceptual cue and motor cue group. The experiment was carried out in three phases: pre-test, classes with specific cue and post-test. The group which received perceptual cue showed better results. Thus, it was verified that the effects of cues depend on the specificity of the task concerning its information processing demands. It was concluded that task´s specificity related cue demonstrated its potential as knowledge for the students to guide them towards improvement of the quality of movement and confirms the possibility of its inclusion as a content to be taught in the school physical education.

The importance of studying prosody in the comprehension of spontaneous spoken discourse / La importancia de estudiar la prosodia en la comprensión del discurso hablado espontáneo

The study of the role of prosodic breaks and pitch accents in comprehension has usually focused on sentence processing, through the use of laboratory speech produced by both trained and untrained speakers. In comparison, little attention has been paid to their role in the comprehension and production of spontaneous discourse, or to the interplay between prosodic cues and pitch accents and the generation of inferences. This article describes studies which have focused on the effects of prosodic boundaries and pitch accents in sentence comprehension. Their results suggest that prosody has an early influence in the parsing of sentences as well as the processing of the information structure of a statement. It also presents a new model of spontaneous discourse comprehension that can accommodate paralinguistic factors, like pitch and prosody, and other communication channels and their relation to cognitive processes. Stemming from the model presented, future research directions are suggested as well as the importance of including spontaneous spoken discourse materials and examining the role of prosodic cues and pitch accents in the establishment of connections among spoken statements is highlighted.

La investigación acerca del rol de los límites prosódicos y los acentos en la comprensión del lenguaje se ha centrado tradicionalmente en el estudio de la comprensión de oraciones, a través de la utilización del discurso producido por hablantes expertos o no expertos en el laboratorio. Comparativamente, se ha prestado menor atención al estudio de la comprensión del discurso oral espontáneo y del interjuego entre las claves prosódicas, los acentos, y la generación de inferencias. Esta revisión realiza un recorrido a través de investigaciones que han estudiado el efecto de los límites prosódicos y los acentos en la comprensión de oraciones. Los resultados de estos estudios sugieren que la prosodia tiene un efecto temprano en la segmentación de oraciones y en el procesamiento de la estructura de información de un enunciado. Se presenta también un modelo para la comprensión del discurso espontáneo que tiene en cuenta factores paralingüísticos, como prosodia y acento, y otros canales comunicativos y sus relaciones con procesos cognitivos. Partiendo del modelo propuesto, se sugieren futuras líneas de investigación y se destaca la importancia de utilizar materiales de discurso espontáneo y de examinar el rol de las claves prosódicas y los acentos en el establecimiento de conexiones causales entre los enunciados.

The Effects of Cancer-related Information Search From Media as Communication Cues on Health Behavior / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the effects of information searches from media as communication cues for health behavior, specifically smoking, drinking liquor, cancer examinations, and regular exercise. METHODS: Data were collected through a web survey with a sample size of 600 and analyzed using SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: The results show that the newspaper as a communication cue has an effect on health behavior such as regular exercise and smoking, whereas television only affects regular exercise. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there are differences between media as communication cues to improve health behavior and that messages related to health information should be exposed with cautious consideration to media choice so as to increase the effects of message. Managerial implications of the study results are suggested.