A Corpus-based Study of Chinese RVC qilai and Its Interaction with State Predicates

This study expands on Xiao and McEnery's (2004) theory of aspect by investigating the interaction of qilai, whose main function is that of directional Resultative Verb Complement (RVC) meaning 'up/upward,' with verbal aspect and situation types. One hundred and fifty utterance featuring states, i.e. adjectival predicates, co-occurring with qilai were examined from lexical, sentential, and pragmatic perspectives. The data were retrieved from the Weibo collection included in the BCC Corpus (Beijing Language & Culture University Corpus Center). The survey revealed that when adjectival predicates occur with qilai, they undergo a situation-type change, from states to processes, therefore qilai should not be considered only an inceptive marker focusing on initial point, ingressive dynamicity and continuity, as proposed by Xiao and McEnery, but perhaps also a "situation-type-change marker." This study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the rather understudied structure 'adjectival predicate + qilai,' which is employed almost exclusively in colloquial registers

EEG trois lettres pour percer les mystères du cerveau

Antoine Rémond (1917-1998) fut l’un des pionniers en France des développements de l’électroencéphalographie (EEG). Ses travaux ont permis de lier l’évolution de ces techniques, leur application à la clinique et la recherche fondamentale. Céline Cherici et Jean-Gaël Barbara font le récit d’un parcours hors norme.Céline Cherici and Jean-Gaël Barbara relate the story of Antoine Rémond who developed electroencephalography in France. How he succeeded in connecting techniques, clinical applications and fundamental research

Avaliação dos efeitos promovidos pela sibutramina, associada ou não à nicotina, nos tecidos reprodutivos de ratas albinas

A sibutramina é recomendada clinicamente para o tratamento da obesidade, mas há mulheres que têm feito o uso do fármaco para manutenção do peso corpóreo. Muitas vezes este uso ocorre concomitantemente ao hábito do tabagismo, sendo a nicotina o principal composto tóxico no cigarro. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar os efeitos colaterais promovidos pela sibutramina, associada ou não à nicotina, no tecido reprodutivo de ratas adultas. Fêmeas da linhagem Wistar (n=30) foram distribuídas nos grupos: a) Controle A (0,3 mL de água destilada; oral); b) Sibutramina (15 mg/kg de peso corpóreo; oral); c) Controle B (0,3 mL de solução fisiológica; intraperitoneal); d) Nicotina (4,0 mg/kg de peso corpóreo; intraperitoneal); e) Sibutramina + Nicotina. Os tratamentos foram realizados durante 30 dias consecutivos (única dose diária). O ciclo estral das ratas manteve-se regular durante o período experimental. A administração de sibutramina associada ou não à nicotina afetou a foliculogênese e luteogênese. Houve alterações significativas (

Plasma and CSF Neurofilament Light Chain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

Background: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a validated biofluid marker of neuroaxonal damage with great potential for monitoring patients with neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to further validate the clinical utility of plasma (p) vs. CSF (c) NfL for distinguishing patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) from ALS mimics. We also assessed the association of biomarker values with clinical variables and survival and established the longitudinal changes of pNfL during the disease course. Methods: We studied 231 prospectively enrolled patients with suspected ALS who underwent a standardized protocol including neurological examination, electromyography, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Patients who received an alternative clinical diagnosis were considered ALS mimics. We classified the patients based on the disease progression rate (DPR) into fast (DPR > 1), intermediate (DPR 0.5–1), and slow progressors (DPR < 0.5). All patients were screened for the most frequent ALS-associated genes. Plasma and CSF samples were retrospectively analyzed; NfL concentrations were measured with the SIMOA platform using a commercial kit. Results: ALS patients (n = 171) showed significantly higher pNfL (p < 0.0001) and cNfL (p < 0.0001) values compared to ALS mimics (n = 60). Both cNfL and pNfL demonstrated a good diagnostic value in discriminating the two groups, although cNfL performed slightly better (cNfL: AUC 0.924 ± 0.022, sensitivity 86.8%, specificity 92.4; pNfL: AUC 0.873 ± 0.036, sensitivity 84.7%, specificity 83.3%). Fast progressors showed higher cNfL and pNfL as compared to intermediate (p = 0.026 and p = 0.001) and slow progressors (both p < 0.001). Accordingly, ALS patients with higher baseline cNfL and pNfL levels had a shorter survival (highest tertile of cNfL vs. lowest tertile, HR 4.58, p = 0.005; highest tertile of pNfL vs. lowest tertile, HR 2.59, p = 0.015). Moreover, there were positive associations between cNfL and pNfL levels and the number of body regions displaying UMN signs (rho = 0.325, p < 0.0001; rho = 0.308, p = 0.001). Finally, longitudinal analyses in 57 patients showed stable levels of pNfL during the disease course. Conclusion: Both cNfL and pNfL have excellent diagnostic and prognostic performance for symptomatic patients with ALS. The stable longitudinal trajectory of pNfL supports its use as a marker of drug effect in clinical trials

Administração experimental de esteróide anabólico androgênico e álcool causa alterações histológicas e morfométricas nos ovários e útero de ratas adultas

O uso abusivo e indiscriminado de esteróides anabólicos androgênicos é uma prática comum entre jovens e adultos de ambos os sexos. Geralmente estas substâncias são utilizadas simultaneamente com outras drogas, lícitas ou não, que causam prejuízos à saúde. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a influência da administração experimental do esteróide decanoato de nandrolona (DN), associado ou não ao álcool, nos ovários e útero de ratas adultas. Fêmeas com ciclo estral regular (n=20), foram distribuídas nos grupos: a) controle ( solução fisiológica); b) DN (7,5 mg/kg de peso corpóreo; intraperitoneal); c) álcool (AL; 0,2 mL/100g de peso corpóreo; oral); d) DN + AL. Os tratamentos foram realizados através de uma única dose por semana, durante doze semanas consecutivas. Verificou-se que os tratamentos experimentais promoveram alterações no ciclo sexual, na histologia ovariana e uterina, na quantificação folicular e nos parâmetros morfométricos do útero, sendo estes efeitos marcantes nos grupos androgenizados DN e DN + AL. Concluiu-se que o uso isolado ou simultâneo de esteróide anabólico e álcool promovem toxicidade ovariana e uterina em ratas adultas

Toxicological, genotoxic and antioxidant potential of Pyrostegia venusta

Pyrostegia venusta is usually found in the secondary growth of the Atlantic forests, and in the Brazilian Savanna. Flowers and leaves of this plant are used in folk remedies for treating a wide variety of healthy conditions, this way is important evaluate its safety and antioxidant potential for this applications. For this, was made a ethanolic extract from its flowers and analyzed with toxicological, genotoxicity and antioxidant tests, the toxicological analysis was made by reproductive toxicity in rats and clatogenicity/aneugenicity in human lymphocytes. The genotoxicity was studied by micronucleus test mice bone marrow. The antimutagenic test in root cells of Allium cepa, the antioxidant assays used was DPPH, FRAP, Lipid Perxidation and REM, beyond of that the extract was analyzed in HPLC showing the profile of its compounds. The toxicological analysis showed that P. venusta has no negative significant effect on reproductive and cellular level. The micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow, the extract protected cells from cyclophosphamide, mutagenic compound, in a similar way. The A. cepa test showed that the extract reduced chromosomal disorders formations. The antioxidant activity of extract was significant, except in REM test. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of flavonoids compounds. P. venusta extract does not present reproductive toxicity and genotoxic effects. However, the extract of this species showed antigenotoxic and antioxidant potential, possibly due to the different flavonoid compounds present in its extract

“Vincenzo Malacarne”, , Paris, n 47, 2014, pp 4-7.

National audienc