Response of the primary auditory and non-auditory cortices to acoustic stimulation: A manganese-enhanced MRI study

Structural and functional features of various cerebral cortices have been extensively explored in neuroscience research. We used manganese-enhanced MRI, a non-invasive method for examining stimulus-dependent activity in the whole brain, to investigate the activity in the layers of primary cortices and sensory, such as auditory and olfactory, pathways under acoustic stimulation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, either with or without exposure to auditory stimulation, were scanned before and 24-29 hour after systemic MnCl2 injection. Cortex linearization and layer-dependent signal extraction were subsequently performed for detecting layer-specific cortical activity. We found stimulus-dependent activity in the deep layers of the primary auditory cortex and the auditory pathways. The primary sensory and visual cortices also showed the enhanced activity, whereas the olfactory pathways did not. Further, we performed correlation analysis of the signal intensity ratios among different layers of each cortex, and compared the strength of correlations between with and without the auditory stimulation. In the primary auditory cortex, the correlation strength between left and right hemisphere showed a slight but not significant increase with the acoustic simulation, whereas, in the primary sensory and visual cortex, the correlation coefficients were significantly smaller. These results suggest the possibility that even though the primary auditory, sensory, and visual cortices showed enhanced activity to the auditory stimulation, these cortices had different associations for auditory processing in the brain network.open0

Riesgos del Emprendedor

ColcienciasUniversidad EAFIT - Departamento de Contaduría Pública. Semillero de Investigación en Control, Auditoría y Riesgos (SICAR)p. 9

Factores asociados al síndrome de fragilidad en ancianos rurales

determine the prevalence and factors associated with frailty syndrome (FS) in the elderly in the rural population of Pelotas.Objetivo: determinar a prevalência e os fatores associados à síndrome da fragilidade em idosos (SFI) da população rural de Pelotas. Método: estudo quantitativo, analítico e transversal realizado com 820 idosos cadastrados na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) na zona rural do município de Pelotas, no período de julho a outubro de 2014. Resultados: entre os avaliados, 43,41% apresentaram SFI. Consolidaram-se como fatores associados à condição a baixa renda (RP: 1,54, p ≤ 0.001), a baixa escolaridade (RP: 1,45, p ≤ 0.001), o estado nutricional (obesidade) (RP: 1,89, p ≤ 0,001), a inatividade física (RP: 1,93, p = 0.003), a apresentação de déficit cognitivo (RP: 2,07, p = 0.005) e a autopercepção de saúde baixa (RP: 8,21, p ≤ 0,001). Conclusão: os achados podem contribuir efetivamente para o estabelecimento de medidas de prevenção e rastreamento da fragilidade entre as pessoas idosas por parte dos profissionais de saúde, principalmente dos enfermeiros, visando evitar a ocorrência da síndrome e dos desfechos adversos e indesejáveis.Objetivo: determinar el predominio y los factores asociados al síndrome de fragilidad en ancianos (SFI) de la población rural de Pelotas. Método: estudio cuantitativo, analítico y transversal realizado con 820 ancianos registrados en la Estrategia Salud de la Familia (ESF) en la zona rural del municipio de Pelotas, entre julio y octubre de 2014. Resultados: entre los evaluados, el 43,41% presentó SFI. Se han consolidado como factores asociados a la condición: la baja renta (RP: 1,54, p ≤ 0.001), la baja escolaridad (RP: 1,45, p ≤ 0.001), el estado nutricional (obesidad) (RP: 1,89, p ≤ 0,001), la inactividad física (RP: 1,93, p = 0.003), la presencia de déficit cognitivo (RP: 2,07, p = 0.005) y la autopercepción de salud baja (RP: 8,21, p ≤ 0,001). Conclusión: los hallazgos pueden contribuir efectivamente al establecimiento de medidas de prevención y rastreo de la fragilidad entre las personas mayores por parte de los profesionales de salud, principalmente de los enfermeros, con el fin de evitar la ocurrencia del síndrome y de los resultados adversos e indeseables.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immersive bilingualism reshapes the core of the brain

Bilingualism has been shown to affect the structure of the brain, including cortical regions related to language. Less is known about subcortical structures, such as the basal ganglia, which underlie speech monitoring and language selection, processes that are crucial for bilinguals, as well as other linguistic functions, such as grammatical and phonological acquisition and processing. Simultaneous bilinguals have demonstrated significant reshaping of the basal ganglia and the thalamus compared to monolinguals. However, it is not clear whether these effects are due to learning of the second language (L2) at a very young age or simply due to continuous usage of two languages. Here, we show that bilingualism-induced subcortical effects are directly related to the amount of continuous L2 usage, or L2 immersion. We found significant subcortical reshaping in non-simultaneous (or sequential) bilinguals with extensive immersion in a bilingual environment, closely mirroring the recent findings in simultaneous bilinguals. Importantly, some of these effects were positively correlated to the amount of L2 immersion. Conversely, sequential bilinguals with comparable proficiency and age of acquisition (AoA) but limited immersion did not show similar effects. Our results provide structural evidence to suggestions that L2 acquisition continuously occurs in an immersive environment, and is expressed as dynamic reshaping of the core of the brain. These findings propose that second language learning in the brain is a dynamic procedure which depends on active and continuous L2 usage

Spatial and temporal dispersion of Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in orchards infested with Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) is an endoparasitoid and promising fruit fly control agent. The objective of the study was to determine the spatial (horizontal and vertical) and temporal dispersion of D. areolatus in the field. To evaluate the horizontal and temporal dispersion, two peach orchards were selected. In each orchard, 50 points were marked at different distances from the central point, from where 4,100 couples of D. areolatus were released. Four hours after release, parasitism units (PU) (3 per point) were fixed to the trees at a height of 1.5 m from the ground. The PUs were composed of ripe apples artificially infested with second instar larvae of Anastrepha fraterculus (30 larvae/fruit). For the evaluation of vertical dispersion, in an olive orchard six points were selected (trees of ≈4 m in height). Each tree was divided into three heights in relation to the ground (1.17, 2.34, and 3.51 m). Doryctobracon areolatus was able to disperse horizontally at a distance >60 m from the release point. However, the highest parasitism rates [15–45% (area 1); 15–27% (area 2)] were observed up to 25 m. Higher percentages of parasitism and of recovered offspring occur in the first days after the release of the parasitoid (2 DAR). As for vertical dispersion, D. areolatus parasitized A. fraterculus larvae up to the highest attachment height of the evaluated PUs (3.51). The results showed the potential use of D. areolatus in the management of fruit flies in the field.Online first. Accepted on 1 June 2023

Perfil das idosas atendidas por queda em um serviço de emergência

Objetivo: identificar o perfil das idosas atendidas por queda em um serviço de emergência no sul do Brasil. Métodos: estudo quantitativo e descritivo. A coleta de dados ocorreu de março a abril de 2010. Os sujeitos foram 153 idosas. Resultados: as idosas com idade mais avançada, faixa etária entre 70-80 anos e brancas foram as que mais sofreram quedas; metade era viúva e possuía renda de até um salário mínimo; mais de dois terços referiram saber ler. A maioria apresentava hipertensão arterial, reumatismo, problemas de memória, nervosismo e visão. Majoritariamente tinham dificuldade para caminhar e utilizavam polifármacos. Ainda, mais de 60% sofreram pelo menos uma queda no ano anterior. Conclusão: os profissionais da saúde devem estar capacitados e preparados para atender à idosa que sofreu acidente por queda, de maneira individualizada e singular, promovendo ações eficazes, orientando novos hábitos, melhorando a condição física, diminuindo assim, os riscos de queda

Comparison of microwaves and conventional thermal treatment on enzymes activity and antioxidant capacity of kiwifruit puree

Enzymes are naturally present in food and can cause product deterioration. For this reason,most food-processing steps try to reduce the enzymatic activity. The aimof thisworkwas to compare, in terms of both the inactivation of kiwifruit puree peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and pectinmethylesterase and also themaintenance of the antioxidant capacity of the product, the effect of a microwave treatment with a conventional thermal treatment designed to cause the same level of peroxidase inactivation (90%). The microwave power and process time that best permitted the maximisation of both the enzyme inactivation and the antioxidant capacity of the product, were selected by means of the Response Surface Methodology. The results obtained point to microwave heating as an appropriate technology with which to produce a stable kiwifruit puree, since these treatments were more effective at enzyme inactivation and antioxidant capacity retention than the conventional thermal treatment.The authors thank the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia for the financial support given throughout the Project AGL 2010-22176 and the Generalitat Valenciana for the financial support given throughout Project ACOMP/2012/161 and the Grant awarded to the author Maria Benlloch.Benlloch Tinoco, M.; Igual Ramo, M.; Rodrigo Aliaga, MD.; Martínez Navarrete, N. (2013). Comparison of microwaves and conventional thermal treatment on enzymes activity and antioxidant capacity of kiwifruit puree. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. 19:166-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2013.05.007S1661721