The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of tenderness on problem solving. Thirty-four female undergraduates participated. In the experimental condition, participants received instructions to reproduce a specific respiratory-posturo-facial pattern that had induced tenderness in previous studies. Participants in the control condition performed a non-emotional exercise. After either the pattern or the control exercise, participants completed one of two jigsaw puzzles. One puzzle had only an empty room while the other had a family scene. For participants who worked on the room puzzle, the tenderness pattern led to longer completion times. In contrast, for participants who worked on the family puzzle, the tenderness pattern led to shorter completion times.

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Alba family proteins are highly conserved in all domains of life. They are involved in RNA metabolism in Archae and Eucarya, while they are involved in the chromatin organisation in Crenarchaea. In animals, ALBA proteins were identified to associate with RNase P/MRP subunits. The objective of my thesis was the characterization of ALBA family proteins in a model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The Arabidopsis genome contains six genes with close homology, three from Rpp20-like subfamily and three of Rpp25-like subfamily. Here I present the localization of GFP-fused proteins in Arabidopsis stable lines harbouring constructs cloned by Gateway® Technology. ALBA proteins were localized in the cytoplasm and undefined particles in root differentiation zone and in mature pollen. The characterization of the respective T-DNA insertion lines did not reveal significant phenotype defects in growth and development of sporophyte and gametophyte in comparison to Columbia-0 plants, probably because of likely functional redundancy od the paralogs. Expression profiles and localization of ALBA proteins suggest their possible role in differentiation and dehydration stress response in Oryza. They were also observed to associate with repressed mRNA transcripts in storage EPP particles. Collectively, I propose the likely role...

Although the primary purpose of response function analysis is to identify climate variables that have significant associations with tree radial growth, many researchers are also interested in assessing the strength of these associations. Existing response function programs use a liberal criterion to determine how many climate variables should be included in the analysis. The resulting response function models include a large number of predictor variables. The objective of this analysis is to determine if these response function models are over-fitted to the data used to calibrate them, resulting in over-estimation of strength of associations. PRECON was used to produce response functions for white oak chronologies from n = 149 sites, with separate response functions using 34 monthly climate variables or 10 seasonal climate variables. An analysis of goodness-of-fit statistics for response function calibration provided strong evidence of over-estimation of strength of associations. The degree of over-estimation was greater when 34 monthly climate variables were included in the models compared to models with10 season variables. There was much less evidence of over-fitting for the R-verif statistic that reflects strength of association between predicted and actual tree-ring indices that were not included in model calibration. The PRECON R-verif statistic is the best measure of the strength of multivariate growth-climate associations currently available.

Understanding the link between indicator species and their environment is imperative to managing and conserving anthropogenically-altered ecosystems. Seasonally-pulsed wetlands are uniquely complex ecosystem where water-level fluctuations shape trophic interactions. Anthropogenic manipulation of water-level fluctuation threatens the integrity of these systems worldwide. Wading birds, a group of species sensitive to landuse changes and fluctuating habitat conditions, serve as important indicators for wetland health. I used wading birds in the Everglades, as a model system to address the challenges of environmental restoration within an ecosystem heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities. Specifically, I 1) identified the nesting response of Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) to hydrologically-mediated changes in food availability and 2) quantified spatiotemporal foraging-habitat selection of Great Egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks to fluctuating hydrologic conditions. Collectively, model selection results suggest food availability, generated through dynamic hydrological conditions, is a strong predictor of the abundance of nesting birds in a given year. Great egret and white ibis produce the highest nests numbers in years when the frequency of days of rising water is low. Wood stork nest numbers are the highest in years with high prey production coupled with continuous prey availability. My study of resource selection indicated wading birds select foraging sites based on similar hydrologic parameters, but the response varies by species. Wood storks are more likely to forage in shallow cells (< 10 cm) drying with high recession rates (0.5-1.5 cm/day), and long time since last drydown (600 days). White ibises selected foraging cells with relatively shallow water depths (0-15 cm), intermediate recession rates (0.5-1.0 cm/day), and long time since drydown (600 days). Great egrets selected foraging cells with a wider range of water depths (0-20 cm) where recession rates were lower (0.5 cm/day). All species are more likely to forage in cells where water has not increased by more than 3 cm in the previous two weeks. These differences in resource selections correspond to morphological and behavioral differences in the species, whereby wood storks were more constrained hydrologically and would be more affected by water-level manipulation. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (PhD (Biomedical Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The use of medicinal plants in the management of various health problems date back to the ancient times. However, only in recent years, researchers are starting to focus on the use of natural plant products as alternative treatment in disease control. Basella alba (Ba), commonly called Ceylon or Indian spinach is one of such medicinal plants, wildly cultivated and consumed mostly as vegetable. Studies have established many beneficial effects of Ba, including androgenic effects as well as antidiabetic effects which have been described in rats following oral administration of the leave extract. However, the actual mechanisms underlying the antihyperglyceamic effect of Ba have not been reported in any study and little or no research details are yet available on the potential beneficial effects of Ba in reproductive dysfunction resulting from diabetes mellitus. This study was aimed at investigating the mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic effect of Ba and the possibility of a role for the plant in correcting diabetic-induced reproductive dysfunctions in male Wistar rats. The first part of the study involved comparing of three different solvent extracts of Ba leaves namely ethyl acetate, methanolic and aqueous extracts for their antioxidant potentials, after which the aqueous extract was selected for further use in the experiments. Animal experimentation involved male rats (n=40) aged 8-10 weeks, randomly divided into four equal groups as follows: Healthy Control, Diabetic Control, Healthy Treatment and Diabetic Treatment. Diabetes was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55mg/kg) and all animals subsequently received treatment via gavage (Rats in Control groups received 0.5ml/100g normal saline daily and treatment groups received 200mg/kg plant extract daily) for a period of four weeks. Fasting blood sugar and body weights were recorded weekly throughout the study. Animals were sacrificed upon completion of the treatment and blood samples and tissues collected for further analysis which included computer aided sperm analysis, Luminex® technology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent hormonal assays, inflammatory cytokine assays, analysis of oxidative stress markers and Histopathological analysis. The single intraperitoneal injection of a high streptozotocin dose resulted in hyperglycaemia, weight loss, subnormal sperm parameters, negative balance of inflammatory cytokines and endogenous antioxidants and degenerative changes in the pancreas, testes and epididymis as observed in the diabetic control rats. Oral administration with the aqueous extract of Ba for four weeks in diabetic treatment rats led to a significant reduction in blood sugar and improvement of sperm parameters by modulating the production of gonadal hormones, in vivo antioxidants and inflammatory cytokines. There was also significant recovery of normal islet histology and reduction in testicular and epididymal degeneration in the diabetic treatment rats when compared to their diabetic control counterparts. It was concluded from the findings of this study that the antidiabetic and profertility effects of Ba are largely dependent on the modulation of in vivo production of antioxidants, gonadal hormones and inflammatory cytokines, probably stimulated by one or more phytochemical component(s) that can be isolated in the aqueous extract of the plant.

Desde los años sesenta, los intentos por integrar América Latina han provenido del esfuerzo conjunto de dos o más presidentes, quienes han tenido a su cargo tanto el lanzamiento de las iniciativas como el desarrollo de las mismas. De esta manera, la Comunidad Andina de Naciones –antes Grupo Andino- fue el resultado de las reuniones que sostuvieron los presidentes de Colombia, Chile y Ecuador en el año 1966. Asimismo, el proyecto de crear el Mercado Común del Sur resultó del trabajo compartido entre el exmandatario brasileño, José Sarney y su homólogo argentino, Raúl Alfonsín.; y su posterior formalización, se produjo por el impulso de sus sucesores, Fernando Collor de Mello y Carlos Saúl Menem. / Tesis

Aunque el Perú se ha constituido históricamente como un país centralista y criollo, la historia literaria peruana no puede ser entendida como un sistema literario único y homogéneo. Hacerlo trae como consecuencia que las manifestaciones literarias de las provincias del país y de las regiones periféricas (como la Amazonía) se encuentren postergadas o relegadas de la literatura peruana oficial, cuyo centro de difusión cultural es la ciudad de Lima. En este trabajo voy a analizar las manifestaciones de un tipo particular de poesía social que se escribe desde el sistema literario de Iquitos en la región amazónica. Los representantes más significativos de esta poesía mítico-social son los integrantes del grupo Urcututu (fundado en 1979), quienes, además de establecer programáticamente la escritura de este tipo de poesía, identifican una tradición poética dentro de la región amazónica cuyos hitos más importantes son los poetas mestizos del tardío romanticismo de fines del siglo XIX y la poesía comprometida de Germán Lequerica (Iquitos, 1932-2002), en particular su poemario La búsqueda del alba (1959). Mi hipótesis es que este tipo de poesía social practicado por el grupo Urcututu tiene las siguientes características: la construcción de una tradición mítica y de una sensibilidad mágica (el universo indígena amazónico como matriz cultural) y el compromiso político con la realidad socio-económica (las consecuencias de los ciclos de economía extractiva en la sociedad loretana). A partir de este sustrato mítico y este compromiso político, la poesía social de Iquitos practicada por el grupo Ucututu se diferencia de una serie de valores considerados alienantes: la precaria urbanización y modernización de Iquitos, basada en un capitalismo extractivo. En esta historia de la poesía social en Iquitos, he identificado tres hitos o momentos de innovación significativa en el proceso de la lírica loretana. El primer hito son los poetas mestizos del tardío romanticismo, con quienes surge una consciencia de la singularidad de la región amazónica a partir del elogio del paisaje. El segundo hito es la poesía moderna y el compromiso social de Germán Lequerica, quien con La búsqueda del alba (1957) asimila la influencia de César Vallejo para articular una poesía de denuncia social y de reivindicación regional. El tercero hito es el grupo Urcututu y la búsqueda de una voz auténticamente amazónica desde lo mítico-social; el grupo Urcututu posee una consciencia histórica que le permite formular de manera programática su propia versión de la tradición literaria amazónica en la que se insertan. En los poemarios de algunos de sus integrantes, como Carlos Reyes Ramírez (Requena, Loreto, 1962) y Ana Varela Tafur (Iquitos, 1963), se observa la consolidación de un tipo de poesía social de caracteres originales: la recuperación de una tradición mítica amazónica y el propósito de intervención política y de denuncia social. A partir de su poesía, estos autores buscan enfrentar al lector con la realidad social de la Amazonía a partir de una voz en la que, para denunciar la violencia y la opresión en Iquitos, es necesario apelar a una sensibilidad mítico-mágica. / Tesis

INTRODUÇÃO: A avaliação do colágeno na parede abdominal é cada vez mais estudada, em virtude da relevância do colágeno no processo cicatricial após laparotomias. O aumento da população obesa mórbida requer conhecimento da parede abdominal a fim de evitar complicações pós-operatórias relacionadas à obesidade. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a quantidade de colágeno na linha alba de pacientes submetidos a cirurgia bariátrica aberta no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre e comparar com a de cadáveres não-obesos. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudo observacional que avaliou dois grupos, com total de 88 amostras da aponeurose da linha alba abdominal, divididas em 44 amostras de pacientes obesos com indicação de cirurgia bariátrica e 44 amostras de cadáveres não-obesos. As amostras foram retiradas da linha alba abdominal no período de 2013 a 2014 e inicialmente foram separadas conforme faixas etárias (18-30, 31-45 e 46-60), gênero, medidas de IMC, circunferência abdominal e cervical e espessura do subcutâneo do indivíduo. Foi coletado material para biópsia da linha alba supraumbilical para análise de imuno-histoquímica, diferenciando o colágeno tipo I e III e sua relação de tipo I/III. Utilizou-se o programa de contagem de pixels ImageProPlus®, que mensurou a quantidade do colágeno. Foi realizada análise estatística com SPSS®, com nível de significância estatística de p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Todas as biópsias foram utilizadas no estudo. Em um total de 88 amostras, a avaliação da característica do grupo Obesidade teve idade média ± desvio-padrão 44,11 ± 9,90 anos, faixa etária de 18-30 anos com 3 (6,8%) obesos, 31-45 com 22 (50%) obesos e 46-60 anos com 19 (43,1%) obesos. O gênero feminino apresentou predomínio, com 36 (81,8%) pacientes; IMC (Kg/m²) 48,81 ± 6,5, circunferência abdominal (cm) 136,761 ± 13,55, espessura do subcutâneo (cm) 4,873 ± 0,916. A quantidade de colágeno tipo I foi 134683,3 ± 206657,4. A de colágeno tipo III foi 413137,2 ± 283656,1. A razão do colágeno tipo I/III foi 0,419 ± 0,636. Considerando-se faixas de idade, gênero e IMC, foram constatadas diferenças estatísticas em todas as análises quando comparadas com as dos cadáveres. CONCLUSÃO: A amostra composta de pacientes obesos mórbidos teve uma quantidade de colágeno na linha alba da região supraumbilical menor que a do grupo controle quando comparada com a de cadáveres não-obesos na mesma faixa etária. / INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of collagen in the abdominal wall has been increasingly studied because of the relevance on collagen in the healing process after laparotomy. The increase in morbidly obese population requires knowledge of abdominal wall to prevent post-operative complications related to obesity. PURPOSE: To evaluate the amount of collagen in the linea alba of patients undergoing open bariatric surgery at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre and compare it with non-obese cadavers’. METHODS: Observational study evaluating 88 samples of aponeurosis from abdominal linea alba of 44 obese patients and 44 non-obese cadavers. The samples were collected in 2013 and 2104, and were sorted according to age (18-30, 31-45 and 46-60), gender, BMI, waist and cervical circumference, and subcutaneous tissue thickness. Material for biopsy was collected from the supraumbilical region of the linea alba for immunohistochemical analysis differentiating collagen type 1 and type 3 and the 1/3 ratio. ImagePro Plus pixel counting software was used to measure the amount of collagen. SPSS® statistical analysis was performed with statistical significance level of p<0.05 was performed. RESULTS: All biopsies were used in the study. In a total of 88 samples, the evaluation of the Obesity group evidenced mean age ± standard deviation 44.11 ± 9.90 years, 18-30 age group with 3 (6.8%) obese individuals, 31-45 with 22 (50%) and 46-60 with 19 (43.1%). Females had a prevalence of 36 (81.8%) patients; BMI (kg / m²) 48.81 ± 6.5, waist circumference (cm) 136.761 ± 13.55, subcutaneous tissue thickness (cm) 4.873 ± 0.916. Considering age groups, gender and BMI, there were statistical differences in all tests when compared with the cadavers. CONCLUSION: The amount of collagen in the linea alba above the umbilical region in the morbidly obese patients was smaller than in the non-obese cadavers in the same age group.

Thesis (PhD (Biomedical Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The use of medicinal plants in the management of various health problems date back to the ancient times. However, only in recent years, researchers are starting to focus on the use of natural plant products as alternative treatment in disease control. Basella alba (Ba), commonly called Ceylon or Indian spinach is one of such medicinal plants, wildly cultivated and consumed mostly as vegetable. Studies have established many beneficial effects of Ba, including androgenic effects as well as antidiabetic effects which have been described in rats following oral administration of the leave extract. However, the actual mechanisms underlying the antihyperglyceamic effect of Ba have not been reported in any study and little or no research details are yet available on the potential beneficial effects of Ba in reproductive dysfunction resulting from diabetes mellitus. This study was aimed at investigating the mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic effect of Ba and the possibility of a role for the plant in correcting diabetic-induced reproductive dysfunctions in male Wistar rats. The first part of the study involved comparing of three different solvent extracts of Ba leaves namely ethyl acetate, methanolic and aqueous extracts for their antioxidant potentials, after which the aqueous extract was selected for further use in the experiments. Animal experimentation involved male rats (n=40) aged 8-10 weeks, randomly divided into four equal groups as follows: Healthy Control, Diabetic Control, Healthy Treatment and Diabetic Treatment. Diabetes was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55mg/kg) and all animals subsequently received treatment via gavage (Rats in Control groups received 0.5ml/100g normal saline daily and treatment groups received 200mg/kg plant extract daily) for a period of four weeks. Fasting blood sugar and body weights were recorded weekly throughout the study. Animals were sacrificed upon completion of the treatment and blood samples and tissues collected for further analysis which included computer aided sperm analysis, Luminex® technology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent hormonal assays, inflammatory cytokine assays, analysis of oxidative stress markers and Histopathological analysis. The single intraperitoneal injection of a high streptozotocin dose resulted in hyperglycaemia, weight loss, subnormal sperm parameters, negative balance of inflammatory cytokines and endogenous antioxidants and degenerative changes in the pancreas, testes and epididymis as observed in the diabetic control rats. Oral administration with the aqueous extract of Ba for four weeks in diabetic treatment rats led to a significant reduction in blood sugar and improvement of sperm parameters by modulating the production of gonadal hormones, in vivo antioxidants and inflammatory cytokines. There was also significant recovery of normal islet histology and reduction in testicular and epididymal degeneration in the diabetic treatment rats when compared to their diabetic control counterparts. It was concluded from the findings of this study that the antidiabetic and profertility effects of Ba are largely dependent on the modulation of in vivo production of antioxidants, gonadal hormones and inflammatory cytokines, probably stimulated by one or more phytochemical component(s) that can be isolated in the aqueous extract of the plant