WPFC 20th Annual Anderson-Ottaway lecture focuses on freedom of expression and religion
"The greatest threat to free speech and freedom of conscience embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the current debate over speech and religion," said distinguished US First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams.
Speaking on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, Abrams delivered the World Press Freedom Committee’s (WPFC) 20th Annual Anderson-Ottaway lecture, held in partnership with UNESCO at the United Nations. 'The U.S. First Amendment Tradition and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights: After Sixty Years, What Relationship?' was the title of Abrams’ lecture.
Neural markers of a greater female responsiveness to social stimuli
ABSTRACT
Background. There is fMRI evidence that women are neurally predisposed to process infant laughter and crying. Other findings show that women might be more empathic and sensitive than men to emotional facial expressions. However, no gender difference in the brain responses to persons and unanimated scenes has hitherto been demonstrated.
Understanding the molecular process at the basis of polymerization processes of neurotoxic beta-amyloid
Abstract
Understanding the molecular process at the basis of polymerization processes of neurotoxic beta-amyloid can give important contributions for designing new therapies for Alzhemier Disease.
In this perspective, we have performed an in vitro study of the effects on B-amyloid fibrillogenesis of the natural pigment hypericin extracted from Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s worth). Our results show that, thanks to its structural characteristics and peculiar spectroscopic features, hypericin can be easily used to in vitro monitor the appearance of early aggregation states of B-amyloid peptides during the polymerization process and, more importantly, that hypericin can significantly affect and interfere with the early stages of polymerization process, playing the role of an effective aggregation inhibitor.