Inner Speech's Relationship With Overt Speech in Poststroke Aphasia.

PubMed

Stark, Brielle C; Geva, Sharon; Warburton, Elizabeth A

2017-09-18

Relatively preserved inner speech alongside poor overt speech has been documented in some persons with aphasia (PWA), but the relationship of overt speech with inner speech is still largely unclear, as few studies have directly investigated these factors. The present study investigates the relationship of relatively preserved inner speech in aphasia with selected measures of language and cognition. Thirty-eight persons with chronic aphasia (27 men, 11 women; average age 64.53 ± 13.29 years, time since stroke 8-111 months) were classified as having relatively preserved inner and overt speech (n = 21), relatively preserved inner speech with poor overt speech (n = 8), or not classified due to insufficient measurements of inner and/or overt speech (n = 9). Inner speech scores (by group) were correlated with selected measures of language and cognition from the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (Swinburn, Porter, & Al, 2004). The group with poor overt speech showed a significant relationship of inner speech with overt naming (r = .95, p < .01) and with mean length of utterance produced during a written picture description (r = .96, p < .01). Correlations between inner speech and language and cognition factors were not significant for the group with relatively good overt speech. As in previous research, we show that relatively preserved inner speech is found alongside otherwise severe production deficits in PWA. PWA with poor overt speech may rely more on preserved inner speech for overt picture naming (perhaps due to shared resources with verbal working memory) and for written picture description (perhaps due to reliance on inner speech due to perceived task difficulty). Assessments of inner speech may be useful as a standard component of aphasia screening, and therapy focused on improving and using inner speech may prove clinically worthwhile. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5303542.

77 FR 25829 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-01

.... These behavioral reactions are often shown as: Changing durations of surfacing and dives, number of... show no overt reactions to airgun pulses at distances beyond a few kilometers, even though the airgun... migrating bowhead whales show reactions, including avoidance, that sometimes extend to greater distances...

Factors contributing to the development of overt encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis patients.

PubMed

Iwasa, Motoh; Sugimoto, Ryosuke; Mifuji-Moroka, Rumi; Hara, Nagisa; Yoshikawa, Kyoko; Tanaka, Hideaki; Eguchi, Akiko; Yamamoto, Norihiko; Sugimoto, Kazushi; Kobayashi, Yoshinao; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Takei, Yoshiyuki

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships among psychometric testing results, blood ammonia (NH3) levels, electrolyte abnormalities, and degree of inflammation, and their associations with the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. The relationships between covert HE and blood NH3, sodium (Na), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were examined in 40 LC patients. The effects of elevated NH3, hyponatremia, and elevated CRP on the development of overt HE were also investigated. The covert HE group had significantly lower serum Na levels and significantly higher serum CRP levels. During the median observation period of 11 months, 10 patients developed overt HE, and the results of multivariate analysis showed that covert HE and elevated blood NH3 were factors contributing to the development of overt HE. Electrolyte abnormalities and mild inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of HE. Abnormal psychometric testing results and hyperammonemia are linked to subsequent development of overt HE.

Social Stigma and Well-Being in a Sample of Schizophrenia Patients.

PubMed

Magallares, Alejandro; Perez-Garin, Daniel; Molero, Fernando

2016-01-01

The present study analyzes the existing relationship between three variables related to social rejection (perception of overt and subtle discrimination and stigma consciousness) and the psychological and subjective well-being among people with schizophrenia. Likewise, we will analyze the relationship between two possible strategies to cope with stigma (active coping and avoidant coping) and well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 50 people with schizophrenia recruited from the social care network for people with mental illness in the Community of Madrid. Results show, as expected, the existence of a negative association between the variables related to social rejection and psychological and subjective well-being. It was also found that avoidant coping is negatively related to well-being, while active coping is positively related, although in the latter case relations do not reach significance. In view of the implementation of interventions to improve the well-being of people with schizophrenia, our results suggest implementing strategies to reduce the perception of discrimination (especially subtle or indirect discrimination) and encouraging the use of active strategies to cope with stigma as opposed to avoidant-coping strategies.

Fixations to the eyes aids in facial encoding; covertly attending to the eyes does not.

PubMed

Laidlaw, Kaitlin E W; Kingstone, Alan

2017-02-01

When looking at images of faces, people will often focus their fixations on the eyes. It has previously been demonstrated that the eyes convey important information that may improve later facial recognition. Whether this advantage requires that the eyes be fixated, or merely attended to covertly (i.e. while looking elsewhere), is unclear from previous work. While attending to the eyes covertly without fixating them may be sufficient, the act of using overt attention to fixate the eyes may improve the processing of important details used for later recognition. In the present study, participants were shown a series of faces and, in Experiment 1, asked to attend to them normally while avoiding looking at either the eyes or, as a control, the mouth (overt attentional avoidance condition); or in Experiment 2 fixate the center of the face while covertly attending to either the eyes or the mouth (covert attention condition). After the first phase, participants were asked to perform an old/new face recognition task. We demonstrate that a) when fixations to the eyes are avoided during initial viewing then subsequent face discrimination suffers, and b) covert attention to the eyes alone is insufficient to improve face discrimination performance. Together, these findings demonstrate that fixating the eyes provides an encoding advantage that is not availed by covert attention alone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the Quality of EAP Writing through Overt Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wee, Roselind; Sim, Jacqueline; Jusoff, Kamaruzaman

2009-01-01

This paper examines how overt teaching is instrumental in reducing subject-verb agreement (SVA) errors of Malaysian EAP learners which in turn improves the quality of their writing. The researchers used overt teaching of these grammatical items, that is, SVA and investigated how this method has significantly benefitted the learners who were second…

Low plasma FVII:C and activated FVII as predictive markers for overt disseminated intravascular coagulation.

PubMed

Lertthammakiat, Surapong; Anantasit, Nattachai; Anurathapan, Usanarat; Sirachainan, Nongnuch; Kadegasem, Praguywan; Chuansumrit, Ampaiwan

2017-07-26

In sepsis, binding of factor VII (FVII:C) and activated factor VII (FVIIa) with tissue factor is the key step of coagulation resulting in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We conducted a prospective cohort study among 47 septic patients, aged 8 months to 18.8 years. They were initially divided into three groups of no DIC (n=27), non-overt DIC (n=14) and overt DIC (n=6). Blood samples were collected at 0, 24 and 48 hours (h) after the onset of sepsis. At the onset of sepsis, FVII:C tended to be lower in the non-overt DIC [median 57 % (interquartile range [IQR] 41-80)] and overt DIC groups [33 % (23-52)] than that in the no DIC group [65 % (44-87)]. Whereas FVIIa tended to be lower in the overt DIC group [1.29 % (0.50-4.19)] than those in the non-overt DIC [3.01 % (1.01-5.24)] and no DIC groups [2.49 % (1.14-3.13)]. At 24 h, FVII:C was significantly lower in the non-overt DIC [57 % (41-101)] and overt DIC groups [31 % (28-49)] than that in the no DIC group [83 % (70-102)]. While FVIIa was significantly lower in the overt DIC group [2.15 % (0.86-3.96)] than that in the no DIC group [3.83 % (2.90-5.46)]. Using FVII:C <65 % or FVIIa <3 % at 24 h among patients without hepatic dysfunction to determine overt DIC at 24 h, the sensitivity was 83.9 % and 77.4 %, respectively, and the specificity was both 83.3 %. Patients with low FVII:C and low FVIIa at 24 h after the onset of sepsis had a 20.8-fold (95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.0-213.0, p=0.010) and 14.4-fold (95 %CI, 1.5-142.4, p=0.023) chance of overt DIC.

The decay of pitch memory during rehearsal.

PubMed

Kaernbach, Christian; Schlemmer, Kathrin

2008-04-01

The present study investigates the decay of pitch memory over time. In a delayed pitch comparison paradigm, participants had to memorize the pitch of a Shepard tone, with silent, overt, or without any rehearsal. During overt rehearsal, recordings of the rehearsing were effectuated. Performance was best for silent rehearsal and worst for overt rehearsal. The differences, although partially significant, were not marked. The voice pitch during overt rehearsal was compatible with a random walk model, providing a possible explanation of why rehearsal does not improve the retention of the pitch trace.

Assessing Boundary Conditions of the Testing Effect: On the Relative Efficacy of Covert vs. Overt Retrieval

PubMed Central

Sundqvist, Max L.; Mäntylä, Timo; Jönsson, Fredrik U.

2017-01-01

Repeated testing during learning often improves later memory, which is often referred to as the testing effect. To clarify its boundary conditions, we examined whether the testing effect was selectively affected by covert (retrieved but not articulated) or overt (retrieved and articulated) response format. In Experiments 1 and 2, we compared immediate (5 min) and delayed (1 week) cued recall for paired associates following study-only, covert, and overt conditions, including two types of overt articulation (typing and writing). A clear testing effect was observed in both experiments, but with no selective effects of response format. In Experiments 3 and 4, we compared covert and overt retrieval under blocked and random list orders. The effect sizes were small in both experiments, but there was a significant effect of response format, with overt retrieval showing better final recall performance than covert retrieval. There were no significant effects of blocked vs. random list orders with respect to the testing effect produced. Taken together, these findings suggest that, under specific circumstances, overt retrieval may lead to a greater testing effect than that of covert retrieval, but because of small effect sizes, it appears that the testing effect is mainly the result of retrieval processes and that articulation has fairly little to add to its magnitude in a paired-associates learning paradigm. PMID:28680411

Assessing Boundary Conditions of the Testing Effect: On the Relative Efficacy of Covert vs. Overt Retrieval.

PubMed

Sundqvist, Max L; Mäntylä, Timo; Jönsson, Fredrik U

2017-01-01

Repeated testing during learning often improves later memory, which is often referred to as the testing effect. To clarify its boundary conditions, we examined whether the testing effect was selectively affected by covert (retrieved but not articulated) or overt (retrieved and articulated) response format. In Experiments 1 and 2, we compared immediate (5 min) and delayed (1 week) cued recall for paired associates following study-only, covert, and overt conditions, including two types of overt articulation (typing and writing). A clear testing effect was observed in both experiments, but with no selective effects of response format. In Experiments 3 and 4, we compared covert and overt retrieval under blocked and random list orders. The effect sizes were small in both experiments, but there was a significant effect of response format, with overt retrieval showing better final recall performance than covert retrieval. There were no significant effects of blocked vs. random list orders with respect to the testing effect produced. Taken together, these findings suggest that, under specific circumstances, overt retrieval may lead to a greater testing effect than that of covert retrieval, but because of small effect sizes, it appears that the testing effect is mainly the result of retrieval processes and that articulation has fairly little to add to its magnitude in a paired-associates learning paradigm.

How do significant others influence our driving? A descriptive study of ego-alter dyads in a college population.

PubMed

Beck, Kenneth; Watters, Samantha

2017-05-19

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the mutual influences between drivers and their significant others in a sample of college students, using a social network perspective. A web-based survey was made of 65 dyads of drivers and their significant others, in order to examine areas of mutual influence concerning driving. Measures were taken of their frequency of risky driving, including how often they drive, talk on the cell phone, or text with each other while driving. They were also asked whether they have influenced or been influenced by each other to drive safer or in a more risky manner. The dyads were very similar in how frequently they drive as well as talk to each other on the phone while driving. However, they were unlikely to feel that their driving was influenced by each other, with only 17% of the drivers and 19% of the significant others saying that they have been overtly influenced by (or have influenced) each other's driving behavior often or most of the time. Yet, most (67.7% and 72.1%) said they have ever encouraged or been encouraged by each other to drive more safely, mainly by being told to reduce their speed. In both sets of drivers in these dyads, talking to and texting their significant other while driving was related to risky driving. These findings suggest that a similarity exits in the driving patterns of young drivers and their significant others, especially concerning talking to each other on the phone while driving. The largest degree of overt social influence appears to center around avoidance of behaviors perceived to be associated with getting a traffic citation. Implications for safety campaign development and future research are presented.

Communication errors in radiology - Pitfalls and how to avoid them.

PubMed

Waite, Stephen; Scott, Jinel Moore; Drexler, Ian; Martino, Jennifer; Legasto, Alan; Gale, Brian; Kolla, Srinivas

2018-06-07

Communication failures are a common cause of patient harm and malpractice claims against radiologists. In addition to overt communication breakdowns among providers, it is also important to address the quality of communication to optimize patient outcomes. In this review, we describe common communication failures and potential solutions providing a framework for radiologists to improve health care delivery. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of Fibrin Monomer in Comparison to d-Dimer in Patients With Overt and Nonovert Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.

PubMed

Singh, Neha; Pati, Hara Prasad; Tyagi, Seema; Upadhyay, Ashish Datt; Saxena, Renu

2017-07-01

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a thrombohemorrhagic disorder characterized by hyperactivation of coagulation and secondary fibrinolysis. The primary aim of this prospective study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of fibrin monomer (FM) and d-dimer (DD) for the preemptive diagnosis of DIC in the early stages. The patients were categorized into 3 groups: overt DIC, nonovert DIC, and non-DIC based on the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis scoring for overt DIC and the modified nonovert-DIC criteria. Coagulation tests were performed on freshly obtained plasma. Quantitative determination of FM and DD was done by immunoturbidimetric assay. Median DD and FM levels in patients with overt DIC were significantly higher in comparison to the other 2 groups. Interestingly, unlike DD, the difference in FM levels was also found to be statistically significant between patients with nonovert DIC and non-DIC patients ( P = .0001). At receiver-operator characteristic curve-generated cutoff values, FM had higher specificity and negative predictive value than DD for predicting onset of overt DIC. Multivariate analysis showed that only FM was as an independent predictive factor useful in differentiating patients with overt DIC from non-DIC patients (odds ratio [OR]: 43.3; confidence interval [CI] 4.61-406.68; P value = .001) as well as in distinguishing nonovert DIC from non-DIC patients (OR:18.3; CI 3.45-97.19; P value = .001). Fibrin monomer is a better indicator than DD in distinguishing patients with overt and nonovert DIC from non-DIC patients, raising the possibility for its diagnostic utility as a marker for impending overt DIC, aiding in early diagnosis and prompt therapeutic intervention.

Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) Parasitism and Climate Differentially Influence the Prevalence, Levels, and Overt Infections of Deformed Wing Virus in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

PubMed Central

Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto; Md. Hamiduzzaman, Mollah; Espinosa-Montaño, Laura G.; Correa-Benítez, Adriana

2016-01-01

The prevalence and loads of deformed wing virus (DWV) between honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies from a tropical and a temperate environment were compared. The interaction between these environments and the mite Varroa destructor in relation to DWV prevalence, levels, and overt infections, was also analyzed. V. destructor rates were determined, and samples of mites, adult bees, brood parasitized with varroa mites and brood not infested by mites were analyzed. DWV was detected in 100% of the mites and its prevalence and loads in honey bees were significantly higher in colonies from the temperate climate than in colonies from the tropical climate. Significant interactions were found between climate and type of sample, with the highest levels of DWV found in varroa-parasitized brood from temperate climate colonies. Additionally, overt infections were observed only in the temperate climate. Varroa parasitism and DWV loads in bees from colonies with overt infections were significantly higher than in bees from colonies with covert infections. These results suggest that interactions between climate, V. destructor, and possibly other factors, may play a significant role in the prevalence and levels of DWV in honey bee colonies, as well as in the development of overt infections. Several hypotheses are discussed to explain these results. PMID:27252482

Effects of covert and overt paradigms in clinical language fMRI.

PubMed

Partovi, Sasan; Konrad, Florian; Karimi, Sasan; Rengier, Fabian; Lyo, John K; Zipp, Lisa; Nennig, Ernst; Stippich, Christoph

2012-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the intrasubject and intersubject reproducibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) language paradigms on language localization and lateralization. Fourteen healthy volunteers were enrolled prospectively and underwent language fMRI using visually triggered covert and overt sentence generation (SG) and word generation (WG) paradigms. Semiautomated analysis of all functional data was performed using Brain Voyager on an individual basis. Regions of interest for Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and their contralateral homologues were drawn. The Euclidean coordinates of the center of gravidity (x, y, and z) of the respective blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activation cluster, and the correlation of the measured hemodynamic response to the applied reference function (r), relative BOLD signal change as BOLD signal characteristics were measured in each region of interest. Regional lateralization indexes were calculated for Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and their contralateral homologues separately. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was applied for statistical comparisons (P values < .05 were considered significant). Ten of the 14 volunteers had three repeated measurements to test intrasession reproducibility and intersession reproducibility. Overall activation rates for the four paradigms were 89% for covert SG, 82% for overt SG, 89% for covert WG, and 100% for overt WG. When comparing covert and overt paradigms, language localization was significantly different in 17% (Euclidean coordinates) and 19% (BOLD signal characteristics), respectively. Language lateralization was significantly different in 75%. Intrasubject and intersubject reproducibility was excellent, with 3.3% significant differences among all five parameters for language localization and 0% significant differences for language lateralization using covert paradigms. Covert language paradigms (SG and WG) provided highly robust and reproducible localization and lateralization of essential language centers for scans performed on the same and different days. Their overt counterparts achieved confirmatory localization but lower lateralization capabilities. Reference data for presurgical application are provided. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) Parasitism and Climate Differentially Influence the Prevalence, Levels, and Overt Infections of Deformed Wing Virus in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

PubMed

Anguiano-Baez, Ricardo; Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto; Md Hamiduzzaman, Mollah; Espinosa-Montaño, Laura G; Correa-Benítez, Adriana

2016-01-01

The prevalence and loads of deformed wing virus (DWV) between honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies from a tropical and a temperate environment were compared. The interaction between these environments and the mite Varroa destructor in relation to DWV prevalence, levels, and overt infections, was also analyzed. V. destructor rates were determined, and samples of mites, adult bees, brood parasitized with varroa mites and brood not infested by mites were analyzed. DWV was detected in 100% of the mites and its prevalence and loads in honey bees were significantly higher in colonies from the temperate climate than in colonies from the tropical climate. Significant interactions were found between climate and type of sample, with the highest levels of DWV found in varroa-parasitized brood from temperate climate colonies. Additionally, overt infections were observed only in the temperate climate. Varroa parasitism and DWV loads in bees from colonies with overt infections were significantly higher than in bees from colonies with covert infections. These results suggest that interactions between climate, V. destructor, and possibly other factors, may play a significant role in the prevalence and levels of DWV in honey bee colonies, as well as in the development of overt infections. Several hypotheses are discussed to explain these results. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Comparative risk of microalbuminuria and proteinuria in UK residents of south Asian and white European ethnic background with type 2 diabetes: a report from UKADS.

PubMed

Raymond, Neil T; Paul O'Hare, J; Bellary, Srikanth; Kumar, Sudhesh; Jones, Alan; Barnett, Anthony H

2011-11-01

This study investigated and compared the prevalence of microalbuminuria and overt proteinuria and their determinants in a cohort of UK resident patients of white European or south Asian ethnicity with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 1978 patients, comprising 1486 of south Asian and 492 of white European ethnicity, in 25 general practices in Coventry and Birmingham inner city areas in England were studied in a cross-sectional study. Demographic and risk factor data were collected and presence of microalbuminuria and overt proteinuria assessed. ISRCTN 38297969. Prevalences of microalbuminuria and overt proteinuria. Urinary albumin:creatinine measurements were available for 1852 (94%) patients. The south Asian group had a lower prevalence of microalbuminuria, 19% vs. 23% and a higher prevalence of overt proteinuria, 8% vs. 3%, χ(2) = 15.85, 2df, P = 0.0004. In multiple logistic regression models, adjusted for confounding factors, significantly increased risk for the south Asian vs. white European patients for overt proteinuria was shown; OR (95% CI) 2.17 (1.05, 4.49), P = 0.0365. For microalbuminuria, an interaction effect for ethnicity and duration of diabetes suggested that risk for south Asian patients was lower in early years following diagnosis; OR for SA vs. WH at durations 0 and 1 year were 0.56 (0.37, 0.86) and 0.59 (0.39, 0.89) respectively. After 20 years' duration, OR = 1.40 (0.63, 3.08). Comparability of ethnicity defined groups; statistical methods controlled for differences between groups, but residual confounding may remain. Analyses are based on a single measure of albumin:creatinine ratio. There were significant differences between ethnicity groups in risk factor profiles and microalbuminuria and overt proteinuria outcomes. Whilst south Asian patients had no excess risk of microalbuminuria, the risk of overt proteinuria was elevated significantly, which might be explained by faster progression of renal dysfunction in patients of south Asian ethnicity.

Heat strain evaluation of overt and covert body armour in a hot and humid environment.

PubMed

Pyke, Andrew J; Costello, Joseph T; Stewart, Ian B

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to elucidate the thermophysiological effects of wearing lightweight non-military overt and covert personal body armour (PBA) in a hot and humid environment. Eight healthy males walked on a treadmill for 120 min at 22% of their heart rate reserve in a climate chamber simulating 31 °C (60%RH) wearing either no armour (control), overt or covert PBA in addition to a security guard uniform, in a randomised controlled crossover design. No significant difference between conditions at the end of each trial was observed in core temperature, heart rate or skin temperature (P > 0.05). Covert PBA produced a significantly greater amount of body mass change (-1.81 ± 0.44%) compared to control (-1.07 ± 0.38%, P = 0.009) and overt conditions (-1.27 ± 0.44%, P = 0.025). Although a greater change in body mass was observed after the covert PBA trial; based on the physiological outcome measures recorded, the heat strain encountered while wearing lightweight, non-military overt or covert PBA was negligible compared to no PBA. The wearing of bullet proof vests or body armour is a requirement of personnel engaged in a wide range of occupations including police, security, customs and even journalists in theatres of war. This randomised controlled crossover study is the first to examine the thermophysiological effects of wearing lightweight non-military overt and covert personal body armour (PBA) in a hot and humid environment. We conclude that the heat strain encountered while wearing both overt and covert lightweight, non-military PBA was negligible compared to no PBA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Masked polycythaemia vera: presenting features, response to treatment and clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Alvarez-Larrán, Alberto; Angona, Anna; Ancochea, Agueda; García-Pallarols, Francesc; Fernández, Concepción; Longarón, Raquel; Bellosillo, Beatriz; Besses, Carlos

2016-01-01

Masked polycythaemia vera (PV) has been proposed as a new entity with poorer outcome than overt PV. In this study, the initial clinical and laboratory characteristics, response to treatment and outcome of masked and overt PV were compared using red cell mass and haemoglobin or haematocrit levels for the distinction between both entities. Sixty-eight of 151 PV patients (45%) were classified as masked PV according to World Health Organisation diagnostic criteria, whereas 16 (11%) were classified as masked PV using the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH). In comparison with overt PV, a higher platelet count and a lower JAK2V617F allele burden at diagnosis were observed in masked PV. Patients with masked PV needed lower phlebotomies and responded faster to hydroxcarbamide than those with overt PV. Complete haematological response was more frequently achieved in masked than in overt PV (79% vs. 58%, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the duration of haematological response, the rate of resistance or intolerance to hydroxycarbamide and the probability of molecular response according to type of PV (masked vs. overt). Overall survival, rate of thrombosis and major bleeding, and probability of transformation was superimposable among patients with masked and overt PV. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Territoriality and Conflict Avoidance Explain Asociality (Solitariness) of the Endosymbiotic Pea Crab Tunicotheres moseri

PubMed Central

Ambrosio, Louis J.; Baeza, J. Antonio

2016-01-01

Host monopolization theory predicts symbiotic organisms inhabiting morphologically simple, relatively small and scarce hosts to live solitarily as a result of territorial behaviors. We tested this prediction with Tunicotheres moseri, an endosymbiotic crab dwelling in the atrial chamber of the morphologically simple, small, and relatively scarce ascidian Styela plicata. As predicted, natural populations of T. moseri inhabit ascidian hosts solitarily with greater frequency than expected by chance alone. Furthermore, laboratory experiments demonstrated that intruder crabs take significantly longer to colonize previously infected compared to uninfected hosts, indicating as expected, that resident crabs exhibit monopolization behaviors. While territoriality does occur, agonistic behaviors employed by T. moseri do not mirror the overt behaviors commonly reported for other territorial crustaceans. Documented double and triple cohabitations in the field coupled with laboratory observations demonstrating the almost invariable success of intruder crabs colonizing occupied hosts, suggest that territoriality is ineffective in completely explaining the solitary social habit of this species. Additional experiments showed that T. moseri juveniles and adults, when searching for ascidians use chemical cues to avoid hosts occupied by conspecifics. This conspecific avoidance behavior reported herein is a novel strategy most likely employed to preemptively resolve costly territorial conflicts. In general, this study supports predictions central to host monopolization theory, but also implies that alternative behavioral strategies (i.e., conflict avoidance) may be more important than originally thought in explaining the host use pattern of symbiotic organisms. PMID:26910474

Territoriality and Conflict Avoidance Explain Asociality (Solitariness) of the Endosymbiotic Pea Crab Tunicotheres moseri.

PubMed

Ambrosio, Louis J; Baeza, J Antonio

2016-01-01

Host monopolization theory predicts symbiotic organisms inhabiting morphologically simple, relatively small and scarce hosts to live solitarily as a result of territorial behaviors. We tested this prediction with Tunicotheres moseri, an endosymbiotic crab dwelling in the atrial chamber of the morphologically simple, small, and relatively scarce ascidian Styela plicata. As predicted, natural populations of T. moseri inhabit ascidian hosts solitarily with greater frequency than expected by chance alone. Furthermore, laboratory experiments demonstrated that intruder crabs take significantly longer to colonize previously infected compared to uninfected hosts, indicating as expected, that resident crabs exhibit monopolization behaviors. While territoriality does occur, agonistic behaviors employed by T. moseri do not mirror the overt behaviors commonly reported for other territorial crustaceans. Documented double and triple cohabitations in the field coupled with laboratory observations demonstrating the almost invariable success of intruder crabs colonizing occupied hosts, suggest that territoriality is ineffective in completely explaining the solitary social habit of this species. Additional experiments showed that T. moseri juveniles and adults, when searching for ascidians use chemical cues to avoid hosts occupied by conspecifics. This conspecific avoidance behavior reported herein is a novel strategy most likely employed to preemptively resolve costly territorial conflicts. In general, this study supports predictions central to host monopolization theory, but also implies that alternative behavioral strategies (i.e., conflict avoidance) may be more important than originally thought in explaining the host use pattern of symbiotic organisms.

Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. COIN in Thailand, January 1967 - December 1968

DTIC Science & Technology

1969-03-26

communists were not strategically ready for such overt action against the American presence. It was thought that the policy of avoiding direct attacks on...specialists suggested that the bullet may have been manufactured in China. 27 CHAPTER IV U.S. ASSISTANCE Strategically and tactically, the kingdom of...inte- grated with the Thai Air Operations Center, the Border Patrol Police ( BPP ), and CMP units at Mukdahan/Sakon Nakhon and NKP. Medical civic action

Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Prospective Observational Study from Southern India.

PubMed

Sridhar, Mathrubootham; Mahadevan, Shriraam; Vishwanathan, Latha; Subbarayan, Anbezhil

2018-03-15

To assess the natural history and progression of subclinical hypothyroidism and to study factors which help predict evolution of subclinical hypothyroidism into overt hypothyroidism. Longitudinal study in 40 children (2-16 yrs) presenting with subclinical hypothyroidism in a tertiary care unit in Chennai, India. Patients showing evidence of overt hypothyroidism or thyroid stimulating hormone ≥15 mIU/mL during follow-up were started on thyroxine. Others were followed up with 3-monthly thyroid function tests up to one year. At the end of our study period 3 (7.5%) were overtly hypothyroid, 16 (40%) remained as subclinical hypothyroid, and 21 (52.5%) became euthyroid. Evidence of auto- immunity at baseline was a significant (P<0.05) risk factor for progression to overt hypothyroidism. Subclinical hypothyroidism in children, with thyroid stimulating hormone upto 15 mIU/L and irrespective of thyroid autoimmunity, needs only periodic clinical and biochemical follow up. Thyroid autoimmunity may point to an increased probability of progression to overt hypothyroidism.

[Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection and its phylogenetic features among mother-teenager pairs].

PubMed

Dong, Xiao-lian; Yao, Qing-qing; Wang, Xue-cai; Xu, Hai-tao; Wang, Xiao-li; Chen, Sheng-yu; Tang, Zhi-feng; Zheng, Ying-Jie

2013-03-01

Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) was investigated in a paired mother-teenager population and HBV S gene variation including overt and occult HBV, was determined. A follow-up study based on an initial survey of 135 mother-teenager pairs was carried out through collection of questionnaires and blood samples HBsAg were detected by ELISA method, viral load by PCR amplification and HBV S gene by phylogenetic analysis. 102 pairs of subjects were followed-up. Blood samples from 94 mothers and 101 children were collected. OBI prevalence in mothers was 10.0% (6/60), significantly higher than 2.0% (2/101) in teenagers. Medians of viral load were 399.9 IU/ml and 247.6 IU/ml in overt and occult HBV strains, but without significant difference. 1 occult HBV strain belonged to genotype B with serotype adw while the other 7 were genotype C with serotype adr. 15 of the overt HBV strains belonged to genotype B with serotype adw and the other 8 were genotype C with serotype adr. Proportions of genotype-C strains were significantly higher in occult HBV strains than in overt HBV strains. OBI was seen in teenage-mother population.

Association of metabolic risks with subclinical hypothyroidism: A cross-sectional analysis

PubMed Central

Khan, Sikandar Hayat; Manzoor, Syed Mohsin; Niazi, Najumusaquib Khan; Asif, Naveed; Ijaz, Aamir; Fazal, Nadeem

2018-01-01

Objective: To compare lipid parameters, HbA1c, uric acid and albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) among subjects having euthyroidism, Sub-Clinical Hypothyroidism (SCH) and overt hypothyroidism. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional analysis was carried out from Dec-2015 to Oct-2016 in collaboration between PNS HAFEEZ hospital and department of chemical pathology and endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi. Biochemical parameters including lipid indices, HbA1c and UACR were compared between euthyroidism (TSH: 0.5 to 4.0 mIU/L, n=163), subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH: 4.0 to 10 mIU/L, n=16) and overt hypothyroidism (TSH:≥ 10.0 mIU/L, n=9). Results: LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and UACR results were as: [(Euthyroid: 2.66 ± 0.73), (SCH: 2.68 ± 0.51) and (Overt hypothyroidism: 3.23 ± 0.59), p-value=0.063], [(Euthyroid: 3.49 ± 0.64), (SCH: 3.35 ± 0.59) and (Overt hypothyroidism: 4.01 ± 0.30), p-value=0.033] and [{Euthyroid: 2.48 (95% CI: 1.63-3.33)}, {SCH: 2.27 (95% CI: 0.37-4.90)} and {Overt hypothyroidism: 14.95 (95% CI: 10.71-19.14){, (p-value< 0.001)] Results for total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol though increased in overt hypothyroid group were not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and UACR increased from euthyroid subjects to overt hypothyroidism group. However, these changes were found to be more subtle in the subclinical hypothyroid subjects than cases with overt hypothyroidism. PMID:29805408

Association of metabolic risks with subclinical hypothyroidism: A cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Khan, Sikandar Hayat; Manzoor, Syed Mohsin; Niazi, Najumusaquib Khan; Asif, Naveed; Ijaz, Aamir; Fazal, Nadeem

2018-01-01

To compare lipid parameters, HbA1c, uric acid and albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) among subjects having euthyroidism, Sub-Clinical Hypothyroidism (SCH) and overt hypothyroidism. This comparative cross-sectional analysis was carried out from Dec-2015 to Oct-2016 in collaboration between PNS HAFEEZ hospital and department of chemical pathology and endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi. Biochemical parameters including lipid indices, HbA1c and UACR were compared between euthyroidism (TSH: 0.5 to 4.0 mIU/L, n=163), subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH: 4.0 to 10 mIU/L, n=16) and overt hypothyroidism (TSH:≥ 10.0 mIU/L, n=9). LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and UACR results were as: [(Euthyroid: 2.66 ± 0.73), (SCH: 2.68 ± 0.51) and (Overt hypothyroidism: 3.23 ± 0.59), p-value=0.063], [(Euthyroid: 3.49 ± 0.64), (SCH: 3.35 ± 0.59) and (Overt hypothyroidism: 4.01 ± 0.30), p-value=0.033] and [{Euthyroid: 2.48 (95% CI: 1.63-3.33)}, {SCH: 2.27 (95% CI: 0.37-4.90)} and {Overt hypothyroidism: 14.95 (95% CI: 10.71-19.14){, (p-value< 0.001)] Results for total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol though increased in overt hypothyroid group were not found to be statistically significant. LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and UACR increased from euthyroid subjects to overt hypothyroidism group. However, these changes were found to be more subtle in the subclinical hypothyroid subjects than cases with overt hypothyroidism.

Aging and sex hormones in males

PubMed Central

Decaroli, Maria Chiara

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Several large cohort studies have disclosed the trajectories of sex steroids changes overtime in men and their clinical significance. In men the slow, physiological decline of serum testosterone (T) with advancing age overlaps with the clinical condition of overt, pathological hypogonadism. In addition, the increasing number of comorbidities, together with the high prevalence of chronic diseases, all further contribute to the decrease of serum T concentrations in the aging male. For all these reasons both the diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in men and the decision about starting or not T replacement treatment remain challenging. At present, the biochemical finding of T deficiency alone is not sufficient for diagnosing hypogonadism in older men. Coupling hypogonadal symptoms with documented low serum T represents the best strategy to refine the diagnosis of hypogonadism in older men and to avoid unnecessary treatments. PMID:27831823

Transformation of a MGUS to overt multiple myeloma: the possible role of a pituitary macroadenoma secreting high levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

PubMed

Tucci, Alessandra; Bonadonna, Stefania; Cattaneo, Chiara; Ungari, Marco; Giustina, Andrea; Guiseppe, Rossi

2003-03-01

We present a female patient with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance who has remained stable for five years but evolved to overt myeloma in strict temporal relationship with the diagnosis of GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. IGF-I serum levels correlated with serum and urine M component. Since the in vitro role of IGF-I on proliferation and survival of normal and neoplastic plasma cells has been recently emphasized, the pathogenetic link between acromegaly and transformation of gammopathy to overt myeloma in this case is discussed.

Decoding spectrotemporal features of overt and covert speech from the human cortex

PubMed Central

Martin, Stéphanie; Brunner, Peter; Holdgraf, Chris; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Crone, Nathan E.; Rieger, Jochem; Schalk, Gerwin; Knight, Robert T.; Pasley, Brian N.

2014-01-01

Auditory perception and auditory imagery have been shown to activate overlapping brain regions. We hypothesized that these phenomena also share a common underlying neural representation. To assess this, we used electrocorticography intracranial recordings from epileptic patients performing an out loud or a silent reading task. In these tasks, short stories scrolled across a video screen in two conditions: subjects read the same stories both aloud (overt) and silently (covert). In a control condition the subject remained in a resting state. We first built a high gamma (70–150 Hz) neural decoding model to reconstruct spectrotemporal auditory features of self-generated overt speech. We then evaluated whether this same model could reconstruct auditory speech features in the covert speech condition. Two speech models were tested: a spectrogram and a modulation-based feature space. For the overt condition, reconstruction accuracy was evaluated as the correlation between original and predicted speech features, and was significant in each subject (p < 10−5; paired two-sample t-test). For the covert speech condition, dynamic time warping was first used to realign the covert speech reconstruction with the corresponding original speech from the overt condition. Reconstruction accuracy was then evaluated as the correlation between original and reconstructed speech features. Covert reconstruction accuracy was compared to the accuracy obtained from reconstructions in the baseline control condition. Reconstruction accuracy for the covert condition was significantly better than for the control condition (p < 0.005; paired two-sample t-test). The superior temporal gyrus, pre- and post-central gyrus provided the highest reconstruction information. The relationship between overt and covert speech reconstruction depended on anatomy. These results provide evidence that auditory representations of covert speech can be reconstructed from models that are built from an overt speech data set, supporting a partially shared neural substrate. PMID:24904404

Relevance, textual unity, and politeness in writing about science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kreml, N.M.P.

1992-01-01

The question of whether there are social implications of linguistic choices in unifying a text is investigated empirically by this study which accounts for the interpretation of implicatures in conversation and written texts. It considers Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson 1988, Blakemore 1987, Blass 1990) to be the explanation of the unity of the text, as opposed to semantic theories of cohesion (Halliday and Hasan 1976) or pragmatic theories of coherence (van Dijk 1977). This study presents a model of three types of textual unifiers: overt (referring specifically to the text), embedded (referring to intra- and extra-textual information), and inferencemore » (not referring to the text at all). It hypothesizes that different genres are characterized by the predominance of different types of textual unifiers, and that readers will prefer those texts that rely on inferential unifiers which emphasize the reader's ability to participate in creating the meaning of the text. Eighteen texts of 275 words each are selected from three genres: scientific magazines, introductory science textbooks, and essays on science. The texts are found to vary significantly by genre in the type of textual unifier used. An Overtness Index expresses the ratio of the marked forms: science textbooks have more Overt unifiers (such as connective phrases) and thus a high Overtness Index; essays rely more on Inference unifiers (not represented by words) and thus have a low Overtness Index. The texts are submitted to 188 readers, and a significantly high number of all types of readers prefer the texts with the lower Overtness Indices-the essays. Thus a low Overtness Index is one feature of texts preferred by readers, supporting the hypotheses that genres of texts vary in the type of unifier used and that readers prefer texts that allow them to participate in constructing the meaning of the text.« less

A New Look at Precipitants of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy in Cirrhosis.

PubMed

Pantham, Ganesh; Post, Anthony; Venkat, Deepak; Einstadter, Douglas; Mullen, Kevin D

2017-08-01

Overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major cause of significant morbidity and mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis. We examined the frequency and profile of the precipitating factors resulting in hospitalizations for overt HE. We conducted both retrospective and prospective studies to identify clinical precipitants of overt HE in patients with cirrhosis. The retrospective study patients were hospitalized at a large urban safety-net hospital, and the prospective study included the patients admitted at a liver transplant center. There were a total of 149 patients with cirrhosis and overt HE (91 males, mean age 55.3 ± 8.6 years) in the retrospective group and 45 patients (27 males, mean age 58.3 ± 8.2 years) in the prospective group of the study. The average MELD score was 16 ± 6.8 in the retrospective group and 22.7 ± 7.2 in the prospective group. Dehydration (46-76%), acute kidney injury (32-76%), lactulose nonadherence (about 50%), constipation (about 40%), and infections (20-42%) were the most frequently identified precipitants for hospitalization in retrospective and prospective groups. Multiple precipitants were identified in 60 (40.3%) patients in the retrospective group and 34 (76%) patients in the prospective group. Multiple concurrent precipitating factors were identified in the majority of patients with overt HE requiring hospitalization. Dehydration due to various causes was the most common precipitant of overt HE, followed by acute kidney injury (AKI), constipation, and infections. Prevention of dehydration, AKI, and constipation by close outpatient monitoring may be an effective measure to prevent hospitalization for overt HE in patients with cirrhosis.

The effect of monetary punishment on error evaluation in a Go/No-go task.

PubMed

Maruo, Yuya; Sommer, Werner; Masaki, Hiroaki

2017-10-01

Little is known about the effects of the motivational significance of errors in Go/No-go tasks. We investigated the impact of monetary punishment on the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) for both overt errors and partial errors, that is, no-go trials without overt responses but with covert muscle activities. We compared high and low punishment conditions where errors were penalized with 50 or 5 yen, respectively, and a control condition without monetary consequences for errors. Because we hypothesized that the partial-error ERN might overlap with the no-go N2, we compared ERPs between correct rejections (i.e., successful no-go trials) and partial errors in no-go trials. We also expected that Pe amplitudes should increase with the severity of the penalty for errors. Mean error rates were significantly lower in the high punishment than in the control condition. Monetary punishment did not influence the overt-error ERN and partial-error ERN in no-go trials. The ERN in no-go trials did not differ between partial errors and overt errors; in addition, ERPs for correct rejections in no-go trials without partial errors were of the same size as in go-trial. Therefore the overt-error ERN and the partial-error ERN may share similar error monitoring processes. Monetary punishment increased Pe amplitudes for overt errors, suggesting enhanced error evaluation processes. For partial errors an early Pe was observed, presumably representing inhibition processes. Interestingly, even partial errors elicited the Pe, suggesting that covert erroneous activities could be detected in Go/No-go tasks. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age-related changes in the functional neuroanatomy of overt speech production.

PubMed

Sörös, Peter; Bose, Arpita; Sokoloff, Lisa Guttman; Graham, Simon J; Stuss, Donald T

2011-08-01

Alterations of existing neural networks during healthy aging, resulting in behavioral deficits and changes in brain activity, have been described for cognitive, motor, and sensory functions. To investigate age-related changes in the neural circuitry underlying overt non-lexical speech production, functional MRI was performed in 14 healthy younger (21-32 years) and 14 healthy older individuals (62-84 years). The experimental task involved the acoustically cued overt production of the vowel /a/ and the polysyllabic utterance /pataka/. In younger and older individuals, overt speech production was associated with the activation of a widespread articulo-phonological network, including the primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the cingulate motor areas, and the posterior superior temporal cortex, similar in the /a/ and /pataka/ condition. An analysis of variance with the factors age and condition revealed a significant main effect of age. Irrespective of the experimental condition, significantly greater activation was found in the bilateral posterior superior temporal cortex, the posterior temporal plane, and the transverse temporal gyri in younger compared to older individuals. Significantly greater activation was found in the bilateral middle temporal gyri, medial frontal gyri, middle frontal gyri, and inferior frontal gyri in older vs. younger individuals. The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant main effect of condition and no significant interaction of age and condition. These results suggest a complex reorganization of neural networks dedicated to the production of speech during healthy aging. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Levels of Death Anxiety in Terminally Ill Men: A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayslip, Bert, Jr.; And Others

1992-01-01

Administered measures of overt and covert fear of death to 20 healthy men and 13 men diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Groups did not differ significantly on overt measure; AIDS group had higher total scores on covert measure. Findings suggest that one's life trajectory is redefined when the diagnosis of terminal illness…

Incipient and overt diabetic nephropathy in African Americans with NIDDM.

PubMed

Dasmahapatra, A; Bale, A; Raghuwanshi, M P; Reddi, A; Byrne, W; Suarez, S; Nash, F; Varagiannis, E; Skurnick, J H

1994-04-01

OBJECTIVE--To determine the prevalence of incipient and overt nephropathy in African-American subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) attending a hospital clinic. Contributory factors, such as blood pressure (BP), duration and age at onset of diabetes, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and body mass index (BMI) also were evaluated. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We recruited 116 African-American subjects with NIDDM for this cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. BP, BMI, 24-h urine albumin excretion, creatinine clearance, serum creatinine, lipids, and GHb levels were measured. Albumin excretion rate (AER) was calculated, and subjects were divided into three groups: no nephropathy (AER < 20 micrograms/min), incipient nephropathy (AER 20-200 micrograms/min), and overt nephropathy (AER > 200 micrograms/min). Frequency of hypertension and nephropathy was analyzed by chi 2 testing, group means were compared using analysis of variance, and linear correlations were performed between AER and other variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association of these variables while controlling for the effects of other variables. RESULTS--Increased AER was present in 50% of our subjects; 31% had incipient and 19% had overt nephropathy. Hypertension was present in 72.4%; nephropathy, particularly overt nephropathy, was significantly more prevalent in the hypertensive group. Mean BP and diastolic blood pressure (dBP) were higher in the groups with incipient and overt nephropathy, and systolic blood pressure (sBP) was increased in overt nephropathy. Men with either form of nephropathy had higher sBP, dBP, and mean BP, whereas only women with overt nephropathy had increased sBP and mean BP. Subjects with incipient or overt nephropathy had a longer duration of diabetes, and those with overt nephropathy had a younger age at onset of diabetes. By multiple regression analysis, AER correlated with younger age at diabetes onset, but not with diabetes duration. No correlation with age, lipid levels, or GHb was noted. BMI correlated with AER. CONCLUSIONS--Incipient and overt nephropathy were observed frequently in these African-American subjects with NIDDM. Albuminuria correlated with BP, younger age at diabetes onset, and BMI. Association of albuminuria and increased cardiovascular mortality may place 50% of inner-city African-American patients with NIDDM at risk for developing cardiovascular complications.

Overt and relational aggression in Russian nursery-school-age children: parenting style and marital linkages.

PubMed

Hart, C H; Nelson, D A; Robinson, C C; Olsen, S F; McNeilly-Choque, M K

1998-07-01

Maternal and paternal parenting styles and marital interactions linked to childhood aggressive behavior as described in Western psychological literature were measured in an ethnic Russian sample of 207 families of nursery-school-age children. Results corroborated and extended findings from Western samples. Maternal and paternal coercion, lack of responsiveness, and psychological control (for mothers only) were significantly correlated with children's overt aggression with peers. Less responsiveness (for mothers and fathers) and maternal coercion positively correlated with relational aggression. Some of these associations differed for boys versus girls. Marital conflict was also linked to more overt and relational aggression for boys. When entered into the same statistical model, more marital conflict (for boys only), more maternal coercion, and less paternal responsiveness were found to be the most important contributors to overt and relational aggression in younger Russian children.

Predicting overt and cyber stalking perpetration by male and female college students.

PubMed

Ménard, Kim S; Pincus, Aaron L

2012-07-01

In this study, self-report student surveys on early childhood maltreatment, attachment styles, alcohol expectancies, and narcissistic personality traits are examined to determine their influence on stalking behavior. Two subtypes of stalking were measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion: cyber stalking (one scale) and overt stalking (comprised of all remaining scales). As t tests indicated that men and women differed significantly on several variables, OLS regression models were run separately for men (N = 807) and women (N = 934). Results indicated that childhood sexual maltreatment predicted both forms of stalking for men and women. For men, narcissistic vulnerability and its interaction with sexual abuse predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R² = 16% and cyber stalking R² = 11%). For women, insecure attachment (for both types of stalking) and alcohol expectancies (for cyber stalking) predicted stalking behavior (overt stalking R² = 4% and cyber stalking R² = 9%). We discuss the methodological and policy implications of these findings.

Non-operative management in a case of spontaneous splenic rupture in infectious mononucleosis.

PubMed

Paar, W D; Look, M P; Robertz Vaupel, G M; Kreft, B; Hirner, A; Sauerbruch, T

1995-01-01

Spontaneous splenic rupture as a complication of infectious mononucleosis was diagnosed in a 19-year-old woman. Sonographic and MRI investigations revealed subcapsular hematoma of the spleen without overt rupture. The patient was managed conservatively. Somatostatin treatment was initiated in order to reduce splanchnic blood flow. Further clinical course of the patient was favourable. Seven days after the diagnosis of splenic rupture the patient was discharged from hospital. Non-operative management should be considered in patients with subcapsular splenic rupture to avoid complications of splenectomy (e.g. post-splenectomy sepsis).

The relationship between negative expressivity, anger, and PTSD symptom clusters.

PubMed

Claycomb, Meredith; Roley, Michelle E; Contractor, Ateka A; Armour, Cherie; Dranger, Paula; Wang, Li; Elhai, Jon D

2016-09-30

More investigation is needed to understand how specific posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters relate to the internal experience of anger and overt negative behaviors in response to anger (negative expressivity). We investigated whether anger mediated relations between PTSD symptom clusters and negative expressivity. Multiple regression revealed lower PTSD intrusion symptoms associated with higher levels of negative expressivity. Anger mediated this relationship. Higher avoidance symptoms related to higher negative expressivity. Clinical implications, limitations, and strengths are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oscillatory Alpha-Band Suppression Mechanisms during the Rapid Attentional Shifts Required to Perform an Anti-Saccade Task

PubMed Central

Belyusar, Daniel; Snyder, Adam C.; Frey, Hans-Peter; Harwood, Mark R.; Wallman, Josh; Foxe, John J.

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging has demonstrated anatomical overlap between covert and overt attention systems, although behavioral and electrophysiological studies have suggested that the two systems do not rely on entirely identical circuits or mechanisms. In a parallel line of research, topographically-specific modulations of alpha-band power (~8-14Hz) have been consistently correlated with anticipatory states during tasks requiring covert attention shifts. These tasks, however, typically employ cue-target-interval paradigms where attentional processes are examined across relatively protracted periods of time and not at the rapid timescales implicated during overt attention tasks. The anti-saccade task, where one must first covertly attend for a peripheral target, before executing a rapid overt attention shift (i.e. a saccade) to the opposite side of space, is particularly well-suited for examining the rapid dynamics of overt attentional deployments. Here, we asked whether alpha-band oscillatory mechanisms would also be associated with these very rapid overt shifts, potentially representing a common neural mechanism across overt and covert attention systems. High-density electroencephalography in conjunction with infra-red eye-tracking was recorded while participants engaged in both pro- and anti- saccade task blocks. Alpha power, time-locked to saccade onset, showed three distinct phases of significantly lateralized topographic shifts, all occurring within a period of less than one second, closely reflecting the temporal dynamics of anti-saccade performance. Only two such phases were observed during the pro-saccade task. These data point to substantially more rapid temporal dynamics of alpha-band suppressive mechanisms than previously established, and implicate oscillatory alpha-band activity as a common mechanism across both overt and covert attentional deployments. PMID:23041338

Levothyroxine treatment restored the decreased circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 levels in patients with hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Wang, Guang; Liu, Jia; Yang, Ning; Hu, Yanjin; Zhang, Heng; Miao, Li; Yao, Zhi; Xu, Yuan

2016-06-01

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an important endogenous regulator of energy metabolism. Thyroid hormone has been shown to regulate hepatic FGF21 expression in rodents. The goal of this study was to evaluate the plasma FGF21 levels in participants with normal thyroid function, subclinical hypothyroidism, or overt hypothyroidism and to investigate the change of plasma FGF21 levels in patients with overt hypothyroidism after levothyroxine treatment. A total of 473 drug-naive participants were recruited, including 250 healthy control subjects, 116 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, and 107 patients with overt hypothyroidism. Thirty-eight patients with overt hypothyroidism were assigned to receive levothyroxine treatment. The overt hypothyroidism group had decreased FGF21 levels compared with the control and subclinical hypothyroidism groups (P<0.01). Levothyroxine treatment markedly attenuated the increased circulating levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with overt hypothyroidism. A significant increase in plasma FGF21 levels was observed after levothyroxine treatment (P<0.01). The change in FGF21 levels was correlated with the increase of FT3 and FT4 after levothyroxine treatment (FT3: r=0.44; FT4: r=0.53; all P<0.05). Levothyroxine treatment ameliorated metabolic disorders and restored the decreased circulating FGF21 levels in patients with overt hypothyroidism. The increase in FGF21 levels after levothyroxine treatment might be partly associated with the amelioration of metabolic disorders in patients with hypothyroidism. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serum nesfatin-1 levels in overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Gungunes, A; Ozbek, M; Ginis, Z; Sahin, M; Demirci, T; Cakir Ozkaya, E; Karbek, B; Sayki Arslan, M; Ozturk Unsal, I; Tutal Akkaya, E; Ucan, B; Gultuna Ozguclu, S; Cakal, E; Topaloglu, O; Delibasi, T

2014-09-01

Nesfatin-1 was recently discovered anorexigenic peptide in the brain which is derived from nucleobindin-2. Central and peripheral administration of nesfatin-1, inhibits food intake, dose-dependently. Hyperthyroid patients have increased appetite and food intake with a craving for carbohydrate-rich food, at the beginning of disease, but the physiological mechanisms underlying this behavior is not known exactly. In this study, we investigated whether nesfatin-1 is involved in the regulation of appetite and body weight in hyperthyroidism, or not. A total of 70 patients with subclinical (35) and overt hyperthyroidism (35) compared with 35 control patients. Serum nesfatin-1 level was measured from all samples by commercial ELISA kit. Serum nesfatin-1 levels were similar between three groups (P=0.293). After adjusting for age and body mass index, nesfatin-1 levels in control group was not different from subclinical and overt hyperthyroid group, respectively (P=0.567 and P=0.519). These data showed that serum nesfatin-1 levels do not significant change in overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism.

The Effects of Approach-Avoidance Modification on Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Asnaani, Anu; Rinck, Mike; Becker, Eni; Hofmann, Stefan G.

2014-01-01

Cognitive bias modification has recently been discussed as a possible intervention for mental disorders. A specific form of this novel treatment approach is approach-avoidance modification. In order to examine the efficacy of approach-avoidance modification for positive stimuli associated with social anxiety, we recruited 43 individuals with social anxiety disorder and randomly assigned them to a training (implicit training to approach smiling faces) or a control (equal approach and avoidance of smiling faces) condition in three sessions over the course of a one-week period. Dependent measures included clinician ratings, self-report measures of social anxiety, and overt behavior during behavioral approach tasks. No group differences in any of the outcome measures were observed after training. In addition, while individuals in the training group showed increased approach tendency in one of the sessions, this effect was inconsistent across the three sessions and did not result in long-term changes in implicit approach tendencies between the groups over the course of the entire study. These results suggest that approach-avoidance modification might result in short-lasting effects on implicit approach tendencies towards feared positive stimuli, but this modification may not result in meaningful behavioral change or symptom reduction in individuals with social anxiety disorder. PMID:24659832

Subclinical thyrotoxicosis in an outpatient population - predictors of outcome.

PubMed

Schouten, Belinda J; Brownlie, Bevan E W; Frampton, Chris M; Turner, John G

2011-02-01

Individuals with endogenous subclinical thyrotoxicosis (SCT) may subsequently require treatment for overt disease. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of progression to hyperthyroidism and factors influencing this outcome. This is a retrospective analysis of outcome in 96 consecutive patients (aged 16-91 years) diagnosed with SCT over a 6-year period. Individuals with secondary causes of TSH suppression were excluded. Mean follow-up was 3·8 years. The significance of age, gender, family history of thyrotoxicosis, symptoms at presentation, thyroid nodule(s) on clinical examination, entry TSH level, antithyroid antibody status and (99m) Tc pertechnetate thyroid imaging results on subsequent development of overt thyrotoxicosis was assessed. Progression to overt thyrotoxicosis was seen in 8% at 1 year, 16% at 2 years, 21% at 3 years and 26% at 5 years. Multivariate analysis determined that diagnosis as determined by scintiscan to be the only independent predictor of outcome (P = 0·003) with the cumulative percentage requiring therapy at 5 years being 9% for subclinical Graves' disease, 21% for multinodular goitre and 61% for the autonomous nodule subgroup. Progression of SCT to overt hyperthyroidism occurred at a rate of 5-8% per year with disease aetiology, as determined by thyroid scintigraphy, significantly influencing risk of progression. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Clinicopathologic assessment of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Ugwu, Theophilus E.; Ikem, Rosemary T.; Kolawole, Babatope A.; Ezeani, Ignatius U.

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and evaluate its clinical and pathologic correlates. Subjects and Methods: In a cross-sectional survey of 200 type 2 diabetic males aged 32–69 years, total testosterone (TT), follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, waist circumference (WC), glycated hemoglobin, and lipids were measured. Clinical assessment of androgen deficiency was done using the androgen deficiency in aging male (ADAM) questionnaire. Overt hypogonadism was defined as a combination of positive ADAM score and TT < 8 nmol/L while possible hypogonadism was defined as positive ADAM score with TT 8–12 nmol/L. Results: Overt and possible hypogonadism occurred in 29.5% and 23% of the participants, respectively. Majority (76.3%) of the subjects who had overt hypogonadism had the hypogonadotrophic pattern. Hypogonadal subjects were significantly older (P = 0.014) and had higher mean WC (P = 0.009) than eugonadal ones. Erectile dysfunction was the most common symptom, occurring in 79.7% of overtly hypogonadal subjects. There was a significant negative correlation between WC and serum TT (r = −0.41, P = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a high frequency of symptomatic hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes and the frequency increases with advancing age and visceral adiposity. PMID:27730078

Evaluation of atrial electromechanical delay and diastolic functions in patients with hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Sokmen, Abdullah; Acar, Gurkan; Sokmen, Gulizar; Akcay, Ahmet; Akkoyun, Murat; Koroglu, Sedat; Nacar, Alper Bugra; Ozkaya, Mesut

2013-11-01

Hyperthyroidism is a well-known cause of atrial fibrillation (AF) which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) is a significant predictor of AF. The aim of this study was to assess the atrial EMD and diastolic functions in subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism by using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). The study population consisted of 3 groups: group I (30 healthy subjects), group II (38 patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism), and group III (25 patients with overt hyperthyroidism). Atrial electromechanical coupling was measured with TDI. Standard echocardiographic measurements and parameters of diastolic function were obtained by conventional echocardiography and TDI. Intra- and inter-atrial EMD were significantly prolonged in subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism compared with control group (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001 for intra-atrial EMD; P < 0.001 for inter-atrial EMD). In groups II and III, mitral A velocity (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001) and mitral E-wave deceleration time (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02) were significantly increased, and mitral E/A ratio (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001) was significantly decreased compared with the control group. The lateral mitral Em /Am ratio in group II and group III was significantly lower than controls (P = 0.001). Mitral Em /Am ratio (β = -0.32, P = 0.002) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level (β = -0.27, P = 0.009) were negatively and independently correlated with inter-atrial EMD. This study showed that intra- and inter-atrial electromechanical intervals were prolonged and diastolic function was impaired in both overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism. TSH level and mitral Em /Am ratio were found as independent predictors of atrial EMD. © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Overt use of a tactile-kinesthetic strategy shifts to covert processing in rehabilitation of letter-by-letter reading.

PubMed

Lott, Susan Nitzberg; Carney, Aimee Syms; Glezer, Laurie S; Friedman, Rhonda B

2010-11-01

BACKGROUND: Letter-by-letter readers identify each letter of the word they are reading serially in left to right order before recognizing the word. When their letter naming is also impaired, letter-by-letter reading is inaccurate and can render even single word reading very poor. Tactile and/or kinesthetic strategies have been reported to improve reading in these patients, but only under certain conditions or for a limited set of stimuli. AIMS: The primary aim of the current study was to determine whether a tactile/kinesthetic treatment could significantly improve reading specifically under normal reading conditions, i.e. reading untrained words presented in free vision and read without overt use of the strategy. METHODS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; PROCEDURES: Three chronic letter-by-letter readers participated in a tactile/kinesthetic treatment aimed at first improving letter naming accuracy (phase 1) and then letter-by-letter reading speed (phase 2). In a multiple case series design, accuracy and speed of reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy was assessed before phase 1, after phase 1 and again after phase 2. OUTCOMES #ENTITYSTARTX00026; RESULTS: All three patients significantly improved both their speed and accuracy reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy. All three patients required the additional practice in phase 2 to achieve significant improvement. Treatment did not target sentence level reading, yet two of the three patients became so adept that they could read entire sentences. CONCLUSIONS: This study replicates previous findings on the efficacy of tactile/kinesthetic treatment for letter-by-letter readers with poor letter naming. It further demonstrates that this treatment can alter cognitive processing such that words never specifically trained can be read in free vision without overtly using the trained strategy. The data suggest that an important element in achieving this level of generalization is continuing training beyond the point of initial mastery (i.e. accurate letter naming).

Overt use of a tactile-kinesthetic strategy shifts to covert processing in rehabilitation of letter-by-letter reading

PubMed Central

Lott, Susan Nitzberg; Carney, Aimee Syms; Glezer, Laurie S.; Friedman, Rhonda B.

2010-01-01

Background Letter-by-letter readers identify each letter of the word they are reading serially in left to right order before recognizing the word. When their letter naming is also impaired, letter-by-letter reading is inaccurate and can render even single word reading very poor. Tactile and/or kinesthetic strategies have been reported to improve reading in these patients, but only under certain conditions or for a limited set of stimuli. Aims The primary aim of the current study was to determine whether a tactile/kinesthetic treatment could significantly improve reading specifically under normal reading conditions, i.e. reading untrained words presented in free vision and read without overt use of the strategy. Methods & Procedures Three chronic letter-by-letter readers participated in a tactile/kinesthetic treatment aimed at first improving letter naming accuracy (phase 1) and then letter-by-letter reading speed (phase 2). In a multiple case series design, accuracy and speed of reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy was assessed before phase 1, after phase 1 and again after phase 2. Outcomes & Results All three patients significantly improved both their speed and accuracy reading untrained words without overt use of the trained tactile/kinesthetic strategy. All three patients required the additional practice in phase 2 to achieve significant improvement. Treatment did not target sentence level reading, yet two of the three patients became so adept that they could read entire sentences. Conclusions This study replicates previous findings on the efficacy of tactile/kinesthetic treatment for letter-by-letter readers with poor letter naming. It further demonstrates that this treatment can alter cognitive processing such that words never specifically trained can be read in free vision without overtly using the trained strategy. The data suggest that an important element in achieving this level of generalization is continuing training beyond the point of initial mastery (i.e. accurate letter naming). PMID:21170161

Motor command inhibition and the representation of response mode during motor imagery.

PubMed

Scheil, Juliane; Liefooghe, Baptist

2018-05-01

Research on motor imagery proposes that overt actions during motor imagery can be avoided by proactively signaling subthreshold motor commands to the effectors and by invoking motor-command inhibition. A recent study by Rieger, Dahm, and Koch (2017) found evidence in support of motor command inhibition, which indicates that MI cannot be completed on the sole basis of subthreshold motor commands. However, during motor imagery, participants know in advance when a covert response is to be made and it is thus surprising such additional motor-command inhibition is needed. Accordingly, the present study tested whether the demand to perform an action covertly can be proactively integrated by investigating the formation of task-specific action rules during motor imagery. These task-specific action rules relate the decision rules of a task to the mode in which these rules need to be applied (e.g., if smaller than 5, press the left key covertly). To this end, an experiment was designed in which participants had to switch between two numerical judgement tasks and two response modes: covert responding and overt responding. First, we observed markers of motor command inhibition and replicated the findings of Rieger and colleagues. Second, we observed evidence suggesting that task-specific action rules are created for the overt response mode (e.g., if smaller than 5, press the left key). In contrast, for the covert response mode, no task-specific action rules are formed and decision rules do not include mode-specific information (e.g., if smaller than 5, left). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Both exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism and short-term overt hypothyroidism affect myocardial strain in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

PubMed

Abdulrahman, Randa M; Delgado, Victoria; Hoftijzer, Hendrieke C; Ng, Arnold C T; Ewe, See Hooi; Marsan, Nina Ajmone; Holman, Eduard R; Hovens, Guido C; Corssmit, Eleonora P; Romijn, Johannes A; Bax, Jeroen J; Smit, Johannes W A

2011-05-01

The cardiovascular effects of transitions from exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism to short-term overt hypothyroidism in patients treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma remain unclear. The present study aims at evaluating the changes in multidirectional myocardial strain using two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking during this controlled transition from exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism to overt hypothyroidism. The study included 14 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma on thyrotropin suppressive thyroxine substitution who were subsequently withdrawn from thyroxine for 4 weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography before and 1 and 4 weeks after withdrawal and compared with values obtained in a control group of 24 individuals. At baseline, the left ventricular dimensions were significantly higher in patients as compared with controls. Using 2D speckle tracking imaging, the patients had significantly impaired baseline myocardial systolic function in the circumferential (-16.0% ± 2.1% vs. -19.2% ± 3.0%, p = 0.001) and longitudinal (-17.1% ± 2.5% vs. -19.7% ± 3.0%, p = 0.001) directions as compared with controls. Withdrawal of thyroid hormone did not induce significant changes in left ventricular dimensions or systolic function. During the transition from exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism to overt hypothyroidism, a significant improvement in circumferential and longitudinal systolic shortening was observed and returned to abnormal values when the patients were overt hypothyroid (circumferential strain: from -16.0% ± 2.1% to -18.6% ± 1.9% and -14.7% ± 2.8%, p < 0.005; longitudinal strain: from -17.1% ± 2.5% to -18.8% ± 1.4% and -16.3% ± 1.3%, p < 0.005). A U-shaped relationship between a range of thyroid hormone levels (from hyper- to hypothyroid concentrations) and myocardial strains was observed. The clinical consequences of these findings remain to be determined but may point out an increased myocardial vulnerability even in states of moderate subclinical hyperthyroidism and short-term hypothyroidism.

Assessment of parental overt and covert control of child's food intake: a population-based validation study with mothers of preschoolers.

PubMed

Nowicka, Paulina; Flodmark, Carl-Erik; Hales, Derek; Faith, Myles S

2014-12-01

Overt and covert control are novel constructs representing two different parental feeding practices with regard to the child's ability to detect them. Preliminary research indicates that covert control is linked to a healthier diet and lower child weight status. In this study, we report the first psychometric validation of the original measures of overt and covert control outside the UK in a large sample of parents of preschoolers. Based on records from the population register, all mothers of 4-year-olds (n = 3007) from the third largest city in Sweden, Malmö, were contacted by mail. Out of those, 876 returned the measures of overt and covert control together with a background questionnaire and the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Test-retest data were obtained from 64% (n = 563) of these mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 35.6 years; their mean BMI was 24.1, 31.5% were overweight or obese. The children were on average 4.5 years old; 48% were girls, 12.8% were overweight or obese. While the fit for the original 9-item 2-factor model was poor, shorter 8- and 6-item versions were supported by confirmatory factor analysis (CFI > 0.95, RMSEA < 0.05). Internal and test–retest reliability of the shorter version was good (ICC= 0.65-0.71). Results also suggest that the factor structure and loadings were invariant(i.e., did not significantly differ) over time and between child sexes. Both overt and covert control factors were moderately correlated with CFQ monitoring. Overt control was also moderately related to CFQ pressure and weakly correlated with CFQ restriction. Covert control, on the other hand, was moderately related to restriction and not related with pressure. Correlations of both factors with child and parent BMI were very small. We found good psychometric properties of the revised versions of the overt and control behaviors ina multiethnic sample of mothers from Sweden. Future studies need to establish causal associations between overt and covert control and the obesity related outcomes.

Interparental Relationship Dynamics and Cardiac Vagal Functioning in Infancy

PubMed Central

Graham, Alice M.; Ablow, Jennifer C.; Measelle, Jeffrey R.

2010-01-01

This study examined associations between interparental relationship dynamics and vagus system functioning in infancy. The functioning of the vagus system, part of the parasympathetic nervous system, indexes emotional reactivity and regulation. Interparental avoidance and dyadic adjustment constitute the focus of this study in order to bring attention to relationship dynamics not subsumed under overt conflict. Infants’ baseline vagal tone and change in vagal tone in response to a novel toy were assessed at five months in a sample of high-risk mother-infant dyads (n = 77). Maternal report of interparental avoidance demonstrated an association with infants’ baseline vagal tone, while interparental dyadic adjustment was associated with change in infants’ vagal tone from baseline to the novel toy. Infant gender moderated these associations. Maternal sensitivity did not mediate interparental relationship dynamics and infants’ vagal functioning. Results are discussed in the context of emotional security theory. PMID:20727595

The effect of oxidative stress on the progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

PubMed

Ates, Ihsan; Arikan, Mehmet Fettah; Altay, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Fatma Meric; Yilmaz, Nisbet; Berker, Dilek; Guler, Serdar

2017-11-29

We aimed to investigate the effects of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Forty euthyroid and 40 subclinical hypothyroid patients older than 18 years and not yet had received treatment were enrolled in the study. In the 9 months follow-up, 14 of the HT patients developed overt hypothyroidism. The mean total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were higher in patients who developed overt hypothyroidism than those who did not (p < .001). And no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of paraoxanase-1 and arylesterase (p > .05). Multivariable Cox regression model showed thyroid stimulating hormone level (HR = 1.348, p < .001), free-thyroxine level (HR = 0.481, p = .017) and OSI ratio (HR = 2.349, p < .001) to be independent predictors of development of overt hypothyroidism. OSI level, being over 2.96 with 92.9% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity, predicts the risk of hypothyroidism. Oxidative stress may be an effective risk factor in the development of overt hypothyroidism in HT.

Cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce overt aggression behavior in Chinese young male violent offenders.

PubMed

Chen, Chen; Li, Chun; Wang, Hong; Ou, Jian-Jun; Zhou, Jian-Song; Wang, Xiao-Ping

2014-01-01

This 9-week study was designed to determine whether a commercial cognitive-behavioral training program could effectively reduce overt aggression behavior in Chinese young male violent offenders. Sixty-six participants were randomly assigned to receive routine intervention alone (control group) or routine intervention plus Williams LifeSkills Training (WLST group) in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome was change scores on the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) from baseline to one week following end of training. Secondary outcomes were change scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) and Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). There were significant between-group differences in change of MOAS total score (P < .001) and all sub-scores (Ps < .01) except aggression against property. Between-group differences were also observed in change of BIS-11 and CMHS total score (Ps < 0.05). All results favored the WLST group. These findings suggest WLST has the potential to be an effective intervention to reduce overt aggressive behavior in young male violent offenders. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rifaximin: a review of its use in reducing recurrence of overt hepatic encephalopathy episodes.

PubMed

Scott, Lesley J

2014-12-01

Oral rifaximin 550 mg (Refero(®); Targaxan(®); Tixteller(®); Xifaxan(®)) twice daily, either alone or more commonly with medicines containing lactulose, is approved in several countries, including the UK, EU and USA, for use in adults with liver disease to reduce the recurrence of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Rifaximin is a broad-spectrum antibacterial that acts locally in the gut to reduce intestinal flora, including ammonia-producing species, with hyperammonaemia considered to play a central role in the pathogenesis of HE. In a 6-month, multinational trial in patients with liver disease, rifaximin 550 mg twice daily (± lactulose) was an effective and well tolerated treatment for reducing the recurrence of HE episodes. At study end, rifaximin therapy significantly prolonged the time to the first breakthrough HE episode compared with placebo (± lactulose), irrespective of geographical region or baseline patient and disease characteristics. Rifaximin treatment also significantly reduced HE-related hospitalizations and improved health-related quality of life compared with placebo. Furthermore, the efficacy of rifaximin with or without lactulose in reducing the recurrence of overt HE episodes was maintained after up to 2.5 years of treatment, with no new safety signals arising during this period. This article reviews the pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the recurrence of overt HE episodes in adults with liver disease.

Effect of steroid replacement on thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity in Addison's disease with primary hypothyroidism

PubMed Central

Sahoo, Jaya Prakash; Selviambigapathy, Jayakumar; Kamalanathan, Sadishkumar; Nagarajan, K.; Vivekanandan, Muthupillai

2016-01-01

Background: Steroid replacement without thyroxine supplementation normalizes thyroid function test (TFT) in some but not all Addison's disease patients with primary hypothyroidism. Both autoimmune and nonautoimmune mechanisms contribute to this improvement in TFT. However, the documentation of the change in thyroid autoimmunity after cortisol replacement is very limited in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of steroid replacement on TFT and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO-Ab) titer in Addison's disease with primary hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted in a tertiary care center in South India. Six Addison's disease patients with primary hypothyroidism, who were only on steroid replacement, were included in the study. Low serum cortisol (<83 nmol/L) with high plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (>22 pmol/L) and/or hyperpigmentation of skin/mucous membranes was considered as the diagnostic criteria for Addison's disease. Primary hypothyroidism (both overt and subclinical) was defined as high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with/without low free thyroxine (fT4). TFT and anti-TPO-Ab were performed before and after steroid replacement in all of them. Results: Poststeroid replacement, there was a normalization of TSH in all but one subjects. In overt hypothyroidism patients, fT4 also normalized. The improvement in TFT was not associated with decreasing titer of the anti-TPO-Ab in all six patients. However, there was a significant difference in TSH after steroid replacement compared to the baseline status. Conclusions: The concept of normalization of primary hypothyroidism with cortisol replacement in patients with Addison's disease should be recognized to avoid iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis caused by thyroxine replacement. Both autoimmune and nonautoimmune mechanisms contribute to these alterations. PMID:27042409

Effect of steroid replacement on thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity in Addison's disease with primary hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Sahoo, Jaya Prakash; Selviambigapathy, Jayakumar; Kamalanathan, Sadishkumar; Nagarajan, K; Vivekanandan, Muthupillai

2016-01-01

Steroid replacement without thyroxine supplementation normalizes thyroid function test (TFT) in some but not all Addison's disease patients with primary hypothyroidism. Both autoimmune and nonautoimmune mechanisms contribute to this improvement in TFT. However, the documentation of the change in thyroid autoimmunity after cortisol replacement is very limited in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of steroid replacement on TFT and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO-Ab) titer in Addison's disease with primary hypothyroidism. This observational study was conducted in a tertiary care center in South India. Six Addison's disease patients with primary hypothyroidism, who were only on steroid replacement, were included in the study. Low serum cortisol (<83 nmol/L) with high plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (>22 pmol/L) and/or hyperpigmentation of skin/mucous membranes was considered as the diagnostic criteria for Addison's disease. Primary hypothyroidism (both overt and subclinical) was defined as high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with/without low free thyroxine (fT4). TFT and anti-TPO-Ab were performed before and after steroid replacement in all of them. Poststeroid replacement, there was a normalization of TSH in all but one subjects. In overt hypothyroidism patients, fT4 also normalized. The improvement in TFT was not associated with decreasing titer of the anti-TPO-Ab in all six patients. However, there was a significant difference in TSH after steroid replacement compared to the baseline status. The concept of normalization of primary hypothyroidism with cortisol replacement in patients with Addison's disease should be recognized to avoid iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis caused by thyroxine replacement. Both autoimmune and nonautoimmune mechanisms contribute to these alterations.

Inability of recombinant human thyrotropin to predict the evolution from subclinical hypothyroidism to overt disease. A pilot study.

PubMed

Zafon, C; Rodríguez, B; Montoro, J B; Cabo, D; Mesa, J

2012-01-01

The use of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) is indicated to evaluate thyroid carcinoma patients. In recent years, some authors have reported that rhTSH could serve as a dynamic test of thyroid reserve. The aim of the present study was to determine whether or not rhTSH can predict the evolution from subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) to overt hypothyroidism. Twenty-one women who met the diagnostic criteria of SH were enrolled. All patients received a single dose of rhTSH (0.1 mg). Basal blood samples for TSH, free T4 (fT4), thyroglobulin (Tg), and anti-thyoperoxidase and anti-Tg antibodies were obtained before and 1 day after rhTSH administration. All patients were followed for 2 yr, and blood samples were obtained every 6 months. Twenty-four hours after rhTSH administration, the TSH level increased to >20 mU/l in 14 patients; the serum peak TSH levels remained <10 mU/l in only 5 patients. On follow-up, 7 women (33%) required L-T4 replacement therapy for overt hypothyroidism or a persistent TSH level >10 mlU/l. None of the parameters analyzed differed significantly between patients who developed overt hypothyroidism from those who had persistent SH. The response of thyroid function tests to a single low dose of rhTSH is not useful in identifying those patients with SH who will develop overt hypothyroidism over a 2-yr period.

Loss of Hippocampal Neurons after Kainate Treatment Correlates with Behavioral Deficits

PubMed Central

Maia, Gisela H.; Quesado, José L.; Soares, Joana I.; do Carmo, Joana M.; Andrade, Pedro A.; Andrade, José P.; Lukoyanov, Nikolai V.

2014-01-01

Treating rats with kainic acid induces status epilepticus (SE) and leads to the development of behavioral deficits and spontaneous recurrent seizures later in life. However, in a subset of rats, kainic acid treatment does not induce overt behaviorally obvious acute SE. The goal of this study was to compare the neuroanatomical and behavioral changes induced by kainate in rats that developed convulsive SE to those who did not. Adult male Wistar rats were treated with kainic acid and tested behaviorally 5 months later. Rats that had experienced convulsive SE showed impaired performance on the spatial water maze and passive avoidance tasks, and on the context and tone retention tests following fear conditioning. In addition, they exhibited less anxiety-like behaviors than controls on the open-field and elevated plus-maze tests. Histologically, convulsive SE was associated with marked neuron loss in the hippocampal CA3 and CA1 fields, and in the dentate hilus. Rats that had not experienced convulsive SE after kainate treatment showed less severe, but significant impairments on the spatial water maze and passive avoidance tasks. These rats had fewer neurons than control rats in the dentate hilus, but not in the hippocampal CA3 and CA1 fields. Correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between spatial memory indices of rats and neuronal numbers in the dentate hilus and CA3 pyramidal field. These results show that a part of the animals that do not display intense behavioral seizures (convulsive SE) immediately after an epileptogenic treatment, later in life, they may still have noticeable structural and functional changes in the brain. PMID:24409306

Instrumental and Reactive Functions and Overt and Relational Forms of Aggression: Developmental Trajectories and Prospective Associations during Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojanen, Tiina; Kiefer, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study examined the development of adolescent self-reported instrumental-overt, instrumental-relational, reactive-overt, and reactive-relational aggression during middle school ("N" = 384; 12-14 years; 53% boys). Growth modeling indicated average increases in instrumental-relational aggression, and decreases in reactive-overt and…

Pharmacological interventions for stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients: a mixed treatment comparison network meta-analysis and a recursive cumulative meta-analysis.

PubMed

Sridharan, Kannan; Sivaramakrishnan, Gowri; Gnanaraj, Jerome

2018-02-01

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), sucralfate and antacids are the commonly administered agents for stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in critically ill patients. The authors of this paper have conducted a network meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of these agents in SUP. Electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and conference abstracts for studies comparing a SUP agent in critically ill patients to another active SUP agent or placebo. Overt, occult and clinically significant upper gastro-intestinal (UGI) bleeding, all-cause mortality, pneumonia, gastric colonization and ICU length of stay were considered as the outcome measures. A random effects model was used to generate pooled estimates. A total of 53 studies (4258 participants) were included. The pooled estimates were in favor of PPI and sucralfate for the overt UGI bleeding. PPI and H2RA bolus were associated with increased risk of gastric colonization and pneumonia. SUP in critically ill patients was not associated with any benefit with regard to clinically significant bleeding episodes. However, PPI and sucralfate significantly reduces overt UGI bleeding. On the contrary, PPI and H2RA bolus are associated with an increased risk of gastric colonization and pneumonia.

Prevalence of subclinical and undiagnosed overt hypothyroidism in a pregnancy loss clinic.

PubMed

Khalid, A S; Joyce, C; O'Donoghue, K

2013-04-01

Recent studies have associated pregnancy loss with subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as elevated thyroid-stimulating-hormone level, with normal free thyroxine. In overt hypothyroidism, the free thyroxine is low. Subclinical and overt hypothyroidism occurs in 0.25-2.5% and 0.2-0.3% of pregnancies respectively. We examined the prevalence of subclinical and undiagnosed overt hypothyroidism in women with recurrent miscarriage, late miscarriage and stillbirth attending the Pregnancy Loss Clinic. Data was collected from the Pregnancy Loss Clinic records. Women with sporadic miscarriages, autoimmune disorders, thrombophilias and known hypothyroidism were excluded. Two-hundred-and-sixty-two women were included. Median maternal age was 35 years (range 18-47). Subclinical and undiagnosed overt hypothyroidism was found in 11.45% of women. Twenty-two women (8.39%) had subclinical hypothyroidism, eight (3.05%) had undiagnosed overt hypothyroidism. Results were compared to women with ongoing pregnancies. A proportion of women attending the clinic had subclinical or undiagnosed overt hypothyroidism, raising the suspicion of causation in unexplained pregnancy loss.

Personality traits in alcohol-dependent individuals in the context of childhood abuse.

PubMed

Gerhant, Aneta; Olajossy, Marcin

2016-10-31

The aim of this study was to identify groups of alcohol-dependent individuals differing in the severity of childhood physical, emotional and sexual abuse and to find the personality variables that discriminate between those groups. The study included 90 individuals dependent on alcohol. The following questionnaires were used: the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the Coping Inventory (COPE), the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Cattell's IPAT Anxiety Scale, and the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI). Two groups of subjects addicted to alcohol were identified: group 1 with high and group 2 with low childhood physical, emotional and sexual abuse indices. The subjects in Group 1 had significantly higher scores than the subjects in Group 2 on the TCI Temperament scales of NS and HA and lower scores on the TCI character scales of SD, C2 and C4. Group 1 subjects were significantly more likely than those from Group 2 to use avoidant coping strategies; they were also less likely to use problem-focused strategies and had significantly higher scores on general anxiety, overt anxiety, latent anxiety, level of aggression, physical aggression, hostility and anger. The higher severity of childhood physical, emotional and sexual abuse in alcoholics is associated with those personality traits that seem to be crucial for maintaining abstinence and the quality of cooperation in therapy.

Left ventricular longitudinal myocardial function in overt hypothyroidism: a tissue Doppler echocardiographic study.

PubMed

Tiryakioglu, Selma Kenar; Tiryakioglu, Osman; Ari, Hasan; Basel, Mehmet Cem; Ozkan, Hakan; Bozat, Tahsin

2010-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) myocardial regional function in overt hypothyroidism by use of tissue Doppler imaging and to compare the results to the hormonal profile and standard Doppler echocardiographic examination. Hypothyroidic (Group 1, n = 25) and euthyroidic patients (Group 2, n = 25) underwent transthorasic echocardiography, strain and strain rate imaging. Standard echocardiography showed that patients with overt hypothyroidism had significantly longer isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) (P < 0.05), deceleration time (DT) (P = 0.014) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) (P = 0.022). Tissue Doppler imaging showed that the mean peak systolic strain (SI) (16.47 + or - 1.45 vs. 20.63 + or - 1.51, P < 0.001), the mean peak systolic strain rate (SSR) (1.05 + or - 0.13 vs. 1.47 + or - 0.11, P < 0.001), the mean peak early diastolic strain rate (ESr) (1.72 + or - 0.38 vs. 2.03 + or - 0.25, P < 0.05) and the mean peak late diastolic strain rate (ASr) (1.22 + or - 0.31 vs. 1.46 + or - 0.32, P < 0.05) were significantly lower in Group 1 compared to Group 2. For all patients, the systolic strain and systolic strain rate parameters negatively correlated with thyroid stimulating hormone levels and positively correlated with the levels of free triiodothyronine (fT(3)) and free tetraiodothyronine (fT(4)). These results indicate that overt hypothyroidism is associated with early impairment in LV longitudinal myocardial function, and that tissue Doppler echocardiography is useful for the grading of disease and detection of early impairment. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY 2010;27:505-511).

Blunted Myocardial Oxygenation Response During Vasodilator Stress in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

PubMed Central

Karamitsos, Theodoros D.; Dass, Sairia; Suttie, Joseph; Sever, Emily; Birks, Jacqueline; Holloway, Cameron J.; Robson, Matthew D.; Jerosch-Herold, Michael; Watkins, Hugh; Neubauer, Stefan

2013-01-01

Objectives This study sought to assess myocardial perfusion and tissue oxygenation during vasodilator stress in patients with overt hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), as well as in HCM mutation carriers without left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, and to compare findings to those in athletes with comparable hypertrophy and normal controls. Background Myocardial perfusion under vasodilator stress is impaired in patients with HCM. Whether this is associated with impaired myocardial oxygenation and tissue ischemia is unknown. Furthermore, it is not known whether perfusion and oxygenation are impaired in HCM mutation carriers without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Methods A total of 27 patients with overt HCM, 10 HCM mutation carriers without LVH, 11 athletes, and 20 healthy controls underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scanning at 3-T. Myocardial function, perfusion (perfusion reserve index [MPRI]), and oxygenation (blood-oxygen level dependent signal intensity [SI] change) under adenosine stress were assessed. Results MPRI was significantly reduced in HCM (1.3 ± 0.1) compared to controls (1.8 ± 0.1, p < 0.001) and athletes (2.0 ± 0.1, p < 0.001), but remained normal in HCM mutation carriers without LVH (1.7 ± 0.1; p = 0.61 vs. controls, p = 0.02 vs. overt HCM). Oxygenation response was attenuated in overt HCM (SI change 6.9 ± 1.4%) compared to controls (18.9 ± 1.4%, p < 0.0001) and athletes (18.7 ± 2.0%, p < 0.001). Interestingly, HCM mutation carriers without LVH also showed an impaired oxygenation response to adenosine (10.4 ± 2.0%; p = 0.001 vs. controls, p = 0.16 vs. overt HCM, p = 0.003 vs. athletes). Conclusions In overt HCM, both perfusion and oxygenation are impaired during vasodilator stress. However, in HCM mutation carriers without LVH, only oxygenation is impaired. In athletes, stress perfusion and oxygenation are normal. CMR assessment of myocardial oxygenation has the potential to become a novel risk factor in HCM. PMID:23498131

Impact of hypothyroidism on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A 4-year retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Lee, Kil Woo; Bang, Ki Bae; Rhee, Eun Jung; Kwon, Heon Ju; Lee, Mi Yeon; Cho, Yong Kyun

2015-12-01

Hypothyroidism is reported to contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared the risk of the development of NAFLD among three groups with different thyroid hormonal statuses (control, subclinical hypothyroidism, and overt hypothyroidism) in a 4-year retrospective cohort of Korean subjects. Apparently healthy Korean subjects without NAFLD and aged 20-65 years were recruited (n=18,544) at health checkups performed in 2008. Annual health checkups were applied to the cohort for 4 consecutive years until December 2012. Based on their initial serum-free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, they were classified into control, subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH >4.2 mIU/L, normal fT4), and overt hypothyroidism (TSH >4.2 mIU/L, fT4 <0.97 ng/dL) groups. NAFLD was diagnosed on the basis of ultrasonography findings. NAFLD developed in 2,348 of the 18,544 subjects, representing an overall incidence of 12.7%: 12.8%, 11.0%, 12.7% in the control, subclinical hypothyroidism, and overt hypothyroidism groups, respectively. The incidence of NAFLD did not differ significantly with the baseline thyroid hormonal status, even after multivariate adjustment (subclinical hypothyroidism group: hazard ratio [HR]=0.965, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.814-1.143, P=0.67; overt hypothyroidism group: HR=1.255, 95% CI=0.830-1.899, P=0.28). Our results suggest that the subclinical and overt types of hypothyroidism are not related to an increased incidence of NAFLD.

The impact of overtly listing eligibility requirements on MTurk: An investigation involving organ donation, recruitment scripts, and feelings of elevation.

PubMed

Siegel, Jason T; Navarro, Mario A; Thomson, Andrew L

2015-10-01

Investigations conducted through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) sometimes explicitly note eligibility requirements when recruiting participants; however, the impact of this practice on data integrity is relatively unexplored within the MTurk context. Contextualized in the organ donor registration domain, the current study assessed whether overtly listing eligibility requirements impairs the accuracy of data collected on MTurk. On day 1, the first and third round of data collection did not list eligibility requirements; the second and fourth round overtly listed a qualification requirement: status as a non-registered organ donor. On day 2, the approach was identical, except the order was reversed-the first and third round overtly listed the study qualifications, while the second and fourth did not. These procedures provided eight different waves of data. In addition, all participants were randomly assigned to read an elevating (i.e., morally inspiring) story or a story not intended to elicit any emotion. Regardless of recruitment approach, only participants who were not registered as donors were included in the analysis. Results indicated that the recruitment script that explicitly requested non-registered donors resulted in the collection of participants with higher mean intentions scores than the script that did not overtly list the eligibility requirements. Further, even though the elevation induction increased intentions to register as a donor, there was not a significant interaction between recruitment approach and the influence of the elevation manipulation on registration intentions. Explicitly listing eligibility requirements can influence the accuracy of estimates derived from data collected through MTurk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitiligo and overt thyroid diseases: A nationwide population-based study in Korea.

PubMed

Bae, Jung Min; Lee, June Hyunkyung; Yun, Jae Seung; Han, Byeol; Han, Tae Young

2017-05-01

Associations between vitiligo and thyroid diseases have been reported repeatedly. We investigated the associations between vitiligo and overt autoimmune thyroid diseases and thyroid cancer using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database. We defined patients with vitiligo as those whose records showed ≥4 physician contacts between 2009 and 2013 in which vitiligo was the principal diagnosis. We also established an age- and sex-matched control group without vitiligo (2 per 1 vitiligo patient). The outcomes of interest were concurrent Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis (the patients were taking relevant thyroid medications) and thyroid cancer. The study enrolled 73,336 vitiligo patients and 146,672 controls. Patients with vitiligo were at increased risks of Graves disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.610 [95% confidence interval {CI} 2.319-02.938]), Hashimoto thyroiditis (OR 1.609 [95% CI 1.437-1.802]), and thyroid cancer (OR 1.127 [95% CI 1.022-1.242]), compared with the controls. The associations were consistently stronger in males and younger patients. Individual clinical information was not available, and the homogeneous population may limit the generalizability of the results. Vitiligo was significantly associated with overt autoimmune thyroid diseases and overt thyroid cancer. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chest Computed Tomography (CT) Immediately after CT-Guided Transthoracic Needle Aspiration Biopsy as a Predictor of Overt Pneumothorax

PubMed Central

Noh, Tae June; Lee, Chang Hoon; Kang, Young Ae; Kwon, Sung-Youn; Yoon, Ho-Il; Kim, Tae Jung; Lee, Kyung Won; Lee, Jae Ho

2009-01-01

Background/Aims This study examined the correlation between pneumothorax detected by immediate post-transthoracic needle aspiration-biopsy (TTNB) chest computed tomography (CT) and overt pneumothorax detected by chest PA, and investigated factors that might influence the correlation. Methods Adult patients who had undergone CT-guided TTNB for lung lesions from May 2003 to June 2007 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were included. Immediate post-TTNB CT and chest PA follow-up at 4 and 16 hours after CT-guided TTNB were performed in 934 patients. Results Pneumothorax detected by immediate chest CT (CT-pneumothorax) was found in 237 (25%) and overt pneumothorax was detected by chest PA follow-up in 92 (38.8%) of the 237 patients. However, overt pneumothorax was found in 18 (2.6%) of the 697 patients without CT-pneumothorax. The width and depth of CT-pneumothorax were predictive risk factors for overt pneumothorax. Conclusions CT-pneumothorax is very sensitive for predicting overt pneumothorax, and the width and depth on CT-pneumothorax are reliable risk factors for predicting overt pneumothorax. PMID:19949733

Anti-Counterfeit Technologies: A Pharmaceutical Industry Perspective

PubMed Central

Bansal, Dipika; Malla, Swathi; Gudala, Kapil; Tiwari, Pramil

2013-01-01

Growth of international free trade and inadequate drug regulation have led to the expansion of trade in counterfeit drugs worldwide. Technological protection is seen to be the best way to avoid this problem. Different technologies came into existence like overt, covert, and track and trace technologies. This review emphasises ideal technological characteristics, existing anti-counterfeit technologies, and their adoption in different countries. Developed countries like the USA have implemented RFID while the European trend is towards 2D barcodes. The Indian government is getting sensitised about the extent of the problem and has formulated rules mandating barcodes. Even the pharmaceutical companies have been employing these technologies in order to detain illegitimate drugs in their supply chain. PMID:23641326

Plasma concentrations of prolactin in overtly pseudopregnant Afghan hounds and the effect of metergoline.

PubMed

Okkens, A C; Dieleman, S J; Kooistra, H S; Bevers, M M

1997-01-01

The effect of metergoline, a 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) antagonist, on the plasma concentrations of prolactin in overtly pseudopregnant Afghan hounds and on the clinical symptoms of overt pseudopregnancy were studied. Plasma concentrations of prolactin and progesterone were determined in six Afghan hounds with signs of overt pseudopregnancy for 2-3 weeks and in three Afghan hounds that were not pseudopregnant at the time of blood sampling. In the overtly pseudopregnant bitches the plasma concentrations of prolactin before treatment (35.5 +/- 8.5 micrograms l-1) were significantly higher than the plasma concentrations of prolactin of the three bitches that were not pseudopregnant (6.3 +/- 0.5 micrograms l-1); the latter values were similar to those of non-pseudopregnant beagle bitches during the total luteal phase. The six pseudopregnant Afghan hounds were treated for 10 days with the antiserotoninergic drug metergoline. At 2 h after the onset of treatment with metergoline, the mean plasma concentration of prolactin had decreased to 10.8 +/- 2.9 micrograms l-1. The plasma concentrations of prolactin continued to decline to 5.4 +/- 1.0 micrograms l-1 at 4 h and to 1.0 +/- 0.1 microgram l-1 during treatment days 3-10. Signs of pseudopregnancy, such as swelling of the mammary glands and digging, decreased during the treatment period. The treatment was associated with mild behavioural side effects such as whimpering and aggressiveness. These side effects are probably not related to suppression of prolactin but are due to a direct effect on serotoninergic pathways in the brain. It is concluded that high plasma concentrations of prolactin are associated with the development and maintenance of pseudopregnancy. The serotonin antagonist metergoline strongly suppresses plasma concentrations of prolactin in pseudopregnant dogs and decreases the clinical signs of pseudopregnancy.

Temporal dynamics of sensorimotor integration in speech perception and production: independent component analysis of EEG data

PubMed Central

Jenson, David; Bowers, Andrew L.; Harkrider, Ashley W.; Thornton, David; Cuellar, Megan; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2014-01-01

Activity in anterior sensorimotor regions is found in speech production and some perception tasks. Yet, how sensorimotor integration supports these functions is unclear due to a lack of data examining the timing of activity from these regions. Beta (~20 Hz) and alpha (~10 Hz) spectral power within the EEG μ rhythm are considered indices of motor and somatosensory activity, respectively. In the current study, perception conditions required discrimination (same/different) of syllables pairs (/ba/ and /da/) in quiet and noisy conditions. Production conditions required covert and overt syllable productions and overt word production. Independent component analysis was performed on EEG data obtained during these conditions to (1) identify clusters of μ components common to all conditions and (2) examine real-time event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) within alpha and beta bands. 17 and 15 out of 20 participants produced left and right μ-components, respectively, localized to precentral gyri. Discrimination conditions were characterized by significant (pFDR < 0.05) early alpha event-related synchronization (ERS) prior to and during stimulus presentation and later alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) following stimulus offset. Beta ERD began early and gained strength across time. Differences were found between quiet and noisy discrimination conditions. Both overt syllable and word productions yielded similar alpha/beta ERD that began prior to production and was strongest during muscle activity. Findings during covert production were weaker than during overt production. One explanation for these findings is that μ-beta ERD indexes early predictive coding (e.g., internal modeling) and/or overt and covert attentional/motor processes. μ-alpha ERS may index inhibitory input to the premotor cortex from sensory regions prior to and during discrimination, while μ-alpha ERD may index sensory feedback during speech rehearsal and production. PMID:25071633

Assessment of vertebral microarchitecture in overt and mild Cushing's syndrome using trabecular bone score.

PubMed

Vinolas, Helene; Grouthier, Virginie; Mehsen-Cetre, Nadia; Boisson, Amandine; Winzenrieth, Renaud; Schaeverbeke, Thierry; Mesguich, Charles; Bordenave, Laurence; Tabarin, Antoine

2018-05-21

Osteoporotic fractures associated with Cushing's syndrome (CS) may occur despite normal bone mineral density (BMD). Few studies have described alterations in vertebral microarchitecture in glucocorticoid-treated patients and during CS. Trabecular bone score (TBS) estimates trabecular microarchitecture from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry acquisitions. Our aim was to compare vertebral BMD and TBS in patients with overt CS and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACE), and following cure of overt CS. University Hospital. Monocentric retrospective cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of consecutive patients. A total of 110 patients were studied: 53 patients had CS (35, 11 and 7 patients with Cushing's disease, bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia and ectopic ACTH secretion respectively); 39 patients had MACE (10 patients with a late post-operative recurrence of Cushing's disease and 29 patients with adrenal incidentalomas); 18 patients with non-secreting adrenal incidentalomas. 14 patients with overt CS were followed for up to 2 years after cure. Vertebral osteoporosis at BMD and degraded microarchitecture at TBS were found in 24% and 43% of patients with CS, respectively (P < .03). As compared to patients with nonsecreting incidentalomas, patients with MACE had significantly decreased TBS (P < .04) but not BMD. Overt fragility fractures tended to be associated with low TBS (P = .07) but not with low BMD. TBS, but not BMD values, decreased with the intensity of hypercortisolism independently of its aetiology (P < .01). Following remission of CS, TBS improved more markedly and rapidly than BMD (10% vs 3%, respectively; P < .02). Trabecular bone score may be a promising, noninvasive, widely available and inexpensive complementary tool for the routine assessment of the impact of CS and MACE on bone in clinical practice. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early changes in coagulation profiles and lactate levels in patients with septic shock undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyoung Soo; Cheon, Dae Young; Ha, Sang Ook; Han, Sang Jin; Kim, Hyun-Sook; Lee, Sun Hee; Kim, Sung Gyun

2018-01-01

Background To investigate the impact of coagulation profiles and lactate levels in patients with septic shock undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Methods A retrospective analysis of coagulation profiles, including disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) score, before and during 48 h of ECMO support [on day 0 (pre-ECMO), day 1, and day 2], was conducted in patients with septic shock undergoing ECMO. Results A total of 37 patients were included, and 15 (40.5%) patients survived. The initial DIC scores did not change in either the pre-ECMO overt-DIC (n=15) or non-overt-DIC (n=22) group after ECMO commencement. However, the DIC scores were significantly higher, at all three time-points, in non-survivors than in survivors. Additionally, the lactate levels improved considerably in the pre-ECMO non-overt-DIC group and in survivors during ECMO support, but not in the pre-ECMO overt DIC group or non-survivors. On a multivariate analysis, the pre-ECMO DIC score was significantly associated with hospital death [odds ratio (OR), 3.935; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.170–13.230]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the combination of pre-ECMO DIC score plus lactate level was the best predictor of hospital death (area under the curve, 0.879; 0.771–0.987); patients with combined scores >9.35 (the optimal cut-off) exhibited a three-fold higher mortality rate than did those with lower scores (81.8% vs. 26.7%, P=0.001). Conclusions During the early period of ECMO support, the coagulation profiles and lactate levels exhibited different trajectories in survivors and non-survivors. Furthermore, the pre-ECMO DIC score plus lactate level was the best predictor of hospital death. PMID:29707291

Reevaluation of the thyroidal radioactive iodine uptake test, with special reference to reversible primary hypothyroidism with elevated thyroid radioiodine uptake

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okamura, K.; Sato, K.; Ikenoue, H.

The clinical significance of the thyroidal radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) test was reevaluated in patients with various thyroid disorders. Compared with 262 normal subjects or 194 patients with euthyroid diffuse goiter with normal serum TSH levels, RAIU values were significantly higher in 100 patients with latent primary hypothyroidism (serum TSH, 5-40 mU/L). In 126 patients with overt primary hypothyroidism (serum TSH, greater than 40 mU/L), RAIU values were either extremely high (49 patients with reversible hypothyroidism and 10 patients with postpartum hypothyroidism) or low (67 patients with irreversible hypothyroidism). The increase in RAIU values in latent, or reversible overt hypothyroidismmore » was TSH dependent, and there was a good correlation between RAIU values and serum TSH levels (r = 0.6203; P less than 0.001). In overt primary hypothyroidism, spontaneous recovery of thyroid function during iodide restriction alone occurred in 52 of 53 patients with RAIU values above 35%, in only 7 of 23 patients with RAIU values between 10-35%, and in none of 50 patients with RAIU below 10%. Thus, recovery was predicted by high RAIU values (P less than 0.001; prediction rate, 91.4%). Goiter was found in about 80% of the patients with reversible hypothyroidism, compared with only 34% of the patients with irreversible hypothyroidism. Recovery of thyroid function during iodide restriction also occurred in 71% of the patients with latent hypothyroidism. However, RAIU measurements did not predict the prognosis of patients with latent hypothyroidism. We conclude that iodine-induced reversible hypothyroidism is common in our patient population, and RAIU measurements may be helpful in determining the prognosis of patients with overt primary hypothyroidism.« less

Efficacy of benazepril hydrochloride to delay the progression of occult dilated cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers.

PubMed

O'Grady, M R; O'Sullivan, M L; Minors, S L; Horne, R

2009-01-01

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are recommended in people to treat asymptomatic (occult) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Efficacy of therapy in occult DCM in dogs is unknown. ACEIs, specifically benazepril hydrochloride (BH), will delay the onset of overt DCM in Doberman Pinschers. Ninety-one Doberman Pinschers were studied, 57 dogs received BH, and 34 dogs no ACEI. Retrospective study of the medical records of all Doberman Pinschers with occult DCM that received BH or no ACEI between April 1989 and February 2003. Two criteria of left ventricular enlargement were used for enrollment: one independent of body weight (BW) (C1) and the other indexed to BW (C2). Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to identify variables associated with the onset of overt DCM. On univariate analysis the median time to onset of overt DCM was significantly longer for the benazepril group (for C1: 425 days for BH, 95% confidence interval [CI] 264-625 days; 339 days for no ACEI, CI 172-453 days, P= .02; for C2: 454 days for BH, CI 264-628 days; 356 days for no ACEI, CI 181-547 days, P= .02). The hazard ratio (HR) (benazepril/no ACEI) was 0.57, CI 0.35-0.94, P= .03 for C1; HR = 0.56, CI 0.34-0.93, P= .02 for C2. On multivariate analysis, BH significantly delayed onset of overt DCM (HR [benazepril/no ACEI] = 0.45, CI 0.26-0.78, P < .01, for C1; HR = 0.36, CI 0.21-0.63, P < .01, for C2). BH in particular and ACEIs in general might delay the progression of occult DCM. Prospective studies are warranted to test this theory.

Decrease in toe pinch force in male type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy.

PubMed

Kataoka, Hiroaki; Miyatake, Nobuyuki; Kitayama, Naomi; Murao, Satoshi; Tanaka, Satoshi

2018-06-01

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the toe pinch force (TPF) of type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy by disease stage, and to clarify the factors affecting the TPF. Seventy-four men with diabetic nephropathy (age: 62.7 ± 8.9 years, duration of diabetes: 14.2 ± 8.6 years) were enrolled. According to the staging of diabetic nephropathy, TPF and knee extension force (KEF) were compared among three groups: normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and overt nephropathy. In addition, we investigated factors influencing TPF and KEF by performing multiple regression analysis. Normoalbuminuria group, microalbuminuria group, and overt nephropathy group included 26, 25, and 23 patients, respectively. The TPF of the overt nephropathy group (3.15 ± 0.75 kg) was significantly lower than that of the normoalbuminuria (4.2 ± 0.7 kg, p < 0.001) and microalbuminuria groups (3.65 ± 0.81 kg, p = 0.022). The KEF of the overt nephropathy group (37.1 ± 8.3 kgf) was significantly lower than that of the normoalbuminuria group (44.8 ± 8.3 kgf, p = 0.010). Multiple regression analysis revealed that diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and diabetic nephropathy were determinant factors of the TPF; and age, body mass index, and diabetic nephropathy were determinant factors of the KEF. We found in male patients with diabetic nephropathy, the TPF and KEF decreased with progression of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, our findings suggest diabetic nephropathy and DPN are critically involved in the reduction of TPF and KEF.

Effects of Hyperthyroidism on Coronary Artery Disease: A Computed Tomography Angiography Study.

PubMed

Beyer, Christoph; Plank, Fabian; Friedrich, Guy; Wildauer, Matthias; Feuchtner, Gudrun

2017-10-01

Changes in thyroid hormone concentration can negatively affect the cardiovascular system. Subclinical hyperthyroidism has been linked to an increase of cardiovascular heart disease, however, clinical effects and significance are still uncertain. Therefore, we analyzed coronary computed tomography angiographies of patients with overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism for quantitative parameters and plaque morphology. Seven hundred forty-four (47.1% female) patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography were stratified into 3 groups: 51 patients with overt, 74 patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism, and 619 patients with euthyroidism. Analysis included grades of stenosis (no stenosis = 0, mild < 50%, intermediate 50%-70%, or high-grade > 70%) and plaque types (noncalcified, mixed, and calcified), segment involvement score (SIS), noncalcified SIS, and high-risk plaque features (napkin ring sign, low attenuation plaque, spotty calcifications, positive remodelling). Patients with overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism had more high-grade stenoses (39.2% vs 37.8% vs 24.2%; P = 0.007) and a higher coronary calcium score (456.5 vs 199.5 vs 155.9; P < 0.0001). Also, a total higher plaque burden has been found (SIS: 3.3 vs 3.2 vs 2.2; P < 0.0001; noncalcified SIS (1.2 vs 1.1 vs 0.6; P < 0.0001)). Patients with overt hyperthyroidism, followed by those with subclinical hyperthyroidism, had the most high-risk plaque features: napkin ring (21.6% vs 9.5% vs 6.0%, P < 0.0001), low attenuation plaque (35.3% vs 27% vs 8.7%, P < 0.0001), spotty calcification (35.3% vs 18.9% vs 19.1%, P = 0.02), and positive remodelling (37.3% vs 37.8% vs 25.5%, P = 0.02). After a mean follow-up of 168 months, significantly more revascularizations were documented for hyperthyroid patients. Patients with subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism showed more high-grade coronary stenoses, plaque burden, and high-risk plaque features than patients with euthyroidism, which indicates that an increase of thyroid hormones might lead to coronary vascular degeneration and plaque instability. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

String Vacuous Overt Verb Raising.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koisumi, Masatoshi

2000-01-01

Presents evidence for overt verb raising in Japanese, thereby defending the validity of the head parameter with its two values (head initial and head final). Explores consequences of the overt verb raising analysis of Japanese to various aspects of syntactic theory. (Author/VWL)

Facing Off with Unfair Others: Introducing Proxemic Imaging as an Implicit Measure of Approach and Avoidance during Social Interaction

PubMed Central

McCall, Cade; Singer, Tania

2015-01-01

Nonverbal behavior expresses many of the dynamics underlying face-to-face social interactions, implicitly revealing one’s attitudes, emotions, and social motives. Although research has often described nonverbal behavior as approach versus avoidant (i.e., through the study of proxemics), psychological responses to many social contexts are a mix of these two. Fairness violations are an ideal example, eliciting strong avoidance-related responses such as negative attitudes, as well as strong approach-related responses such as anger and retaliation. As such, nonverbal behavior toward unfair others is difficult to predict in discrete approach versus avoidance terms. Here we address this problem using proxemic imaging, a new method which creates frequency images of dyadic space by combining motion capture data of interpersonal distance and gaze to provide an objective but nuanced analysis of social interactions. Participants first played an economic game with fair and unfair players and then encountered them in an unrelated task in a virtual environment. Afterwards, they could monetarily punish the other players. Proxemic images of the interactions demonstrate that, overall, participants kept the fair player closer. However, participants who actively punished the unfair players were more likely to stand directly in front of those players and even to turn their backs on them. Together these patterns illustrate that fairness violations influence nonverbal behavior in ways that further predict differences in more overt behavior (i.e., financial punishment). Moreover, they demonstrate that proxemic imaging can detect subtle combinations of approach and avoidance behavior during face-to-face social interactions. PMID:25675444

The Repeated Name Penalty, the Overt Pronoun Penalty, and Topic in Japanese.

PubMed

Shoji, Shinichi; Dubinsky, Stanley; Almor, Amit

2017-02-01

When reading sentences with an anaphoric reference to a subject antecedent, repeated-name anaphors result in slower reading times relative to pronouns (the Repeated Name Penalty: RNP), and overt pronouns are read slower than null pronouns (the Overt Pronoun Penalty: OPP). Because in most languages previously tested, the grammatical subject is typically also the discourse topic it remains unclear whether these effects reflect anaphors' subject-hood or their topic-hood. To address this question we conducted a self-paced reading experiment in Japanese, a language which morphologically marks both subjects and topics overtly. Our results show that both repeated-name topic-subject anaphors and repeated-name non-topic-subject anaphors exhibit the RNP and that both overt-pronoun topic-subject and overt-pronoun non-topic-subject anaphors show the OPP. However, a detailed examination of performance revealed an interaction between the anaphor topic marking, reference form, and the antecedent's grammatical status, indicating that the effect of the antecedent's grammatical status is strongest for null pronoun and repeated name subject anaphors and that the overt form most similar to null pronouns is the repeated name topic anaphor. We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of anaphor processing.

Non-Autoimmune Subclinical and Overt Hypothyroidism in Idiopathic Steroid-resistant Nephrotic Syndrome in Children.

PubMed

Marimuthu, Vidhya; Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Rajappa, Medha

2017-11-15

To evaluate the frequency of non-autoimmune subclinical and overt hypothyroidism in children with idiopathic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). This cross-sectional study recruited 30 children (age 1-18 y) with idiopathic SRNS; and 30 healthy controls. Serum T3, T4 and TSH were performed in cases as well as controls. Anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibody tests were performed in all cases. Non-autoimmune subclinical or overt hypothyroidism was detected in 10 out of 30 children with idiopathic SRNS; 2 had overt hypothyroidism, while 8 patients had subclinical hypothyroidism. Children with SRNS had a mean (SD) TSH value 4.55 (4.64) mIU/L that was higher as compared to controls (1.88 (1.04) mIU/L) (P<0.01). Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was the commonest histopathological condition, seen in 13 (43.3%). Children with overt hypothyroidism (2 cases) and grade III subclinical hypothyroidism (1 case) were subsequently started on levothyroxine therapy. The prevalence of subclinical and overt hypothyroidism seems to be high in idiopathic SRNS, with almost one-third of children having overt or subclinical non-autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Safety and efficacy of skin patches containing loxoprofen sodium in diabetic patients with overt nephropathy.

PubMed

Araki, Hisazumi; Kuwagata, Shogo; Soumura, Mariko; Yamahara, Kosuke; Morita, Yoshikata; Kume, Shinji; Isshiki, Keiji; Araki, Shin-ichi; Kashiwagi, Atsunori; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Uzu, Takashi

2014-06-01

Because oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have adverse effects on kidney function, patients with kidney diseases are administered these drugs as transdermal patches. Little is known about the effects of NSAID patches on renal function. We therefore assessed the effects of topical loxoprofen sodium on kidney function in type 2 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy. Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and overt proteinuria and with knee and/or low back pain were treated with skin patches containing 100 mg loxoprofen on the knee or back for 24 h per day for 5 consecutive days. The degree of pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Blood and 24-h urine samples were obtained at baseline and at the end of the study. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated from serum creatinine and cystatin C concentrations. The 20 patients consisted of 11 males and 9 females, of mean age 61.6 ± 13.9 years. Loxoprofen-containing patches significantly reduced VAS pain without affecting blood pressure, GFR or urinary prostaglandin E2 concentration. Serum concentrations of loxoprofen and its active trans-OH metabolite did not correlate with GFR. Loxoprofen-containing patches do not affect renal function in type 2 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy over a short-term period. Long-term studies are needed to clarify the safety of loxoprofen-containing patches in patients with chronic kidney diseases.

College Adjustment Difficulties and the Overt and Covert Forms of Narcissism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weikel, Kim A.; Avara, Renee Mowery; Hanson, Chad A.; Kater, Hope

2010-01-01

Overt narcissism correlated negatively with emotional distress and interpersonal difficulties among female, but not male, students. After controlling for self-esteem, overt narcissism correlated positively with depression among female students and with emotional distress and interpersonal difficulties among male students. Covert narcissism…

Systematic Review of the Economic Burden of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy and Pharmacoeconomic Impact of Rifaximin.

PubMed

Neff, Guy; Iii, Woodie Zachry

2018-04-12

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a common neurologic complication in cirrhosis, is associated with substantial disease and economic burden. Rifaximin is a non-systemic antibiotic that reduces the risk of overt HE recurrence and overt HE-related hospitalizations. Our objective was to provide an overview of the direct HE-related costs and cost benefits of rifaximin, lactulose, and rifaximin plus lactulose. A systematic review of PubMed and relevant meeting abstracts was conducted to identify publications since 1 January 2007 reporting economic data related to HE and rifaximin and/or lactulose. Further, a public database and published literature were used to estimate current costs of hospitalization for overt HE, and potential cost savings of HE-related hospitalizations with rifaximin. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the Drummond checklist. A total of 16 reports were identified for inclusion in the systematic review. Globally, HE-related direct costs ranged from $US5370 to $US50,120 annually per patient. Rifaximin was associated with shorter hospital stays and reduced healthcare costs. Rifaximin also has the potential to reduce overt HE-related hospitalization risk by 50% compared with lactulose. Rifaximin was shown to have a favourable pharmacoeconomic profile compared with lactulose (based on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio). In addition to its clinical benefits (e.g. reduction in the risk of recurrence of overt HE, overt HE-related hospitalizations, favourable adverse event profile), economic data are favourable for the use of rifaximin in patients with a history of overt HE.

Dose-dependent social-cognitive effects of intranasal oxytocin delivered with novel Breath Powered device in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover trial

PubMed Central

Quintana, D S; Westlye, L T; Hope, S; Nærland, T; Elvsåshagen, T; Dørum, E; Rustan, Ø; Valstad, M; Rezvaya, L; Lishaugen, H; Stensønes, E; Yaqub, S; Smerud, K T; Mahmoud, R A; Djupesland, P G; Andreassen, O A

2017-01-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin has shown promise as a treatment for symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, clinical research progress has been hampered by a poor understanding of oxytocin’s dose–response and sub-optimal intranasal delivery methods. We examined two doses of oxytocin delivered using a novel Breath Powered intranasal delivery device designed to improve direct nose-to-brain activity in a double-blind, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. In a randomized sequence of single-dose sessions, 17 male adults with ASD received 8 international units (IU) oxytocin, 24IU oxytocin or placebo followed by four social-cognitive tasks. We observed an omnibus main effect of treatment on the primary outcome measure of overt emotion salience as measured by emotional ratings of faces (η2=0.18). Compared to placebo, 8IU treatment increased overt emotion salience (P=0.02, d=0.63). There was no statistically significant increase after 24IU treatment (P=0.12, d=0.4). The effects after 8IU oxytocin were observed despite no significant increase in peripheral blood plasma oxytocin concentrations. We found no significant effects for reading the mind in the eyes task performance or secondary outcome social-cognitive tasks (emotional dot probe and face-morphing). To our knowledge, this is the first trial to assess the dose-dependent effects of a single oxytocin administration in autism, with results indicating that a low dose of oxytocin can significantly modulate overt emotion salience despite minimal systemic exposure. PMID:28534875

Time-dependent irisin concentration changes in patients affected by overt hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Zybek-Kocik, Ariadna; Sawicka-Gutaj, Nadia; Wrotkowska, Elżbieta; Sowiński, Jerzy; Ruchała, Marek

2016-01-01

Irisin, a cleaved and secreted part of the transmembrane protein FNDC5, is a recently discovered adipo-myokine that is said to have a significant influence on body metabolism. Changes in thyrometabolic state may also alter the serum irisin level. Since already reported data are not fully consistent, the aim of the present research is to evaluate the time-dependent changes in serum irisin level in patients affected by overt hypothyroidism. The study involved 36 subjects - two groups of 12 patients with long-lasting (AITD) and short-term (TC) overt hypothyroidism, and a control group (CG) of 12 subjects, matched for age and gender. Serum irisin level, thyrometabolic state, creatine kinase (CK - muscle damage marker), glucose, and insulin concentration were assessed and compared between groups. The irisin level was significantly lower in AITD than in TC and CG (p = 0.02; p < 0.01; respectively) patients, with no statistical difference between TC and CG (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine levels in AITD and TC patients (p > 0.05). CK concentration was significantly higher in AITD than in CG patients (p < 0.01) with no difference between AITD and TC patients (p > 0.05) as well as TC and CG patients (p > 0.05). Additionally, the CK level negatively correlated with the irisin level (r = -0.58; p < 0.01). In conclusion, the irisin concentration changes during thyroid function impairment may be time-dependent. Patients with prolonged hypothyroidism have lower irisin levels that those with short-term disorder. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (5): 476-480).

Dose-dependent social-cognitive effects of intranasal oxytocin delivered with novel Breath Powered device in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover trial.

PubMed

Quintana, D S; Westlye, L T; Hope, S; Nærland, T; Elvsåshagen, T; Dørum, E; Rustan, Ø; Valstad, M; Rezvaya, L; Lishaugen, H; Stensønes, E; Yaqub, S; Smerud, K T; Mahmoud, R A; Djupesland, P G; Andreassen, O A

2017-05-23

The neuropeptide oxytocin has shown promise as a treatment for symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, clinical research progress has been hampered by a poor understanding of oxytocin's dose-response and sub-optimal intranasal delivery methods. We examined two doses of oxytocin delivered using a novel Breath Powered intranasal delivery device designed to improve direct nose-to-brain activity in a double-blind, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. In a randomized sequence of single-dose sessions, 17 male adults with ASD received 8 international units (IU) oxytocin, 24IU oxytocin or placebo followed by four social-cognitive tasks. We observed an omnibus main effect of treatment on the primary outcome measure of overt emotion salience as measured by emotional ratings of faces (η 2 =0.18). Compared to placebo, 8IU treatment increased overt emotion salience (P=0.02, d=0.63). There was no statistically significant increase after 24IU treatment (P=0.12, d=0.4). The effects after 8IU oxytocin were observed despite no significant increase in peripheral blood plasma oxytocin concentrations. We found no significant effects for reading the mind in the eyes task performance or secondary outcome social-cognitive tasks (emotional dot probe and face-morphing). To our knowledge, this is the first trial to assess the dose-dependent effects of a single oxytocin administration in autism, with results indicating that a low dose of oxytocin can significantly modulate overt emotion salience despite minimal systemic exposure.

Attentional Processes in Children's Overt and Relational Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arsenault, Darin J.; Foster, Sharon L.

2012-01-01

This study examined attention and memory processes assumed by the social information-processing model to be biased in aggressive children. We also explored whether similar biases were associated with overt and relational aggression. A total of 96 fourth through sixth graders saw videos of overtly and relationally aggressive child actors and…

The Overt Pronoun Constraint across Three Dialects of Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelormini-Lezama, Carlos; Huepe, David; Herrera, Eduar; Melloni, Margherita; Manes, Facundo; García, Adolfo M.; Ibáñez, Agustín

2016-01-01

The overt pronoun constraint (OPC) states that, in null subject languages, overt pronoun subjects of embedded clauses cannot be bound by "wh-" or quantifier antecedents. Through the administration of two written questionnaires, we examined the OPC in 246 monolingual native speakers of three dialects of Spanish, spoken in Barranquilla…

Influence of P300 latency jitter on event related potential-based brain-computer interface performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aricò, P.; Aloise, F.; Schettini, F.; Salinari, S.; Mattia, D.; Cincotti, F.

2014-06-01

Objective. Several ERP-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that can be controlled even without eye movements (covert attention) have been recently proposed. However, when compared to similar systems based on overt attention, they displayed significantly lower accuracy. In the current interpretation, this is ascribed to the absence of the contribution of short-latency visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in the tasks performed in the covert attention modality. This study aims to investigate if this decrement (i) is fully explained by the lack of VEP contribution to the classification accuracy; (ii) correlates with lower temporal stability of the single-trial P300 potentials elicited in the covert attention modality. Approach. We evaluated the latency jitter of P300 evoked potentials in three BCI interfaces exploiting either overt or covert attention modalities in 20 healthy subjects. The effect of attention modality on the P300 jitter, and the relative contribution of VEPs and P300 jitter to the classification accuracy have been analyzed. Main results. The P300 jitter is higher when the BCI is controlled in covert attention. Classification accuracy negatively correlates with jitter. Even disregarding short-latency VEPs, overt-attention BCI yields better accuracy than covert. When the latency jitter is compensated offline, the difference between accuracies is not significant. Significance. The lower temporal stability of the P300 evoked potential generated during the tasks performed in covert attention modality should be regarded as the main contributing explanation of lower accuracy of covert-attention ERP-based BCIs.

rTMS for PTSD: induced merciful oblivion or elimination of abnormal hypermnesia?

PubMed

Rossi, Simone; Cappa, Stefano F; Ulivelli, Monica; De Capua, Alberto; Bartalini, Sabina; Rossini, Paolo M

2006-01-01

Neuroimaging studies and experimental data suggest that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with dysfunctions of neural circuits linking prefrontal cortex and the limbic system that have a role in autobiographic episodic memory. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been suggested to be beneficial to patients with PTSD, transiently alleviating re-experiencing as well as avoidance reactions and associated anxiety symptoms. In healthy humans, converging evidence suggests that rTMS of the right DLPFC interferes with episodic memory retrieval. Hence, we hypothesize that daily applications of rTMS in PTSD patients may reduce access to the set of autobiographical stored events, that, if re-experienced, may cause the overt PTSD symptoms.

Moving against and away from the world: The adolescent legacy of peer victimization

PubMed Central

RUDOLPH, KAREN D.; TROOP-GORDON, WENDY; MONTI, JENNIFER D.; MIERNICKI, MICHELLE E.

2015-01-01

Nicki Crick initiated a generative line of theory and research aimed at exploring the implications of exposure to overt and relational aggression for youth development. The present study aimed to continue and expand this research by examining whether early (second grade) and increasing (second–sixth grade) levels of victimization during elementary school contributed to youths’ tendencies to move against, away from, or toward the world of peers following the transition to middle school. Youth (M age in second grade = 7.96 years, SD = 0.35; 298 goals 338 girls, boys) reported on their exposure to victimization and their social (performance-approach, performance-avoidance, or mastery). Teachers reported on youths’ exposure to victimization and their engagement in antisocial, socially helpless, and prosocial behavior. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that early and increasing levels of both overt and relational victimization uniquely contributed to multifinality in adverse developmental outcomes, predicting all three social orientations (high conflictual engagement, high disengagement, and low positive engagement). The pattern of effects was robust across sex and after adjusting for youths’ early social motivation. These findings confirm that both forms of victimization leave an enduring legacy on youths’ social health in adolescence. Given that profiles of moving against and away from the world can contribute to subsequent psychopathology, understanding and preventing this legacy is pivotal for developing effective intervention programs aimed at minimizing the effects of peer adversity. PMID:25047294

Cardiovascular haemodynamics and cardiac autonomic control in patients with subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Petretta, M; Bonaduce, D; Spinelli, L; Vicario, M L; Nuzzo, V; Marciano, F; Camuso, P; De Sanctis, V; Lupoli, G

2001-12-01

To characterize cardiac structure and function and cardiac autonomic control in patients with subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism. Thirty patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism and 30 with overt disease were selected from patients never previously treated for endocrinological disease in the outpatient clinic of our institution. Twenty normal individuals were studied as control group. Left ventricular structure and function and cardiac autonomic control were evaluated, respectively, by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and by 24-h Holter recording with heart rate variability analysis. Patients with overt hyperthyroidism showed greater values of left ventricular end-diastolic volume (P<0.05) and left ventricular mass (P<0.05) than patients with subclinical disease. In addition, the mean velocity of left ventricular fibre shortening (P<0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.05) were greater in patients with overt hyperthyroidism than in patients with subclinical disease. No difference in any of these parameters was detectable between normal subjects and patients with subclinical disease. The isovolumic relaxation period was shorter in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism than in control individuals (P<0.05) and in patients with overt hyperthyroidism (P<0.05). As regards cardiac autonomic control, all time and frequency domain measures decreased progressively from control individuals to patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism and those with overt disease (P<0.001). Thyrotoxic patients show changes in left ventricular structure and increased echocardiographic indexes of myocardial contractility, whereas the only echocardiographic feature detectable in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism is an increased velocity of left ventricular relaxation. Cardiac parasympathetic withdrawal is evident in patients with overt hyperthyroidism and in patients with subclinical disease.

The Repeated Name Penalty, the Overt Pronoun Penalty, and Topic in Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoji, Shinichi; Dubinsky, Stanley; Almor, Amit

2017-01-01

When reading sentences with an anaphoric reference to a subject antecedent, repeated-name anaphors result in slower reading times relative to pronouns (the Repeated Name Penalty: RNP), and overt pronouns are read slower than null pronouns (the Overt Pronoun Penalty: OPP). Because in most languages previously tested, the grammatical subject is…

Sex Differences in Overt Aggression and Delinquency among Urban Minority Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Tracy R.; Graber, Julia A.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Botvin, Gilbert J.

2006-01-01

Given the recent debate over whether differential pathways to overt aggression and delinquency exist between boys and girls, this study examined sex differences in overt aggressive and delinquent acts along with potential differences in precursors (anger, self-control, family disruption) to antisocial behaviors among a sample of urban minority…

Error Biases in Inner and Overt Speech: Evidence from Tongue Twisters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corley, Martin; Brocklehurst, Paul H.; Moat, H. Susannah

2011-01-01

To compare the properties of inner and overt speech, Oppenheim and Dell (2008) counted participants' self-reported speech errors when reciting tongue twisters either overtly or silently and found a bias toward substituting phonemes that resulted in words in both conditions, but a bias toward substituting similar phonemes only when speech was…

Eye Movements and Overt Rehearsal in Word Recall

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiselman, Ralph E.; Bellezza, Francis S.

1977-01-01

Rates of overt rehearsal and eye movement were compared to each other, and were also compared as predictors of immediate and delayed recall. Concludes that total looking time was the best predictor of long-term retention and that recall performance following overt rehearsal was different from recall performance following silent study. (Editor/RK)

Inner Speech's Relationship with Overt Speech in Poststroke Aphasia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stark, Brielle C.; Geva, Sharon; Warburton, Elizabeth A.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Relatively preserved inner speech alongside poor overt speech has been documented in some persons with aphasia (PWA), but the relationship of overt speech with inner speech is still largely unclear, as few studies have directly investigated these factors. The present study investigates the relationship of relatively preserved inner speech…

Interparental Conflict Styles and Parenting Behaviors: Associations with Overt and Relational Aggression among Chinese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yan; Putallaz, Martha; Su, Yanjie

2011-01-01

This study examined how interparental conflict styles related to Chinese children's overt and relational aggression directly and indirectly through parenting behaviors. Mothers (n = 670) and fathers (n = 570) reported their overt and covert interparental conflict styles and different parenting behaviors. Children's (n = 671) aggression was…

Psychiatric and cognitive manifestations of hypothyroidism

PubMed Central

Samuels, Mary H

2014-01-01

Purpose of review Overt hypothyroidism has major effects on neuropsychiatric function, but patients with mild hypothyroidism may attribute unrelated neuropsychiatric symptoms to their thyroid condition. This review will summarize data on neuropsychiatric effects of hypothyroidism, and provide guidelines regarding the relationship between hypothyroidism and neuropsychiatric issues, and treatment indications. Recent findings Clinical investigations and functional imaging studies confirm that overt hypothyroidism is associated with affective and cognitive decrements, largely reversible with treatment. In contrast, subclinical hypothyroidism is not associated with major neuropsychiatric deficits, although studies utilizing sensitive measures show small deficits in memory and executive function. Neuropsychiatric complaints are more common when patients are aware of their thyroid disease, regardless of their thyroid function at the time of testing. Summary Neuropsychiatric dysfunction is common in overt hypothyroidism, and will improve (although perhaps not completely resolve) with therapy. On the other hand, deficits related to thyroid dysfunction are usually mild in subclinical hypothyroidism, and realistic expectations need to be set regarding symptom reversibility with treatment. Patients with mild hypothyroidism and significant distress related to neuropsychiatric symptoms most likely have independent diagnoses that should be evaluated separately. PMID:25122491

Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Offspring Overt and Covert Conduct Problems: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monuteaux, Michael C.; Blacker, Deborah; Biederman, Joseph; Fitzmaurice, Garrett; Buka, Stephen L.

2006-01-01

Background: Empirical evidence demonstrates that conduct disorder (CD) symptoms tend to cluster into covert and overt domains. We hypothesized that overt and covert CD symptoms may be distinct constructs with distinct risk factors. An important risk factor for CD is maternal smoking during pregnancy. We further investigated this association,…

Thyroid function and prevalence of anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (Tg) antibodies in outpatients hospital setting in an area with sufficient iodine intake: influences of age and sex.

PubMed

Legakis, Ioannis; Manousaki, Mina; Detsi, Stela; Nikita, Dimitra

2013-01-01

In order to examine the prevalence of thyroid disease in a hospital outpatient setting, in an area of sufficient iodine intake, serum levels of TSH, T4, T3, anti-Tg and anti-TPO antibodies were examined in 909 individuals with an age range of 12.4 to 88.5 years, participating in a checkup outpatient setting. The study was conducted in Henry Dynant Hospital located in the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece, during a 2 year period. Hormonal parameters were determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay. Overt thyrotoxicosis was found in 4.95% of the total population and subclinical thyrotoxicosis in 5.5%. Overt hypothyroidism was found in 1.43% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 4.51%. In male population, overt thyrotoxicosis was found in 4.4 % and subclinical thyrotoxicosis was also found in 4.4%. On the other hand, overt hypothyroidism was found in 1.4% and subclinical hypothyroidism was found in 3.7% in males. In female population, overt thyrotoxicosis was found in 5.2% whereas subclinical thyrotoxicosis was found in 6.0%. Overt hypothyroidism was found in 1.5% and subclinical hypothyroidism was found in 4,9% in females. Positive anti-TPO antibodies were detected more often (30.4%) than anti-Tg (15.4%) in the tested population. The positivity in both anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibodies was correlated with abnormally high TSH concentrations after the age of 50 years, especially in female population. In conclusion distinct profile of thyroid hormonal parameters was observed in inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Athens, with overt thyrotoxicosis strikingly overcome overt hypothyroidism while subclinical forms of each dysfunction also exhibit analogous results. © 2013 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Correlation of near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex in overt reading and musical tasks.

PubMed

Lo, Y L; Zhang, H H; Wang, C C; Chin, Z Y; Fook-Chong, S; Gabriel, C; Guan, C T

2009-01-01

In overt reading and singing tasks, actual vocalization of words in a rhythmic fashion is performed. During execution of these tasks, the role of underlying vascular processes in relation to cortical excitability changes in a spatial manner is uncertain. Our objective was to investigate cortical excitability changes during reading and singing with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), as well as vascular changes with nearinfrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Findings with TMS and NIRS were correlated. TMS and NIRS recordings were performed in 5 normal subjects while they performed reading and singing tasks separately. TMS was applied over the left motor cortex at 9 positions 2.5 cm apart. NIRS recordings were made over these identical positions. Although both TMS and NIRS showed significant mean cortical excitability and hemodynamic changes from baseline during vocalization tasks, there was no significant spatial correlation of these changes evaluated with the 2 techniques over the left motor cortex. Our findings suggest that increased left-sided cortical excitability from overt vocalization tasks in the corresponding "hand area" were the result of "functional connectivity," rather than an underlying "vascular overflow mechanism" from the adjacent speech processing or face/mouth areas. Our findings also imply that functional neurophysiological and vascular methods may evaluate separate underlying processes, although subjects performed identical vocalization tasks. Future research combining similar methodologies should embrace this aspect and harness their separate capabilities.

Covert and Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy: Diagnosis and Management

PubMed Central

Patidar, Kavish R.; Bajaj, Jasmohan S.

2015-01-01

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is part of a spectrum of neurocognitive changes in cirrhosis. HE is divided into two broad categories based on severity, covert (CHE) and overt (CHE). CHE has a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life, driving performances, and has recently been associated with increased hospitalizations and death. Likewise, OHE is associated with increased rates of hospitalizations and mortality, and poor quality of life. Given its significant burden on patients, care takers, and the health care system, it’s imperative for early diagnosis and management. In addition, a focus should also be directed on patient and family member education on the disease progression and adherence to medications. Treatment strategies include the use of non-absorbable disaccharides, antibiotics (i.e. rifaximin), and potentially probiotics. Other therapies currently under further investigation include: L-ornithine-L-aspartate, ornithine phenylacetate, glycerol phenylbutyrate, molecular adsorbent recirculating system, and albumin infusion. PMID:26164219

The validity of different measures of automatic alcohol action tendencies.

PubMed

Kersbergen, Inge; Woud, Marcella L; Field, Matt

2015-03-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that automatic alcohol action tendencies are related to alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking. These action tendencies are measured with reaction time tasks in which the latency to make an approach response to alcohol pictures is compared with the latency to make an avoidance response. In the literature, 4 different tasks have been used, and these tasks differ on whether alcohol is a relevant (R) or irrelevant (IR) feature for categorization and on whether participants must make a symbolic approach response (stimulus-response compatibility [SRC] tasks) or an overt behavioral response (approach avoidance tasks [AAT]) to the pictures. Previous studies have shown positive correlations between measures of action tendencies and hazardous drinking and weekly alcohol consumption. However, results have been inconsistent and the different measures have not been directly compared with each other. Therefore, it is unclear which task is the best predictor of hazardous drinking and alcohol consumption. In the present study, 80 participants completed all 4 measures of action tendencies (i.e., R-SRC, IR-SRC, R-AAT, and IR-AAT) and measures of alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking. Stepwise regressions showed that the R-SRC and R-AAT were the only significant predictors of hazardous drinking, whereas the R-AAT was the only reliable predictor of alcohol consumption. Our results confirm that drinking behavior is positively correlated with automatic alcohol approach tendencies, but only if alcohol-relatedness is the relevant feature for categorization. Theoretical implications and methodological issues are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Orchestration of pulmonary T cell immunity during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: immunity interruptus

PubMed Central

Behar, Samuel M.; Carpenter, Stephen M.; Booty, Matthew G.; Barber, Daniel L.; Jayaraman, Pushpa

2014-01-01

Despite the introduction almost a century ago of Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG), an attenuated form of M. bovis that is used as a vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis remains a global health threat and kills more than 1.5 million people each year. This is mostly because BCG fails to prevent pulmonary disease – the contagious form of tuberculosis. Although there have been significant advances in understanding how the immune system responds to infection, the qualities that define protective immunity against M. tuberculosis remain poorly characterized. The ability to predict who will maintain control over the infection and who will succumb to clinical disease would revolutionize our approach to surveillance, control, and treatment. Here we review the current understanding of pulmonary T cell responses following M. tuberculosis infection. While infection elicits a strong immune response that contains infection, M. tuberculosis evades eradication. Traditionally, its intracellular lifestyle and alteration of macrophage function are viewed as the dominant mechanisms of evasion. Now we appreciate that chronic inflammation leads to T cell dysfunction. While this may arise as the host balances the goals of bacterial sterilization and avoidance of tissue damage, it is becoming clear that T cell dysfunction impairs host resistance. Defining the mechanisms that lead to T cell dysfunction is crucial as memory T cell responses are likely to be subject to the same subject to the same pressures. Thus, success of T cell based vaccines is predicated on memory T cells avoiding exhaustion while at the same time not promoting overt tissue damage. PMID:25311810

Orchestration of pulmonary T cell immunity during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: immunity interruptus.

PubMed

Behar, Samuel M; Carpenter, Stephen M; Booty, Matthew G; Barber, Daniel L; Jayaraman, Pushpa

2014-12-01

Despite the introduction almost a century ago of Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG), an attenuated form of M. bovis that is used as a vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis remains a global health threat and kills more than 1.5 million people each year. This is mostly because BCG fails to prevent pulmonary disease--the contagious form of tuberculosis. Although there have been significant advances in understanding how the immune system responds to infection, the qualities that define protective immunity against M. tuberculosis remain poorly characterized. The ability to predict who will maintain control over the infection and who will succumb to clinical disease would revolutionize our approach to surveillance, control, and treatment. Here we review the current understanding of pulmonary T cell responses following M. tuberculosis infection. While infection elicits a strong immune response that contains infection, M. tuberculosis evades eradication. Traditionally, its intracellular lifestyle and alteration of macrophage function are viewed as the dominant mechanisms of evasion. Now we appreciate that chronic inflammation leads to T cell dysfunction. While this may arise as the host balances the goals of bacterial sterilization and avoidance of tissue damage, it is becoming clear that T cell dysfunction impairs host resistance. Defining the mechanisms that lead to T cell dysfunction is crucial as memory T cell responses are likely to be subject to the same subject to the same pressures. Thus, success of T cell based vaccines is predicated on memory T cells avoiding exhaustion while at the same time not promoting overt tissue damage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of compensated hypogonadism in patients with sexual dysfunction.

PubMed

Corona, Giovanni; Maseroli, Elisa; Rastrelli, Giulia; Sforza, Alessandra; Forti, Gianni; Mannucci, Edoardo; Maggi, Mario

2014-07-01

In the last few years, a view that subclinical endocrine disorders represent milder forms of the clinically overt disease has emerged. Accordingly, it has been proposed that compensated hypogonadism represents a genuine clinical subset of late-onset hypogonadism. The aim of the present study is to investigate the associations of compensated hypogonadism with particular clinical and psychological characteristics of male subjects complaining of sexual dysfunction. After excluding documented genetic causes of hypogonadism, an unselected consecutive series of 4,173 patients consulting our unit for sexual dysfunction was studied. Compensated hypogonadism was identified according to the European Male Ageing study criteria: total testosterone ≥10.5 nmol/L and luteinizing hormone >9.4 U/L. Several hormonal, biochemical, and instrumental (penile Doppler ultrasound) parameters were studied, along with results of the Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) and ANDROTEST. One hundred seventy (4.1%) subjects had compensated hypogonadism, whereas 827 (19.8%) had overt hypogonadism. After adjustment for confounding factors, no specific sexual symptoms were associated with compensated hypogonadism. However, compensated hypogonadism individuals more often reported psychiatric symptoms, as detected by Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire score, when compared with both eugonadal and overt hypogonadal subjects (adjusted odds ratios = 1.018 [1.005;1.031] and 1.014 [1.001;1.028], respectively; both P < 0.005). In addition, subjects with compensated or overt hypogonadism had an increased predicted risk of cardiovascular events (as assessed by Progetto Cuore risk algorithm) when compared with eugonadal individuals. Accordingly, mortality related to major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), but not MACE incidence, was significantly higher in subjects with both compensated and overt hypogonadism when compared with eugonadal subjects. The present data do not support the concept that compensated (subclinical) hypogonadism represents a new clinical entity. The possibility that subclinical hypogonadism could be a normal response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis to somatic illness should be considered. Further studies are urgently needed to clarify this latter point. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

The TSH levels and risk of hypothyroidism: Results from a population based prospective cohort study in an Iranian adult's population.

PubMed

Aminorroaya, Ashraf; Meamar, Rokhsareh; Amini, Massoud; Feizi, Awat; Nasri, Maryam; Tabatabaei, Azamosadat; Faghihimani, Elham

2017-06-01

The aim of current study was to assess the relationship between serum TSH levels and hypothyroidism risk in the euthyroid population. In a population-based cohort study, a total of 615 individuals with a normal baseline TSH, from of total population (n=2254) in 2006, were followed up for 6years. TSH, total T4, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) were measured. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated based on logistic regression. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis along with area under the curve (AUC) was used to prediction of future hypothyroidism. TSH level in 2006 was a significant predictor for overt hypothyroidism, in the total population (RR=3.5) and female (RR=1.37) (all, P value<0.05). A cutoff value of TSH at 2.05mIU/L [AUC: (CI95 %), 0.68 (0.44-0.92; P=0.05)] was obtained for differentiating the patients with overt hypothyroidism from euthyroid. However, this cut off was not observed when we included only negative TPO and TgAbs people in 2006. The RR of hypothyroidism increased gradually when TSH level increased from 2.06-3.6mIU/L to >3.6mIU/L in the total population and both sexes. In women, the risk of overt hypothyroidism was significantly higher in subjects with TSH above 3.6 than those subject with THS levels≤2.05 [RR: (CI95 %), 20.57(2.-207.04), P value<0.05]. A cutoff value of TSH at 2.05mIU/L could predict the development of overt hypothyroidism in future. However, it was not applicable for people with negative TPOAb and negative TgAb. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Associations of parental feeding styles with child snacking behaviour and weight in the context of general parenting.

PubMed

Rodenburg, Gerda; Kremers, Stef P J; Oenema, Anke; van de Mheen, Dike

2014-05-01

To examine cross-sectional and longitudinal (one-year follow-up) associations of parental feeding styles with child snacking behaviour and weight in the context of general parenting, taking into account the multidimensionality of the controlling feeding style. Linear regression analyses were performed. Parents completed a questionnaire to measure five feeding style dimensions (Instrumental Feeding, Emotional Feeding, Encouragement, Overt Control and Covert Control) and children's fruit, energy-dense snack and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intakes. Children's height and weight were measured to calculate their BMI Z-scores. Moderation by parenting style was tested by adding interaction terms to the regression analyses. Observational study in the Netherlands. Parent-child dyads (n 1275) participating in the INPACT (IVO Nutrition and Physical Activity Child cohorT) study; children were (on average) 9 years of age. Instrumental Feeding and Emotional Feeding were negatively related to child fruit intake one year later and positively to (changes in) child energy-dense snack intake. Encouragement was negatively related to child energy-dense snacking and SSB intake one year later. Overt Control was cross-sectionally and prospectively related to (changes in) child energy-dense snacking and SSB intake in a negative direction. Covert Control showed similar associations with child energy-dense snacking and SSB intake as Overt Control. Although Covert Control was also positively related to child fruit intake and (changes in) child BMI Z-score, bootstrapping analyses revealed only a differential effect of Overt Control and Covert Control on child BMI Z-score one year later, with Covert Control displaying a stronger, positive association. Moderation analyses showed that some significant associations between parental feeding styles and outcome measures were dependent on the degree of psychological control and behavioural control. Instrumental Feeding and Emotional Feeding may have a detrimental impact on children's snacking behaviour, while Encouragement, Overt Control and Covert Control may lead to less energy-dense snacking and less SSB intake. Overt Control and Covert Control have differential effects on child BMI Z-score one year later, which supports the idea that they should be treated as separate constructs. Prospective studies with a longer follow-up may elucidate the causal pathways between the various feeding styles and children's snacking behaviour and weight, as well as the moderating influences of psychological and behavioural control.

Thyroid abnormalities after therapeutic external radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hancock, S.L.; McDougall, I.R.; Constine, L.S.

1995-03-30

The thyroid gland is the largest pure endocrine gland in the body and one of the organs most likely to produce clinically significant abnormalities after therapeutic external radiation. Radiation doses to the thyroid that exceed approximately 26 Gy frequently produce hypothyroidism, which may be clinically overt or subclinical, as manifested by increased serum thyrotropin and normal serum-free thyroxine concentrations. Pituitary or hypothalamic hypothyroidism may arise when the pituitary region receives doses exceeding 50 Gy with conventional, 1.8-2 Gy fractionation. Direct irradiation of the thyroid may increase the risk of Graves` disease or euthyroid Graves` ophthalmopathy. Silent thyroiditis, cystic degeneration, benignmore » adenoma, and thyroid cancer have been observed after therapeutically relevant doses of external radiation. Direct or incidental thyroid irradiation increases the risk for well-differentiated, papillary, and follicular thyroid cancer from 15- to 53-fold. Thyroid cancer risk is highest following radiation at a young age, decreases with increasing age at treatment, and increases with follow-up duration. The potentially prolonged latent period between radiation exposure and the development of thyroid dysfunction, thyroid nodularity, and thyroid cancer means that individuals who have received neck or pituitary irradiation require careful, periodic clinical and laboratory evaluation to avoid excess morbidity. 39 refs.« less

rTMS For PTSD: Induced Merciful Oblivion or Elimination of Abnormal Hypermnesia?

PubMed Central

Rossi, Simone; Cappa, Stefano F.; Ulivelli, Monica; De Capua, Alberto; Bartalini, Sabina; Rossini, Paolo M.

2006-01-01

Neuroimaging studies and experimental data suggest that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with dysfunctions of neural circuits linking prefrontal cortex and the limbic system that have a role in autobiographic episodic memory. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been suggested to be beneficial to patients with PTSD, transiently alleviating re-experiencing as well as avoidance reactions and associated anxiety symptoms. In healthy humans, converging evidence suggests that rTMS of the right DLPFC interferes with episodic memory retrieval. Hence, we hypothesize that daily applications of rTMS in PTSD patients may reduce access to the set of autobiographical stored events, that, if re-experienced, may cause the overt PTSD symptoms. PMID:17148840

Eye movement assessment of selective attentional capture by emotional pictures.

PubMed

Nummenmaa, Lauri; Hyönä, Jukka; Calvo, Manuel G

2006-05-01

The eye-tracking method was used to assess attentional orienting to and engagement on emotional visual scenes. In Experiment 1, unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant target pictures were presented simultaneously with neutral control pictures in peripheral vision under instruction to compare pleasantness of the pictures. The probability of first fixating an emotional picture, and the frequency of subsequent fixations, were greater than those for neutral pictures. In Experiment 2, participants were instructed to avoid looking at the emotional pictures, but these were still more likely to be fixated first and gazed longer during the first-pass viewing than neutral pictures. Low-level visual features cannot explain the results. It is concluded that overt visual attention is captured by both unpleasant and pleasant emotional content. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Temperamental Differences in Children’s Reactions to Peer Victimization

PubMed Central

Sugimura, Niwako; Rudolph, Karen D.

2015-01-01

Objective This research examined the hypothesis that temperament and sex moderate the contribution of peer victimization to children’s subsequent adjustment (aggression and depressive symptoms). Method Children (125 boys, 158 girls; M age = 7.95 years, SD = 0.32; 77.7% White, 22.3% minority) and teachers reported on overt and relational victimization. Parents rated children’s temperament (inhibitory control and negative emotionality) and depressive symptoms, and teachers reported on children’s overt and relational aggression. Results Across a one-year time period, (a) overt victimization predicted overt aggression in girls with poor inhibitory control; (b) overt and relational victimization predicted depressive symptoms in girls with high negative emotionality; and (c) relational victimization predicted depressive symptoms in boys with low negative emotionality. Conclusions This research helps to explain individual variation in children’s reactions to peer victimization, and has implications for person-by-environment models of development. Moreover, this research informs the development of targeted intervention programs for victimized youth that bolster specific resources depending on their temperament. PMID:22420650

Overt and Relational Aggression and Victimization: Multiple Perspectives within the School Setting

PubMed Central

Putallaz, Martha; Grimes, Christina L.; Foster, Kristen J.; Kupersmidt, Janis B.; Coie, John D.; Dearing, Karen

2007-01-01

The current study involved a comprehensive comparative examination of overt and relational aggression and victimization across multiple perspectives in the school setting (peers, teachers, observers in the lunchroom, self-report). Patterns of results involving sociometic status, ethnicity and gender were explored among 4th graders, with particular emphasis on girls. Controversial and rejected children were perceived as higher on both forms of aggression than other status groups, but only rejected children were reported as victims. Both European American and African American girls showed a greater tendency toward relational aggression and victimization than overt aggression or victimization. Results indicated negative outcomes associated with both relational and overt victimization and especially overt aggression for the target girl sample. Poorer adjustment and a socially unskillful behavioral profile were found to be associated with these three behaviors. However, relational aggression did not evidence a similar negative relation to adjustment nor was it related to many of the behaviors examined in the current study. Implications of these results are discussed. PMID:18836518

Covert face recognition in congenital prosopagnosia: a group study.

PubMed

Rivolta, Davide; Palermo, Romina; Schmalzl, Laura; Coltheart, Max

2012-03-01

Even though people with congenital prosopagnosia (CP) never develop a normal ability to "overtly" recognize faces, some individuals show indices of "covert" (or implicit) face recognition. The aim of this study was to demonstrate covert face recognition in CP when participants could not overtly recognize the faces. Eleven people with CP completed three tasks assessing their overt face recognition ability, and three tasks assessing their "covert" face recognition: a Forced choice familiarity task, a Forced choice cued task, and a Priming task. Evidence of covert recognition was observed with the Forced choice familiarity task, but not the Priming task. In addition, we propose that the Forced choice cued task does not measure covert processing as such, but instead "provoked-overt" recognition. Our study clearly shows that people with CP demonstrate covert recognition for faces that they cannot overtly recognize, and that behavioural tasks vary in their sensitivity to detect covert recognition in CP. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Gender, resistance and land: interlinked struggles over resources and meanings in South Asia.

PubMed

Agarwal, B

1994-10-01

This article examines the nature of women's resistance to gender inequities in resource distribution and ideological representation. It argues that to understand how women perceive these inequities it is necessary to take into account not only their overt protests but also the many covert forms their resistance might take. At the same time, to significantly alter gendered structures of property and power it appears necessary to move beyond 'individual-covert' to 'group-overt' (organized collective) resistance. These issues are examined here especially in the context of women's struggles for land rights and gender equality in South Asia. Although historically South Asian women have been important participants in peasant movements, these movements have not been typified by women demanding independent land rights or contesting iniquitous gender relations within the movements and within their families. Some recent challenges in this direction indicate that attaining gender equality in the distribution of productive resources will require a simultaneous struggle against constraining ideological constructions of gender, including (in many regions) associated social practices such as purdah. And in both types of struggle (namely concerning resources and gender ideologies), group-overt resistance is likely to be of critical importance.

Selective Impairments in Covert Shifts of Attention in Chinese Dyslexic Children.

PubMed

Ding, Yun; Zhao, Jing; He, Tao; Tan, Yufei; Zheng, Lingshuang; Wang, Zhiguo

2016-11-01

Reading depends heavily on the efficient shift of attention. Mounting evidence has suggested that dyslexics have deficits in covert attentional shift. However, it remains unclear whether dyslexics also have deficits in overt attentional shift. With the majority of relevant studies carried out in alphabetic writing systems, it is also unknown whether the attentional deficits observed in dyslexics are restricted to a particular writing system. The present study examined inhibition of return (IOR)-a major driving force of attentional shifts-in dyslexic children learning to read a logographic script (i.e., Chinese). Robust IOR effects were observed in both covert and overt attentional tasks in two groups of typically developing children, who were age- or reading ability-matched to the dyslexic children. In contrast, the dyslexic children showed IOR in the overt but not in the covert attentional task. We conclude that covert attentional shift is selectively impaired in dyslexic children. This impairment is not restricted to alphabetic writing systems, and it could be a significant contributor to the difficulties encountered by children learning to read. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Conflict and user involvement in drug misuse treatment decision-making: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Fischer, Jan; Neale, Joanne; Bloor, Michael; Jenkins, Nicholas

2008-01-01

Background This paper examines client/staff conflict and user involvement in drug misuse treatment decision-making. Methods Seventy-nine in-depth interviews were conducted with new treatment clients in two residential and two community drug treatment agencies. Fifty-nine of these clients were interviewed again after twelve weeks. Twenty-seven interviews were also conducted with staff, who were the keyworkers for the interviewed clients. Results Drug users did not expect, desire or prepare for conflict at treatment entry. They reported few actual conflicts within the treatment setting, but routinely discussed latent conflicts – that is, negative experiences and problematic aspects of current or previous treatment that could potentially escalate into overt disputes. Conflict resulted in a number of possible outcomes, including the premature termination of treatment; staff deciding on the appropriate outcome; the client appealing to the governance structure of the agency; brokered compromise; and staff skilfully eliciting client consent for staff decisions. Conclusion Although the implementation of user involvement in drug treatment decision-making has the potential to trigger high levels of staff-client conflict, latent conflict is more common than overt conflict and not all conflict is negative. Drug users generally want to be co-operative at treatment entry and often adopt non-confrontational forms of covert resistance to decisions about which they disagree. Staff sometimes deploy user involvement as a strategy for managing conflict and soliciting client compliance to treatment protocols. Suggestions for minimising and avoiding harmful conflict in treatment settings are given. PMID:18837989

Nature and extent of person recognition impairments associated with Capgras syndrome in Lewy body dementia

PubMed Central

Fiacconi, Chris M.; Barkley, Victoria; Finger, Elizabeth C.; Carson, Nicole; Duke, Devin; Rosenbaum, R. Shayna; Gilboa, Asaf; Köhler, Stefan

2014-01-01

Patients with Capgras syndrome (CS) adopt the delusional belief that persons well-known to them have been replaced by an imposter. Several current theoretical models of CS attribute such misidentification problems to deficits in covert recognition processes related to the generation of appropriate affective autonomic signals. These models assume intact overt recognition processes for the imposter and, more broadly, for other individuals. As such, it has been suggested that CS could reflect the “mirror-image” of prosopagnosia. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether overt person recognition abilities are indeed always spared in CS. Furthermore, we examined whether CS might be associated with any impairments in overt affective judgments of facial expressions. We pursued these goals by studying a patient with Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) who showed clear signs of CS, and by comparing him to another patient with DLB who did not experience CS, as well as to a group of healthy control participants. Clinical magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) atrophy that appeared to be uniquely associated with the presence CS. We assessed overt person recognition with three fame recognition tasks, using faces, voices, and names as cues. We also included measures of confidence and probed pertinent semantic knowledge. In addition, participants rated the intensity of fearful facial expressions. We found that CS was associated with overt person recognition deficits when probed with faces and voices, but not with names. Critically, these deficits were not present in the DLB patient without CS. In addition, CS was associated with impairments in overt judgments of affect intensity. Taken together, our findings cast doubt on the traditional view that CS is the mirror-image of prosopagnosia and that it spares overt recognition abilities. These findings can still be accommodated by models of CS that emphasize deficits in autonomic responding, to the extent that the potential role of interoceptive awareness in overt judgments is taken into account. PMID:25309399

Dissociation between urinary pyrraline and pentosidine concentrations in diabetic patients with advanced nephropathy.

PubMed

Aso, Yoshimasa; Takanashi, Keishi; Sekine, Kyouichi; Yoshida, Noboru; Takebayashi, Kohzo; Yoshihara, Kazuhiro; Inukai, Toshihiko

2004-08-01

It has been reported that the concentrations of both pyrraline and pentosidine, well-characterized advanced glycation end products, are increased in the urine of diabetic patients. To determine factors that influence the urinary excretion of pyrraline or pentosidine, we compared pyrraline or pentosidine concentrations with glycemic-control indexes, urinary albumin excretion, and urinary beta2-microglobulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study was conducted in 39 age-matched healthy control subjects and 50 diabetic patients, including 22 patients with normoalbuminuria, 15 with microalbuminuria, and 13 with macroalbuminuria. Both urinary pyrraline and pentosidine were measured in early-morning urine specimens with the use of high-pressure liquid chromatography. The urinary pentosidine concentration was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in control subjects (P <.01). In contrast, the urinary pyrraline concentration was significantly lower in diabetic patients than in control subjects (P <.001). Urinary pentosidine concentrations were greater in diabetic patients with macroalbuminuria and microalbuminuria than in those with normoalbuminuria. However, urinary pyrraline concentrations were significantly lower in diabetic patients with advanced nephropathy. Both the hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) and the preceding year's mean HbA(1c) were lower in patients with macroalbuminuria than in those with normoalbuminuria or microalbuminuria. Urinary pyrraline, but not pentosidine, showed a significantly positive correlation with the preceding year's mean HbA(1c) (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis disclosed that urinary beta-2-microglobulin was independently correlated with the urinary concentrations of pentosidine and pyrraline (P <.05 for both). We conclude that the urinary concentration of pentosidine is greater in diabetic patients with overt nephropathy, whereas the urinary pyrraline concentration is significantly lower in diabetic patients with overt nephropathy. Because urinary pyrraline is more directly influenced by glycemia than by pentosidine, the difference in glycemic control among diabetic patients with various grades of nephropathy may be responsible for a dissociation between urinary pyrraline and pentosidine concentrations in patients with overt diabetic nephropathy.

Why behavior analysts should study emotion: the example of anxiety.

PubMed Central

Friman, P C; Hayes, S C; Wilson, K G

1998-01-01

Historically, anxiety has been a dominant subject in mainstream psychology but an incidental or even insignificant one in behavior analysis. We discuss several reasons for this discrepancy. We follow with a behavior-analytic conceptualization of anxiety that could just as easily be applied to emotion in general. Its primary points are (a) that languageable humans have an extraordinary capacity to derive relations between events and that it is a simple matter to show that neutral stimuli can acquire discriminative functions indirectly with no direct training; (b) that private events can readily acquire discriminative functions; (c) that anxiety disorders seem to occur with little apparent direct learning or that the amount of direct learning is extraordinarily out of proportion with the amount of responding; and (d) that the primary function of anxious behavior is experiential avoidance. We conclude that the most interesting aspects of anxiety disorders may occur as a function of derived rather than direct relations between public events and overt and private responses with avoidance functions. Implicit in this conclusion and explicit in the paper is the assertion that anxiety is a suitable subject for behavior-analytic study. PMID:9532758

Nonprogressive and Progressive Primate Immunodeficiency Lentivirus Infections

PubMed Central

Brenchley, Jason M.; Silvestri, Guido; Douek, Daniel C.

2010-01-01

Natural hosts for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)can be, and are often naturally, infected with species-specific SIVs, but do not develop acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). These natural hosts maintain high SIV viral loads, but avoid immunodeficiency. Elucidating the mechanisms that allow natural hosts to co-exist with SIV without overt disease may provide crucial information for understanding AIDS pathogenesis. Over the past few years, several key features of natural SIV infections have been described in studies conducted predominantly in sooty mangabeys (SMs), African green monkeys (AGMs), and mandrills. Natural SIV hosts are able to avoid the chronic, generalized immune system activation that is associated with disease progression in HIV-infected individuals and are known to down-modulate the expression of the receptors for SIV. In this perspective we propose that a critical factor that differentiates nonprogressive from progressive HIV or SIV infection is the maintenance of T cell immune competence in the face of a virus that infects and kills CD4+ T cells Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the preservation of immune function during and after the acute phase of natural SIV infection may lead to the design of novel preventive and therapeutic interventions for treatment of chronic HIV infection. PMID:20620940

Correction of Hypothyroidism Leads to Change in Lean Body Mass without Altering Insulin Resistance.

PubMed

Sirigiri, Sangeetha; Vaikkakara, Suresh; Sachan, Alok; Srinivasarao, P V L N; Epuri, Sunil; Anantarapu, Sailaja; Mukka, Arun; Chokkapu, Srinivasa Rao; Venkatanarasu, Ashok; Poojari, Ravi

2016-12-01

Hypothyroidism is associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and abnormal body composition. This study assessed changes in body composition and insulin resistance after thyroxine (T 4 ) replacement in overt hypothyroidism. In this prospective longitudinal study carried out in a tertiary care center, adult nondiabetic patients with overt hypothyroidism were rendered euthyroid on T 4 . Anthropometry including skinfold thickness (SFT) at the triceps and subscapularis was recorded. Patients underwent testing for fasting plasma glucose, creatinine, serum insulin, T 4 , thyrotropin (TSH) and body composition analysis by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) both before and at 2 months after restoration to the euthyroid state. Twenty-seven patients (20 female and 7 male) aged 35.3 ± 11.0 years (min-max: 17-59 years) with overt hypothyroidism were recruited. Serum T 4 at the time of recruitment was 48.9 ± 24.6 nmol/l (normal range = 64.4-142 nmol/l). All patients had TSH ≥50 µIU/l. Following treatment, there was a mean body weight reduction of 1.7 kg (p = 0.01). Waist circumference as well as triceps and subscapularis SFT decreased significantly (p < 0.001). There was no change in fat mass (FM), percentage of fat (%FM) or bone mineral content in any of the specified regions or in the body as a whole. In contrast, mean lean body mass (LBM) decreased significantly by 0.8 kg (p < 0.01) in the trunk and 1.3 kg (p < 0.01) in the whole body. Insulin resistance and level of glycemia were not affected by treatment with T 4 . LBM decreases significantly without affecting FM after correction of hypothyroidism. Insulin resistance was not influenced by T 4 treatment.

Creating learning momentum through overt teaching interactions during real acute care episodes.

PubMed

Piquette, Dominique; Moulton, Carol-Anne; LeBlanc, Vicki R

2015-10-01

Clinical supervisors fulfill a dual responsibility towards patient care and learning during clinical activities. Assuming such roles in today's clinical environments may be challenging. Acute care environments present unique learning opportunities for medical trainees, as well as specific challenges. The goal of this paper was to better understand the specific contexts in which overt teaching interactions occurred in acute care environments. We conducted a naturalistic observational study based on constructivist grounded theory methodology. Using participant observation, we collected data on the teaching interactions occurring between clinical supervisors and medical trainees during 74 acute care episodes in the critical care unit of two academic centers, in Toronto, Canada. Three themes contributed to a better understanding of the conditions in which overt teaching interactions among trainees and clinical supervisors occurred during acute care episodes: seizing emergent learning opportunities, coming up against challenging conditions, and creating learning momentum. Our findings illustrate how overt learning opportunities emerged from certain clinical situations and how clinical supervisors and trainees could purposefully modify unfavorable learning conditions. None of the acute care episodes encountered in the critical care environment represented ideal conditions for learning. Yet, clinical supervisors and trainees succeeded in engaging in overt teaching interactions during many episodes. The educational value of these overt teaching interactions should be further explored, as well as the impact of interventions aimed at increasing their use in acute care environments.

Heart rate variability and turbulence in hyperthyroidism before, during, and after treatment.

PubMed

Osman, Faizel; Franklyn, Jayne A; Daykin, Jacqueline; Chowdhary, Saqib; Holder, Roger L; Sheppard, Michael C; Gammage, Michael D

2004-08-15

Patients with subclinical and treated overt hyperthyroidism have an excess vascular mortality rate. Several symptoms and signs in overt hyperthyroidism suggest abnormality of cardiac autonomic function that may account in part for this excess mortality rate, but few studies have examined cardiac autonomic function in untreated and treated hyperthyroidism. We assessed heart rate turbulence (HRT) and time-domain parameters of heart rate variability in a large, unselected cohort of patients with overt hyperthyroidism referred to our thyroid clinic (n = 259) and compared findings with a group of normal subjects with euthyroidism (n = 440). These measures were also evaluated during antithyroid therapy (when serum-free thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations returned to normal but thyrotropin remained suppressed (i.e., subclinical hyperthyroidism, n = 110) and when subjects were rendered clinically and biochemically euthyroid (normal serum thyrotropin, free thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations, n = 219). We found that overall measures of heart rate variability and those specific for cardiac vagal modulation were attenuated in patients with overt hyperthyroidism compared with normal subjects; measurements of overall heart rate variability remained low in those with low levels of serum thyrotropin but returned to normal in patients with biochemical euthyroidism. Measurements of HRT (onset and slope) were also decreased in patients with overt hyperthyroidism, but HRT slope returned to normal values with antithyroid treatment. This study is the first to evaluate HRT in overt and treated hyperthyroidism.

A probabilistic model of overt visual attention for cognitive robots.

PubMed

Begum, Momotaz; Karray, Fakhri; Mann, George K I; Gosine, Raymond G

2010-10-01

Visual attention is one of the major requirements for a robot to serve as a cognitive companion for human. The robotic visual attention is mostly concerned with overt attention which accompanies head and eye movements of a robot. In this case, each movement of the camera head triggers a number of events, namely transformation of the camera and the image coordinate systems, change of content of the visual field, and partial appearance of the stimuli. All of these events contribute to the reduction in probability of meaningful identification of the next focus of attention. These events are specific to overt attention with head movement and, therefore, their effects are not addressed in the classical models of covert visual attention. This paper proposes a Bayesian model as a robot-centric solution for the overt visual attention problem. The proposed model, while taking inspiration from the primates visual attention mechanism, guides a robot to direct its camera toward behaviorally relevant and/or visually demanding stimuli. A particle filter implementation of this model addresses the challenges involved in overt attention with head movement. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed model.

Girls' and Women's Education in Thailand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Statistically, Thailand has eliminated gender disparity in access to education. Reasons that four women's conferences made very little impression on education reform could be no significant or overt discrimination against girls' enrollment and employment; education opportunity as more an issue of class (affordability) than gender (culture); and…

Peers’ Perceptions of Gender Nonconformity: Associations with Overt and Relational Peer Victimization and Aggression in Early Adolescence

PubMed Central

Card, Noel A.; Casper, Deborah M.

2015-01-01

The current study used reports from 318 early adolescents to examine the associations of peer-reported gender nonconformity with peer- and self-reported overt and relational victimization and aggression and possible sex differences in these associations. Multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that higher levels of peer-reported gender nonconformity were associated with higher self- and peer-reports of overt and relational victimization and aggression among males and females. The association between peer-reported gender nonconformity and peer-reported overt aggression was moderated by participant sex, such that the association was stronger for females compared to males. Results suggest that perceived gender nonconformity is associated with problematic peer relations, especially among females, in early adolescence and implications of these associations are discussed. PMID:26236066

Narcissism and boredom revisited: an exploration of correlates of overt and covert narcissism among Dutch university students.

PubMed

Zondag, Hessel J

2013-04-01

This article presents a study of the relationship between narcissism, overt and covert, and seven aspects of boredom, defined as listlessness, drawn out experience of time, depletion, lack of concentration, restlessness, experience seeking, and lack of interest. The survey was conducted using questionnaires administered to 32 men and 177 women. The mean age of male respondents was 30.9 yr. (SD = 11.9), that of female respondents 30.2 yr. (SD = 12.2). In general terms, covert narcissism was found to be positively, and overt narcissism negatively, associated with boredom. The results showed a more complex pattern than was found in previous research into the relationship between narcissism and boredom and suggest that overt and covert narcissism are at opposite ends of the adjustment continuum.

Opposing effects of oxytocin on overt compliance and lasting changes to memory.

PubMed

Edelson, Micah G; Shemesh, Maya; Weizman, Abraham; Yariv, Shahak; Sharot, Tali; Dudai, Yadin

2015-03-01

From infancy we learn to comply with societal norms. However, overt compliance is not necessarily accompanied by a change in internal beliefs. The neuromodulatory processes underlying these different phenomena are not yet understood. Here, we test the role of oxytocin in controlling overt compliance versus internalization of information delivered by a social source. After intranasal oxytocin administration, participants showed enhanced compliance to the erroneous opinion of others. However, this expression was coupled with a decrease in the influence of others on long-term memories. Our data suggest that this dissociation may result from reduced conflict in the face of social pressure, which increases immediate conforming behavior, but reduces processing required for deep encoding. These findings reveal a neurobiological control system that oppositely affects internalization and overt compliance.

Reclaiming "Old" Literacies in the New Literacy Information Age: The Functional Literacies of the Mediated Workstation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, Ryan; Goggin, Peter

2012-01-01

For many writing faculty, electronic or digital literacies may not play an overtly significant role in their course designs and teaching practices, but these literacies still play a significant role in how students write. Whether or not writing teachers want to accept it, functional computer literacies are an important aspect of teaching writing.…

Feature tracking CMR reveals abnormal strain in preclinical arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/ cardiomyopathy: a multisoftware feasibility and clinical implementation study.

PubMed

Bourfiss, Mimount; Vigneault, Davis M; Aliyari Ghasebeh, Mounes; Murray, Brittney; James, Cynthia A; Tichnell, Crystal; Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A; Zimmerman, Stefan L; Kamel, Ihab R; Calkins, Hugh; Tandri, Harikrishna; Velthuis, Birgitta K; Bluemke, David A; Te Riele, Anneline S J M

2017-09-01

Regional right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is the hallmark of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), but is currently only qualitatively evaluated in the clinical setting. Feature Tracking Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (FT-CMR) is a novel quantitative method that uses cine CMR to calculate strain values. However, most prior FT-CMR studies in ARVD/C have focused on global RV strain using different software methods, complicating implementation of FT-CMR in clinical practice. We aimed to assess the clinical value of global and regional strain using FT-CMR in ARVD/C and to determine differences between commercially available FT-CMR software packages. We analyzed cine CMR images of 110 subjects (39 overt ARVD/C [mutation+/phenotype+], 40 preclinical ARVD/C [mutation+/phenotype-] and 31 control) for global and regional (subtricuspid, anterior, apical) RV strain in the horizontal longitudinal axis using four FT-CMR software methods (Multimodality Tissue Tracking, TomTec, Medis and Circle Cardiovascular Imaging). Intersoftware agreement was assessed using Bland Altman plots. For global strain, all methods showed reduced strain in overt ARVD/C patients compared to control subjects (p < 0.041), whereas none distinguished preclinical from control subjects (p > 0.275). For regional strain, overt ARVD/C patients showed reduced strain compared to control subjects in all segments which reached statistical significance in the subtricuspid region for all software methods (p < 0.037), in the anterior wall for two methods (p < 0.005) and in the apex for one method (p = 0.012). Preclinical subjects showed abnormal subtricuspid strain compared to control subjects using one of the software methods (p = 0.009). Agreement between software methods for absolute strain values was low (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.373). Despite large intersoftware variability of FT-CMR derived strain values, all four software methods distinguished overt ARVD/C patients from control subjects by both global and subtricuspid strain values. In the subtricuspid region, one software package distinguished preclinical from control subjects, suggesting the potential to identify early ARVD/C prior to overt disease expression.

Coping strategies of caregivers towards aggressive behaviors of persons with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Madathumkovilakath, Neethu Bhaskaran; Kizhakkeppattu, Sindhu; Thekekunnath, Saleem; Kazhungil, Firoz

2018-04-24

Aggression is one of the chief determinants of caregiver burden in severe mental illnesses. Clinical and treatment implications of aggression in mental illness are predominantly studied in perspectives of mental health care professionals. Coping style of caregivers towards aggression of persons with mental illness is understudied. So we studied coping strategies used by caregivers of patients with severe mental illness towards aggressive behaviors of patients and relationship between aggressive behavior and coping strategies. We assessed two hundreds and seventy caregivers of patients with severe mental illness attending outpatient psychiatry department using Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale - revised. 95.6% of the caregivers perceived verbal aggression followed by aggression against property (67%), auto aggression (33.7%) and physical aggression (25.6%). The study revealed that adaptive coping strategies - planful problem solving and seeking social support were used by 40% each of caregivers to deal with aggressive behavior. Only 4.4% of caregivers resorted to escape avoidance which is maladaptive coping strategy. Though adaptive strategies were used by caregivers these were not used in appropriate situations. Physical aggression and aggression against property were not significantly associated with planful problem solving (r = 0.105; p = 0.08 and r = 0.110; p = 0.07 respectively). But verbal aggression, aggression against property and physical aggression were associated with escape avoidance (r = 0.152; p = 0.01 and r = 0.168; p = 0.01 and r = 0.23; p = <0.001 respectively). The study concluded that coping in caregivers of severe mental illness is maladaptive with respect to aggression. Coping skills training would play a major role to address this issue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Plasma prolactin concentration and the effect of metergoline in pseudopregnant Afghan hounds].

PubMed

Okkens, A C; Dieleman, S J; Kooistra, H S; Bevers, M M

2000-02-01

The effects of metergoline, a 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotinin) antagonist, on the plasma concentrations of prolactin in overtly pseudopregnant Afghan hounds and on the clinical symptoms of overt pseudopregnancy were studied. Plasma concentrations of prolactin and progesterone were determined in six Afghan hounds with signs of overt pseudopregnancy for 2-3 weeks and in three Afghan hounds that were not pseudopregnant at the time of blood sampling. In the overtly pseudopregnant bitches the plasma concentrations of prolactin before treatment (35.5 +/- 8.5 micrograms l-1) were significantly higher than the plasma concentrations of prolactin of the three bitches that were not pseudopregnant (6.3 +/- 0.5 micrograms l-1); the latter values were similar to those of non-psueodopregnant beagle bitches during the total luteal phase. The six pseudopregnant Afghan hounds were treated for 10 days with the antiserotoninergic drug metergoline. At 2 h after the onset of treatment with metergoline, the mean plasma concentration of prolactin had decreased to 10.8 +/- 2.9 micrograms l-1. The plasma concentrations of prolactin continued to decline to 5.4 +/- 1.0 micrograms l-1 at 4 h and to 1.0 +/- 0.1 microgram l-1 during treatment days 3-10. Signs of pseudopregnancy, such as swelling of the mammary glands and digging, decreased during the treatment period. The treatment was associated with mild behavioural side effects such as whimpering and aggressiveness. These side effects are probably not related to suppression of prolactin but are due to a direct effect on serotoninergic pathways in the brain. It is concluded that high plasma concentrations of prolactin are associated with the development and maintenance of pseudopregnancy. The serotonin antagonist metergoline strongly suppresses plasma concentration of prolactine in pseudopregnant dogs and decreases the clinical signs of pseudopregnancy.

Relationship between etiology and covert cognition in the minimally conscious state

PubMed Central

Chennu, S.; Chatelle, C.; Fernández-Espejo, D.; Bekinschtein, T.A.; Pickard, J.D.; Laureys, S.; Owen, A.M.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Functional neuroimaging has shown that the absence of externally observable signs of consciousness and cognition in severely brain-injured patients does not necessarily indicate the true absence of such abilities. However, relative to traumatic brain injury, nontraumatic injury is known to be associated with a reduced likelihood of regaining overtly measurable levels of consciousness. We investigated the relationships between etiology and both overt and covert cognitive abilities in a group of patients in the minimally conscious state (MCS). Methods: Twenty-three MCS patients (15 traumatic and 8 nontraumatic) completed a motor imagery EEG task in which they were required to imagine movements of their right-hand and toes to command. When successfully performed, these imagined movements appear as distinct sensorimotor modulations, which can be used to determine the presence of reliable command-following. The utility of this task has been demonstrated previously in a group of vegetative state patients. Results: Consistent and robust responses to command were observed in the EEG of 22% of the MCS patients (5 of 23). Etiology had a significant impact on the ability to successfully complete this task, with 33% of traumatic patients (5 of 15) returning positive EEG outcomes compared with none of the nontraumatic patients (0 of 8). Conclusions: The overt behavioral signs of awareness (measured with the Coma Recovery Scale–Revised) exhibited by nontraumatic MCS patients appear to be an accurate reflection of their covert cognitive abilities. In contrast, one-third of a group of traumatically injured patients in the MCS possess a range of high-level cognitive faculties that are not evident from their overt behavior. Neurology®2012;78:816–822 PMID:22377810

Associations between peer victimization, self-reported depression and social phobia among adolescents: the role of comorbidity.

PubMed

Ranta, Klaus; Kaltiala-Heino, Riittakerttu; Pelkonen, Mirjami; Marttunen, Mauri

2009-02-01

Associations of peer victimization with adolescent depression and social phobia (SP), while controlling for comorbidity between them, have not been sufficiently explored in earlier research. A total of 3156 Finnish adolescents aged 15-16 years participated in a survey study. Self-reported peer victimization, as well as self-reported depression (Beck Depression Inventory), SP (Social Phobia Inventory), and selected background variables were assessed. Frequency of overt and covert peer victimization was examined among four groups: (1) adolescents with depression non-comorbid with SP (DEP), (2) those with SP non-comorbid with depression (SP), (3) those with both SP and depression (SP+DEP), and (4) controls, with neither. A logistic regression analysis controlling for confounding familial (family moving, parental unemployment), and psychopathology (delinquency, aggressiveness, general anxiety) covariates was conducted to confirm the associations between peer victimization and the four groups. Among boys the comorbid SP+DEP group reported the highest rates of both overt and covert victimization, these being significantly higher than among both DEP and SP groups. Among girls covert victimization was again most frequent in the SP+DEP group, but overt victimization was not more frequent in the comorbid group than it was in the DEP and SP groups. In the logistic regression analysis depression without SP did not maintain an independent association with either type of victimization. Instead, SP without depression with ORs from 2.8 to 4.3, and SP comorbid with depression, with ORs between 3.2 and 11.4 had independent associations with peer victimization. In conclusion, overt and covert peer victimization seem to be associated with SP, rather than depression, among adolescents.

Diverticular Disease-associated Colitis: What Do We Know? A Review of Literature.

PubMed

Haddad, Fady G; El Bitar, Sandy; Al Moussawi, Hassan; Chang, Qing; Deeb, Liliane

2018-02-24

Diverticular disease (DD) is a leading cause of hospitalizations in developed countries affecting 30-50% of individuals older than 60 years. Identified as a distinct entity since 1980, diverticular disease-associated colitis (DAC) describes the occurrence of mucosal inflammation in a colon segment affected with DD with relative sparing of the rectum and proximal colon. Its prevalence is suggested around 1.3-3.8%. Pathogenesis is multifactorial with multiple reports noting clinicopathological overlap between DAC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) especially in patients with granulomatous colitis. In this setting, caution should be exercised to avoid an inappropriate diagnosis of IBD. Recurrence rates and long-term outcomes of DAC are not well defined and could range from a benign course to an overt IBD. More studies are needed in order to further characterize this entity.

Female sexuality in Nairobi: flawed or favoured?

PubMed

Spronk, Rachel

2005-05-01

Studies of female sexuality in Africa tend to adopt an instrumental approach, many times problematizing sexual conduct in relation to HIV infection and/or reproduction. This study aimed to explore sexuality as a relational concept. Using interviews and participant observation, the paper shows how sexuality becomes a point of self-identification for young professional women in Nairobi between 20 and 30 years-old. These women form a group who implicitly and explicitly criticize conventional gender roles through the overt pursuit of sexual pleasure as recognition of their womanhood. This aspect of the feminine sense of self is at odds with normative notions of femininity. To avoid criticism for being 'un-proper', women adopt a deferential attitude towards men. The focus on upwardly mobile professional women and their experiments with new types of heterosexual relations in dating provides insight into both sexuality and gender.

Comparison of clean intermittent and transurethral indwelling catheterization for the treatment of overt urinary retention after vaginal delivery: a multicentre randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Mulder, Femke E M; Hakvoort, Robert A; de Bruin, Jan P; van der Post, Joris A M; Roovers, Jan-Paul W R

2017-08-30

Overt postpartum urinary retention (PUR) is the inability to void after delivery and affects up to 7% of patients. Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) and transurethral indwelling catheterization (TIC) are both standard treatments, but have not previously been compared. Clinical guidelines on postpartum bladder management are lacking. A total of 85 patients were randomised for TIC (n=45) and CIC (n=40). In total 68 patients (34 patients with TIC and 34 patients with CIC) completed the UDI-6 questionnaire 3 months after delivery.. Patients allocated to TIC received an indwelling catheter for 24 h and if necessary, another catheter for 48 h. Patients with CIC were intermittently catheterized or taught to self-catheterize until adequate voiding with a postvoid residual volume (PVRV) of <150 mL was achieved. The primary outcome was the presence of bothersome micturition symptoms as measured using the Dutch-validated Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6). Only seven patients (10%) reported bothersome micturition problems 3 months after delivery. No significant differences in the occurrence of micturition symptoms were found. Median PVRV was 800 mL in the CIC group and 650 mL in the TIC group. PVRV was ≥1,000 mL in 24% of the patients. The median duration of catheterization was significantly shorter in the CIC group than in the TIC group (12 h vs. 24 h, p < 0,01). In patients with CIC, 35% required only one catheterization before complete bladder emptying occurred. The duration of treatment was not related to the initial PVRV. Both treatments were equally well accepted by the patients. In patients with overt PUR, CIC is the preferred treatment as a considerable percentage of patients appear to be over-treated when the standard duration of TIC is 24 h. The occurrence of micturition symptoms is not associated with the catheterization method used. CIC is well tolerated in patients with overt PUR.

Neural correlates of rhyming vs. lexical and semantic fluency.

PubMed

Kircher, Tilo; Nagels, Arne; Kirner-Veselinovic, André; Krach, Sören

2011-05-19

Rhyming words, as in songs or poems, is a universal feature of human language across all ages. In the present fMRI study a novel overt rhyming task was applied to determine the neural correlates of rhyme production. Fifteen right-handed healthy male volunteers participated in this verbal fluency study. Participants were instructed to overtly articulate as many words as possible either to a given initial letter (LVF) or to a semantic category (SVF). During the rhyming verbal fluency task (RVF), participants had to generate words that rhymed with pseudoword stimuli. On-line overt verbal responses were audiotaped in order to correct the imaging results for the number of generated words. Fewer words were generated in the rhyming compared to both the lexical and the semantic condition. On a neural level, all language tasks activated a language network encompassing the left inferior frontal gyrus, the middle and superior temporal gyri as well as the contralateral right cerebellum. Rhyming verbal fluency compared to both lexical and semantic verbal fluency demonstrated significantly stronger activation of left inferior parietal region. Generating novel rhyme words seems to be mainly mediated by the left inferior parietal lobe, a region previously found to be associated with meta-phonological as well as sub-lexical linguistic processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective retransplant after graft loss to nonadherence: success with a second chance.

PubMed

Dunn, T B; Browne, B J; Gillingham, K J; Kandaswamy, R; Humar, A; Payne, W D; Sutherland, D E R; Matas, A J

2009-06-01

Nonadherence (NA) is a difficult posttransplant problem that can lead to graft loss. A retransplant is controversial because of a fear of recurrent NA. We reviewed our center's data base and identified 114 kidney recipients who lost their graft to overt NA; of this group, 35 (31%) underwent a retransplant after a thorough reevaluation. We compared this NA retransplant group to a control group of second transplant recipients who did not lose their first graft to overt NA (non-NA) (n = 552). After 8 years of follow-up, we found no significant differences between the groups in actuarial graft or patient survival rates, renal function, or the incidence of biopsy-proven chronic rejection. However, 5 of 35 (14%) NA recipients versus 10 of 552 (2%) non-NA recipients lost their retransplant to NA (p = 0.0001). Twenty of 35 (57%) of the NA group exhibited repeat NA behavior after retransplant. We conclude that prior graft loss to NA is associated with increased graft loss to NA after retransplant. However, the majority of NA retransplant recipients did well-with overall long-term outcomes similar to those of the non-NA group. With careful patient selection and aggressive intervention, prior overt NA should not be an absolute contraindication to retransplantation.

A lower intensity of treatment may underlie the increased risk of thrombosis in young patients with masked polycythaemia vera.

PubMed

Lussana, Federico; Carobbio, Alessandra; Randi, Maria L; Elena, Chiara; Rumi, Elisa; Finazzi, Guido; Bertozzi, Irene; Pieri, Lisa; Ruggeri, Marco; Palandri, Francesca; Polverelli, Nicola; Elli, Elena; Tieghi, Alessia; Iurlo, Alessandra; Ruella, Marco; Cazzola, Mario; Rambaldi, Alessandro; Vannucchi, Alessandro M; Barbui, Tiziano

2014-11-01

In patients who do not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for overt polycythaemia vera (PV), a diagnosis of masked PV (mPV) can be determined. A fraction of mPV patients may display thrombocytosis, thus mimicking essential thrombocythaemia (ET). No previous studies have examined clinical outcomes of mPV among young JAK2-mutated patients. We analysed a retrospective cohort of 538 JAK2-mutated patients younger than 40 years, after a re-assessment of the diagnosis according to the haemoglobin threshold for mPV. In this cohort of patients, 97 (18%) met the WHO criteria for PV, 66 patients (12%) were classified as mPV and 375 (70%) as JAK2-mutated ET. Surprisingly, a significant difference in the incidence of thrombosis was found when comparing mPV versus overt PV patients (P = 0·04). In multivariate analysis, the only factor accounting for the difference in the risk of thrombosis was the less frequent use of phlebotomies and cytoreduction in mPV patients compared to those with overt PV. Thus, we emphasize the need for the identification of mPV in young JAK2-mutated patients in order to optimize their treatments. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigating language lateralization during phonological and semantic fluency tasks using functional transcranial Doppler sonography

PubMed Central

Gutierrez-Sigut, Eva; Payne, Heather; MacSweeney, Mairéad

2015-01-01

Although there is consensus that the left hemisphere plays a critical role in language processing, some questions remain. Here we examine the influence of overt versus covert speech production on lateralization, the relationship between lateralization and behavioural measures of language performance and the strength of lateralization across the subcomponents of language. The present study used functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) to investigate lateralization of phonological and semantic fluency during both overt and covert word generation in right-handed adults. The laterality index (LI) was left lateralized in all conditions, and there was no difference in the strength of LI between overt and covert speech. This supports the validity of using overt speech in fTCD studies, another benefit of which is a reliable measure of speech production. PMID:24875468

Spatio-Temporal Progression of Cortical Activity Related to Continuous Overt and Covert Speech Production in a Reading Task.

PubMed

Brumberg, Jonathan S; Krusienski, Dean J; Chakrabarti, Shreya; Gunduz, Aysegul; Brunner, Peter; Ritaccio, Anthony L; Schalk, Gerwin

2016-01-01

How the human brain plans, executes, and monitors continuous and fluent speech has remained largely elusive. For example, previous research has defined the cortical locations most important for different aspects of speech function, but has not yet yielded a definition of the temporal progression of involvement of those locations as speech progresses either overtly or covertly. In this paper, we uncovered the spatio-temporal evolution of neuronal population-level activity related to continuous overt speech, and identified those locations that shared activity characteristics across overt and covert speech. Specifically, we asked subjects to repeat continuous sentences aloud or silently while we recorded electrical signals directly from the surface of the brain (electrocorticography (ECoG)). We then determined the relationship between cortical activity and speech output across different areas of cortex and at sub-second timescales. The results highlight a spatio-temporal progression of cortical involvement in the continuous speech process that initiates utterances in frontal-motor areas and ends with the monitoring of auditory feedback in superior temporal gyrus. Direct comparison of cortical activity related to overt versus covert conditions revealed a common network of brain regions involved in speech that may implement orthographic and phonological processing. Our results provide one of the first characterizations of the spatiotemporal electrophysiological representations of the continuous speech process, and also highlight the common neural substrate of overt and covert speech. These results thereby contribute to a refined understanding of speech functions in the human brain.

Spatio-Temporal Progression of Cortical Activity Related to Continuous Overt and Covert Speech Production in a Reading Task

PubMed Central

Brumberg, Jonathan S.; Krusienski, Dean J.; Chakrabarti, Shreya; Gunduz, Aysegul; Brunner, Peter; Ritaccio, Anthony L.; Schalk, Gerwin

2016-01-01

How the human brain plans, executes, and monitors continuous and fluent speech has remained largely elusive. For example, previous research has defined the cortical locations most important for different aspects of speech function, but has not yet yielded a definition of the temporal progression of involvement of those locations as speech progresses either overtly or covertly. In this paper, we uncovered the spatio-temporal evolution of neuronal population-level activity related to continuous overt speech, and identified those locations that shared activity characteristics across overt and covert speech. Specifically, we asked subjects to repeat continuous sentences aloud or silently while we recorded electrical signals directly from the surface of the brain (electrocorticography (ECoG)). We then determined the relationship between cortical activity and speech output across different areas of cortex and at sub-second timescales. The results highlight a spatio-temporal progression of cortical involvement in the continuous speech process that initiates utterances in frontal-motor areas and ends with the monitoring of auditory feedback in superior temporal gyrus. Direct comparison of cortical activity related to overt versus covert conditions revealed a common network of brain regions involved in speech that may implement orthographic and phonological processing. Our results provide one of the first characterizations of the spatiotemporal electrophysiological representations of the continuous speech process, and also highlight the common neural substrate of overt and covert speech. These results thereby contribute to a refined understanding of speech functions in the human brain. PMID:27875590

Thyroid dysfunction and anaemia in a large population-based study.

PubMed

M'Rabet-Bensalah, Khadija; Aubert, Carole E; Coslovsky, Michael; Collet, Tinh-Hai; Baumgartner, Christine; den Elzen, Wendy P J; Luben, Robert; Angelillo-Scherrer, Anne; Aujesky, Drahomir; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Rodondi, Nicolas

2016-04-01

Anaemia and thyroid dysfunction are common and often co-occur. Current guidelines recommend the assessment of thyroid function in the work-up of anaemia, although evidence on this association is scarce. In the 'European Prospective Investigation of Cancer' (EPIC)-Norfolk population-based cohort, we aimed to examine the prevalence and type of anaemia (defined as haemoglobin <13 g/dl for men and <12 g/dl for women) according to different thyroid function groups. The mean age of the 8791 participants was 59·4 (SD 9·1) years and 55·2% were women. Thyroid dysfunction was present in 437 (5·0%) and anaemia in 517 (5·9%) participants. After excluding 121 participants with three most common causes of anaemia (chronic kidney disease, inflammation, iron deficiency), anaemia was found in 4·7% of euthyroid participants. Compared with the euthyroid group, the prevalence of anaemia was significantly higher in overt hyperthyroidism (14·6%, P < 0·01), higher with borderline significance in overt hypothyroidism (7·7%, P = 0·05) and not increased in subclinical thyroid dysfunction (5·0% in subclinical hypothyroidism, 3·3% in subclinical hyperthyroidism). Anaemia associated with thyroid dysfunction was mainly normocytic (94·0%), and rarely macrocytic (6·0%). The prevalence of anaemia was higher in overt hyperthyroidism, but not increased in subclinical thyroid dysfunction. Systematic measurement of thyroid-stimulating hormone in anaemic patients is likely to be useful only after excluding common causes of anaemia. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The correlates of urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) in a high risk Australian aboriginal community.

PubMed

Wang, Zaimin; Hoy, Wendy E; Wang, Zhiqiang

2013-08-16

Albuminuria marks renal disease and cardiovascular risk. It was estimated to contribute 75% of the risk of all-cause natural death in one Aboriginal group. The urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) is commonly used as an index of albuminuria. This study aims to examine the associations between demographic factors, anthropometric index, blood pressure, lipid-protein measurements and other biomarkers and albuminuria in a cross-sectional study in a high-risk Australian Aboriginal population. The models will be evaluated for albuminuria at or above the microalbuminuria threshold, and at or above the "overt albuminuria" threshold with the potential to distinguish associations they have in common and those that differ. This was a cross-sectional study of 598 adults aged 18-76 years. All participants were grouped into quartiles by age. Logistic regression models were used to explore the correlates of ACR categories. The significant correlates were systolic blood pressure (SBP), C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid, diabetes, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (marginally significant, p=0.054) and serum albumin (negative association) for ACR 17+ (mg/g) for men and 25+ for women. Independent correlates were SBP, uric acid, diabetes, total cholesterol, alanine amino transferase (ALT), Cystatin C and serum albumin (negative association) for overt albuminuria; and SBP, CRP and serum albumin only for microalbuminuria. This is the most detailed modelling of pathologic albuminuria in this setting to date. The somewhat variable association with risk factors suggests that microalbuminuria and overt albuminuria might reflect different as well as shared phenomena.

Nitroxyl inhibits overt pain-like behavior in mice: role of cGMP/PKG/ATP-sensitive potassium channel signaling pathway

PubMed Central

Staurengo-Ferrari, Larissa; Zarpelon, Ana C.; Longhi-Balbinot, Daniela T.; Marchesi, Mario; Cunha, Thiago M.; Alves-Filho, José C.; Cunha, Fernando Q.; Ferreira, Sergio H.; Casagrande, Rubia; Miranda, Katrina M.; Verri, Waldiceu A.

2014-01-01

Background Several lines of evidence have indicated that nitric oxide (NO) plays complex and diverse roles in modulation of pain/analgesia. However, the roles of charged and uncharged congeners of NO are less well understood. In the present study, the antinociceptive effect of the nitroxyl (HNO) donor, Angeli’s salt (Na2N2O3; AS) was investigated in models of overt pain-like behavior. Moreover, whether the antinociceptive effect of nitroxyl was dependent on the activation of cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate)/PKG (protein kinase G)/ATP-sensitive potassium channels was addressed. Methods The antinociceptive effect of AS was evaluated on phenyl-p-benzoquinone (PBQ)- and acetic acid-induced writhings and via the formalin test. In addition, pharmacological treatments targeting guanylate cyclase (ODQ), PKG (KT5923) and ATP-sensitive potassium channel (glybenclamide) were used. Results PBQ and acetic acid induced significant writhing responses over 20 min. The nociceptive response in these models were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by subcutaneous pre-treatment with AS. Furthermore, AS also inhibited both phases of the formalin test. Subsequently, the inhibitory effect of AS in writhing and flinching responses were prevented by ODQ, KT5823 and glybenclamide, although these inhibitors alone did not alter the writhing score. Furthermore, pretreatment with L-cysteine, an HNO scavenger, confirmed that the antinociceptive effect of AS depends on HNO. Conclusion The present study demonstrates the efficacy of a nitroxyl donor and its analgesic mechanisms in overt pain-like behavior by activating the cGMP/PKG/ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K+) signaling pathway. PMID:24948073

Reproductive queue without overt conflict in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata

PubMed Central

Bang, Alok; Gadagkar, Raghavendra

2012-01-01

Colonies of the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata consist of a single egg layer (queen) and a number of non–egg-laying workers. Although the queen is a docile individual, not at the top of the behavioral dominance hierarchy of the colony, she maintains complete reproductive monopoly. If the queen is lost or removed, one and only one of the workers [potential queen (PQ)] becomes hyperaggressive and will become the next queen of the colony. The PQ is almost never challenged because she first becomes hyperaggressive and then gradually loses her aggression, develops her ovaries, and starts laying eggs. Although we are unable to identify the PQ when the queen is present, she appears to be a “cryptic heir designate.” Here, we show that there is not just one heir designate but a long reproductive queue and that PQs take over the role of egg-laying, successively, without overt conflict, as the queen or previous PQs are removed. The dominance rank of an individual is not a significant predictor of its position in the succession hierarchy. The age of an individual is a significant predictor, but it is not a perfect predictor because PQs often bypass older individuals to become successors. We suggest that such a predesignated reproductive queue that is implemented without overt conflict is adaptive in the tropics, where conspecific usurpers from outside the colony, which can take advantage of the anarchy prevailing in a queenless colony and invade it, are likely to be present throughout the year. PMID:22908278

The emotion-induced memory trade-off: more than an effect of overt attention?

PubMed

Steinmetz, Katherine R Mickley; Kensinger, Elizabeth A

2013-01-01

Although it has been suggested that many effects of emotion on memory are attributable to attention, in the present study we addressed the hypothesis that such effects may relate to a number of different factors during encoding or postencoding. One way to look at the effects of emotion on memory is by examining the emotion-induced memory trade-off, whereby enhanced memory for emotional items often comes at the cost of memory for surrounding background information. We present evidence that this trade-off cannot be explained solely by overt attention (measured via eyetracking) directed to the emotional items during encoding. Participants did not devote more overt attention to emotional than to neutral items when those items were selectively remembered (at the expense of their backgrounds). Only when participants were asked to answer true/false questions about the items and the backgrounds--a manipulation designed to affect both overt attention and poststimulus elaboration--was there a reduction in selective emotional item memory due to an increase in background memory. These results indicate that the allocation of overt visual attention during encoding is not sufficient to predict the occurrence of selective item memory for emotional items.

Assessing the Immeasurables of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgs, Joy

2014-01-01

This paper examines a significant challenge facing students and educators in work-integrated learning (WIL), the learning and assessment of practice immeasurables. Often student assessment focuses on the overt and those aspects of practice that are readily observable and measurable. Educators also need to look at those aspects of practice which…

Conservatoires in Society: Institutional Challenges and Possibilities for Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tregear, Peter; Johansen, Geir; Jørgensen, Harald; Sloboda, John; Tulve, Helena; Wistreich, Richard

2016-01-01

Educational sociologists and philosophers have long recognised that educational institutions play a significant role in shaping as well as supporting societal norms. In the face of growing global social, political, and environmental challenges, should conservatoires be more overt in expressing a mission to sustain and improve the societies in…

Maternal and fetal toxicity in developmental toxicology bioassays: Weight changes and their biological significance

EPA Science Inventory

Standard developmental toxicology bioassays are designed to identify agents with the potential to induce adverse effects in the embryo/fetus. Guidelines call for the inclusion of a dose level(s) that induces “overt maternal toxicity.” The possibility that general maternal toxicit...

TSH elevations as the first laboratory evidence for pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib (PHP-Ib).

PubMed

Molinaro, Angelo; Tiosano, Dov; Takatani, Rieko; Chrysis, Dionisios; Russell, William; Koscielniak, Nikolas; Kottler, Marie-Laure; Agretti, Patrizia; De Marco, Giuseppina; Ahtiainen, Petteri; Christov, Marta; Mäkitie, Outi; Tonacchera, Massimo; Jüppner, Harald

2015-05-01

Hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia because of resistance toward parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the proximal renal tubules are the most prominent abnormalities in patients affected by pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib (PHP-Ib). In this rare disorder, which is caused by GNAS methylation changes, resistance can occur toward other hormones, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), that mediate their actions through G protein-coupled receptors. However, these additional laboratory abnormalities are usually not recognized until PTH-resistant hypocalcemia becomes clinically apparent. We now describe four pediatric patients, first diagnosed with subclinical or overt hypothyroidism between the ages of 0.2 and 15 years, who developed overt PTH-resistance 3 to 20 years later. Although anti-thyroperoxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies provided a plausible explanation for hypothyroidism in one of these patients, this and two other patients revealed broad epigenetic GNAS abnormalities, which included loss of methylation (LOM) at exons AS, XL, and A/B, and gain of methylation at exon NESP55; ie, findings consistent with PHP-Ib. LOM at GNAS exon A/B alone led in the fourth patient to the identification of a maternally inherited 3-kb STX16 deletion, a well-established cause of autosomal dominant PHP-Ib. Although GNAS methylation changes were not detected in additional pediatric and adult patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (23 pediatric and 39 adult cases), hypothyroidism can obviously be the initial finding in PHP-Ib patients. One should therefore consider measuring PTH, along with calcium and phosphate, in patients with unexplained hypothyroidism for extended periods of time to avoid hypocalcemia and associated clinical complications. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

TSH elevations as the first laboratory evidence for pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib (PHP-Ib)†

PubMed Central

Molinaro, Angelo; Tiosano, Dov; Takatani, Rieko; Chrysis, Dionisios; Russell, William; Koscielniak, Nikolas; Kottler, Marie-Laure; Agretti, Patrizia; De Marco, Giuseppina; Ahtiainen, Petteri; Christov, Marta; Mäkitie, Outi; Tonacchera, Massimo; Jüppner, Harald

2014-01-01

Hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia because of resistance towards parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the proximal renal tubules are the most prominent abnormalities in patients affected by pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib (PHP-Ib). In this rare disorder that is caused by GNAS methylation changes, resistance can occur towards other hormones, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), that mediate their actions through G protein-coupled receptors. However, these additional laboratory abnormalities are usually not recognized until PTH-resistant hypocalcemia becomes clinically apparent. We now describe four pediatric patients, first diagnosed with subclinical or overt hypothyroidism between the ages of 0.2 and 15 years, who developed overt PTH-resistance 3-20 years later. Although anti-TPO antibodies provided a plausible explanation for hypothyroidism in one of these patients, this and two other patients revealed broad epigenetic GNAS abnormalities, which included loss of methylation (LOM) at exons AS, XL and A/B, and gain of methylation at exon NESP55, i.e. findings consistent with PHP-Ib. LOM at GNAS exon A/B alone led in the fourth patient to the identification of a maternally inherited 3-kb STX16 deletion, a well-established cause of autosomal dominant PHP-Ib. Although GNAS methylation changes were not detected in additional pediatric and adult patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (23 pediatric and 39 adult cases), hypothyroidism can obviously be the initial finding in PHP-Ib patients. One should therefore consider measuring PTH, along with calcium and phosphate, in patients with unexplained hypothyroidism for extended periods of time to avoid hypocalcemia and associated clinical complications. PMID:25403028

Unusual Case of Overt Aortic Dissection Mimicking Aortic Intramural Hematoma

PubMed Central

Disha, Kushtrim; Kuntze, Thomas; Girdauskas, Evaldas

2016-01-01

We report an interesting case in which overt aortic dissection mimicked two episodes of aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) (Stanford A, DeBakey I). This took place over the course of four days and had a major influence on the surgical treatment strategy. The first episode of IMH regressed completely within 15 hours after it was clinically diagnosed and verified using imaging techniques. The recurrence of IMH was detected three days thereafter, resulting in an urgent surgical intervention. Overt aortic dissection with evidence of an intimal tear was diagnosed intraoperatively. PMID:27066437

Age-related deficits in free recall: the role of rehearsal.

PubMed

Ward, Geoff; Maylor, Elizabeth A

2005-01-01

Age-related deficits have been consistently observed in free recall. Recent accounts of episodic memory suggest that these deficits could result from differential patterns of rehearsal. In the present study, 20 young and 20 older adults (mean ages 21 and 72 years, respectively) were presented with lists of 20 words for immediate free recall using the overt rehearsal methodology. The young outperformed the older adults at all serial positions. There were significant age-related differences in the patterns of overt rehearsals: Young adults rehearsed a greater number of different words than did older adults, they rehearsed words to more recent serial positions, and their rehearsals were more widely distributed throughout the list. Consistent with a recency-based account of episodic memory, age deficits in free recall are largely attributable to age differences in the recency, frequency, and distribution of rehearsals.

Relations of Proactive and Reactive Dimensions of Aggression to Overt and Covert Narcissism in Nonclinical Adolescents

PubMed Central

Fossati, Andrea; Borroni, Serena; Eisenberg, Nancy; Maffei, Cesare

2009-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing acknowledgement of the multidimensionality of narcissism and that different types of narcissism may relate differently to other domains of functioning. Similarly, aggression—a frequently discussed correlate of narcissism--is a heterogeneous construct. In the present study, the relations of proactive and reactive aggression with overt and covert manifestations of narcissism were examined in a sample of 674 Italian high school students (mean age = 15.5 years, SD = 2.1 years). Overt narcissism was positively related to both proactive and reactive subtypes of aggression, whereas covert narcissism related only to reactive aggression. Vanity, Authority, Exhibitionism, and Exploitativeness were the components of overt narcissism related to Proactive Aggression (all remained unique correlates when controlling for Reactive Aggression), whereas Reactive Aggression was associated with the Exhibitionism, Superiority, and Entitlement subscales (only the latter was uniquely related when controlling for Proactive Aggression). PMID:19918915

Adaptation in pronoun resolution: Evidence from Brazilian and European Portuguese.

PubMed

Fernandes, Eunice G; Luegi, Paula; Correa Soares, Eduardo; de la Fuente, Israel; Hemforth, Barbara

2018-04-26

Previous research accounting for pronoun resolution as a problem of probabilistic inference has not explored the phenomenon of adaptation, whereby the processor constantly tracks and adapts, rationally, to changes in a statistical environment. We investigate whether Brazilian (BP) and European Portuguese (EP) speakers adapt to variations in the probability of occurrence of ambiguous overt and null pronouns, in two experiments assessing resolution toward subject and object referents. For each variety (BP, EP), participants were faced with either the same number of null and overt pronouns (equal distribution), or with an environment with fewer overt (than null) pronouns (unequal distribution). We find that the preference for interpreting overt pronouns as referring back to an object referent (object-biased interpretation) is higher when there are fewer overt pronouns (i.e., in the unequal, relative to the equal distribution condition). This is especially the case for BP, a variety with higher prior frequency and smaller object-biased interpretation of overt pronouns, suggesting that participants adapted incrementally and integrated prior statistical knowledge with the knowledge obtained in the experiment. We hypothesize that comprehenders adapted rationally, with the goal of maintaining, across variations in pronoun probability, the likelihood of subject and object referents. Our findings unify insights from research in pronoun resolution and in adaptation, and add to previous studies in both topics: They provide evidence for the influence of pronoun probability in pronoun resolution, and for an adaptation process whereby the language processor not only tracks statistical information, but uses it to make interpretational inferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Error biases in inner and overt speech: evidence from tongue twisters.

PubMed

Corley, Martin; Brocklehurst, Paul H; Moat, H Susannah

2011-01-01

To compare the properties of inner and overt speech, Oppenheim and Dell (2008) counted participants' self-reported speech errors when reciting tongue twisters either overtly or silently and found a bias toward substituting phonemes that resulted in words in both conditions, but a bias toward substituting similar phonemes only when speech was overt. Here, we report 3 experiments revisiting their conclusion that inner speech remains underspecified at the subphonemic level, which they simulated within an activation-feedback framework. In 2 experiments, participants recited tongue twisters that could result in the errorful substitutions of similar or dissimilar phonemes to form real words or nonwords. Both experiments included an auditory masking condition, to gauge the possible impact of loss of auditory feedback on the accuracy of self-reporting of speech errors. In Experiment 1, the stimuli were composed entirely from real words, whereas, in Experiment 2, half the tokens used were nonwords. Although masking did not have any effects, participants were more likely to report substitutions of similar phonemes in both experiments, in inner as well as overt speech. This pattern of results was confirmed in a 3rd experiment using the real-word materials from Oppenheim and Dell (in press). In addition to these findings, a lexical bias effect found in Experiments 1 and 3 disappeared in Experiment 2. Our findings support a view in which plans for inner speech are indeed specified at the feature level, even when there is no intention to articulate words overtly, and in which editing of the plan for errors is implicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Discovering what is hidden: The role of non-ritualized covert neutralizing strategies in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

PubMed

Belloch, Amparo; Carrió, Carmen; Cabedo, Elena; García-Soriano, Gemma

2015-12-01

Neutralizing strategies are secondary to obsessions and an additional cause of distress and interference, but they have received little attention in theories and research, especially the non-ritualized covert strategies. This study focuses on the comparative impact of non-ritualized covert and compulsive-overt strategies in the course of OCD. Eighty-two OCD adult patients completed measures assessing distress, interference, appraisals and overt and covert neutralizing strategies to control obsessions. Thirty-eight patients who had completed cognitive therapy were assessed again after treatment. Only overt compulsions are associated with OCD severity. Nonetheless, considering the main symptom dimension, covert strategies are also associated with severity in patients with moral-based obsessions. Patients who used covert strategies more frequently, compared to those who use them less, reported more sadness, guilt, control importance, interference, and dysfunctional appraisals. Regarding the overt strategies, patients who used them more reported more anxiety and ascribed more personal meaning to their obsessions than the patients who used them less. After treatment, recovered patients decreased their use of both covert and overt strategies, while non-recovered patients did not. There was a higher rate of non-recovered patients among those who used more non-ritualized covert strategies before treatment. Emotions and appraisals were assessed with a single item. OCD symptom dimensions were only assessed by the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory. In addition to studying overt compulsions, the impact of covert neutralizing strategies on the OCD course and severity warrants more in-depth study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overt Social Support Behaviors: Associations With PTSD, Concurrent Depressive Symptoms and Gender

PubMed Central

Crevier, Myra G.; Marchand, André; Nachar, Nadim; Guay, Stéphane

2013-01-01

Women are twice as likely as men to develop a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Gender differences in social support after a traumatic event might partially explain this disparity. However, the portrait of the links among PTSD, depression, social support, and gender is still unclear. This study examined behaviors of individuals with PTSD and their significant other in relation to PTSD and concurrent depressive symptoms, and tested gender as a moderator of these associations. Observed overt supportive and countersupportive behaviors of 68 dyads composed of an individual with PTSD and a significant other in a trauma-oriented discussion were coded with a support coding system and analyzed according to gender. Gender was revealed to act as a moderator of the links between interactional behaviors of individuals with PTSD and their concurrent depressive symptoms. More specifically, women were less implicated and less likely to propose positive solutions compared with men. On the other hand, men were more implicated and less likely to criticize their significant other than were women. PTSD and concurrent depressive symptoms were related to poorer interpersonal communication in women. Hence, women and men with PTSD and concurrent depressive symptoms might benefit from gender-tailored interventions targeting symptoms and dyadic behaviors. PMID:26440610

Maladaptive defensive behaviours in monoamine oxidase A-deficient mice.

PubMed

Godar, Sean C; Bortolato, Marco; Frau, Roberto; Dousti, Mona; Chen, Kevin; Shih, Jean C

2011-10-01

Rich evidence indicates that monoamine oxidase (MAO) A, the major enzyme catalysing the degradation of monoamine neurotransmitters, plays a key role in emotional regulation. Although MAOA deficiency is associated with reactive aggression in humans and mice, the involvement of this enzyme in defensive behaviour remains controversial and poorly understood. To address this issue, we tested MAOA knockout (KO) mice in a spectrum of paradigms and settings associated with variable degrees of threat. The presentation of novel inanimate objects induced a significant reduction in exploratory approaches and increase in defensive behaviours, such as tail-rattling, biting and digging. These neophobic responses were context-dependent and particularly marked in the home cage. In the elevated plus- and T-mazes, MAOA KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates displayed equivalent locomotor activity and time in closed and open arms; however, MAOA KO mice featured significant reductions in risk assessment, as well as unconditioned avoidance and escape. No differences between genotypes were observed in the defensive withdrawal and emergence test. Conversely, MAOA KO mice exhibited a dramatic reduction of defensive and fear-related behaviours in the presence of predator-related cues, such as predator urine or an anaesthetized rat, in comparison with those observed in their WT littermates. The behavioural abnormalities in MAOA KO mice were not paralleled by overt alterations in sensory and microvibrissal functions. Collectively, these results suggest that MAOA deficiency leads to a general inability to appropriately assess contextual risk and attune defensive and emotional responses to environmental cues.

Minimizing risks: the ethics of predictive diabetes mellitus screening research in newborns.

PubMed

Ross, Lainie Friedman

2003-01-01

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disease of childhood. Two states offer newborn screening to identify children with a genetic predisposition to it. It is a voluntary test offered in conjunction with the mandatory newborn metabolic screening. There are no preventive treatments, but children discovered to be at increased risk may participate in follow-up studies to determine whether and when the child develops autoantibodies (preclinical disease) or overt diabetes. This study examined the ethics of predictive genetic research in newborns for type 1 diabetes. Prediction research has serious psychosocial implications, and research designs must account for them. The study concluded that, to minimize harm to infants and their families, (1) if the research does not incorporate a prevention strategy, studies should avoid disclosure of results; and (2) if disclosure is necessary, then the research should be restricted to newborns with an affected first-degree relative.

Stereotyping by Omission: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate the Positive

PubMed Central

Bergsieker, Hilary B.; Leslie, Lisa M.; Constantine, Vanessa S.; Fiske, Susan T.

2014-01-01

Communicators, motivated by strategic self-presentation, selectively underreport negative content in describing their impressions of individuals and stereotypes of groups, particularly for targets whom they view ambivalently with respect to warmth and competence. Communicators avoid overtly inaccurate descriptions, preferring to omit negative information and emphasize positive information about mixed individual targets (Study 1). With more public audiences, communicators increasingly prefer negativity omission to complete accuracy (Study 2), a process driven by self-presentation concerns (Study 3), and moderated by bidimensional ambivalence. Similarly, in an extension of the Princeton Trilogy studies, reported stereotypes of ethnic and national outgroups systematically omitted negative dimensions over 75 years—as anti-prejudice norms intensified—while neutral and positive stereotype dimensions remained constant (Study 4). Multiple assessment methods confirm this stereotyping-by-omission phenomenon (Study 5). Implications of negativity omission for innuendo and stereotype stagnation are discussed. PMID:22448889

Fun and Games and Boredom.

PubMed

Buday, Richard; Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe

2012-08-01

Serious videogames use entertainment to teach, train, or change behavior. What began in the 1970s as tentative attempts to create learning software is now a recognized videogame genre and an emerging health science. Although more research is needed, a growing body of literature suggests serious videogames can be effective. Support for serious videogames, however, is not universal. An informal Web search reveals numerous skeptics. Critics question serious videogames' entertainment value and, thus, their viability. "How can serious videogames attract and maintain players," the argument goes, "if they aren't as much fun as commercial titles, or even any fun at all?" This article examines the argument that, to be effective, serious videogames should be overtly fun and comparable to commercial off-the-shelf videogames. It explores differences between game developer- and researcher-led projects and discusses ways serious videogames can avoid boring and alienating players. It concludes that direct comparisons between serious and commercial game entertainment values may be misdirected.

Sex Differences in Children's Expression and Control of Fantasy and Overt Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodzinsky, David M.; And Others

1979-01-01

A total of 127 fifth-grade boys and girls were presented a TAT-like projective test to measure fantasy aggression and controls over aggression. Overt peer-oriented aggression was measured by peer and teacher ratings. (JMB)

Overt and subtle discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in an obese sample.

PubMed

Magallares, Alejandro; Benito de Valle, Pilar; Irles, Jose Antonio; Jauregui-Lobera, Ignacio

2014-10-27

Obesity represents a serious health issue affecting millions of people in Western industrialized countries. The severity of the medical problems it causes is paralleled by the fact that obesity has become a social stigma that affects the psychological health-related quality of life of individuals with weight problems. Our study, with 111 obese patients of a Spanish hospital, focused specifically on how overt and subtle discrimination is related to subjective well-being (affect balance and life satisfaction) and physical health-related quality of life. It was shown that overt (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.26, p < .01 with life satisfaction) and subtle discrimination (r = -.28, p < .01 with affect balance; r = -.27, p < .01 with life satisfaction) were negatively linked with subjective well-being, and that there was a negative correlation between overt discrimination and physical health-related quality of life (r = -.26, p < .01). Additionally, it was found that overt discrimination was a mediator variable in the relationship between physical health-related quality of life and subjective well-being using the Baron and Kenny procedure. Finally, it is discussed the relationship between discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in obese people.

Effects of environmental support on overt and covert visuospatial rehearsal.

PubMed

Lilienthal, Lindsey; Myerson, Joel; Abrams, Richard A; Hale, Sandra

2018-09-01

People can rehearse to-be-remembered locations either overtly, using eye movements, or covertly, using only shifts of spatial attention. The present study examined whether the effectiveness of these two strategies depends on environmental support for rehearsal. In Experiment 1, when environmental support (i.e., the array of possible locations) was present and participants could engage in overt rehearsal during retention intervals, longer intervals resulted in larger spans, whereas in Experiment 2, when support was present but participants could only engage in covert rehearsal, longer intervals resulted in smaller spans. When environmental support was absent, however, longer retention intervals resulted in smaller memory spans regardless of which rehearsal strategies were available. In Experiment 3, analyses of participants' eye movements revealed that the presence of support increased participants' fixations of to-be-remembered target locations more than fixations of non-targets, and that this was associated with better memory performance. Further, although the total time fixating targets increased, individual target fixations were actually briefer. Taken together, the present findings suggest that in the presence of environmental support, overt rehearsal is more effective than covert rehearsal at maintaining to-be-remembered locations in working memory, and that having more time for overt rehearsal can actually increase visuospatial memory spans.

Overt versus covert conduct disorder symptoms and the prospective prediction of antisocial personality disorder.

PubMed

Le Corff, Yann; Toupin, Jean

2014-12-01

Studies have shown strong continuity between conduct disorder (CD) in adolescence and antisocial personality disorder (APD) in adulthood. Researchers have been trying to explain why some adolescents with CD persist into adult APD and others do not. A few studies reported that overt and covert CD symptoms have a differential predictive power for APD, with mixed results. The present study aimed to evaluate the prospective association of overt and covert CD symptoms with APD in a sample of male adolescents with CD (N = 128, mean age = 15.6, SD = 1.6). Participants were recruited at intake in Quebec Youth Centers and reassessed 3 years later (n = 73). CD and ADHD symptoms were assessed at intake with the DISC-R while APD was assessed 3 years later with the SCID-II. Logistic regression results showed that, contrary to previous prospective studies (Lahey, Loeber, Burke, & Applegate, 2005; Washburn et al., 2007), overt (OR = 2.12, 95% CI [1.29, 3.50]) but not covert (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [0.69, 1.56]) symptoms predicted later APD, controlling for ADHD symptoms and socioeconomic status. It is hypothesized that the divergence with previous studies may be explained by the higher mean number and wider range of overt CD symptoms in our sample.

An Overt Chemical Protective Garment Reduces Thermal Strain Compared with a Covert Garment in Warm-Wet but Not Hot-Dry Environments.

PubMed

Maley, Matthew J; Costello, Joseph T; Borg, David N; Bach, Aaron J E; Hunt, Andrew P; Stewart, Ian B

2017-01-01

Objectives: A commercial chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protective covert garment has recently been developed with the aim of reducing thermal strain. A covert CBRN protective layer can be worn under other clothing, with equipment added for full chemical protection when needed. However, it is unknown whether the covert garment offers any alleviation to thermal strain during work compared with a traditional overt ensemble. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare thermal strain and work tolerance times during work in an overt and covert ensemble offering the same level of CBRN protection. Methods : Eleven male participants wore an overt (OVERT) or covert (COVERT) CBRN ensemble and walked (4 km·h -1 , 1% grade) for a maximum of 120 min in either a wet bulb globe temperature [WBGT] of 21, 30, or 37°C (Neutral, WarmWet and HotDry, respectively). The trials were ceased if the participants' gastrointestinal temperature reached 39°C, heart rate reached 90% of maximum, walking time reached 120 min or due to self-termination. Results: All participants completed 120 min of walking in Neutral. Work tolerance time was greater in OVERT compared with COVERT in WarmWet ( P < 0.001, 116.5[9.9] vs. 88.9[12.2] min, respectively), though this order was reversed in HotDry ( P = 0.003, 37.3[5.3] vs. 48.4[4.6] min, respectively). The rate of change in mean body temperature and mean skin temperature was greater in COVERT (0.025[0.004] and 0.045[0.010]°C·min -1 , respectively) compared with OVERT (0.014[0.004] and 0.027[0.007]°C·min -1 , respectively) in WarmWet ( P < 0.001 and P = 0.028, respectively). However, the rate of change in mean body temperature and mean skin temperature was greater in OVERT (0.068[0.010] and 0.170[0.026]°C·min -1 , respectively) compared with COVERT (0.059[0.004] and 0.120[0.017]°C·min -1 , respectively) in HotDry ( P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and ratings of perceived exertion did not differ between garments at trial cessation ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Those dressed in OVERT experienced lower thermal strain and longer work tolerance times compared with COVERT in a warm-wet environment. However, COVERT may be an optimal choice in a hot-dry environment. These findings have practical implications for those making decisions on the choice of CBRN ensemble to be used during work.

An Overt Chemical Protective Garment Reduces Thermal Strain Compared with a Covert Garment in Warm-Wet but Not Hot-Dry Environments

PubMed Central

Maley, Matthew J.; Costello, Joseph T.; Borg, David N.; Bach, Aaron J. E.; Hunt, Andrew P.; Stewart, Ian B.

2017-01-01

Objectives: A commercial chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protective covert garment has recently been developed with the aim of reducing thermal strain. A covert CBRN protective layer can be worn under other clothing, with equipment added for full chemical protection when needed. However, it is unknown whether the covert garment offers any alleviation to thermal strain during work compared with a traditional overt ensemble. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare thermal strain and work tolerance times during work in an overt and covert ensemble offering the same level of CBRN protection. Methods: Eleven male participants wore an overt (OVERT) or covert (COVERT) CBRN ensemble and walked (4 km·h−1, 1% grade) for a maximum of 120 min in either a wet bulb globe temperature [WBGT] of 21, 30, or 37°C (Neutral, WarmWet and HotDry, respectively). The trials were ceased if the participants' gastrointestinal temperature reached 39°C, heart rate reached 90% of maximum, walking time reached 120 min or due to self-termination. Results: All participants completed 120 min of walking in Neutral. Work tolerance time was greater in OVERT compared with COVERT in WarmWet (P < 0.001, 116.5[9.9] vs. 88.9[12.2] min, respectively), though this order was reversed in HotDry (P = 0.003, 37.3[5.3] vs. 48.4[4.6] min, respectively). The rate of change in mean body temperature and mean skin temperature was greater in COVERT (0.025[0.004] and 0.045[0.010]°C·min−1, respectively) compared with OVERT (0.014[0.004] and 0.027[0.007]°C·min−1, respectively) in WarmWet (P < 0.001 and P = 0.028, respectively). However, the rate of change in mean body temperature and mean skin temperature was greater in OVERT (0.068[0.010] and 0.170[0.026]°C·min−1, respectively) compared with COVERT (0.059[0.004] and 0.120[0.017]°C·min−1, respectively) in HotDry (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and ratings of perceived exertion did not differ between garments at trial cessation (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Those dressed in OVERT experienced lower thermal strain and longer work tolerance times compared with COVERT in a warm-wet environment. However, COVERT may be an optimal choice in a hot-dry environment. These findings have practical implications for those making decisions on the choice of CBRN ensemble to be used during work. PMID:29170644

Agreement of Peer and Teacher Perceptions of Aggression in Fifth-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appleton, Carolyn

2011-01-01

A large body of literature suggests the importance of examining certain high-risk behaviors, particularly aggression (overt/relational), as significant predictors of later outcomes as violence, substance abuse, and some forms of psychopathology. The literature also shows that agreement on these high-risk behaviors is inconsistent across raters.…

The Effects of Self-Generated Synchronous and Asynchronous Visual Speech Feedback on Overt Stuttering Frequency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Gregory J.; Hough, Monica Strauss; Blanchet, Paul; Ivy, Lennette J.; Waddell, Dwight

2009-01-01

Purpose: Relatively recent research documents that visual choral speech, which represents an externally generated form of synchronous visual speech feedback, significantly enhanced fluency in those who stutter. As a consequence, it was hypothesized that self-generated synchronous and asynchronous visual speech feedback would likewise enhance…

Gender Differences in Predicting Antisocial Behaviors: Developmental Consequences of Physical and Relational Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEachern, Amber D.; Snyder, James

2012-01-01

This study investigated gender differences in the relationship of early physical and relational aggression to later peer rejection and overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Significant gender differences were found indicating physically aggressive boys were more likely than girls to experience later peer rejection. Early physical aggression was…

The Need for Self-Report Data in the Assessment of Stuttering Therapy Efficacy: Repetitions and Prolongations of Speech. The Stuttering Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guntupalli, Vijaya K.; Kalinowski, Joseph; Saltuklaroglu, Tim

2006-01-01

Background: Bloodstein reviewed hundreds of studies that investigated the efficacy of therapeutic protocols for ameliorating the stuttering syndrome. Surprisingly, almost all were effective in significantly reducing overtly perceptible behaviours such as repetitions and prolongations of speech sounds. These results seem highly improbable…

Deconstructing the externalizing spectrum: Growth patterns of overt aggression, covert aggression, oppositional behavior, impulsivity/inattention, and emotion dysregulation between school entry and early adolescence

PubMed Central

Olson, Sheryl L.; Sameroff, Arnold J.; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Sexton, Holly; Davis-Kean, Pamela; Bates, John E.; Pettit, Gregory S.; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether five subcomponents of children's externalizing behavior showed distinctive patterns of long-term growth and predictive correlates. We examined growth in teachers' ratings of overt aggression, covert aggression, oppositional defiance, impulsivity/inattention, and emotion dysregulation across three developmental periods spanning kindergarten through Grade 8 (ages 5–13 years). We also determined whether three salient background characteristics, family socioeconomic status, child ethnicity, and child gender, differentially predicted growth in discrete categories of child externalizing symptoms across development. Participants were 543 kindergarten-age children (52% male, 81% European American, 17% African American) whose problem behaviors were rated by teachers each successive year of development through Grade 8. Latent growth curve analyses were performed for each component scale, contrasting with overall externalizing, in a piecewise fashion encompassing three developmental periods: kindergarten–Grade 2, Grades 3–5, and Grades 6–8. We found that most subconstructs of externalizing behavior increased significantly across the early school age period relative to middle childhood and early adolescence. However, overt aggression did not show early positive growth, and emotion dysregulation significantly increased across middle childhood. Advantages of using subscales were most clear in relation to illustrating different growth functions between the discrete developmental periods. Moreover, growth in some discrete subcomponents was differentially associated with variations in family socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Our findings strongly affirmed the necessity of adopting a developmental approach to the analysis of growth in children's externalizing behavior and provided unique data concerning similarities and differences in growth between subconstructs of child and adolescent externalizing behavior. PMID:23880394

Treating hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients admitted to ICU with sodium phenylbutyrate: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Weiss, Nicolas; Tripon, Simona; Lodey, Marion; Guiller, Elsa; Junot, Helga; Monneret, Denis; Mayaux, Julien; Brisson, Hélène; Mallet, Maxime; Rudler, Marika; Imbert-Bismut, Françoise; Thabut, Dominique

2018-04-01

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) influences short-term and long-term prognoses. Recently, glycerol phenylbutyrate (PB), that lowers ammonia by providing an alternate pathway to urea for waste nitrogen excretion, has shown that it was effective in preventing the occurrence of HE in RCT. The aim was to assess the benefits of sodium PB in cirrhotic patients admitted to ICU for overt HE, in terms of ammonia levels decrease, neurological improvement, and survival. Cirrhotic patients who presented with overt HE, ammonia levels >100 μmol/L, and did not display any contra-indication were included. Sodium PB was administered at 200 mg/kg/day. Control group included historical controls treated by standard therapy, matched for age, sex, MELD score, and severity of HE. Eighteen patients were included and treated with sodium PB (age: 59 [45-68], male gender: 15 [83%], Child-Pugh B: 8 [44%], Child-Pugh C: 10 [56%], and MELD score: 16 [13-23]). Ammonia levels significantly decreased in the PB as compared to the control group from inclusion to 12 h and from inclusion to 48 h (P = 0.0201 and P = 0.0230, respectively). The proportion of patients displaying neurological improvement was only higher in the PB-treated group as compared to controls at ICU discharge (15 [83%] vs. 9 [50%], P = 0.0339). ICU discharge survival was significantly higher in patients treated with PB (17 [94%] vs. 9 [50%], P = 0.0017). In cirrhotic patients with overt HE, sodium PB could be effective in reducing ammonia levels and might be effective in improving neurological status and ICU discharge survival. More extensive data, especially a RCT, are mandatory. © 2017 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Event-Related Potentials of Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing of Emotional Faces

PubMed Central

Moradi, Afsane; Mehrinejad, Seyed Abolghasem; Ghadiri, Mohammad; Rezaei, Farzin

2017-01-01

Introduction: Emotional stimulus is processed automatically in a bottom-up way or can be processed voluntarily in a top-down way. Imaging studies have indicated that bottom-up and top-down processing are mediated through different neural systems. However, temporal differentiation of top-down versus bottom-up processing of facial emotional expressions has remained to be clarified. The present study aimed to explore the time course of these processes as indexed by the emotion-specific P100 and late positive potential (LPP) event-related potential (ERP) components in a group of healthy women. Methods: Fourteen female students of Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran aged 18–30 years, voluntarily participated in the study. The subjects completed 2 overt and covert emotional tasks during ERP acquisition. Results: The results indicated that fearful expressions significantly produced greater P100 amplitude compared to other expressions. Moreover, the P100 findings showed an interaction between emotion and processing conditions. Further analysis indicated that within the overt condition, fearful expressions elicited more P100 amplitude compared to other emotional expressions. Also, overt conditions created significantly more LPP latencies and amplitudes compared to covert conditions. Conclusion: Based on the results, early perceptual processing of fearful face expressions is enhanced in top-down way compared to bottom-up way. It also suggests that P100 may reflect an attentional bias toward fearful emotions. However, no such differentiation was observed within later processing stages of face expressions, as indexed by the ERP LPP component, in a top-down versus bottom-up way. Overall, this study provides a basis for further exploring of bottom-up and top-down processes underlying emotion and may be typically helpful for investigating the temporal characteristics associated with impaired emotional processing in psychiatric disorders. PMID:28446947

Neural processing of overt word generation in healthy individuals: the effect of age and word knowledge.

PubMed

Nagels, Arne; Kircher, Tilo; Dietsche, Bruno; Backes, Heidelore; Marquetand, Justus; Krug, Axel

2012-07-16

Verbal fluency is a classical and widely used neuropsychological instrument to assess cognitive abilities. Results of previous studies indicate an influence on verbal fluency performance of both, age and word knowledge. So far, no imaging study has investigated the neural mechanisms underlying an age and word knowledge related decline on the quantitative verbal output in a highly demanding overt and continuous semantic fluency task. Fifty healthy volunteers (age 22-56 years, verbal IQ 95-143) overtly and continuously articulated words in response to ten visually presented semantic categories while BOLD signal was measured with fMRI. Verbal responses were recorded with an MRI compatible microphone and transcribed after the scanning session. The number of produced words as well as age, word knowledge and level of education was implemented in the design matrix enabling a separate analysis of these factors on both, neural responses and behavioral differences. There was a significant correlation of level of education and number of generated words, but no significant correlations of generated words and age or word knowledge were observed. On the neural level, a widespread network was found for the word production task as contrasted with the resting condition, encompassing the bilateral superior temporal gyri, the cerebellum and the SMA. An age related positive correlation was found in the bilateral inferior and middle frontal gyri, the anterior cingulate gyrus, the left precentral gyrus and the right insula. A lower word knowledge resulted in enhanced BOLD responses in the right superior temporal gyrus and the left superior frontal gyrus. Results are interpreted in terms of compensation mechanisms countervailing potential age and word knowledge related effects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relational Aggression and Academic Performance in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risser, Scott D.

2013-01-01

To investigate the relationship between relational aggression and school performance, this study examined the relative and combined associations among relational aggression, overt aggression, and victimization and children's academic performance. Additionally this study examined the relative associations among relational and overt aggression and…

The µ-opioid system promotes visual attention to faces and eyes.

PubMed

Chelnokova, Olga; Laeng, Bruno; Løseth, Guro; Eikemo, Marie; Willoch, Frode; Leknes, Siri

2016-12-01

Paying attention to others' faces and eyes is a cornerstone of human social behavior. The µ-opioid receptor (MOR) system, central to social reward-processing in rodents and primates, has been proposed to mediate the capacity for affiliative reward in humans. We assessed the role of the human MOR system in visual exploration of faces and eyes of conspecifics. Thirty healthy males received a novel, bidirectional battery of psychopharmacological treatment (an MOR agonist, a non-selective opioid antagonist, or placebo, on three separate days). Eye-movements were recorded while participants viewed facial photographs. We predicted that the MOR system would promote visual exploration of faces, and hypothesized that MOR agonism would increase, whereas antagonism decrease overt attention to the information-rich eye region. The expected linear effect of MOR manipulation on visual attention to the stimuli was observed, such that MOR agonism increased while antagonism decreased visual exploration of faces and overt attention to the eyes. The observed effects suggest that the human MOR system promotes overt visual attention to socially significant cues, in line with theories linking reward value to gaze control and target selection. Enhanced attention to others' faces and eyes represents a putative behavioral mechanism through which the human MOR system promotes social interest. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Can overt diabetes mellitus be predicted by an early A1C value in gestational diabetics?

PubMed

Granada, Catalina; Forbes, Joanna; Sangi-Haghpeykar, Haleh; Davidson, Christina

2014-01-01

To test the hypothesis that a hemoglobin A1C value (A1C) in early pregnancy is predictive of overt diabetes mellitus (DM) postpartum in women with gestational diabetes (GDM). In this case-control analysis of women with an early pregnancy diagnosis of GDM, we estimated the association between an early pregnancy A1C and subsequent diagnosis of DM. Women with a normal postpartum diabetic screen (controls) were compared against those with confirmed postpartum DM (cases). Ability of A1C levels to predict DM was examined via logistic regression analysis and corresponding receiver operating characteristic values. During the 10-year study period 166 women met the inclusion criteria: 140 (84%) had normal postpartum testing (controls), and 26 (16%) were diagnosed with DM (cases). The mean A1C value was significantly higher among cases than controls (6.7 vs. 5.6, p < 0.0001, SD 1.3-5). Cases had A1Cs ranging from 5.5- 11.7%, while controls had A1Cs ranging from 4.3-7.8%. The best discriminatory cut point for postpartum DM was an A1C > 5.9% (sensitivity 81%, specificity 83%, positive predictive value 47%, negative predictive value Our findings suggest that an elevated early pregnancy A1C may be predictive of overt DM. Larger studies are needed to further validate this association.

Frequency and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms/disorders, violence and suicidal in schizophrenic patients.

PubMed

Hosseini, S H; Zarghami, M; Moudi, S; Mohammadpour, A R

2012-06-01

This study determined the prevalence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms/disorder (OCS/OCD), aggression and suicidal in schizophrenic patients. Also we compared the prevalence and severity of aggression and suicidal in schizophrenic patients with and without OCS/OCD considering anxiety, depression and substance abuse as confounding factors. During 2007 and 2008, 100 schizophrenic patients were evaluated with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spilberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Scale for suicide Ideation, and Overt Aggression Scale. OCS/OCD and suicidal attempts were seen in 33%, 10% and 12% of patients respectively. The most common form of aggression was against others (55%), and aggressive obsessions were seen in 10% of the patients. Comparing patients with and without OCS/OCD, there were no significant differences in the severity of schizophrenia, suicidal and overt aggression. The severity of overt aggression was related to the patients' age and education reversely. Also, there was a relationship between their suicidal thoughts and residence in the cities. High rate of aggressive obsessions and lack of relationship between severity of aggression and presence of OCD indicated that these patients did not act on these thoughts. The risk of suicide was more serious in patients living in the cities, and risk of violence was more serious in younger and less educated patients.

Flux control exerted by overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase over palmitoyl-CoA oxidation and ketogenesis is lower in suckling than in adult rats.

PubMed Central

Krauss, S; Lascelles, C V; Zammit, V A; Quant, P A

1996-01-01

We examined the potential of overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT I) to control the hepatic catabolism of palmitoyl-CoA in suckling and adult rats, using a conceptually simplified model of fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. By applying top-down control analysis, we quantified the control exerted by CPT I over total carbon flux from palmitoyl-CoA to ketone bodies and carbon dioxide. Our results show that in both suckling and adult rat, CPT I exerts very significant control over the pathways under investigation. However, under the sets of conditions we studied, less control is exerted by CPT I over total carbon flux in mitochondria isolated from suckling rats than in those isolated from adult rats. Furthermore the flux control coefficient of CPT I changes with malonyl-CoA concentration and ATP turnover rate. PMID:8912677

Peer Status in Boys With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Predictions from Overt and Covert Antisocial Behavior, Social Isolation, and Authoritative Parenting Beliefs.

PubMed

Hinshaw, Stephen P; Zupan, Brian A; Simmel, Cassandra; Nigg, Joel T; Melnick, Sharon

1997-10-01

Because of the centrality of peer relationship difficulties for children with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we investigated behavioral (overt and covert antisocial activity), internalizing (self-reports and observed social isolation), and familial (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting beliefs) predictors of peer sociometric nominations among previously unfamiliar, ethnically diverse ADHD (N=73) and comparison (N=60) boys, aged 6-12 years. Authoritative maternal parenting beliefs and negatively weighted social isolation explained significant variance in positive peer regard; aggression, covert behavior, and authoritative parenting beliefs were the independent predictors of both negative peer status and peer social preference. We extended such predictions with statistical control of (1) child cognitive variables, (2) maternal psychopathology, and (3) ADHD boys, but authoritative parenting beliefs were stronger predictors in ADHD than in comparison youth. We discuss family-peer linkages regarding peer competence.

A question of intention in motor imagery.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Cordova, Alberto; Lee, Sunghan

2009-03-01

We examined the question-is the intention of completing a simulated motor action the same as the intention used in processing overt actions? Participants used motor imagery to estimate distance reachability in two conditions: Imagery-Only (IO) and Imagery-Execution (IE). With IO (red target) only a verbal estimate using imagery was given. With IE (green target) participants knew that they would actually reach after giving a verbal estimate and be judged on accuracy. After measuring actual maximum reach, used for the comparison, imagery targets were randomly presented across peripersonal- (within reach) and extrapersonal (beyond reach) space. Results indicated no difference in overall accuracy by condition, however, there was a significant distinction by space; participants were more accurate in peripersonal space. Although more research is needed, these findings support an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the neurocognitive processes (in this case, intention) driving motor imagery and overt actions are similar.

Can Lactobacillus acidophilus improve minimal hepatic encephalopathy? A neurometabolite study using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ziada, Dina H; Soliman, Hanan H; El Yamany, Saher A; Hamisa, Manal F; Hasan, Azza M

2013-09-01

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is diagnosed when hepatic patients perform worse on psychometric tests compared to healthy controls. This study aimed to evaluate probiotics as alternative therapy in MHE. This is an open-label randomised controlled trial, performed in the Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tanta University Hospitals, from March 2010 to January 2012. A total of 90 patients with MHE were allocated by simple randomisation to three parallel equal groups. Group A received lactulose, group B a probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus) and group C served as the control. After informed consent, patients were tested for gut micrecology, fasting blood ammonia, liver functions and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examination to study brain metabolites, mainly choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mI), glutamine+glutamate (Glx) and creatinin (Cre). Patients who developed overt encephalopathy were excluded from analysis. The whole battery of investigations was repeated in the same order after 4weeks. The probiotic was better tolerated than lactulose. The relative risk reduction (RRR) of developing overt encephalopathy was 60% in the case of lactulose and 80% in the case of probiotic, with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 2.4 and 2.3, respectively. The differential but not total microecology count was significantly shifted towards saccharolytic rather than proteolytic bacteria. The mI/Cre and (Cho+mI)/Glx ratios were significantly increased and the Glx/Cre ratio was significantly reduced after 1month-follow-up in the probiotic group compared to the lactulose group and in both treatment groups compared to the control group. Both probiotic and lactulose therapy can improve blood ammonia and psychometric tests in MHE and reduce the risk of developing overt encephalopathy. MRS showed more improvement in the levels of brain neurometabolites in the probiotic group. Copyright © 2013 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management of disseminated intravascular coagulation: a survey of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

PubMed

Di Nisio, Marcello; Thachil, Jecko; Squizzato, Alessandro

2015-08-01

It is not clear if and how international guidelines on the management of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are translated in routine clinical practice. A survey was conducted among different specialists who treat DIC. The survey examined six hypothetical case scenarios including the diagnosis of DIC, the treatment of non-overt and overt DIC with or without thrombosis, and the management of DIC patients at risk of bleeding or actively bleeding. There were 191 respondents and 73 returned complete questionnaires. Most of respondents were specialists in hematology (48%) or intensive care (30%). In suspected overt or non-overt DIC, only one third use formal diagnostic scores while two thirds rely on a broad panel of coagulation tests independently of any score. In non-overt DIC, 68% provide no treatment, but monitor laboratory tests. Monitoring was considered by 48% of respondents in overt DIC without thrombosis or bleeding. When a thrombotic or bleeding complication ensues, 29% consider intervening only if the event is major. In DIC patients judged at risk of bleeding, 67% use prophylactic transfusions, mostly fresh-frozen plasma (73%) and platelets (65%). Active bleeding is often managed with fresh-frozen plasma (83%) and platelet transfusions (68%) as first line and recombinant activated factor VII (31%) as second line treatment. This survey shows a largely heterogeneous approach of clinicians to the diagnosis and management of DIC. There is limited use of diagnostic scores despite guidelines' recommendations. The prevalent attitude seems monitoring DIC and limiting treatment to the underlying disease, unless thrombosis or bleeding develop, but modalities varied considerably. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Speech Repetition Rate on Neural Activation in Healthy Adults: Implications for Treatment of Aphasia and Other Fluency Disorders.

PubMed

Marchina, Sarah; Norton, Andrea; Kumar, Sandeep; Schlaug, Gottfried

2018-01-01

Functional imaging studies have provided insight into the effect of rate on production of syllables, pseudowords, and naturalistic speech, but the influence of rate on repetition of commonly-used words/phrases suitable for therapeutic use merits closer examination. Aim: To identify speech-motor regions responsive to rate and test the hypothesis that those regions would provide greater support as rates increase, we used an overt speech repetition task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to capture rate-modulated activation within speech-motor regions and determine whether modulations occur linearly and/or show hemispheric preference. Methods: Twelve healthy, right-handed adults participated in an fMRI task requiring overt repetition of commonly-used words/phrases at rates of 1, 2, and 3 syllables/second (syll./sec.). Results: Across all rates, bilateral activation was found both in ventral portions of primary sensorimotor cortex and middle and superior temporal regions. A repeated measures analysis of variance with pairwise comparisons revealed an overall difference between rates in temporal lobe regions of interest (ROIs) bilaterally ( p < 0.001); all six comparisons reached significance ( p < 0.05). Five of the six were highly significant ( p < 0.008), while the left-hemisphere 2- vs. 3-syll./sec. comparison, though still significant, was less robust ( p = 0.037). Temporal ROI mean beta-values increased linearly across the three rates bilaterally. Significant rate effects observed in the temporal lobes were slightly more pronounced in the right-hemisphere. No significant overall rate differences were seen in sensorimotor ROIs, nor was there a clear hemispheric effect. Conclusion: Linear effects in superior temporal ROIs suggest that sensory feedback corresponds directly to task demands. The lesser degree of significance in left-hemisphere activation at the faster, closer-to-normal rate may represent an increase in neural efficiency (and therefore, decreased demand) when the task so closely approximates a highly-practiced function. The presence of significant bilateral activation during overt repetition of words/phrases at all three rates suggests that repetition-based speech production may draw support from either or both hemispheres. This bihemispheric redundancy in regions associated with speech-motor control and their sensitivity to changes in rate may play an important role in interventions for nonfluent aphasia and other fluency disorders, particularly when right-hemisphere structures are the sole remaining pathway for production of meaningful speech.

75 FR 53586 - Bifenazate; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-01

... characterized and were seen at dose(s) that produce evidence of overt systemic toxicity. These effects included... system, and these findings may be due to secondary effect of overt systemic toxicity. Further, there is... Adequate enforcement methodology is available to enforce the tolerance expression. High-performance liquid...

Overt and Subtle Racial Discrimination and Mental Health: Preliminary Findings for Korean Immigrants

PubMed Central

Noh, Samuel; Kaspar, Violet; Wickrama, K.A.S.

2007-01-01

Objectives. We examined differential effects of overt and subtle forms of racial discrimination on 2 dimensions of mental health—positive affect and depressive symptoms, and explored the mediating roles of emotional arousal and cognitive appraisal. Methods. Cross-sectional survey data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a sample (N=180) of adult Korean immigrants living in Toronto, Ontario. Maximum likelihood estimates of path coefficients were obtained using structural equation models. Results. Perceived racial discrimination was associated with both the erosion of positive affect and depressive symptoms. Overt discrimination was associated with the erosion of positive affect, and subtle discrimination was associated with depressive symptoms. Effects of subtle discrimination on depressive symptoms were mediated through cognitive appraisal. Conclusions. The results emphasize the salience of subtle discrimination for the mental health of Asian immigrants. Experiences of overt racial bias seemed to be of little importance for the levels of depressive symptoms among those in our sample, although the experience of blatant discrimination tended to reduce positive mood. PMID:17538066

(C)overt attention and visual speller design in an ERP-based brain-computer interface.

PubMed

Treder, Matthias S; Blankertz, Benjamin

2010-05-28

In a visual oddball paradigm, attention to an event usually modulates the event-related potential (ERP). An ERP-based brain-computer interface (BCI) exploits this neural mechanism for communication. Hitherto, it was unclear to what extent the accuracy of such a BCI requires eye movements (overt attention) or whether it is also feasible for targets in the visual periphery (covert attention). Also unclear was how the visual design of the BCI can be improved to meet peculiarities of peripheral vision such as low spatial acuity and crowding. Healthy participants (N = 13) performed a copy-spelling task wherein they had to count target intensifications. EEG and eye movements were recorded concurrently. First, (c)overt attention was investigated by way of a target fixation condition and a central fixation condition. In the latter, participants had to fixate a dot in the center of the screen and allocate their attention to a target in the visual periphery. Second, the effect of visual speller layout was investigated by comparing the symbol Matrix to an ERP-based Hex-o-Spell, a two-levels speller consisting of six discs arranged on an invisible hexagon. We assessed counting errors, ERP amplitudes, and offline classification performance. There is an advantage (i.e., less errors, larger ERP amplitude modulation, better classification) of overt attention over covert attention, and there is also an advantage of the Hex-o-Spell over the Matrix. Using overt attention, P1, N1, P2, N2, and P3 components are enhanced by attention. Using covert attention, only N2 and P3 are enhanced for both spellers, and N1 and P2 are modulated when using the Hex-o-Spell but not when using the Matrix. Consequently, classifiers rely mainly on early evoked potentials in overt attention and on later cognitive components in covert attention. Both overt and covert attention can be used to drive an ERP-based BCI, but performance is markedly lower for covert attention. The Hex-o-Spell outperforms the Matrix, especially when eye movements are not permitted, illustrating that performance can be increased if one accounts for peculiarities of peripheral vision.

(C)overt attention and visual speller design in an ERP-based brain-computer interface

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In a visual oddball paradigm, attention to an event usually modulates the event-related potential (ERP). An ERP-based brain-computer interface (BCI) exploits this neural mechanism for communication. Hitherto, it was unclear to what extent the accuracy of such a BCI requires eye movements (overt attention) or whether it is also feasible for targets in the visual periphery (covert attention). Also unclear was how the visual design of the BCI can be improved to meet peculiarities of peripheral vision such as low spatial acuity and crowding. Method Healthy participants (N = 13) performed a copy-spelling task wherein they had to count target intensifications. EEG and eye movements were recorded concurrently. First, (c)overt attention was investigated by way of a target fixation condition and a central fixation condition. In the latter, participants had to fixate a dot in the center of the screen and allocate their attention to a target in the visual periphery. Second, the effect of visual speller layout was investigated by comparing the symbol Matrix to an ERP-based Hex-o-Spell, a two-levels speller consisting of six discs arranged on an invisible hexagon. Results We assessed counting errors, ERP amplitudes, and offline classification performance. There is an advantage (i.e., less errors, larger ERP amplitude modulation, better classification) of overt attention over covert attention, and there is also an advantage of the Hex-o-Spell over the Matrix. Using overt attention, P1, N1, P2, N2, and P3 components are enhanced by attention. Using covert attention, only N2 and P3 are enhanced for both spellers, and N1 and P2 are modulated when using the Hex-o-Spell but not when using the Matrix. Consequently, classifiers rely mainly on early evoked potentials in overt attention and on later cognitive components in covert attention. Conclusions Both overt and covert attention can be used to drive an ERP-based BCI, but performance is markedly lower for covert attention. The Hex-o-Spell outperforms the Matrix, especially when eye movements are not permitted, illustrating that performance can be increased if one accounts for peculiarities of peripheral vision. PMID:20509913

Chronic asymptomatic pyuria precedes overt urinary tract infection and deterioration of renal function in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs in 30%-50% of individuals with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). However, the clinical relevance of asymptomatic pyuria in ADPKD patients remains unknown. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 256 ADPKD patients who registered to the ADPKD clinic at Seoul National University Hospital from Aug 1999 to Aug 2010. We defined the asymptomatic pyuria as more than 5-9 white blood cells in high-power field with no related symptoms or signs of overt UTI. Patients were categorized into 2 groups depending on its duration and frequency: Group A included non-pyuria and transient pyuria patients; Group B included recurrent and persistent pyuria patients. The association between asymptomatic pyuria and both the development of overt UTI and the deterioration of renal function were examined. Results With a mean follow-up duration of 65.3 months, 176 (68.8%) out of 256 patients experienced 681 episodes of asymptomatic pyuria and 50 episodes of UTI. The annual incidence of asymptomatic pyuria was 0.492 episodes/patient/year. The patients in group B showed female predominance (58.5% vs. 42.0%, P=0.01) and experienced an upper UTI more frequently (hazard ratio: 4.612, 95% confidence interval: 1.735-12.258; P=0.002, adjusted for gender and hypertension). The annual change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (ΔeGFR) was significantly larger in magnitude in group B than in group A (-2.7±4.56 vs. -1.17±5.8, respectively; P=0.01). Age and Group B found to be the independent variables for ΔeGFR and developing end-stage renal disease (16.0% vs. 4.3%, respectively; P=0.001). Conclusions Chronic asymptomatic pyuria may increase the risk of developing overt UTI and may contribute to declining renal function in ADPKD. PMID:23295127

Transient elastographic evaluation in adult subjects without overt liver disease: influence of alanine aminotransferase levels.

PubMed

Kumar, Manoj; Sharma, Praveen; Garg, Hitendra; Kumar, Ramesh; Bhatia, Vikram; Sarin, Shiv K

2011-08-01

  Studies on normal values of liver stiffness (LS) in subjects at "low risk" for liver disease are scant. The aim of the present study was to assess liver stiffness values in the subjects without overt liver disease with normal alanine aminotransferases (ALT) and to determine potential factors, which may influence these values with special reference to newly suggested updated upper limits of normal for ALT.   Liver stiffness measurements were performed in 445 subjects without overt liver disease (mean age, 41.1±13.6; male, 73.5%) and normal liver enzymes.   Mean LS value was 5.10±1.19kPa. LS values were higher in men than in women (5.18±1.67 vs 4.86±1.24kPa, respectively, P=0.008); in subjects with higher body mass index (BMI) category (Normal, overweight and obese subjects; 4.10±0.75, 5.08±0.66, and 6.05±1.28kPa, respectively; P<0.001); in subjects with metabolic syndrome than in those without (5.63±1.37 vs 5.01±1.14kPa, P=0.001); and in subjects with ALT levels more than updated limits of normal compared to subjects with ALT levels less than updated limits of normal (5.68±1.21 vs 4.77±1.05kPa, P<0.001). On multiple linear regression, BMI and ALT was found to be significant predictor of LS.   Liver stiffness values in subjects without overt liver disease with normal ALT are influenced by BMI and ALT levels. Subjects with ALT levels less than updated limits of normal have lower LS values as compared to those with higher levels. © 2011 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

[Cardiac myopathy due to overt hypothyroidism].

PubMed

Harbeck, B; Berndt, M J; Lehnert, H

2014-03-01

A 51-year-old man presented with progressive tiredness, proximal muscle weakness, hair loss and weight gain for months. The patient showed mild pretibial myxedema and dry skin. Laboratory findings revealed strongly elevated cardiac enzymes as well as marked hypothyroidism. The electrocardiogram, echocardiography, abdominal sonography and chest X-ray were unremarkable. Thyroid ultrasound demonstrated features of Hashimoto thyroiditis. The findings supported the diagnosis of an overt hypothyroidism with myxedema and rhabdomyolysis. After starting levothyroxine and volume substitution laboratory parameters and clinical condition slowly normalized. Severe overt hypothyroidism may rarely present primarily as myopathy with myositis and cardiac involvement. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Characterizing the spatio-temporal dynamics of the neural events occurring prior to and up to overt recognition of famous faces.

PubMed

Jemel, Boutheina; Schuller, Anne-Marie; Goffaux, Valérie

2010-10-01

Although it is generally acknowledged that familiar face recognition is fast, mandatory, and proceeds outside conscious control, it is still unclear whether processes leading to familiar face recognition occur in a linear (i.e., gradual) or a nonlinear (i.e., all-or-none) manner. To test these two alternative accounts, we recorded scalp ERPs while participants indicated whether they recognize as familiar the faces of famous and unfamiliar persons gradually revealed in a descending sequence of frames, from the noisier to the least noisy. This presentation procedure allowed us to characterize the changes in scalp ERP responses occurring prior to and up to overt recognition. Our main finding is that gradual and all-or-none processes are possibly involved during overt recognition of familiar faces. Although the N170 and the N250 face-sensitive responses displayed an abrupt activity change at the moment of overt recognition of famous faces, later ERPs encompassing the N400 and late positive component exhibited an incremental increase in amplitude as the point of recognition approached. In addition, famous faces that were not overtly recognized at one trial before recognition elicited larger ERP potentials than unfamiliar faces, probably reflecting a covert recognition process. Overall, these findings present evidence that recognition of familiar faces implicates spatio-temporally complex neural processes exhibiting differential pattern activity changes as a function of recognition state.

Characteristics of anemia in subclinical and overt hypothyroid patients.

PubMed

Erdogan, Mehmet; Mehmet, Erdogan; Kösenli, Aybike; Aybike, Kosenli; Ganidagli, Sencer; Kulaksizoglu, Mustafa; Mustafa, Kulaksizoglu

2012-01-01

Thyroid hormones stimulate directly or indirectly growth of erythroid colonies through erythropoietin. Anemia is often the first sign of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause a wide variety of anemic disorders. Numerous mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of these anemias that can be microcytic, macrocytic and normocytic. We designed this study to investigate the anemia frequency and if present, etiology of anemia in hypothyroid patients. 100 patients with overt hypothyroid, 100 patients with subclinical hypothyroid, and 200 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Overt hypothyroidism diagnosis is done when elevated TSH and low levels of free T4 and/or free T3 have been observed. Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as elevated serum TSH with normal free T(4) and free T(3) levels. Peripheral smears of the anemic patients were examined. Anemia prevalence was 43% in the overt hypothyroid group, 39% in the subclinical hypothyroid group, and 26% in the control group (p=0.0003 and p=0.021 respectively related to controls). Thus, the frequency of anemia in subclinical hypothyroidism is as high as that in overt hypothyroidism. There was no difference between the hypothyroid groups in terms of anemia. Vitamin B12, Fe, and folic acid were similar between these groups. According to our findings, anemia of chronic disease is the most common type of anemia in hypothyroid patients. Suspicion of hypothyroidism should be considered in anemias with uncertain etiology.

Hookworm Infection: A Neglected Cause of Overt Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

PubMed

Wei, Kun-Yan; Yan, Qiong; Tang, Bo; Yang, Shi-Ming; Zhang, Peng-Bing; Deng, Ming-Ming; Lü, Mu-Han

2017-08-01

Hookworm infections are widely prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in low income regions. In the body, hookworms parasitize the proximal small intestine, leading to chronic intestinal hemorrhage and iron deficiency anemia. Occasionally, hookworms can cause overt gastrointestinal bleeding, but this is often ignored in heavily burdened individuals from endemic infectious areas. A total of 424 patients with overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding were diagnosed by numerous blood tests or stool examinations as well as esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, capsule endoscopy or double-balloon enteroscopy. All of the patients lived in hookworm endemic areas and were not screened for hookworm infection using sensitive tests before the final diagnosis. The patients recovered after albendazole treatment, blood transfusion, and iron replacement, and none of the patients experienced recurrent bleeding in the follow-up. All the 31 patients were diagnosed with hookworm infections without other concomitant bleeding lesions, a rate of 7.3% (31/424). Seventeen out of 227 patients were diagnosed with hookworm infections in the capsule endoscopy (CE), and 14 out of 197 patients were diagnosed with hookworm infections in the double balloon enteroscopy (DBE). Hookworm infections can cause overt gastrointestinal bleeding and should be screened in patients with overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) in endemic infectious areas with sensitive methods. Specifically, the examination of stool specimens is clinically warranted for most patients, and the proper examination for stool eggs relies on staff's communication.

Digital Gender Divides and E-Empowerment in the UAE: A Critical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben Moussa, Mohamed; Seraphim, Joanna

2017-01-01

The phenomenal diffusion and adoption of ICTs in the UAE is widely viewed as a game changer in the country's struggle to address continuous significant gender gaps in the country. The small body of research on this topic has been, however, inconclusive, overtly optimistic, and insufficiently theorized. Addressing these lacuna, the article uses a…

A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of Memorial Development during Early Grade School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunzinger, Edward L., III

1985-01-01

Overt rehearsal and free recall performance was analyzed longitudinally in two experimental testing sessions at 7 and later at 9 years of age. Measures of short- and long-term memory recall, and two measures of input processing were obtained. Significant increases between age levels were exhibited by all variables except short-term memory.…

The 2015 European Thyroid Association Guidelines on Diagnosis and Treatment of Endogenous Subclinical Hyperthyroidism

PubMed Central

Biondi, Bernadette; Bartalena, Luigi; Cooper, David S.; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Laurberg, Peter; Kahaly, George J.

2015-01-01

Endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper) is caused by Graves' disease, autonomously functioning thyroid nodules and multinodular goitre. Its diagnosis is based on a persistently subnormal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level with free thyroid hormone levels within their respective reference intervals. In 2014 the European Thyroid Association Executive Committee, given the controversies regarding the treatment of Endo SHyper, formed a task force to develop clinical practice guidelines based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. The task force recognized that recent meta-analyses, including those based on large prospective cohort studies, indicate that SHyper is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease mortality, incident atrial fibrillation, heart failure, fractures and excess mortality in patients with serum TSH levels <0.1 mIU/l (grade 2 SHyper). Therefore, despite the absence of randomized prospective trials, there is evidence that treatment is indicated in patients older than 65 years with grade 2 SHyper to potentially avoid these serious cardiovascular events, fractures and the risk of progression to overt hyperthyroidism. Treatment could be considered in patients older than 65 years with TSH levels 0.1-0.39 mIU/l (grade 1 SHyper) because of their increased risk of atrial fibrillation, and might also be reasonable in younger (<65 years) symptomatic patients with grade 2 SHyper because of the risk of progression, especially in the presence of symptoms and/or underlying risk factors or co-morbidity. Finally, the task force concluded that there are no data to support treating SHyper in younger asymptomatic patients with grade 1 SHyper. These patients should be followed without treatment due to the low risk of progression to overt hyperthyroidism and the weaker evidence for adverse health outcomes. PMID:26558232

Pronouns in Catalan: Information, Discourse and Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayol, Laia

2009-01-01

This thesis investigates the variation between null and overt pronouns in subject position in Catalan, a null subject language. I argue that null and overt subject pronouns are two resources that speakers efficiently deploy to signal their intended interpretation regarding antecedent choice or semantic meaning, and that communicative agents…

Parenting Practices and the Early Socialisation of Relational Aggression among Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Sara E.; Boxer, Paul

2010-01-01

The present study examines parents' responses to their young children's relationally aggressive behaviour and compares these with the responses regarding children's overtly aggressive behaviour. Parents' beliefs about discipline strategies for addressing relational versus overt aggression at home and at school are also examined. Additionally,…

Do Null Subjects (Mis-)Trigger Pro-Drop Grammars?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frazier, Lyn

2015-01-01

Native speakers of English regularly hear sentences without overt subjects. Nevertheless, they maintain a [[superscript -]pro] grammar that requires sentences to have an overt subject. It is proposed that listeners of English recognize that speakers reduce predictable material and thus attribute null subjects to this process, rather than changing…

"I Felt It Tear Flesh": Violent Comics and Social Cognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirsh, Steven J.; Olczak, Paul V.

This study investigated the effects of reading extremely violent versus nonviolent comic books on 249 introductory psychology students' interpretations of overt and relational provocation situations. After reading their assigned comic books, participants read hypothetical stories in which an overt or relational aggression occurred, but the intent…

People and Planned Change/Manipulation versus Modification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Bob; Dormant, Diane

1979-01-01

Presents excerpts from a workshop (on change agentry) participant's letter in which he disagrees with equating "covert,""overt," and "infiltrate" with the unethical manipulation of people. He defines covert and overt methods of influencing decision makers and identifies methods that could be borrowed from other areas to broaden options. (Author/JD)

A Link between Mothers' Disciplinary Strategies and Children's Relational Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandstrom, Marlene J.

2007-01-01

This study examines the association between maternal disciplinary strategies and children's level of relational aggression, and then compares these associations with those found with overt aggression. Eighty-two 4th graders (aged 9-11 years) completed peer nomination measures of relational and overt aggression, and their mothers completed a…

Emotion Understanding and Reconciliation in Overt and Relational Conflict Scenarios among Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Zongqing; Li, Yan; Su, Yanjie

2014-01-01

This study examined emotion understanding and reconciliation in 47 (24 girls) 4-6-year-old preschool children. Participants first completed emotion recognition tasks and then answered questions regarding reconciliation tendencies and affective perspective-taking in a series of overt and relational aggressive conflict scenarios. Children's teachers…

Young Children's Trust in Overtly Misleading Advice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyman, Gail D.; Sritanyaratana, Lalida; Vanderbilt, Kimberly E.

2013-01-01

The ability of 3- and 4-year-old children to disregard advice from an overtly misleading informant was investigated across five studies (total "n" =212). Previous studies have documented limitations in young children's ability to reject misleading advice. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that these limitations are primarily…

Predicting Overt and Covert Antisocial Behaviors: Parents, Peers, and Homelessness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompsett, Carolyn J.; Toro, Paul A.

2010-01-01

Parental deviance, parental monitoring, and deviant peers were examined as predictors of overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Homeless (N=231) and housed (N=143) adolescents were assessed in adolescence and again in early adulthood. Homelessness predicted both types of antisocial behaviors, and effects persisted in young adulthood. Parental…

The fibrinogen/CRP ratio as a new parameter for the diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with HELLP syndrome and as a predictive factor for neonatal outcome.

PubMed

Windsperger, Karin; Lehner, Rainer

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine if the fibrinogen/C-reactive protein (CRP) ratio could be used in obstetrics as a predictor for a disseminated intravascular coagulation. One hundred eleven patients with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome at the Department of Obstetrics and Fetomaternal Medicine (General Hospital, Vienna, Austria) were selected and divided into 2 groups (overt disseminated intravascular coagulation, no overt disseminated intravascular coagulation). The classical parameters and the fibrinogen/CRP ratio were compared. The analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS statistical package (SPSS, Inc, Cary, NC). The fibrinogen/CRP ratio showed significant differences. The receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed for the ratio (area under the curve, 0.74) significantly better discriminative power than for fibrinogen (area under curve, 0.59). The odds ratio for the fibrinogen/CRP ratio was 7.04. Finally, significant correlations between the ratio and the neonatal outcome were found. We suggest the implementation of the fibrinogen/CRP ratio within patients with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome as a diagnostic and prognostic factor for the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Familial Correlates of Overt and Relational Aggression between Young Adolescent Siblings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Jeong Jin; Gamble, Wendy C.

2008-01-01

Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to test correlates of overt and relational aggression between young adolescent siblings across four groups (i.e., male/male, male/female, female/male, and female/female sibling pairs), using 433 predominately European American families. Similar patterns…

Mothers' Parenting and Young Economically Disadvantaged Children's Relational and Overt Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtner-Smith, Mary E.; Culp, Anne M.; Culp, Rex; Scheib, Carrie; Owen, Kelly; Tilley, Angela; Murphy, Molly; Parkman, Lauren; Coleman, Peter W.

2006-01-01

We examined links between mothers' parenting and children's relational bullying and overt bullying in a sample of children attending a Head Start program. Mothers completed surveys and face-to-face interviews. Head Start teachers completed assessments on children. Results indicated that a small percentage of children in the sample was rated by…

Covert and Overt Dependence in Suicidal Women and Their Male Partners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canetto, Silvia Sara; Feldman, Larry B.

1993-01-01

Explored covert mental representations and interactional context of dependence in suicidal women (n=19) and their nonsuicidal male partners. Suicidal women and their partners were similar in terms of covert dependence and different with regard to overt behavior. Male partners tended to foster dependence in suicidal women. Most suicidal women did…

The Effect of Overtly Categorizing Music on Preference for Popular Music Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brittin, Ruth V.

1991-01-01

Presents results of a study that explored the effect of overt categorization on musical preference. Found no difference in choices of nonmusic majors when choices were structured as stipulated, unstipulated, or free form categories. Finds musical experience and gender affected preferences for pop and jazz, but not for rock music. (DK)

Culture Writ Electronic: Themes in Television Advertising.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheney, Michael R.

A content analysis was made of the advertisements broadcast during a half-hour of prime-time television, in an effort to discern the overt (obvious) and covert (underlying) themes present in television advertising. The analysis revealed an overt theme of a world view of individual determination, initiative, self-confidence and self-reliance, and…

Navigating the Complexities at an LGTTQQI-Identified Charter School: An Ethnography of C/Overt Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, Kristopher M.; Luke, Melissa

2016-01-01

The authors describe ethnographic research exploring the experiences of school stakeholders at a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQQI)-identified charter school. Participants evidenced use of an overt and covert narrative that appeared to reflect how they navigated the complexities at the…

Differential Prefrontal and Frontotemporal Oxygenation Patterns during Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tupak, Sara V.; Badewien, Meike; Dresler, Thomas; Hahn, Tim; Ernst, Lena H.; Herrmann, Martin J.; Fallgatter, Andreas J.; Ehlis, Ann-Christine

2012-01-01

Movement artifacts are still considered a problematic issue for imaging research on overt language production. This motion-sensitivity can be overcome by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In the present study, 50 healthy subjects performed a combined phonemic and semantic overt verbal fluency task while frontal and temporal cortex…

Relational and Overt Victimization in Middle and High Schools: Associations with Self-Reported Suicidality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dempsey, Allison G.; Haden, Sara C.; Goldman, Jennifer; Sivinski, Jennifer; Wiens, Brenda A.

2011-01-01

Overt and relational victimization are associated with psychosocial adjustment problems, though there is a dearth of research to establish the relation between types of victimization and suicidality among middle and high school students. To further understand this association, the current study sought to differentially establish relations between…

School Censorship: It Comes in a Variety of Forms, Not All Overt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinson, David L.

2008-01-01

Publicity concerning school censorship too often centers on the clumsy, heavy-handed, and overt efforts of school administrators or other impact parties to control student speech or publications. In this article, the author contends that such obvious and oftentimes inept attempts at controlling student communication represent only the tip of the…

On Distinguishing Competence from Performance in Studies of Human Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Robert E.

Given that overt linguistic behavior is not an adequate or primary datum for linguistic theory and that linguistic theory cannot directly account for overt linguistic behavior, human language can be seen as an abstract system that relates (graphic or phonetic) surface representations of sentences and underlying grammatical forms and semantic…

Resolving social conflict among females without overt aggression.

PubMed

Cant, Michael A; Young, Andrew J

2013-01-01

Members of animal societies compete over resources and reproduction, but the extent to which such conflicts of interest are resolved peacefully (without recourse to costly or wasteful acts of aggression) varies widely. Here, we describe two theoretical mechanisms that can help to understand variation in the incidence of overt behavioural conflict: (i) destruction competition and (ii) the use of threats. The two mechanisms make different assumptions about the degree to which competitors are socially sensitive (responsive to real-time changes in the behaviour of their social partners). In each case, we discuss how the model assumptions relate to biological reality and highlight the genetic, ecological and informational factors that are likely to promote peaceful conflict resolution, drawing on empirical examples. We suggest that, relative to males, reproductive conflict among females may be more frequently resolved peacefully through threats of punishment, rather than overt acts of punishment, because (i) offspring are more costly to produce for females and (ii) reproduction is more difficult to conceal. The main need now is for empirical work to test whether the mechanisms described here can indeed explain how social conflict can be resolved without overt aggression.

The Value of Ultrasound Monitoring of Adnexal Masses for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Suh-Burgmann, Elizabeth; Kinney, Walter

2016-01-01

Although ultrasound has so far been found to be ineffective as a screening tool for ovarian cancer, it is commonly used as a means of evaluating or following ovarian or adnexal masses once they are detected. We review the use of serial ultrasound for the management of adnexal masses and propose an approach to monitoring based on an understanding of the overall risk of cancer among the population in question and an assessment of how the potential benefit of monitoring compares with potential risk. In our approach, masses that are symptomatic, large (>10 cm), associated with an elevated CA 125 level or overt signs of malignancy, or that are determined to have a worrisome appearance by stringent ultrasound criteria should be evaluated surgically. Women with masses that have none of these characteristics should be offered monitoring. Short-term initial ultrasound monitoring carries significant potential benefit in terms of aiding detection of early malignancy and avoidance of unnecessary surgery. However, if a mass remains stable but persistent, the potential benefit of ongoing monitoring wanes with time, whereas the potential harms, in terms of patient anxiety, cost, and the risk of incidental findings and unnecessary surgery increase. Therefore, monitoring of stable lesions should be limited in duration in order to limit potential harms from overtreatment and overdiagnosis. PMID:26904503

Persistent behavioral effects following early life exposure to retinoic acid or valproic acid in zebrafish

PubMed Central

Bailey, Jordan M.; Oliveri, Anthony N.; Karbhari, Nishika; Brooks, Roy A.J.; De La Rocha, Amberlene J.; Janardhan, Sheila; Levin, Edward D.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Moderate to severe dysregulation in retinoid signaling during early development is associated with a constellation of physical malformations and/or neural tube defects, including spina bifida. It is thought that more subtle dysregulation of this system, which might be achievable via dietary (i.e. hypervitaminosis A) or pharmacological (i.e. valproic acid) exposure in humans, will manifest on behavioral domains including sociability, without overt physical abnormalities. METHODS During early life, zebrafish were exposed to low doses of two chemicals that disrupt retinoid signaling. From 0-5 dpf, larvae were reared in aqueous solutions containing retinoic acid (0, 0.02, 0.2 or 2 nM) or valproic acid (0, 0.5, 5.0 or 50 uM). One cohort of zebrafish was assessed using a locomotor activity screen at 6-dpf; another was reared to adulthood and assessed using a neurobehavioral test battery (startle habituation, novel tank exploration, shoaling, and predator escape/avoidance). RESULTS There was no significant increase in the incidence of physical malformation among exposed fish compared to controls. Both retinoic acid and valproic acid exposures during development disrupted larval activity with persisting behavioral alterations later in life, primarily manifesting as decreased social affiliation. CONCLUSIONS Social behavior and some aspects of motor function were altered in exposed fish; the importance of examining emotional or psychological consequences of early life exposure to retinoid acting chemicals is discussed. PMID:26439099

An Upgrade on the Rabbit Model of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiomyopathy: Shorter Protocol, Reduced Mortality, and Higher Incidence of Overt Dilated Cardiomyopathy

PubMed Central

Talavera, Jesús; Fernández-Del-Palacio, María Josefa; García-Nicolás, Obdulio; Seva, Juan; Brooks, Gavin; Moraleda, Jose M.

2015-01-01

Current protocols of anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy in rabbits present with high premature mortality and nephrotoxicity, thus rendering them unsuitable for studies requiring long-term functional evaluation of myocardial function (e.g., stem cell therapy). We compared two previously described protocols to an in-house developed protocol in three groups: Group DOX2 received doxorubicin 2 mg/kg/week (8 weeks); Group DAU3 received daunorubicin 3 mg/kg/week (10 weeks); and Group DAU4 received daunorubicin 4 mg/kg/week (6 weeks). A cohort of rabbits received saline (control). Results of blood tests, cardiac troponin I, echocardiography, and histopathology were analysed. Whilst DOX2 and DAU3 rabbits showed high premature mortality (50% and 33%, resp.), DAU4 rabbits showed 7.6% premature mortality. None of DOX2 rabbits developed overt dilated cardiomyopathy; 66% of DAU3 rabbits developed overt dilated cardiomyopathy and quickly progressed to severe congestive heart failure. Interestingly, 92% of DAU4 rabbits showed overt dilated cardiomyopathy and 67% developed congestive heart failure exhibiting stable disease. DOX2 and DAU3 rabbits showed alterations of renal function, with DAU3 also exhibiting hepatic function compromise. Thus, a shortened protocol of anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy as in DAU4 group results in high incidence of overt dilated cardiomyopathy, which insidiously progressed to congestive heart failure, associated to reduced systemic compromise and very low premature mortality. PMID:26788502

Long-term effects of the trehalase inhibitor trehazolin on trehalase activity in locust flight muscle.

PubMed

Wegener, Gerhard; Macho, Claudia; Schlöder, Paul; Kamp, Günter; Ando, Osamu

2010-11-15

Trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28) hydrolyzes the main haemolymph sugar of insects, trehalose, into the essential cellular substrate glucose. Trehalase in locust flight muscle is bound to membranes that appear in the microsomal fraction upon tissue fractionation, but the exact location in vivo has remained elusive. Trehalase has been proposed to be regulated by a novel type of activity control that is based on the reversible transformation of a latent (inactive) form into an overt (active) form. Most trehalase activity from saline-injected controls was membrane-bound (95%) and comprised an overt form (∼25%) and a latent form (75%). Latent trehalase could be assayed only after the integrity of membranes had been destroyed. Trehazolin, a potent tight-binding inhibitor of trehalase, is confined to the extracellular space and has been used as a tool to gather information on the relationship between latent and overt trehalase. Trehazolin was injected into the haemolymph of locusts, and the trehalase activity of the flight muscle was determined at different times over a 30-day period. Total trehalase activity in locust flight muscle was markedly inhibited during the first half of the interval, but reappeared during the second half. Inhibition of the overt form preceded inhibition of the latent form, and the time course suggested a reversible precursor-product relation (cycling) between the two forms. The results support the working hypothesis that trehalase functions as an ectoenzyme, the activity of which is regulated by reversible transformation of latent into overt trehalase.

Effects of Method of Instruction and Frequency of Response on Criterion Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troost, Cornelius J.; Morris, Stanley

1971-01-01

Grade six students were taught Newton's Second Law of Motion by a linear program, a lecture, or a video-taped lecture, with three different response modes: written responses to all questions, to one-third of the questions, or to no questions. There was no significant difference between teaching method, but the higher the overt response rate, the…

Overt vs. covert speed cameras in combination with delayed vs. immediate feedback to the offender.

PubMed

Marciano, Hadas; Setter, Pe'erly; Norman, Joel

2015-06-01

Speeding is a major problem in road safety because it increases both the probability of accidents and the severity of injuries if an accident occurs. Speed cameras are one of the most common speed enforcement tools. Most of the speed cameras around the world are overt, but there is evidence that this can cause a "kangaroo effect" in driving patterns. One suggested alternative to prevent this kangaroo effect is the use of covert cameras. Another issue relevant to the effect of enforcement countermeasures on speeding is the timing of the fine. There is general agreement on the importance of the immediacy of the punishment, however, in the context of speed limit enforcement, implementing such immediate punishment is difficult. An immediate feedback that mediates the delay between the speed violation and getting a ticket is one possible solution. This study examines combinations of concealment and the timing of the fine in operating speed cameras in order to evaluate the most effective one in terms of enforcing speed limits. Using a driving simulator, the driving performance of the following four experimental groups was tested: (1) overt cameras with delayed feedback, (2) overt cameras with immediate feedback, (3) covert cameras with delayed feedback, and (4) covert cameras with immediate feedback. Each of the 58 participants drove in the same scenario on three different days. The results showed that both median speed and speed variance were higher with overt than with covert cameras. Moreover, implementing a covert camera system along with immediate feedback was more conducive to drivers maintaining steady speeds at the permitted levels from the very beginning. Finally, both 'overt cameras' groups exhibit a kangaroo effect throughout the entire experiment. It can be concluded that an implementation strategy consisting of covert speed cameras combined with immediate feedback to the offender is potentially an optimal way to motivate drivers to maintain speeds at the speed limit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peers' Perceptions of Gender Nonconformity: Associations with Overt and Relational Peer Victimization and Aggression in Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toomey, Russell B.; Card, Noel A.; Casper, Deborah M.

2014-01-01

The current study used reports from 318 early adolescents to examine the associations of peer-reported gender nonconformity with peer- and self-reported overt and relational victimization and aggression, and possible sex differences in these associations. Multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that higher levels of peer-reported…

Exploring the Repeated Name Penalty and the Overt Pronoun Penalty in Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelormini-Lezama, Carlos

2018-01-01

Anaphoric expressions such as repeated names, overt pronouns, and null pronouns serve a major role in the creation and maintenance of discourse coherence. The felicitous use of an anaphoric expression is highly dependent on the discourse salience of the entity introduced by the antecedent. Gordon et al. ("Cogn Sci" 17:311-347, 1993)…

Psychopharmacology and Aggression: II. A Meta-Analysis of Nonstimulant Medication Effects on Overt Aggression-Related Behaviors in Youth with SED.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, Daniel R.; Boone, R. Thomas; Steingard, Ronald J.; Lopez, Ivan D.; Melloni, Richard H., Jr.

2003-01-01

Meta-analysis of 33 studies examined effect size for nonstimulant medications on symptoms of overt aggression-related behaviors in children and adolescents with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances. Thirty-seven independent effects were found for neuroleptic, atypical antipsychotic, mood stabilizer, antidepressant, and adrenergic agents…

Overt and Null Subject Pronouns in Jordanian Arabic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Momani, Islam M.

2015-01-01

The paper aims at examining the role that morphology plays in allowing and/or motivating sentences in Jordanian Arabic (hereafter JA) to be formed with or without subject pronouns. It also aims at giving a comprehensive and descriptive presentation of the distribution of overt and null subject pronouns in JA, and tries to determine to what extent…

An fMRI Investigation of Covertly and Overtly Produced Mono- And Multisyllabic Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuster, Linda I.; Lemieux, Susan K.

2005-01-01

Studies suggest that the left insula may play an important role in speech motor programming. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the role of the left insula in the production of monosyllabic or multisyllabic words during overt and covert speech conditions. The left insula did not show a BOLD response for multisyllabic…

Relational and Overt Aggression in Urban India: Associations with Peer Relations and Best Friends' Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowker, Julie C.; Ostrov, Jamie M.; Raja, Radhi

2012-01-01

This study explored the associations between relational and overt aggression and social status, and tested whether the peer correlates of aggression vary as a function of best friends' aggression during early adolescence in urban India. One hundred and ninety-four young adolescents from primarily middle-to-upper-class families in Surat, India…

The Codevelopment of Sympathy and Overt Aggression from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuffianò, Antonio; Colasante, Tyler; Buchmann, Marlis; Malti, Tina

2018-01-01

We assessed the extent to which feelings of sympathy and aggressive behaviors codeveloped from 6 to 12 years of age in a representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1,273). Caregivers and teachers reported children's sympathy and overt aggression in 3-year intervals. Second-order latent curve models indicated general mean-level declines in…

Interpretation of Chinese Overt and Null Embedded Arguments by English-Speaking Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Lucy Xia

2012-01-01

It has been proposed that external interfaces are vulnerable to residue optionality, whereas pure syntax and internal interfaces are acquirable in second language (L2) acquisition (Sorace, 2005, 2011; Sorace and Filiaci, 2006). The proposal was tested in this article through the interpretation of overt and null embedded arguments in L2 Chinese…

Extraction of Overt Verbal Response from the Acoustic Noise in a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan by Use of Segmented Active Noise Cancellation

PubMed Central

Jung, Kwan-Jin; Prasad, Parikshit; Qin, Yulin; Anderson, John R.

2013-01-01

A method to extract the subject's overt verbal response from the obscuring acoustic noise in an fMRI scan is developed by applying active noise cancellation with a conventional MRI microphone. Since the EPI scanning and its accompanying acoustic noise in fMRI are repetitive, the acoustic noise in one time segment was used as a reference noise in suppressing the acoustic noise in subsequent segments. However, the acoustic noise from the scanner was affected by the subject's movements, so the reference noise was adaptively adjusted as the scanner's acoustic properties varied in time. This method was successfully applied to a cognitive fMRI experiment with overt verbal responses. PMID:15723385

Overt signs of toxicity to dogs and cats of dietary deoxynivalenol.

PubMed

Hughes, D M; Gahl, M J; Graham, C H; Grieb, S L

1999-03-01

Studies were conducted to determine the dietary amounts of deoxynivalenol (DON; vomitoxin) in dog and cat food that are required to produce overt signs of toxicity (e.g., vomiting or reduced food intake). Wheat naturally contaminated with 37 mg of DON/kg was used to manufacture pet foods containing 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg of DON/kg. Deoxynivalenol concentration in pet food following manufacture was unchanged, indicating that the toxin was stable during conventional extrusion processing. Dogs previously fed DON-contaminated food were able to preferentially select uncontaminated food. Dogs not previously exposed to DON-contaminated food consumed equal quantities of contaminated and uncontaminated food. There was no effect of 6 mg of DON/kg on dog food digestibility. Food intake of dogs was significantly reduced by DON concentrations greater than 4.5 +/- 1.7 mg/kg, and DON greater than 7.7 +/- 1.1 mg/kg reduced cat food intake. Vomiting by dogs and cats was commonly observed at the 8 and 10 mg DON levels.

Hepatitis B antigen and viral hepatitis type B in India*

PubMed Central

John, T. Jacob; Carman, Robert H.; Hill, Peter G.

1974-01-01

Surveys were conducted to determine the occurrence of overt hepatitis manifested by jaundice in groups of hospital patients who had survived their initial illness. Of those who had been given blood that had not been screened for the presence of hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag) 9.4% reported that they had had jaundice during the 6 months following transfusion. During a similar period jaundice was reported by only 1.1% of those who had received blood found to be negative for HB Ag by the cross-over electrophoresis test. This difference is highly significant. Jaundice was reported by 25.5% of recipients of HB Ag-positive blood. Of a control population of hospitalized but non-transfused patients 2.2% reported jaundice within 6 months of hospitalization. The risk of overt hepatitis from HB Ag in transfused blood is high in southern India and is similar to that in temperate countries where the occurrence of antigen carriers, and presumably of immune status, are lower than in the tropics. PMID:4549611

Prevalence of hypothyroidism during pregnancy in a highly specialised referral centre in Mexico.

PubMed

López-Muñoz, Eunice; Ibarra-Avalos, Jorge Antonio; Chan-Verdugo, Rosario Guadalupe; Mateos-Sánchez, Leovigildo; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Olivia

2016-11-01

In order to determine the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism, and isolated hypothyroxinemia during pregnancy, thyroid hormone reference values established by UMAE HGO4, IMSS in Mexico City and those suggested by the American Thyroid Association (ATA) were used. All pregnant patients, whose thyroid function was measured and whose pregnancy was monitored and resolved in UMAE HGO4, IMSS from 1 January to 31 December 2013, were included. Significant differences (p = .00419) were observed in the frequency of subclinical hypothyroidism, being higher when using ATA criteria (18.21% vs. 9.66%). The prevalence rate (UMAE HGO4 vs. ATA) for overt hypothyroidism was 1.11 vs. 1.63, for subclinical hypothyroidism 0.84 vs. 1.41 and for isolated hypothyroxinemia 3.17 vs. 2.79 per 1000 consults during the study period. Independently of prevalence rate, it is essential to provide information on the possible risks involved in pregnancy to all women of childbearing age at the time of hypothyroidism diagnosis.

Non-autoimmune primary hypothyroidism in diabetic and non-diabetic chronic renal dysfunction.

PubMed

Bando, Y; Ushiogi, Y; Okafuji, K; Toya, D; Tanaka, N; Miura, S

2002-11-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and mechanisms of hypothyroidism observed in diabetic patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy, including outcomes of management for this condition. A controlled study was designed using 32 diabetic and 31 non-diabetic patients not receiving hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) who excreted mean urinary protein greater than 0.5 g/day examined on three consecutive days during admission to our hospital. Thyroid hormones in both serum and urine, anti-thyroid antibodies, renal function and iodine concentrations in serum were measured during admission in all patients included. In particular, in patients who showed overt hypothyroidism, further studies including large-needle biopsies of the thyroid and iodine-perchlorate discharge tests were performed. All patients in the two groups revealed negative antithyroid antibody titers, and the mean serum total iodine levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. Mean serum FT4 levels significantly decreased, and the TSH level was significantly elevated in the diabetic group compared to those in the non-diabetic group (p < 0.005, p < 0.02, respectively). The frequency of overt hypothyroidism in the diabetic group (22%; 7/32) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that in the non-diabetic group (3.2%; 1/31). The daily urinary thyroid hormone excretion in both groups did not show any significant correlation with serum thyroid hormone levels. Seven patients who revealed overt hypothyroidism in the diabetic group showed elevated serum total iodine levels during hypothyroidal status, ranging between 177 and 561 microg/l. Also, the iodine-perchlorate discharge tests carried out in six of these patients all showed a positive discharge. After management based on iodine restriction, normalization of serum thyroid hormone levels in accordance with definite decreases in the serum total iodine level was achieved, accompanied by a significant weight reduction. In conclusion, we found a significantly high prevalence of non-autoimmune primary hypothyroidism in patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy compared to those with non-diabetic chronic renal dysfunction, which may partly relate to earlier development of oedematous status. Clinical and laboratory findings suggest that impaired renal handling of iodine resulting in an elevation of serum iodine levels, rather than autoimmune mechanism or urinary hormone loss, may play a principal role in the development of these conditions, probably through a prolongation of the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. The mechanisms by which this phenomenon develops more frequently in diabetic than in non-diabetic renal dysfunction remain to be elucidated.

Overt and covert attention to location-based reward.

PubMed

McCoy, Brónagh; Theeuwes, Jan

2018-01-01

Recent research on the impact of location-based reward on attentional orienting has indicated that reward factors play an influential role in spatial priority maps. The current study investigated whether and how reward associations based on spatial location translate from overt eye movements to covert attention. If reward associations can be tied to locations in space, and if overt and covert attention rely on similar overlapping neuronal populations, then both overt and covert attentional measures should display similar spatial-based reward learning. Our results suggest that location- and reward-based changes in one attentional domain do not lead to similar changes in the other. Specifically, although we found similar improvements at differentially rewarded locations during overt attentional learning, this translated to the least improvement at a highly rewarded location during covert attention. We interpret this as the result of an increased motivational link between the high reward location and the trained eye movement response acquired during learning, leading to a relative slowing during covert attention when the eyes remained fixated and the saccade response was suppressed. In a second experiment participants were not required to keep fixated during the covert attention task and we no longer observed relative slowing at the high reward location. Furthermore, the second experiment revealed no covert spatial priority of rewarded locations. We conclude that the transfer of location-based reward associations is intimately linked with the reward-modulated motor response employed during learning, and alternative attentional and task contexts may interfere with learned spatial priorities. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The association between discrimination and health: findings on Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin populations in Finland.

PubMed

Rask, Shadia; Elo, Irma T; Koskinen, Seppo; Lilja, Eero; Koponen, Päivikki; Castaneda, Anu E

2018-06-06

The Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey recently demonstrated widespread discrimination across EU countries, with high discrimination rates observed in countries like Finland. Discrimination is known to negatively impact health, but fewer studies have examined how different types of perceived discrimination are related to health. This study examines (i) the prevalence of different types of perceived discrimination among Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin populations in Finland, and (ii) the association between different types of perceived discrimination (no experiences; subtle discrimination only; overt or subtle and overt discrimination) and health (self-rated health; limiting long-term illness (LLTI) or disability; mental health symptoms). Data are from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (n = 1795). Subtle discrimination implies reporting being treated with less courtesy and/or treated with less respect than others, and overt discrimination being called names or insulted and/or threatened or harassed. The prevalence of discrimination and the associations between discrimination and health were calculated with predicted margins and logistic regression. Experiences of subtle discrimination were more common than overt discrimination in all the studied groups. Subtle discrimination was reported by 29% of Somali origin persons and 35% Russian and Kurdish origin persons. The prevalence of overt discrimination ranged between 22% and 24%. Experiences of discrimination increased the odds for poor self-reported health, LLTI and mental health symptoms, particularly among those reporting subtle discrimination only. To promote the health of diverse populations, actions against racism and discrimination are highly needed, including initiatives that promote shared belonging.

Somatosensory attention identifies both overt and covert awareness in disorders of consciousness.

PubMed

Gibson, Raechelle M; Chennu, Srivas; Fernández-Espejo, Davinia; Naci, Lorina; Owen, Adrian M; Cruse, Damian

2016-09-01

Some patients diagnosed with disorders of consciousness retain sensory and cognitive abilities beyond those apparent from their overt behavior. Characterizing these covert abilities is crucial for diagnosis, prognosis, and medical ethics. This multimodal study investigates the relationship between electroencephalographic evidence for perceptual/cognitive preservation and both overt and covert markers of awareness. Fourteen patients with severe brain injuries were evaluated with an electroencephalographic vibrotactile attention task designed to identify a hierarchy of residual somatosensory and cognitive abilities: (1) somatosensory steady-state evoked responses, (2) bottom-up attention orienting (P3a event-related potential), and (3) top-down attention (P3b event-related potential). Each patient was also assessed with a clinical behavioral scale and 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging assessments of covert command following. Six patients produced only sensory responses, with no evidence of cognitive event-related potentials. A further 8 patients demonstrated reliable bottom-up attention-orienting responses (P3a). No patient showed evidence of top-down attention (P3b). Only those patients who followed commands, whether overtly with behavior or covertly with functional neuroimaging, also demonstrated event-related potential evidence of attentional orienting. Somatosensory attention-orienting event-related potentials differentiated patients who could follow commands from those who could not. Crucially, this differentiation was irrespective of whether command following was evident through overt external behavior, or through covert functional neuroimaging methods. Bedside electroencephalographic methods may corroborate more expensive and challenging methods such as functional neuroimaging, and thereby assist in the accurate diagnosis of awareness. Ann Neurol 2016;80:412-423. © 2016 American Neurological Association.

Prospective Observation of 5-Year Clinical Course of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Korean Population

PubMed Central

Park, Woo Ri; Oh, Tae Keun

2013-01-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common clinical condition, whereas it's natural course has not been identified distinctly. We evaluated the natural history of 169 SCH patients over 5-yr and the prognostic factors including thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid ultrasonographic (USG) findings related to develop overt hypothyroidism. After 5 yr, 47.3% of patients showed normalization of TSH, while 36.7% of patients remained persistence of high level of TSH, and overt hypothyroidism developed in 11.2% of patients. There were painless thyroiditis (2.9%) and hyperthyroidism (1.7%) during 5 yr follow-up. The thyroid nodule was seen in 48.6% of patients. Most of patients had 1 to 2 nodules whereas only 3% of patients with thyroid nodule had more than 6 nodules. Overt hypothyroidism patients had more heterogenous echogenecity in USG compared to patients with normalization or persistent SCH (76.5% vs 50.0% vs 35.0%, P = 0.048) and higher prevalence positive anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO Ab) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (anti-Tg Ab) and titer of anti-TPO Ab than other two groups. The cut off values for prediction of overt hypothyroidism were TSH > 7.45 µIU/mL, free T4 < 1.09 ng/dL and Anti-TPO Ab > 560 IU/mL. SCH has various courses and initial TSH, free T4, presence of thyroid autoantibody, titer of thyroid autoantibody; and thyroid USG findings can serve as a prognostic factor for progression of overt hypothyroidism. These parameters suggest consideration to initiate thyroid hormone treatment in SCH. PMID:24265525

Social environments, risk-taking and injury in farm adolescents

PubMed Central

Pickett, William; Berg, Richard L; Marlenga, Barbara

2017-01-01

Background Farm environments are especially hazardous for young people. While much is known about acute physical causes of traumatic farm injury, little is known about social factors that may underlie their aetiology. Objectives In a nationally representative sample of young Canadians aged 11–15 years, we described and compared farm and non-farm adolescents in terms of the qualities of their social environments, engagement in overt multiple risk-taking as well as how such exposures relate aetiologically to their reported injury experiences. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of survey reports from the 2014 (Cycle 7) Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study was conducted. Children (n=2567; 2534 weighted) who reported living or working on farms were matched within schools in a 1:1 ratio with children not living or working on farms. Scales examining quality of social environments and overt risk-taking were compared between the two groups, stratified by gender. We then related the occurrence of any serious injury to these social exposures in direct and interactive models. Results Farm and non-farm children reported social environments that were quite similar, with the exception of overt multiple risk-taking, which was demonstrably higher in farm children of both genders. Engagement in overt risk-taking, but not the other social environmental factors, was strongly and consistently associated with risks for serious injury in farm as well as non-farm children, particularly among males. Conclusions Study findings highlight the strength of associations between overt multiple risk-taking and injury among farm children. This appears to be a normative aspect of adolescent farm culture. PMID:28137978

Inkjet Printing Based Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeiting Structural Colors.

PubMed

Nam, Hyunmoon; Song, Kyungjun; Ha, Dogyeong; Kim, Taesung

2016-08-04

Photonic crystal structures can be created to manipulate electromagnetic waves so that many studies have focused on designing photonic band-gaps for various applications including sensors, LEDs, lasers, and optical fibers. Here, we show that mono-layered, self-assembled photonic crystals (SAPCs) fabricated by using an inkjet printer exhibit extremely weak structural colors and multiple colorful holograms so that they can be utilized in anti-counterfeit measures. We demonstrate that SAPC patterns on a white background are covert under daylight, such that pattern detection can be avoided, but they become overt in a simple manner under strong illumination with smartphone flash light and/or on a black background, showing remarkable potential for anti-counterfeit techniques. Besides, we demonstrate that SAPCs yield different RGB histograms that depend on viewing angles and pattern densities, thus enhancing their cryptographic capabilities. Hence, the structural colorations designed by inkjet printers would not only produce optical holograms for the simple authentication of many items and products but also enable a high-secure anti-counterfeit technique.

Zero-Adjective Contrast in Much-less Ellipsis: The Advantage for Parallel Syntax.

PubMed

Carlson, Katy; Harris, Jesse A

2018-01-01

This paper explores the processing of sentences with a much less coordinator ( I don't own a pink hat, much less a red one ). This understudied ellipsis sentence, one of several focus-sensitive coordination structures, imposes syntactic and semantic conditions on the relationship between the correlate ( a pink hat ) and remnant ( a red one ). We present the case of zero-adjective contrast, in which an NP remnant introduces an adjective without an overt counterpart in the correlate ( I don't own a hat, much less a red one ). Although zero-adjective contrast could in principle ease comprehension by limiting the possible relationships between the remnant and correlate to entailment, we find that zero-adjective contrast is avoided in production and taxing in online processing. Results from several studies support a processing model in which syntactic parallelism is the primary guide for determining contrast in ellipsis structures, even when violating parallelism would assist in computing semantic relationships.

Inkjet Printing Based Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeiting Structural Colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, Hyunmoon; Song, Kyungjun; Ha, Dogyeong; Kim, Taesung

2016-08-01

Photonic crystal structures can be created to manipulate electromagnetic waves so that many studies have focused on designing photonic band-gaps for various applications including sensors, LEDs, lasers, and optical fibers. Here, we show that mono-layered, self-assembled photonic crystals (SAPCs) fabricated by using an inkjet printer exhibit extremely weak structural colors and multiple colorful holograms so that they can be utilized in anti-counterfeit measures. We demonstrate that SAPC patterns on a white background are covert under daylight, such that pattern detection can be avoided, but they become overt in a simple manner under strong illumination with smartphone flash light and/or on a black background, showing remarkable potential for anti-counterfeit techniques. Besides, we demonstrate that SAPCs yield different RGB histograms that depend on viewing angles and pattern densities, thus enhancing their cryptographic capabilities. Hence, the structural colorations designed by inkjet printers would not only produce optical holograms for the simple authentication of many items and products but also enable a high-secure anti-counterfeit technique.

Fun and Games and Boredom

PubMed Central

Baranowski, Tom; Thompson, Debbe

2012-01-01

Abstract Serious videogames use entertainment to teach, train, or change behavior. What began in the 1970s as tentative attempts to create learning software is now a recognized videogame genre and an emerging health science. Although more research is needed, a growing body of literature suggests serious videogames can be effective. Support for serious videogames, however, is not universal. An informal Web search reveals numerous skeptics. Critics question serious videogames' entertainment value and, thus, their viability. “How can serious videogames attract and maintain players,” the argument goes, “if they aren't as much fun as commercial titles, or even any fun at all?” This article examines the argument that, to be effective, serious videogames should be overtly fun and comparable to commercial off-the-shelf videogames. It explores differences between game developer- and researcher-led projects and discusses ways serious videogames can avoid boring and alienating players. It concludes that direct comparisons between serious and commercial game entertainment values may be misdirected. PMID:24761316

Occult pneumomediastinum in blunt chest trauma: clinical significance.

PubMed

Rezende-Neto, J B; Hoffmann, J; Al Mahroos, M; Tien, H; Hsee, L C; Spencer Netto, F; Speers, V; Rizoli, S B

2010-01-01

Thoracic injuries are potentially responsible for 25% of all trauma deaths. Chest X-ray is commonly used to screen patients with chest injury. However, the use of computed tomography (CT) scan for primary screening is increasing, particularly for blunt trauma. CT scans are more sensitive than chest X-ray in detecting intra-thoracic abnormalities such as pneumothoraces and pneumomediastinums. Pneumomediastinum detected by chest X-ray or "overt pneumomediastinum", raises the concern of possible aerodigestive tract injuries. In contrast, there is scarce information on the clinical significance of pneumomediastinum diagnosed by CT scan only or "occult pneumomediastinum". Therefore we investigated the clinical consequences of occult pneumomediastinum in our blunt trauma population. A 2-year retrospective chart review of all blunt chest trauma patients with initial chest CT scan admitted to a level I trauma centre. Data extracted from the medical records include; demographics, occult, overt, or no pneumomediastinum, the presence of intra-thoracic aerodigestive tract injuries (trachea, bronchus, and/or esophagus), mechanism and severity of injury, endotracheal intubation, chest thoracostomy, operations and radiological reports by an attending radiologist. All patients with intra-thoracic aerodigestive tract injuries from 1994 to 2004 were also investigated. Of 897 patients who met the inclusion criteria 839 (93.5%) had no pneumomediastinum. Five patients (0.6%) had overt pneumomediastinum and 53 patients (5.9%) had occult pneumomediastinum. Patients with occult pneumomediastinum had significantly higher ISS and AIS chest (p<0.0001) than patients with no pneumomediastinum. A chest thoracostomy tube was more common (p<0.0001) in patients with occult pneumomediastinum (47.2%) than patients with no pneumomediastinum (10.4%), as well as occult pneumothorax. None of the patients with occult pneumomediastinum had aerodigestive tract injuries (95%CI 0-0.06). Follow up CT scan of patients with occult pneumomediastinum showed complete resolution in all cases, in average 3 h after the initial exam. Occult pneumomediastinum occurred in approximately 6% of all trauma patients with blunt chest injuries in our institution. Patients who had occult pneumomediastinum were more severely injured than those who without. However, none of the patients with occult pneumomediastinum had aerodigestive tract injuries and follow up chest CT scans demonstrated their complete and spontaneous resolution.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Diagnosis and management.

PubMed Central

Ladouceur, R.; Freeston, M.; Gagnon, F.

1996-01-01

We present three diagnostic tools to identify overt compulsive rituals, obsessional thinking, and neutralizing behaviours in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and describe the most effective cognitive-behavioural technique for treating obsessional thinking without overt rituals. Basic dysfunctional beliefs that lead to OCD are explained and integrated in the treatment model. We suggest how combined therapy can be used to tread OCD. PMID:8704492

The Impact of Economic, Political, and Social Factors on Recent Overt Black/White Racial Conflict in Higher Education in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Evonne Parker

1991-01-01

Addresses the following: (1) what recent literature reveals about overt racial conflict in higher education between whites and African Americans; (2) how different factors influence this conflict; (3) an extensive listing of racism incidents; (4) rising economic anxiety and the nation's political climate; and (5) suggestions for alleviating the…

Overtly Teaching Critical Thinking and Inquiry-Based Learning: A Comparison of Two Undergraduate Biotechnology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedel, Curtis; Irani, Tracy; Rudd, Rick; Gallo, Maria; Eckhardt, Erin; Ricketts, John

2008-01-01

Some researchers have argued that science classrooms must move away from rote and passive applications of memorized concepts to the use of critical thinking skills as a primary component in facilitating learning. Yet few studies have examined the effect of overtly teaching for critical thinking on subsequent skill development. The purpose of this…

Student-Reported Overt and Relational Aggression and Victimization in Grades 3-8. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 114

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishioka, Vicki; Coe, Michael; Burke, Art; Hanita, Makota; Sprague, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

This secondary analysis of survey data from a voluntary sample of 11,561 grade 3-8 students examines the prevalence and distribution of aggression, victimization, and approval of aggression, both overt (verbally and physically aggressive behavior intended to threaten or harm) and relational (behavior intended to harm someone's relationships with…

Overt Attention in Contextual Cuing of Visual Search Is Driven by the Attentional Set, but Not by the Predictiveness of Distractors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beesley, Tom; Hanafi, Gunadi; Vadillo, Miguel A.; Shanks, David R.; Livesey, Evan J.

2018-01-01

Two experiments examined biases in selective attention during contextual cuing of visual search. When participants were instructed to search for a target of a particular color, overt attention (as measured by the location of fixations) was biased strongly toward distractors presented in that same color. However, when participants searched for…

Projective-Cognitive Assessment of Thoughts and Feelings and Their Relationship to Adaptive Behavior in a Dental Situation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, W. Michael, III; Cholera, S. N.

1986-01-01

Examined the interrelationships among coping statements, a self-report measure of anxiety, and maladaptive overt behavior in a dental situation. Subjects were 23 adolescents. Found that as disruptive "in-chair" overt behavior increased, so did the percentage of coping statements; as self-report levels of anxiety increased, the percentage of coping…

Looking at anything that is green when hearing "frog": how object surface colour and stored object colour knowledge influence language-mediated overt attention.

PubMed

Huettig, Falk; Altmann, Gerry T M

2011-01-01

Three eye-tracking experiments investigated the influence of stored colour knowledge, perceived surface colour, and conceptual category of visual objects on language-mediated overt attention. Participants heard spoken target words whose concepts are associated with a diagnostic colour (e.g., "spinach"; spinach is typically green) while their eye movements were monitored to (a) objects associated with a diagnostic colour but presented in black and white (e.g., a black-and-white line drawing of a frog), (b) objects associated with a diagnostic colour but presented in an appropriate but atypical colour (e.g., a colour photograph of a yellow frog), and (c) objects not associated with a diagnostic colour but presented in the diagnostic colour of the target concept (e.g., a green blouse; blouses are not typically green). We observed that colour-mediated shifts in overt attention are primarily due to the perceived surface attributes of the visual objects rather than stored knowledge about the typical colour of the object. In addition our data reveal that conceptual category information is the primary determinant of overt attention if both conceptual category and surface colour competitors are copresent in the visual environment.

Resolving social conflict among females without overt aggression

PubMed Central

Cant, Michael A.; Young, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Members of animal societies compete over resources and reproduction, but the extent to which such conflicts of interest are resolved peacefully (without recourse to costly or wasteful acts of aggression) varies widely. Here, we describe two theoretical mechanisms that can help to understand variation in the incidence of overt behavioural conflict: (i) destruction competition and (ii) the use of threats. The two mechanisms make different assumptions about the degree to which competitors are socially sensitive (responsive to real-time changes in the behaviour of their social partners). In each case, we discuss how the model assumptions relate to biological reality and highlight the genetic, ecological and informational factors that are likely to promote peaceful conflict resolution, drawing on empirical examples. We suggest that, relative to males, reproductive conflict among females may be more frequently resolved peacefully through threats of punishment, rather than overt acts of punishment, because (i) offspring are more costly to produce for females and (ii) reproduction is more difficult to conceal. The main need now is for empirical work to test whether the mechanisms described here can indeed explain how social conflict can be resolved without overt aggression. PMID:24167306

Linguistic constraints on children's overt marking of BE by dialect and age.

PubMed

Roy, Joseph; Oetting, Janna B; Moland, Christy Wynn

2013-06-01

Overt marking of BE in nonmainstream adult dialects of English is influenced by a number of linguistic constraints, including the structure's person, number, tense, contractibility, and grammatical function. In the current study, the authors examined the effects of these constraints on overt marking of BE in children as a function of their nonmainstream English dialect and age. The data were language samples from 62 children, ages 4-6 years; 24 children spoke African American English (AAE), and 38 spoke Southern White English (SWE). Analyses included analysis of variance and logistic regression. Rates of overt marking varied by the children's dialect but not their age. Although the person, number, tense, and grammatical function of BE influenced the children's rates of marking, the nature and magnitude of the influence differed by the children's dialect. For AAE-speaking children, contractibility also influenced their marking of BE. Consistent with the adult literature, the current study showed that AAE- and SWE-speaking children marked BE in ways that differed from each other and from what has been documented for child speakers of Mainstream American English. These findings show stability in the use of BE in AAE and SWE that spans different generations and different dialect communities.

Linguistic Constraints on Children's Overt Marking of BE by Dialect and Age

PubMed Central

Roy, Joseph; Oetting, Janna B.; Moland, Christy Wynn

2013-01-01

Purpose Overt marking of BE in nonmainstream adult dialects of English is influenced by a number of linguistic constraints, including the structure's person, number, tense, contractibility, and grammatical function. In the current study, we examined the effects of these constraints on overt marking of BE in children as a function of their nonmainstream English dialect and age. Methods The data were language samples from 62 children, aged four to six years; 24 spoke African American English (AAE) and 38 spoke Southern White English (SWE). Analyses included analysis of variance and logistic regression. Results Rates of overt marking varied by the children's dialect but not their age. Although the person, number, tense, and grammatical function of BE influenced the children's rates of marking, the nature and magnitude of the influence differed by the children's dialect. For AAE-speaking children, contractibility also influenced their marking of BE. Conclusions Consistent with the adult literature, the AAE- and SWE-speaking children marked BE in ways that differed from each other and from what has been documented for child speakers of Mainstream American English. These findings show stability in the use of BE in AAE and SWE that spans different generations and different dialect communities. PMID:23275400

Hemostasis in Overt and Subclinical Hyperthyroidism

PubMed Central

Ordookhani, Arash; Burman, Kenneth D.

2017-01-01

Context There are contradictory results on the effect of hyperthyroidism on hemostasis. Inadequate population-based studies limited their clinical implications, mainly on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The present review focuses on hemostatic changes in overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted employing MEDLINE database. The following words were used for the search: Hyperthyroidism; thyrotoxicosis; Graves disease; goiter, nodular; hemostasis; blood coagulation factors; blood coagulation disorders; venous thromboembolism; bleeding; fibrinolysis. The articles that were related to hyperthyroidism and hemostasis are used in this manuscript. Results Hyperthyroidism, either overt or subclinical, renders a hypercoagulable state, although there are several studies with contradictory findings in the literature. Hypercoagulability may be caused by an increase in the level of various coagulation factors such as factor (F) VIII, FX, FIX, von Willebrand F (vWF), and fibrinogen, while hypofibrinolysis by changes in coagulation parameters such as a decrease in plasmin and plasmin activator or an increase in α2-antiplasmin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor Conclusions Although many reports are in favor of a hypercoagulable state in overt hyperthyroidism but this finding at the biochemical level and its clinical implication, on the occurrence of VTE, has yet to be confirmed. PMID:29201071

Anxious and angry rejection sensitivity, social withdrawal, and retribution in high and low ambiguous situations.

PubMed

Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie J; Nesdale, Drew

2013-02-01

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is a tendency to expect, perceive, and overreact to rejection. Our objective was to examine whether anxious and angry RS have specific associations with negative social reactions, and whether responses are intensified in situations of high rejection ambiguity. In two studies, youth (N = 464 and N = 371) reported their RS and anticipated responses to social scenarios. In Study 1, all scenarios portrayed overt rejection events. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to conditions portraying overt or ambiguous rejection. Greater rejection expectation was associated with more negative reactions to rejection. Moreover, as expected, anxiety about rejection was uniquely associated with withdrawal, and anger about rejection was uniquely associated with retribution (i.e., reactive aggression). In the second study, RS persons responded more negatively than others to both overt and high ambiguous rejections, but retribution was intensified among participants high in rejection expectation when rejection was ambiguous, and withdrawal was intensified among participants high in anxious RS in overt rejection situations. Consistent with the revised RS model, there are different patterns of emotions, cognitions, and behaviors in response to high and low ambiguous rejection events, which are heightened in youth sensitive to rejection. © 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Probiotics are helpful in hepatic encephalopathy: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

PubMed

Saab, Sammy; Suraweera, Duminda; Au, Jennifer; Saab, Elena G; Alper, Tori S; Tong, Myron J

2016-07-01

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication of cirrhosis and is associated with decreased survival and increased health care utilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in the management minimal hepatic encephalopathy HE (MHE) and overt HE (OHE) in comparison to no treatment/placebo and lactulose. The main outcomes measured were mortality, improvement in MHE, progression to OHE in patients with MHE and hospitalization. We calculated odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I(2) statistic. Fourteen studies totalling 1152 patients were included in the analysis. The use of probiotics had no impact on the overall mortality when compared to either lactulose (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.47-2.44, P = 0.88) or no treatment/placebo (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.42-1.14, P = 0.15). When probiotics was compared to no treatment/placebo, it was associated with a significant improvement in MHE (OR: 3.91, 95% CI: 2.25-6.80, P < 0.00001), decreased hospitalization rates (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33-0.86, P = 0.01) and decreased progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26-0.60, P < 0.0001). However when compared to lactulose, probiotics did not show a significant difference in improvement of MHE (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.52-1.27, P = 0.35), hospitalization rates (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.52-1.99, P = 0.96) or progression to overt hepatic encephalopathy (OR: 1.24, 95% CI 0.73-2.10, P = 0.42). Overall the use of probiotics was more effective in decreasing hospitalization rates, improving MHE and preventing progression to OHE in patients with underlying MHE than placebo, but similar to that seen with lactulose. The use of probiotics did not affect mortality rates. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Increases in 1H-NMR mobile lipids are not always associated with overt apoptosis: evidence from MG-63 human osteosarcoma three-dimensional spheroids exposed to a low dose (2 Gy) of ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Santini, Maria Teresa; Romano, Rocco; Rainaldi, Gabriella; Ferrante, Antonella; Motta, Andrea; Indovina, Pietro Luigi

2006-02-01

The metabolic changes that occur in MG-63 osteosarcoma three-dimensional tumor spheroids exposed to 2 Gy of ionizing radiation, a dose that is comparable to radiation therapy, were studied using high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H-NMR) spectroscopy. Specifically, the (1)H-NMR spectra of control and exposed MG-63 spheroids were compared. Small spheroids (about 50-80 microm in diameter) with no hypoxic center were used. The spectra of whole MG-63 spheroids as well as the perchloric acid extracts of these systems were evaluated. Cell damage was also examined by lactate dehydrogenase release and changes in cell growth. No cell damage was observed, but numerous metabolic changes took place in spheroids after exposure to ionizing radiation. In particular, significant increases in both CH(2) and CH(3) mobile lipids, considered by many authors as markers of apoptosis and also present in MG-63 spheroids undergoing overt apoptosis, were observed in spheroids irradiated with 2 Gy. However, the chromatin dye Hoechst 33258 and DNA fragmentation assays showed no overt apoptosis up to 7 days after irradiation with this low dose. Thus it is evident that increases in mobile lipids do not always indicate actual cell death. A detailed analysis of the other metabolic changes observed appears to suggest that the cell death program was initiated but not completed. In fact, the completely different behavior of two important cellular defense mechanisms, reduced glutathione and taurine, in spheroids irradiated with 2 Gy and in those undergoing overt apoptosis seems to indicate that these systems are protecting spheroids from actual cell death. In addition, these data also suggest that (1)H-NMR can be used to examine the effects of low doses of ionizing radiation in spheroids, a cell model of great complexity that closely resembles tumors in vivo. The importance of this possibility in relation to reaching the ultimate goal of a better evaluation of the outcome of radiotherapy protocols should not be ignored.

Effects of hydrogen sulfide on high glucose-induced glomerular podocyte injury in mice

PubMed Central

Liu, Ye; Zhao, Huichen; Qiang, Ye; Qian, Guanfang; Lu, Shengxia; Chen, Jicui; Wang, Xiangdong; Guan, Qingbo; Liu, Yuantao; Fu, Yuqin

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of hydrogen sulfide on high glucose-induced mouse podocyte (MPC) injury and the underlying mechanisms. Mouse podocytes were randomly divided into 4 groups, including high glucose (HG), normal glucose (NG), normal glucose + DL-propargylglycine (PPG), and high glucose + NaHS (HG + NaHS) groups for treatment. Then, ZO-2, nephrin, β-catenin, and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) protein expression levels were determined by western blot. We found that high glucose significantly reduced nephrin, ZO-2, and CSE expression levels (P<0.05), and overtly elevated β-catenin amounts (P<0.05), in a time-dependent manner. Likewise, PPG at different concentrations in normal glucose resulted in significantly lower CSE, ZO-2, and nephrin levels (P<0.05), and increased β-catenin amounts (P<0.05). Interestingly, significantly increased ZO-2 and nephrin levels, and overtly reduced β-catenin amounts were observed in the HG + NaHS group compared with HG treated cells (P<0.01). Compared with NG treated cells, decreased ZO-2 and nephrin levels and higher β-catenin amounts were obtained in the HG + NaHS group. In conclusion,CSE downregulation contributes to hyperglycemia induced podocyte injury, which is alleviated by exogenous H2S possibly through ZO-2 upregulation and the subsequent suppression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. PMID:26261567

Latent Class Analysis of Antisocial Behavior: Interaction of Serotonin Transporter Genotype and Maltreatment

PubMed Central

Li, James J.

2010-01-01

To improve understanding about genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior (ASB), we tested the association of the 44-base pair polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and maltreatment using latent class analysis in 2,488 boys and girls from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. In boys, ASB was defined by three classes (Exclusive Covert, Mixed Covert and Overt, and No Problems) whereas in girls, ASB was defined by two classes (Exclusive Covert, No Problems). In boys, 5-HTTLPR and maltreatment were not significantly related to ASB. However, in girls, maltreatment, but not 5-HTTLPR, was significantly associated with ASB. A significant interaction between 5-HTTLPR and maltreatment was also observed, where maltreated girls homozygous for the short allele were 12 times more likely to be classified in the Exclusive Covert group than in the No Problems group. Structural differences in the latent structure of ASB at Wave 2 and Wave 3 prevented repeat LCA modeling. However, using counts of ASB, 5-HTTLPR, maltreatment, and its interaction were unrelated to overt and covert ASB at Wave 2 and only maltreatment was related to covert ASB at Wave 3. We discuss these findings within the context of sex differences in ASB and relevant models of gene-environment interplay across developmental periods. PMID:20405199

Perceptions of Parenting Practices as Predictors of Aggression in a Low-Income, Urban, Predominately African American Middle School Sample.

PubMed

Murray, Kantahyanee W; Haynie, Denise L; Howard, Donna E; Cheng, Tina L; Simons-Morton, Bruce

This research examined the relation between early adolescent aggression and parenting practices in an urban, predominately African American sample. Sixth graders (N = 209) completed questionnaires about their overt and relational aggressive behaviors and perceptions of caregivers' parenting practices. Findings indicated that moderate levels of parental expectations for peaceful solutions at Time 1 were associated with a lower likelihood of overt aggression at Time 2. Furthermore, findings suggest that when caregivers' support and knowledge of adolescents' whereabouts were relatively low or when caregivers' exerted high psychological control, moderate levels of parental expectations for peaceful solutions protected early adolescents against engagement in both overt and relational aggression. The implications of the findings for schools and other youth violence prevention settings are discussed.

"She deserved it": Effects of sexism norms, type of violence, and victim's pre-assault behavior on blame attributions toward female victims and approval of the aggressor's behavior.

PubMed

Koepke, Sabrina; Eyssel, Friederike; Bohner, Gerd

2014-04-01

Effects of ambivalent sexism, sexism norms, victim behavior, and type of violence on male students' reactions to male violence against women in intimate relationships were examined. Participants judged a scenario depicting an act of sexual or non-sexual violence against a female partner who had either shown overtly sexual or non-sexual behavior toward another man. Generally, high (vs. low) hostile sexism, high (vs. low) hostile sexism norm feedback, and victim's overtly sexual (vs. non-sexual) behavior led to stronger victim blame and perceived approval of the aggressor's behavior. The victim of non-sexual violence was blamed more than the rape victim, particularly if she had behaved in an overtly sexual manner.

Dissociable Modulation of Overt Visual Attention in Valence and Arousal Revealed by Topology of Scan Path

PubMed Central

Ni, Jianguang; Jiang, Huihui; Jin, Yixiang; Chen, Nanhui; Wang, Jianhong; Wang, Zhengbo; Luo, Yuejia; Ma, Yuanye; Hu, Xintian

2011-01-01

Emotional stimuli have evolutionary significance for the survival of organisms; therefore, they are attention-grabbing and are processed preferentially. The neural underpinnings of two principle emotional dimensions in affective space, valence (degree of pleasantness) and arousal (intensity of evoked emotion), have been shown to be dissociable in the olfactory, gustatory and memory systems. However, the separable roles of valence and arousal in scene perception are poorly understood. In this study, we asked how these two emotional dimensions modulate overt visual attention. Twenty-two healthy volunteers freely viewed images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) that were graded for affective levels of valence and arousal (high, medium, and low). Subjects' heads were immobilized and eye movements were recorded by camera to track overt shifts of visual attention. Algebraic graph-based approaches were introduced to model scan paths as weighted undirected path graphs, generating global topology metrics that characterize the algebraic connectivity of scan paths. Our data suggest that human subjects show different scanning patterns to stimuli with different affective ratings. Valence salient stimuli (with neutral arousal) elicited faster and larger shifts of attention, while arousal salient stimuli (with neutral valence) elicited local scanning, dense attention allocation and deep processing. Furthermore, our model revealed that the modulatory effect of valence was linearly related to the valence level, whereas the relation between the modulatory effect and the level of arousal was nonlinear. Hence, visual attention seems to be modulated by mechanisms that are separate for valence and arousal. PMID:21494331

Dyssynchronous ventricular contraction in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: a risk factor for the development of dilated cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Dai, Chen-Cheng; Guo, Bao-Jing; Li, Wen-Xiu; Xiao, Yan-Yan; Jin, Mei; Han, Lin; Sun, Jing-Ping; Yu, Cheuk-Man; Dong, Jian-Zeng

2013-11-01

Emerging evidence suggests that significant left ventricular dysfunction may arise in right-sided septal or paraseptal accessory pathways (APs) with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, even in the absence of recurrent or incessant tachycardia. During 1 year and 9 months, we identified four consecutive female children with median age of 8 years diagnosed as having dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) combined with overt right-sided APs several years ago. Incessant or recurrent tachycardia as the cause of DCM could be excluded. Anti-heart failure chemotherapy did not produce satisfactory effects. The patients underwent radiofrequency ablations (RFCAs). This report describes the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of the cases before and after the ablation. Dyssynchronous ventricular contraction was observed in all patients. The locations of the APs were the right-sided anteroseptum and the free wall (n = 2 each). All patients received successful RFCAs. Their physical activities and growth improved greatly, and the echocardiographic data demonstrated that their left ventricular (LV) contraction recovered to synchrony shortly after the ablation and that their LV function recovered to normal gradually during the follow-up. A causal relationship between overt ventricular preexcitation and the development of DCM is supported by the complete recovery of LV function and reversed LV remodeling after the loss of ventricular preexcitation. Preexcitation-related dyssynchrony was probably the crucial mechanism. Not only right-sided septal or paraseptal but also free wall overt APs may induce LV dysfunction and even DCM. AP-induced DCM is an indication for ablation with a good prognosis.

Overt Skeletal Metastases in a Patient of Occult (Microscopic) Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma: a Rare Case.

PubMed

Jha, Chandan Kumar; Agrawal, Vinita; Mishra, Anjali; Pradhan, P K

2018-03-01

Occult follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) presenting as distant metastases is a rare occurrence. However, despite being occult in majority of these cases, primary tumor can be detected on thyroid imaging or during surgery. Here, we present an extremely rare case of an occult FTC with overt skeletal metastases in which primary tumor was discernible only on microscopic examination.

Berardinelli Seip syndrome with insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus and stroke in an infant

PubMed Central

Indumathi, C. K.; Lewin, S.; Ayyar, Vageesh

2011-01-01

Berardinelli Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL) is a rare metabolic disorder characterized by severe generalized lipodystrophy, insulin resistance, and dyslipedemia since infancy, and onset of overt diabetes mellitus in adolescence. Here we report a 5-month-old infant with clinical and metabolic manifestations of Berardinelli Seip syndrome including overt diabetes mellitus and stroke, which are very rare at this age. PMID:21847459

Berardinelli Seip syndrome with insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus and stroke in an infant.

PubMed

Indumathi, C K; Lewin, S; Ayyar, Vageesh

2011-07-01

Berardinelli Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL) is a rare metabolic disorder characterized by severe generalized lipodystrophy, insulin resistance, and dyslipedemia since infancy, and onset of overt diabetes mellitus in adolescence. Here we report a 5-month-old infant with clinical and metabolic manifestations of Berardinelli Seip syndrome including overt diabetes mellitus and stroke, which are very rare at this age.

Occult cancer-related first venous thromboembolism is associated with an increased risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism.

PubMed

Gran, O V; Braekkan, S K; Paulsen, B; Skille, H; Rosendaal, F R; Hansen, J-B

2017-07-01

Essentials Recurrence risk after an occult cancer-related incident venous thromboembolism (VTE) is unknown. We compared the risk of VTE recurrence in occult-, overt- and non-cancer related first VTE. Patients with occult-cancer related first VTE had the highest risk of VTE recurrence. The high recurrence risk in occult cancer is likely due to the advanced cancers. Background Although venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with a high recurrence rate, the absolute recurrence rates for cancer-related VTE, particularly occult cancer, are not well known. Objectives To investigate the risk of VTE recurrence in patients with occult and overt cancer-related VTE. Methods Incident VTE events among participants of the first to sixth Tromsø surveys occurring in the period 1994-2012 were included. Occult cancer was defined as cancer diagnosed within a year following a VTE, and overt cancer was defined as cancer diagnosed within the 2 years before a VTE. Results Among 733 patients with incident VTE, 110 had overt cancer and 40 had occult cancer. There were 95 recurrent VTE events during a median of 3.2 years of follow-up. The 1-year cumulative incidence of VTE recurrence was 38.6% in subjects with occult cancer, 15.5% in subjects with overt cancer, and 3.8% in non-cancer subjects. The 1-year risk of recurrence was 12-fold (hazard ratio [HR] 12.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.9-26.3) higher in subjects with occult cancer and four-fold (HR 4.3, 95% CI 2.0-9.2) higher in subjects with overt cancer than in non-cancer subjects. The occult cancers associated with VTE recurrence were typically located at prothrombotic sites (i.e. lung and gastrointestinal) and presented at advanced stages. The majority (69%) of recurrences in subjects with occult cancer occurred before or shortly after cancer diagnosis, and were therefore not treatment-related. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the increased risk of recurrence in patients with occult cancer is mainly attributable to the advanced cancers in these patients. © 2017 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Attachment and couple satisfaction as predictors of expressed emotion in women facing breast cancer and their partners in the immediate post-surgery period.

PubMed

Favez, Nicolas; Cairo Notari, Sarah; Antonini, Tania; Charvoz, Linda

2017-02-01

To investigate expressed emotion (EE) in couples facing breast cancer in the immediate post-surgery period. EE may be predictive of psychological disturbances that hinder both partners' capacities to cope with the stress of the disease. Severity of the disease, attachment tendencies, and couple satisfaction were tested as predictors of EE. The design was cross-sectional. Couples (N = 61) were interviewed 2 weeks after the women's breast surgery. Expressed emotion was assessed in women and in partners with the Five-Minute Speech Sample, with a focus on overt and covert criticisms. Self-reported EE, attachment tendencies, and couple satisfaction were assessed with questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to test the predictors and possible interactions between them. Both partners expressed overt and covert criticisms; women expressed more overt criticisms than did their partners. Cancer stage was inversely related to the number of overt criticisms in women and to the number of covert criticisms in partners. Regression analyses showed that in women, higher attachment anxiety and lower couple satisfaction were positive predictors of overt criticisms; in partners, a higher cancer stage was a negative predictor of overt and covert criticisms. Practitioners should pay attention to the couple relationship in breast cancer. EE is most likely to appear when the cancer stage is low, showing that even when the medical prognosis is optimal, relational and emotional disturbances may occur. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The couple relationship is of paramount importance in breast cancer. Expressed emotion (EE) is related to negative individual and relational psychological outcomes in psychiatric and somatic diseases. Expressed emotion has not yet been studied in the context of breast cancer. What does this study add? Expressed emotion is present in breast cancer situations, especially when the cancer stage is low. There was more EE in women than in their partners. Cancer stage, attachment tendencies, and couple satisfaction are predictors of EE. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Ischemia-modified albümin and malondialdehyde levels in patients with overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism: effects of treatment on oxidative stress.

PubMed

Erem, Cihangir; Suleyman, Akile Karacin; Civan, Nadim; Mentese, Ahmet; Nuhoglu, İrfan; Uzun, Aysegul; Ersoz, Halil Onder; Deger, Orhan

2015-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with OHyper and SHyper, to assess the effects of antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy on the oxidative stress (OS) parameters. Forty-five untreated patients with overt hyperthyroidism (OHyper), 20 untreated patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper) and 30 age-and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively included in the study. Biochemical and hormonal parameters were evaluated in all patients before and after treatment. Compared with the control subjects, the levels of MDA, glucose and TG were significantly increased in patients with SHyper (p<0.05), whereas LDL-C levels were significantly decreased (p<0.01). Patients with OHyper showed significantly elevated MDA and glucose levels (p<0.001) and significantly decreased LDL-C and HDL-C levels compared with the controls (p<0.01). In patients with Graves' disease, serum TSH levels were inversely correlated with plasma MDA levels (r: -0.42, p<0.05). Plasma MDA levels significantly decreased and levels of TC, LDL-C and HDL-C significantly increased in the groups of OHyper and SHyper after treatment. Serum IMA levels did not significantly change at baseline and with the therapy in all subjects. In conclusion, increased MDA levels in both patient groups represent increased lipid peroxidation which might play an important role in the pathogenesis of the atherosclerosis in these patients. Increased oxidative stress in patients with SHyper and OHyper could be improved by ATD therapy. Also, MDA can be used as a reliable marker of OS and oxidative damage, while IMA is considered to be inappropriate.

Irisin levels increase after treatment in patients with newly diagnosed Hashimoto thyroiditis.

PubMed

Uc, Z A; Gorar, S; Mizrak, S; Gullu, S

2018-05-18

Irisin is a newly identified myokine secreted by skeletal muscle and has significant effects on body metabolism. Thyroidal functional state has a profound influence on the metabolism of human body. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the possible changes in serum irisin concentrations before and after treatment in hypothyroid subjects. The study included 26 patients with overt hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto thyroiditis and 19 healthy subjects. Baseline serum thyroid function tests and presence of thyroid autoantibodies and levels of creatine kinase (CK) and irisin were measured in both groups. All measurements in the hypothyroid group were repeated after euthyroidism was achieved. Serum irisin levels were significantly lower in the hypothyroid groups than the control group (p < 0.001). Negative correlation between irisin and thyroid stimulating hormone and CK levels (r = - 0.623, p < 0.001 and r = - 0.389, p = 0.008, respectively) and a positive correlation between irisin and free thyroxine (fT4) levels (r = 0.570, p < 0.001) was found. Serum CK levels decreased significantly after treatment (p < 0.001). Serum irisin levels significantly increased (from 57.4 to 99.8 U/L, p < 0.001) when the hypothyroid patients were treated to achieve euthyroidism. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study providing insight that low serum irisin levels significantly increased following treatment to euthyroid state in overt hypothyroid patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Larger scale studies are needed to confirm these results and to ensure irisin as a possible biomarker of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Developmental trajectories of physical aggression: prediction of overt and covert antisocial behaviors from self- and mothers' reports

PubMed Central

Di Giunta, Laura; Pastorelli, Concetta; Eisenberg, Nancy; Gerbino, Maria; Castellani, Valeria; Bombi, Anna Silvia

2010-01-01

Physical aggression declines for the majority of children from preschool to elementary school. Although this desistance generally continues during adolescence and early adulthood, a small group of children maintain a high level of physical aggression over time and develop other serious overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Typically, researchers have examined relations of developmental changes in physical aggression to later violence with teachers' or mothers' reports on surveys. Little is known about the degree to which children's self-reported physical aggression predicts later antisocial behavior. The longitudinal study in this article had a staggered, multiple cohort design. Measures of physical aggression were collected through self- and mother reports from age 11–14 years, which were used to construct trajectory groups (attrition was 6 and 14% from age 11–14, respectively, for self- and mother reports). Overt and covert antisocial behaviors were self-reported at age 18–19 years (attrition was 36% from age 11 to 18–19). Four trajectory groups (low stable, 11%; moderate-low declining, 34%; moderate declining, 39%; high stable, 16%) were identified from self-reports, whereas three trajectories (low declining, 33%; moderate declining, 49%; high stable, 18%) were identified from mothers' ratings. We examined the prediction of overt and covert antisocial behaviors in early adulthood from the high stable and the moderate declining trajectories. According to both informants, higher probability of belonging to the high stable group was associated with higher overt and covert antisocial behavior, whereas higher probability of belonging to the moderate declining group was associated with higher covert antisocial behavior. Our results support the value of children's as well as mothers' reports of children's aggression for predicting different types of serious antisocial behavior in adulthood. PMID:20878197

Developmental trajectories of physical aggression: prediction of overt and covert antisocial behaviors from self- and mothers' reports.

PubMed

Di Giunta, Laura; Pastorelli, Concetta; Eisenberg, Nancy; Gerbino, Maria; Castellani, Valeria; Bombi, Anna Silvia

2010-12-01

Physical aggression declines for the majority of children from preschool to elementary school. Although this desistance generally continues during adolescence and early adulthood, a small group of children maintain a high level of physical aggression over time and develop other serious overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Typically, researchers have examined relations of developmental changes in physical aggression to later violence with teachers' or mothers' reports on surveys. Little is known about the degree to which children's self-reported physical aggression predicts later antisocial behavior. The longitudinal study in this article had a staggered, multiple cohort design. Measures of physical aggression were collected through self- and mother reports from age 11-14 years, which were used to construct trajectory groups (attrition was 6 and 14% from age 11-14, respectively, for self- and mother reports). Overt and covert antisocial behaviors were self-reported at age 18-19 years (attrition was 36% from age 11 to 18-19). Four trajectory groups (low stable, 11%; moderate-low declining, 34%; moderate declining, 39%; high stable, 16%) were identified from self-reports, whereas three trajectories (low declining, 33%; moderate declining, 49%; high stable, 18%) were identified from mothers' ratings. We examined the prediction of overt and covert antisocial behaviors in early adulthood from the high stable and the moderate declining trajectories. According to both informants, higher probability of belonging to the high stable group was associated with higher overt and covert antisocial behavior, whereas higher probability of belonging to the moderate declining group was associated with higher covert antisocial behavior. Our results support the value of children's as well as mothers' reports of children's aggression for predicting different types of serious antisocial behavior in adulthood.

Social environments, risk-taking and injury in farm adolescents.

PubMed

Pickett, William; Berg, Richard L; Marlenga, Barbara

2017-12-01

Farm environments are especially hazardous for young people. While much is known about acute physical causes of traumatic farm injury, little is known about social factors that may underlie their aetiology. In a nationally representative sample of young Canadians aged 11-15 years, we described and compared farm and non-farm adolescents in terms of the qualities of their social environments, engagement in overt multiple risk-taking as well as how such exposures relate aetiologically to their reported injury experiences. Cross-sectional analysis of survey reports from the 2014 (Cycle 7) Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study was conducted. Children (n=2567; 2534 weighted) who reported living or working on farms were matched within schools in a 1:1 ratio with children not living or working on farms. Scales examining quality of social environments and overt risk-taking were compared between the two groups, stratified by gender. We then related the occurrence of any serious injury to these social exposures in direct and interactive models. Farm and non-farm children reported social environments that were quite similar, with the exception of overt multiple risk-taking, which was demonstrably higher in farm children of both genders. Engagement in overt risk-taking, but not the other social environmental factors, was strongly and consistently associated with risks for serious injury in farm as well as non-farm children, particularly among males. Study findings highlight the strength of associations between overt multiple risk-taking and injury among farm children. This appears to be a normative aspect of adolescent farm culture. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Don't be fooled! Attentional responses to social cues in a face-to-face and video magic trick reveals greater top-down control for overt than covert attention.

PubMed

Kuhn, Gustav; Teszka, Robert; Tenaw, Natalia; Kingstone, Alan

2016-01-01

People's attention is oriented towards faces, but the extent to which these social attention effects are under top down control is more ambiguous. Our first aim was to measure and compare, in real life and in the lab, people's top-down control over overt and covert shifts in reflexive social attention to the face of another. We employed a magic trick in which the magician used social cues (i.e. asking a question whilst establishing eye contact) to misdirect attention towards his face, and thus preventing participants from noticing a visible colour change to a playing card. Our results show that overall people spend more time looking at the magician's face when he is seen on video than in reality. Additionally, although most participants looked at the magician's face when misdirected, this tendency to look at the face was modulated by instruction (i.e., "keep your attention on the cards"), and therefore, by top down control. Moreover, while the card's colour change was fully visible, the majority of participants failed to notice the change, and critically, change detection (our measure of covert attention) was not affected by where people looked (overt attention). We conclude that there is a tendency to shift overt and covert attention reflexively to faces, but that people exert more top down control over this overt shift in attention. These finding are discussed within a new framework that focuses on the role of eye movements as an attentional process as well as a form of non-verbal communication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Exploration of the Significance of Writing Self-Perception for Non-Traditional Adult English Language Learners: Three Case-Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Correa, Carolina T.

2009-01-01

In 2005, the U. S. Department of Education estimated that 44% of the 3 million students enrolled in non-traditional, that is, non-academic, adult education programs were English language learners. Yet, because of the overt focus that tends to be placed on oral communication, little has been done to document how these learners might view themselves…

Tc-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scanning in Chagas' disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

da Rocha, A.F.; Meguerian, B.A.; Harbert, J.C.

1981-04-01

Chagas' disease is a serious protozoan infection affecting up to 20% of populations in some endemic areas. Myocarditis and cardiomyopathy occur in 50% of patients who go on to develop chronic Chagas' disease. We have studied a patient with no overt cardiac symptoms who revealed intense myocardial uptake of Tc-99m pyrophosphate. The significance of this finding in relation to early detection and progress of therapy is explored.

Tc-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scanning in Chagas' disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goncalves da Rocha, A.F.; Meguerian, B.A.; Harbert, J.C.

1981-04-01

Chagas' disease is a serious protozoan infection affecting up to 20% of populations in some endemic areas. Myocarditis and cardiomyopathy occur in 50% of patients who go on to develop chronic Chagas's disease. We have studied a patient with no overt cardiac symptoms who revealed intense myocardial uptake of Tc-99m pyrophosphate. The significance of this finding in relation to early detection and progress of therapy is explored.

A covert attention P300-based brain-computer interface: Geospell.

PubMed

Aloise, Fabio; Aricò, Pietro; Schettini, Francesca; Riccio, Angela; Salinari, Serenella; Mattia, Donatella; Babiloni, Fabio; Cincotti, Febo

2012-01-01

The Farwell and Donchin P300 speller interface is one of the most widely used brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms for writing text. Recent studies have shown that the recognition accuracy of the P300 speller decreases significantly when eye movement is impaired. This report introduces the GeoSpell interface (Geometric Speller), which implements a stimulation framework for a P300-based BCI that has been optimised for operation in covert visual attention. We compared the Geospell with the P300 speller interface under overt attention conditions with regard to effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction. Ten healthy subjects participated in the study. The performance of the GeoSpell interface in covert attention was comparable with that of the P300 speller in overt attention. As expected, the effectiveness of the spelling decreased with the new interface in covert attention. The NASA task load index (TLX) for workload assessment did not differ significantly between the two modalities. This study introduces and evaluates a gaze-independent, P300-based brain-computer interface, the efficacy and user satisfaction of which were comparable with those off the classical P300 speller. Despite a decrease in effectiveness due to the use of covert attention, the performance of the GeoSpell far exceeded the threshold of accuracy with regard to effective spelling.

A controlled study of comparative efficacy of oral retinoids and topical betamethasone/salicylic acid for chronic hyperkeratotic palmoplantar dermatitis.

PubMed

Capella, Giovanni Luigi; Fracchiolla, Claudio; Frigerio, Elena; Altomare, Gianfranco

2004-04-01

Chronic hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms and soles represents a severe multi-etiological problem, too often faced with ineffective or tedious topical remedies. A single-blind, matched-sample design investigation was carried out of 42 patients with chronic hyperkeratotic palmoplantar dermatitis, who were administered acitretin 25-50 mg/day for 1 month, which was controlled versus a conventional topical treatment (betamethasone/salicylic acid ointment). Therapeutic improvement was expressed with the reduction of severity score (expressed on a 0-10 scale). Acitretin was significantly better than the conventional treatment after 30 days (two sided p<0.0001). Moreover, improvement significantly persisted 5 months after suspension of acitretin (p<0.0001), while this was not the case after suspension of the control treatment (p=0.3019). Lesions improved more rapidly with acitretin than with the control treatment (p<0.0002). Some cases of loss of sensitization in patch-test-positive patients were observed. Side effects were minimal or absent, and patients expressed overtly their preference for acitretin treatment. After evaluating the former literature, the risks and the benefits, as well as the overt superiority of retinoid treatment, the authors conclude that acitretin should be considered a first choice treatment for this fastidious condition.

Cleaved Form of Osteopontin in Urine as a Clinical Marker of Lupus Nephritis

PubMed Central

Kitagori, Koji; Yoshifuji, Hajime; Oku, Takuma; Sasaki, Chiyomi; Miyata, Hitomi; Mori, Keita P.; Nakajima, Toshiki; Ohmura, Koichiro; Kawabata, Daisuke; Yukawa, Naoichiro; Imura, Yoshitaka; Murakami, Kosaku; Nakashima, Ran; Usui, Takashi; Fujii, Takao; Sakai, Kaoru; Yanagita, Motoko; Hirayama, Yoshitaka; Mimori, Tsuneyo

2016-01-01

We assessed the utility of two forms of osteopontin (OPN), OPN full and its cleaved form (OPN N-half), in plasma and urine as markers of disease activity in lupus nephritis (LN). Samples were collected from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (LN: N = 29, non-LN: N = 27), IgA nephropathy (IgAN) (N = 14), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) (N = 5), diabetic nephropathy (DN) (N = 14) and healthy volunteers (HC) (N = 17). While there was no significant difference in urine OPN full concentration between groups, urine OPN N-half concentration was significantly higher in patients with LN than HC (p < 0.05). Moreover, urine OPN N-half was higher in LN patients with overt proteinuria (urine protein/creatinine ratio: P/C > 0.5) than LN patients with minimal proteinuria (P/C < 0.5, p < 0.0001), and also higher than in DN patients with overt proteinuria (P/C > 0.5, p < 0.01). Urine thrombin activity correlated with urine OPN N-half concentration (p < 0.0001), but not with urine OPN full concentration. These results suggest that urine OPN N-half concentration reflects renal inflammation. Thus, urine OPN N-half may be a novel disease activity marker for LN. PMID:27992535

Overt attention in contextual cuing of visual search is driven by the attentional set, but not by the predictiveness of distractors.

PubMed

Beesley, Tom; Hanafi, Gunadi; Vadillo, Miguel A; Shanks, David R; Livesey, Evan J

2018-05-01

Two experiments examined biases in selective attention during contextual cuing of visual search. When participants were instructed to search for a target of a particular color, overt attention (as measured by the location of fixations) was biased strongly toward distractors presented in that same color. However, when participants searched for targets that could be presented in 1 of 2 possible colors, overt attention was not biased between the different distractors, regardless of whether these distractors predicted the location of the target (repeating) or did not (randomly arranged). These data suggest that selective attention in visual search is guided only by the demands of the target detection task (the attentional set) and not by the predictive validity of the distractor elements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Lesions Associated with Gastroduodenal Haemorrhage, in Relation to Aspirin Intake

PubMed Central

Valman, H. B.; Parry, D. J.; Coghill, N. F.

1968-01-01

The incidence of aspirin ingestion during the week preceding overt gastroduodenal bleeding was recorded in 582 patients. A positive aspirin history was found in 80% of patients with acute gastric lesions, in 63% of those in whom no lesion was found, in 52% of those with a chronic duodenal ulcer, and in 49% of patients with a chronic gastric ulcer. In a control series of 542 consecutive patients without overt bleeding admitted to the same wards during part of the time of this investigation the aspirin incidence was 32%. The difference in aspirin habits between these two series confirms that aspirin is a factor in precipitating overt haemorrhage in acute and chronic peptic ulcers, and that it is an important cause of bleeding from the stomach or duodenum, or both, in the absence of a chronic peptic ulcer. PMID:5303550

Overt Naming fMRI Pre- and Post-TMS: Two Nonfluent Aphasia Patients, with and without Improved Naming Post-TMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Paula I.; Naeser, Margaret A.; Ho, Michael; Doron, Karl W.; Kurland, Jacquie; Kaplan, Jerome; Wang, Yunyan; Nicholas, Marjorie; Baker, Errol H.; Fregni, Felipe; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2009-01-01

Two chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients participated in overt naming fMRI scans, pre- and post-a series of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments as part of a TMS study to improve naming. Each patient received 10, 1-Hz rTMS treatments to suppress a part of R pars triangularis. P1 was a "good responder" with improved naming…

The Effect of the Length of To-Be-Remembered Lists and Intervening Lists on Free Recall: A Reexamination Using Overt Rehearsal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Geoff; Tan, Lydia

2004-01-01

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated the effects of to-be-remembered (TBR) and intervening list length on free recall to determine whether selective rehearsal could explain the previous finding that recall was affected only by TBR list length. In Experiments 1 (covert rehearsal) and 2 (overt rehearsal), participants saw 5- and 20-word lists…

Distinct ontogenic patterns of overt and latent DGAT activities of rat liver microsomes.

PubMed

Waterman, Ian J; Price, Nigel T; Zammit, Victor A

2002-09-01

We have studied the ontogeny of the two functional diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) activities (overt and latent) during postnatal development in rat liver. We find that the ontogenic patterns of the two are highly distinct. Overt DGAT shows a transient rise in activity up to day 4 postnatally, after which it declines until weaning; thereafter, it increases steadily to reach high adult values that may contribute to the high rates of turnover of cytosolic triacylglycerol (TAG). By contrast, latent DGAT activity increases continuously during the suckling period but falls sharply upon weaning onto chow but not onto a high-fat diet. Rates of TAG secretion by hepatocytes are higher than in the adult during the first 7 days after birth, and are largely dependent on the mobilization of the abundant intrahepatocyte TAG as a source of acyl moieties. When the hepatic steatosis is cleared (after day 7) the TAG secretion rate declines by 80% to reach adult values. Quantification of the content of mRNA for the DGAT1 and DGAT2 genes does not show correlation with either of the DGAT activities. We conclude that post-translational modification may play an important role in the overt and latent distribution of DGAT activity in the liver microsomal membrane.

Positively Biased Self-Perceptions of Peer Acceptance and Subtypes of Aggression in Children

PubMed Central

Lynch, Rebecca J.; Kistner, Janet A.; Stephens, Haley F.; David-Ferdon, Corinne

2016-01-01

There is a growing body of research linking children’s positively biased self-perceptions with higher levels of aggression. This study extended this area of research by examining prospective associations of positively biased self-perceptions of peer acceptance with overt and relational aggression. In addition, moderating effects of peer rejection were examined to test the “disputed overestimation hypothesis,” which posits that the link between bias and aggression is limited to children who are rejected by their peers. Using a two-wave longitudinal design, measures of peer-rated and self-perceived peer acceptance and peer-rated overt and relational aggression were obtained for 712 children in 3rd through 5th grades (386 girls and 326 boys). Positively biased perceptions led to increases in relational, but not overt, aggression. This pattern was observed even when the effects of gender, race, peer rejection, and overt aggression on relational aggression were controlled. Contrary to the disputed overestimation hypothesis, the prospective associations between bias and aggression did not vary as a function of children’s peer rejection status, thus supporting the view that positive bias predicts future aggressive behavior, regardless of social status. The results are discussed in terms of the comparability with previous findings and practical implications. PMID:26423823

Endoparasitism in colonial hosts: patterns and processes.

PubMed

Hill, S L L; Okamura, B

2007-06-01

This study begins to redress our lack of knowledge of the interactions between colonial hosts and their parasites by focusing on a novel host-parasite system. Investigations of freshwater bryozoan populations revealed that infection by myxozoan parasites is widespread. Covert infections were detected in all 5 populations studied and were often at high prevalence while overt infections were observed in only 1. Infections were persistent in populations subject to temporal sampling. Negative effects of infection were identified but virulence was low. Infection did not induce mortality in the environmental conditions studied. However, the production of statoblasts (dormant propagules) was greatly reduced in bryozoans with overt infections in comparison to uninfected bryozoans. Overtly-infected bryozoans also grew more slowly and had low fission rates relative to colonies lacking overt infection. Bryozoans with covert infections were smaller than uninfected bryozoans. High levels of vertical transmission were achieved through colony fission and the infection of statoblasts. Increased fission rates may be a strategy for hosts to escape from parasites but the parasite can also exploit the fragmentation of colonial hosts to gain vertical transmission and dispersal. Our study provides evidence that opportunities and constraints for host-parasite co-evolution can be highly dependent on organismal body plans and that low virulence may be associated with exploitation of colonial hosts by endoparasites.

Measuring reproductive tourism through an analysis of Indian ART clinic Websites.

PubMed

Deonandan, Raywat; Loncar, Mirhad; Rahman, Prinon; Omar, Sabrina

2012-01-01

India is fast becoming the most prominent player in the global industry of reproductive tourism, in which infertile people cross international borders to seek assisted reproduction technologies. This study was conducted to better understand the extent and manner in which Indian clinics seek foreign clients. A systematic search of official Indian assisted reproduction technologies clinic Websites was undertaken, and instances noted where foreign clients were overtly targeted, and where maternal surrogacy was overtly offered. A total of 159 clinics with Web addresses were identified, though only 78 had functioning Websites. All were published in English, with the majority clustered in the states of Maharashtra (14) and Gujarat (9). Of the 78 functioning Websites, 53 (68%) featured some mention of maternal surrogacy services, and 42 (54%) made overt overtures to foreign clients. Qualitative appeals to foreigners included instructions for international adoption, visa application, and the legal parental disposition of the surrogate. All Maharashtran clinic Websites that mentioned surrogacy also overtly featured reproductive tourism. Preimplantation diagnosis services were not offered disproportionately by clinics mentioning reproductive tourism. Based upon clinic online profiles, reproductive tourism comprises a substantial fraction of India's assisted reproduction technologies clinics' business focus, clustering around its most tourist-friendly locales, and surrogacy may be a strong motivator for international clientele.

Social identity change in response to discrimination.

PubMed

Perozzo, Cristina; de la Sablonnière, Roxane; Auger, Emilie; Caron-Diotte, Mathieu

2016-09-01

This study investigated the conditions under which discrimination can lead to social identity changes among members of a minority group. Both positive and negative relations between perceptions of discrimination and social identity have previously been reported. To explain the conflicting results and understand the complex reality of members of stigmatized groups, we argue that group-based emotions (e.g., group-based dissatisfaction) and ambiguity of discrimination cues (i.e., overt vs. ambiguous) need to be considered. We hypothesized that perceptions of discrimination would play a moderating role between group-based dissatisfaction and social identity change in a context of ambiguous, but not of overt, discrimination. The sample was comprised of 151 Arab Muslims living in the province of Quebec. Participants read fictitious newspaper articles portraying either overt (n = 76) or ambiguous (n = 75) discrimination towards in-group members. Results revealed that for participants in the overt discrimination condition, only group-based dissatisfaction was positively associated with social identity change. In contrast, for the participants in the ambiguous discrimination condition, those who perceived little discrimination and felt low group-based dissatisfaction reported a decrease in social identity. However, those who perceived low group discrimination and felt high group-based dissatisfaction reported a positive social identity change. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Clinical Pathology of the Critically Endangered Gough Bunting (Rowettia goughensis).

PubMed

Dagleish, M P; Ryan, P G; Girling, S; Bond, A L

The Gough bunting (Rowettia goughensis) is indigenous to Gough Island and critically endangered due to predation by invasive house mice (Mus musculus). A planned ecosystem restoration by eradication of house mice via aerially delivered rodenticide requires a reproductively balanced population of Gough buntings being held in captivity to avoid primary and secondary poisoning. To aid disease detection during the period of captivity, Gough buntings (n = 25; five adult females, 15 adult males and five juveniles) were captured, measured and sampled to determine reference ranges for routine haematological and biochemical parameters and to identify any faecal bacterial species and intestinal and haemoparasites. Adult females had significantly higher blood glucose (P = 0.02 and 0.05 for different analyzers) and globulins (P = 0.02) than adult males or juveniles, and juveniles had consistently higher, although not significant, concentrations of creatine kinase. Juveniles had significantly (P = 0.007) more heterophils than adults; eosinophils were rare in adults and absent in juveniles and azurophils were absent from all individuals sampled. No parasite eggs were found in the faeces and no haemoparasites were found in blood smears. Several faecal bacterial species were recorded including Enterococcus spp. (n = 12), Klebsiella spp. (n = 7), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6), Staphylococcus intermedius (n = 1), Escherichia coli (n = 1) and Pseudomonas spp. (n = 1). No overt clinical or subclinical disease was found in any of the birds examined, which suggests they are suitable for short-term captivity during ecosystem restoration and the data will provide key haematological and biochemical reference ranges for monitoring their health. However, the capture of a reproductively balanced population may require significant effort due to the relative difficulty with which females were caught. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Avoiding escalation from play to aggression in adult male rats: The role of ultrasonic calls.

PubMed

Burke, Candace J; Kisko, Theresa M; Pellis, Sergio M; Euston, David R

2017-11-01

Play fighting is most commonly associated with juvenile animals, but in some species, including rats, it can continue into adulthood. Post-pubertal engagement in play fighting is often rougher and has an increased chance of escalation to aggression, making the use of play signals to regulate the encounter more critical. During play, both juvenile and adult rats emit many 50-kHz calls and some of these may function as play facilitating signals. In the present study, unfamiliar adult male rats were introduced in a neutral enclosure and their social interactions were recorded. While all pairs escalated their playful encounters to become rougher, only the pairs in which one member was devocalized escalated to serious biting. A Monte Carlo shuffling technique was used for the analysis of the correlations between the overt playful and aggressive actions performed and the types and frequencies of various 50-kHz calls that were emitted. The analysis revealed that lower frequency (20-30kHz) calls with a flat component maybe particularly critical for de-escalating encounters and so allowing play to continue. Moreover, coordinating calls reciprocally, with either the same call mimicked in close, temporal association or with complementary calls emitted by participants as they engage in complementary actions (e.g., attacking the nape, being attacked on the nape), appeared to be ways with which calls could be potentially used to avoid escalation to aggression and so sustain playful interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Think of HIT.

PubMed

Warkentin, Theodore E

2006-01-01

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, or HIT, can present in many ways, ranging from common-isolated thrombocytopenia, venous thromboembolism, acute limb ischemia-to less common but specific presentations-necrotizing skin lesions at heparin injection sites, post-bolus acute systemic reactions, and adrenal hemorrhagic necrosis (secondary to adrenal vein thrombosis). Many patients with HIT have mild or moderate thrombocytopenia: the median platelet count nadir is 60 x 10(9)/L, and ranges from 15 to 150 x 10(9)/L in 90% of patients, most of whom evince a 50% or greater fall in the platelet count. HIT that begins after stopping heparin ("delayed-onset HIT") is increasingly recognized. Factors influencing risk of HIT include type of heparin (unfractionated heparin > low-molecular-weight heparin), type of patient (surgical > medical), and gender (female > male). Since timely diagnosis and treatment of HIT may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes, this review focuses on those clinical circumstances that should prompt the clinician to "think of HIT." Coumarin anticoagulants such as warfarin are ineffective in acute HIT and can even be deleterious by predisposing to micro-thrombosis via protein C depletion (venous limb gangrene and skin necrosis syndromes). Thus, it is important to avoid or postpone coumarin while managing HIT hypercoagulability, focusing on agents that inhibit thrombin directly (lepirudin, argatroban) or that inhibit its generation (danaparoid, fondaparinux). Post-marketing experience suggests that standard dosing of lepirudin is too high; current recommendations are to avoid the initial lepirudin bolus and to begin with lower infusion rates, even in patients without overt renal dysfunction.

The construction of men who are nurses as gay.

PubMed

Harding, Thomas

2007-12-01

This paper is a report of a study to examine the construction of the stereotype of male nurses as gay, and to describe how this discourse impacts on a group of New Zealand male nurses. A discourse stereotyping male nurses as gay is accompanied by one which privileges hegemonic masculinity and marginalizes homosexuality. This social constructionist study drew on data collected from existing texts on men, nursing and masculinity and interviews with 18 New Zealand men conducted in 2003-2004. Discourse analysis, informed by masculinity theory and queer theory, was used to analyse the data. Despite the participants' beliefs that the majority of male nurses are heterosexual, the stereotype persists. A paradox emerged between the 'homosexual' general nurse and the 'heterosexual' psychiatric nurse. The stigma associated with homosexuality exposes male nurses to homophobia in the workplace. The heterosexual men employed strategies to avoid the presumption of homosexuality; these included: avoiding contact with gay colleagues and overt expression of their heterosexuality. There is a paradox between widespread calls for men to participate more in caring and discourses which stereotype male nurses as gay and conflate homosexuality and sexual predation. These stigmatizing discourses create a barrier to caring and, aligned with the presence of homophobia in the workplace, deter men's entry into the profession and may be important issues with respect to their retention. Nurse educators must ensure that nurses are able to resist collusion with stigmatizing discourses that marginalize men (and women) in the profession through the perpetration of gender and sexual stereotypes.

Eunuchs as better fighters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kralj-Fišer, Simona; Kuntner, Matjaž

2012-02-01

Male-male competition for females can significantly affect a male's reproductive success and hence his fitness. Game theory predicts that an individual should avoid fighting when its future reproductive potential is high, but should fight forcefully when its future reproductive potential is insignificant. When mates are scarce, extreme competition and fatal fighting is expected. We recently showed that Nephilengys malabarensis eunuchs, i.e. sterile spider males that lost their genitals during copulation, become more aggressive during male-male contests. Here, we add crucial comparative data by exploring eunuch fighting behaviour in Nephilengys livida from Madagascar, specifically by testing the `better fighter hypotheses' in a laboratory setting. Similar to N. malabarensis, N. livida copulations resulted in total male castration with the severed palp plugging the female genitals in 70.83% cases, which mostly (63.63%) prevented subsequent copulations. Unexpectedly, however, N. livida eunuchs exhibited lower aggressiveness than virgin males. We interpret these results in the light of different mating biology between the so far studied species known for the eunuch phenomenon, which might reflect differing plug effectiveness due to variation in genital anatomy in N. livida, N. malabarensis and Herennia multipuncta. However, detected differences in aggressive behaviour of N. livida versus N. malabarensis eunuchs might also be explained by the species' ecology, with lower population densities resulting in a relaxed male-male competition making excessive aggression and mate guarding redundant. This study thus questions the generality of overt aggressiveness in mated males with no reproductive value, and highlights the importance of understanding the natural history of species in the question.

The effect of chemically induced colitis, psychological stress and their combination on visceral pain in female Wistar rats.

PubMed

Deiteren, Annemie; Vermeulen, Wim; Moreels, Tom G; Pelckmans, Paul A; De Man, Joris G; De Winter, Benedicte Y

2014-09-01

Visceral sensitivity is of pathophysiological importance in abdominal pain disorders and can be modulated by inflammation and stress. However, it is unclear whether inflammation and stress alter visceral perception independently of each other or in conjunction through neuroendocrine interactions. Therefore, we compared the short- and long-term effects of experimental colitis and water avoidance stress (WAS), alone or in combination, on visceral sensitivity in female Wistar rats. Colitis was induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and colonoscopically confirmed. During WAS, rats were placed on a platform surrounded by water for 1 h. Visceral sensitivity was assessed by quantifying the visceromotor responses (VMRs) to colorectal distension. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis was determined by measuring serum corticosterone in a separate protocol. TNBS instillation resulted in overt colitis, associated with significant visceral hypersensitivity during the acute inflammatory phase (3 days post-TNBS; n = 8/group); after colitis had subsided (28 days post-TNBS), hypersensitivity was resolved (n = 4-8/group). Single WAS was associated with increased VMRs of a magnitude comparable to acute TNBS-induced hypersensitivity (n = 8/group). However, after repetitive WAS no significant hypersensitivity was present (n = 8/group). No additive effect of colitis and stress was seen on visceral pain perception (n = 6-8/group). Corticosterone levels were only increased in acute TNBS-colitis, acute WAS and their combination. To conclude, both colitis and stress successfully induced short-term visceral hypersensitivity and activated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but long-term effects were absent. In addition, our current findings do not support an additive effect of colitis and stress on visceral sensitivity in female Wistar rats.

Dwarfism in homozygous Agc1CreERT mice is associated with decreased expression of aggrecan.

PubMed

Rashid, Harunur; Chen, Haiyan; Hassan, Quamarul; Javed, Amjad

2017-10-01

Aggrecan (Acan), a large proteoglycan is abundantly expressed in cartilage tissue. Disruption of Acan gene causes dwarfism and perinatal lethality of homozygous mice. Because of sustained expression of Acan in the growth plate and articular cartilage, Agc Cre model has been developed for the regulated ablation of target gene in chondrocytes. In this model, the IRES-CreERT-Neo-pgk transgene is knocked-in the 3'UTR of the Acan gene. We consistently noticed variable weight and size among the Agc Cre littermates, prompting us to examine the cause of this phenotype. Wild-type, Cre-heterozygous (Agc +/Cre ), and Cre-homozygous (Agc Cre/Cre ) littermates were indistinguishable at birth. However, by 1-month, Agc Cre/Cre mice showed a significant reduction in body weight (18-27%) and body length (19-22%). Low body weight and dwarfism was sustained through adulthood and occurred in both genders. Compared with wild-type and Agc +/Cre littermates, long bones and vertebrae were shorter in Agc Cre/Cre mice. Histological analysis of Agc Cre/Cre mice revealed a significant reduction in the length of the growth plate and the thickness of articular cartilage. The amount of proteoglycan deposited in the cartilage of Agc Cre/Cre mice was nearly half of the WT littermates. Analysis of gene expression indicates impaired differentiation of chondrocyte in hyaline cartilage of Agc Cre/Cre mice. Notably, both Acan mRNA and protein was reduced by 50% in Agc Cre/Cre mice. A strong correlation was noted between the level of Acan mRNA and the body length. Importantly, Agc +/Cre mice showed no overt skeletal phenotype. Thus to avoid misinterpretation of data, only the Agc +/Cre mice should be used for conditional deletion of a target gene in the cartilage tissue. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of probiotic therapy on hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis: an updated meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Xu, Jun; Ma, Rui; Chen, Li-Feng; Zhao, Li-Jun; Chen, Kan; Zhang, Ren-Bing

2014-08-01

Liver cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy have poor prognosis. Probiotics alter the intestinal microbiota and reduce the production of ammonia. We conducted a meta-analysis about the role of probiotics on liver cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy. We collected the relevant literatures up to February 21, 2014 from databases of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. A statistical analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.2 and STATA 12.0 software. Six randomized controlled trials involving 496 liver cirrhotic patients were included. The results showed that probiotic therapy significantly reduced the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OR [95% CI]: 0.42 [0.26, 0.70], P=0.0007). However, probiotics did not affect mortality, levels of serum ammonia and constipation (mortality: OR [95% CI]: 0.73 [0.38, 1.41], P=0.35; serum ammonia: WMD [95% CI]: -3.67 [-15.71, 8.37], P=0.55; constipation: OR [95% CI]: 0.67 [0.29, 1.56], P=0.35). Probiotics decrease overt hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Philosophical behaviorism: a review of things that happen because they should: a teleological approach to action, by Rowland Stout.

PubMed Central

Rachlin, H

1999-01-01

Mentalistic terms such as belief and desire have been rejected by behavior analysts because they are traditionally held to refer to unobservable events inside the organism. Behavior analysis has consequently been viewed by philosophers to be at best irrelevant to psychology, understood as a science of the mind. In this book, the philosopher Rowland Stout argues cogently that beliefs and desires (like operants such as rats' lever presses) are best understood in terms of an interaction over time between overt behavior and its overt consequences (a viewpoint called teleological behaviorism). This book is important because it identifies the science of the mind with the science of overt behavior and implies that the psychologists best equipped to study mental life are not those who purport to do so but those who focus on the experimental analysis of behavior. PMID:10503301

Reassessment of Iron Biomarkers for Prediction of Dialysis Iron Overload: An MRI Study

PubMed Central

Rostoker, Guy; Griuncelli, Mireille; Loridon, Christelle; Magna, Théophile; Machado, Gabrielle; Drahi, Gilles; Dahan, Hervé; Janklewicz, Philippe; Cohen, Yves

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives Iron overload among hemodialysis patients was previously considered rare but is now an increasingly recognized clinical situation. We analyzed correlations between iron biomarkers and the liver iron concentration (LIC) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and examined their diagnostic accuracy for iron overload. Design, Setting, Participants and Measurements We performed a prospective cross-sectional study from 31 January 2005 to 31 August 2013 in the dialysis centre of a French community-based private hospital. A cohort of 212 hemodialysis patients free of overt inflammation or malnutrition, were treated for anemia with parenteral iron-sucrose and an erythropoesis-stimulating agent, in keeping with current clinical guidelines. Blinded measurements of hepatic iron stores were performed by T1 and T2* contrast MRI, and relationships were analysed using Spearman’s coefficient, logistic regression and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Among the biological markers, only serum ferritin showed a strong correlation with LIC (rho= 0.52, 95% CI: 0.41-0.61, p< 0.0001, Spearman test). In logistic analysis, only serum ferritin correctly classified the overall cohort into patients with normal liver iron stores (LIC ≤ 50 μmol/g) and those with elevated liver iron stores (LIC > 50 μmol/g) (odds ratio 1.007; 95% CI: 1.004-1.010). Serum ferritin was the iron biomarker with the best discriminatory capacity in ROC curves analysis (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.767; 95% CI: 0.698-0.835). The optimal serum ferritin cutoffs were 160 μg/L for LIC > 50 μmol/g (mild iron overload) and 290 μg/L for LIC > 200 μmol/g (severe iron overload). Conclusions For clinical purposes, serum ferritin correctly reflects liver iron stores, as assessed by MRI, in hemodialysis patients without overt inflammation or malnutrition. These results strongly suggest that current ferritin target values should be lowered to avoid iron overload. Trial Registration ISRCTN Registry 80100088 PMID:26182077

Engaging Terminally Ill Patients in End of Life Talk: How Experienced Palliative Medicine Doctors Navigate the Dilemma of Promoting Discussions about Dying.

PubMed

Pino, Marco; Parry, Ruth; Land, Victoria; Faull, Christina; Feathers, Luke; Seymour, Jane

2016-01-01

To examine how palliative medicine doctors engage patients in end-of-life (hereon, EoL) talk. To examine whether the practice of "eliciting and responding to cues", which has been widely advocated in the EoL care literature, promotes EoL talk. Conversation analysis of video- and audio-recorded consultations. Unselected terminally ill patients and their companions in consultation with experienced palliative medicine doctors. Outpatient clinic, day therapy clinic, and inpatient unit of a single English hospice. Doctors most commonly promoted EoL talk through open elaboration solicitations; these created opportunities for patients to introduce-then later further articulate-EoL considerations in such a way that doctors did not overtly ask about EoL matters. Importantly, the wording of elaboration solicitations avoided assuming that patients had EoL concerns. If a patient responded to open elaboration solicitations without introducing EoL considerations, doctors sometimes pursued EoL talk by switching to a less participatory and more presumptive type of solicitation, which suggested the patient might have EoL concerns. These more overt solicitations were used only later in consultations, which indicates that doctors give precedence to patients volunteering EoL considerations, and offer them opportunities to take the lead in initiating EoL talk. There is evidence that doctors treat elaboration of patients' talk as a resource for engaging them in EoL conversations. However, there are limitations associated with labelling that talk as "cues" as is common in EoL communication contexts. We examine these limitations and propose "possible EoL considerations" as a descriptively more accurate term. Through communicating-via open elaboration solicitations-in ways that create opportunities for patients to volunteer EoL considerations, doctors navigate a core dilemma in promoting EoL talk: giving patients opportunities to choose whether to engage in conversations about EoL whilst being sensitive to their communication needs, preferences and state of readiness for such dialogue.

Signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1 (SCUBE1) levels in patients with overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism: effects of treatment.

PubMed

Erem, Cihangir; Civan, Nadim; Coskun, Hulya; Mentese, Ahmet; Suleyman, Akile Karacin; Altay, Diler Us; Akgul, Zeynep; Deger, Orhan

2016-06-01

Signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1 (SCUBE1) has been shown to increase in parallel with platelet activation in acute ischaemic and thrombotic diseases. There has been no study evaluating SCUBE1 levels in patients with overt hyperthyroidism (OHyper) and subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper), conditions which are known to show impairment of both endothelial and platelet function. This study sought to evaluate SCUBE1 concentrations in patients with SHyper and OHyper, and assessed the effects of antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy on circulating SCUBE1 levels. Forty-five untreated patients with OHyper, 20 untreated patients with SHyper and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively included in the study. Biochemical and hormonal parameters were evaluated in all patients before and after treatment. Compared with the control subjects, SCUBE1 levels were significantly increased in patients with SHyper and OHyper (P < 0·0001 and P = 0·002, respectively). SCUBE1 levels were not significantly different in patients with OHyper compared with patients with SHyper. There was no significant correlation between serum thyroid hormones and SCUBE1 levels. Plasma SCUBE1 levels decreased significantly in both OHyper and SHyper after ATD treatment (P < 0·05). Increased SCUBE1 levels in both SHyper and OHyper patients may reflect increased platelet activation and possible endothelial dysfunction, which might augment the risk for atherosclerotic and atherothrombotic complications. SCUBE1 may be used as a reliable marker of endothelial damage in hyperthyroidism, especially in the subclinical period. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of rifaximin-α administration for the reduction of episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy in recurrence compared with standard treatment in France.

PubMed

Kabeshova, Anastasiia; Ben Hariz, Soumaia; Tsakeu, Elyonore; Benamouzig, Robert; Launois, Robert

2016-07-01

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome that occurs most often in a context of acute or chronic liver disease. Despite the seriousness of the pathology, only a few treatments have been developed for improving its management. Rifaximin-α is the first treatment that has been clinically developed for overt HE (OHE) episodes. Recent results of clinical studies demonstrated its significant improvement in the health-related quality of life. The objective of the current study was to estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness of rifaximin-α used in combination with lactulose compared with lactulose monotherapy in cirrhotic patients, who have experienced at least two prior OHE events. A Markov model was used to estimate rifaximin-α cost-effectiveness, evaluating it from the perspective of all contributors as recommended by French health technology assessment guidelines. Costs were based on current French treatment practices. The transition between health states was based on the reanalysis of the rifaximin-α pivotal clinical trials RFHE3001 and RFHE3002. The main outcome of the model was cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY). The results indicate that rifaximin-α is a cost-effective treatment option with an incremental cost per QALY gained of €19,187 and €18,517 over two different time horizons (2 and 5 years). The robustness of the model was studied using probabilistic sensitivity analysis. For the societal willingness to pay threshold of €27,000 per QALY gained, rifaximin-α in combination with lactulose is a cost-effective and affordable treatment for patients who have experienced at least two prior overt HE episodes.

Quality of artemisinin-based combination formulations for malaria treatment: prevalence and risk factors for poor quality medicines in public facilities and private sector drug outlets in Enugu, Nigeria.

PubMed

Kaur, Harparkash; Allan, Elizabeth Louise; Mamadu, Ibrahim; Hall, Zoe; Ibe, Ogochukwu; El Sherbiny, Mohamed; van Wyk, Albert; Yeung, Shunmay; Swamidoss, Isabel; Green, Michael D; Dwivedi, Prabha; Culzoni, Maria Julia; Clarke, Siân; Schellenberg, David; Fernández, Facundo M; Onwujekwe, Obinna

2015-01-01

Artemisinin-based combination therapies are recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, yet medication must be of good quality for efficacious treatment. A recent meta-analysis reported 35% (796/2,296) of antimalarial drug samples from 21 Sub-Saharan African countries, purchased from outlets predominantly using convenience sampling, failed chemical content analysis. We used three sampling strategies to purchase artemisinin-containing antimalarials (ACAs) in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria, and compared the resulting quality estimates. ACAs were purchased using three sampling approaches--convenience, mystery clients and overt, within a defined area and sampling frame in Enugu metropolis. The active pharmaceutical ingredients were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography and confirmed by mass spectrometry at three independent laboratories. Results were expressed as percentage of APIs stated on the packaging and used to categorise each sample as acceptable quality, substandard, degraded, or falsified. Content analysis of 3024 samples purchased from 421 outlets using convenience (n=200), mystery (n=1,919) and overt (n=905) approaches, showed overall 90.8% ACAs to be of acceptable quality, 6.8% substandard, 1.3% degraded and 1.2% falsified. Convenience sampling yielded a significantly higher prevalence of poor quality ACAs, but was not evident by the mystery and overt sampling strategies both of which yielded results that were comparable between each other. Artesunate (n=135; 4 falsified) and dihydroartemisinin (n=14) monotherapy tablets, not recommended by WHO, were also identified. Randomised sampling identified fewer falsified ACAs than previously reported by convenience approaches. Our findings emphasise the need for specific consideration to be given to sampling frame and sampling approach if representative information on drug quality is to be obtained.

Evaluation of plasma fibrinogen concentration as a diagnostic indicator of inflammation in red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

PubMed

Moore, A Russell; Allender, Matthew C; Mitchell, Mark A; MacNeill, Amy L

2015-01-15

To critically evaluate plasma fibrinogen concentration as a diagnostic indicator of inflammation in red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). Prospective induced-disease model and prospective cross-sectional study. Plasma samples from 12 purpose-bred red-eared sliders and 153 farm-raised red-eared sliders. A modification of the Jacobsson method was developed to measure fibrinogen concentration in platelet-poor plasma from red-eared sliders. Purpose-bred turtles had been inoculated with a ranavirus (n = 4) or sterile PBS solution (8) as part of another study. Farm-raised red-eared sliders were categorized as healthy (n = 138) or overtly ill (15) on the basis of physical examination findings at the time of blood sample collection. Samples from 124 of the 138 healthy red-eared sliders were used to establish a fibrinogen concentration reference interval as measured by the modified Jacobsson method. Fibrinogen concentrations in ranavirus-infected and physically ill turtles were compared with those of healthy turtles to determine whether fibrinogen concentration would be a useful diagnostic indicator of inflammation in red-eared sliders. The modified Jacobsson method was reliably used to measure fibrinogen concentration. The fibrinogen concentration reference interval from healthy reproductively active female red-eared sliders was right skewed. Fibrinogen concentration did not differ significantly between healthy red-eared sliders and ranavirus-infected or overtly ill red-eared sliders. A reference interval for red-eared slider plasma fibrinogen concentration was established and partitioned by sex to account for considerable right skewing observed for females. Fibrinogen concentration was not a useful indicator of inflammation in red-eared sliders with ranavirus infection or other overt illnesses.

Trace Urine Albumin and Mortality: Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

PubMed

Han, Eun Na; Lee, Kyu Beck; Kim, Hyang; Hyun, Young Youl

2018-06-07

The importance of a trace albumin on the urine dipstick test is not well known and is frequently disregarded in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of trace albuminuria in predicting all-cause mortality in Korean adults. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 347,938 Korean adults who underwent urine dipstick test from 2002 to 2012 in a health examination program. The participants were divided into three groups according to dipstick negative, trace (±), and overt (≥1+) albuminuria. The trace group was further stratified by urine specific gravity (SG) and classified as either high (≥1.020) or low (≤1.015) SG. Mortality data was obtained from STATICS KOREA, a Korean federal statistical organization. During a median follow-up period of 5.9 years, 1,855 deaths occurred. Mortality was compared to negative group and adjusted for potential risk factors. Mortality did not increase in the trace group (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.97-1.47; P=0.097), but increased in the overt (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.38-2.07; P< 0.001) albuminuria group. When the trace group was subdivided according to urine SG, mortality did not increase in the high SG (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.86-1.37; P=0.488) group, but increased in the low SG (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.19-2.83; P=0.006) and overt (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.39-2.08; P< 0.001) groups. Trace albumin with low SG in urine dipstick test was associated with higher all-cause mortality in Korean adults. We should not neglect the significance of trace albumin and SG when interpreting urinalysis results. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Ultrastructural and cellular basis for the development of abnormal myocardial mechanics during the transition from hypertension to heart failure.

PubMed

Shah, Sanjiv J; Aistrup, Gary L; Gupta, Deepak K; O'Toole, Matthew J; Nahhas, Amanda F; Schuster, Daniel; Chirayil, Nimi; Bassi, Nikhil; Ramakrishna, Satvik; Beussink, Lauren; Misener, Sol; Kane, Bonnie; Wang, David; Randolph, Blake; Ito, Aiko; Wu, Megan; Akintilo, Lisa; Mongkolrattanothai, Thitipong; Reddy, Mahendra; Kumar, Manvinder; Arora, Rishi; Ng, Jason; Wasserstrom, J Andrew

2014-01-01

Although the development of abnormal myocardial mechanics represents a key step during the transition from hypertension to overt heart failure (HF), the underlying ultrastructural and cellular basis of abnormal myocardial mechanics remains unclear. We therefore investigated how changes in transverse (T)-tubule organization and the resulting altered intracellular Ca(2+) cycling in large cell populations underlie the development of abnormal myocardial mechanics in a model of chronic hypertension. Hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs; n = 72) were studied at different ages and stages of hypertensive heart disease and early HF and were compared with age-matched control (Wistar-Kyoto) rats (n = 34). Echocardiography, including tissue Doppler and speckle-tracking analysis, was performed just before euthanization, after which T-tubule organization and Ca(2+) transients were studied using confocal microscopy. In SHRs, abnormalities in myocardial mechanics occurred early in response to hypertension, before the development of overt systolic dysfunction and HF. Reduced longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain as well as reduced tissue Doppler early diastolic tissue velocities occurred in concert with T-tubule disorganization and impaired Ca(2+) cycling, all of which preceded the development of cardiac fibrosis. The time to peak of intracellular Ca(2+) transients was slowed due to T-tubule disruption, providing a link between declining cell ultrastructure and abnormal myocardial mechanics. In conclusion, subclinical abnormalities in myocardial mechanics occur early in response to hypertension and coincide with the development of T-tubule disorganization and impaired intracellular Ca(2+) cycling. These changes occur before the development of significant cardiac fibrosis and precede the development of overt cardiac dysfunction and HF.

Effect of developmental exposure to chlorpyrifos on the expression of neurotrophin growth factors and cell-specific markers in neonatal rat brain.

PubMed

Betancourt, Angela M; Burgess, Shane C; Carr, Russell L

2006-08-01

Chlorpyrifos (CPS), a known neurotoxicant, is a widely used agricultural organophosphorus insecticide. The effects of postnatal exposure to CPS on the expression of mRNA for two factors critical to brain development, nerve growth factor (NGF) and reelin, were investigated in the forebrain of rats. In addition, the expression of mRNA for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) M(1) subtype and cell-specific markers for developing neurons (beta-III tubulin), astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP), and oligodendrocytes (myelin-associated glycoprotein, MAG) was also investigated. Oral administration of CPS (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg) or the corn oil vehicle was performed daily from postnatal days (PNDs) 1 through 6. No signs of overt toxicity or of cholinergic hyperstimulation were observed after CPS administration. Body weight was significantly different from controls on PND7 in both males and females exposed to 3.0 mg/kg CPS. Quantitative PCR was performed on the forebrain. The expression of NGF, reelin, and M(1) mAChR mRNA was significantly reduced with both dosages of CPS in both sexes. beta-III Tubulin mRNA expression remained unchanged after exposure, whereas MAG mRNA expression was significantly decreased with both dosages of CPS in both sexes, suggesting effects on the developing oligodendrocytes. In contrast, GFAP mRNA levels were significantly increased with both dosages of CPS in both sexes, suggesting increased astrocyte reactivity. Our findings indicate that dosages of CPS which cause significant cholinesterase inhibition but do not exert overt toxicity can adversely affect the expression levels of critical genes involved in brain development during the early postnatal period in the rat.

The Diagnostic Value of Pulsed Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging in Asymptomatic Beta- Thalassemia Major Children and Young Adults; Relation to Chemical Biomarkers of Left Ventricular Function and Iron Overload

PubMed Central

Ragab, Seham M; Fathy, Waleed M; El-Aziz, Walaa FAbd; Helal, Rasha T

2015-01-01

Background Cardiac iron toxicity is the leading cause of death among β-halassaemia major (TM) patients. Once heart failure becomes overt, it is difficult to reverse. Objectives To investigate non-overt cardiac dysfunctions in TM patients using pulsed wave Tissue Doppler Imaging (TD I) and its relation to iron overload and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Methods Thorough clinical, conventional echo and pulsed wave TDI parameters were compared between asymptomatic 25 β-TM patients and 20 age and gender matched individuals. Serum ferritin and plasma BNP levels were assayed by ELISA. Results TM patients had significant higher mitral inflow early diastolic (E) wave and non significant other conventional echo parameters. In the patient group, pulsed wave TDI revealed systolic dysfunctions, in the form of significant higher isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), and lower ejection time (E T), with diastolic dysfunction in the form of higher isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), and lower mitral annulus early diastolic velocity E′ (12.07 ±2.06 vs 15.04±2.65, P= 0.003) compared to the controls. Plasma BNP was higher in patients compared to the controls. Plasma BNP and serum ferritin had a significant correlation with each other and with pulsed wave conventional and TDI indices of systolic and diastolic functions. Patients with E/E′ ≥ 8 had significant higher serum ferritin and plasma BNP levels compared to those with ratio < 8 without a difference in Hb levels. Conclusion Pulsed wave TDI is an important diagnostic tool for latent cardiac dysfunction in iron-loaded TM patients and is related to iron overload and BNP. PMID:26401240

The Diagnostic Value of Pulsed Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging in Asymptomatic Beta- Thalassemia Major Children and Young Adults; Relation to Chemical Biomarkers of Left Ventricular Function and Iron Overload.

PubMed

Ragab, Seham M; Fathy, Waleed M; El-Aziz, Walaa FAbd; Helal, Rasha T

2015-01-01

Cardiac iron toxicity is the leading cause of death among β-halassaemia major (TM) patients. Once heart failure becomes overt, it is difficult to reverse. To investigate non-overt cardiac dysfunctions in TM patients using pulsed wave Tissue Doppler Imaging (TD I) and its relation to iron overload and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Thorough clinical, conventional echo and pulsed wave TDI parameters were compared between asymptomatic 25 β-TM patients and 20 age and gender matched individuals. Serum ferritin and plasma BNP levels were assayed by ELISA. TM patients had significant higher mitral inflow early diastolic (E) wave and non significant other conventional echo parameters. In the patient group, pulsed wave TDI revealed systolic dysfunctions, in the form of significant higher isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), and lower ejection time (E T), with diastolic dysfunction in the form of higher isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), and lower mitral annulus early diastolic velocity E' (12.07 ±2.06 vs 15.04±2.65, P= 0.003) compared to the controls. Plasma BNP was higher in patients compared to the controls. Plasma BNP and serum ferritin had a significant correlation with each other and with pulsed wave conventional and TDI indices of systolic and diastolic functions. Patients with E/E' ≥ 8 had significant higher serum ferritin and plasma BNP levels compared to those with ratio < 8 without a difference in Hb levels. Pulsed wave TDI is an important diagnostic tool for latent cardiac dysfunction in iron-loaded TM patients and is related to iron overload and BNP.

Thinking about thinking and feeling about feeling

PubMed Central

Moore, J.

2000-01-01

Traditional clinical psychology generally posits “mental” events that differ from “behavioral” events. Mental events are not publicly observable, take place in a different dimension from overt behavior, and are the topic of primary concern. For example, mental events are often taken to be causes of troublesome overt behavior. In addition, the mental events themselves may be regarded as troublesome, independent of their relation to any specific overt behavior. Therapy is usually aimed at fixing these troublesome mental events, under an assumption that improvement in the client's status will follow in due course. Behavior analysis has its own position on the relations among clinical matters, overt behavior, and such private events as thinking and feeling. In a behavior-analytic view, private events are behavioral phenomena rather than mental phenomena. They are not initiating causes of behavior; rather, they are themselves caused by antecedent conditions, but they may contribute to discriminative control over subsequent behavior, both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal processes are viewed as vitally important in understanding troublesome behavior. However, the circumstances that cause both the troublesome private events and the troublesome behavior in the first place still need to be addressed. Finally, clinical behavior analysis will need to market its insights into diagnosis and treatment very adroitly, because it rejects the mentalism upon which most traditional forms of therapy are predicated and the mentalism that most consumers expect to encounter. PMID:22478337

Are Narcissists More Likely to Be Involved in Cyberbullying? Examining the Mediating Role of Self-Esteem.

PubMed

Fan, Cui-Ying; Chu, Xiao-Wei; Zhang, Meng; Zhou, Zong-Kui

2016-08-01

Although cyberbullying, a new type of aggressive behavior via electronic means, has been found to be strongly linked with individuals' personality characteristics, few studies to date have investigated its relationship with narcissism, especially overt and covert narcissism. The current study tested the associations between overt and covert narcissism on one hand and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization on the other. To explain these differences further, self-esteem was tested as a mediator through which the two types of narcissism may exert their influences on cyberbullying. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 814 Chinese adolescents aged 11 to 18. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that after controlling for gender and student status (middle or high school students), covert narcissism positively predicted both cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, whereas overt narcissism had no association with either perpetration or victimization. Furthermore, when gender and student status were controlled, self-esteem mediated the relationships between overt/covert narcissism and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, highlighting the possibility that self-esteem is an explanatory mechanism for the associations between the two types of narcissism and cyberbullying. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing engagement in cyberbullying may be more urgent and important for individuals with high levels of covert narcissism. Boosting self-esteem needs to be particularly highlighted in developing anti-bullying measures and policies.

Overt orienting of spatial attention and corticospinal excitability during action observation are unrelated

PubMed Central

Betti, Sonia; Castiello, Umberto; Guerra, Silvia

2017-01-01

Observing moving body parts can automatically activate topographically corresponding motor representations in the primary motor cortex (M1), the so-called direct matching. Novel neurophysiological findings from social contexts are nonetheless proving that this process is not automatic as previously thought. The motor system can flexibly shift from imitative to incongruent motor preparation, when requested by a social gesture. In the present study we aim to bring an increase in the literature by assessing whether and how diverting overt spatial attention might affect motor preparation in contexts requiring interactive responses from the onlooker. Experiment 1 shows that overt attention—although anchored to an observed biological movement—can be captured by a target object as soon as a social request for it becomes evident. Experiment 2 reveals that the appearance of a short-lasting red dot in the contralateral space can divert attention from the target, but not from the biological movement. Nevertheless, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over M1 combined with electromyography (EMG) recordings (Experiment 3) indicates that attentional interference reduces corticospinal excitability related to the observed movement, but not motor preparation for a complementary action on the target. This work provides evidence that social motor preparation is impermeable to attentional interference and that a double dissociation is present between overt orienting of spatial attention and neurophysiological markers of action observation. PMID:28319191

Maternal child-feeding practices and dietary inadequacy of 4-year-old children.

PubMed

Durão, Catarina; Andreozzi, Valeska; Oliveira, Andreia; Moreira, Pedro; Guerra, António; Barros, Henrique; Lopes, Carla

2015-09-01

This study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal perceived responsibility and child-feeding practices and dietary inadequacy of 4-year-old children. We studied 4122 mothers and children enrolled in the population-based birth cohort - Generation XXI (Porto, Portugal). Mothers self-completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire and a scale on covert and overt control, and answered to a food frequency questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. Using dietary guidelines for preschool children, adequacy intervals were defined: fruit and vegetables (F&V) 4-7 times/day; dairy 3-5 times/day; meat and eggs 5-10 times/week; fish 2-4 times/week. Inadequacy was considered as below or above these cut-points. For energy-dense micronutrient-poor foods and beverages (EDF), a tolerable limit was defined (<6 times/week). Associations between maternal perceived responsibility and child-feeding practices (restriction, monitoring, pressure to eat, overt and covert control) and children's diet were examined by logistic regression models. After adjustment for maternal BMI, education, and diet, and children's characteristics (sex, BMI z-scores), restriction, monitoring, overt and covert control were associated with 11-18% lower odds of F&V consumption below the interval defined as adequate. Overt control was also associated with 24% higher odds of their consumption above it. Higher perceived responsibility was associated with higher odds of children consuming F&V and dairy above recommendations. Pressure to eat was positively associated with consumption of dairy above the adequate interval. Except for pressure to eat, maternal practices were associated with 14-27% lower odds of inadequate consumption of EDF. In conclusion, children whose mothers had higher levels of covert control, monitoring, and restriction were less likely to consume F&V below recommendations and EDF above tolerable limits. Higher overt control and pressure to eat were associated, respectively, with higher possibility of children consuming F&V and dairy above recommendations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity and reproducibility of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire in Austrian adults at risk of or with overt diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Farukuoye, Michaela; Strassburger, Klaus; Kacerovsky-Bielesz, Gertrud; Giani, Guido; Roden, Michael

2014-05-01

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) provide an inexpensive tool for dietary assessment. Given the scarcity of data on their validity for nutritional analysis in persons with overt diabetes mellitus or with increased risk of diabetes (relatives of patients with diabetes), this study tests the hypothesis that an FFQ, adapted to local dietary habits, yields a reliable estimate of nutrient intake when compared with 7-day food record (7DR) in healthy, prediabetes, and diabetes cohorts. One hundred three volunteers (50 persons with overt diabetes mellitus, 24 relatives of patients with diabetes, and 29 nondiabetic individuals without a family history of diabetes) completed both FFQ and 7DR. A second FFQ was completed by 100 of these volunteers after 3 months to evaluate its reproducibility. Data were compared by correlation and Bland-Altman analyses. Across the entire group, estimates for gram intakes of nutrients and total energy were associated with wide limits of agreement between FFQ and 7DR (correlation coefficients, 0.23-0.72; P < .02). Compared with 7DR, the FFQ overestimated intakes of saturated fat in the entire group (+6.6 ± 14 g; P < .001) and in persons with overt diabetes mellitus (+7.6 ± 15 g; P < .001) but underestimated protein intake in relatives of patients with diabetes (-16.36 ± 31 g; P = .01). The repeated FFQ revealed variable agreement (correlation coefficients, 0.34-0.72; P < .001) and underestimated (P < .01) macronutrient and total energy intakes, with slightly better performance in persons with overt diabetes mellitus and relatives of patients with diabetes than in nondiabetic individuals without a family history of diabetes. Hence, the FFQ allows measuring intakes of total energy and macronutrients in prediabetes and diabetes cohorts but reveals limitations when assessing dietary composition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

PubMed

Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Moreno, David; Musitu, Gonzalo

2018-01-01

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression -overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental-, and peer victimization -overt physical and verbal, and relational-, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 ( M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14-16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt-reactive and instrumental-and relational-reactive and instrumental-aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt-physical and verbal-and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11-14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence.

Serum thyrotrophin at baseline predicts the natural course of subclinical hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Das, G; Ojewuyi, T A; Baglioni, P; Geen, J; Premawardhana, L D; Okosieme, O E

2012-07-01

Optimal therapeutic strategies for subclinical hyperthyroidism are undecided. Overt disease develops in a minority of cases, but the risk factors for progression remain unclear. We examined whether a baseline thyrotrophin (TSH) predicted progression to overt hyperthyroidism in asymptomatic individuals with subclinical hyperthyroidism. This was a retrospective study of 323 patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism seen in our institution from 2003 to 2010 (mean age 71 years, males 26·9%, females 73·1%, mean follow-up duration 32 months, range 6-93 months). Serum TSH and free thyroxine (FT4) were documented at baseline and during follow-up. After excluding individuals with nonthyroid causes of low TSH, patients were grouped according to initial TSH as: TSH 0·10-0·39 mU/l (grade I) and TSH < 0·10 mU/l (grade II). Only 38 patients (11·8%) developed overt hyperthyroidism with annual progression rates of 0·6-3·7%. Most patients reverted to normal thyroid status (31·6%) or remained subclinically hyperthyroid (56·7%). Progression to frank hyperthyroidism was higher in grade II than in grade I patients (20·3% vs 6·8%, P < 0·001, Chi square test). Kaplan-Meier curves showed faster progression rates in grade II than grade I (P < 0·001, log rank test). In stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis, TSH < 0·1 mU/l was associated with overt hyperthyroidism (hazard ratio 3·4, confidence interval 1·6-7·0), whereas age, gender, FT4 and aetiological diagnosis were not associated with hyperthyroidism. Thyrotrophin predicts overt hyperthyroidism in asymptomatic individuals with subclinical hyperthyroidism. Patients with TSH < 0·10 mU/l have a higher risk of progressing to hyperthyroidism than those with TSH 0·10-0·39 mU/l. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Risk factors for development of incipient and overt diabetic nephropathy in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: prospective, observational study.

PubMed Central

Gall, M. A.; Hougaard, P.; Borch-Johnsen, K.; Parving, H. H.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate putative risk factors for the development of incipient diabetic nephropathy (persistent microalbuminuria) and overt diabetic nephropathy (persistent macroalbuminuria) in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study of a cohort of white, non-insulin dependent diabetic patients followed for a median period of 5.8 years. SETTING: Outpatient clinic in tertiary referral centre. SUBJECTS: 191 patients aged under 66 years with non-insulin dependent diabetes and normoalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion rate < 30 mg/24 h) who attended the clinic during 1987. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incipient and overt diabetic nephropathy. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were lost to follow up. Thirty six of the 176 remaining developed persistent microalbuminuria (30-299 mg/24 h in two out of three consecutive 24 hour urine collections) and five developed persistent macroalbuminuria (> or = mg/24 h in two out of three consecutive collections) during follow up. The five year cumulative incidence of incipient diabetic nephropathy was 23% (95% confidence interval 17% to 30%). Cox's multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed the following risk factors for the development of incipient or overt diabetic nephropathy: increased baseline log urinary albumin excretion rate (relative risk 11.1 (3.4 to 35.9); P < 0.0001); male sex (2.6 (1.2 to 5.4); P < 0.02); presence of retinopathy (2.4 (1.3 to 4.7); P < 0.01); increased serum cholesterol concentration (1.4 (1.1 to 1.7); P < 0.01); haemoglobin A1c concentration (1.2 (1.0 to 1.4); P < 0.05); and age (1.07 (1.02 to 1.12); P < 0.01). Known duration of diabetes, body mass index, arterial blood pressure, serum creatinine concentration, pre-existing coronary heart disease, and history of smoking were not risk factors. CONCLUSION: Several potentially modifiable risk factors predict the development of incipient and overt diabetic nephropathy in normoalbuminuric patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes. PMID:9080995

Is the Proportion of Carbohydrate Intake Associated with the Incidence of Diabetes Complications?-An Analysis of the Japan Diabetes Complications Study.

PubMed

Horikawa, Chika; Yoshimura, Yukio; Kamada, Chiemi; Tanaka, Shiro; Tanaka, Sachiko; Matsunaga, Satoshi; Hanyu, Osamu; Araki, Atsushi; Ito, Hideki; Tanaka, Akira; Ohashi, Yasuo; Akanuma, Yasuo; Sone, Hirohito

2017-02-06

The appropriate proportions of macronutritional intake have been controversial in medical nutritional therapy for diabetes, and evidence of the effects of carbohydrate consumption on diabetes complications in prospective settings is sparse. We investigated the relationships between proportions of carbohydrate intake as the % of total energy and diabetes complications in a nationwide cohort of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged 40-70 years with hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%. The analysis was of 1516 responders to a baseline dietary survey assessed by the Food Frequency Questionnaire based on food groups. Primary outcomes were times to overt nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) after 8 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) for proportions of carbohydrate intake were estimated by Cox regression adjusted for confounders. High carbohydrate intake was significantly related to higher intakes of grain, fruits, and sweets/snacks and lower intakes of soybean and soy products, vegetables, seaweed, meat and processed meat, fish and processed fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, oil, and alcoholic beverages. During the eight-year follow-up, there were 81, 275, and 129 events of overt nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and CVD, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, HRs for complications in patients with carbohydrate intake in the second or third tertiles (51.0%-56.4% and ≥56.5%, respectively) compared with carbohydrate intake in the first tertile (<50.9%, referent) were analyzed. No significant associations were shown in the second and third tertiles relative to first tertile (overt nephropathy: 1.05 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.54-2.06) and 0.98 (0.40-2.44); diabetic retinopathy: 1.30 (0.90-1.88) and 1.30 (0.78-2.15); and CVD: 0.95 (0.55-1.63) and 1.37 (0.69-2.72)). By exploring potentially nonlinear relationships, trends for the incidence of diabetes complications according to proportions of carbohydrate intake were not clearly shown. Findings suggested that proportions of carbohydrate intake were not associated with the incidence of diabetes complications among type 2 diabetes patients in Japan.

Combination use of atomoxetine hydrochloride and olanzapine in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with comorbid disruptive behavior disorder in children and adolescents 10-18 years of age.

PubMed

Holzer, Barry; Lopes, Vasco; Lehman, Robert

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the use of atomoxetine and olanzapine in combination to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disruptive behaviors in children and adolescents 10-18 years of age. Eleven subjects ages 10-18 received open-label atomoxetine and olanzapine for a 10 week treatment period. Patients were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks (posttreatment). ADHD improvement was measured through the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) (Investigator and Parent ratings). Aggression was measured through the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS). The combined use of atomoxetine and olanzapine resulted in statistically significant improvement in ADHD symptoms and overt aggression from baseline to posttreatment. As evidenced by a 33% reduction in symptoms on the ADHD-RS-I and the MOAS, 73% of patients were considered responders to ADHD treatment, whereas 55% responded to treatment for aggression. Both medications were generally well tolerated. Olanzapine treatment was associated with significant weight gain. Patients gained, on average, 3.9 kg. throughout the treatment period. These data provide initial evidence that combination use of atomoxetine and olanzapine for the treatment of ADHD and comorbid disruptive behaviors was effective in reducing ADHD symptoms and aggressive behavior in a 10 week treatment period.

[Thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy].

PubMed

Díez, Juan J; Iglesias, Pedro; Donnay, Sergio

2015-10-21

Recent clinical practice guidelines on thyroid dysfunction and pregnancy have changed health care provided to pregnant women, although their recommendations are under constant revision. Trimester- and area-specific reference ranges for serum thyroid-stimulating hormone are required for proper diagnosis of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. There is no doubt on the need of therapy for overt hypothyroidism, while therapy for subclinical hypothyroidism is controversial. Further research is needed to settle adverse effects of isolated hypothyroxinemia and thyroid autoimmunity. Differentiation between hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and the usually self-limited gestational transient thyrotoxicosis is critical. It is also important to recognize risk factors for postpartum thyroiditis. Supplementation with iodine is recommended to maintain adequate iodine nutrition during pregnancy and avoid serious consequences in offspring. Controversy remains about universal screening for thyroid disease during pregnancy or case-finding in high-risk women. Opinions of some scientific societies and recent cost-benefit studies favour universal screening. Randomized controlled studies currently under development should reduce the uncertainties that still remain in this area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Behavioral decisions for managing social distance and aggression in captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

PubMed

Renner, Michael J; Kelly, Aislinn L

2006-01-01

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in most zoos attracts high levels of public attention and can play an important role in conservation education. Polar bears in the wild are typically solitary; bears in captivity often house socially. This study reported behavioral evidence on how bears manage this situation and whether proximity leads to aggression. The study recorded location and behavior once per minute for 106 hr for 2 female polar bears at the Philadelphia Zoo; the samples represented all times of day bears spent in the enclosure (off-exhibit time spent in separate, indoor dens). When changing locations, 1 bear more frequently moved away from the other, effecting a net increase in interindividual distance. When either bear moved into an adjacent zone, 1 typically moved away. The bears occupied the same enclosure zone for a low proportion of time; proximity did not routinely lead to overt aggression. These data indicate polar bears make behavioral decisions, minimizing aggression, to manage social distance and that enclosure designers for solitary species--to facilitate social avoidance--should consider using topographical complexity and multiple pathways throughout.

Recent advances in metastasis research.

PubMed

Molloy, Tim; van 't Veer, Laura J

2008-02-01

Advances in the early prediction, detection, and treatment of metastatic disease has improved the outlook in cancer patients in recent decades, however, metastasis remains the major cause of death in affected individuals. Metastasis occurs in a series of discreet biological steps in which a single, frequently clinically occult micrometastatic cell travels from the primary tumor to a distant location, where it lodges, grows, and ultimately results in the patient's death. Recent work has provided many new insights in the mechanisms and biology behind metastatic spread. This short review surveys some of the most important recent developments that have helped increase our understanding of the three broad phases of metastasis - the genesis of the metastatic cell through the loss of local constraints in the primary tumor microenvironment, dissemination of the cell to a distant organ while avoiding immune surveillance, and finally lodging and growth of the overt metastasis. These studies are providing mounting evidence that the interactions between tumor and normal cells and tissues are critical for disease progression - a paradigm that will provide a fertile area for future research.

Psychotherapy-lite: obesity and the role of the mental health practitioner.

PubMed

Karasu, Sylvia R

2013-01-01

Obesity is a chronic medical disorder that is the result of a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, neuro-endocrinological, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. There are treatment algorithms, depending on the severity of obesity, and a multi-component approach, including attention to psychological issues, is recommended regardless of the level of obesity. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is beneficial in assisting with stimulus control, self-monitoring of lifestyle changes, goal-setting, and restructuring negative and self-defeating thoughts, and psychodynamic (insight-oriented) psychotherapy is useful in assisting with conflicts regarding excessive weight, body image, relationship to food and disordered patterns of eating, and dealing with the prejudice and overt discrimination obese patients may experience. Neither therapy is particularly effective alone and either and/or both may need to be continued indefinitely to avoid inevitable weight regain. Psychological intervention before and during the difficult process of dieting, as well as before and after bariatric surgery, is essential for some vulnerable patients. Since psychological factors are neither primarily etiological nor even necessarily predominant in obesity, the mental health professional plays an important, though adjunctive--"psychotherapy-lite" role--in treating obese patients.

[Subclinical hypothyroidism - laboratory finding or disease?].

PubMed

Voigtländer, Richard; Führer, Dagmar

2016-08-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism first of all is a laboratory finding, defined by elevated TSH and normal peripheral thyroxine concentrations. The first steps are to verify the condition and to clarify whether the patient has underlying thyroid disease or other comorbidities. Results of recent studies on subclinical hypothyroidism are reassuring. No consistent association has been demonstrated between mildly elevated TSH levels (5-10 mIU / l) and cardiovascular events, mortality, fracture risk or cognitive impairment. In contrast TSH levels between 5-10 mIU / l may even confer lower mortality in the elderly and may hence be protective. These data strongly suggest that the long-time controversy on definition of normal upper TSH levels should take a more conservative turn. Thus, diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism should be handled cautiously. Individualized treatment decision is recommended if TSH levels are only mildly elevated and less than 8-10 mIU / l. In case of autoimmune thyroiditis or previous thyroid therapy (surgery, radioiodine treatment) the risk of progression to overt hypothyroidism has to be considered and there is no doubt that the latter should be avoided. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Aerial Jumping in the Trinidadian Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

PubMed Central

Soares, Daphne; Bierman, Hilary S.

2013-01-01

Many fishes are able to jump out of the water and launch themselves into the air. Such behavior has been connected with prey capture, migration and predator avoidance. We found that jumping behavior of the guppy Poecilia reticulata is not associated with any of the above. The fish jump spontaneously, without being triggered by overt sensory cues, is not migratory and does not attempt to capture aerial food items. Here, we use high speed video imaging to analyze the kinematics of the jumping behavior P. reticulata. Fish jump from a still position by slowly backing up while using its pectoral fins, followed by strong body trusts which lead to launching into the air several body lengths. The liftoff phase of the jump is fast and fish will continue with whole body thrusts and tail beats, even when out of the water. This behavior occurs when fish are in a group or in isolation. Geography has had substantial effects on guppy evolution, with waterfalls reducing gene flow and constraining dispersal. We suggest that jumping has evolved in guppies as a behavioral phenotype for dispersal. PMID:23613883

Inkjet Printing Based Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeiting Structural Colors

PubMed Central

Nam, Hyunmoon; Song, Kyungjun; Ha, Dogyeong; Kim, Taesung

2016-01-01

Photonic crystal structures can be created to manipulate electromagnetic waves so that many studies have focused on designing photonic band-gaps for various applications including sensors, LEDs, lasers, and optical fibers. Here, we show that mono-layered, self-assembled photonic crystals (SAPCs) fabricated by using an inkjet printer exhibit extremely weak structural colors and multiple colorful holograms so that they can be utilized in anti-counterfeit measures. We demonstrate that SAPC patterns on a white background are covert under daylight, such that pattern detection can be avoided, but they become overt in a simple manner under strong illumination with smartphone flash light and/or on a black background, showing remarkable potential for anti-counterfeit techniques. Besides, we demonstrate that SAPCs yield different RGB histograms that depend on viewing angles and pattern densities, thus enhancing their cryptographic capabilities. Hence, the structural colorations designed by inkjet printers would not only produce optical holograms for the simple authentication of many items and products but also enable a high-secure anti-counterfeit technique. PMID:27487978

Thymic selection threshold defined by compartmentalization of Ras/MAPK signalling.

PubMed

Daniels, Mark A; Teixeiro, Emma; Gill, Jason; Hausmann, Barbara; Roubaty, Dominique; Holmberg, Kaisa; Werlen, Guy; Holländer, Georg A; Gascoigne, Nicholas R J; Palmer, Ed

2006-12-07

A healthy individual can mount an immune response to exogenous pathogens while avoiding an autoimmune attack on normal tissues. The ability to distinguish between self and non-self is called 'immunological tolerance' and, for T lymphocytes, involves the generation of a diverse pool of functional T cells through positive selection and the removal of overtly self-reactive thymocytes by negative selection during T-cell ontogeny. To elucidate how thymocytes arrive at these cell fate decisions, here we have identified ligands that define an extremely narrow gap spanning the threshold that distinguishes positive from negative selection. We show that, at the selection threshold, a small increase in ligand affinity for the T-cell antigen receptor leads to a marked change in the activation and subcellular localization of Ras and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling intermediates and the induction of negative selection. The ability to compartmentalize signalling molecules differentially in the cell endows the thymocyte with the ability to convert a small change in analogue input (affinity) into a digital output (positive versus negative selection) and provides the basis for establishing central tolerance.

Peer status and aggression as predictors of dating popularity in adolescence.

PubMed

Houser, John J; Mayeux, Lara; Cross, Cassandra

2015-03-01

Research has identified links between dating and aversive behavior such as aggression and bullying in adolescence, highlighting the need for studies that further our understanding of romantic relationships and their dynamics during this period. This study tested the associations between dating popularity and overt and relational aggression, social preference, and peer popularity. Of particular interest were the moderating roles of social preference and peer popularity in the association of aggression with dating popularity. Further moderation by gender was also explored. Participants were 478 ninth-graders (48% girls) with peer nomination scores for peer status, aggression, and dating popularity. Dating popularity was positively correlated with popularity, social preference, and overt and relational aggression. Regression models indicated that popular, overtly aggressive girls were seen as desirable dating partners by their male peers. Relational aggression was associated with dating popularity for both boys and girls, especially for youths who were well-liked by peers. These findings are interpreted in light of developmental-contextual perspectives on adolescent romantic relationships and Resource Control Theory.

Suppression of overt attentional capture by salient-but-irrelevant color singletons.

PubMed

Gaspelin, Nicholas; Leonard, Carly J; Luck, Steven J

2017-01-01

For more than 2 decades, researchers have debated the nature of cognitive control in the guidance of visual attention. Stimulus-driven theories claim that salient stimuli automatically capture attention, whereas goal-driven theories propose that an individual's attentional control settings determine whether salient stimuli capture attention. In the current study, we tested a hybrid account called the signal suppression hypothesis, which claims that all stimuli automatically generate a salience signal but that this signal can be actively suppressed by top-down attentional mechanisms. Previous behavioral and electrophysiological research has shown that participants can suppress covert shifts of attention to salient-but-irrelevant color singletons. In this study, we used eye-tracking methods to determine whether participants can also suppress overt shifts of attention to irrelevant singletons. We found that under conditions that promote active suppression of the irrelevant singletons, overt attention was less likely to be directed toward the salient distractors than toward nonsalient distractors. This result provides direct evidence that people can suppress salient-but-irrelevant singletons below baseline levels.

Cortical systems associated with covert music rehearsal.

PubMed

Langheim, Frederick J P; Callicott, Joseph H; Mattay, Venkata S; Duyn, Jeff H; Weinberger, Daniel R

2002-08-01

Musical representation and overt music production are necessarily complex cognitive phenomena. While overt musical performance may be observed and studied, the act of performance itself necessarily skews results toward the importance of primary sensorimotor and auditory cortices. However, imagined musical performance (IMP) represents a complex behavioral task involving components suited to exploring the physiological underpinnings of musical cognition in music performance without the sensorimotor and auditory confounds of overt performance. We mapped the blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI activation response associated with IMP in experienced musicians independent of the piece imagined. IMP consistently activated supplementary motor and premotor areas, right superior parietal lobule, right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral mid-frontal gyri, and bilateral lateral cerebellum in contrast with rest, in a manner distinct from fingertapping versus rest and passive listening to the same piece versus rest. These data implicate an associative network independent of primary sensorimotor and auditory activity, likely representing the cortical elements most intimately linked to music production.

Maternal depression and intimate partner violence exposure: Longitudinal analyses of the development of aggressive behavior in an at-risk sample.

PubMed

Holmes, Megan R; Yoon, Susan; Berg, Kristen A

2017-07-01

A substantial body of literature has documented the negative effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on a wide range of children's developmental outcomes. However, whether a child's exposure to IPV leads to increased adjustment difficulties is likely to depend on a variety of factors, including the caregiver's mental health and the developmental time period when IPV exposure occurs. The present study seeks to improve our understanding of the long-term effects of IPV exposure and maternal depression on the development of children's overt aggressive behavior. Longitudinal analyses (i.e., latent growth curve modeling) examining three time points (toddler: age 2-3 years, preschool/kindergarten: age 4-5 years, and elementary school: age 6-8 years) were conducted using 1,399 at-risk children drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-I). IPV exposure during age 2-3 years was significantly related to concurrent aggressive behavior and aggressive behavior during age 4-5 years. At all three time points, IPV was significantly associated with maternal depression, which in turn, was significantly related to higher levels of aggressive behavior. There was also a significant indirect lagged effect of IPV exposure at age 2-3 years through maternal depression on aggressive behavior at age 4-5 years. Results indicated that maternal depression was a strong predictor of increased reports of overt aggressive behavior, suggesting that interventions to buffer the effects of IPV exposure should focus on relieving maternal depression and fostering productive social behavior in children. Aggr. Behav. 43:375-385, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Carotid Artery Stiffness, Digital Endothelial Function, and Coronary Calcium in Patients with Essential Thrombocytosis, Free of Overt Atherosclerotic Disease

PubMed Central

Vrtovec, Matjaz; Anzic, Ajda; Zupan, Irena Preloznik; Zaletel, Katja

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at increased risk for atherothrombotic events. Our aim was to determine if patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET), a subtype of MPNs, free of symptomatic atherosclerosis, have greater carotid artery stiffness, worse endothelial function, greater coronary calcium and carotid plaque burden than control subjects. Patients and methods 40 ET patients without overt vascular disease, and 42 apparently healthy, age and sex-matched control subjects with comparable classical risk factors for atherosclerosis and Framingham risk of coronary disease were enrolled. All subjects were examined by physical and laboratory testing, carotid echo-tracking ultrasound, digital EndoPat pletysmography and CT coronary calcium scoring. Results No significant differences were found between ET patients and controls in carotid plaque score [1 (0-1.25) vs. 0 (0-2), p=0.30], β- index of carotid stiffness [7.75 (2.33) vs. 8.44 (2,81), p=0.23], pulse wave velocity [6,21 (1,00) vs. 6.45 (1.04) m/s; p=0.46], digital reactive hyperemia index [2.10 (0.57) vs. 2.35 (0.62), p=0.07], or augmentation index [19 (3-30) vs. 13 (5-22) %, p=0.38]. Overall coronary calcium burden did not differ between groups [Agatston score 0.1 (0-16.85) vs. 0 (0-8.55), p=0.26]. However, significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160 [6/40 vs. 0/42, p < 0.01]. Conclusions No significant differences between groups were found in carotid artery morphology and function, digital endothelial function or overall coronary calcium score. Significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160, indicating high cardiovascular risk, not predicted by the Framingham equation. PMID:28740456

Carotid Artery Stiffness, Digital Endothelial Function, and Coronary Calcium in Patients with Essential Thrombocytosis, Free of Overt Atherosclerotic Disease.

PubMed

Vrtovec, Matjaz; Anzic, Ajda; Zupan, Irena Preloznik; Zaletel, Katja; Blinc, Ales

2017-06-01

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at increased risk for atherothrombotic events. Our aim was to determine if patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET), a subtype of MPNs, free of symptomatic atherosclerosis, have greater carotid artery stiffness, worse endothelial function, greater coronary calcium and carotid plaque burden than control subjects. 40 ET patients without overt vascular disease, and 42 apparently healthy, age and sex-matched control subjects with comparable classical risk factors for atherosclerosis and Framingham risk of coronary disease were enrolled. All subjects were examined by physical and laboratory testing, carotid echo-tracking ultrasound, digital EndoPat pletysmography and CT coronary calcium scoring. No significant differences were found between ET patients and controls in carotid plaque score [1 (0-1.25) vs. 0 (0-2), p=0.30], β- index of carotid stiffness [7.75 (2.33) vs. 8.44 (2,81), p=0.23], pulse wave velocity [6,21 (1,00) vs. 6.45 (1.04) m/s; p=0.46], digital reactive hyperemia index [2.10 (0.57) vs. 2.35 (0.62), p=0.07], or augmentation index [19 (3-30) vs. 13 (5-22) %, p=0.38]. Overall coronary calcium burden did not differ between groups [Agatston score 0.1 (0-16.85) vs. 0 (0-8.55), p=0.26]. However, significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160 [6/40 vs. 0/42, p < 0.01]. No significant differences between groups were found in carotid artery morphology and function, digital endothelial function or overall coronary calcium score. Significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160, indicating high cardiovascular risk, not predicted by the Framingham equation.

Smoking, activity level and exercise test outcomes in a young population sample without cardiopulmonary disease.

PubMed

Vozoris, N T; O'donnell, D E

2015-01-01

Whether reduced activity level and exercise intolerance precede the clinical diagnosis of cardiopulmonary disorders in smokers is not known. We examined activity level and exercise test outcomes in a young population-based sample without overt cardiopulmonary disease, differentiating by smoking history. This was a multiyear cross-sectional study using United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1999-2004. Self-reported activity level and incremental exercise treadmill testing were obtained on survey participants ages 20-49 years, excluding individuals with cardio-pulmonary disease. Three thousand seven hundred and one individuals completed exercise testing. Compared to never smokers, current smokers with >10 pack years reported significantly higher odds of little or no recreation, sport, or physical activity (adjusted OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.12-2.35). Mean perceived exertion ratings (Borg 6-20) at an estimated standardized workload were significantly greater among current smokers (18.3-18.6) compared to never (17.3) and former smokers (17.9) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the proportions of individuals across estimated peak oxygen uptake categories among the groups after adjusting for age and sex. Among former smokers, increasing duration of smoking abstinence was associated with significantly lower likelihood of low estimated peak oxygen uptake categorization (p<0.05). Among young individuals without overt cardiopulmonary disease, current smokers had reduced daily activity and higher perceived exertion ratings. Besides supporting early smoking cessation, these results set the stage for future studies that examine mechanisms of activity restriction in young smokers and the utility of measures of activity restriction in the earlier diagnosis of smoking-related diseases.

The impact of salient advertisements on reading and attention on web pages.

PubMed

Simola, Jaana; Kuisma, Jarmo; Oörni, Anssi; Uusitalo, Liisa; Hyönä, Jukka

2011-06-01

Human vision is sensitive to salient features such as motion. Therefore, animation and onset of advertisements on Websites may attract visual attention and disrupt reading. We conducted three eye tracking experiments with authentic Web pages to assess whether (a) ads are efficiently ignored, (b) ads attract overt visual attention and disrupt reading, or (c) ads are covertly attended with distraction showing up indirectly in the reading performance. The Web pages contained an ad above a central text and another ad to the right of the text. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3A the task was to read for comprehension. Experiment 1 examined whether the degree of animation affects attention toward the ads. The results showed that ads were overtly attended during reading and that the dwell times on ads were the longest when the ad above was static and the other ad was animated. In Experiments 2 and 3, the ads appeared abruptly after a random time interval. The results showed that attention (i.e., the time when the eyes first entered an ad) was related to the ad onset time. This happened especially for the ad to the right, indicating that ads appearing close to the text region capture overt attention. In Experiment 3B the participants browsed the Web pages according to their own interest. The study demonstrated that salient ads attract overt visual attention and disrupt reading, but during free browsing, ads were viewed more frequently and for longer time than during reading.

Sympathovagal response to orthostatism in overt and in subclinical hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Goichot, B; Brandenberger, G; Vinzio, S; Perrin, A E; Geny, B; Schlienger, J L; Simon, C

2004-04-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the physiological variation of R-R intervals, reflecting the sympathovagal balance. In both overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism, a relative increase in sympathetic activity has been demonstrated, mainly due to a decrease in vagal activity. The modifications of HRV during orthostatism in normal subjects resemble those seen in hyperthyroidism. We have studied the response of 19 patients with overt hyperthyroidism and 12 with subclinical hyperthyroidism during orthostatism using HRV and compared the results to those of 32 healthy controls. In the three groups, the R-R intervals decreased in the same proportion after orthostatism. The low frequency power (LF)/[LF + high frequency power (HF)] ratio, which reflects the sympathetic tone, also increased in the same proportion in the three groups. However, the mechanisms of the modulation of the sympathovagal balance during orthostatism were different among the three groups. In controls, the relative increase of sympathetic tone after orthostatism was due principally to a decrease in vagal tone (reflected by decreased power in the HF band), while in overt hyperthyroidism, where the power in the HF band was already minimal in the lying position, there was a clear increase in the LF band power during orthostatism. The results were intermediate in the subclinical hyperthyroidism group, reflecting a continuum of effects of the thyroid hormone excess on the autonomic nervous system. Our study shows that despite an apparent normal cardiovascular adaptation to orthostatism in hyperthyroidism, the modulation of the autonomic nervous system is profoundly modified.

Headache in recent onset hypothyroidism: Prevalence, characteristics and outcome after treatment with levothyroxine.

PubMed

Lima Carvalho, Marise de Farias; de Medeiros, Josian Silva; Valença, Marcelo Moraes

2017-09-01

Objective The objective of this article is to analyze the features of headache attributed to hypothyroidism (HAH), evaluate the differences between groups with and without HAH, between "overt" and "subclinical" hypothyroidism groups, and evaluate outcomes after levothyroxine treatment. Methods Patients with hypothyroidism were selected in a cross-sectional study, followed prospectively for 12 months, and classified as subclinical or overt hypothyroidism. The patients were divided into two groups: with and without HAH. Results HAH was reported by 73/213 (34%) patients, involving the following areas: fronto-orbital (49%), temporal (37%), and posterior part of the head (15%). The HAH features were as follows: pulsatile (63%), four to 72 hours' duration (78%), unilateral (47%), nausea/vomiting (60%), and moderate-severe intensity (72%). Hypothyroidism symptomatology was similar in both groups, except for a greater frequency of hoarseness in the group with HAH. Migraine history was more frequent in the patients with HAH (53% vs 38%, p < 0.05). The frequency of HAH was similar both in overt and subclinical hypothyroidism. After levothyroxine treatment 78% reported a decrease in HAH frequency. Subclinical and overt hypothyroid patients reported a similar alleviation of their headaches. Conclusion Patients with HAH may present with unilateral, pulsatile, episodic pattern, and nausea/vomiting, which is at odds with the criteria for HAH established by ICHD 3 beta. Not all individuals responded to levothyroxine, and patients with the subclinical form of hypothyroidism benefit from this treatment.

Advantages and disadvantages of intraoperative language tasks in awake surgery: a three-task approach for prefrontal tumors.

PubMed

Rofes, A; Spena, G; Miozzo, A; Fontanella, M M; Miceli, G

2015-12-01

Multidisciplinary efforts are being made to provide surgical teams with sensitive and specific tasks for language mapping in awake surgery. Researchers and clinicians have elaborated different tasks over time. A fair amount of work has been directed to study the neurofunctional correlates of some of these tasks, and there is recent interest in their standardization. However, little discussion exists on the advantages and disadvantages that each task poses from the perspective of the cognitive neuroscience of language. Such an approach may be a relevant step to assess task validity, to avoid using tasks that tap onto similar processes, and to provide patients with a surgical treatment that ensures maximal tumor resection while avoiding postoperative language deficits. An understanding of the language components that each task entails may also be relevant to improve the current assessments and the ways in which tasks are administered, and to disentangle neurofunctional questions. We reviewed 17 language mapping tasks that have been used in awake surgery. Overt production tasks have been a preferred choice over comprehension tasks. Tasks tapping lexico-semantic processes, particularly object-naming, maintain their role as gold standards. Automated speech tasks are used to detect speech errors and to set the amplitude of the stimulator. Comprehension tasks, reading and writing tasks, and tasks that assess grammatical aspects of language may be regularly administered in the near future. We provide examples of a three-task approach we are administering to patients with prefrontal lesions. We believe that future advances in this area are contingent upon reviewing gold standards and introducing new assessment tools.

The Significance of Fire Service Culture as an Impediment to Effective Leadership in the Homeland Security Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

somehow poignantly related to the topic at hand. Whether through charm, wit, or emotion, Brunacini knew how to get his desired messages across to his...2006, p. 9). 74 With such an overtly confident perspective we may begin to understand how firefighters may get themselves into trouble on the fire...elements epitomized by fire service culture. It then examines how both internal and external sociological factors contribute to the perpetuation of

Semantic retrieval during overt picture description: Left anterior temporal or the parietal lobe?

PubMed

Geranmayeh, Fatemeh; Leech, Robert; Wise, Richard J S

2015-09-01

Retrieval of semantic representations is a central process during overt speech production. There is an increasing consensus that an amodal semantic 'hub' must exist that draws together modality-specific representations of concepts. Based on the distribution of atrophy and the behavioral deficit of patients with the semantic variant of fronto-temporal lobar degeneration, it has been proposed that this hub is localized within both anterior temporal lobes (ATL), and is functionally connected with verbal 'output' systems via the left ATL. An alternative view, dating from Geschwind's proposal in 1965, is that the angular gyrus (AG) is central to object-based semantic representations. In this fMRI study we examined the connectivity of the left ATL and parietal lobe (PL) with whole brain networks known to be activated during overt picture description. We decomposed each of these two brain volumes into 15 regions of interest (ROIs), using independent component analysis. A dual regression analysis was used to establish the connectivity of each ROI with whole brain-networks. An ROI within the left anterior superior temporal sulcus (antSTS) was functionally connected to other parts of the left ATL, including anterior ventromedial left temporal cortex (partially attenuated by signal loss due to susceptibility artifact), a large left dorsolateral prefrontal region (including 'classic' Broca's area), extensive bilateral sensory-motor cortices, and the length of both superior temporal gyri. The time-course of this functionally connected network was associated with picture description but not with non-semantic baseline tasks. This system has the distribution expected for the production of overt speech with appropriate semantic content, and the auditory monitoring of the overt speech output. In contrast, the only left PL ROI that showed connectivity with brain systems most strongly activated by the picture-description task, was in the superior parietal lobe (supPL). This region showed connectivity with predominantly posterior cortical regions required for the visual processing of the pictorial stimuli, with additional connectivity to the dorsal left AG and a small component of the left inferior frontal gyrus. None of the other PL ROIs that included part of the left AG were activated by Speech alone. The best interpretation of these results is that the left antSTS connects the proposed semantic hub (specifically localized to ventral anterior temporal cortex based on clinical neuropsychological studies) to posterior frontal regions and sensory-motor cortices responsible for the overt production of speech. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Who is likely to help and hurt? Profiles of African American adolescents with prosocial and aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Belgrave, Faye Z; Nguyen, Anh B; Johnson, Jessica L; Hood, Kristina

2011-08-01

Prosocial behavior and aggression among children and adolescents are important indicators of social and interpersonal competence. The goal of this study was to investigate whether there are different prototypes among African American adolescents that can help explain prosocial and aggressive (relational and overt) behaviors. Also of interest was whether these profiles differed for boys and girls. The selection of independent variables (e.g., empathy, anger management, normative beliefs about aggression, and ethnic identity) was guided by an information processing model of aggression and prosocial behaviors. The sample consisted of 789 (57% female) African American adolescents between the ages of 11 and 14. Cluster analysis produced three profiles that were similar for boys and girls. These were labeled "well-adjusted," "poorly adjusted," and "low identity." A fourth profile was labeled "low empathy" for girls and "poor anger management" for boys. These four clusters significantly differentiated who engaged in prosocial behavior and relational and overt aggression. Findings suggest that prevention programs may consider targeting well-adjusted youth to serve as peer modes. Additionally, programs that promote empathy, anger management, ethnic identity, and normative beliefs against aggression may be useful for reducing aggression and increasing prosocial behavior among poorly adjusted youth.

Myocardial Performance Index for Patients with Overt and Subclinical Hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Karabulut, Aziz; Doğan, Abdullah; Tuzcu, Alpaslan Kemal

2017-05-25

BACKGROUND Hypothyroid has several effects on the cardiovascular system. Global myocardial performance index (MPI) is used in assessment of both left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function. We compared MPI in hypothyroidism patients vs. normal control subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighty-two hypothyroid patients were divided into 2 groups: a subclinical hypothyroid (SH) group (n=50), and an overt hypothyroid (OH) group (n=32). The healthy control group (CG) constituted of 37 patients. TSH, FT3, and FT4, anti-TPO, anti-TG, insulin, lipid values, and fasting glucose levels were studied. All patients underwent an echocardiographic examination. Myocardial performance indexes were assessed and standard echocardiographic examinations were investigated. RESULTS MPI averages in OH, SH, and control groups were 0.53±0.06, 0.51±0.05, and 0.44±0.75 mm, respectively. MPI was increased in the OH and SH groups in comparison to CG (p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS MPI value was significantly higher in hypothyroid patients in comparison to the control group, showing that regression in global left ventricular functions is an important echocardiographic finding. Future studies are required to determine the effects of this finding on long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Hypothyroidism Potentially Linked to Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Retrospective Study at a Single Tertiary Academic Medical Center.

PubMed

Ahadiat, Omeed; Higgins, Shauna; Trodello, Cameron; Talmor, Guy; Kokot, Niels; Wysong, Ashley

2018-01-01

There are multiple known risk factors for the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To determine whether patients with cutaneous SCC have a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism than the general US population. A retrospective review was performed for patients seen at the University of Southern California with cutaneous SCC. Chart review was performed for the presence of hypothyroidism and thyroid replacement therapy before the diagnosis of SCC for each patient. Multiple prevalence studies were gathered from the literature for comparison, reporting the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism in the general US population and/or elderly US population. Of the 265 patients diagnosed with SCC of the skin, 61 (23%) of patients were found to have a preceding diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The prevalence of hypothyroidism among the population of SCC patients was significantly greater than the prevalence of hypothyroidism (overt and subclinical) in any general and/or elderly US population reported. Patients with SCC of skin are more likely to have a history of hypothyroidism than the general population. The authors conclude that hypothyroidism may be linked to the development of cutaneous SCC.

Prosodic Boundaries in Writing: Evidence from a Keystroke Analysis

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Susanne; Krivokapić, Jelena

2016-01-01

The aim of the paper is to investigate duration between successive keystrokes during typing in order to examine whether prosodic boundaries are expressed in the process of writing. In particular, we are interested in interkey durations that occur next to punctuation marks (comma and full stops while taking keystrokes between words as a reference), since these punctuation marks are often realized with minor or major prosodic boundaries during overt reading. A two-part experiment was conducted: first, participants’ keystrokes on a computer keyboard were recorded while writing an email to a close friend (in two conditions: with and without time pressure). Second, participants read the email they just wrote. Interkey durations were compared to pause durations at the same locations during read speech. Results provide evidence of significant differences between interkey durations between words, at commas and at full stops (from shortest to longest). These durations were positively correlated with silent pause durations during overt reading. A more detailed analysis of interkey durations revealed patterns that can be interpreted with respect to prosodic boundaries in speech production, namely as phrase-final and phrase-initial lengthening occurring at punctuation marks. This work provides initial evidence that prosodic boundaries are reflected in the writing process. PMID:27917129

Prosodic Boundaries in Writing: Evidence from a Keystroke Analysis.

PubMed

Fuchs, Susanne; Krivokapić, Jelena

2016-01-01

The aim of the paper is to investigate duration between successive keystrokes during typing in order to examine whether prosodic boundaries are expressed in the process of writing. In particular, we are interested in interkey durations that occur next to punctuation marks (comma and full stops while taking keystrokes between words as a reference), since these punctuation marks are often realized with minor or major prosodic boundaries during overt reading. A two-part experiment was conducted: first, participants' keystrokes on a computer keyboard were recorded while writing an email to a close friend (in two conditions: with and without time pressure). Second, participants read the email they just wrote. Interkey durations were compared to pause durations at the same locations during read speech. Results provide evidence of significant differences between interkey durations between words, at commas and at full stops (from shortest to longest). These durations were positively correlated with silent pause durations during overt reading. A more detailed analysis of interkey durations revealed patterns that can be interpreted with respect to prosodic boundaries in speech production, namely as phrase-final and phrase-initial lengthening occurring at punctuation marks. This work provides initial evidence that prosodic boundaries are reflected in the writing process.

Prenatal exposure to a cannabinoid agonist produces memory deficits linked to dysfunction in hippocampal long-term potentiation and glutamate release.

PubMed

Mereu, Giampaolo; Fà, Mauro; Ferraro, Luca; Cagiano, Raffaele; Antonelli, Tiziana; Tattoli, Maria; Ghiglieri, Veronica; Tanganelli, Sergio; Gessa, Gian Luigi; Cuomo, Vincenzo

2003-04-15

To investigate the possible long-term consequences of gestational exposure to cannabinoids on cognitive functions, pregnant rats were administered with the CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN), at a dose (0.5 mgkg) that causes neither malformations nor overt signs of toxicity. Prenatal WIN exposure induced a disruption of memory retention in 40- and 80-day-old offspring subjected to a passive avoidance task. A hyperactive behavior at the ages of 12 and 40 days was also found. The memory impairment caused by the gestational exposure to WIN was correlated with alterations of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and glutamate release. LTP induced in CA3-CA1 synapses decayed faster in brain slices of rats born from WIN-treated dams, whereas posttetanic and short-term potentiation were similar to the control group. In line with LTP shortening, in vivo microdialysis showed a significant decrease in basal and K(+)-evoked extracellular glutamate levels in the hippocampus of juvenile and adult rats born from WIN-treated dams. A similar reduction in glutamate outflow was also observed in primary cell cultures of hippocampus obtained from pups born from mothers exposed to WIN. The decrease in hippocampal glutamate outflow appears to be the cause of LTP disruption, which in turn might underlie, at least in part, the long-lasting impairment of cognitive functions caused by the gestational exposure to this cannabinoid agonist. These findings could provide an explanation of cognitive alterations observed in children born from women who use marijuana during pregnancy.

Females and males are highly similar in language performance and cortical activation patterns during verb generation.

PubMed

Allendorfer, Jane B; Lindsell, Christopher J; Siegel, Miriam; Banks, Christi L; Vannest, Jennifer; Holland, Scott K; Szaflarski, Jerzy P

2012-10-01

To test the existence of sex differences in cortical activation during verb generation when performance is controlled for. Twenty male and 20 female healthy adults underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a covert block-design verb generation task (BD-VGT) and its event-related version (ER-VGT) that allowed for intra-scanner recordings of overt responses. Task-specific activations were determined using the following contrasts: BD-VGT covert generation>finger-tapping; ER-VGT overt generation>repetition; ER-VGT overt>covert generation. Lateral cortical regions activated during each contrast were used for calculating language lateralization index scores. Voxelwise regressions were used to determine sex differences in activation, with and without controlling for performance. Each brain region showing male/female activation differences for ER-VGT overt generation>repetition (isolating noun-verb association) was defined as a region of interest (ROI). For each subject, the signal change in each ROI was extracted, and the association between ER-VGT activation related to noun-verb association and performance was assessed separately for each sex. Males and females performed similarly on language assessments, had similar patterns of language lateralization, and exhibited similar activation patterns for each fMRI task contrast. Regression analysis controlling for overt intra-scanner performance either abolished (BD-VGT) or reduced (ER-VGT) the observed differences in activation between sexes. The main difference between sexes occurred during ER-VGT processing of noun-verb associations, where males showed greater activation than females in the right middle/superior frontal gyrus (MFG/SFG) and the right caudate/anterior cingulate gyrus (aCG) after controlling for performance. Better verb generation performance was associated with increased right caudate/aCG activation in males and with increased right MFG/SFG activation in females. Males and females exhibit similar activation patterns during verb generation fMRI, and controlling for intra-scanner performance reduces or even abolishes sex differences in language-related activation. These results suggest that previous findings of sex differences in neuroimaging studies that did not control for task performance may reflect false positives. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

MRI and MRS alterations in the preclinical phase of murine prion disease: association with neuropathological and behavioural changes.

PubMed

Broom, Kerry A; Anthony, Daniel C; Lowe, John P; Griffin, Julian L; Scott, Helen; Blamire, Andrew M; Styles, Peter; Perry, V Hugh; Sibson, Nicola R

2007-06-01

Prion diseases are fatal chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Previous qualitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) studies report conflicting results in the symptomatic stages of the disease, but little work has been carried out during the earlier stages of the disease. Here we have used the murine ME7 model of prion disease to quantitatively investigate MRI and MRS changes during the period prior to the onset of overt clinical signs (20+ weeks) and have correlated these with pathological and behavioural abnormalities. Using in vivo MRI, at the later stages of the preclinical period (18 weeks) the diffusion of tissue water was significantly reduced, coinciding with significant microglial activation and behavioural hyperactivity. Using in vivo MRS, we found early (12 weeks) decreases in the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to both choline (NAA/Cho) and creatine (NAA/Cr) in the thalamus and hippocampus, which were associated with early behavioural deficits. Ex vivo MRS of brain extracts confirmed and extended these findings, showing early (8-12 weeks) decreases in both the neuronal metabolites NAA and glutamate, and the metabolic metabolites lactate and glucose. Increases in the glial metabolite myo-inositol were observed at later stages when microglial and astrocyte activation is substantial. These changes in MRI and MRS signals, which precede overt clinical signs of disease, could provide insights into the pathogenesis of this disease and may enable early detection of pathology.

Occult hemorrhage in children with severe ITP.

PubMed

Flores, Adolfo; Buchanan, George R

2016-03-01

Little is known about the frequency and significance of clinically unapparent or occult hemorrhage in ITP. Therefore, we prospectively explored the sites and frequency of occult bleeding in children with severe ITP at diagnosis or upon symptomatic relapse in a prospective, single-institution cohort study of patients ≤ 18 years of age and a platelet count ≤ 10,000/mm(3) . Data collected included bleeding severity assessment, urinalysis, fecal occult blood testing, and non-contrast brain MRI. Stool and urine samples were tested within 7 days of diagnosis or symptomatic relapse. Three months after diagnosis or relapse a noncontrast brain MRI evaluated hemosiderin deposits resulting from prior localized hemorrhage. Fifty-two ITP patients were enrolled with a mean platelet count of 4,000/mm(3) . A significant occurrence of occult hemorrhage was identified in the urine (27%) compared with clinically overt hematuria (0.91%, P < 0.0005). CNS microbleeding in the superficial cortex of the left frontal lobe was identified in one child with occult bleeding in the urinary tract. There was no relationship between occult hemorrhage and bleeding manifestations on physical examination. Occult hemorrhage was not a harbinger of subsequent bleeding. Our findings suggest that occult hemorrhage occurs with greater frequency than overt bleeding in children with severe ITP. CNS microbleeding is a potential risk in this patient population. Assessment of brain microbleeds and microscopic hematuria in this patient population require additional study. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ultrasonographic findings of thyroid in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis: overt hypothyroid and euthyroid.

PubMed

Kaya, Tezcan; Varım, Ceyhun; Nalbant, Ahmet; Gündüz, Yasemin; Tamer, Ali

2013-08-01

To compare the frequency, size, and sonographic features of thyroid nodules in overt hypothyroid and euthyroid patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. The study included 135 overt hypothyroid (group 1) and 74 euthyroid patients (group 2) with Hashimoto thyroiditis. The two groups were compared for presence of nodule(s), nodule numbers, and nodule sizes obtained by ultrasonography. Nodules were found in 48 (35.5%) patients in group 1 and in 24 (36.9%) in group 2 (p more than 0.05). The numbers of nodules in the group 1 and group 2, respectively, were as follows: single nodule in 12 (25%) and in 9 (33.3%) patients; 2-4 nodules in 20 (41.6%) and in 13 (48.1%) patients; and > 4 nodules in 16 (33.3%) and in 5 (18.5%) patients (p more than 0.05 for all of the results). Nodule sizes of the solitary or dominant nodule in group 1 and group 2, respectively, were as follows: less than 1 cm nodules in 27 (56.2%) and in 14 (51.8%) patients; 1-2 cm nodules in 18 (37.5%) and in 7 (25.9) patients; 2-4 cm nodules in 2 (4.1%) and in 5 (18.5%) patients and > 4 cm nodules in 1 (2%) and in 1 (3.7%) patient (p more than 0.05 for all of the results). Thyroid ultrasound examination of overt hypothyroid and euthyroid patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis reveals similarities in terms of frequency, number, size, and ultrasound features of the thyroid nodules.

Circulatory and Renal Consequences of Pregnancy in Diabetic NOD Mice

PubMed Central

Burke, S.D.; Barrette, V.F.; David, S.; Khankin, E. V.; Adams, M.A.; Croy, B.A.

2011-01-01

Objectives Women with diabetes have elevated gestational risks for severe hemodynamic complications, including preeclampsia in mid- to late pregnancy. This study employed continuous, chronic radiotelemetry to compare the hemodynamic patterns in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice who were overtly diabetic or normoglycemic throughout gestation. We hypothesized that overtly diabetic, pregnant NOD mice would develop gestational hypertension and provide understanding of mechanisms in progression of this pathology. Study Design Telemeter-implanted, age-matched NOD females with and without diabetes were assessed for six hemodynamic parameters (mean, systolic, diastolic, pulse pressures, heart rate and activity) prior to mating, over pregnancy and over a 72 hr post-partum interval. Urinalysis, serum biochemistry and renal histopathology were also conducted. Results Pregnant, normoglycemic NOD mice had a hemodynamic profile similar to other inbred strains, despite insulitis. This pattern was characterized by an interval of pre-implantation stability, post implantation decline in arterial pressure to mid gestation, and then a rebound to pre-pregnancy baseline during later gestation. Overtly diabetic NOD mice had a blood pressure profile that was normal until mid-gestation then become mildly hypotensive (−7mmHg, P<0.05), severely bradycardic (−80bpm, P<0.01) and showed signs of acute kidney injury. Pups born to diabetic dams were viable but growth restricted, despite their mothers’ failing health, which did not rebound post-partum (−10% pre-pregnancy pressure and HR, P<0.05). Conclusions Pregnancy accelerates circulatory and renal pathologies in overtly diabetic NOD mice and is characterized by depressed arterial pressure from mid-gestation and birth of growth 45 restricted offspring. PMID:22014504

The spectrum of thyroid disease and risk of new onset atrial fibrillation: a large population cohort study.

PubMed

Selmer, Christian; Olesen, Jonas Bjerring; Hansen, Morten Lock; Lindhardsen, Jesper; Olsen, Anne-Marie Schjerning; Madsen, Jesper Clausager; Faber, Jens; Hansen, Peter Riis; Pedersen, Ole Dyg; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

2012-11-27

To examine the risk of atrial fibrillation in relation to the whole spectrum of thyroid function in a large cohort of patients. Population based cohort study of general practice patients identified by linkage of nationwide registries at the individual level. Primary care patients in the city of Copenhagen. Registry data for 586,460 adults who had their thyroid function evaluated for the first time by their general practitioner during 2000-10 and who were without previously recorded thyroid disease or atrial fibrillation. Poisson regression models used to estimate risk of atrial fibrillation by thyroid function. Of the 586,460 individuals in the study population (mean (SD) age 50.2 (16.9) years, 39% men), 562,461 (96.0%) were euthyroid, 1670 (0.3%) had overt hypothyroidism, 12,087 (2.0%) had subclinical hypothyroidism, 3966 (0.7%) had overt hyperthyroidism, and 6276 (1.0%) had subclinical hyperthyroidism. Compared with the euthyroid individuals, the risk of atrial fibrillation increased with decreasing levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from high normal euthyroidism (incidence rate ratio 1.12 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.21)) to subclinical hyperthyroidism with reduced TSH (1.16 (0.99 to 1.36)) and subclinical hyperthyroidism with supressed TSH (1.41 (1.25 to 1.59)). Both overt and subclinical hypothyroidism were associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation. The risk of atrial fibrillation was closely associated with thyroid activity, with a low risk in overt hypothyroidism, high risk in hyperthyroidism, and a TSH level dependent association with risk of atrial fibrillation across the spectrum of subclinical thyroid disease.

Thyroid diseases and cerebrovascular disease.

PubMed

Squizzato, A; Gerdes, V E A; Brandjes, D P M; Büller, H R; Stam, J

2005-10-01

Acute cerebral ischemia has been described in different diseases of the thyroid gland, and not only as a result of thyrotoxic atrial fibrillation and cardioembolic stroke. The purpose of this review is to summarize the studies on the relationship between thyroid diseases and cerebrovascular diseases, discussing the main findings for overt hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, as well as for subclinical thyroid dysfunction. In overt hyperthyroidism, cardioembolic stroke is clearly associated to thyrotoxic atrial fibrillation, and in subclinical hyperthyroidism with serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels <0.1 mU/L, the incidence of atrial fibrillation is increased. Although in vitro and in vivo studies indicate a hypercoagulability state in hyperthyroidism, there is insufficient evidence to prove that this state leads to an increased risk of cardiac emboli. However, the hypothesis that overt hyperthyroidism may cause acute cerebral venous thrombosis is intriguing. Possible associations between hyperthyroidism and Moyamoya or Giant cell arteritis have only been described in case reports. There is enough evidence that overt hypothyroidism is associated with several traditional and newer atherosclerotic risk factors, especially hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia. For subclinical hypothyroidism, these associations are less certain. Hypothyroidism has been associated with signs of aortic or coronary atherosclerosis, but no case-control or cohort studies have ever investigated hypothyroidism as a possible risk factor for atherothrombotic stroke. Hyperthyroidism is associated with atrial fibrillation and cardioembolic stroke. Hypothyroidism is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk factor profile and leads to progression of atherosclerosis. Associations between hyperthyroidism and acute cerebral venous thrombosis, Moyamoya, and Giant cell arteritis have been suggested, but sound evidence is lacking. Additional studies are needed to clarify these issues.

Prognostic Effect and Longitudinal Hemodynamic Assessment of Borderline Pulmonary Hypertension.

PubMed

Assad, Tufik R; Maron, Bradley A; Robbins, Ivan M; Xu, Meng; Huang, Shi; Harrell, Frank E; Farber-Eger, Eric H; Wells, Quinn S; Choudhary, Gaurav; Hemnes, Anna R; Brittain, Evan L

2017-12-01

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is diagnosed by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) value of at least 25 mm Hg during right heart catheterization (RHC). While several studies have demonstrated increased mortality in patients with mPAP less than that threshold, little is known about the natural history of borderline PH. To test the hypothesis that patients with borderline PH have decreased survival compared with patients with lower mPAP and frequently develop overt PH and to identify clinical correlates of borderline PH. Retrospective cohort study from 1998 to 2014 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, comprising all patients undergoing routine RHC for clinical indication. We extracted demographics, clinical data, invasive hemodynamics, echocardiography, and vital status for all patients. Patients with mPAP values of 18 mm Hg or less, 19 to 24 mm Hg, and at least 25 mm Hg were classified as reference, borderline PH, and PH, respectively. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality after adjusting for clinically relevant covariates in a Cox proportional hazards model. Our secondary outcome was the diagnosis of overt PH in patients initially diagnosed with borderline PH. Both outcomes were determined prior to data analysis. We identified 4343 patients (mean [SD] age, 59 [15] years, 51% women, and 86% white) among whom the prevalence of PH and borderline PH was 62% and 18%, respectively. Advanced age, features of the metabolic syndrome, and chronic heart and lung disease were independently associated with a higher likelihood of borderline PH compared with reference patients in a logistic regression model. After adjusting for 34 covariates in a Cox proportional hazards model, borderline PH was associated with increased mortality compared with reference patients (hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04-1.65; P = .001). The hazard of death increased incrementally with higher mPAP, without an observed threshold. In the 70 patients with borderline PH who underwent a repeated RHC, 43 (61%) had developed overt PH, with a median increase in mPAP of 5 mm Hg (interquartile range, -1 to 11 mm Hg; P < .001). Borderline PH is common in patients undergoing RHC and is associated with significant comorbidities, progression to overt PH, and decreased survival. Small increases in mPAP, even at values currently considered normal, are independently associated with increased mortality. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether early intervention or closer monitoring improves clinical outcomes in these patients.

Glycemic control according to glomerular filtration rate in patients with type 2 diabetes and overt nephropathy: a prospective observational study.

PubMed

Joly, Dominique; Choukroun, Gabriel; Combe, Christian; Dussol, Bertrand; Fauvel, Jean-Pierre; Halimi, Jean-Michel; Quéré, Stéphane; Fiquet, Béatrice

2015-04-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely linked. This study aimed to describe and analyze the relations between renal function and glycemic control in T2D patients with overt nephropathy. Data were collected from a French observational prospective multicenter study. Patients included were adults with T2D, clinical proteinuria and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 15 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Baseline data and glycemic control after a one-year follow-up are presented here. Data from 986 adult patients were analyzed. Mean age was 70 years. Mean eGFR was 42 mL/min/1.73 m(2), 66% of patients had proteinuria above 1g/day. HbA1c was higher in patients with lower eGFR in a model adjusted to age, gender, body mass index, hemoglobin level and erythropoietin use. Statistical significance was lost when stepwise multivariate analysis took into account the type of pharmacological treatment used to treat hyperglycemia.The type of antidiabetic agents differed across eGFR strata. Below 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), the use of metformin declined while the use of insulin increased.After one year of follow up, 35% of patients had persistently poor or worsened glycemic control (HbA1c>8%). The only covariate independently associated with this characteristic was the duration of insulin therapy. In patients with T2D and overt nephropathy, the observed correlation of low eGFR with high HbA1c was not predicted by eGFR. Our data rather underscore a different use of antidiabetic treatments in patients with advanced renal dysfunction, and the difficulty to improve glycemic control in patients with long standing insulin therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discovery of Novel Rhabdoviruses in the Blood of Healthy Individuals from West Africa

PubMed Central

Folarin, Onikepe A.; Grove, Jessica N.; Odia, Ikponmwonsa; Ehiane, Philomena E.; Omoniwa, Omowunmi; Omoregie, Omigie; Jiang, Pan-Pan; Yozwiak, Nathan L.; Matranga, Christian B.; Yang, Xiao; Gire, Stephen K.; Winnicki, Sarah; Tariyal, Ridhi; Schaffner, Stephen F.; Okokhere, Peter O.; Okogbenin, Sylvanus; Akpede, George O.; Asogun, Danny A.; Agbonlahor, Dennis E.; Walker, Peter J.; Tesh, Robert B.; Levin, Joshua Z.; Garry, Robert F.; Sabeti, Pardis C.; Happi, Christian T.

2015-01-01

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to transform the discovery of viruses causing unexplained acute febrile illness (UAFI) because it does not depend on culturing the pathogen or a priori knowledge of the pathogen’s nucleic acid sequence. More generally, it has the potential to elucidate the complete human virome, including viruses that cause no overt symptoms of disease, but may have unrecognized immunological or developmental consequences. We have used NGS to identify RNA viruses in the blood of 195 patients with UAFI and compared them with those found in 328 apparently healthy (i.e., no overt signs of illness) control individuals, all from communities in southeastern Nigeria. Among UAFI patients, we identified the presence of nucleic acids from several well-characterized pathogenic viruses, such as HIV-1, hepatitis, and Lassa virus. In our cohort of healthy individuals, however, we detected the nucleic acids of two novel rhabdoviruses. These viruses, which we call Ekpoma virus-1 (EKV-1) and Ekpoma virus-2 (EKV-2), are highly divergent, with little identity to each other or other known viruses. The most closely related rhabdoviruses are members of the genus Tibrovirus and Bas-Congo virus (BASV), which was recently identified in an individual with symptoms resembling hemorrhagic fever. Furthermore, by conducting a serosurvey of our study cohort, we find evidence for remarkably high exposure rates to the identified rhabdoviruses. The recent discoveries of novel rhabdoviruses by multiple research groups suggest that human infection with rhabdoviruses might be common. While the prevalence and clinical significance of these viruses are currently unknown, these viruses could have previously unrecognized impacts on human health; further research to understand the immunological and developmental impact of these viruses should be explored. More generally, the identification of similar novel viruses in individuals with and without overt symptoms of disease highlights the need for a broader understanding of the human virome as efforts for viral detection and discovery advance. PMID:25781465

Quality of Artemisinin-Based Combination Formulations for Malaria Treatment: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Poor Quality Medicines in Public Facilities and Private Sector Drug Outlets in Enugu, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Kaur, Harparkash; Allan, Elizabeth Louise; Mamadu, Ibrahim; Hall, Zoe; Ibe, Ogochukwu; El Sherbiny, Mohamed; van Wyk, Albert; Yeung, Shunmay; Swamidoss, Isabel; Green, Michael D.; Dwivedi, Prabha; Culzoni, Maria Julia; Clarke, Siân; Schellenberg, David; Fernández, Facundo M.; Onwujekwe, Obinna

2015-01-01

Background Artemisinin-based combination therapies are recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, yet medication must be of good quality for efficacious treatment. A recent meta-analysis reported 35% (796/2,296) of antimalarial drug samples from 21 Sub-Saharan African countries, purchased from outlets predominantly using convenience sampling, failed chemical content analysis. We used three sampling strategies to purchase artemisinin-containing antimalarials (ACAs) in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria, and compared the resulting quality estimates. Methods ACAs were purchased using three sampling approaches - convenience, mystery clients and overt, within a defined area and sampling frame in Enugu metropolis. The active pharmaceutical ingredients were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography and confirmed by mass spectrometry at three independent laboratories. Results were expressed as percentage of APIs stated on the packaging and used to categorise each sample as acceptable quality, substandard, degraded, or falsified. Results Content analysis of 3024 samples purchased from 421 outlets using convenience (n=200), mystery (n=1,919) and overt (n=905) approaches, showed overall 90.8% ACAs to be of acceptable quality, 6.8% substandard, 1.3% degraded and 1.2% falsified. Convenience sampling yielded a significantly higher prevalence of poor quality ACAs, but was not evident by the mystery and overt sampling strategies both of which yielded results that were comparable between each other. Artesunate (n=135; 4 falsified) and dihydroartemisinin (n=14) monotherapy tablets, not recommended by WHO, were also identified. Conclusion Randomised sampling identified fewer falsified ACAs than previously reported by convenience approaches. Our findings emphasise the need for specific consideration to be given to sampling frame and sampling approach if representative information on drug quality is to be obtained. PMID:26018221

Lateralization patterns of covert but not overt movements change with age: An EEG neurofeedback study.

PubMed

Zich, Catharina; Debener, Stefan; De Vos, Maarten; Frerichs, Stella; Maurer, Stefanie; Kranczioch, Cornelia

2015-08-01

The mental practice of movements has been suggested as a promising add-on therapy to facilitate motor recovery after stroke. In the case of mentally practised movements, electroencephalogram (EEG) can be utilized to provide feedback about an otherwise covert act. The main target group for such an intervention are elderly patients, though research so far is largely focused on young populations (<30 years). The present study therefore aimed to examine the influence of age on the neural correlates of covert movements (CMs) in a real-time EEG neurofeedback framework. CM-induced event-related desynchronization (ERD) was studied in young (mean age: 23.6 years) and elderly (mean age: 62.7 years) healthy adults. Participants performed covert and overt hand movements. CMs were based on kinesthetic motor imagery (MI) or quasi-movements (QM). Based on previous studies investigating QM in the mu frequency range (8-13Hz) QM were expected to result in more lateralized ERD% patterns and accordingly higher classification accuracies. Independent of CM strategy the elderly were characterized by a significantly reduced lateralization of ERD%, due to stronger ipsilateral ERD%, and in consequence, reduced classification accuracies. QM were generally perceived as more vivid, but no differences were evident between MI and QM in ERD% or classification accuracies. EEG feedback enhanced task-related activity independently of strategy and age. ERD% measures of overt and covert movements were strongly related in young adults, whereas in the elderly ERD% lateralization is dissociated. In summary, we did not find evidence in support of more pronounced ERD% lateralization patterns in QM. Our finding of a less lateralized activation pattern in the elderly is in accordance to previous research and with the idea that compensatory processes help to overcome neurodegenerative changes related to normal ageing. Importantly, it indicates that EEG neurofeedback studies should place more emphasis on the age of the potential end-users. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACG Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Management of Small Bowel Bleeding.

PubMed

Gerson, Lauren B; Fidler, Jeff L; Cave, David R; Leighton, Jonathan A

2015-09-01

Bleeding from the small intestine remains a relatively uncommon event, accounting for ~5-10% of all patients presenting with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Given advances in small bowel imaging with video capsule endoscopy (VCE), deep enteroscopy, and radiographic imaging, the cause of bleeding in the small bowel can now be identified in most patients. The term small bowel bleeding is therefore proposed as a replacement for the previous classification of obscure GI bleeding (OGIB). We recommend that the term OGIB should be reserved for patients in whom a source of bleeding cannot be identified anywhere in the GI tract. A source of small bowel bleeding should be considered in patients with GI bleeding after performance of a normal upper and lower endoscopic examination. Second-look examinations using upper endoscopy, push enteroscopy, and/or colonoscopy can be performed if indicated before small bowel evaluation. VCE should be considered a first-line procedure for small bowel investigation. Any method of deep enteroscopy can be used when endoscopic evaluation and therapy are required. VCE should be performed before deep enteroscopy if there is no contraindication. Computed tomographic enterography should be performed in patients with suspected obstruction before VCE or after negative VCE examinations. When there is acute overt hemorrhage in the unstable patient, angiography should be performed emergently. In patients with occult hemorrhage or stable patients with active overt bleeding, multiphasic computed tomography should be performed after VCE or CTE to identify the source of bleeding and to guide further management. If a source of bleeding is identified in the small bowel that is associated with significant ongoing anemia and/or active bleeding, the patient should be managed with endoscopic therapy. Conservative management is recommended for patients without a source found after small bowel investigation, whereas repeat diagnostic investigations are recommended for patients with initial negative small bowel evaluations and ongoing overt or occult bleeding.

Concealed renal failure and adverse drug reactions in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Corsonello, Andrea; Pedone, Claudio; Corica, Francesco; Mazzei, Bruno; Di Iorio, Angelo; Carbonin, Pierugo; Incalzi, Raffaele Antonelli

2005-09-01

In elderly patients serum creatinine may be normal despite decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of this "concealed" renal failure, i.e., renal failure with normal serum creatinine levels, in elderly diabetic patients, and to verify whether it is a risk factor for adverse drug reactions (ADR) to hydrosoluble drugs. We used data on 2257 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus enrolled in the Gruppo Italiano di Farmacovigilanza nell'Anziano study. On the basis of serum creatinine and calculated GFR, patients were grouped as follows: normal renal function (normal serum creatinine levels and normal GFR), concealed (normal serum creatinine levels and reduced GFR), or overt (increased creatinine levels and reduced GFR) renal failure. GFR was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. The outcome of the study was the incidence of ADR to hydrosoluble drugs during the hospital stay. The relationship between renal function and ADR was evaluated using Cox regression analysis including potential confounders. Concealed renal failure was observed in 363 (16.1%) of patients studied. Patients with concealed or overt renal failure were older, had more frequently cognitive impairment and polypharmacy, and had lower serum albumin levels than did those with normal renal function. Both concealed (hazard ratio = 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-3.48; p =.036) and overt (hazard ratio = 2.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-3.55; p =.001) renal failure were significantly associated with ADR to hydrosoluble drugs. The use of more than four drugs also qualified as an independent risk factor for ADRs to hydrosoluble drugs during hospital stay. Older diabetic patients should be systematically screened to ascertain the presence of concealed renal failure in an attempt to optimize the pharmacological treatment and reduce the risk of ADRs.

Hypothyroidism following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia.

PubMed

Medinger, Michael; Zeiter, Deborah; Heim, Dominik; Halter, Jörg; Gerull, Sabine; Tichelli, André; Passweg, Jakob; Nigro, Nicole

2017-07-01

Hypothyroidism may complicate allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT); we therefore analyzed risk factors in this study. We studied 229 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent an allo-HSCT between 2003 and 2013 with different conditioning regimens (myeloablative, reduced-intensity, chemotherapy-based, or total body irradiation-based). Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine levels (fT4) were available in 104 patients before and after allo-HSCT. The median age at transplantation (n=104) was 47 (IQR 40-59)], 37 (35.6%) patients were female, and the overall mortality was 34.6% (n=36). After a median follow-up period of 47 (IQR 25-84) months, overt hypothyroidism (basal TSH>4.49mIU/l, FT4<11.6pmol/l) was observed in 4 patients (3.8%) and subclinical hypothyroidism (basal TSH>4.49mIU/l, normal fT4) was observed in 20 patients (19.2%). Positive thyroperoxidase (TPO) antibodies were found in 5 (4.8%) patients. A total of 13 patients (12.5%) were treated with thyroid hormone replacement. Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) ≥grade 2 occurred in 55 (52.9%) and chronic GvHD (cGvHD) in 74 (71.2%) of the patients. The risk of developing hypothyroidism was higher in the patients with repeated allo-HSCTs (P=0.024) and with positive TPO antibodies (P=0.045). Furthermore, the development of overt hypothyroidism was inversely proportional to age (P=0.043). No correlation was found with GvHD, HLA-mismatch, total body irradiation, and gender. After allo-HSCT, a significant number of patients experience thyroid dysfunction, including subclinical and overt hypothyroidism. Long-term and continuous follow-up for thyroid function after HSCT is important to provide timely and appropriate treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between Hypothyroidism and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

He, Weiwei; An, Xiaofei; Li, Ling; Shao, Xiaoqing; Li, Qian; Yao, Qiuming; Zhang, Jin-An

2017-01-01

Previous studies propose that hypothyroidism might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but findings from published studies on the relationship between hypothyroidism and NAFLD are still controversial. Our study aimed to make a comprehensive evaluation of the relationship between hypothyroidism and NAFLD through a meta-analysis. PubMed, China Dissertation Database, and EMBASE databases were searched to find observational studies assessing the relationship between hypothyroidism and NAFLD. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to evaluate the strength of the relationship between hypothyroidism and NAFLD through meta-analysis. Thirteen articles were ultimately included in our meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the 13 studies found a high correlation between hypothyroidism and NAFLD (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.24-1.87, P  < 0.001). Meta-analysis of 9 studies providing adjusted ORs found that hypothyroidism was independently correlated with NAFLD (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.32-2.23, P  < 0.001). Subgroup analysis found that both overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were significantly correlated with NAFLD, and the pooled ORs were 1.70 (95% CI 1.23-2.36, P  = 0.002) and 1.40 (95% CI 1.10-1.77, P  = 0.006), respectively. Besides, meta-analysis of studies providing adjusted ORs also found that both overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were independently correlated with NAFLD, and the pooled ORs were 1.81 (95% CI 1.30-2.52, P  < 0.001) and 1.63 (95% CI 1.19-2.24, P  = 0.002), respectively. The meta-analysis provides strong epidemiological evidence for the relationship between hypothyroidism and NAFLD. Both individuals with subclinical and overt hypothyroidism are at higher risk for NAFLD than euthyroid subjects.

When canary primes yellow: effects of semantic memory on overt attention.

PubMed

Léger, Laure; Chauvet, Elodie

2015-02-01

This study explored how overt attention is influenced by the colour that is primed when a target word is read during a lexical visual search task. Prior studies have shown that attention can be influenced by conceptual or perceptual overlap between a target word and distractor pictures: attention is attracted to pictures that have the same form (rope--snake) or colour (green--frog) as the spoken target word or is drawn to an object from the same category as the spoken target word (trumpet--piano). The hypothesis for this study was that attention should be attracted to words displayed in the colour that is primed by reading a target word (for example, yellow for canary). An experiment was conducted in which participants' eye movements were recorded whilst they completed a lexical visual search task. The primary finding was that participants' eye movements were mainly directed towards words displayed in the colour primed by reading the target word, even though this colour was not relevant to completing the visual search task. This result is discussed in terms of top-down guidance of overt attention in visual search for words.

Aggression Norms in the Classroom Social Network: Contexts of Aggressive Behavior and Social Preference in Middle Childhood.

PubMed

Jackson, Daisy R; Cappella, Elise; Neal, Jennifer Watling

2015-12-01

In a cross-sectional sample of African-American 2nd-4th grade students (N = 681), we examine the moderating effects of classroom overt and relational aggression norms on peers' social acceptance of classmates who exhibit overt and relational aggression in urban schools. Extending theory and research on classroom norms, we integrate social network data to adjust aggression norms based on children's direct and indirect connections in the classroom. Results of multilevel models indicate that network-based classroom aggression norms moderated relations between children's aggressive behavior and their social preference. Specifically, children benefited socially when their form of aggressive behavior fit with what was normative in the classroom social context. The moderating effect of classroom aggression norms was stronger for the association between overt aggression and social preference than relational aggression and social preference. Relationally aggressive youth were socially preferred by peers regardless of the classroom norm, although this positive association was magnified in classrooms with higher levels of relational aggression. Future research focused on aggression norms within classroom social networks are discussed and implications for school prevention efforts are considered.

Vulnerability to depression: A moderated mediation model of the roles of child maltreatment, peer victimization, and 5-HTTLPR genetic variation among children from low-SES backgrounds

PubMed Central

Banny, Adrienne M.; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Oshri, Assaf; Crick, Nicki R.

2014-01-01

Child maltreatment, peer victimization, and a polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) were examined as predictors of depressive symptomatology. Children (M age = 11.26, SD = 1.65), including 156 maltreated and 145 nonmaltreated children from comparable low socioeconomic backgrounds, provided DNA samples and self-reports of relational peer victimization, overt peer victimization, and depressive symptoms. Path analysis showed that relational and overt victimization mediated the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms. Bootstrapping procedures were used to test moderated mediation and demonstrated that genotype moderated the indirect effects of relational and overt victimization on child depressive symptoms, such that victimized children with the l/l variation were at an increased risk for depressive symptoms compared to victimized children carrying an s allele. Results highlight the utility of examining process models that incorporate biological and psychological factors contributing to the development of depressive symptomatology, and provide direction toward understanding and promoting resilience among high risk youth from a multiple levels of analysis approach. PMID:23880379

Imitation and speech: commonalities within Broca's area.

PubMed

Kühn, Simone; Brass, Marcel; Gallinat, Jürgen

2013-11-01

The so-called embodiment of communication has attracted considerable interest. Recently a growing number of studies have proposed a link between Broca's area's involvement in action processing and its involvement in speech. The present quantitative meta-analysis set out to test whether neuroimaging studies on imitation and overt speech show overlap within inferior frontal gyrus. By means of activation likelihood estimation (ALE), we investigated concurrence of brain regions activated by object-free hand imitation studies as well as overt speech studies including simple syllable and more complex word production. We found direct overlap between imitation and speech in bilateral pars opercularis (BA 44) within Broca's area. Subtraction analyses revealed no unique localization neither for speech nor for imitation. To verify the potential of ALE subtraction analysis to detect unique involvement within Broca's area, we contrasted the results of a meta-analysis on motor inhibition and imitation and found separable regions involved for imitation. This is the first meta-analysis to compare the neural correlates of imitation and overt speech. The results are in line with the proposed evolutionary roots of speech in imitation.

Haptic guidance of overt visual attention.

PubMed

List, Alexandra; Iordanescu, Lucica; Grabowecky, Marcia; Suzuki, Satoru

2014-11-01

Research has shown that information accessed from one sensory modality can influence perceptual and attentional processes in another modality. Here, we demonstrated a novel crossmodal influence of haptic-shape information on visual attention. Participants visually searched for a target object (e.g., an orange) presented among distractor objects, fixating the target as quickly as possible. While searching for the target, participants held (never viewed and out of sight) an item of a specific shape in their hands. In two experiments, we demonstrated that the time for the eyes to reach a target-a measure of overt visual attention-was reduced when the shape of the held item (e.g., a sphere) was consistent with the shape of the visual target (e.g., an orange), relative to when the held shape was unrelated to the target (e.g., a hockey puck) or when no shape was held. This haptic-to-visual facilitation occurred despite the fact that the held shapes were not predictive of the visual targets' shapes, suggesting that the crossmodal influence occurred automatically, reflecting shape-specific haptic guidance of overt visual attention.

Altered fructosamine and lipid fractions in subclinical hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Udupa, Sridevi V; Manjrekar, Poornima A; Udupa, Vinit A; Vivian, D'Souza

2013-01-01

Thyroid function disorders lead to changes in the lipoprotein metabolism. To study the lipid and the glycaemic abnormalities in the subclinical hypothyroidism cases and to compare the same with the euthyroid, overt hypothyroid and the hyperthyroid subjects. Four groups, euthyroid (Group-I), hypothyroid (Group-II), subclinical hypothyroid (Group-III) and hyperthyroid (Group-IV), which consisted of 30 subjects each, of either sex, who were aged 25-55 years, underwent Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG), fructosamine, lipid profile and total T3, T4 and TSH estimations. The subjects who were on lipid lowering or thyroid disorder drugs and known diabetics were excluded from the study. In Group-III, all the lipid fractions were comparable to those of Group-II and they were significantly deranged, as compared to those of Group-I. The fructosamine levels were significantly higher in Group-II and Group-III (p<0.05), but the subclinical hypothyroid pool had statistically lower levels than the hypothyroid pool (376.63±54.73, 587.80±65.10). In the Group-IV patients, the LDL-C levels were significantly higher as compared to those in the euthyroid pool. The fructosamine levels were significantly lower in comparison with both the euthyroid and the hypothyroid pools (both in Groups-II and III). The FPG levels were higher in all the classes of the thyroid abnormalities (subclinical hypothyroidnot significant) but within the reference range of 70-100mg/dl. Since the lipid derangement in subclinical hypothyroidism is on par with that in overt hypothyrodism, the subclinical hypothyroid cases also need to be treated similarly. The fructosamine values which are largely in excess of the FPG values, indicate a higher propensity to glycation and a decreased turnover of the proteins in the hypothyroid and the subclinical hypothyroid pools. Vice versa is true of the hyperthyroid pool. Fructosamine can be included in the thyroid work up of the patients to assess the metabolic function and the subsequent response after the initiation of the therapy.

Fluoxetine Treatment of Alcoholic Perpetrators of Domestic Violence: A 12-Week, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Study

PubMed Central

George, David T.; Phillips, Monte J.; Lifshitz, Mariel; Lionetti, Thomas A.; Spero, David E.; Ghassemzedeh, Niloofar; Doty, Linda; Umhau, John C.; Rawlings, Robert R.

2010-01-01

Objective Behaviorally based therapies for the treatment of perpetrators who initiate intimate partner violence (IPV) have generally shown minimal therapeutic efficacy. To explore a new treatment approach for IPV, we examined the effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on the irritability subscale score of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. This score served as a surrogate marker for the anger and physical aggression that characterize perpetrators of IPV. Method A 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study employing fluoxetine, alcohol treatment, and cognitive-behavioral therapy was performed. Sixty (46 men) non–court-mandated, DSM-IV–diagnosed alcoholic perpetrators of IPV with a history of at least 2 episodes of IPV in the year prior to participation in the study were evaluated. The primary outcome measure was the score on the irritability subscale of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Secondary measures included anxiety, depression, and ratings by the perpetrator's spouse/significant other. The study was conducted from January 2002 through December 2007. Results A repeated-measures analysis of variance using the irritability subscale scores obtained from perpetrators who completed the 12-week study (n = 24) showed a significant drug effect (F1,21 = 12.09, P = .002). Last observation carried forward (F1,32 = 4.24, P = .048) as well as intent-to-treat analysis (F1,54 = 5.0, P = .034) also showed a significant drug effect. Spouses'/significant others' physical and nonphysical Partner Abuse Scale ratings showed a significant reduction of abuse over time (F1,11 = 10.2, P = .009 and F1,11 = 24.2, P = .0005, respectively). Conclusion This is the first controlled study to show that a pharmacologic intervention employing a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in conjunction with alcohol treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy, can reduce measures of anger and physical aggression in alcoholic perpetrators of IPV. PMID:20673556

Efficacy and Safety of Levosulpiride Versus Haloperidol Injection in Patients With Acute Psychosis: A Randomized Double-Blind Study.

PubMed

Lavania, Sagar; Praharaj, Samir Kumar; Bains, Hariender Singh; Sinha, Vishal; Kumar, Abhinav

2016-01-01

Injectable antipsychotics are frequently required for controlling agitation and aggression in acute psychosis. No study has examined the use of injectable levosulpiride for this indication. To compare the efficacy and safety of injectable levosulpiride and haloperidol in patients with acute psychosis. This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study in which 60 drug-naive patients having acute psychosis were randomly assigned to receive either intramuscular haloperidol (10-20 mg/d) or levosulpiride (25-50 mg/d) for 5 days. All patients were rated on Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Overt Agitation Severity Scale (OASS), Overt Aggression Scale-Modified (OAS-M) scores, Simpson Angus Scale (SAS), and Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale (BARS). Repeated-measures ANOVA for BPRS scores showed significant effect of time (P < 0.001) and a trend toward greater reduction in scores in haloperidol group as shown by group × time interaction (P = 0.076). Repeated-measures ANOVA for OASS showed significant effect of time (P < 0.001) but no group × time interaction. Repeated-measures ANOVA for OAS-M scores showed significant effect of time (P < 0.001) and greater reduction in scores in haloperidol group as shown by group × time interaction (P = 0.032). Lorazepam requirement was much lower in haloperidol group as compared with those receiving levosulpiride (P = 0.022). Higher rates of akathisia and extrapyramidal symptoms were noted in the haloperidol group. Haloperidol was more effective than levosulpiride injection for psychotic symptoms, aggression, and severity of agitation in acute psychosis, but extrapyramidal adverse effects were less frequent with levosulpiride as compared with those receiving haloperidol.

Dependence on subconcussive impacts of brain metabolism in collision sport athletes: an MR spectroscopic study.

PubMed

Bari, Sumra; Svaldi, Diana O; Jang, Ikbeom; Shenk, Trey E; Poole, Victoria N; Lee, Taylor; Dydak, Ulrike; Rispoli, Joseph V; Nauman, Eric A; Talavage, Thomas M

2018-05-25

Long term neurological impairments due to repetitive head trauma are a growing concern for collision sport athletes. American Football has the highest rate of reported concussions among male high school athletes, a position held by soccer for female high school athletes. Recent research has shown that subconcussive events experienced by collision sport athletes can be a further significant source of accrued damage. Collision sport athletes experience hundreds of subconcussive events in a single season, and these largely go uninvestigated as they produce no overt clinical symptoms. Continued participation by these seemingly uninjured athletes is hypothesized to increase susceptibility to diagnoseable brain injury. This study paired magnetic resonance spectroscopy with head impact monitoring to quantify the relationship between metabolic changes and head acceleration event characteristics in high school-aged male football and female soccer collision sport athletes. During the period of exposure to subconcussive events, asymptomatic male (football) collision sport athletes exhibited statistically significant changes in concentrations of glutamate+glutamine (Glx) and total choline containing compounds (tCho) in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and female (soccer) collision sport athletes exhibited changes in glutamate+glutamine (Glx) in primary motor cortex. Neurometabolic alterations observed in football athletes during the second half of the season were found to be significantly associated with the average acceleration per head acceleration events, being best predicted by the accumulation of events exceeding 50 g. These marked deviations in neurometabolism, in the absence of overt symptoms, raise concern about the neural health of adolescent collision-sport athletes and suggest limiting exposure to head acceleration events may help to ameliorate the risk of subsequent cognitive impairment.

RiMINI - the influence of rifaximin on minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and on the intestinal microbiome in patients with liver cirrhosis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Schulz, Christian; Schütte, Kerstin; Kropf, Siegfried; Schmitt, Friedhelm C; Vasapolli, Riccardo; Kliegis, Leon M; Riegger, Antonia; Malfertheiner, Peter

2016-02-29

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a clinically significant complication of liver cirrhosis impacting on the patients' quality of life. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is diagnosed by psychometric tests, found in up to 80 % of patients with liver cirrhosis and carries a high risk of progression to overt HE. Continuous therapy with rifaximin in combination with lactulose significantly reduces the risk of overt HE, recurrence of HE and HE-related hospitalizations in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Rifaximin is approved for the therapy of overt HE in Germany. Treatment with lactulose has been shown to improve cognitive functions in patients with liver cirrhosis. Data from prospective clinical trials comparing the efficacy of rifaximin alone against a combination of rifaximin and lactulose in the treatment of MHE are scarce. Changes in the microbiome of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract as a result of therapy with rifaximin have not yet been addressed in clinical studies. RiMINI is a monocentric exploratory pilot study on 60 patients with MHE as assessed by critical flicker frequency (CFF). Additionally, visual evoked potentials' (VEP) testing, electroencephalography (EEG) and psychometric testing (NCT-A) will be carried out. Patients will be randomized to treatment either with rifaximin alone (550 mg twice daily (bid) continuously for a period of 3 months) or with rifaximin (550 mg bid continuously) in combination with lactulose (30-60 ml daily) for 3 months. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) will be performed at baseline, at the end of treatment and 6 and 12 weeks after the end of treatment to obtain gastric and duodenal biopsies and aspirates. The samples will be analyzed for their content of specific bacterial taxae by applying next generation sequencing (NGS) after rRNA isolation to identify the microbiome of the stomach and duodenum, and of the gut, in patients with liver cirrhosis and MHE before and after therapy. Differences of the effect of antibiotic therapy with rifaximin alone or in combination with lactulose on the clinical course of MHE are assessed. The trial was registered as DRKS00006359 on March 17th 2015, with the universal trial number U1111-1163-9410 and with EudraCT2013-004414-18 .

The Yin and Yang of support from significant others: Influence of general social support and partner support of avoidance in the context of treatment for social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Rapee, Ronald M; Peters, Lorna; Carpenter, Leigh; Gaston, Jonathan E

2015-06-01

Support from social networks is generally considered to protect against mental disorder but in some circumstances support for negative behaviours (such as avoidance) may be counterproductive. Given the critical interplay between social anxiety disorder and social interactions, it is surprising that the relationship of support from significant others to this disorder has received so little attention. The current study evaluated the reciprocal relationships between perceived social support and perceived partner support for avoidance behaviours (avoidance support) among a sample of 131 participants with social anxiety disorder who were assessed three times within the context of a treatment outcome study. A new measure of partner support for avoidance behaviours was developed, called the Avoidance Support Measure, and showed adequate internal consistency and construct validity. Correlations at baseline showed significant negative relationships between perceived social support and social anxiety and significant positive relationships between avoidance support and social anxiety. Path analysis showed that perceived social support at Times 1 and 2 negatively predicted future social anxiety at Times 2 and 3. On the other hand, only a single predictive relationship involving avoidance support was significant and showed that social anxiety at Time 1 positively predicted avoidance support at Time 2. These early results point to the different ways that support from significant others might relate to social anxiety and suggest that further work in this area may be fruitful. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engaging Terminally Ill Patients in End of Life Talk: How Experienced Palliative Medicine Doctors Navigate the Dilemma of Promoting Discussions about Dying

PubMed Central

Parry, Ruth; Land, Victoria; Faull, Christina; Feathers, Luke; Seymour, Jane

2016-01-01

Objective To examine how palliative medicine doctors engage patients in end-of-life (hereon, EoL) talk. To examine whether the practice of “eliciting and responding to cues”, which has been widely advocated in the EoL care literature, promotes EoL talk. Design Conversation analysis of video- and audio-recorded consultations. Participants Unselected terminally ill patients and their companions in consultation with experienced palliative medicine doctors. Setting Outpatient clinic, day therapy clinic, and inpatient unit of a single English hospice. Results Doctors most commonly promoted EoL talk through open elaboration solicitations; these created opportunities for patients to introduce–then later further articulate–EoL considerations in such a way that doctors did not overtly ask about EoL matters. Importantly, the wording of elaboration solicitations avoided assuming that patients had EoL concerns. If a patient responded to open elaboration solicitations without introducing EoL considerations, doctors sometimes pursued EoL talk by switching to a less participatory and more presumptive type of solicitation, which suggested the patient might have EoL concerns. These more overt solicitations were used only later in consultations, which indicates that doctors give precedence to patients volunteering EoL considerations, and offer them opportunities to take the lead in initiating EoL talk. There is evidence that doctors treat elaboration of patients’ talk as a resource for engaging them in EoL conversations. However, there are limitations associated with labelling that talk as “cues” as is common in EoL communication contexts. We examine these limitations and propose “possible EoL considerations” as a descriptively more accurate term. Conclusions Through communicating–via open elaboration solicitations–in ways that create opportunities for patients to volunteer EoL considerations, doctors navigate a core dilemma in promoting EoL talk: giving patients opportunities to choose whether to engage in conversations about EoL whilst being sensitive to their communication needs, preferences and state of readiness for such dialogue. PMID:27243630

[Relationship Between Child Behavior and Emotional Problems and School Based Effort Avoidance].

PubMed

Weber, Hanna Maria; Büttner, Peter; Rücker, Stefan; Petermann, Franz

2015-01-01

The present study has examined the relationship between school based effort avoidance tendencies and problem behavior in children aged 9 to 16 years. Effort avoidance tendencies were assessed in 367 children with and without child care. Teachers and social workers rated children on behavioral and emotional problems with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results confirmed significant but low correlations between teacher ratings of behavior and emotional problems in children and selected subscales of self-reported effort avoidance in school, especially for children in child care institutions. For them "conduct problems" were significantly correlated with three of the four subscales and the total sum score of effort avoidance whereas "hyperactivity" was the only scale which was significantly associated with the fourth subscale. In the school sample only "hyperactivity" and "peer problems" were significantly correlated with one subscale of school-based effort avoidance. The findings suggest that more problem behavior is in relation to more school based effort avoidance tendencies.

Management of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and lactation.

PubMed

Azizi, Fereidoun; Amouzegar, Atieh

2011-06-01

Poorly treated or untreated maternal overt hyperthyroidism may affect pregnancy outcome. Fetal and neonatal hypo- or hyper-thyroidism and neonatal central hypothyroidism may complicate health issues during intrauterine and neonatal periods. To review articles related to appropriate management of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and lactation. A literature review was performed using MEDLINE with the terms 'hyperthyroidism and pregnancy', 'antithyroid drugs and pregnancy', 'radioiodine and pregnancy', 'hyperthyroidism and lactation', and 'antithyroid drugs and lactation', both separately and in conjunction with the terms 'fetus' and 'maternal.' Antithyroid drugs are the main therapy for maternal hyperthyroidism. Both methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) may be used during pregnancy; however, PTU is preferred in the first trimester and should be replaced by MMI after this trimester. Choanal and esophageal atresia of fetus in MMI-treated and maternal hepatotoxicity in PTU-treated pregnancies are of utmost concern. Maintaining free thyroxine concentration in the upper one-third of each trimester-specific reference interval denotes success of therapy. MMI is the mainstay of the treatment of post partum hyperthyroidism, in particular during lactation. Management of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and lactation requires special considerations and should be carefully implemented to avoid any adverse effects on the mother, fetus, and neonate.

Virtual reality games for movement rehabilitation in neurological conditions: how do we meet the needs and expectations of the users?

PubMed

Lewis, Gwyn N; Rosie, Juliet A

2012-01-01

To review quantitative and qualitative studies that have examined the users' response to virtual reality game-based interventions in people with movement disorders associated with chronic neurological conditions. We aimed to determine key themes that influenced users' enjoyment and engagement in the games and develop suggestions as to how future systems could best address their needs and expectations. There were a limited number of studies that evaluated user opinions. From those found, seven common themes emerged: technology limitations, user control and therapist assistance, the novel physical and cognitive challenge, feedback, social interaction, game purpose and expectations, and the virtual environments. Our key recommendations derived from the review were to avoid technology failure, maintain overt therapeutic principles within the games, encompass progression to promote continuing physical and cognitive challenge, and to provide feedback that is easily and readily associated with success. While there have been few studies that have evaluated the users' perspective of virtual rehabilitation games, our findings indicate that canvassing these experiences provides valuable information on the needs of the intended users. Incorporating our recommendations may enhance the efficacy of future systems to optimize the rehabilitation benefits of virtual reality games.

Personality features in ultra-high risk for psychosis: a comparative study with schizophrenia and control subjects using the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R).

PubMed

Fresán, Ana; León-Ortiz, Pablo; Robles-García, Rebeca; Azcárraga, Mariana; Guizar, Diana; Reyes-Madrigal, Francisco; Tovilla-Zárate, Carlos Alfonso; de la Fuente-Sandoval, Camilo

2015-02-01

Several variables have been identified as risk factors for conversion to overt psychosis in ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR) individuals. Although almost two-thirds of them do not experience a transition to psychosis, they still exhibit functional disabilities. Other subjective developmental features may be useful for a more precise identification of individuals at UHR. Avoidant behaviors are consistently reported in schizophrenia and in UHR individuals and may be the reflection of a pattern of personality. Thus, personality features in UHR individuals deserves further research. The objective of the present study was to compare temperament and character dimensions between UHR individuals, patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. One hundred participants (25 UHR individuals, 25 schizophrenia patients and 50 control subjects) where evaluated with the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R). Univariate ANOVAs followed by Bonferroni tests were used. UHR individuals and schizophrenia patients exhibited higher levels of Harm Avoidance (HA) when compared to control subjects. For HA1 Anticipatory worry vs Uninhibited optimism and HA4 Fatigability & asthenia, UHR and schizophrenia groups showed similar scores and both groups were higher compared to control subjects. With respect to Cooperativeness (CO), UHR and schizophrenia reported lower scores than control subjects, in particular CO2 Empathy vs Social disinterest and CO3 Helpfulness vs unhelpfulness. This study replicates and extends the consideration of HA as a psychopathological related endophenotype and gives us further information of the possible role of personality features in the expression of some of the social dysfunctions observed both in prodromal subjects and schizophrenia patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why increasing availability of ART is not enough: a rapid, community-based study on how HIV-related stigma impacts engagement to care in rural South Africa.

PubMed

Treves-Kagan, Sarah; Steward, Wayne T; Ntswane, Lebogang; Haller, Robin; Gilvydis, Jennifer M; Gulati, Harnik; Barnhart, Scott; Lippman, Sheri A

2016-01-28

Stigma is a known barrier to HIV testing and care. Because access to antiretroviral therapy reduces overt illness and mortality, some scholars theorized that HIV-related stigma would decrease as treatment availability increased. However, the association between ART accessibility and stigma has not been as straightforward as originally predicted. We conducted a "situational analysis"--a rapid, community-based qualitative assessment to inform a combination HIV prevention program in high prevalence communities. In the context of this community-based research, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 684 individuals in four low-resource sub-districts in North West Province, South Africa. In addition to using this data to inform programming, we examined the impact of stigma on the uptake of services. Findings suggested that anticipated stigma remains a barrier to care. Although participants reported less enacted stigma, or hostility toward people living with HIV, they also felt that HIV remains synonymous with promiscuity and infidelity. Participants described community members taking steps to avoid being identified as HIV-positive, including avoiding healthcare facilities entirely, using traditional healers, or paying for private doctors. Such behaviors led to delays in testing and accessing care, and problems adhering to medications, especially for men and youth with no other health condition that could plausibly account for their utilization of medical services. We conclude that providing access to ART alone will not end HIV-related stigma. Instead, individuals will remain hesitant to seek care as long as they fear that doing so will lead to prejudice and discrimination. It is critical to combat this trend by increasing cultural acceptance of being seropositive, integrating HIV care into general primary care and normalizing men and youths' accessing health care.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Reference Range and Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in the Korean Population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2015

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background No nationwide epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of subclinical and overt forms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has yet been conducted in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the reference range of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the national prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Korea. Methods Nation-wide cross-sectional data were analyzed from a representative sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized Korean population (n=6,564) who underwent blood testing for thyroid function and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013 to 2015). Results The reference interval of serum TSH in the Korean reference population was 0.62 to 6.68 mIU/L. Based on this reference interval, the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism was 0.73% (males 0.40%, females 1.10%) and 3.10% (males 2.26%, females 4.04%), respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age until the age group between 50 to 59 years. Positive TPOAb were found in 7.30% of subjects (males 4.33%, females 10.62%). The prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism TPOAb-positive subjects was 5.16% and 10.88%, respectively. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.54% (males 0.30%, females 0.81%) and 2.98% (males 2.43%, females, 3.59%), respectively. Conclusion The Serum TSH reference levels in the Korean population were higher than the corresponding levels in Western countries. Differences were found in the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism according to age, sex, and TPOAb positivity. This study provides important baseline information for understanding patterns of thyroid dysfunction and diseases in Korea. PMID:28116874

The spectrum of thyroid disease and risk of new onset atrial fibrillation: a large population cohort study

PubMed Central

Olesen, Jonas Bjerring; Hansen, Morten Lock; Lindhardsen, Jesper; Olsen, Anne-Marie Schjerning; Madsen, Jesper Clausager; Faber, Jens; Hansen, Peter Riis; Pedersen, Ole Dyg; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

2012-01-01

Objectives To examine the risk of atrial fibrillation in relation to the whole spectrum of thyroid function in a large cohort of patients. Design Population based cohort study of general practice patients identified by linkage of nationwide registries at the individual level. Setting Primary care patients in the city of Copenhagen. Subjects Registry data for 586 460 adults who had their thyroid function evaluated for the first time by their general practitioner during 2000-10 and who were without previously recorded thyroid disease or atrial fibrillation. Main outcome measure Poisson regression models used to estimate risk of atrial fibrillation by thyroid function. Results Of the 586 460 individuals in the study population (mean (SD) age 50.2 (16.9) years, 39% men), 562 461 (96.0%) were euthyroid, 1670 (0.3%) had overt hypothyroidism, 12 087 (2.0%) had subclinical hypothyroidism, 3966 (0.7%) had overt hyperthyroidism, and 6276 (1.0%) had subclinical hyperthyroidism. Compared with the euthyroid individuals, the risk of atrial fibrillation increased with decreasing levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from high normal euthyroidism (incidence rate ratio 1.12 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.21)) to subclinical hyperthyroidism with reduced TSH (1.16 (0.99 to 1.36)) and subclinical hyperthyroidism with supressed TSH (1.41 (1.25 to 1.59)). Both overt and subclinical hypothyroidism were associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation. Conclusion The risk of atrial fibrillation was closely associated with thyroid activity, with a low risk in overt hypothyroidism, high risk in hyperthyroidism, and a TSH level dependent association with risk of atrial fibrillation across the spectrum of subclinical thyroid disease. PMID:23186910

Activation of the coagulation cascade in patients with scrub typhus.

PubMed

Lee, Hee-Jeong; Park, Chi-Young; Park, Sang-Gon; Yoon, Na-Ra; Kim, Dong-Min; Chung, Choon-Hae

2017-09-01

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the levels of coagulation factors and presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in patients with scrub typhus. We included patients confirmed to have scrub typhus at the Chosun University Hospital between September 2004 and December 2009. The DIC scores were evaluated in 365 patients and 36 healthy controls. The median concentrations of fibrinogen, d-dimer, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) were compared between patients and healthy controls (p<0.001 for all tests). Patients with scrub typhus had longer prothrombin time and lower platelet counts than the controls. Major bleeding was observed in 18/365 patients with scrub typhus. Fifty-one (14.0%) patients presented with severe complications of scrub typhus. Overt DIC and thrombocytopenia (<100,000 platelets/mm 3 ) were observed more frequently in patients with bleeding and severe illness. Furthermore, median platelet counts were low in both groups. Approximately 2.7% (n=10) and 16.4% (n=60) patients with scrub typhus had overt DIC, as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis DIC score (DIC1) and the DIC-scoring template with a fibrinogen/C-reactive protein-ratio (DIC2), respectively. Three (16.7%) and 10 (55.6%) patients with bleeding had overt DIC, as defined by the DIC1 and DIC2, respectively. Seven (13.7%) and 26 (51%) patients with severe illness had overt DIC, as defined by DIC1 and DIC2, respectively. In conclusion, activation of the coagulation system is an important feature of scrub typhus and is correlated with severe disease, including bleeding. This is the first study to report a relationship between DIC and scrub typhus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk of Gonadoblastoma Development in Patients with Turner Syndrome with Cryptic Y Chromosome Material.

PubMed

Kwon, Ahreum; Hyun, Sei Eun; Jung, Mo Kyung; Chae, Hyun Wook; Lee, Woo Jung; Kim, Tae Hyuk; Kim, Duk Hee; Kim, Ho-Seong

2017-06-01

Current guidelines recommend that testing for Y chromosome material should be performed only in patients with Turner syndrome harboring a marker chromosome and exhibiting virilization in order to detect individuals who are at high risk of gonadoblastoma. However, cryptic Y chromosome material is suggested to be a risk factor for gonadoblastoma in patients with Turner syndrome. Here, we aimed to estimate the frequency of cryptic Y chromosome material in patients with Turner syndrome and determine whether Y chromosome material increased the risk for development of gonadoblastoma. A total of 124 patients who were diagnosed with Turner syndrome by conventional cytogenetic techniques underwent additional molecular analysis to detect cryptic Y chromosome material. In addition, patients with Turner syndrome harboring Y chromosome cell lines had their ovaries removed prophylactically. Finally, we assessed the occurrence of gonadoblastoma in patients with Turner syndrome. Molecular analysis demonstrated that 10 patients had Y chromosome material among 118 patients without overt Y chromosome (8.5%). Six patients with overt Y chromosome and four patients with cryptic Y chromosome material underwent oophorectomy. Histopathological analysis revealed that the occurrence of gonadoblastoma in the total group was 2.4%, and gonadoblastoma occurred in one of six patients with an overt Y chromosome (16.7%) and 2 of 10 patients with cryptic Y chromosome material (20.0%). The risk of developing gonadoblastoma in patients with cryptic Y chromosome material was similar to that in patients with overt Y chromosome. Therefore, molecular screening for Y chromosome material should be recommended for all patients with Turner syndrome to detect individuals at a high risk of gonadoblastoma and to facilitate proper management of the disease.

Immune function and brain abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations.

PubMed

Kozora, E; Filley, C M; Zhang, L; Brown, M S; Miller, D E; Arciniegas, D B; Pelzman, J L; West, S G

2012-04-01

This study examined the relationship between immune, cognitive and neuroimaging assessments in subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without histories of overt neuropsychiatric (NP) disorders. In total, 84 subjects with nonNPSLE and 37 healthy controls completed neuropsychological testing from the American College of Rheumatology SLE battery. Serum autoantibody and cytokine measures, volumetric magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were collected on a subset of subjects. NonNPSLE subjects had lower scores on measures of visual/complex attention, visuomotor speed and verbal memory compared with controls. No clinically significant differences between nonNPSLE patients and controls were found on serum measures of lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies, beta 2-glycoproteins, or pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)). Higher scores on a global cognitive impairment index and a memory impairment index were correlated with lower IFN-alpha. Few associations between immune functions and neuroimaging parameters were found. Results indicated that nonNPSLE patients demonstrated cognitive impairment but not immune differences compared with controls. In these subjects, who were relatively young and with mild disease, no relationship between cognitive dysfunction, immune parameters, or previously documented neuroimaging abnormalities were noted. Immune measures acquired from cerebrospinal fluid instead of serum may yield stronger associations.

GWAS reveals loci associated with velopharyngeal dysfunction.

PubMed

Chernus, Jonathan; Roosenboom, Jasmien; Ford, Matthew; Lee, Myoung Keun; Emanuele, Beth; Anderton, Joel; Hecht, Jacqueline T; Padilla, Carmencita; Deleyiannis, Frederic W B; Buxo, Carmen J; Feingold, Eleanor; Leslie, Elizabeth J; Shaffer, John R; Weinberg, Seth M; Marazita, Mary L

2018-05-31

Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) occurs when the muscular soft palate (velum) and lateral pharyngeal walls are physically unable to separate the oral and nasal cavities during speech production leading to hypernasality and abnormal speech reduction. Because VPD is often associated with overt or submucous cleft palate, it could be present as a subclinical phenotype in families with a history of orofacial clefting. A key assumption to this model is that the overt and subclinical manifestations of the orofacial cleft phenotype exist on a continuum and therefore share common etiological factors. We performed a genome-wide association study in 976 unaffected relatives of isolated CP probands, 54 of whom had VPD. Five loci were significantly (p < 5 × 10 -8 ) associated with VPD: 3q29, 9p21.1, 12q21.31, 16p12.3 and 16p13.3. An additional 15 loci showing suggestive evidence of association with VPD were observed. Several genes known to be involved in orofacial clefting and craniofacial development are located in these regions, such as TFRC, PCYT1A, BNC2 and FREM1. Although further research is necessary, this could be an indication for a potential shared genetic architecture between VPD and cleft palate, and supporting the hypothesis that VPD is a subclinical phenotype of orofacial clefting.

Electrophysiological correlates of word recognition memory process in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

PubMed

Giovannelli, Fabio; Simoni, David; Gavazzi, Gioele; Giganti, Fiorenza; Olivotto, Iacopo; Cincotta, Massimo; Pratesi, Alessandra; Baldasseroni, Samuele; Viggiano, Maria Pia

2016-09-01

The relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and cognitive performance in patients with coronary artery disease without overt heart failure is still under debate. In this study we combine behavioral measures and event-related potentials (ERPs) to verify whether electrophysiological correlates of recognition memory (old/new effect) are modulated differently as a function of LVEF. Twenty-three male patients (12 without [LVEF>55%] and 11 with [LVEF<40%] left ventricular dysfunction), and a Mini Mental State Examination score >25 were enrolled. ERPs were recorded while participants performed an old/new visual word recognition task. A late positive ERP component between 350 and 550ms was differentially modulated in the two groups: a clear old/new effect (enhanced mean amplitude for old respect to new items) was observed in patients without LVEF dysfunction; whereas patients with overt LVEF dysfunction did not show such effect. In contrast, no significant differences emerged for behavioral performance and neuropsychological evaluations. These data suggest that ERPs may reveal functional brain abnormalities that are not observed at behavioral level. Detecting sub-clinical measures of cognitive decline may contribute to set appropriate treatments and to monitor asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with LVEF dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A French adaptation of the Overt Behaviour Scale (OBS) measuring challenging behaviours following acquired brain injury: The Échelle des comportements observables (ÉCO).

PubMed

Gagnon, Jean; Simpson, Grahame Kenneth; Kelly, Glenn; Godbout, Denis; Ouellette, Michel; Drolet, Jacques

2016-01-01

To develop a French version of the Overt Behaviour Scale (OBS) and examine some of its psychometric properties. The scale was adapted and validated according to standard guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of questionnaires (Échelle des comportements observables; ÉCO). The reliability and construct validity of the ÉCO were studied among 29 inpatients and outpatients who sustained an acquired brain injury. The instruments were administered by 12 clinicians located at eight rehabilitation centres and the local brain injury association. The ÉCO provided behaviour profile descriptives much like the original scale. It showed excellent reliability and good convergent and divergent validity, as reflected by significant associations with other measures that contained similar behavioural items and by the absence of signification correlations with broader constructs such as physical and cognitive abilities. This study provides evidence that the ÉCO behaves much like the original OBS, has promising initial findings with respect to reliability and validity and is a valuable research and clinical instrument to assess the severity and typology of challenging behaviour after an acquired brain injury and to monitor the evolution of behaviours after intervention in French and bilingual communities.

Causes of Adult Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in the Mediterranean Area

PubMed Central

De Stefano, Valerio; Za, Tommaso; Ciminello, Angela; Betti, Silvia; Rossi, Elena

2011-01-01

The term splanchnic vein thrombosis encompasses Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS), extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO), and mesenteric vein thrombosis. Risk factors can be local or systemic. A local precipitating factor is rare in BCS, while it is common in patients with portal vein thrombosis. Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are the leading systemic cause of splanchnic vein thrombosis, and are diagnosed in half BCS patients and one-third of EHPVO patients; the somatic mutation JAK2 V617F is detectable in a large majority of patients with overt MPN, and up to 40% of patients without overt MPN. Inherited thrombophilia is present in at least one-third of patients, and the factor V Leiden or the prothrombin G20210A mutations are the most common mutations found in BCS or EHPVO patients, respectively. Multiple factors are present in approximately one-third of patients with BCS and two- thirds of patients with portal vein thrombosis. In a few patient series from the Southern Mediterranean area the high prevalence of MPN and thrombophilia as underlying cause of BCS is confirmed, although the data should be considered preliminary. Peculiar risk factors present in the area are Behçet’s disease and hydatidosis; moreover, membraneous webs, typically found in Asian patients, are present in a significant portion of cases. PMID:22220260

Word pair classification during imagined speech using direct brain recordings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Stephanie; Brunner, Peter; Iturrate, Iñaki; Millán, José Del R.; Schalk, Gerwin; Knight, Robert T.; Pasley, Brian N.

2016-05-01

People that cannot communicate due to neurological disorders would benefit from an internal speech decoder. Here, we showed the ability to classify individual words during imagined speech from electrocorticographic signals. In a word imagery task, we used high gamma (70-150 Hz) time features with a support vector machine model to classify individual words from a pair of words. To account for temporal irregularities during speech production, we introduced a non-linear time alignment into the SVM kernel. Classification accuracy reached 88% in a two-class classification framework (50% chance level), and average classification accuracy across fifteen word-pairs was significant across five subjects (mean = 58% p < 0.05). We also compared classification accuracy between imagined speech, overt speech and listening. As predicted, higher classification accuracy was obtained in the listening and overt speech conditions (mean = 89% and 86%, respectively; p < 0.0001), where speech stimuli were directly presented. The results provide evidence for a neural representation for imagined words in the temporal lobe, frontal lobe and sensorimotor cortex, consistent with previous findings in speech perception and production. These data represent a proof of concept study for basic decoding of speech imagery, and delineate a number of key challenges to usage of speech imagery neural representations for clinical applications.

Word pair classification during imagined speech using direct brain recordings

PubMed Central

Martin, Stephanie; Brunner, Peter; Iturrate, Iñaki; Millán, José del R.; Schalk, Gerwin; Knight, Robert T.; Pasley, Brian N.

2016-01-01

People that cannot communicate due to neurological disorders would benefit from an internal speech decoder. Here, we showed the ability to classify individual words during imagined speech from electrocorticographic signals. In a word imagery task, we used high gamma (70–150 Hz) time features with a support vector machine model to classify individual words from a pair of words. To account for temporal irregularities during speech production, we introduced a non-linear time alignment into the SVM kernel. Classification accuracy reached 88% in a two-class classification framework (50% chance level), and average classification accuracy across fifteen word-pairs was significant across five subjects (mean = 58%; p < 0.05). We also compared classification accuracy between imagined speech, overt speech and listening. As predicted, higher classification accuracy was obtained in the listening and overt speech conditions (mean = 89% and 86%, respectively; p < 0.0001), where speech stimuli were directly presented. The results provide evidence for a neural representation for imagined words in the temporal lobe, frontal lobe and sensorimotor cortex, consistent with previous findings in speech perception and production. These data represent a proof of concept study for basic decoding of speech imagery, and delineate a number of key challenges to usage of speech imagery neural representations for clinical applications. PMID:27165452

Overt Naming fMRI Pre- and Post- TMS: Two Nonfluent Aphasia Patients, with and without Improved Naming Post- TMS

PubMed Central

Martin, Paula I; Naeser, Margaret A.; Ho, Michael; Doron, Karl W.; Kurland, Jacquie; Kaplan, Jerome; Wang, Yunyan; Nicholas, Marjorie; Baker, Errol H.; Alonso, Miguel; Fregni, Felipe; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2009-01-01

Two chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients participated in overt naming fMRI scans, pre- and post- a series of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments as part of a TMS study to improve naming. Each patient received ten, 1-Hz rTMS treatments to suppress a part of R pars triangularis. P1 was a ‘good responder’ with improved naming and phrase length; P2 was a ‘poor responder’ without improved naming. Pre- TMS (10 yr. poststroke), P1 had significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in both L and R SMA during overt naming fMRI (28% pictures named. At 3 mo. post- TMS (42% named), P1 showed continued activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in R and L SMA. At 16 mo. post- TMS (58% named), he also showed significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex mouth and R IFG. He now showed a significant increase in activation in the L SMA compared to pre- TMS and at 3 mo. post- TMS (p<.02; p<.05, respectively). At 16 mo. there was also greater activation in L than R SMA (p<.08). At 46 mo. post- TMS (42% named), this new LH pattern of activation continued. He improved on the Boston Naming Test from 11 pictures named pre- TMS, to scores ranging from 14-18 pictures, post- TMS (2 mo. to 43 mo. post- TMS). His longest phrase length (Cookie Theft picture) improved from 3 words pre- TMS, to 5-6 words post- TMS. Pre- TMS (1.5 yr. poststroke), P2 had significant activation in R IFG (3% pictures named). At 3 and 6 mo. post- TMS, there was no longer significant activation in R IFG, but significant activation was present in R sensorimotor cortex. On all three fMRI scans, P2 had significant activation in both the L and R SMA. There was no new, lasting perilesional LH activation across sessions for this patient. Over time, there was little or no change in his activation. His naming remained only at 1-2 pictures during all three fMRI scans. His BNT score and longest phrase length remained at 1 word, post- TMS. Lesion site may play a role in each patient’s fMRI activation pattern and response to TMS treatment. P2, the poor responder, had an atypical frontal lesion in the L motor and premotor cortex that extended high, near brain vertex, with deep white matter lesion near L SMA. P2 also had frontal lesion in the posterior middle frontal gyrus, an area important for naming (Duffau et al., 2003); P1 did not. Additionally, P2 had lesion inferior and posterior to Wernicke’s area, in parts of BA 21 and 37, whereas P1 did not. The fMRI data of our patient who had good response following TMS support the notion that restoration of the LH language network is linked in part, to better recovery of naming and phrase length in nonfluent aphasia. PMID:19695692

Overt naming fMRI pre- and post-TMS: Two nonfluent aphasia patients, with and without improved naming post-TMS.

PubMed

Martin, Paula I; Naeser, Margaret A; Ho, Michael; Doron, Karl W; Kurland, Jacquie; Kaplan, Jerome; Wang, Yunyan; Nicholas, Marjorie; Baker, Errol H; Alonso, Miguel; Fregni, Felipe; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2009-10-01

Two chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients participated in overt naming fMRI scans, pre- and post-a series of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments as part of a TMS study to improve naming. Each patient received 10, 1-Hz rTMS treatments to suppress a part of R pars triangularis. P1 was a 'good responder' with improved naming and phrase length; P2 was a 'poor responder' without improved naming. Pre-TMS (10 years poststroke), P1 had significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in both L and R SMA during overt naming fMRI (28% pictures named). At 3 mo. post-TMS (42% named), P1 showed continued activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex, R IFG, and in R and L SMA. At 16 mo. post-TMS (58% named), he also showed significant activation in R and L sensorimotor cortex mouth and R IFG. He now showed a significant increase in activation in the L SMA compared to pre-TMS and at 3 mo. post-TMS (p < .02; p < .05, respectively). At 16 mo. there was also greater activation in L than R SMA (p < .08). At 46 mo. post-TMS (42% named), this new LH pattern of activation continued. He improved on the Boston Naming Test from 11 pictures named pre-TMS, to scores ranging from 14 to 18 pictures, post-TMS (2-43 mo. post-TMS). His longest phrase length (Cookie Theft picture) improved from three words pre-TMS, to 5-6 words post-TMS. Pre-TMS (1.5 years poststroke), P2 had significant activation in R IFG (3% pictures named). At 3 and 6 mo. post-TMS, there was no longer significant activation in R IFG, but significant activation was present in R sensorimotor cortex. On all three fMRI scans, P2 had significant activation in both the L and R SMA. There was no new, lasting perilesional LH activation across sessions for this patient. Over time, there was little or no change in his activation. His naming remained only at 1-2 pictures during all three fMRI scans. His BNT score and longest phrase length remained at one word, post-TMS. Lesion site may play a role in each patient's fMRI activation pattern and response to TMS treatment. P2, the poor responder, had an atypical frontal lesion in the L motor and premotor cortex that extended high, near brain vertex, with deep white matter lesion near L SMA. P2 also had frontal lesion in the posterior middle frontal gyrus, an area important for naming (Duffau et al., 2003); P1 did not. Additionally, P2 had lesion inferior and posterior to Wernicke's area, in parts of BA 21 and 37, whereas P1 did not. The fMRI data of our patient who had good response following TMS support the notion that restoration of the LH language network is linked in part, to better recovery of naming and phrase length in nonfluent aphasia.

[Thyroid disorders during pregnancy].

PubMed

Gärtner, R

2009-01-01

Thyroid disorders may not only be the cause infertility but also increases the incidence of miscarriages and the morbidity of the pregnancies. During pregnancy the demand of thyroid hormones increases to about 30 - 50 % and the thyroid has to cope with this increase. In Germany the iodine intake has improved significantly during the last 20 years, but still is borderline low with an mean intake of about 120 microg iodide per day. Therefore it is still recommended that pregnant women are supplemented with about 100 - 150 microg of iodide during pregnancy and the time of breast-feeding, to avoid hypothyroidism of the foetus with concomitant delay of the brain development. Not only women with subclinical hypothyroidism, but only elevated TPO antibodies have a significant increase in early miscarriage and preterm delivery. An early supplementation with Levothyroxin despite euthyroidism might reduce these risks. Those women also more frequently develop postpartum thyroiditis. This risk can be reduced by a supplementation with selenium during and after pregnancy. Graves' disease is a rare disorder and only about 0,1 - 0,4 pregnancies are affected. The course of the disease is biphasic, with an exacerbation within the first trimester and an improvement thereafter, but a recurrence after delivery. Overt thyrotoxicosis has to be treated with propylthiouracil, to maintain euthyroidism during pregnancy. The TSH receptor antibodies are transferred to the foetus with the risk of thyrotoxicosis. Special care of the foetus is therefore necessary. Transient mild hyperthyroidism may occur in women with very high HCG levels during the first three months of pregnancy. This often is associated with hyperemesis gravidarum. Subclinical hypothyroidism of the mother will disturb the normal development of the foetus and therefore has to be treated even when TSH is within the upper normal level. Special care is necessary in women with elevated TPO antibodies, because these more often develop postpartum thyroiditis.

Nesting songbirds assess spatial heterogeneity of predatory chipmunks by eavesdropping on their vocalizations.

PubMed

Emmering, Quinn C; Schmidt, Kenneth A

2011-11-01

1. Information benefits organisms living in a heterogeneous world by reducing uncertainty associated with decision making. For breeding passerines, information reliably associated with nest failure, such as predator activity, can be used to adjust breeding decisions leading to higher reproductive success. 2. Predator vocalizations may provide a source of current information for songbirds to assess spatial heterogeneity in risk that enables them to make appropriate nest-site and territory placement decisions. 3. To determine whether ground-nesting passerines eavesdrop on a common nest predator, the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), we conducted a playback experiment to create spatial heterogeneity in perceived predation risk. We established three types of playback plots broadcasting: (i) chipmunk vocalizations (increased risk), (ii) frog calls (procedural control) and (iii) no playback (silent control). We conducted point counts from plot centres to compare bird activity among treatments and measured the distance of two ground-nesting species' nests, ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) and veery (Catharus fuscescens), from playback stations. 4. Ground-nesting birds significantly reduced their activities up to 30 m from plot centres in response to playbacks of chipmunk calls suggesting an adjustment of territory placement or a reduction of overt behaviours (e.g. singing frequency). In contrast, less vulnerable canopy-nesting species showed no effect across experimental plots. Correspondingly, veeries and ovenbirds nested significantly further from chipmunk playback stations relative to control stations. Interestingly, the magnitude of this response was more than twice as high in ovenbirds than in veeries. 5. Our findings indicate that some breeding passerines may eavesdrop on predator communication, providing an explanation for how some birds assess spatial heterogeneity in predation risk to make breeding site decisions. Thus, heterospecific eavesdropping may be a common feature of predator-prey interactions that allows birds to avoid nest predators in space and provide greater stability to predator-prey dynamics. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2011 British Ecological Society.

The effect of healthcare delivery privatisation on avoidable mortality: longitudinal cross-regional results from Italy, 1993-2003.

PubMed

Quercioli, Cecilia; Messina, Gabriele; Basu, Sanjay; McKee, Martin; Nante, Nicola; Stuckler, David

2013-02-01

During the 1990s, Italy privatised a significant portion of its healthcare delivery. The authors compared the effectiveness of private and public sector healthcare delivery in reducing avoidable mortality (deaths that should not occur in the presence of effective medical care). The authors calculated the average rate of change in age-standardised avoidable mortality rates in 19 of Italy's regions from 1993 to 2003. Multivariate regression models were used to analyse the relationship between rates of change in avoidable mortality and levels of spending on public versus private healthcare delivery, controlling for potential demographic and economic confounders. Greater spending on public delivery of health services corresponded to faster reductions in avoidable mortality rates. Each €100 additional public spending per capita on NHS delivery was independently associated with a 1.47% reduction in the rate of avoidable mortality (p=0.003). In contrast, spending on private sector services had no statistically significant effect on avoidable mortality rates (p=0.557). A higher percentage of spending on private sector delivery was associated with higher rates of avoidable mortality (p=0.002). The authors found that neither public nor private sector delivery spending was significantly associated with non-avoidable mortality rates, plausibly because non-avoidable mortality is insensitive to healthcare services. Public spending was significantly associated with reductions in avoidable mortality rates over time, while greater private sector spending was not at the regional level in Italy.

Improving PTSD Symptoms and Preventing Progression of Subclinical PTSD to an Overt Disorder by Treating Comorbid OSA With CPAP

PubMed Central

Ullah, M. I.; Campbell, Douglas G.; Bhagat, Rajesh; Lyons, Judith A.; Tamanna, Sadeka

2017-01-01

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in United States veterans. These conditions often coexist and symptoms overlap. Previous studies reported improvement in PTSD symptoms with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for comorbid OSA but its effect has not been assessed in a non-PTSD cohort. We have prospectively assessed the effect of CPAP therapy on clinical symptom improvement as a function of CPAP compliance levels among PTSD and non-PTSD veterans. Methods: Veterans in whom OSA was newly diagnosed were enrolled in our study (n = 192). Assignment to PTSD and non-PTSD cohorts was determined by chart review. Each patient completed the military version of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and reported nightmare frequency (NMF) at baseline and 6 months after CPAP therapy. CPAP adherence was objectively documented from machine compliance data. Results: We had complete data for 177 veterans (PTSD n = 59, non-PTSD n = 118) for analysis. The mean ages were 51.24 years in the PTSD cohort and 52.36 years in the non-PTSD cohort (P = .30). In the PTSD cohort, the mean total PCL score (baseline = 66.06, post-CPAP = 61.27, P = .004, d = −0.34) and NMF (baseline = 4.61, post-CPAP = 1.49, P = .0001, d = −0.51) decreased after 6 months of CPAP treatment. Linear regression analysis showed that the CPAP compliance was the only significant predictor for these changes among veterans with PTSD (PCL score: P = .033, R2 = .65; NMF; P = .03, R2 = .61). Further analysis by CPAP compliance quartiles in this cohort (Q1 = 0% to 25%, Q2 = 26% to 50%, Q3 = 51% to 75%, Q4 > 75%) revealed that mean total PCL score declined in Q2 (change = −3.91, P = .045, d = 0.43), Q3 (change = −6.6, P = .002, d = 0.59), and Q4 (change = −7.94, P = .037, d = 0.49). In the non-PTSD cohort, the PCL score increased despite CPAP therapy in lower CPAP compliance quartiles Q1 (change = 8.71, P = .0001, d = 0.46) and Q2 (change = 4.51, P = .046, d = 0.27). With higher CPAP compliance (in Q3 and Q4) in this cohort, the mean total PCL scores slightly improved with CPAP but they were not statistically significant (P > .05). Conclusions: CPAP treatment reduces total PCL score and NMF in veterans with PTSD and OSA. Those with overt PTSD respond to even lower CPAP compliance, whereas non-PTSD patients require higher compliance to achieve any symptom improvement. Poor CPAP compliance results in increased PCL score in non-PTSD veterans and may lead to overt PTSD if the OSA remains undertreated. Commentary: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1121. Citation: Ullah MI, Campbell DG, Bhagat R, Lyons JA, Tamanna S. Improving PTSD symptoms and preventing progression of subclinical PTSD to an overt disorder by treating comorbid OSA with CPAP. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(10):1191–1198. PMID:28859723

Is it better to be average? High and low performance as predictors of employee victimization.

PubMed

Jensen, Jaclyn M; Patel, Pankaj C; Raver, Jana L

2014-03-01

Given increased interest in whether targets' behaviors at work are related to their victimization, we investigated employees' job performance level as a precipitating factor for being victimized by peers in one's work group. Drawing on rational choice theory and the victim precipitation model, we argue that perpetrators take into consideration the risks of aggressing against particular targets, such that high performers tend to experience covert forms of victimization from peers, whereas low performers tend to experience overt forms of victimization. We further contend that the motivation to punish performance deviants will be higher when performance differentials are salient, such that the effects of job performance on covert and overt victimization will be exacerbated by group performance polarization, yet mitigated when the target has high equity sensitivity (benevolence). Finally, we investigate whether victimization is associated with future performance impairments. Results from data collected at 3 time points from 576 individuals in 62 work groups largely support the proposed model. The findings suggest that job performance is a precipitating factor to covert victimization for high performers and overt victimization for low performers in the workplace with implications for subsequent performance.

Associations between narcissism and emotion regulation difficulties: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity as a moderator.

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Wang, Zhenhong; You, Xuqun; Lü, Wei; Luo, Yun

2015-09-01

The aim of the current study was to examine the direct and interactive effects of two types of narcissism (overt and covert) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity on emotion regulation difficulties in 227 undergraduate students. Overt and covert narcissism and emotion regulation difficulties were assessed with self-report measures (narcissistic personality inventory (NPI)-16, hypersensitive narcissism scale (HSNS), and difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS)), and physiological data were measured during the baseline, stress (a public-speaking task), and recovery periods in the laboratory. Results indicated that overt narcissism was negatively related to a lack of emotional awareness and emotional clarity, whereas covert narcissism was positively related to overall emotion regulation difficulties, nonacceptance of emotional responses, impulse control difficulties, limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and a lack of emotional clarity. RSA reactivity in response to a mock job interview moderated the associations between covert narcissism (as a predictor) and overall emotion regulation difficulties and impulse control difficulties (as outcomes). This finding showed that a greater stress-induced RSA decrease may serve as a protective factor and ameliorate the effect of covert narcissism on individuals' emotion regulation difficulties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of overt attention in emotion-modulated memory.

PubMed

Riggs, Lily; McQuiggan, Douglas A; Farb, Norman; Anderson, Adam K; Ryan, Jennifer D

2011-08-01

The presence of emotional stimuli results in a central/peripheral tradeoff effect in memory: memory for central details is enhanced at the cost of peripheral items. It has been assumed that emotion-modulated differences in memory are the result of differences in attention, but this has not been tested directly. The present experiment used eye movement monitoring as an index of overt attention allocation and mediation analysis to determine whether differences in attention were related to subsequent memory. Participants viewed negative and neutral scenes surrounded by three neutral objects and were then given a recognition memory test. The results revealed evidence in support of a central/peripheral tradeoff in both attention and memory. However, contrary with previous assumptions, whereas attention partially mediated emotion-enhanced memory for central pictures, it did not explain the entire relationship. Further, although centrally presented emotional stimuli led to decreased number of eye fixations toward the periphery, these differences in viewing did not contribute to emotion-impaired memory for specific details pertaining to the periphery. These findings suggest that the differential influence of negative emotion on central versus peripheral memory may result from other cognitive influences in addition to overt visual attention or on postencoding processes. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Weaponized sex: defensive pseudo-erotic aggression in the service of safety.

PubMed

Kluft, Richard P

2017-01-01

Problematic sexual behaviors are frequently encountered in the treatment of patients suffering Dissociative Identity Disorder and related forms of dissociative disorders. These may include unfortunate patterns of ready acquiescence or submission to overtly or potentially aggressive or sexual approaches/encounters, subtle and/or overt seductive signaling and behaviors, and even overt sexually provocative patterns of verbalizations and actions. This paper discusses the possibility that in some instances, sexual behavior has become weaponized; that is, deployed in circumstances under which assertiveness and/or aggression or other self-protective measures might be expected, probably because such behaviors were not within the range of the possible or were not understood as potentially successful for some victims of trauma. Clinical manifestations are described and discussed. An animal model in which sexual behaviors substitute for aggressive behaviors is described. A speculative hypothesis is offered, postulating that in some cases, such patterns in traumatized humans might represent an epigenetic response to exogenous trauma. Exploration of this model may lead to improved understandings and approaches to trauma victims who manifest such behavior, hopefully destigmatizing them further, facilitating reduction of their shame and guilt, and supporting their recoveries. Clinical interventions are suggested.

Animal activity around the clock with no overt circadian rhythms: patterns, mechanisms and adaptive value

PubMed Central

Bloch, Guy; Barnes, Brian M.; Gerkema, Menno P.; Helm, Barbara

2013-01-01

Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous in many organisms. Animals that are forced to be active around the clock typically show reduced performance, health and survival. Nevertheless, we review evidence of animals showing prolonged intervals of activity with attenuated or nil overt circadian rhythms and no apparent ill effects. We show that around-the-clock and ultradian activity patterns are more common than is generally appreciated, particularly in herbivores, in animals inhabiting polar regions and habitats with constant physical environments, in animals during specific life-history stages (such as migration or reproduction), and in highly social animals. The underlying mechanisms are diverse, but studies suggest that some circadian pacemakers continue to measure time in animals active around the clock. The prevalence of around-the-clock activity in diverse animals and habitats, and an apparent diversity of underlying mechanisms, are consistent with convergent evolution. We suggest that the basic organizational principles of the circadian system and its complexity encompass the potential for chronobiological plasticity. There may be trade-offs between benefits of persistent daily rhythms versus plasticity, which for reasons still poorly understood make overt daily arrhythmicity functionally adaptive only in selected habitats and for selected lifestyles. PMID:23825202

Association of alpha-thalassemia, TNF-alpha (-308G>A) and VCAM-1 (c.1238G>C) gene polymorphisms with cerebrovascular disease in a newborn cohort of 411 children with sickle cell anemia.

PubMed

Belisário, André Rolim; Nogueira, Frederico Lisboa; Rodrigues, Rahyssa Sales; Toledo, Nayara Evelin; Cattabriga, Ana Luiza Moreira; Velloso-Rodrigues, Cibele; Duarte, Filipe Otávio Chaves; Silva, Célia Maria; Viana, Marcos Borato

2015-01-01

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a severe complication associated with sickle cell anemia. Abnormal transcranial Doppler (TCD) identifies some children at high risk, but other markers would be helpful. This cohort study was aimed at evaluating the effects of genetic biomarkers on the risk of developing CVD in children from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Clinical and hematological data were retrieved from children's records. Outcomes studied were overt ischemic stroke and CVD (overt ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, abnormal TCD, or abnormal cerebral angiography). Out of 411 children, 386 (93.9%) had SS genotype, 23 (5.6%) had Sβ(0)-thal and two had severe Sβ(+)-thal (0.5%). Frequency of CVD was lower in Sβ-thal group (p=0.05). No effect of VCAM-1 polymorphism on stroke or CVD risks was detected. Cumulative incidence of stroke was significantly higher for children with TNF-α A allele (p=0.02) and lower for children with HBA deletion (p=0.02). However, no association between CVD and TNF-α -308G>A was found. CVD cumulative incidence was significantly lower for children with HBA deletion (p=0.004). This study found no association between VCAM1 c.1238G>C and stroke. An association between stroke and TNF-α -308A allele has been suggested. Our results have confirmed the protective role of HBA deletion against stroke and CVD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aberrant topological organization of the functional brain network associated with prior overt hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.

PubMed

Chen, Hua-Jun; Chen, Qiu-Feng; Yang, Zhe-Ting; Shi, Hai-Bin

2018-05-30

A higher risk of cognitive impairments has been found after an overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) episode in cirrhotic patients. We investigated the effect of prior OHE episodes on the topological organization of the functional brain network and its association with the relevant cognitive impairments. Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired from 41 cirrhotic patients (19 with prior OHE (Prior-OHE) and 22 without (Non-Prior-OHE)) and 21 healthy controls (HC). A Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES) assessed cognition. The whole-brain functional network was constructed by thresholding functional correlation matrices of 90 brain regions (derived from the Automated Anatomic Labeling atlas). The topological properties of the brain network, including small-worldness, network efficiency, and nodal efficiency, were examined using graph theory-based analysis. Globally, the Prior-OHE group had a significantly decreased clustering coefficient and local efficiency, compared with the controls. Locally, the nodal efficiency in the bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus decreased in the Prior-OHE group, while the nodal efficiency in the bilateral anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri and right superior parietal gyrus increased in the Prior-OHE group. The alterations of global and regional network parameters progressed from Non-Prior-OHE to Prior-OHE and the clustering coefficient and local efficiency values were significantly correlated with PHES results. In conclusion, cirrhosis leads to the reduction of brain functional network efficiency, which could be aggravated by a prior OHE episode. Aberrant topological organization of the functional brain network may contribute to a higher risk of cognitive impairments in Prior-OHE patients.

Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis

PubMed Central

Bajaj, J S; Barrett, A C; Bortey, E; Paterson, C; Forbes, W P

2015-01-01

Background Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE-related hospitalisations during a 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) and a 24-month open-label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear. Aim To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within-subjects design. Methods Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed during RCT and first 6 months of OLM. Results Of 82 patients randomised to placebo in the RCT who crossed over to the OLM study, 39 experienced an HE episode during the RCT compared with 14 during the OLM study (P < 0.0001). Significantly lower rates of HE events were observed with rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.0001). Rates of HE-related hospitalisation were numerically lower during rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment, although not significant. Rates of most common AEs, serious AEs and infection-related AEs were similar between the two treatments. Conclusions This analysis confirms the repeatability of results from the RCT on safety and efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy recurrence, and suggests these findings are translatable outside of a rigorous, controlled trial setting. PMID:25339518

Evaluation of Selected Atherosclerosis Risk Factors in Women with Subclinical Hypothyroidism Treated with L-Thyroxine.

PubMed

Adamarczuk-Janczyszyn, Maria; Zdrojowy-Wełna, Aleksandra; Rogala, Natalia; Zatońska, Katarzyna; Bednarek-Tupikowska, Grażyna

2016-01-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common endocrine disorder, probably increasing cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, the relation between SCH and atherosclerosis risk factors remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate selected atherosclerosis risk factors in women with SCH in comparison to a group of healthy women and women with overt hypothyroidism, as well as to investigate the influence of L-thyroxine replacement on those risk factors. The study group consisted of 187 obese women aged between 50 and 70 years: 100 women with SCH, 45 women with overt hypothyroidism and 42 women with TSH level in reference ranges. Anthropometric parameters were evaluated. Laboratory tests included thyroid hormones concentrations, lipid profile with apolipoproteins, CRP, homocysteine. Atherosclerotic indexes were calculated: LDL C/HDL C ratio, apoA1/apoB ratio and Castelli risk index. Women with hypothyroidism were given L-thyroxine treatment and after 6 months in euthyroidism the evaluation was repeated. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations as well as LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and Castelli index were higher in SCH than in controls and decreased after L-thyroxin substitution. All of the calculated atherosclerosis indexes showed significant positive correlations with TSH concentration in SCH group. Also in this group the systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly after treatment. Dyslipidemia in obese SCH women is not severe, but if untreated for many years, it may lead to atherosclerosis. Substitution therapy improves the lipid profile, changing the relations between protective and proatherogenic fractions of serum lipids, and optimises blood pressure.

The impact of environmental, parental and child factors on health-related behaviors among low-income children.

PubMed

Musaad, Salma M A; Speirs, Katherine E; Hayes, Jenna T; Mobley, Amy R; Fitzgerald, Nurgul; Jones, Blake L; VanBrackle, Angela; Sigman-Grant, Madeleine

2017-05-01

Multi-level factors act in concert to influence child weight-related behaviors. This study examined the simultaneous impact of variables obtained at the level of the home environment (e.g., mealtime ritualization), parent (e.g., modeling) and child (e.g., satiety responsiveness) with the outcomes of practicing healthy and limiting unhealthy child behaviors (PHCB and LUCB, respectively) in a low-income U.S. This was a cross sectional study of caregivers of preschool children (n = 432). Caregivers were interviewed using validated scales. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations with the outcomes. Adjusting for study region, demographics and caregiver's body mass index, we found significant associations between PHCB and higher mealtime ritualizations (β: 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11; 0.32, more parental modeling (β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.27; 0.49) and less parental restrictive behavior (β: -0.19, 95% CI: -0.29; -0.10). More parental covert control (β: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.35; 0.54), more parental overt control (β: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03; 0.25) and less parental permissive behavior (β: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.34; -0.09) were significantly associated with LUCB. Findings suggest the synergistic effects of mealtime ritualizations and covert control at the environmental-level and parental modeling, overt control, restrictive and permissive behavior at the parent-level on the outcomes. Most factors are modifiable and support multidisciplinary interventions that promote healthy child weight-related behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the risk of primary hyperparathyroidism increased in patients with untreated breast cancer?

PubMed

Belardi, V; Fiore, E; Giustarini, E; Muller, I; Sabatini, S; Rosellini, V; Seregni, E; Agresti, R; Marcocci, C; Vitti, P; Giani, C

2013-05-01

An increased frequency of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) has been reported in patients with treated breast cancer (BC). PHP has been found in about 7% of BC patients after surgery and radio-, chemio- or hormonal therapy. To evaluate the frequency of PHP in untreated BC patients. We evaluated 186 women with BC and 233 women with thyroid cancer (TC, no.=122) or benign thyroid diseases (BTD, no.=111). In all patients, serum calcium, albumin, PTH, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH vitD) were measured before any treatment. Serum calcium concentrations were significantly higher in BC than in TC and BTD groups (median values 9.5 mg/dl, 9.3 mg/dl and 9.3 mg/dl, respectively) but, according to a logistic regression model, calcium was not significantly different between the 3 groups when age was taken into account. In all patients, serum calcium was in the normal range, indicating that no case of overt PHP was present. Five patients (1 in BC, 2 in TC, and 2 in BDT groups) had serum calcium close to the upper limit of normal range, high PTH and low 25-OH vitD, indicating a possible PHP with hypercalcemia masked by concomitant 25-OH vitD deficiency. In untreated BC group, no patient had overt PHP and 1/186 (0.5%) presented a possible PHP masked by 25-OH vitD deficiency, a PHP frequency much lower than that observed in treated BC patients. These data suggest that the treatments of BC may be responsible for the increased frequency of PHP reported in previous studies.

Male hamster investigatory and copulatory responses to vaginal discharge: an attempt to impart sexual significance to an arbitrary chemosensory stimulus.

PubMed

Macrides, F; Clancy, A N; Singer, A G; Agosta, W C

1984-10-01

Hamster vaginal discharge elicits intense genital investigation and facilitates overt copulatory behavior toward anesthetized males (female surrogates) whose hindquarters have been scented with this material. The ability of an arbitrary chemosensory stimulus to acquire behavioral activity like that of vaginal discharge through association with maternal stimuli and/or adult sexual experience was examined in male hamsters. Vanillin was used as the arbitrary stimulus because it is attractive to hamsters, is not likely to be a natural constituent of hamster scents, is not known to exert any adverse physiological effects, and is a subliming solid with an extremely long persistence when used as an artificial scent. The males were reared by vanillin-scented or control solvent (water)-scented foster mothers, and in adulthood were paired repeatedly with vanillin- or solvent-scented receptive females. Behavioral testing with scented surrogates was performed one week preceding, and again following, the sexual pairings. Rearing by vanillin-scented mothers modestly but significantly increased the amount of time sexually naive males spent investigating the hindquarters as compared to other body regions of vanillin-scented surrogates. However, neither neonatal nor adult interactions with vanillin-scented females imparted to this stimulus the capacity to facilitate overt copulatory behavior. Also, regardless of the males' exposure history, only vaginal discharge caused the males to direct their investigatory behavior predominantly toward the hindquarters. The characteristic investigatory and copulatory responses exhibited by male hamsters toward vaginal discharge thus do not appear to be readily developed toward arbitrary chemosensory stimuli associated with particular females to which the males have been exposed.

Circulating Wnt inhibitory factor 1 levels are associated with development of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Ress, Claudia; Paulweber, Mariya; Goebel, Georg; Willeit, Karin; Rufinatscha, Kerstin; Strobl, Anna; Salzmann, Karin; Kedenko, Ludmilla; Tschoner, Alexander; Staudacher, Gabriele; Iglseder, Bernhard; Tilg, Herbert; Paulweber, Bernhard; Kaser, Susanne

2018-03-29

Wnt signaling is involved in atherosclerotic plaque formation directly and indirectly by modulating cardiovascular risk factors. We investigated whether circulating concentrations of Wnt inhibitors are associated with cardiovascular events in subjects with intermediate cardiovascular risk. 904 non-diabetic subjects participating in the SAPHIR study were assessed. In the SAPHIR study, middle-aged women without overt atherosclerotic disease at study entry were followed up for 10 years. 88 patients of our study cohort developed cardiovascular disease at follow-up (CVD group). Subjects of the CVD group were 1:2 case-control matched for age, sex, BMI and smoking behavior with subjects without overt cardiovascular disease after a 10 year-follow-up (control group). 18 patients of the CVD group and 19 subjects of the control group were retrospectively excluded due to fulfilling exclusion criteria. Baseline circulating sclerostin, dickkopf (DKK)-1, secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP)-1 and Wnt inhibitory factor (WIF)-1 levels were assessed by ELISA. Baseline systemic SFRP-1 and WIF-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with cardiovascular events (n = 70) when compared to healthy controls (n = 157) while DKK-1 and sclerostin levels were similar in both groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed WIF-1 as a significant predictor of future cardiovascular events. Our data suggest that increased SFRP-1 and WIF-1 levels precede the development of symptomatic atherosclerotic disease. Assessment of systemic WIF-1 levels, which turned out to be independently associated with CVD, might help to early identify patients at intermediate cardiovascular risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sex-reversed correlation between stress levels and dominance rank in a captive non-breeder flock of crows.

PubMed

Ode, Minami; Asaba, Akari; Miyazawa, Eri; Mogi, Kazutaka; Kikusui, Takefumi; Izawa, Ei-Ichi

2015-07-01

Group living has both benefits and costs to individuals; benefits include efficient acquisition of resources, and costs include stress from social conflicts among group members. Such social challenges result in hierarchical dominance ranking among group members as a solution to avoid escalating conflict that causes different levels of basal stress between individuals at different ranks. Stress-associated glucocorticoid (corticosterone in rodents and birds; CORT) levels are known to correlate with dominance rank in diverse taxa and to covary with various social factors, such as sex and dominance maintenance styles. Although there is much evidence for sex differences in the basal levels of CORT in various species, the correlation of sex differences in basal CORT with dominance rank is poorly understood. We investigated the correlation between CORT metabolites (CM) in the droppings and social factors, including rank and sex, in a captive non-breeder group of crows. In this group, all the single males dominated all the single females, and dominance ranks were stable among single males but relatively unstable among single females. CM levels and rank were significantly correlated in a sex-reversed fashion: males at higher rank (i.e., more dominant) had higher CM, whereas females at higher rank exhibited lower CM. This is the first evidence of sex-reversed patterns of CM-rank correlation in birds. The results suggest that different mechanisms of stress-dominance relationships operate on the sexes in non-breeder crow aggregations; in males, stress is associated with the cost of aggressive displays, whereas females experience subordination stress due to males' overt aggression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occupationally-acquired noise-induced hearing loss: a senseless workplace hazard.

PubMed

Kurmis, Andrew P; Apps, Stacey A

2007-01-01

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) describes an acquired hearing deficiency directly attributable to excessive workplace noise exposure. Data suggest that excessive noise attributes to approximately 37% of all adult causes of hearing loss and remains a significant contributor to employment-related morbidity internationally. Typically insidiously-acquired, often without frank progressive symptomatology, regional medical agencies continue to struggle with this potentially debilitating condition. The aim of the study was to provide a synopsis of the current understanding of ONIHL, its impact on individual workers and the wider international community, and to identify barriers to more uniform adoption of personal hearing protection. A review of the contemporary literature was performed using defined keyword searches and OVID, PubMed, and Google Scholar as primary electronic search engines. A number of published works were identified, describing aspects of the relationship between workplace-related noise exposure and subsequent development of employee hearing impairment, which demonstrate an overwhelming gender imbalance, with up to 97% of affected individuals being male. Industry-specific associations (e.g., mining, manufacturing and heavy construction) were well documented, as were links to toxin-specific exposures, in the recognized development of hearing loss. However, evidence of integration of appraisal of the topically-current area of genetic susceptibility was often lacking. Much discordance still exists among international agencies in the prescriptive regulation and enforcement of "safe" exposure limits. Despite a high level of public awareness regarding the importance of hearing preservation and increasingly stringent international occupational health, safety and welfare requirements mandating provision of safer work environments, ONIHL continues to be a significant occupational hazard. ONIHL is permanent and may cause significant disability, for which there currently exists no cure, but is largely overtly-preventable. The impact of ONIHL on the global transition toward dominant communication-rich white-collar employment roles is difficult to quantitate, but is likely to be substantive upon the afflicted individual. In the mainstream setting, exposure-avoidance strategies aimed to reduce the incidence of ONIHL remain the focus of public health and occupational medicine approaches.

Can Achievement Goals be Primed in Competitive Tasks?

PubMed Central

Greenlees, Iain; Figgins, Sean; Kearney, Philip

2014-01-01

This study examined whether achievement goal priming effects would be observed within an overtly competitive setting. Male soccer players (N = 66) volunteered to participate in a soccer penalty-kick taking competition during which they took 20 penalty-kicks on 2 occasions. Following a pretest, participants were allocated to 1 of 5 priming conditions. Immediately prior to the posttest, participants in the priming conditions were asked to complete what was presented as an ostensibly unrelated task that took the form of either a computer task (subliminal priming) or wordsearch task (supraliminal priming). Results revealed that priming had no significant influence on performance. PMID:25031692

Comparing the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and knowledgeable others.

PubMed

Kolar, D W; Funder, D C; Colvin, C R

1996-06-01

In this article we compare the accuracy of personality judgements by the self and by knowledgeable others. Self- and acquaintance judgements of general personality attributes were used to predict general, videotaped behavioral criteria. Results slightly favored the predictive validity of personality judgements made by single acquaintances over self-judgements, and significantly favored the aggregated personality judgements of two acquaintances over self-judgements. These findings imply that the most valid source for personality judgements that are relevant to patterns of overt behavior may not be self-reports but the consensus of the judgement of the community of one's peers.

Hyperthyroidism as a reversible cause of right ventricular overload and congestive heart failure

PubMed Central

Di Giovambattista, Raniero

2008-01-01

We describe a case of severe congestive heart failure and right ventricular overload associated with overt hyperthyroidism, completely reversed with antithyroid therapy in a few week. It represents a very unusual presentation of overt hyperthyroidism because of the severity of right heart failure. The impressive right ventricular volume overload made mandatory to perform transesophageal echo and angio-TC examination to exclude the coexistence of ASD or anomalous pulmonary venous return. Only a few cases of reversible right heart failure, with or without pulmonary hypertension, have been reported worldwide. In our case the most striking feature has been the normalization of the cardiovascular findings after six weeks of tiamazole therapy. PMID:18549503

The effect of L-thyroxine replacement therapy on ischemia-modified albümin and malondialdehyde levels in patients with overt and subclinical hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Erem, Cihangir; Suleyman, Akile Karacin; Civan, Nadim; Mentese, Ahmet; Nuhoglu, İrfan; Uzun, Aysegul; Coskun, Hulya; Deger, Orhan

2016-11-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in patients with subclinical (SHypo) and overt hypothyroidism (OHypo), and to assess the effects of levothyroxine (LT 4 ) therapy on the oxidative stress (OS) parameters. We also investigated the relationships among serum thyroid hormones, lipid parameters, and IMA and MDA in these patients. Thirty untreated patients with OHypo, 25 untreated patients with Shypo, and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively included in the study. Biochemical and hormonal parameters including IMA and MDA were evaluated in all patients just before and one month after the maintenance of euthyroidism. Compared with the control subjects, the levels of MDA and triglycerides (TG) significantly increased in patients with SHypo (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively), whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels significantly decreased (p = 0.01). Patients with OHypo showed significantly high MDA, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and TG levels (p = 0.001, p < 0.01, p = 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively), and significantly low HDL-C levels compared with the controls (p < 0.05). MDA levels and lipid profile were not significantly different in the patients with OHypo when compared with the patients with SHypo. Serum IMA levels did not significantly change in patients with OHypo and SHypo compared with the controls. In the pre-treatment period, MDA levels were inversely correlated with HDL-C levels in patients with OHypo (r: -0.471, p = 0.009). Plasma MDA and LDL-C levels significantly decreased and HDL-C levels significantly increased in the groups of OHypo and SHypo after LT 4 treatment. Serum IMA levels did not significantly change with the therapy in all patient groups. Increased MDA levels in both patient groups represent increased lipid peroxidation which might play an important role in the pathogenesis of the atherosclerosis seen in these patients. Increased OS in patients with SHypo and OHypo could be improved by LT 4 treatment. Also, MDA can be used as a reliable marker of OS and oxidative damage, while IMA is considered to be inappropriate.

The impact of the number of occult metastatic lymph nodes on postoperative relapse of resectable esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Morimoto, J; Tanaka, H; Ohira, M; Kubo, N; Muguruma, K; Sakurai, K; Yamashita, Y; Maeda, K; Sawada, T; Hirakawa, K

2014-01-01

Clinical stage II/III esophageal cancer (EC), as defined by the Japanese Classification, relapses at a moderately high rate even after curative resection. The number of lymph node metastases is known to be associated with tumor relapse. Recently, the prognostic significance of occult metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs), as well as that of overt MLNs, has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the total number of MLNs including occult MLNs on postoperative relapse in clinical stage II/III EC. One hundred and five patients with clinical stage II/III EC who underwent esophagectomy accompanied by radical lymphadenectomy at the Department of Surgical Oncology in Osaka City University Hospital between January 2000 and October 2008 were included in this study. Occult MLNs, metastases not detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining, were identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using antipancytokeratin antibody AE1/AE3. The clinicopathological features of occult MLNs were compared between the relapse and no relapse groups. A total of 6558 lymph nodes (1357 from two-field dissection and 5201 from three-field dissection) were examined by IHC staining; 362 overt MLNs and 143 occult MLNs were detected. The number of occult MLNs increased in proportion to the International Union Against Cancer pathological (p)N-status and pStage. When the number of occult MLNs was added to the number of pNs, the number of total MLNs was associated with postoperative relapse. With respect to tumor, node, metastasis stage, 6 of 22 patients (27%) who were pathological node-negative converted to node-positive by considering total MLNs. The number of N3 patients with relapse increased markedly with restaging by total MLNs. The number of total MLNs, but not overt MLNs, was an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis. These results suggest that occult MLNs were often found, and they were associated with postoperative relapse of resectable esophageal cancer. The total number of MLNs including occult MLNs could contribute to evaluating the precise stage of patients with esophageal cancer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

The differential relationship between mental contamination and the core dimensions of contact contamination fear.

PubMed

Melli, Gabriele; Bulli, Francesco; Carraresi, Claudia; Tarantino, Federica; Gelli, Simona; Poli, Andrea

2017-01-01

Two types of contamination fear are recognized: contact and mental contamination. Contact contamination appears to be motivated both by harm avoidance and disgust avoidance. This study aimed to examine the relationships between disgust propensity, mental contamination and contact contamination while differentiating between harm avoidance and disgust avoidance in contact contamination. 169 OCD patients completed a set of questionnaires assessing mental contamination, contact contamination, disgust propensity, OCD, anxiety and depression. 1) Contact contamination based on disgust avoidance was more strongly associated with mental contamination and disgust propensity than contact contamination based on harm avoidance; 2) mental contamination significantly predicted contact contamination based on disgust avoidance, while it did not predict contact contamination based on harm avoidance; 3) mental contamination had a significant mediational role in the relationship between disgust propensity and contact contamination motivated by disgust avoidance. Mental contamination plays a role in contact contamination fear when disgust is primarily experienced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain regions essential for improved lexical access in an aged aphasic patient: a case report.

PubMed

Meinzer, Marcus; Flaisch, Tobias; Obleser, Jonas; Assadollahi, Ramin; Djundja, Daniela; Barthel, Gabriela; Rockstroh, Brigitte

2006-08-17

The relationship between functional recovery after brain injury and concomitant neuroplastic changes is emphasized in recent research. In the present study we aimed to delineate brain regions essential for language performance in aphasia using functional magnetic resonance imaging and acquisition in a temporal sparse sampling procedure, which allows monitoring of overt verbal responses during scanning. An 80-year old patient with chronic aphasia (2 years post-onset) was investigated before and after intensive language training using an overt picture naming task. Differential brain activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus for correct word retrieval and errors was found. Improved language performance following therapy was mirrored by increased fronto-thalamic activation while stability in more general measures of attention/concentration and working memory was assured. Three healthy age-matched control subjects did not show behavioral changes or increased activation when tested repeatedly within the same 2-week time interval. The results bear significance in that the changes in brain activation reported can unequivocally be attributed to the short-term training program and a language domain-specific plasticity process. Moreover, it further challenges the claim of a limited recovery potential in chronic aphasia, even at very old age. Delineation of brain regions essential for performance on a single case basis might have major implications for treatment using transcranial magnetic stimulation.

The role of changes in the sensitivity of hepatic mitochondrial overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase in determining the onset of the ketosis of starvation in the rat.

PubMed Central

Drynan, L; Quant, P A; Zammit, V A

1996-01-01

The relationships between the increase in blood ketone-body concentrations and several parameters that can potentially influence the rate of hepatic fatty acid oxidation were studied during progressive starvation (up to 24 h) in the rat in order to discover whether the sensitivity of mitochondrial overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT I) to malonyl-CoA plays an important part in determining the intrahepatic potential for fatty acid oxidation during the onset of ketogenic conditions. A rapid increase in blood ketone-body concentration occurred between 12 and 16 h of starvation, several hours after the marked fall in hepatic malonyl-CoA and in serum insulin concentrations and doubling of plasma non-esterfied fatty acid (NEFA) concentration. Consequently, both the changes in hepatic malonyl-CoA and serum NEFA preceded the increase in blood ketone-body concentration by several hours. The maximal activity of CPT I increased gradually throughout the 24 h period of starvation, but the increases did not become significant before 18 h of starvation. By contrast, the sensitivity of CPT I to malonyl-CoA and the increase in blood ketone-body concentration followed an identical time course, demonstrating the central importance of this parameter in determining the ketogenic response of the liver to the onset of the starved state. PMID:8836117

Ophthalmic Graves's disease: natural history and detailed thyroid function studies.

PubMed Central

Teng, C S; Yeo, P P

1977-01-01

Of 27 patients with ophthalmic Graves's disease (OGD) who had been clinically euthyroid three years previously, one became clinically hyperthyroid and seven overtly hypothyroid. Improvement in eye signs was associated with a return to normal of thyroidal suppression by triiodothyronine (T3) and of the response of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH). Of a further 30 patients with OGD who had not been studied previously, three were overtly hypothyroid. Of the combined series, 46 patients were euthyroid, 18 (40%) of whom had an impaired or absent TSH response to TRH, and 3(6-7%) an exaggerated response. Eleven out of 37 patients (29-7%) had abnormal results in the T3 suppression test. There was a significant correlation between thyroidal suppression by T3 and the TSH response to TRH. Total serum concentrations of both T3 and thyroxine (T4) were closely correlated with T3 suppressibility and TRH responsiveness. Free T4 and T3 (fT3) concentrations were normal in all but three patients, in whom raised fT3 was accompanied by abnormal TSH responses and thyroidal suppression. The presence of normal free thyroid hormone concentrations in patients with impaired or absent TSH responses to TRH is interesting and challenges the concept that free thyroid hormones are the major controlling factors in the feedback control of TSH. PMID:576414

In patients with liver cirrhosis, proinflammatory interleukins correlate with health-related quality of life irrespective of minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

PubMed

Wunsch, Ewa; Koziarska, Dorota; Milkiewicz, Małgorzata; Naprawa, Grzegorz; Nowacki, Przemysław; Hartleb, Marek; Milkiewicz, Piotr

2013-12-01

Liver cirrhosis is associated with latent systemic inflammatory response syndrome as evidenced by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that inflammatory mediators play a role in the pathogenesis of minimal and overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE); hence, they may also have an effect on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-18 and the occurrence of minimal HE and HRQL. Forty-two consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis were prospectively enrolled to the study. Minimal HE was detected by the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES) and critical flicker frequency. HRQL was assessed with Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. The interleukins studied were determined using colorimetric sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of interleukins correlated with liver dysfunction, but did not discriminate patients with minimal HE from those with overt or absent HE. IL-1β and IL-6 showed significant correlations with PHES, but showed no relationship with critical flicker frequency. Serum IL-6 and IL-18 correlated with both physical-related general health and mental component summary evaluated by the SF-36 questionnaire. This study shows that chronic inflammation plays a role in impaired HRQL in patients with cirrhosis irrespective of minimal HE.

A visual salience map in the primate frontal eye field.

PubMed

Thompson, Kirk G; Bichot, Narcisse P

2005-01-01

Models of attention and saccade target selection propose that within the brain there is a topographic map of visual salience that combines bottom-up and top-down influences to identify locations for further processing. The results of a series of experiments with monkeys performing visual search tasks have identified a population of frontal eye field (FEF) visually responsive neurons that exhibit all of the characteristics of a visual salience map. The activity of these FEF neurons is not sensitive to specific features of visual stimuli; but instead, their activity evolves over time to select the target of the search array. This selective activation reflects both the bottom-up intrinsic conspicuousness of the stimuli and the top-down knowledge and goals of the viewer. The peak response within FEF specifies the target for the overt gaze shift. However, the selective activity in FEF is not in itself a motor command because the magnitude of activation reflects the relative behavioral significance of the different stimuli in the visual scene and occurs even when no saccade is made. Identifying a visual salience map in FEF validates the theoretical concept of a salience map in many models of attention. In addition, it strengthens the emerging view that FEF is not only involved in producing overt gaze shifts, but is also important for directing covert spatial attention.

Beyond Correlation: Do Color Features Influence Attention in Rainforest?

PubMed Central

Frey, Hans-Peter; Wirz, Kerstin; Willenbockel, Verena; Betz, Torsten; Schreiber, Cornell; Troscianko, Tomasz; König, Peter

2011-01-01

Recent research indicates a direct relationship between low-level color features and visual attention under natural conditions. However, the design of these studies allows only correlational observations and no inference about mechanisms. Here we go a step further to examine the nature of the influence of color features on overt attention in an environment in which trichromatic color vision is advantageous. We recorded eye-movements of color-normal and deuteranope human participants freely viewing original and modified rainforest images. Eliminating red–green color information dramatically alters fixation behavior in color-normal participants. Changes in feature correlations and variability over subjects and conditions provide evidence for a causal effect of red–green color-contrast. The effects of blue–yellow contrast are much smaller. However, globally rotating hue in color space in these images reveals a mechanism analyzing color-contrast invariant of a specific axis in color space. Surprisingly, in deuteranope participants we find significantly elevated red–green contrast at fixation points, comparable to color-normal participants. Temporal analysis indicates that this is due to compensatory mechanisms acting on a slower time scale. Taken together, our results suggest that under natural conditions red–green color information contributes to overt attention at a low-level (bottom-up). Nevertheless, the results of the image modifications and deuteranope participants indicate that evaluation of color information is done in a hue-invariant fashion. PMID:21519395

Gamma-oscillations modulated by picture naming and word reading: Intracranial recording in epileptic patients

PubMed Central

Wu, Helen C.; Nagasawa, Tetsuro; Brown, Erik C.; Juhasz, Csaba; Rothermel, Robert; Hoechstetter, Karsten; Shah, Aashit; Mittal, Sandeep; Fuerst, Darren; Sood, Sandeep; Asano, Eishi

2011-01-01

Objective We measured cortical gamma-oscillations in response to visual-language tasks consisting of picture naming and word reading in an effort to better understand human visual-language pathways. Methods We studied six patients with focal epilepsy who underwent extraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) recording. Patients were asked to overtly name images presented sequentially in the picture naming task and to overtly read written words in the reading task. Results Both tasks commonly elicited gamma-augmentation (maximally at 80–100 Hz) on ECoG in the occipital, inferior-occipital-temporal and inferior-Rolandic areas, bilaterally. Picture naming, compared to reading task, elicited greater gamma-augmentation in portions of pre-motor areas as well as occipital and inferior-occipital-temporal areas, bilaterally. In contrast, word reading elicited greater gamma-augmentation in portions of bilateral occipital, left occipital-temporal and left superior-posterior-parietal areas. Gamma-attenuation was elicited by both tasks in portions of posterior cingulate and ventral premotor-prefrontal areas bilaterally. The number of letters in a presented word was positively correlated to the degree of gamma-augmentation in the medial occipital areas. Conclusions Gamma-augmentation measured on ECoG identified cortical areas commonly and differentially involved in picture naming and reading tasks. Longer words may activate the primary visual cortex for the more peripheral field. Significance The present study increases our understanding of the visual-language pathways. PMID:21498109

Subclinical nonautoimmune hyperthyroidism in a family segregates with a thyrotropin receptor mutation with weakly increased constitutive activity.

PubMed

Nishihara, Eijun; Chen, Chun-Rong; Higashiyama, Takuya; Mizutori-Sasai, Yumiko; Ito, Mitsuru; Kubota, Sumihisa; Amino, Nobuyuki; Miyauchi, Akira; Rapoport, Basil

2010-11-01

Subclinical hyperthyroidism is usually associated with Graves' disease or toxic nodular goiter. Here we report a family with hereditary subclinical hyperthyroidism caused by a constitutively activating germline mutation of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) gene. The proband was a 64-year-old Japanese woman who presented with a thyroid nodule and was found to be euthyroid with a suppressed serum TSH. The nodule was not hot. Although antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies were present, TSHR antibodies were not detected by TSH-binding inhibition or by bioassay. Two of her middle-aged sons, but not her daughter, also had subclinical hyperthyroidism without TSHR antibodies. Without therapy, the clinical condition of the affected individuals remained unchanged over 3 years without development of overt hyperthyroidism. A novel heterozygous TSHR point mutation causing a glutamic acid to lysine substitution at codon 575 (E575K) in the second extracellular loop was detected in the three family members with subclinical hyperthyroidism, but was absent in her one daughter with normal thyroid function. In vitro functional studies of the E575K TSHR mutation demonstrated a weak, but significant, increase in constitutive activation of the cAMP pathway. Although hereditary nonautoimmune overt hyperthyroidism is very rare, TSHR activating mutations as a cause of subclinical hyperthyroidism may be more common and should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially if familial.

Association of malignancy with rapid growth in early lesions induced by irradiation of rat skin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGregor, J.F.

1979-04-01

Epithelial lesions induced by irradiation of rat skin were studied to determine (a) the relationship of malignancy to dose, (b) the types of lesions and circumstances leading to overt malignancy, and (c) the growth rates of lesions progressing to malignancy versus those of lesions remaining benign. High doses of radiation were shown to be associated with the production of epidermal cancers, the maximum yield being obtained at 6,400 rads. Conversely, a peak yield of noncancerous lesions was obtained at 1,600 rads. This association between malignancy and high dose was consistent for cancers evolving from warts, cysts, and chronic ulcers. Althoughmore » the proportion of warts among the induced lesions was much higher than that of the cysts or chronic ulcers (76, 14, and 10%, respectively), the likelihood of warts becoming cancerous was substantially lower (14, 23, and 21%). The combined data for all doses showed that the latency period of the epidermal cancers was significantly (P = 0.015) shorter than that of the benign tumors. Rapid growth rates were observed for warts, cysts, and chronic ulcers progressing to overt cancer, and these did not overlap at any point on the growth scale with rates for benign tumors. This finding suggested that the potential for malignant development had been established early in the carcinogenic process, very likely at induction.« less

Adapting cultural mixture modeling for continuous measures of knowledge and memory fluency.

PubMed

Tan, Yin-Yin Sarah; Mueller, Shane T

2016-09-01

Previous research (e.g., cultural consensus theory (Romney, Weller, & Batchelder, American Anthropologist, 88, 313-338, 1986); cultural mixture modeling (Mueller & Veinott, 2008)) has used overt response patterns (i.e., responses to questionnaires and surveys) to identify whether a group shares a single coherent attitude or belief set. Yet many domains in social science have focused on implicit attitudes that are not apparent in overt responses but still may be detected via response time patterns. We propose a method for modeling response times as a mixture of Gaussians, adapting the strong-consensus model of cultural mixture modeling to model this implicit measure of knowledge strength. We report the results of two behavioral experiments and one simulation experiment that establish the usefulness of the approach, as well as some of the boundary conditions under which distinct groups of shared agreement might be recovered, even when the group identity is not known. The results reveal that the ability to recover and identify shared-belief groups depends on (1) the level of noise in the measurement, (2) the differential signals for strong versus weak attitudes, and (3) the similarity between group attitudes. Consequently, the method shows promise for identifying latent groups among a population whose overt attitudes do not differ, but whose implicit or covert attitudes or knowledge may differ.

What's color got to do with it? The influence of color on visual attention in different categories.

PubMed

Frey, Hans-Peter; Honey, Christian; König, Peter

2008-10-23

Certain locations attract human gaze in natural visual scenes. Are there measurable features, which distinguish these locations from others? While there has been extensive research on luminance-defined features, only few studies have examined the influence of color on overt attention. In this study, we addressed this question by presenting color-calibrated stimuli and analyzing color features that are known to be relevant for the responses of LGN neurons. We recorded eye movements of 15 human subjects freely viewing colored and grayscale images of seven different categories. All images were also analyzed by the saliency map model (L. Itti, C. Koch, & E. Niebur, 1998). We find that human fixation locations differ between colored and grayscale versions of the same image much more than predicted by the saliency map. Examining the influence of various color features on overt attention, we find two extreme categories: while in rainforest images all color features are salient, none is salient in fractals. In all other categories, color features are selectively salient. This shows that the influence of color on overt attention depends on the type of image. Also, it is crucial to analyze neurophysiologically relevant color features for quantifying the influence of color on attention.

Diversifying and correlational selection on behavior toward conspecific and heterospecific competitors in brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans)

PubMed Central

Peiman, Kathryn S; Robinson, Beren W

2012-01-01

Behaviors toward heterospecifics and conspecifics may be correlated because of shared mechanisms of expression in both social contexts (nonadaptive covariation) or because correlational selection favors adaptive covariation. We evaluated these hypotheses by comparing behavior toward conspecifics and heterospecifics in brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) from three populations sympatric with and three allopatric from a competitor, the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). Behavioral traits were classified into three multivariate components: overt aggression, sociability, and activity. The correlation of behavior between social contexts for both overt aggression and activity varied among populations in a way unrelated to sympatry with ninespine stickleback, while mean aggression was reduced in sympatry. Correlations in allopatric populations suggest that overt aggression and activity may genetically covary between social contexts for nonadaptive reasons. Sociability was rarely correlated in allopatry but was consistently correlated in sympatry despite reduced mean sociability, suggesting that correlational selection may favor a sociability syndrome in brook stickleback when they coexist with ninespine stickleback. Thus, interspecific competition may impose diversifying selection on behavior among populations, although the causes of correlated behavior toward conspecifics and heterospecifics and whether it can evolve in one social context independent of the other may depend on the type of behavior. PMID:23139874

Epidemiology of infertility and polycystic ovarian disease: endocrinological and demographic studies.

PubMed

Hull, M G

1987-09-01

The frequency of polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) as a cause of oligo-amenorrhea and infertility was determined, first by characterizing clinically occult PCOD using endocrinological methods, and secondly by estimating the frequency of overt and occult PCOD amongst infertile women residing in a particular area. Four groups of infertile women with oligo-amenorrhea due to 'functional' disorder were compared. The results show that by contrast with the groups having hyperprolactinemia or hypothalamic disorder the group with hirsutism (and therefore presumed PCOD) was closely resembled by a non-hirsute group in terms of estrogenization, LH level, LH/FSH ratio, prolactin level, body mass and responsiveness to clomiphene. The last group was therefore concluded to have a mild occult form of PCOD. The population studies revealed, first, that overt and occult PCOD accounted for 90% of patients with oligomenorrhea and 37% with amenorrhea, or 73% with oligo- or amenorrhea. Oligo- or amenorrhea accounted for 21% of couples with infertility and the annual incidence was 247 patients per million of the general population. The annual incidence of infertility due to PCOD per million was 41 with overt PCOD and 139 with occult PCOD (total 180). Of those, 140 appeared to respond well to clomiphene (78%) but 40 (22%) failed, requiring alternative therapy.

A new approach to the characterization of subtle errors in everyday action: implications for mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Seligman, Sarah C; Giovannetti, Tania; Sestito, John; Libon, David J

2014-01-01

Mild functional difficulties have been associated with early cognitive decline in older adults and increased risk for conversion to dementia in mild cognitive impairment, but our understanding of this decline has been limited by a dearth of objective methods. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of a new system to code subtle errors on an established performance-based measure of everyday action and described preliminary findings within the context of a theoretical model of action disruption. Here 45 older adults completed the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT) and neuropsychological measures. NAT performance was coded for overt errors, and subtle action difficulties were scored using a novel coding system. An inter-rater reliability coefficient was calculated. Validity of the coding system was assessed using a repeated-measures ANOVA with NAT task (simple versus complex) and error type (overt versus subtle) as within-group factors. Correlation/regression analyses were conducted among overt NAT errors, subtle NAT errors, and neuropsychological variables. The coding of subtle action errors was reliable and valid, and episodic memory breakdown predicted subtle action disruption. Results suggest that the NAT can be useful in objectively assessing subtle functional decline. Treatments targeting episodic memory may be most effective in addressing early functional impairment in older age.

Fixation not required: characterizing oculomotor attention capture for looming stimuli.

PubMed

Lewis, Joanna E; Neider, Mark B

2015-10-01

A stimulus moving toward us, such as a ball being thrown in our direction or a vehicle braking suddenly in front of ours, often represents a stimulus that requires a rapid response. Using a visual search task in which target and distractor items were systematically associated with a looming object, we explored whether this sort of looming motion captures attention, the nature of such capture using eye movement measures (overt/covert), and the extent to which such capture effects are more closely tied to motion onset or the motion itself. We replicated previous findings indicating that looming motion induces response time benefits and costs during visual search Lin, Franconeri, & Enns(Psychological Science 19(7): 686-693, 2008). These differences in response times were independent of fixation, indicating that these capture effects did not necessitate overt attentional shifts to a looming object for search benefits or costs to occur. Interestingly, we found no differences in capture benefits and costs associated with differences in looming motion type. Combined, our results suggest that capture effects associated with looming motion are more likely subserved by covert attentional mechanisms rather than overt mechanisms, and attention capture for looming motion is likely related to motion itself rather than the onset of motion.

'Any questions?'--Clinicians' usage of invitations to ask questions (IAQs) in outpatient plastic surgery consultations.

PubMed

Bristowe, Katherine; Patrick, Peter L

2014-12-01

To explore use of 'Invitations to Ask Questions' (IAQs) by plastic surgeons in outpatient consultations, and consider how type of IAQ impacts on patients' responses to, and recollection of, IAQs. Descriptive study: 63 patients were audio recorded in consultation with 5 plastic surgeons, and completed a brief questionnaire immediately after the consultation. Consultation transcripts were analyzed using inductive qualitative methods of Discourse Analysis and compared with questionnaire findings. A taxonomy of IAQs was developed, including three types of IAQ (Overt, Covert, and Borderline). Overt IAQs were rarely identified, and almost all IAQs occurred in the closing stages of the consultation. However, when an overt IAQ was used, patients always recollected being asked if they had any questions after the consultation. Patients are rarely explicitly offered the opportunity to ask questions. When this does occur, it is often in the closing stages of the consultation. Clinicians should openly encourage patients to ask questions frequently throughout the consultation, and be mindful that subtle differences in construction of these utterances may impact upon interpretation. Clear communication, of message and intention, is essential in clinical encounters to minimize misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or missed opportunities for patients to raise concerns. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Articulation Artifacts During Overt Language Production in Event-Related Brain Potentials: Description and Correction.

PubMed

Ouyang, Guang; Sommer, Werner; Zhou, Changsong; Aristei, Sabrina; Pinkpank, Thomas; Abdel Rahman, Rasha

2016-11-01

Overt articulation produces strong artifacts in the electroencephalogram and in event-related potentials (ERPs), posing a serious problem for investigating language production with these variables. Here we describe the properties of articulation-related artifacts and propose a novel correction procedure. Experiment 1 co-recorded ERPs and trajectories of the articulators with an electromagnetic articulograph from a single participant. The generalization of the findings from the single participant to standard picture naming was investigated in Experiment 2. Both experiments provided evidence that articulation-induced artifacts may start up to 300 ms or more prior to voice onset or voice key onset-depending on the specific measure; they are highly similar in topography across many different phoneme patterns and differ mainly in their time course and amplitude. ERPs were separated from articulation-related artifacts with residue iteration decomposition (RIDE). After obtaining the artifact-free ERPs, their correlations with the articulatory trajectories dropped near to zero. Artifact removal with independent component analysis was less successful; while correlations with the articulatory movements remained substantial, early components prior to voice onset were attenuated in reconstructed ERPs. These findings offer new insights into the nature of articulation artifacts; together with RIDE as method for artifact removal the present report offers a fresh perspective for ERP studies requiring overt articulation.

Syllabic encoding during overt speech production in Cantonese: Evidence from temporal brain responses.

PubMed

Wong, Andus Wing-Kuen; Wang, Jie; Ng, Tin-Yan; Chen, Hsuan-Chih

2016-10-01

The time course of phonological encoding in overt Cantonese disyllabic word production was investigated using a picture-word interference task with concurrent recording of the event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Participants were asked to name aloud individually presented pictures and ignore a distracting Chinese character. Participants' naming responses were faster, relative to an unrelated control, when the distractor overlapped with the target's word-initial or word-final syllables. Furthermore, ERP waves in the syllable-related conditions were more positive-going than those in the unrelated control conditions from 500ms to 650ms post target onset (i.e., a late positivity). The mean and peak amplitudes of this late positivity correlated with the size of phonological facilitation. More importantly, the onset of the late positivity associated with word-initial syllable priming was 44ms earlier than that associated with word-final syllable priming, suggesting that phonological encoding in overt speech runs incrementally and the encoding duration for one syllable unit is approximately 44ms. Although the size of effective phonological units might vary across languages, as suggested by previous speech production studies, the present data indicate that the incremental nature of phonological encoding is a universal mechanism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How could we improve the increased cardiovascular mortality in patients with overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism?

PubMed

Biondi, Bernadette

2012-09-01

Over the past five years several meta-analyses have evaluated the cardiovascular mortality in patients with hyperthyroidism. They assessed various studies in which different inclusion criteria were used for the analysis of the cardiovascular mortality. More selective criteria have been used in recent meta-analyses. Only prospective cohort studies were included and only cohorts using second and third generation TSH assays were chosen. In addition, only the studies where the TSH evaluation was repeated during the follow-up were selected. The results of these recent meta-analyses provide evidence that overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism, particularly in patients with undetectable serum TSH, may increase the cardiovascular mortality. However, still today, the results remain inconclusive and not sufficient enough to recommend treatment for patients with low-detectable serum TSH. The high cardiovascular risk and mortality in presence of thyroid hormone excess suggest that this dysfunction is an important health problem and requires guidelines for the treatment of patients at high cardiovascular risk. Rigorous studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of the various causes of hyperthyroidism on the clinical outcomes. Randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to assess the benefits of treatment to improve the cardiovascular mortality and morbidity of mild and overt hyperthyroidism.

Overt and covert competition in a promiscuous mammal: the importance of weaponry and testes size to male reproductive success.

PubMed

Preston, B T; Stevenson, I R; Pemberton, J M; Coltman, D W; Wilson, K

2003-03-22

Male contests for access to receptive females are thought to have selected for the larger male body size and conspicuous weaponry frequently observed in mammalian species. However, when females copulate with multiple males within an oestrus, male reproductive success is a function of both pre- and postcopulatory strategies. The relative importance of these overt and covert forms of sexual competition has rarely been assessed in wild populations. The Soay sheep mating system is characterized by male contests for mating opportunities and high female promiscuity. We find that greater horn length, body size and good condition each independently influence a male's ability to monopolize receptive females. For males with large horns at least, this behavioural success translates into greater siring success. Consistent with sperm-competition theory, we also find that larger testes are independently associated with both higher copulation rates and increased siring success. This advantage of larger testes emerges, and strengthens, as the number of oestrous females increases, as dominant males can no longer control access to them all. Our results thus provide direct quantitative evidence that male reproductive success in wild populations of mammals is dependent upon the relative magnitude of both overt contest competition and covert sperm competition.

Neural Correlates of Covert Face Processing: fMRI Evidence from a Prosopagnosic Patient

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiangang; Wang, Meiyun; Shi, Xiaohong; Feng, Lu; Li, Ling; Thacker, Justine Marie; Tian, Jie; Shi, Dapeng; Lee, Kang

2014-01-01

Brains can perceive or recognize a face even though we are subjectively unaware of the existence of that face. However, the exact neural correlates of such covert face processing remain unknown. Here, we compared the fMRI activities between a prosopagnosic patient and normal controls when they saw famous and unfamiliar faces. When compared with objects, the patient showed greater activation to famous faces in the fusiform face area (FFA) though he could not overtly recognize those faces. In contrast, the controls showed greater activation to both famous and unfamiliar faces in the FFA. Compared with unfamiliar faces, famous faces activated the controls', but not the patient's lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) known to be involved in familiar face recognition. In contrast, the patient showed greater activation in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus (MeFG). Functional connectivity analyses revealed that the patient's right middle fusiform gyrus (FG) showed enhanced connectivity to the MeFG, whereas the controls' middle FG showed enhanced connectivity to the LPFC. These findings suggest that the FFA may be involved in both covert and overt face recognition. The patient's impairment in overt face recognition may be due to the absence of the coupling between the right FG and the LPFC. PMID:23448870

Cold Temperature Encoding by Cutaneous TRPA1 and TRPM8-Carrying Fibers in the Mouse

PubMed Central

Winter, Zoltan; Gruschwitz, Philipp; Eger, Stephanie; Touska, Filip; Zimmermann, Katharina

2017-01-01

Previous research identified TRPM8 and TRPA1 cold transducers with separate functions, one being functional in the non-noxious range and the second one being a nociceptive transducer. TRPM8-deficient mice present overt deficits in the detection of environmental cool, but not a lack of cold avoidance and TRPA1-deficient mice show clear deficits in some cold nocifensive assays. The extent of TRPA1's contribution to cold sensing in vivo is still unclear, because mice lacking both TRPM8 and TRPA1 (DKO) were described with unchanged cold avoidance from TRPM8−/− based on a two-temperature-choice assay and by c-fos measurement. The present study was designed to differentiate how much TRPM8 alone and combined TRPA1 and TRPM8 contribute to cold sensing. We analyzed behavior in the thermal ring track assay adjusted between 30 and 5°C and found a large reduction in cold avoidance of the double knockout mice as compared to the TRPM8-deficient mice. We also revisited skin-nerve recordings from saphenous-nerve skin preparations with regard to nociceptors and thermoreceptors. We compared the frequency and characteristics of the cold responses of TRPM8-expressing and TRPM8-negative C-fiber nociceptors in C57BL/6J mice with nociceptors of TRPM8-deficient and DKO mice and found that TRPM8 enables nociceptors to encode cold temperatures with higher firing rates and larger responses with sustained, static component. In TRPM8−/−, C-fiber cold nociceptors were markedly reduced and appeared further reduced in DKO. Nevertheless, the remaining cold responses in both knockout strains were similar in their characteristics and they were indifferent from the TRPM8-negative cold responses found in C57BL/6J mice. TRPM8 had a comparably essential role for encoding cold in thermoreceptors and lack of TRPM8 reduced response magnitude, peak and mean firing rates and the incidence of thermoreceptors. The encoding deficits were similar in the DKO strain. Our data illustrate that lack of TRPA1 in TRPM8-deficient mice results in a disproportionately large reduction in cold avoidance behavior and also affects the incidence of cold encoding fiber types. Presumably TRPA1 compensates for lack of TRPM8 to a certain extent and both channels cooperate to cover the entire cold temperature range, making cold-temperature encoding by TRPA1—although less powerful—synergistic to TRPM8. PMID:28713241

Ontology-Driven Search and Triage: Design of a Web-Based Visual Interface for MEDLINE.

PubMed

Demelo, Jonathan; Parsons, Paul; Sedig, Kamran

2017-02-02

Diverse users need to search health and medical literature to satisfy open-ended goals such as making evidence-based decisions and updating their knowledge. However, doing so is challenging due to at least two major difficulties: (1) articulating information needs using accurate vocabulary and (2) dealing with large document sets returned from searches. Common search interfaces such as PubMed do not provide adequate support for exploratory search tasks. Our objective was to improve support for exploratory search tasks by combining two strategies in the design of an interactive visual interface by (1) using a formal ontology to help users build domain-specific knowledge and vocabulary and (2) providing multi-stage triaging support to help mitigate the information overload problem. We developed a Web-based tool, Ontology-Driven Visual Search and Triage Interface for MEDLINE (OVERT-MED), to test our design ideas. We implemented a custom searchable index of MEDLINE, which comprises approximately 25 million document citations. We chose a popular biomedical ontology, the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), to test our solution to the vocabulary problem. We implemented multistage triaging support in OVERT-MED, with the aid of interactive visualization techniques, to help users deal with large document sets returned from searches. Formative evaluation suggests that the design features in OVERT-MED are helpful in addressing the two major difficulties described above. Using a formal ontology seems to help users articulate their information needs with more accurate vocabulary. In addition, multistage triaging combined with interactive visualizations shows promise in mitigating the information overload problem. Our strategies appear to be valuable in addressing the two major problems in exploratory search. Although we tested OVERT-MED with a particular ontology and document collection, we anticipate that our strategies can be transferred successfully to other contexts. ©Jonathan Demelo, Paul Parsons, Kamran Sedig. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 02.02.2017.

Reduction of myocardial blood flow reserve in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy without overt heart failure and its relation with functional indices: an echo-Doppler and positron emission tomography study.

PubMed

Morales, Maria-Aurora; Neglia, Danilo; L'Abbate, Antonio

2008-08-01

Myocardial blood flow during pharmacological vasodilatation is depressed in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy even the in absence of overt heart failure; the extent of myocardial blood flow abnormalities is not predictable by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and diastolic dimensions. To assess whether myocardial blood flow impairment in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy without overt heart failure can be related to Doppler-derived dP/dt and to echocardiographically determined left ventricular end systolic stress - which is linked to myocardial blood flow reserve in advanced disease. Twenty-six patients, New York Heart Association Class I-II, (LVEF 37.4 +/- 1.4%, left ventricular diastolic dimensions 62.6 +/- 0.9 mm) underwent resting/dipyridamole [13N]NH3 flow positron emission tomography and an ultrasonic study. Regional myocardial blood flow values (ml/min per g) were computed from positron emission tomography data in 13 left ventricular (LV) myocardial regions and averaged to provide mean myocardial blood flow and myocardial blood flow reserve, defined as dipyridamole/resting mean myocardial blood flow ratio. Resting myocardial blood flow was 0.686 +/- 0.045, dipyridamole myocardial blood flow 1.39 +/- 0.15 and myocardial blood flow reserve 2.12 +/- 0.2, lower than in controls (P < 0.01). The ratio dP/dt was directly related to dipyridamole myocardial blood flow and myocardial blood flow reserve (r = 0.552 and 0.703, P < 0.005 and P < 0.0001); no relation was found between myocardial blood flow and LVEF left ventricular diastolic dimensions, and left ventricular end systolic stress. In idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients without overt heart failure, the extent of myocardial blood flow reserve impairment is related to dP/dt but not to more classical indices of left ventricular function.

Prevalence of substandard and falsified artemisinin-based combination antimalarial medicines on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

PubMed

Kaur, Harparkash; Allan, Elizabeth Louise; Mamadu, Ibrahim; Hall, Zoe; Green, Michael D; Swamidos, Isabel; Dwivedi, Prabha; Culzoni, Maria Julia; Fernandez, Facundo M; Garcia, Guillermo; Hergott, Dianna; Monti, Feliciano

2017-01-01

Poor-quality artemisinin-containing antimalarials (ACAs), including falsified and substandard formulations, pose serious health concerns in malaria endemic countries. They can harm patients, contribute to the rise in drug resistance and increase the public's mistrust of health systems. Systematic assessment of drug quality is needed to gain knowledge on the prevalence of the problem, to provide Ministries of Health with evidence on which local regulators can take action. We used three sampling approaches to purchase 677 ACAs from 278 outlets on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea as follows: convenience survey using mystery client (n=16 outlets, 31 samples), full island-wide survey using mystery client (n=174 outlets, 368 samples) and randomised survey using an overt sampling approach (n=88 outlets, 278 samples). The stated active pharmaceutical ingredients (SAPIs) were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography and confirmed by mass spectrometry at three independent laboratories. Content analysis showed 91.0% of ACAs were of acceptable quality, 1.6% were substandard and 7.4% falsified. No degraded medicines were detected. The prevalence of medicines without the SAPIs was higher for ACAs purchased in the convenience survey compared with the estimates obtained using the full island-wide survey-mystery client and randomised-overt sampling approaches. Comparable results were obtained for full island survey-mystery client and randomised overt. However, the availability of purchased artesunate monotherapies differed substantially according to the sampling approach used (convenience, 45.2%; full island-wide survey-mystery client, 32.6%; random-overt sampling approach, 21.9%). Of concern is that 37.1% (n=62) of these were falsified. Falsified ACAs were found on Bioko Island, with the prevalence ranging between 6.1% and 16.1%, depending on the sampling method used. These findings underscore the vital need for national authorities to track the scale of ineffective medicines that jeopardise treatment of life-threatening diseases and value of a representative sampling approach to obtain/measure the true prevalence of poor-quality medicines.

Ontology-Driven Search and Triage: Design of a Web-Based Visual Interface for MEDLINE

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Diverse users need to search health and medical literature to satisfy open-ended goals such as making evidence-based decisions and updating their knowledge. However, doing so is challenging due to at least two major difficulties: (1) articulating information needs using accurate vocabulary and (2) dealing with large document sets returned from searches. Common search interfaces such as PubMed do not provide adequate support for exploratory search tasks. Objective Our objective was to improve support for exploratory search tasks by combining two strategies in the design of an interactive visual interface by (1) using a formal ontology to help users build domain-specific knowledge and vocabulary and (2) providing multi-stage triaging support to help mitigate the information overload problem. Methods We developed a Web-based tool, Ontology-Driven Visual Search and Triage Interface for MEDLINE (OVERT-MED), to test our design ideas. We implemented a custom searchable index of MEDLINE, which comprises approximately 25 million document citations. We chose a popular biomedical ontology, the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), to test our solution to the vocabulary problem. We implemented multistage triaging support in OVERT-MED, with the aid of interactive visualization techniques, to help users deal with large document sets returned from searches. Results Formative evaluation suggests that the design features in OVERT-MED are helpful in addressing the two major difficulties described above. Using a formal ontology seems to help users articulate their information needs with more accurate vocabulary. In addition, multistage triaging combined with interactive visualizations shows promise in mitigating the information overload problem. Conclusions Our strategies appear to be valuable in addressing the two major problems in exploratory search. Although we tested OVERT-MED with a particular ontology and document collection, we anticipate that our strategies can be transferred successfully to other contexts. PMID:28153818

Neurobehavioral impairments produced by developmental lead exposure persisted for generations in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

PubMed

Xu, Xiaojuan; Weber, Daniel; Burge, Rebekah; VanAmberg, Kelsey

2016-01-01

The zebrafish has become a useful animal model for studying the effects of environmental contaminants on neurobehavioral development due to its ease of breeding, high number of eggs per female, short generation times, and a well-established avoidance conditioning paradigm. Using avoidance conditioning as the behavioral paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of embryonic exposure to lead (Pb) on learning in adult zebrafish and the third (F3) generation of those fish. In Experiment 1, adult zebrafish that were developmentally exposed to 0.0, 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb (2-24h post fertilization) as embryos were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that adult zebrafish hatched from embryos exposed to 0.0 or 0.1μM Pb learned avoidance responses during training and displayed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing, while those hatched from embryos exposed to 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb displayed no significant increases in avoidance responses from training to testing. In Experiment 2, the F3 generation of zebrafish that were developmentally exposed to an identical exposure regimen as in Experiment 1 were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that the F3 generation of zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 0.0 or 0.1μM Pb learned avoidance responses during training and displayed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing, while the F3 generation of zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb displayed no significant changes in avoidance responses from training to testing. Thus, developmental Pb exposure produced learning impairments that persisted for at least three generations, demonstrating trans-generational effects of embryonic exposure to Pb. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Altered Fructosamine and Lipid Fractions in Subclinical Hypothyroidism

PubMed Central

Udupa, Sridevi V.; Manjrekar, Poornima A.; Udupa, Vinit A.; Vivian, D’Souza

2013-01-01

Background: Thyroid function disorders lead to changes in the lipoprotein metabolism. Objectives: To study the lipid and the glycaemic abnormalities in the subclinical hypothyroidism cases and to compare the same with the euthyroid, overt hypothyroid and the hyperthyroid subjects. Methodology: Four groups, euthyroid (Group-I), hypothyroid (Group-II), subclinical hypothyroid (Group-III) and hyperthyroid (Group-IV), which consisted of 30 subjects each, of either sex, who were aged 25-55 years, underwent Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG), fructosamine, lipid profile and total T3, T4 and TSH estimations. The subjects who were on lipid lowering or thyroid disorder drugs and known diabetics were excluded from the study. Results: In Group-III, all the lipid fractions were comparable to those of Group-II and they were significantly deranged, as compared to those of Group-I. The fructosamine levels were significantly higher in Group-II and Group-III (p<0.05), but the subclinical hypothyroid pool had statistically lower levels than the hypothyroid pool (376.63±54.73, 587.80±65.10). In the Group-IV patients, the LDL-C levels were significantly higher as compared to those in the euthyroid pool. The fructosamine levels were significantly lower in comparison with both the euthyroid and the hypothyroid pools (both in Groups-II and III). The FPG levels were higher in all the classes of the thyroid abnormalities (subclinical hypothyroidnot significant) but within the reference range of 70-100mg/dl. Conclusion: Since the lipid derangement in subclinical hypothyroidism is on par with that in overt hypothyrodism, the subclinical hypothyroid cases also need to be treated similarly. The fructosamine values which are largely in excess of the FPG values, indicate a higher propensity to glycation and a decreased turnover of the proteins in the hypothyroid and the subclinical hypothyroid pools. Vice versa is true of the hyperthyroid pool. Fructosamine can be included in the thyroid work up of the patients to assess the metabolic function and the subsequent response after the initiation of the therapy. PMID:23449765

The Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in Elderly Cardiology Patients with Mild Excessive Iodine Intake in the Urban Area of São Paulo

PubMed Central

Duarte, Glaucia C.; Tomimori, Eduardo K.; Camargo, Rosalinda Y. A.; Rubio, Ileana G.S.; Wajngarten, Mauricio; Rodrigues, Amanda G.; Knobel, Meyer; Medeiros-Neto, Geraldo

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in elderly cardiac patients in an outpatient setting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 399 consecutive patients (268 women, age range 60–92 years) who were followed at Heart Institute were evaluated for thyroid dysfunction with serum free T4, TSH, anti-Peroxidase antibodies, urinary iodine excretion measurements and thyroid ultrasound. RESULTS: Hyperthyroidism (overt and subclinical) was present in 29 patients (6.5%), whereas hypothyroidism (overt and subclinical) was found in 32 individuals (8.1%). Cysts were detected in 11 patients (2.8%), single nodules were detected in 102 (25.6%), and multinodular goiters were detected in 34 (8.5%). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was present in 16.8% patients, most of whom were women (83.6%). The serum TSH increased with age and was significantly higher (p= <0.01) in patients, compared to the normal control group. No significant differences in serum TSH and free T4 values were observed when patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) where compared with those without arrhythmia. The median urinary iodine levels were 210 μg/L (40–856 μg/L), and iodine levels were higher in men than in women (p<0.01). Excessive iodine intake (urinary iodine >300 μg/L) was observed in one-third of patients (30.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients have a higher prevalence of both hypo- and hyperthyroidism as well as thyroid nodules when compared with the general population. About one-third of the older patients had elevated urinary secretion of iodine and a higher prevalence of chronic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It is recommended that ultrasonographic studies, tests for thyroid function and autoimmunity should be evaluated in elderly patients. PMID:19219319

l-5-hydroxytryptophan resets the circadian locomotor activity rhythm of the nocturnal Indian pygmy field mouse, Mus terricolor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Priyoneel; Singaravel, Muniyandi; Haldar, Chandana

2012-03-01

We report that l-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a serotonin precursor, resets the overt circadian rhythm in the Indian pygmy field mouse, Mus terricolor, in a phase- and dose-dependent manner. We used wheel running to assess phase shifts in the free-running locomotor activity rhythm. Following entrainment to a 12:12 h light-dark cycle, 5-HTP (100 mg/kg in saline) was intraperitoneally administered in complete darkness at circadian time (CT)s 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21, and the ensuing phase shifts in the locomotor activity rhythm were calculated. The results show that 5-HTP differentially shifts the phase of the rhythm, causing phase advances from CT 0 to CT 12 and phase delays from CT 12 to CT 21. Maximum advance phase shift was at CT 6 (1.18 ± 0.37 h) and maximum delay was at CT 18 (-2.36 ± 0.56 h). No extended dead zone is apparent. Vehicle (saline) at any CT did not evoke a significant phase shift. Investigations with different doses (10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) of 5-HTP revealed that the phase resetting effect is dose-dependent. The shape of the phase-response curve (PRC) has a strong similarity to PRCs obtained using some serotonergic agents. There was no significant increase in wheel-running activity after 5-HTP injection, ruling out behavioral arousal-dependent shifts. This suggests that this phase resetting does not completely depend on feedback of the overt rhythmic behavior on the circadian clock. A mechanistic explanation of these shifts is currently lacking.

Lipid Abnormalities in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Overt Nephropathy

PubMed Central

Viswanathan, Vijay

2017-01-01

Background Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of diabetes and an established risk factor for cardiovascular events. Lipid abnormalities occur in patients with diabetic nephropathy, which further increase their risk for cardiovascular events. We compared the degree of dyslipidemia among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects with and without nephropathy and analyzed the factors associated with nephropathy among them. Methods In this retrospective study, T2DM patients with overt nephropathy were enrolled in the study group (n=89) and without nephropathy were enrolled in the control group (n=92). Both groups were matched for age and duration of diabetes. Data on total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), urea and creatinine were collected from the case sheets. TG/HDL-C ratio, a surrogate marker for small, dense, LDL particles (sdLDL) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated using equations. Multivariate analysis was done to determine the factors associated with eGFR. Results Dyslipidemia was present among 56.52% of control subjects and 75.28% of nephropathy subjects (P=0.012). The percentage of subjects with atherogenic dyslipidemia (high TG+low HDL-C+sdLDL) was 14.13 among controls and 14.61 among nephropathy subjects. Though serum creatinine was not significantly different, mean eGFR value was significantly lower among nephropathy patients (P=0.002). Upon multivariate analysis, it was found that TC (P=0.007) and HDL-C (P=0.06) were associated with eGFR among our study subjects. Conclusion Our results show that dyslipidemia was highly prevalent among subjects with nephropathy. Regular screening for dyslipidemia may be beneficial in controlling the risk for adverse events among diabetic nephropathy patients. PMID:28447439

Effect of administration of corticotropin-releasing hormone and glucocorticoid on arginine vasopressin response to osmotic stimulus in normal subjects and patients with hypocorticotropinism without overt diabetes insipidus.

PubMed

Yamada, K; Tamura, Y; Yoshida, S

1989-08-01

We examined the effect of CRH administration on the response of plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) induced by an osmotic stimulus in six normal subjects and five patients with hypocorticotropinism without overt diabetes insipidus (four patients with Sheehan's syndrome and one with idiopathic pituitary dwarfism with ACTH deficiency). Hypertonic saline infusion (855 mmol/L saline solutions at a rate of 205 mumol/kg.min for 10 min) increased plasma AVP 5.7-fold (P less than 0.01) in normal subjects and 2.4-fold (P less than 0.05) in the patients. CRH administration significantly augmented the plasma AVP response to the osmotic stimulus in the normal subjects, but not in the patients with hypocorticotropinism. CRH administration alone did not influence plasma AVP. These findings suggest that a central CRH-related mechanism(s) was at least partly involved in the augmentation of AVP release. Based on the relatively low plasma AVP response to the osmotic stimulus in patients and their lower plasma AVP levels and higher plasma osmolality under basal conditions, we suggest that patients with hypocorticotropinism have partial diabetes insipidus, in which impairment of central CRH action might be, at least in part, involved. The response of plasma AVP to the osmotic stimulus was attenuated significantly when the patients were given cortisol. Since basal PRA, plasma aldosterone, plasma osmolality, hematocrit, body weight, mean blood pressure, and heart rate were similar with and without cortisol administration, this effect of cortisol may have been due to central suppression of the AVP response to the osmotic stimulus.

Clinical features and prognosis of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes who were exposed to atomic bomb radiation in Nagasaki.

PubMed

Matsuo, Masatoshi; Iwanaga, Masako; Kondo, Hisayoshi; Soda, Midori; Jo, Tatsuro; Horio, Kensuke; Takasaki, Yumi; Kawaguchi, Yasuhisa; Tsushima, Hideki; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Imanishi, Daisuke; Taguchi, Jun; Sawayama, Yasushi; Hata, Tomoko; Miyazaki, Yasushi

2016-10-01

There is evidence that radiation exposure is a causative factor of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, little is known about whether radiation exposure is also a prognostic factor of MDS. We investigated the impact of radiation exposure on the prognosis of MDS in Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors using the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and the revised version (IPSS-R). Subjects were 140 patients with primary MDS diagnosed between 1985 and 2011 and evaluable for IPSS, IPSS-R, and exposure distance. Of those, 31 were exposed at <1.5 km, 35 at 1.5-2.99 km, and 74 at ≥3.0 km. By the end of March 2014, 47 patients (34%) progressed to overt leukemia and 106 (75.7%) died. By comparing with patients exposed at ≥3.0 km, those exposed at <1.5 km had significantly higher frequencies of abnormal chromosome (P = 0.02), intermediate/poor IPSS, and intermediate/poor/very poor IPSS-R cytogenetic category (P = 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively). As with de novo MDS, multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that cytogenetic abnormalities, IPSS karyotype, and IPSS-R cytogenetics were significantly associated with poor survival, and cumulative incidence of leukemic transformation in MDS among atomic bomb survivors, but exposure distance was not associated with any poor outcomes. These suggest that exposure to the greater dose of atomic bomb radiation is associated with developing poor cytogenetic abnormalities in MDS, which might consequently lead to overt leukemia among atomic bomb survivors. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis.

PubMed

Bajaj, J S; Barrett, A C; Bortey, E; Paterson, C; Forbes, W P

2015-01-01

Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE-related hospitalisations during a 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) and a 24-month open-label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear. To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within-subjects design. Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed during RCT and first 6 months of OLM. Of 82 patients randomised to placebo in the RCT who crossed over to the OLM study, 39 experienced an HE episode during the RCT compared with 14 during the OLM study (P < 0.0001). Significantly lower rates of HE events were observed with rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.0001). Rates of HE-related hospitalisation were numerically lower during rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment, although not significant. Rates of most common AEs, serious AEs and infection-related AEs were similar between the two treatments. This analysis confirms the repeatability of results from the RCT on safety and efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy recurrence, and suggests these findings are translatable outside of a rigorous, controlled trial setting. © 2014 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Severe Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage from Linear Gastric Ulcers in Large Hiatal Hernias: a Large Prospective Case Series of Cameron Ulcers

PubMed Central

Camus, Marine; Jensen, Dennis M.; Ohning, Gordon V.; Kovacs, Thomas O.; Ghassemi, Kevin A.; Jutabha, Rome; Machicado, Gustavo A.; Dulai, Gareth S.; Hines, Joel O.

2013-01-01

Background and study aims Cameron ulcers are a rare but clinically significant cause of severe upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (SUGIH). Our aims were to describe (1) the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of patients with Cameron ulcers causing hospitalization for SUGIH, (2) the differences between patients with occult vs. overt bleeding and (3) between patients treated surgically and medically. Patients and methods Over the past 17 years, all consecutive patients hospitalized in our two tertiary referral medical centers for severe UGIH or severe obscure GIH and entered into our large prospective databasis were screened for Cameron ulcer diagnosis. Results Cameron ulcers were diagnosed in 25 patients of 3960 patients with SUGIH (0.6%). 21 patients had follow-up (median [IQR] time of 20.4 months [8.5–31.8]). Patients were more often elderly females with chronic anemia, always had large hiatal hernias, and were usually referred for obscure SUGIH. Twelve (57.2%) patients were referred to surgery for rebleeding and recurrent blood loss while treated with high dose of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). 9 (42.8%) other patients continued PPI without any rebleeding during the follow-up. Patients with overt bleeding had significantly more prior hospitalizations for SUGIH, more often stigmata of hemorrhage on ulcers, and more red blood cell transfusions than patients with occult bleeding. However, there was no difference in rebleeding and mortality rates between the two groups. Conclusions Cameron ulcers in large hiatal hernias are an uncommon cause of SUGIH. Most of patients are referred for obscure GIH. The choice of medical vs. surgical therapy should be individualized. PMID:23616128

Chemosensory cues alter earthworm (Eisenia fetida) avoidance of lead-contaminated soil.

PubMed

Syed, Zuby; Alexander, Dana; Ali, Jasmine; Unrine, Jason; Shoults-Wilson, W Aaron

2017-04-01

Earthworms were shown to significantly avoid soils spiked with Pb at concentrations lower than or comparable to concentrations that demonstrate significant effects for other endpoints. It was also shown that inclusion of a microorganism-produced volatile compound that attracts earthworms, ethyl valerate, decreased avoidance of spiked soils. These findings suggest that care should be taken when analyzing earthworm avoidance of soils in which microorganism communities are not controlled. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:999-1004. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Development and Validation of the Behavioral Avoidance Test-Back Pain (BAT-Back) for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Holzapfel, Sebastian; Riecke, Jenny; Rief, Winfried; Schneider, Jessica; Glombiewski, Julia A

2016-11-01

Pain-related fear and avoidance of physical activities are central elements of the fear-avoidance model of musculoskeletal pain. Pain-related fear has typically been measured by self-report instruments. In this study, we developed and validated a Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT) for chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients with the aim of assessing pain-related avoidance behavior by direct observation. The BAT-Back was administered to a group of CLBP patients (N=97) and pain-free controls (N=31). Furthermore, pain, pain-related fear, disability, catastrophizing, and avoidance behavior were measured using self-report instruments. Reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach α. Validity was assessed by examining correlation and regression analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the BAT-Back avoidance score was r=0.76. Internal consistency was α=0.95. CLBP patients and controls differed significantly on BAT-Back avoidance scores as well as self-report measures. BAT-Back avoidance scores were significantly correlated with scores on each of the self-report measures (rs=0.27 to 0.54). They were not significantly correlated with general anxiety and depression, age, body mass index, and pain duration. The BAT-Back avoidance score was able to capture unique variance in disability after controlling for other variables (eg, pain intensity and pain-related fear). Results indicate that the BAT-Back is a reliable and valid measure of pain-related avoidance behavior. It may be useful for clinicians in tailoring treatments for chronic pain as well as an outcome measure for exposure treatments.

Time-course of attention biases in social phobia.

PubMed

Schofield, Casey A; Inhoff, Albrecht W; Coles, Meredith E

2013-10-01

Theoretical models of social phobia implicate preferential attention to social threat in the maintenance of anxiety symptoms, though there has been limited work characterizing the nature of these biases over time. The current study utilized eye-movement data to examine the time-course of visual attention over 1500ms trials of a probe detection task. Nineteen participants with a primary diagnosis of social phobia based on DSM-IV criteria and 20 non-clinical controls completed this task with angry, fearful, and happy face trials. Overt visual attention to the emotional and neutral faces was measured in 50ms segments across the trial. Over time, participants with social phobia attend less to emotional faces and specifically less to happy faces compared to controls. Further, attention to emotional relative to neutral expressions did not vary notably by emotion for participants with social phobia, but control participants showed a pattern after 1000ms in which over time they preferentially attended to happy expressions and avoided negative expressions. Findings highlight the importance of considering attention biases to positive stimuli as well as the pattern of attention between groups. These results suggest that attention "bias" in social phobia may be driven by a relative lack of the biases seen in non-anxious participants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suspicion of Motives Predicts Minorities' Responses to Positive Feedback in Interracial Interactions.

PubMed

Major, Brenda; Kunstman, Jonathan W; Malta, Brenna D; Sawyer, Pamela J; Townsend, Sarah S M; Mendes, Wendy Berry

2016-01-01

Strong social and legal norms in the United States discourage the overt expression of bias against ethnic and racial minorities, increasing the attributional ambiguity of Whites' positive behavior to ethnic minorities. Minorities who suspect that Whites' positive overtures toward minorities are motivated more by their fear of appearing racist than by egalitarian attitudes may regard positive feedback they receive from Whites as disingenuous. This may lead them to react to such feedback with feelings of uncertainty and threat. Three studies examined how suspicion of motives relates to ethnic minorities' responses to receiving positive feedback from a White peer or same-ethnicity peer (Experiment 1), to receiving feedback from a White peer that was positive or negative (Experiment 2), and to receiving positive feedback from a White peer who did or did not know their ethnicity (Experiment 3). As predicted, the more suspicious Latinas were of Whites' motives for behaving positively toward minorities in general, the more they regarded positive feedback from a White peer who knew their ethnicity as disingenuous and the more they reacted with cardiovascular reactivity characteristic of threat/avoidance, increased feelings of stress, heightened uncertainty, and decreased self-esteem. We discuss the implications for intergroup interactions of perceptions of Whites' motives for nonprejudiced behavior.

Acute intermittent porphyria in Argentina: an update.

PubMed

Cerbino, Gabriela Nora; Gerez, Esther Noemí; Varela, Laura Sabina; Melito, Viviana Alicia; Parera, Victoria Estela; Batlle, Alcira; Rossetti, María Victoria

2015-01-01

Porphyrias are a group of metabolic diseases that arise from deficiencies in the heme biosynthetic pathway. A partial deficiency in hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) produces a hepatic disorder named Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP); the acute porphyria is more frequent in Argentina. In this paper we review the results obtained for 101 Argentinean AIP families and 6 AIP families from foreign neighbour countries studied at molecular level at Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias (CIPYP). Thirty-five different mutations were found, of which 14 were described for the first time in our population. The most prevalent type of mutations was the missense mutations (43%) followed by splice defects (26%) and small deletions (20%). An odd case of a double heterozygous presentation of AIP in a foreign family from Paraguay is discussed. Moreover, it can be noted that 38 new families were found carrying the most frequent mutation in Argentina (p.G111R), increasing to 55.66% the prevalence of this genetic change in our population and adding further support to our previous hypothesis of a founder effect for this mutation in Argentina. Identification of patients with an overt AIP is important because treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis, but more critical is the identification of asymptomatic relatives to avoid acute attacks which may progress to death.

Proprioceptive feedback and brain computer interface (BCI) based neuroprostheses.

PubMed

Ramos-Murguialday, Ander; Schürholz, Markus; Caggiano, Vittorio; Wildgruber, Moritz; Caria, Andrea; Hammer, Eva Maria; Halder, Sebastian; Birbaumer, Niels

2012-01-01

Brain computer interface (BCI) technology has been proposed for motor neurorehabilitation, motor replacement and assistive technologies. It is an open question whether proprioceptive feedback affects the regulation of brain oscillations and therefore BCI control. We developed a BCI coupled on-line with a robotic hand exoskeleton for flexing and extending the fingers. 24 healthy participants performed five different tasks of closing and opening the hand: (1) motor imagery of the hand movement without any overt movement and without feedback, (2) motor imagery with movement as online feedback (participants see and feel their hand, with the exoskeleton moving according to their brain signals, (3) passive (the orthosis passively opens and closes the hand without imagery) and (4) active (overt) movement of the hand and rest. Performance was defined as the difference in power of the sensorimotor rhythm during motor task and rest and calculated offline for different tasks. Participants were divided in three groups depending on the feedback receiving during task 2 (the other tasks were the same for all participants). Group 1 (n = 9) received contingent positive feedback (participants' sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) desynchronization was directly linked to hand orthosis movements), group 2 (n = 8) contingent "negative" feedback (participants' sensorimotor rhythm synchronization was directly linked to hand orthosis movements) and group 3 (n = 7) sham feedback (no link between brain oscillations and orthosis movements). We observed that proprioceptive feedback (feeling and seeing hand movements) improved BCI performance significantly. Furthermore, in the contingent positive group only a significant motor learning effect was observed enhancing SMR desynchronization during motor imagery without feedback in time. Furthermore, we observed a significantly stronger SMR desynchronization in the contingent positive group compared to the other groups during active and passive movements. To summarize, we demonstrated that the use of contingent positive proprioceptive feedback BCI enhanced SMR desynchronization during motor tasks.

Intra-abdominal sepsis following pancreatic resection: incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, microbiology, management, and outcome.

PubMed

Behrman, Stephen W; Zarzaur, Ben L

2008-07-01

Intra-abdominal sepsis (IAS) following pancreatectomy is associated with the need for therapeutic intervention and may result in mortality. We retrospectively reviewed patients developing IAS following elective pancreatectomy. Risk factors for the development of sepsis were assessed. The microbiology of these infections was ascertained. The number and type of therapeutic interventions required and infectious-related mortality were recorded. One hundred ninety-six patients had a pancreatectomy performed, 32 (16.3%) of who developed IAS. Infected abdominal collections were diagnosed and therapeutically managed at a mean of 11.8 days after the index procedure (range, 4-33). Eleven of 32 (34%) of these infections were diagnosed on or before postoperative day 6, 10 of who had Whipple procedures. Statistically significant risk factors included an overt pancreatic fistula (18.8% vs 5.5%) and a soft pancreatic remnant (74.2% vs 42.3%), but not the lack of intra-abdominal drainage, an antecedent immunocompromised state, postoperative hemorrhage, or the preoperative placement of a biliary stent. Fifty-five per cent had polymicrobial infections and 26 per cent of isolates were resistant organisms. Nineteen per cent and 48 per cent of patients had an isolate positive for fungus and a Gram-positive organism, respectively. Forty-seven therapeutic interventions were used, including 10 reoperations. Length of stay was significantly prolonged in those with IAS (28.5 vs 15.2 days) and mortality was higher (15.6% vs 1.8%). We conclude: 1) septic morbidity after pancreatectomy is associated with a soft pancreatic remnant and an overt pancreatic fistula and in this series resulted in a prolonged length of stay and a significant increase in procedure-related mortality; 2) infected fluid collections may occur very early in the postoperative period before frank abscess formation, and an early threshold for diagnostic imaging and/or therapeutic intervention should be entertained in those with clinical deterioration; and 3) these infections are often polymicrobial and frequently include resistant and nonenteric organisms.

Hyperthyroidism and venous thrombosis: a casual or causal association? A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Franchini, Massimo; Lippi, Giuseppe; Targher, Giovanni

2011-08-01

A kaleidoscope of coagulation disorders have been reported in patients with thyroid dysfunctions. Globally, these disorders involve both primary and secondary hemostasis and range from subclinical laboratory abnormalities to, more rarely, life-threatening hemorrhages or thrombotic events. While overt hypothyroidism appears to be associated with a bleeding tendency, hyperthyroidism emerged to have an increased risk of thrombotic events. In particular, a number of case reports have documented acute venous thrombosis complications in patients with overt hyperthyroidism, especially at cerebral sites. Nevertheless, further observational and intervention studies might be needed to provide a more definitive information on the clinical relevance of this association, along with the potential implication for prevention and treatment of coagulation-fibrinolytic abnormalities in patients with thyroid dysfunction.

[Effect of 5-HT1A receptors in the hippocampal DG on active avoidance learning in rats].

PubMed

Jiang, Feng-ze; Lv, Jing; Wang, Dan; Jiang, Hai-ying; Li, Ying-shun; Jin, Qing-hua

2015-01-01

To investigate the effects of serotonin (5-HTIA) receptors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) on active avoidance learning in rats. Totally 36 SD rats were randomly divided into control group, antagonist group and agonist group(n = 12). Active avoidance learning ability of rats was assessed by the shuttle box. The extracellular concentrations of 5-HT in the DG during active avoidance conditioned reflex were measured by microdialysis and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques. Then the antagonist (WAY-100635) or agonist (8-OH-DPAT) of the 5-HT1A receptors were microinjected into the DG region, and the active avoidance learning was measured. (1) During the active avoidance learning, the concentration of 5-HT in the hippocampal DG was significantly increased in the extinction but not establishment in the conditioned reflex, which reached 164.90% ± 26.07% (P <0.05) of basal level. (2) The microinjection of WAY-100635 (an antagonist of 5-HT1A receptor) into the DG did not significantly affect the active avoidance learning. (3) The microinjection of 8-OH-DPAT(an agonist of 5-HT1A receptor) into the DG significantly facilitated the establishment process and inhibited the extinction process during active avoidance conditioned reflex. The data suggest that activation of 5-HT1A receptors in hipocampal DG may facilitate active avoidance learning and memory in rats.

From 9-1-1 call to death: evaluating traumatic deaths in seven regions for early recognition of high-risk patients.

PubMed

Dean, Dylan; Wetzel, Brian; White, Nathan; Kuppermann, Nathan; Wang, Nancy Ewen; Haukoos, Jason S; Hsia, Renee Y; Mann, N Clay; Barton, Erik D; Newgard, Craig D

2014-03-01

This study aimed to characterize initial clinical presentations of patients served by emergency medical services (EMS) who die following injury, with particular attention to patients with occult ("talk-and-die") presentations. This was a population-based, multiregion, mixed-methods retrospective cohort study of fatally injured children and adults evaluated by 94 EMS agencies transporting to 122 hospitals in seven Western US regions from 2006 to 2008. Fatalities were divided into two main groups: occult injuries (talk-and-die; Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score ≥ 13, no cardiopulmonary arrest, and no intubation) versus overt injuries (all other patients). These groups were further subdivided by timing of death: early (<48 hours) versus late (>48 hours). We then compared demographic, physiologic, procedural, and injury patterns using descriptive statistics. We also used qualitative methods to analyze available EMS chart narratives for contextual information from the out-of-hospital encounter. During the 3-year study period, 3,358 persons served by 9-1-1 EMS providers died, with 1,225 (37.1%) in the field, 1,016 (30.8%) early in the hospital, and 1,060 (32.1%) late in the hospital. Of the 2,133 patients transported to a hospital, there were 612 (28.7%) talk-and-die patients, of whom 114 (18.6%) died early. Talk-and-die patients were older (median age, 81 years; interquartile range, 67-87 years), normotensive (median systolic blood pressure, 138 mm Hg; interquartile range, 116-160 mm Hg), commonly injured by falls (71.3%), and frequently (52.4%) died in nontrauma hospitals. Compared with overtly injured patients, talk-and-die patients had relatively fewer serious head injuries (13.7%) but more frequent extremity injuries (20.3% vs. 10.6%) and orthopedic interventions (25.3% vs. 5.0%). EMS personnel often found talk-and-die patients lying on the ground with hip pain or extremity injuries. Patients served by EMS who "talk-and-die" are typically older adults with falls, transported to nontrauma hospitals, with subtle clinical indications of the severity of their injuries. Improving recognition of talk-and-die patients may avoid fatal outcomes in a portion of these patients. Epidemiologic study, level III.

Affinity-seeking, social loneliness, and social avoidance among Facebook users.

PubMed

Lemieux, Robert; Lajoie, Sean; Trainor, Nathan E

2013-04-01

This study explored the relations between use of the social networking site Facebook and scores on affinity-seeking, social loneliness, and social avoidance by 313 college students. Social loneliness and social avoidance, but not affinity-seeking, were positively and statistically significantly related to time spent using Facebook. The number of close Facebook friends was negatively and statistically significantly related to social loneliness and social avoidance. Women perceived Facebook as a more integral part of daily interactions than did men. 38% of the 283 Facebook members indicated their accounts contained information and/or a picture that could embarrass them, with men having significantly more embarrassing content than women. The findings are discussed within the context of social compensation.

Evidence for a possible role of oxygen free radicals in the abnormal functional arterial vasomotion in insulin dependent diabetes.

PubMed

Ceriello, A; Quatraro, A; Caretta, F; Varano, R; Giugliano, D

1990-01-01

A functional arterial spasm, revealed by reduced post-ischemic response, is present in diabetic subjects with no overt evidence of vascular damage. The administration of three different antioxidant agents, vitamin C, thiopronine and glutathione, produces an increase of basal blood flow in both diabetic and normal subjects, and ameliorates significantly the vascular functional response in diabetes. These data suggest that free radicals may play a role in the regulation of arterial resistance in humans, and that a de-regulation of their action may be involved in the development of arterial dysfunction in diabetes.

Understanding the gender differences in pathways to social deviancy: relational aggression and emotion regulation.

PubMed

Bowie, Bonnie H

2010-02-01

This study explored the associations among childhood emotion regulation, overt aggression, relational aggression, and adolescent deviant social behaviors. Data were drawn from the Family Health Project, a longitudinal study conducted over 4 years. The sample consisted of 111 children at Time 1 who ranged in age from 51/2 to 12 years at Time 1 and 8 to 14 years at Time 3. A significant finding was that, for girls, lower emotion regulation predicted later relational aggression (beta = -2.95, P < .05). Moreover, low prosocial skills coupled with relational aggression were associated with deviant social behaviors. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relative fundamental frequency during vocal onset and offset in older speakers with and without Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Stepp, Cara E

2013-03-01

The relative fundamental frequency (RFF) surrounding production of a voiceless consonant has previously been shown to be lower in speakers with hypokinetic dysarthria and Parkinson's disease (PD) relative to age/sex matched controls. Here RFF was calculated in 32 speakers with PD without overt hypokinetic dysarthria and 32 age and sex matched controls to better understand the relationships between RFF and PD progression, medication status, and sex. Results showed that RFF was statistically significantly lower in individuals with PD compared with healthy age-matched controls and was statistically significantly lower in individuals diagnosed at least 5 yrs prior to experimentation relative to individuals recorded less than 5 yrs past diagnosis. Contrary to previous trends, no effect of medication was found. However, a statistically significant effect of sex on offset RFF was shown, with lower values in males relative to females. Future work examining the physiological bases of RFF is warranted.

Experimental modification of interpretation bias about animal fear in young children: effects on cognition, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding.

PubMed

Lester, Kathryn J; Field, Andy P; Muris, Peter

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of experimentally modifying interpretation biases for children's cognitions, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding. Sixty-seven children (6-11 years) were randomly assigned to receive a positive or negative interpretation bias modification procedure to induce interpretation biases toward or away from threat about ambiguous situations involving Australian marsupials. Children rapidly learned to select outcomes of ambiguous situations, which were congruent with their assigned condition. Furthermore, following positive modification, children's threat biases about novel ambiguous situations significantly decreased, whereas threat biases significantly increased after negative modification. In response to a stress-evoking behavioral avoidance test, positive modification attenuated behavioral avoidance compared to negative modification. However, no significant effects of bias modification on anxiety vulnerability or physiological responses to this stress-evoking Behavioral Avoidance Task were observed.

Context-dependent activation of reduced autobiographical memory specificity as an avoidant coping style.

PubMed

Debeer, Elise; Raes, Filip; Williams, J Mark G; Hermans, Dirk

2011-12-01

According to the affect-regulation hypothesis (Williams et al., 2007), reduced autobiographical memory specificity (rAMS) or overgeneral memory (OGM) might be considered a cognitive avoidance strategy; that is, people learn to avoid the emotionally painful consequences associated with the retrieval of specific negative memories. Based on this hypothesis, one would predict significant negative associations between AMS and avoidant coping. However, studies investigating this prediction have led to equivocal results. In the present study we tested a possible explanation for these contradictory findings. It was hypothesized that rAMS (in part) reflects an avoidant coping strategy, which might only become apparent under certain conditions, that is, conditions that signal the possibility of 'danger.' To test this hypothesis, we assessed AMS and behavioral avoidance but experimentally manipulated the instructions. In the neutral condition, two parallel versions of the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) were presented under neutral instructions. In the threat condition, the first AMT was presented under neutral instructions, while the second AMT was presented under 'threat instructions.' Results showed no significant correlations between avoidance and OGM under neutral conditions but significant and markedly stronger correlations under threat conditions, with more avoidance being associated with fewer specific and more categoric memories. In addition, high avoiders showed a stronger reduction in AMS in the threat condition as compared with the neutral condition, while low avoiders showed no such difference between conditions. The data confirm that OGM can be considered as part of a broader avoidant coping style. However, more importantly, they show that, at least in nonclinical individuals, the activation of this coping style may depend on the context. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.