Overgeneral Memory in Depression

This work is a phenomenological exploration of overgeneral memory in depressed patients. It reviews the current philosophical literature on the first-person experience of depression, which has so far omitted the phenomenon of overgeneral memory. However, this phenomenon is well documented within psychology; and this essay will show that its symptomatic appearance in depression and subsequent disturbance of self- experience justifies attention to the phenomenon within the phenomenology of depression. Both the theory of embodiment and the extended mind thesis work extensively with the nature of memory in other conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia. Thus, these philosophical approaches will be utilised in an analysis of overgeneral memory; this will enrich the philosophy of depression, memory and self and highlight the value of the concepts of embodiment and the extended mind. Moreover, this philosophical interrogation suggests a route toward therapeutic interventions to help patients suffering from overgeneral memory applying techniques from extended mind and cognition studies

Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in Nakuru, Kenya: a cross-sectional population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), have recently been recognised as the leading or second leading cause of blindness in several African countries. However, prevalence of AMD alone has not been assessed. We hypothesized that AMD is an important cause of visual impairment among elderly people in Nakuru, Kenya, and therefore sought to assess the prevalence and predictors of AMD in a diverse adult Kenyan population. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In a population-based cross-sectional survey in the Nakuru District of Kenya, 100 clusters of 50 people 50 y of age or older were selected by probability-proportional-to-size sampling between 26 January 2007 and 11 November 2008. Households within clusters were selected through compact segment sampling. All participants underwent a standardised interview and comprehensive eye examination, including dilated slit lamp examination by an ophthalmologist and digital retinal photography. Images were graded for the presence and severity of AMD lesions following a modified version of the International Classification and Grading System for Age-Related Maculopathy. Comparison was made between slit lamp biomicroscopy (SLB) and photographic grading. Of 4,381 participants, fundus photographs were gradable for 3,304 persons (75.4%), and SLB was completed for 4,312 (98%). Early and late AMD prevalence were 11.2% and 1.2%, respectively, among participants graded on images. Prevalence of AMD by SLB was 6.7% and 0.7% for early and late AMD, respectively. SLB underdiagnosed AMD relative to photographic grading by a factor of 1.7. After controlling for age, women had a higher prevalence of early AMD than men (odds ratio 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9). Overall prevalence rose significantly with each decade of age. We estimate that, in Kenya, 283,900 to 362,800 people 50 y and older have early AMD and 25,200 to 50,500 have late AMD, based on population estimates in 2007. CONCLUSIONS: AMD is an important cause of visual impairment and blindness in Kenya. Greater availability of low vision services and ophthalmologist training in diagnosis and treatment of AMD would be appropriate next steps. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Adolescent Self-Disclosure and Loneliness: Private Self-Consciousness and Parental Influences

Using structural equation techniques, we tested a theoretical model designed to describe the causal relations existing among loneliness, self-disclosure to peers and parents, and specific antecedent variables. Participants were 350 high-school students who answered questions concerning themselves and their interpersonal relationships. Results generally indicated a good fit between the theoretical model and the observed relations. In addition to replicating the findings of previous studies concerning the relation between self-disclosure and loneliness, results also indicated an indirect relation between private self-consciousness and loneliness via peer self-disclosure; that is, high private self-conscious adolescents\u27 greater willingness to self-disclose to peers resulted in their feeling less lonely. Results are discussed in terms of current theory in related fields

Detection of lung carcinoma arising from ground glass opacities (GGO) after 5 years - A retrospective review

Pure ground glass opacities (GGO) may indicate pre-invasive subtypes of lung carcinoma. These neoplasms typically demonstrate indolent patterns of growth; Fleischner Society guidelines recommend up to five years of serial imaging. Our aim was to determine the frequency of diagnosed carcinoma arising from GGO detected beyond 5 years of surveillance. We reviewed pathologic diagnoses of lung carcinoma (n = 442) between 2016 and 2018 of a tertiary academic hospital and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center to identify all cancers that arose from ground glass opacities detected on CT scan. Of the 442 cases of lung carcinoma, 32 (7%) were found that arose from pure GGOs and were ultimately diagnosed as cancer. Among the subgroup of GGOs, 78% (n = 25) were diagnosed within five years of surveillance, but up to 22% (n = 7) required between five and twelve years of serial follow up prior to definitive diagnosis. In order to detect 95% of cancers, GGOs would need to be followed for 7.9–12.7 years based upon a Kaplan-Meier estimate (p = 0.05). No patients who had lung carcinoma arising from GGOs died (0/32) within a follow-up time of one to three years. These data suggest that a greater number of lung carcinomas would be detected upon routine follow up of GGOs that extended beyond the current recommendation of five years. The overall survival of the cohort was 100%, consistent with existing data that these cancers are indolent. It is unknown whether a higher detection rate from longer interval follow up would impact overall survival

Studying arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy : dysplasia using induced pluripotent stem cells

PhD ThesisArrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy / dysplasia (ARVC/D) is a cause of ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure in adults. Fifty percent of subjects with ARVC/D carry pathogenic variants in the genes encoding desmosomal proteins. ARVC/D is associated with changes in cardiac desmosomal ultrastructure and the cellular distribution of desmosomal proteins in cardiomyocytes. These changes may be part of a common pathway of pathogenesis for the disease. Induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) carrying ARVC/D associated variants have been reported to recapitulate features of the disease. Five iPSC-CM models of ARVC/D have been reported, all of which carry mutations in the gene encoding the desmosomal protein plakophilin 2. In this study iPSC-CMs were generated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a control subject and three subjects with ARVC/D. The ARVC/D iPSC-CMs carried pathogenic variants three different desmosomal genes: plakophilin 2 (PKP2), desmoglein 2 (DSG2), and desmoplakin (DSP) that have not been studied previously using cellular or animal models. No differences were found in either the cellular distribution of desmosomal proteins or the ultrastructure of desmosomes when ARVC/D and control iPSC-CMs were compared. It was concluded that iPSC-CMs are not as robust a platform for modelling ARVC/D as had been previously reported. The expression of desmosomal genes in iPSCs were at levels similar to those seen in iPSC-CMs. The differentiation of iPSCs to iPSC-CMs was associated with a decrease in the expression of genes encoding desmosomal cadherins and an increase in those encoding arm-repeat proteins. There was also evidence of desmosomal protein expression and the presence of desmosomes in iPSC cultures. It is suggested that intercellular adhesion junctions containing desmosomal proteins have a role in the maintenance of pluripotency in iPSCs in vitro and changes in desmosomal gene and protein expression are important in defining the cardiac differentiation of iPSCs.Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Charit