When the sunny side is down: Re-mapping the relationship between direction and valence

Lakoff & Johnson (1999) argue that the understanding of positive or negative concepts is structured around our sensorimotor experience whereby “Happy is up” and “Sad is down”. Consistent with this, Meier and Robinson (2004) found that positive evaluations of words gave faster responses to spatial probes in an upper region of space compared to lower regions of space, and vice versa for negative evaluations. However, “She blew her top” or “He dropped his grudge” are both common metaphors despite reversing the basic mapping. Using Meier and Robinson’s (2004) paradigm, we generated “negative-up” and “positive-down” phrases. Results showed a probe position x valence interaction in the opposite direction to that found by Meier and Robinson (2004). This suggests the relationship between direction and valence is not necessarily a single mapping, as envisaged by Lakoff & Johnson (1999)

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis:Reparative pathways, safety and efficacy - A review

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability across the world. With an aging population its prevalence is likely to further increase. Current accepted medical treatment strategies are aimed at symptom control rather than disease modification. Surgical options including joint replacement are not without possible significant complications. A growing interest in the area of regenerative medicine, led by an improved understanding of the role of mesenchymal stem cells in tissue homeostasis and repair, has seen recent focused efforts to explore the potential of stem cell therapies in the active management of symptomatic osteoarthritis. Encouragingly, results of pre-clinical and clinical trials have provided initial evidence of efficacy and indicated safety in the therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cell therapies for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. This paper explores the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and how mesenchymal stem cells may play a role in future management strategies of this disabling condition

Impact of the neuroendocrine system on thymus and bone marrow function

The nervous, endocrine, and immune systems interact to adapt to infection, inflammation, and tissue injury. Neural control is mediated in several ways, one of them being through the neuroendocrine regulation of the secretion of hypothalamic and pituitary hormones. The hormonal effects on the immune system range from the impact of steroidal hormones, which exhibit inhibitory effects over immune functions, to growth hormone, prolactin and neurohypophyseal hormones, known to stimulate and modulate humoral and cellular aspects of the immune system. This review will discuss the mechanisms behind the immunomodulatory role of the neuroendocrine system, including the critically important feedback loops required to maintain balance for these bidirectional interactions and alterations that occur with age

Potential Risk Factors for the Development of Self-Injurious Behavior among Infants at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) is as high as 50% among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identification of risk factors for the development of SIB is critical to early intervention and prevention. However, there is little empirical research utilizing a prospective design to identify early risk factors for SIB. The purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioral characteristics predicting SIB at age 2 years among 235 infants at high familial risk for ASD. Logistic regression results indicated that presence of SIB or proto-SIB and lower developmental functioning at age 12 months significantly predicted SIB at 24 months. A pattern of persistent SIB over this period was associated with a diagnosis of autism and poorer cognitive and adaptive outcomes