7th Drug hypersensitivity meeting: part two

No abstract availabl

Dopamine, serotonin and impulsivity.

Impulsive people have a strong urge to act without thinking. It is sometimes regarded as a positive trait but rash impulsiveness is also widely present in clinical disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), drug dependence, mania, and antisocial behaviour. Contemporary research has begun to make major inroads into unravelling the brain mechanisms underlying impulsive behaviour with a prominent focus on the limbic cortico-striatal systems. With this progress has come the understanding that impulsivity is a multi-faceted behavioural trait involving neurally and psychologically diverse elements. We discuss the significance of this heterogeneity for clinical disorders expressing impulsive behaviour and the pivotal contribution made by the brain dopamine and serotonin systems in the aetiology and treatment of behavioural syndromes expressing impulsive symptoms

Towards Production of γ-valerolactone via Hydrogenation of Aqueous Levulinic Acid

International audienceSynthesis of GVL (γ-valerolactone) via hydrogenation of aqueous LA (levulinic acid) with H2 over heterogeneous catalyst (Ru/C) was investigated. In the first part, a study of the influence of various operating conditions was conducted including that of temperature (90–180°C), stirring rate (500–1200 rpm), catalyst loading (0.1–2.0 g), hydrogen pressure (0.4–2.8 MPa) and initial LA concentration (0.5–2 M). In the second part, influence of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) on hydrogenation rate and GVL yield were investigated. Hydrogenation of aqueous LA under scCO2 and under N2 atmosphere was carried out in batch reactor at 150°C and was compared with the case when no additional gases were present. The result indicated that the use of scCO2 had no beneficial effect neither in terms of LA conversion nor hydrogenation rate when the amount of hydrogen was relatively low compared to the stoichiometry. This effect was mitigated when more hydrogen was present

Temporal elements in career selection decisions:An archival study investigating career decisions in medicine

Time is a ubiquitous but often omitted variable in career selection decisions. This study investigates the impact of temporal elements on career selection decisions, thus advancing our understanding of both career decision making and the impact of timing on decision making. We investigate the influence of timing and duration of experience with career options on career selection decisions in an archival study using medical residents’ rotation schedules. We also investigate factors that mitigate the influence of timing on career selection decisions by examining the interaction of timing with the duration of experience and the diversity of options that an individual experiences. Conditional logit results indicate that decisions often based on career and individual attributes are significantly influenced by the timing and duration of options even when controlling for option attributes. Additionally, significant interactions between timing and diversity of experience and timing and duration of experience revealed boundary conditions for timing. Individuals were more likely to select later-appearing career options when they appeared for a greater duration or when they experienced a greater diversity of options in their schedule. Results illustrate that schedules over which individuals have no control can influence consequential decisions. Keywords: career selection decisions; timing; decision making; primacy; information sequencin

Modelling the Reciprocal Interaction between Believing and Feeling from a Neurological Perspective

Abstract. By adopting neurological theories on the role of emotions and feelings, an agent model is introduced incorporating the reciprocal interaction between believing and feeling. The model describes how the strength of a belief may not only depend on information obtained, but also on the emotional responses on the belief. For feeling emotions a recursive body loop is assumed. The model introduces a second feedback loop for the interaction between feeling and belief. The strength of a belief and of the feeling both result from the converging dynamic pattern modelled by the combination of the two loops. For some specific cases it is described, for example, how for certain personal characteristics an optimistic world view emerges, or, for other characteristics, a pessimistic world view.

Prioritisation of treatments for lower extremity peripheral artery disease in low- and middle-income countries

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing in prevalence in low- and middle-income countries creating a large health care burden. Clinical management may require substantial resources but little consideration has been given to which treatments are appropriate for less advantaged countries. The aim of this review was to systematically appraise published data on the costs and effectiveness of PAD treatments used commonly in high-income countries, and for an international consensus panel to review that information and propose a hierarchy of treatments relevant to low- and middle-income countries. Pharmacotherapy for intermittent claudication was found to be expensive and improve walking distance by a modest amount. Exercise and endovascular therapies were more effective and exercise the most cost-effective. For critical limb ischaemia, bypass surgery and endovascular therapy, which are both resource intensive, resulted in similar rates of amputation-free survival. Substantial reductions in cardiovascular events occurred with use of low cost drugs (statins, ACE inhibitors, anti-platelets) and smoking cessation. The panel concluded that, in low- and middle-income countries, cardiovascular prevention is a top priority, whereas a lower priority should be given to pharmacotherapy for leg symptoms and revascularisation, except in countries with established vascular units

Modelling Trust Dynamics from a Neurological Perspective

Abstract. Trust is often assumed to depend on experiences. Models for the dynamics of trust in relation to experiences usually have a cognitive nature, leaving affective aspects out of consideration. However, neurological findings show more and more how in mental processes cognitive and affective aspects are intertwined. In this paper, by adopting neurological theories on the role of emotions and feelings, a model for trust dynamics is introduced incorporating the relation between trust and feeling. The model makes use of a Hebbian learning principle and describes how trust does not only depend on experiences viewed as information obtained over time, but also on emotional responses and feelings related to experiences.