AMPA receptor translocation and phosphorylation are induced by transcranial direct current stimulation in rats.

Abstract Over the last decade, the interest in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has continued to increase, along with consideration of how it affects neuroplasticity mechanisms in the brain. Both human and animal studies have demonstrated numerous benefits and, although its application has increased, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying tDCS' beneficial effects remain largely unknown. Recent studies have shown that long-term potentiation (LTP) increases following tDCS. In this work, we utilized a rodent model of tDCS to directly assess changes in the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor, a critical protein for enhancing synaptic transmission. Animals were subjected to 250 μA of direct current (DC) stimulation for 30 min with immediate tissue collection. Translocation and phosphorylation of AMPA receptors were examined using protein immunoblot analysis following a subcellular fractionation method. Our findings show that a single application of in vivo tDCS can affect both the translocation and phosphorylation of AMPA receptors in the hippocampus while increasing AMPA receptor phosphorylation in the hypothalamus. In the hippocampus, tDCS increased AMPA translocation to the synapse and increased the phosphorylation of the S831 site on GluA1. In the hypothalamus, no statistically significant changes were observed in AMPA translocation while an increase in the phosphorylation of the S831 site was observed. No changes in the phosphorylation of GluA1 at the S845 site were detected in either brain region. In sum, our findings identify specific AMPA receptor changes induced by tDCS, thereby providing further details on the mechanisms by which tDCS could affect the establishment of LTP and modulate neuroplasticity

Reproductive Failure in UK Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena : Legacy of Pollutant Exposure?

This research was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the Seventh European Community Framework Programme (Project Cetacean-stressors, PIOF-GA-2010-276145 to PDJ and SM). Additional funding was provided through the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) (Grants SSFA/2008 and SSFA / ASCOBANS / 2010 / 5 to SM). Analysis of Scottish reproductive and teeth samples was funded by the EC-funded BIOCET project (BIOaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in small CETaceans in European waters: transport pathways and impact on reproduction, grant EVK3-2000-00027 to GJP), and Marine Scotland (GJP). Samples examined in this research were collected under the collaborative Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (http://ukstrandings.org/), which is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the UK’s Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales (http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Defaul​t.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=No​ne&Completed=0&ProjectID=15331) (grants to PDJ, RD). UK Defra also funded the chemical analysis under a service-level agreement with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (grants to RJL, JB). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Digital Metastases of Giant Cell Rich Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma

Background. Metastatic spread of soft tissue sarcomas to the digits is extremely rare and metastasis of MFH to the fingers and toes has not been documented

Empathy Measurement in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults: A COSMIN Systematic Literature Review

Empathy is essential for social functioning and is relevant to a host of clinical conditions. This COSMIN review evaluated the empirical support for empathy self-report measures used with autistic and non-autistic adults. Given autism is characterized by social differences, it is the subject of a substantial proportion of empathy research. Therefore, this review uses autism as a lens through which to scrutinize the psychometric quality of empathy measures. Of the 19 measures identified, five demonstrated ‘High Quality’ evidence for ‘Insufficient’ properties and cannot be recommended. The remaining 14 had noteworthy gaps in evidence and require further evaluation before use with either group. Without tests of measurement invariance or differential item functioning, the extent to which observed group differences represent actual trait differences remains unknown. Using autism as a test case highlights an alarming tendency for empathy measures to be used to characterize, and potentially malign vulnerable populations before sufficient validation

Empathy Measurement in Autism

Introduction A deficit in empathy is so often assumed in autistic individuals, that poor social outcomes are treated through empathy interventions without investigating other contributing factors. To target interventions to client needs, we need to determine whether an empathy intervention is required, or whether poor social outcomes are best improved through an alternative focus of support. Practitioners often overlook the fact that our understandings of empathy in autism are limited by the measures we use, and some do not evaluate client empathy at all, instead assuming a client will need an empathy intervention simply because they are autistic. Practitioners, therefore, need access to high quality empathy measures to determine whether an empathy intervention is the best approach for their autistic clients. The quality of these measures is paramount. Method A systematic literature review was conducted to examine the measurement properties of empathy self-reports used with both autistic and predominant neurotype adults. Articles were obtained from 7 databases, followed by ancestral searching for grey literature. I, an autistic researcher, will discuss how we critically evaluated the evidence for some of the most popular empathy measures, and will discuss the implications for research and practice. Results The systematic review obtained data on several empathy self-reports, including the Empathy Quotient and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Preliminary findings will be discussed, including how features such as poor reliability and non-literal language may bias the scores of autistic people. Discussion This study highlights gaps in our knowledge about measuring empathy in autistic adults and considers how these gaps affect our knowledge of empathy in the autistic population. Finally, I will propose solutions to improve empathy measurement for autistic adults. Improved measurement will help clinicians to determine where an empathy intervention is the best approach to supporting an autistic client with social difficulties

Toxic methaemoglobinaemia due to the action of nitrites

Opisane su methemoglobinemije prouzrokovane nitritima s naročitim obzirom na kemijske konzervanse u industriji mesnih proizvoda, koji su glavni izvor alimentarnih otrovanja nitritima. Iznesen je kazuistički prikaz nekoliko slučajeva otrovanja radnika u mesnoj industriji, koji su zabunom uzeli toksičke doze nitrita.Seven cases of toxic methaemoglobinaemia due to accidental nitrite poisoning in workers engaged in the preparation of meat and meat products are reported. In all these cases the meat-pickling salt was ingested as a consequence of the accidental water and food contamination. The main sources of nitrites in clinical intoxications are listed and the importance of the meat preserving solution for mass poisoning is emphasized. The general chemistry of the meat curing process is therefore briefly described. The clinical picture and the treatment of toxic methaemoglobinaemia are discussed

An ontological approach to creating an Andean Weaving Knowledge Base

Andean textiles are products of one of the richest, oldest and continuous weaving traditions in the world. Understanding the knowledge and practice of textile production as a form of cultural heritage is particularly relevant in the Andean context due to erosion of clothing traditions, reuse of traditional textiles on commodities targeted at the tourism market, and loss of knowledge embedded in textile production. ``Weaving Communities of Practice'' was a pilot project that aimed to create a knowledge base of Andean weaving designed to contribute to curatorial practice and heritage policy. The research team gathered data on the chain of activities, instruments, resources, peoples, places and knowledge involved in the production of textiles, relating to over 700 textile samples. A major part of the project has been the modelling and representation of the knowledge of domain experts and information about the textile objects themselves in the form of an OWL ontology, and the development of a suite of search facilities to be supported by the ontology. This paper describes the research challenges faced in developing the ontology and search facilities, the methodology adopted, the design and implementation of the system, and the design and outcomes of a user evaluation of the system undertaken with a group of domain experts

Cetaceans as sentinels for informing climate change policy in UK waters

Climate change is predicted to have profound consequences for marine ecosystems. Due to the growing political and social drive to address its impacts, monitoring and mitigating climate change is a priority in marine policy in the UK. Cetaceans have been proposed as informative sentinel species for monitoring ocean health. Here, strandings data from four UK cetacean species were assessed for their use as a tool to aid policy makers monitoring climate change in marine environments. Data on stranded cetaceans were collected from 1990 to 2018 and differences in the proportions of stranded cold water adapted and warm water adapted species assessed using Generalised Linear Models (GLM), with 6-year periods and four regions of the UK included as explanatory variables. This modelling approach showed an increase in the proportion of stranded warm water adapted species over time across the UK and that differences in proportion of strandings between cold water and warm water adapted species can be detected between regions and 6-year periods, chosen as metrics to coordinate with reporting cycles for policy assessment needs. As such, these results show the potential for utilising strandings data to identify changing oceanic trends at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales for policy reporting in the UK. However, development of these analyses with a more detailed examination of these data at a finer resolution, incorporating other data sources, such as distribution trends and dietary stable isotope data, may be required before it is applicable as an indicator for trends in changes in climate

A missed orthopaedic injury following a seizure: a case report

Numerous orthopaedic injuries can follow a seizure and are often diagnosed late. This is the first documented case of a missed bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation following a seizure. The possible reasons for the greater incidence of posterior dislocations are examined and why bilateral anterior dislocations following a seizure are so rare. The article discusses the reasons for the delay and highlights potential pitfalls and learning points for junior emergency department doctors

The measurement and normalisation of dielectric dissipation factor for diagnostics of transformer insulation

This article describes additional features of the method of Dielectric Dissipation Factor (DDF)/Tangent Delta (tgδ) measurement for a more accurate diagnosis of the condition of the transformer solid insulation. The proposed method is based on determining the DDF weight of solid insulation and oil in the measured value of DDF for the proper insulation zone of the transformer. The article proposes normalisation of DDF values according to the rated voltage of the transformer, and the analysis of the impact of design combining insulation and its condition on recalculation of DDF measurement results at a given temperature to the base temperature