Social Defense: An Evolutionary-Developmental Model of Children’s Strategies for Coping with Threat in the Peer Group

Navigating the ubiquitous conflict, competition, and complex group dynamics of the peer group is a pivotal developmental task of childhood. Difficulty negotiating these challenges represents a substantial source of risk for psychopathology. Evolutionary developmental psychology offers a unique perspective with the potential to reorganize the way we think about the role of peer relationships in shaping how children cope with the everyday challenges of establishing a social niche. To address this gap, we utilize the ethological reformulation of the emotional security theory as a guide to developing an evolutionary framework for advancing an understanding of the defense strategies children use to manage antagonistic peer relationships and protect themselves from interpersonal threat (Davies and Sturge-Apple, 2007). In this way, we hope to illustrate the value of an evolutionary developmental lens in generating unique theoretical insight and novel research directions into the role of peer relationships in the development of psychopathology

A Two Hour Quasi-Period in an Ultra-luminous X-Ray source in NGC628

Quasi-periodic oscillations and X-ray spectroscopy are powerful probes of black hole masses and accretion disks, and here we apply these diagnostics to an ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) in the spiral galaxy NGC628 (M74). This object was observed four times over two years with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton, with three long observations showing dramatic variability, distinguished by a series of outbursts with a quasi-period (QPO) of 4,000-7,000 seconds. This is unique behavior among both ULXs and Galactic X-ray binaries due to the combination of its burst-like peaks and deep troughs, its long quasi-periods, its high variation amplitudes of $>90$%, and its substantial variability between observations. The X-ray spectra is fitted by an absorbed accretion disk plus a power-law component, suggesting the ULX was in a spectral state analogous to the Low Hard state or the Very High state of Galactic black hole X-ray binaries. A black hole mass of $\sim2$--$20\times10^3 M_\odot$ is estimated from the $f_b$--$M_\bullet$ scaling relation found in the Galactic X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. accepted for publication in ApJ Lette

Clustering of activated microglia occurs before the formation of dystrophic neurites in the evolution of Aβ plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a late-onset disease that has proved difficult to model. Microglia are implicated in AD, but reports vary on precisely when and how in the sequence of pathological changes they become involved. Here, post-mortem human tissue from two differentially affected regions of the AD brain and from non-demented individuals with a high load of AD-type pathology (high pathology controls) was used to model the disease time course in order to determine how microglial activation relates temporally to the deposition of hallmark amyloid-β (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated microtubule associated protein tau pathology. Immunofluorescence against the pan-microglial marker, ionised calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1), Aβ and tau, was performed in the primary motor cortex (PMC), a region relatively spared of AD pathological changes, and compared to the severely affected inferior temporal cortex (ITC) in the same cases. Unlike the ITC, the PMC in the AD cases was spared of any degenerative changes in cortical thickness and the density of Betz cells and total neurons. The clustering of activated microglia was greatest in the PMC of AD cases and high pathology controls compared to the ITC. This suggests microglial activation is most prominent in the early phases of AD pathophysiology. Nascent tau inclusions were found in neuritic plaques in the PMC but were more numerous in the ITC of the same case. This shows that tau positive neuritic plaques begin early in AD which is likely of pathogenic importance, however major tau deposition follows the accumulation of Aβ and clustering of activated microglia. Importantly, findings presented here demonstrate that different states of microglial activation, corresponding to regional accumulations of Aβ and tau, are present simultaneously in the same individual; an important factor for consideration if targeting these cells for therapeutic intervention

Transforming growth factor-beta promotes rhinovirus replication in bronchial epithelial cells by suppressing the innate immune response

Rhinovirus (RV) infection is a major cause of asthma exacerbations which may be due to a deficient innate immune response in the bronchial epithelium. We hypothesized that the pleiotropic cytokine, TGF-?, influences interferon (IFN) production by primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) following RV infection. Exogenous TGF-?(2) increased RV replication and decreased IFN protein secretion in response to RV or double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Conversely, neutralizing TGF-? antibodies decreased RV replication and increased IFN expression in response to RV or dsRNA. Endogenous TGF-?(2) levels were higher in conditioned media of PBECs from asthmatic donors and the suppressive effect of anti-TGF-? on RV replication was significantly greater in these cells. Basal SMAD-2 activation was reduced when asthmatic PBECs were treated with anti-TGF-? and this was accompanied by suppression of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 expression. Our results suggest that endogenous TGF-? contributes to a suppressed IFN response to RV infection possibly via SOCS-1 and SOCS-3

Divergence in Dialogue

Copyright: 2014 Healey et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC; http://www.esrc.ac.uk/) through the DynDial project (Dynamics of Conversational Dialogue, RES-062-23-0962) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC; http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/) through the RISER project (Robust Incremental Semantic Resources for Dialogue, EP/J010383/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Sunglass tint does not impact the indoor catching performance of cricket fielders

IntroductionSunglasses are worn by outdoor athletes such as cricketers for many reasons, including comfort and glare reduction, which may help to improve vision. Anecdotally they are purported to have performance-enhancing benefits, but there is a lack of evidence for this. Further, it appears that fielders are the only position in cricket who wear sunglasses. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the catching performance of fielders when wearing three different colour sunglasses tints during an indoor, laboratory-based experiment.MethodsTwenty-one male cricketers currently playing for a university or amateur provincial teams in Makhanda, South Africa, who were non-habitual sunglass wearers, were recruited for this study. An optometrist administered pre-screening tests. Players had four testing sessions during which they wore a different colour tint at each session indoors (clear, blue, G30 (rose), and red). Players were required to catch 18 balls projected from a bowling machine. The number of balls caught, as well as the quality of the catch, was recorded. At the final session, they were asked which tint they thought was best.ResultsPre-screening tests showed that the red lens was best for contrast sensitivity and stereopsis. During data collection, sunglass tint did not affect catching performance. The players perceived the red lens as the worst and the G30 as the best.DiscussionIt can be concluded that catching performance indoors is not affected by tint colour

The 21 February 2005, catastrophic waste avalanche at Leuwigajah dumpsite, Bandung, Indonesia

International audienceOn 21 February 2005 the Leuwigajah dumpsite, Bandung (Java, Indonesia) was affected by a largeslide after heavy rainfalls. Second deadliest waste slide in history, it buried 71 houses and killed 143 people.Amongst the contemporary disastrous events of this type, only a few have been documented. We explored failurepreconditions, triggering mechanisms and local context that conducted to this disaster. We carried on four fieldinvestigations on the site. A series of aerial photographs were acquired and completed by topographical measureson the ground. The morphology of the slide and its trajectory were reconstructed. To constrain the movementcondition, we studied the internal structure of the source area and realized surveys among stakeholders of thedumpsite and citizen.Results: 2.7 10 6 m3 of waste materials spread 1000 m from the source in a rice field with an average thickness of10 m. The material displays a preferential fabric parallel to the previous topography. Numerous internal slip surfaces,underlined by plastic bags explain the low friction coefficient. The presence of methane within the waste dumpwas responsible for explosions prior to sliding and for the fire that affects whole sliding mass.Conclusions: Resulting of a combination of heavy rainfall and consecutive explosions due to biogas suddenrelease, this disaster was predictable in reason ofi) a front slope of the dump of about 100% before the failure;ii) a poor dumpsite management;iii) the extreme vulnerability of the marginalized scavengers living at risk at the foot of the instable dump

Opportunities and challenges of Web 2.0 for vaccination decisions.

A growing number of people use the Internet to obtain health information, including information about vaccines. Websites that allow and promote interaction among users are an increasingly popular source of health information. Users of such so-called Web 2.0 applications (e.g. social media), while still in the minority, represent a growing proportion of online communicators, including vocal and active anti-vaccination groups as well as public health communicators. In this paper, the authors: define Web 2.0 and examine how it may influence vaccination decisions; discuss how anti-vaccination movements use Web 2.0 as well as the challenges Web 2.0 holds for public health communicators; describe the types of information used in these different settings; introduce the theoretical background that can be used to design effective vaccination communication in a Web 2.0 environment; make recommendations for practice and pose open questions for future research. The authors conclude that, as a result of the Internet and Web 2.0, private and public concerns surrounding vaccinations have the potential to virally spread across the globe in a quick, efficient and vivid manner. Web 2.0 may influence vaccination decisions by delivering information that alters the perceived personal risk of vaccine-preventable diseases or vaccination side-effects. It appears useful for public health officials to put effort into increasing the effectiveness of existing communication by implementing interactive, customized communication. A key step to providing successful public health communication is to identify those who are particularly vulnerable to finding and using unreliable and misleading information. Thus, it appears worthwhile that public health websites strive to be easy to find, easy to use, attractive in its presentation and readily provide the information, support and advice that the searcher is looking for. This holds especially when less knowledgeable individuals are in need of reliable information about vaccination risks and benefits

Tertiary-Treated Municipal Wastewater is a Significant Point Source of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Into Duluth-Superior Harbor

In this study, the impact of tertiary-treated municipal wastewater on the quantity of several antibiotic resistance determinants in Duluth-Superior Harbor was investigated by collecting surface water and sediment samples from 13 locations in Duluth-Superior Harbor, the St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to target three different genes encoding resistance to tetracycline (tet(A), tet(X), and tet(W)), the gene encoding the integrase of class 1 integrons (intI1), and total bacterial abundance (16S rRNA genes) as well as total and human fecal contamination levels (16S rRNA genes specific to the genus Bacteroides). The quantities of tet(A), tet(X), tet(W), intI1, total Bacteroides, and human-specific Bacteroides were typically 20-fold higher in the tertiary-treated wastewater than in nearby surface water samples. In contrast, the quantities of these genes in the St. Louis River and Lake Superior were typically below detection. Analysis of sequences of tet(W) gene fragments from four different samples collected throughout the study site supported the conclusion that tertiary-treated municipal wastewater is a point source of resistance genes into Duluth-Superior Harbor. This study demonstrates that the discharge of exceptionally treated municipal wastewater can have a statistically significant effect on the quantities of antibiotic resistance genes in otherwise pristine surface waters

Amisulpride augmentation in clozapine-unresponsive schizophrenia: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: When treatment-refractory schizophrenia shows an insufficient response to a trial of clozapine, clinicians commonly add a second antipsychotic, despite the lack of robust evidence to justify this practice. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the study were to establish the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of augmentation of clozapine medication with a second antipsychotic, amisulpride, for the management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia. DESIGN: The study was a multicentre, double-blind, individually randomised, placebo-controlled trial with follow-up at 12 weeks. SETTINGS: The study was set in NHS multidisciplinary teams in adult psychiatry. PARTICIPANTS: Eligible participants were people aged 18-65 years with treatment-resistant schizophrenia unresponsive, at a criterion level of persistent symptom severity and impaired social function, to an adequate trial of clozapine monotherapy. INTERVENTIONS: Interventions comprised clozapine augmentation over 12 weeks with amisulpride or placebo. Participants received 400 mg of amisulpride or two matching placebo capsules for the first 4 weeks, after which there was a clinical option to titrate the dosage of amisulpride up to 800 mg or four matching placebo capsules for the remaining 8 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of 'responders', using a criterion response threshold of a 20% reduction in total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. RESULTS: A total of 68 participants were randomised. Compared with the participants assigned to placebo, those receiving amisulpride had a greater chance of being a responder by the 12-week follow-up (odds ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 0.40 to 3.42) and a greater improvement in negative symptoms, although neither finding had been present at 6-week follow-up and neither was statistically significant. Amisulpride was associated with a greater side effect burden, including cardiac side effects. Economic analyses indicated that amisulpride augmentation has the potential to be cost-effective in the short term [net saving of between £329 and £2011; no difference in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)] and possibly in the longer term. LIMITATIONS: The trial under-recruited and, therefore, the power of statistical analysis to detect significant differences between the active and placebo groups was limited. The economic analyses indicated high uncertainty because of the short duration and relatively small number of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The risk-benefit of amisulpride augmentation of clozapine for schizophrenia that has shown an insufficient response to a trial of clozapine monotherapy is worthy of further investigation in larger studies. The size and extent of the side effect burden identified for the amisulpride-clozapine combination may partly reflect the comprehensive assessment of side effects in this study. The design of future trials of such a treatment strategy should take into account that a clinical response may be not be evident within the 4- to 6-week follow-up period usually considered adequate in studies of antipsychotic treatment of acute psychotic episodes. Economic evaluation indicated the need for larger, longer-term studies to address uncertainty about the extent of savings because of amisulpride and impact on QALYs. The extent and nature of the side effect burden identified for the amisulpride-clozapine combination has implications for the nature and frequency of safety and tolerability monitoring of clozapine augmentation with a second antipsychotic in both clinical and research settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT number 2010-018963-40 and Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN68824876. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 21, No. 49. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information