Inferior Parietal Lobule Contributions to Visual Word Recognition

This study investigated how the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) contributes to visual word recognition. We used repetitive TMS to temporarily disrupt neural information processing in two anatomical fields of the IPL, namely, the angular (ANG) and supramarginal (SMG) gyri, and observed the effects on reading tasks that focused attention on either the meaning or sounds of written words. Relative to no TMS, stimulation of the left ANG selectively slowed responses in the meaning, but not sound, task, whereas stimulation of the left SMG affected responses in the sound, but not meaning, task. These results demonstrate that ANG and SMG doubly dissociate in their contributions to visual word recognition. We suggest that this functional division of labor may be understood in terms of the distinct patterns of cortico-cortical connectivity resulting in separable functional circuits

Expectation Formation in Case of Newer Hotels: The Role of Advertising, Price, and Culture

Advertisement and price cues are important sources of information that influence tourists? service expectations, particularly in the case of newer, less-established hotels. However, it is not clear if such hotels benefit from promising more or less through their advertisements; or price high or low through their price cues. Extant research is also uncertain about the role of culture in moderating the impact of advertisement and price cues on expectations. Using an experimental setup with 218 tourists from three different countries, this study finds that a newer hotel is likely to be better off by offering more service promises through its advertising and high price cues to its prospective visitors. The results suggest that culture influences how tourists process advertising cues but has no influence on price cue influence. The study provides insights for managers on how to develop a segmentation strategy using the cultural profiles of tourists

Children's body mass index, participation in school meals, and observed energy intake at school meals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Data from a dietary-reporting validation study with fourth-grade children were analyzed to investigate a possible relationship of body mass index (BMI) with daily participation in school meals and observed energy intake at school meals, and whether the relationships differed by breakfast location (classroom; cafeteria).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected in 17, 17, and 8 schools during three school years. For the three years, six, six, and seven of the schools had breakfast in the classroom; all other schools had breakfast in the cafeteria. Information about 180 days of school breakfast and school lunch participation during fourth grade for each of 1,571 children (90% Black; 53% girls) was available in electronic administrative records from the school district. Children were weighed and measured, and BMI was calculated. Each of a subset of 465 children (95% Black; 49% girls) was observed eating school breakfast and school lunch on the same day. Mixed-effects regression was conducted with BMI as the dependent variable and school as the random effect; independent variables were breakfast participation, lunch participation, combined participation (breakfast and lunch on the same day), average observed energy intake for breakfast, average observed energy intake for lunch, sex, age, breakfast location, and school year. Analyses were repeated for BMI category (underweight/healthy weight; overweight; obese; severely obese) using pooled ordered logistic regression models that excluded sex and age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Breakfast participation, lunch participation, and combined participation were not significantly associated with BMI or BMI category irrespective of whether the model included observed energy intake at school meals. Observed energy intake at school meals was significantly and positively associated with BMI and BMI category. For the total sample and subset, breakfast location was significantly associated with BMI; average BMI was larger for children with breakfast in the classroom than in the cafeteria. Significantly more kilocalories were observed eaten at breakfast in the classroom than in the cafeteria.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>For fourth-grade children, results provide evidence of a positive relationship between BMI and observed energy intake at school meals, and between BMI and school breakfast in the classroom; however, BMI and participation in school meals were not significantly associated.</p

New transitions and feeding of the J\u3csup\u3eπ\u3c/sup\u3e=(8\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e) isomer in \u3csup\u3e186\u3c/sup\u3eRe

The spallation neutron source at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Weapons Neutron Research facility was used to populate excited states in 186Re via (n,2nγ) reactions on an enriched 187Re target. Gamma rays were detected with the GErmanium Array for Neutron Induced Excitations spectrometer, a Compton-suppressed array of 18 HPGe detectors. Incident neutron energies were determined by the time-of-flight technique and used to obtain γ-ray excitation functions for the purpose of identifying γ rays by reaction channel. Analysis of the singles γ-ray spectrum gated on the neutron energy range 10≤En≤25MeV resulted in five transitions and one level added to the 186Re level scheme. The additions include the placement of three γ rays at 266.7, 381.2, and 647.7 keV which have been identified as feeding the 2.0×105yr, Jπ=(8+) isomer and yield an improved value of 148.2(5)keV for the isomer energy. These transitions may have astrophysical implications related to the use of the Re-Os cosmochronometer. Abstract © APS

A Kinesin Family Member 6 Variant Is Associated With Coronary Heart Disease in the Women’s Health Study

ObjectivesWe asked if carriers of the 719Arg allele of kinesin family member 6 (KIF6) have increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a cohort of initially healthy Caucasian American women.BackgroundThe 719Arg allele of KIF6 (rs20455) has been reported to be associated with increased risk of CHD in a large population-based prospective study, ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities), and in the placebo arms of 2 statin trials, CARE (Cholesterol and Recurrent Events) and WOSCOPS (West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study). However, this KIF6 variant was not specifically investigated in the female subgroup in the ARIC study, and the CARE and WOSCOPS trials included only a small number of female patients.MethodsGenotypes of the rs20455 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were determined among 25,283 initially healthy Caucasian women, age 45 years and older, participating in the WHS (Women’s Health Study) who were prospectively followed over a 12-year period for incident cardiovascular events. The risk associated with the 719Arg allele of KIF6 was estimated using Cox proportional hazards models that adjusted for age and traditional risk factors.ResultsDuring follow-up, 953 women suffered a first-ever CHD event (myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, or cardiovascular death) or first-ever ischemic stroke. Compared with noncarriers, carriers of the 719Arg allele had an increased risk of CHD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.24 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.46, p = 0.013]) and myocardial infarction (HR = 1.34 [95% CI 1.02 to 1.75, p = 0.034]) but not ischemic stroke.ConclusionsConfirming and extending previous reports, carriers of the 719Arg allele of KIF6 have 34% higher risk of myocardial infarction and 24% higher risk of CHD compared with noncarriers among 25,283 women from the WHS

Replication of LDL SWAs hits in PROSPER/PHASE as validation for future (pharmaco)genetic analyses

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; The PHArmacogenetic study of Statins in the Elderly at risk (PHASE) is a genome wide association study in the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at risk for vascular disease (PROSPER) that investigates the genetic variation responsible for the individual variation in drug response to pravastatin. Statins lower LDL-cholesterol in general by 30%, however not in all subjects. Moreover, clinical response is highly variable and adverse effects occur in a minority of patients. In this report we first describe the rationale of the PROSPER/PHASE project and second show that the PROSPER/PHASE study can be used to study pharmacogenetics in the elderly.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; The genome wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using the Illumina 660K-Quad beadchips following manufacturer's instructions. After a stringent quality control 557,192 SNPs in 5,244 subjects were available for analysis. To maximize the availability of genetic data and coverage of the genome, imputation up to 2.5 million autosomal CEPH HapMap SNPs was performed with MACH imputation software. The GWAS for LDL-cholesterol is assessed with an additive linear regression model in PROBABEL software, adjusted for age, sex, and country of origin to account for population stratification.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Forty-two SNPs reached the GWAS significant threshold of p = 5.0e-08 in 5 genomic loci (APOE/APOC1; LDLR; FADS2/FEN1; HMGCR; PSRC1/CELSR5). The top SNP (rs445925, chromosome 19) with a p-value of p = 2.8e-30 is located within the APOC1 gene and near the APOE gene. The second top SNP (rs6511720, chromosome 19) with a p-value of p = 5.22e-15 is located within the LDLR gene. All 5 genomic loci were previously associated with LDL-cholesterol levels, no novel loci were identified. Replication in WOSCOPS and CARE confirmed our results.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; With the GWAS in the PROSPER/PHASE study we confirm the previously found genetic associations with LDL-cholesterol levels. With this proof-of-principle study we show that the PROSPER/PHASE study can be used to investigate genetic associations in a similar way to population based studies. The next step of the PROSPER/PHASE study is to identify the genetic variation responsible for the variation in LDL-cholesterol lowering in response to statin treatment in collaboration with other large trials.&lt;/p&gt