Gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and aggression in young people leaving care

Young people in care are known to have high levels of aggressive behaviors and high levels of self-esteem, and these difficulties continue into adult life. Previous research has suggested that there is a relationship between self-esteem and aggression, although the nature of this relationship is unclear and possible differences due to gender have rarely been explored. Therefore, the relationships between different forms of self-esteem (global self-esteem, social rank, social fit, and attractiveness) and aggression were investigated in a sample of young care-leavers. For men, high levels of social rank and high levels of attractiveness were predictive of aggression, whereas for women low levels of perceived social inclusion and low levels of attractiveness were predictive of aggression. These findings suggest that there are significant gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and aggression in care-leavers and that using domain-specific measures of self-esteem provides a richer understanding of these relationships. They also suggest that a more targeted approach to intervention is needed

Influence of an ionic comonomer on polymerization-induced self-assembly of diblock copolymers in non-polar media

A series of poly(stearyl methacrylate)-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PSMA-PBzMA) diblock copolymer nano-objects has been synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization in n-dodecane at 20 wt%. This polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) formulation was modified by the incorporation of an anionic monomer, tetradodecylammonium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate ([NDod 4] +[SPMA] -) into the oil-insoluble PBzMA block. According to the literature (M. J. Derry, et al., Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 5078-5090), PSMA 18-PBzMA diblock copolymers only form spheres using this formulation for any core degree of polymerization. Unexpectedly, incorporating just a small fraction (<6 mol%) of [NDod 4] +[SPMA] - comonomer into the structure-directing block resulted in the formation of non-spherical diblock copolymer nano-objects, including pure worm-like and vesicular morphologies. However, only spherical micelles could be formed using a longer PSMA 34 stabilizer. These diblock copolymer nano-objects were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering. The bulky nature of the ionic comonomer appears to make it possible to avoid the kinetically-trapped sphere morphology. This study reveals a new approach for tuning the morphology of diblock copolymer nano-objects in non-polar media

Ionic and Nonspherical Polymer Nanoparticles in Nonpolar Solvents

A series of ionic diblock copolymer nanoparticles was prepared in a typical nonpolar solvent (n-dodecane) via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). A single cationic repeat unit was incorporated into the poly(stearyl methacrylate) (PSMA) stabilizer of otherwise uncharged poly(stearyl methacrylate)–poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PSMA–PBzMA) diblock copolymer nanoparticles. By using short PSMA stabilizer blocks, it was possible to obtain nanoparticles with the range of morphologies expected (spheres, worms, and vesicles). For nanoparticles where all stabilizer chains possessed an ionic group, higher-order morphologies were obtained at lower PBzMA degrees of polymerization than corresponding uncharged particles, and the particles were electrophoretic. For nanoparticles where only a fraction of the stabilizer chains contained an ionic group, higher-order morphologies were obtained at precisely the same PBzMA degrees of polymerization, and the electrophoretic response was greater than when the shell was fully ionic. These particles with a partially ionic shell are a fascinating system, providing morphologies that can be predicted from the existing knowledge of the diblock copolymer morphology yet with the highest possible electrophoretic mobility

A randomised controlled trial of calcium channel blockade (CCB) with Amlodipine For the treatment oF subcortical ischaEmic vasCular demenTia (AFFECT):study protocol

Background Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia affecting over seven million people worldwide, yet there are no licensed treatments. There is an urgent need for a clinical trial in this patient group. Subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia is the most common variant of vascular dementia. This randomised trial will investigate whether use of calcium channel blockade with amlodipine, a commonly used agent, can provide the first evidence-based pharmacological treatment for subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia. Methods/Design This is a randomised controlled trial of calcium channel blockade with Amlodipine For the treatment oF subcortical ischaEmic vasCular demenTia (AFFECT) to test the hypothesis that treatment with amlodipine can improve outcomes for these patients in a phase IIb, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial. The primary outcome is the change from baseline to 12 months in the Vascular Dementia Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (VADAS-cog). Secondary outcomes include cognitive function, executive function, clinical global impression of change, change in blood pressure, quantitative evaluation of lesion accrual based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), health-related quality of life, activities of daily living, non-cognitive dementia symptoms, care-giver burden and care-giver health-related quality of life, cost-effectiveness and institutionalisation. A total of 588 patients will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to either amlodipine or placebo, recruited from sites across the UK and enrolled in the trial for 104 weeks. Discussion There are no treatments licensed for vascular dementia. The most common subtype is subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia (SIVD). This study is designed to investigate whether amlodipine can produce benefits compared to placebo in established SIVD. It is estimated that the numbers of people with VaD and SIVD will increase globally in the future and the results of this study should inform important treatment decisions. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN31208535. Registered on 7 March 2014

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The premenstrual syndrome: characterisation, diagnosis and treatment

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a prevalent condition. Key symptoms which promote treatment seeking are primarily psychological e. g. depression and aggression. Sufferers are often reluctant to take prescribed medication and often purchase dietary supplements and herbal remedies over the counter for which the evidence base with regards efficacy is limited. The primary aim of this thesis was to examine the effectiveness of St. John's Wort (SJW) for PMS. Proposals that this herbal remedy could benefit PMS symptoms are based on evidence that SJW increases serotonin levels and suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Following a systematic review which demonstrated that although calcium and continuous vitamin B6 administration confer some benefit for premenstrual symptoms, the evidence for most dietary supplements and herbal remedies including SJW is conflicting or insufficient, a ten-cycle randomised double-blind, placebocontrolled, crossover trial was conducted. PMS sufferers (NIMH, 1983) were administered 900mg SJW/day (0.18% hypericin; 3.38% hyperforin) for two menstrual cycles (n=34). SJW was found to benefit physical and behavioural PMS symptoms, but did not significantly improve mood or pain symptoms. A comparison of various commonly used analytical strategies performed on the data highlighted the need for a consensus to be reached regarding the way in which researchers assess treatment efficacy. Hormone (FSH, LH, oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin and testosterone) and cytokine (IL-1p, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-y and TNF-a) levels were assessed in women with and without PMS during the follicular and luteal phases, and were also studied in PMS sufferers taking SJW and placebo treatment. The hormone and cytokine profiles of PMS sufferers during SJW and placebo treatment did not differ. However, PMS sufferers exhibited significantly greater testosterone and cytokine (IL-6,11-8 and TNF-a) levels than normally cycling women who did not self-report problematic PMS symptoms across the cycle, suggesting that these mechanisms may be involved in the aetiology of the syndrome. To ensure the scientific quality of the clinical trial, certain methodological considerations were explored. PMS is diagnosed in various ways, which has resulted in PMS studies being conducted on heterogeneous samples of women, who are often not analogous to women requiring treatment in clinical practice. This study highlighted the need for researchers to use a diagnostic procedure that identifies PMS sufferers experiencing PMS symptoms at a severity appropriate to address the aim of their study, and that differentiates women with PMS from those with clinical anxiety and depression. Moreover, the DSR (Freeman et al., 1996) was refactor analysed and a two factor solution was produced, the DSR-20. This new measure was shown to be a more sensitive tool than the original DSR to assess treatment effects in the sample recruited for this research. Collectively these findings could improve future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Ultrastructure of \u3ci\u3eTuzetia weidneri\u3c/i\u3e sp. n. (Microsporidia: Tuzetiidae) in Skeletal Muscle of \u3ci\u3eLitopenaeus setiferus\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eFarfantepenaeus aztecus\u3c/i\u3e (Crustacea: Decapoda) and New Data on \u3ci\u3ePerezia nelsoni\u3c/i\u3e (Microsporidia: Pereziidae) in \u3ci\u3eL. setiferus\u3c/i\u3e

A new microsporidian species, Tuzetia weidneri sp. n. , is described from the skeletal muscle of the decapod crustaceans Litopenaeus setiferus and Farfantepenaeus aztecus. Fresh spores are pyriform, measuring 3.1 x 2.3 µm. All stages have unpaired nuclei. Meronts lie in direct contact with degenerate host cell cytoplasm but produce numerous small blisters at the surface. Multinucleate meronts divide by constriction into groups or chains of uninucleate products. Sporogony is initiated by deposition of a dense surface coat on the plasma membrane of uninucleate or multinucleate stages and fusion of blisters to enclose the sporont in a sporophorous vesicle (SV). Episporontal secretions in the SV are involved in the division of the sporont. During sporogonic division into chains of sporoblasts, the SV divides together with the body of the sporont, so that each sporoblast is enclosed in its own SV. Spores have a flattened anchoring disc that lies in the polar sac, membranous and spongiform regions of the polaroplast and 9-10.5 coils of the isofilar polar tube, around a posterior vacuole. The endospore layer of the spore wall is not thinned over the anchoring disc. The spore wall is adorned with a complex series of ridges. New data are presented on the spores of Perezia nelsoni (Sprague 1950) in L. setiferus. Of special interest is the polaroplast which is composed of an outer region of tightly-packed membranes in the form of a globule, which almost invariably completely encloses an inner region of loosely packed membranes. The isofilar polar tube, arranged in 8-10 coils angled around the large nucleus in the posterior half of the spore, passes through the membranes of the globular polaroplast near the periphery of the spore, then runs a curved course through the inner polaroplast and passes again through the globular polaroplast to join the anchoring disc. A polaroplast with one region completely enclosed by another has not been described previously