Gang stalking : internet connectivity as an emerging mental health concern

This study examines emerging concerns about small online social communities that purport to support their members, but which in actuality exacerbate mental health issues. Here, the author focuses on one such community that has gone unstudied: The Gang Stalking community. Here, individuals who seem to suffer from Delusional Disorder come together and discuss their experiences of being stalked by a multitude of people in concert with the sole aim of creating terror in their lives. These people call themselves Targeted Individuals. The support that these individuals find on gang stalking websites soothes their amorphous anxiety about being watched, but in the end exacerbates the problem by concretizing their delusions, making it virtually impossible for loved ones or mental health professionals to provide real-life support, and further isolating them. This study uses Emergent Norm Theory to describe how gang stalking groups are formed, and Relational Theory to deconstruct why individuals are drawn to those websites, and to posit potential modes of treatment for affected populations

Risk of Tooth Loss After Cigarette Smoking Cessation

INTRODUCTION. Little is known about the effect of cigarette smoking cessation on risk of tooth loss. We examined how risk of tooth loss changed with longer periods of smoking abstinence in a prospective study of oral health in men. METHODS. Research subjects were 789 men who participated in the Veterans Administration Dental Longitudinal Study from 1968 to 2004. Tooth status and smoking status were determined at examinations performed every 3 years, for a maximum follow-up time of 35 years. Risk of tooth loss subsequent to smoking cessation was assessed sequentially at 1-year intervals with multivariate proportional hazards regression models. Men who never smoked cigarettes, cigars, or pipes formed the reference group. Hazard ratios were adjusted for age, education, total pack-years of cigarette exposure, frequency of brushing, and use of floss. RESULTS. The hazard ratio for tooth loss was 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.1) among men who smoked cigarettes during all or part of follow-up. Risk of tooth loss among men who quit smoking declined as time after smoking cessation increased, from 2.0 (95% CI, 1.4-2.9) after 1 year of abstinence to 1.0 (95% CI, 0.5-2.2) after 15 years of abstinence. The risk remained significantly elevated for the first 9 years of abstinence but eventually dropped to the level of men who never smoked after 13 or more years. CONCLUSION. These results indicate that smoking cessation is beneficial for tooth retention, but long-term abstinence is required to reduce the risk to the level of people who have never smoked.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Epidemiology (Merit Review grant); Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center; National Institutes of Health (R01 DA10073, R03 DE016357, R15 DE12644, K24 DE00419

Physiological analysis oflactobacillus rhamnosusVTT E‐97800 : Adaptive response to osmotic stress induced by trehalose

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Purpose – This paper aims to describe the physiological analysis of L. rhamnosus VTT E‐97800 and its adaptive response to osmotic stress induced by trehalose. Design/methodology/approach – Cells of L. rhamnosus E800 in the stationary phase of growth were subjected to osmotic stress induced by trehalose treatments. The effects of osmotic stress on the viability of the study strain were determined by conducting flow cytometric analysis with carboxyfluorescein diacetate (cFDA) and propidium iodide (PI) and by observing the corresponding cells growth on MRS agar plates. Osmotic‐induced changes of esterase activity and membrane integrity were monitored. Ability to extrude intracellular accumulated cF (additional vitality marker) was taken into consideration. Findings – The fluorescence‐based approach gave additional insights on osmotic induced changes of cellular events, which could not be explicitly assessed by culture techniques. Trehalose treatments caused a transient membrane permeabilization as revealed by a gradual decrease in esterase activity (a measure of enzyme activity and thus of viability) with increase in trehalose molarity. However, culturability on MRS agar was not significantly affected. Membrane integrity was maintained and there was an improvement in the ability of cells to extrude intracellular accumulated cF. Originality/value – The paper provides a comparative study of the conventional culture techniques and the flow cytometric viability assessment which showed that esterase activity cannot be relied on to ascertain the culturability and viability status of an organism

Cellular injuries on spray‐dried Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and its stability during food storage

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the cellular injuries associated with spray‐drying of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in trehalose/monosodium glutamate (MSG) media by means of flow cytometry measurements; and also whether, and to what extent, the probiotic remain stable and viable in food formulations. Design/methodology/approach: Spray‐drying was applied in the production of trehalose‐based preparations containing LGG. To gain more insights on the cellular damages that must have occurred during drying, flow cytometric analysis was applied in combination with carboxyfluorescein diacetate (cFDA) and PI stains. Spray‐dried samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The storage stability of spray‐dried LGG was monitored in food samples over a period of time. Findings: It was observed that during spray‐drying, 1.80×109 CFU/ml viable counts, which were equivalent of 68.8 per cent cells, were recovered in trehalose matrices but on incorporating 12.5 g/l MSG as a carrier component, survival rates were significantly improved. Density plot analysis showed a higher degree of membrane damage in cells spray‐dried in trehalose without MSG. SEM revealed no difference in the shapes and surfaces of spray‐dried samples. Evaluation of the recovery rates of LGG, initial count of ~109 CFU/ml or g, at storage time intervals revealed a minimum level of ~105 CFU/ml in apple juice after 12 days and ~107 CFU/g in chocolate beverages after ten weeks

Flow cytometry assessment of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) response to non‐electrolytes stress

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Purpose – Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a probiotic of human origin, known to have health beneficial effects can be exposed to osmotic stress when applied in food production as important quantities of sugars are added to the food product. The aim of this study is to assess the mode of action of nonelectrolytes stress on its viability. Design/methodology/approach – Investigations were carried out on stationary phase cells treated with 0-1.5 M sugars, by means of flow cytometric method (FCM) and plate enumeration method. Osmotically induced changes of microbial carboxyfluorescein (cF)-accumulation capacity and propidium iodide-exclusion were monitored. The ability of the cells to extrude intracellularly accumulated cF upon glucose energization was ascertained as an additional vitality marker, in which the kinetics of dye extrusion were taken into consideration as well. Sugar analysis by HPLC was also carried out. Findings – The results of FCM analysis revealed that with sucrose, only cells treated at 1.5 M experienced membrane perturbation but there was a preservation of membrane integrity and enzymatic activity. There was no loss of viability as shown by plate counts. In contrast, the majority of trehalose-treated cells had low extent of cF-accumulation. For these samples a slight loss of viability was recorded on plating (logN/No 0.45). At 0.6 M, cells had similar extrusion ability as the control cells upon glucose energization. However, 20 per cent of sucrose-treated cells and 80 per cent of trehalose-treated cells extruded the dye in the first 10 min. Originality/value – This finding pointed out the importance of trehalose to enhance the dye extrusion activity, which is regarded as an analogue of the capability of cells to extrude toxic compounds. Sugars exert different effects on the physiological and metabolic status of LGG but none caused a significant viability loss. LGG can be a choice probiotic bacterium in sugar-rich food production e.g. candies, marmalade etc., in which exposure to high osmotic pressure is be expected

Cognitive dysfunction in NF1 knock-out mice may result from altered vesicular trafficking of APP/DRD3 complex

BACKGROUND: It has been estimated that more than 50% of patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) have neurobehavioral impairments which include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, visual/spatial learning disabilities, and a myriad of other cognitive developmental problems. The biological mechanisms by which NF1 gene mutations lead to such cognitive deficits are not well understood, although excessive Ras signaling and increased GABA mediated inhibition have been implicated. It is proposed that the cognitive deficits in NF1 are the result of dysfunctional cellular trafficking and localization of molecules downstream of the primary gene defect. RESULTS: To elucidate genes involved in the pathogenic process, gene expression analysis was performed comparing the expression profiles in various brain regions for control and Nf1(+/- )heterozygous mice. Gene expression analysis was performed for hippocampal samples dissected from postnatal day 10, 15, and 20 mice utilizing the Affymetrix Mouse Genome chip (Murine 430 2.0). Analysis of expression profiles between Nf1(+/-)and wild-type animals was focused on the hippocampus because of previous studies demonstrating alterations in hippocampal LTP in the Nf1(+/- )mice, and the region's importance in visual/spatial learning. Network analysis identified links between neurofibromin and kinesin genes, which were down regulated in the Nf1(+/- )mice at postnatal days 15 and 20. CONCLUSION: Through this analysis, it is proposed that neurofibromin forms a binding complex with amyloid precursor protein (APP) and through filamin proteins interacts with a dopamine receptor (Drd3). Though the effects of these interactions are not yet known, this information may provide novel ideas about the pathogenesis of cognitive defects in NF1 and may facilitate the development of novel targeted therapeutic interventions

THE COGNITIVE OVERRIDE OF ANXIETY IS ACCOMPLISHED BY SOCIAL FAMILIARITY AND IS MEDIATED BY THE MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX.

poster abstractIn rats, social familiarity can alleviate anxiety-like behavior observed in the social interaction test. We propose that a neural circuit that includes the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) and Basolateral Amygdala (BLA), in which the mPFC processes social cues of familiarity and suppresses BLA outputs that lead to anxiety-like behavior, regulate this social familiarity effect. To investigate the effect of social familiarity on anxiety, we developed the Social Interaction-Habituation (SI-h) paradigm, consisting of a 5 min social interaction test repeated daily with the experimental rat exposed to the same partner rat on each test day. As the experimental rat becomes “familiar” with the partner rat, a significant increase in SI time is observed by day 5 compared to day 1, producing a SI-familiarity effect (SI-f). This SI-f effect is dependent on the presence of an anxiogenic stimulus (bright light), and familiarity to a partner rat. No increases in SI times were observed in rats when the SI-h test was performed under dark conditions or when exposed to novel partners on days 1-5. After establishing SI-f, exposure to a novel partner significantly reduces SI times, suggesting the SI-f effect is a result of recognition of the familiar partner rat. Re-exposure to the original partner in a new environment produces an enhanced SI-f effect; SI time significantly increases from day 1 by day 3. Bilateral inhibition of the mPFC with a GABAA agonist blocks the anxiolytic SI-f effect. Exposure to the same partner 24 hours following mPFC inhibition, SI times increase significantly higher than day 1. These data indicate that the mPFC activity is necessary for expression of the SI-f effect

Estimating abortion incidence using the network scale-up method

Background: A major challenge in abortion research is accurately measuring the incidence of induced abortion, particularly in restrictive settings. This study tests the network scale-up method (NSUM) to measure abortion incidence, which uses respondent social network data to estimates the size of hidden populations. Methods: Using NSUM modules added to the Ethiopia and Uganda 2018 Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) community-based surveys, we compute NSUM abortion incidence ratios, and adjust these ratios to account for transmission bias. We conduct internal validity checks to assess the NSUM performance. Results: The unadjusted NSUM abortion ratios were likely underestimates (Uganda: 15.3 per 100 births, Ethiopia: 3.6 per 100 births). However, the transmission bias-adjusted NSUM abortion ratios grossly overestimated abortion (Uganda: 151.4 per 100 births, Ethiopia: 73.9 per 100 births), which was likely due to selection bias, question wording, and the use of lifetime abortions to measure transmission bias. Internal validity checks revealed problems with the NSUM application in Ethiopia. Unadjusted NSUM estimates of intrauterine device/implant use performed well compared to established external estimates, but adjusting for transmission bias again resulted in overestimation. Conclusions: The NSUM resulted in overestimates of abortion incidence in Ethiopia and Uganda. We discuss several modifications that may improve future applications of the NSUM for measuring abortion. Contribution: This is the first test of the NSUM to estimate national abortion incidence. Our findings highlight the critical need to assess the validity of abortion estimates, a key feature of the NSUM that is lacking in most other indirect abortion measurement methods

Dissociable Processes for Orientation Discrimination Learning and Contextual Illusion Magnitude

Previous research suggests an inverse relationship between human orientation discrimination sensitivity and tilt illusion magnitude. To test whether these perceptual functions are inherently linked, we measured both orientation discrimination sensitivity and the magnitude of the tilt illusion before and after participants had been trained for three days on an orientation discrimination task. Discrimination sensitivity improved with training and this improvement remained one month after the initial learning. However, tilt illusion magnitude remained unchanged before and after orientation training, at either trained or untrained orientations. Our results suggest that orientation discrimination sensitivity and illusion magnitude are not inherently linked. They also provide further evidence that, at least for the training periods we employed, perceptual learning of orientation discrimination may involve high-level processes

Porphyromonas gingivalis induces CCR5-dependent transfer of infectious HIV-1 from oral keratinocytes to permissive cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Systemic infection with HIV occurs infrequently through the oral route. The frequency of occurrence may be increased by concomitant bacterial infection of the oral tissues, since co-infection and inflammation of some cell types increases HIV-1 replication. A putative periodontal pathogen, <it>Porphyromonas gingivalis </it>selectively up-regulates expression of the HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 on oral keratinocytes. We, therefore, hypothesized that <it>P. gingivalis </it>modulates the outcome of HIV infection in oral epithelial cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Oral and tonsil epithelial cells were pre-incubated with <it>P. gingivalis</it>, and inoculated with either an X4- or R5-type HIV-1. Between 6 and 48 hours post-inoculation, <it>P. gingivalis </it>selectively increased the infectivity of R5-tropic HIV-1 from oral and tonsil keratinocytes; infectivity of X4-tropic HIV-1 remained unchanged. Oral keratinocytes appeared to harbor infectious HIV-1, with no evidence of productive infection. HIV-1 was harbored at highest levels during the first 6 hours after HIV exposure and decreased to barely detectable levels at 48 hours. HIV did not appear to co-localize with <it>P. gingivalis</it>, which increased selective R5-tropic HIV-1 <it>trans </it>infection from keratinocytes to permissive cells. When CCR5 was selectively blocked, HIV-1 <it>trans </it>infection was reduced.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>P. gingivalis </it>up-regulation of CCR5 increases <it>trans </it>infection of harbored R5-tropic HIV-1 from oral keratinocytes to permissive cells. Oral infections such as periodontitis may, therefore, increase risk for oral infection and dissemination of R5-tropic HIV-1.</p