The Effects of Biofeedback Assisted Relaxation Training Upon Vascular, Muscle Contraction, and Mixed Headache Disorders

M.A. University of Kansas, Human Development and Family Life 1984Headaches are one of the most common complaints of people seeking medical treatment. This study investigated the effects of thermal biofeedback assisted relaxation training upon child and adult tension, migraine, and mixed (i.e., tension and migraine) headache disorders. The intervention was introduced in a staggered multiple baseline fashion across four children and three adults. Data were collected on headache frequency, duration, and severity, pain behaviors, and biofeedback training results. Measures collected by participants, significant others, and the investigator supported the positive effects of the treatment program. Increased headache free days were reported by all participants. In addition resting time due to pain, analgesic intake, and pain behaviors were reduced following treatment. Multiple measures for the observation and treatment of headaches are discussed as well as similarities and differences in participant reports of pediatric and adult headache disorders identified

On the effect of low oxygen concentrations on bacterial degradation of sinking particles

In marine oxygen (O2) minimum zones (OMZs), the transfer of particulate organic carbon (POC) to depth via the biological carbon pump might be enhanced as a result of slower remineralisation under lower dissolved O2 concentrations (DO). In parallel, nitrogen (N) loss to the atmosphere through microbial processes, such as denitrification and anammox, is directly linked to particulate nitrogen (PN) export. However it is unclear (1) whether DO is the only factor that potentially enhances POC transfer in OMZs, and (2) if particle fluxes are sufficient to support observed N loss rates. We performed a degradation experiment on sinking particles collected from the Baltic Sea, where anoxic zones are observed. Sinking material was harvested using surface-tethered sediment traps and subsequently incubated in darkness at different DO levels, including severe suboxia (<0.5 mg l−1 DO). Our results show that DO plays a role in regulating POC and PN degradation rates. POC(PN) degradation was reduced by approximately 100% from the high to low DO to the lowest DO. The amount of NH4+ produced from the pool of remineralising organic N matched estimations of NH4+ anammox requirements during our experiment. This anammox was likely fueled by DON degradation rather than PON degradation

Comprehensive Assessment of the Virulence Factors sub 3, sub 6 and mcpA in the Zoonotic Dermatophyte Trichophyton benhamiae Using FISH and qPCR

Skin infections by keratinophilic fungi are commonly referred to as dermatophytosis and represent a major health burden worldwide. Although patient numbers are on the rise, data on virulence factors, their function and kinetics are scarce. We employed an ex vivo infection model based on guinea pig skin explants (GPSE) for the zoonotic dermatophyte Trichophyton (T.) benhamiae to investigate kinetics of the virulence factors subtilisin (sub) 3, sub 6, metallocarboxypeptidase A (mcpA) and isocitrate lyase (isol) at gene level for ten days. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to detect and quantify the transcripts, respectively. Kingdom-spanning, species-specific and virulence factor-specific probes were successfully applied to isolated fungal elements showing inhomogeneous fluorescence signals along hyphae. Staining results for inoculated GPSE remained inconsistent despite thorough optimization. qPCR revealed a significant increase of sub 3- and mcpA-transcripts toward the end of culture, sub 6 and isol remained at a low level throughout the entire culture period. Sub 3 is tightly connected to the de novo formation of conidia during culture. Since sub 6 is considered an in vivo disease marker. However, the presented findings urgently call for further research on the role of certain virulence factors during infection and disease

Identifying USPs regulating immune signals in Drosophila: USP2 deubiquitinates Imd and promotes its degradation by interacting with the proteasome.

International audienceBACKGROUND: Rapid activation of innate immune defences upon microbial infection depends on the evolutionary conserved NF-κB dependent signals which deregulation is frequently associated with chronic inflammation and oncogenesis. These signals are tightly regulated by the linkage of different kinds of ubiquitin moieties on proteins that modify either their activity or their stability. To investigate how ubiquitin specific proteases (USPs) orchestrate immune signal regulation, we created and screened a focused RNA interference library on Drosophila NF-κB-like pathways Toll and Imd in cultured S2 cells, and further analysed the function of selected genes in vivo. RESULTS: We report here that USP2 and USP34/Puf, in addition to the previously described USP36/Scny, prevent inappropriate activation of Imd-dependent immune signal in unchallenged conditions. Moreover, USP34 is also necessary to prevent constitutive activation of the Toll pathway. However, while USP2 also prevents excessive Imd-dependent signalling in vivo, USP34 shows differential requirement depending on NF-κB target genes, in response to fly infection by either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. We further show that USP2 prevents the constitutive activation of signalling by promoting Imd proteasomal degradation. Indeed, the homeostasis of the Imd scaffolding molecule is tightly regulated by the linkage of lysine 48-linked ubiquitin chains (K48) acting as a tag for its proteasomal degradation. This process is necessary to prevent constitutive activation of Imd pathway in vivo and is inhibited in response to infection. The control of Imd homeostasis by USP2 is associated with the hydrolysis of Imd linked K48-ubiquitin chains and the synergistic binding of USP2 and Imd to the proteasome, as evidenced by both mass-spectrometry analysis of USP2 partners and by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. CONCLUSION: Our work identified one known (USP36) and two new (USP2, USP34) ubiquitin specific proteases regulating Imd or Toll dependent immune signalling in Drosophila. It further highlights the ubiquitin dependent control of Imd homeostasis and shows a new activity for USP2 at the proteasome allowing for Imd degradation. This study provides original information for the better understanding of the strong implication of USP2 in pathological processes in humans, including cancerogenesis

Benchmark, les réseaux sociaux en bibliothèque : étude comparative

Assurer une présence sur les réseaux sociaux est aujourd’hui incontournable pour les bibliothèques d’une certaine taille. Cette démarche permet de toucher un public étendu, d’assurer une médiation vers ses ressources et celles de ses partenaires, de développer la participation des usagers, et de montrer la connexion entre l’établissement et son quartier. La bibliothèque de la Canopée souhaite assurer une forte présence sur les réseaux sociaux.Il en est de même pour la bibliothèque en préfiguration du Carré Saint-Lazare. Cette étude à un instant T doit servir de base pour déterminer quelles sont les plateformes sociales les plus intéressantes dans une bibliothèque de lecture publique. Les fonctionnalités, l’attrait de certains réseaux évoluant à la hausse ou à la baisse entraînera une réévaluation possible de ce benchmark. Etude coordonnée par la préfiguration de la bibliothèque Canopée et rédigée par : Pierre-Marie Augereau, Cyrille Engel, Romain Gaillard, Ophélie Hamot-Béchay, Capucine Liébeaux (préfiguration Canopée), Soizic Cadio (préfiguration Saint-Lazare

Bacterial degradation activity in the eastern tropical South Pacific oxygen minimum zone

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) show distinct biogeochemical processes that relate to microorganisms being able to thrive under low or even absent oxygen. Microbial degradation of organic matter is expected to be reduced in OMZs, although quantitative evidence is low. Here, we present heterotrophic bacterial production (3H leucine incorporation), extracellular enzyme rates (leucine aminopeptidase/β-glucosidase) and bacterial cell abundance for various in situ oxygen concentrations in the water column, including the upper and lower oxycline, of the eastern tropical South Pacific off Peru. Bacterial heterotrophic activity in the suboxic core of the OMZ (at in situ ≤ 5 µmol O2 kg−1) ranged from 0.3 to 281 µmol C m−3 d−1 and was not significantly lower than in waters of 5–60 µmol O2 kg−1. Moreover, bacterial abundance in the OMZ and leucine aminopeptidase activity were significantly higher in suboxic waters compared to waters of 5–60 µmol O2 kg−1, suggesting no impairment of bacterial organic-matter degradation in the core of the OMZ. Nevertheless, high cell-specific bacterial production was observed in samples from oxyclines, and cell-specific extracellular enzyme rates were especially high at the lower oxycline, corroborating earlier findings of highly active and distinct micro-aerobic bacterial communities. To assess the impact of bacterial degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) for oxygen loss in the Peruvian OMZ, we compared diapycnal fluxes of oxygen and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and their microbial uptake within the upper 60 m of the water column. Our data indicate low bacterial growth efficiencies of 1 %–21 % at the upper oxycline, resulting in a high bacterial oxygen demand that can explain up to 33 % of the observed average oxygen loss over depth. Our study therewith shows that microbial degradation of DOM has a considerable share in sustaining the OMZ off Peru

Benchmark, les réseaux sociaux en bibliothèque de lecture publique - 2014

Assurer une présence sur les réseaux sociaux est aujourd’hui incontournable pour les bibliothèques d’une certaine taille. Cette démarche permet de toucher un public étendu, d’assurer une médiation vers ses ressources et celles de ses partenaires, de développer la participation des usagers, et de montrer la connexion entre l’établissement et son quartier. La bibliothèque Canopée souhaite assurer une forte présence sur les réseaux sociaux. Il en est de même pour la bibliothèque en préfiguration Saint-Lazare. Cette étude à un instant T doit servir de base pour déterminer quelles sont les plateformes sociales les plus intéressantes dans une bibliothèque de lecture publique. Les fonctionnalités, l’attrait de certains réseaux évoluant à la hausse ou à la baisse entraînera une réévaluation possible de ce benchmark. Après une première édition en juin 2013, cette nouvelle mouture intègre de nouvelles plateformes (Flipboard, Issuu, Snapchat, Flipagram, Libfly) et met à jour l’évaluation des critères pour les autres

Uncovering the role of oxygen on organic carbon cycling: insights from a continuous culture study with a facultative anaerobic bacterioplankton species (Shewanella baltica)

Deoxygenation is tied to organic carbon (Corg) supply and utilization in marine systems. Under oxygen-depletion, bacteria maintain Corg respiration using alternative electron acceptors such as nitrate. Since anaerobic respiration’s energy yield is lower, Corg remineralization may be reduced and its residence time increased. We investigated the influence of oxygen and alternative electron acceptors’ availability on Corg cycling by heterotrophic bacteria during a continuous culture experiment with Shewanella baltica, a facultative anaerobic γ-Proteobacteria in the Baltic Sea. We tested six different oxygen levels, from suboxic (&lt;5 µmol L-1) to fully oxic conditions, using a brackish (salinity=14 g L-1) media supplied with high (HighN) or low (LowN) inorganic nitrogen concentrations relative to glucose as labile Corg source. Our results show that suboxia limited DOC (glucose) uptake and cell growth only under LowN, while higher availability of alternative electron acceptors seemingly compensated oxygen limitation under HighN. N-loss was observed under suboxia in both nitrogen treatments. Under HighN, N-loss was highest and a C:N loss ratio of ~2.0 indicated that Corg was remineralized via denitrification. Under LowN, the C:N loss ratio under suboxia was higher (~5.5), suggesting the dominance of other anaerobic respiration pathways, such as dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Bacterial growth efficiency was independent of oxygen concentration but higher under LowN (34 ± 3.0%) than HighN (26 ± 1.6%). Oxygen concentration also affected dissolved organic matter (DOM) cycling. Under oxic conditions, the release of dissolved combined carbohydrates was enhanced, and the amino acid-based degradation index (DI) pointed to more diagenetically altered DOM. Our results suggest bacterial Corg uptake in low-oxygen systems dominated by S. baltica can be limited by oxygen but compensated by high nitrate availability. Hence, suboxia diminishes Corg remineralisation only when alternative electron acceptors are lacking. Under high nitrate:Corg supply, denitrification leads to a higher N:C loss ratio, potentially counteracting eutrophication in the long run. Low nitrate:Corg supply may favour other anaerobic respiration pathways like DNRA, which sustains labile nitrogen in the system, potentially intensifying the cycle of eutrophication. Going forward, it will be crucial to establish the validity of our findings for S. baltica in natural systems with diverse organic substrates and microbial consortia

Is it enough to be willing to win or do you have to be smart? The relationship between competitive worldviews, cognitive abilities, and applicant faking in personality tests

Recent research has highlighted competitive worldviews as a key predictor of faking—the intentional distortion of answers by candidates in the selection context. According to theoretical assumptions, applicants’ abilities, and especially their cognitive abilities, should influence whether faking motivation, triggered by competitive worldviews, can be turned into successful faking behavior. Therefore, we examined the influence of competitive worldviews on faking in personality tests and investigated a possible moderation of this relationship by cognitive abilities in three independent high school and university student samples (N1 = 133, N2 = 137, N3 = 268). Our data showed neither an influence of the two variables nor of their interaction on faking behavior. We discuss possible reasons for these findings and give suggestions for further research