Knaster's problem for (Z2)k(Z_2)^k-symmetric subsets of the sphere S2k−1S^{2^k-1}

We prove a Knaster-type result for orbits of the group $(Z_2)^k$ in $S^{2^k-1}$, calculating the Euler class obstruction. Among the consequences are: a result about inscribing skew crosspolytopes in hypersurfaces in $\mathbb R^{2^k}$, and a result about equipartition of a measures in $\mathbb R^{2^k}$ by $(Z_2)^{k+1}$-symmetric convex fans

An atherogenic diet disturbs aquaporin 5 expression in liver and adipocyte tissues of apolipoprotein e-deficient mice: new insights into an old model of experimental atherosclerosis

The dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells is profoundly implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, the global leading cause of death. Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane channels that facilitate water and glycerol transport across cellular membranes re-cently implicated in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Apolipoprotein-E deficient (apoE−/−) mice are a common model to study the progression of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, the pattern of expression of AQPs in this atheroprone model is poorly characterized. In this study, apoE−/− mice were fed an atherogenic high-fat (HF) or a control diet. Plasma was collected at multiple time points to assess metabolic disturbances. At the endpoint, the aortic atherosclerotic burden was quantified using high field magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, the transcriptional levels of several AQP isoforms were evaluated in the liver, white adipocyte tissue (WAT), and brown adipocyte tissue (BAT). The results revealed that HF-fed mice, when compared to controls, presented an ex-acerbated systemic inflammation and atherosclerotic phenotype, with no major differences in systemic methylation status, circulating amino acids, or plasma total glutathione. Moreover, an over-expression of the isoform AQP5 was detected in all studied tissues from HF-fed mice when compared to controls. These results suggest a novel role for AQP5 on diet-induced atherosclerosis that warrants further investigation

No effect of diet-induced mild hyperhomocysteinemia on vascular methylating capacity, atherosclerosis progression, and specific histone methylation

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for atherosclerosis through mechanisms which are still incompletely defined. One possible mechanism involves the hypomethylation of the nuclear histone proteins to favor the progression of atherosclerosis. In previous cell studies, hypomethylating stress decreased a specific epigenetic tag (the trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3, H3K27me3) to promote endothelial dysfunction and activation, i.e., an atherogenic phenotype. Here, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the impact of mild HHcy on vascular methylating index, atherosclerosis progression and H3K27me3 aortic content in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice. In two different sets of experiments, male mice were fed high-fat, low in methyl donors (HFLM), or control (HF) diets for 16 (Study A) or 12 (Study B) weeks. At multiple time points, plasma was collected for (1) quantification of total homocysteine (tHcy) by high-performance liquid chromatography; or (2) the methylation index of S-adenosylmethionine to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM:SAH ratio) by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry; or (3) a panel of inflammatory cytokines previously implicated in atherosclerosis by a multiplex assay. At the end point, aortas were collected and used to assess (1) the methylating index (SAM:SAH ratio); (2) the volume of aortic atherosclerotic plaque assessed by high field magnetic resonance imaging; and (3) the vascular content of H3K27me3 by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that, in both studies, HFLM-fed mice, but not those mice fed control diets, accumulated mildly elevated tHcy plasmatic concentrations. However, the pattern of changes in the inflammatory cytokines did not support a major difference in systemic inflammation between these groups. Accordingly, in both studies, no significant differences were detected for the aortic methylating index, plaque burden, and H3K27me3 vascular content between HF and HFLM-fed mice. Surprisingly however, a decreased plasma SAM: SAH was also observed, suggesting that the plasma compartment does not always reflect the vascular concentrations of these two metabolites, at least in this model. Mild HHcy in vivo was not be sufficient to induce vascular hypomethylating stress or the progression of atherosclerosis, suggesting that only higher accumulations of plasma tHcy will exhibit vascular toxicity and promote specific epigenetic dysregulation

A factor analysis of the SSQ (Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale)

OBJECTIVE: The speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing questionnaire (SSQ) is a self-report test of auditory disability. The 49 items ask how well a listener would do in many complex listening situations illustrative of real life. The scores on the items are often combined into the three main sections or into 10 pragmatic subscales. We report here a factor analysis of the SSQ that we conducted to further investigate its statistical properties and to determine its structure. DESIGN: Statistical factor analysis of questionnaire data, using parallel analysis to determine the number of factors to retain, oblique rotation of factors, and a bootstrap method to estimate the confidence intervals. STUDY SAMPLE: 1220 people who have attended MRC IHR over the last decade. RESULTS: We found three clear factors, essentially corresponding to the three main sections of the SSQ. They are termed "speech understanding", "spatial perception", and "clarity, separation, and identification". Thirty-five of the SSQ questions were included in the three factors. There was partial evidence for a fourth factor, "effort and concentration", representing two more questions. CONCLUSIONS: These results aid in the interpretation and application of the SSQ and indicate potential methods for generating average scores

Timing of Visual Bodily Behavior in Repair Sequences: Evidence From Three Languages

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Prevalence of psychopathology in children and adolescents with and without intellectual disability

Background: The main objective of this study was to assess and compare the prevalence of a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems in children with and without intellectual disability (ID). Methods: We studied 1,041 non-residential children randomly selected from special schools for educable (IQ 60 to 80) and trainable (IQ 30 to 60) children without severe additional physical or sensory impairments, and compared them to 1,855 children randomly selected from the general population (both ages 6 to 18). Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and teachers the Teacher's Report Form (TRF). Results: Controlling for sex, age, and socioeconomic status, we found that both educable and trainable children had significantly higher mean scores on all CBCL and TRF scales than children without ID, except for trainable children on the scales Anxious/Depressed and Somatic Complaints. Almost 50% of children with ID had a Total Problem score in the deviant range compared to about 18% in children without ID. Compared to children without ID, the most prominent problem behaviors of educable children were Social Problems, Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior, and trainable children had an increased risk for Social Problems, Attention Problems, Withdrawn and Thought Problems. Conclusions: Elevated scale scores reflected differences between children with and without ID over a broad range of items, and not solely on items more likely to be related to developmental delay. Therefore, problem areas covered by the items in these scales deserve special attention in the mental health care of children with ID