Prenatal Vitamin D Supplementation and Child Respiratory Health: A Randomised Controlled Trial

PMCID: PMC3691177This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Cognitive function is associated with risk aversion in community-based older persons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Emerging data from younger and middle-aged persons suggest that cognitive ability is negatively associated with risk aversion, but this association has not been studied among older persons who are at high risk of experiencing loss of cognitive function.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using data from 369 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal epidemiologic study of aging, we examined the correlates of risk aversion and tested the hypothesis that cognition is negatively associated with risk aversion. Global cognition and five specific cognitive abilities were measured via detailed cognitive testing, and risk aversion was measured using standard behavioral economics questions in which participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary payment ($15) versus a gamble in which they could gain more than$15 or gain nothing; potential gamble gains ranged from $21.79 to$151.19 with the gain amounts varied randomly over questions. We first examined the bivariate associations of age, education, sex, income and cognition with risk aversion. Next, we examined the associations between cognition and risk aversion via mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and income. Finally, we conducted sensitivity analyses to ensure that our results were not driven by persons with preclinical cognitive impairment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In bivariate analyses, sex, education, income and global cognition were associated with risk aversion. However, in a mixed effect model, only sex (estimate = -1.49, standard error (SE) = 0.39, p < 0.001) and global cognitive function (estimate = -1.05, standard error (SE) = 0.34, p < 0.003) were significantly inversely associated with risk aversion. Thus, a lower level of global cognitive function and female sex were associated with greater risk aversion. Moreover, performance on four out of the five cognitive domains was negatively related to risk aversion (<it>i.e</it>., semantic memory, episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed); performance on visuospatial abilities was not.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A lower level of cognitive ability and female sex are associated with greater risk aversion in advanced age.</p

Circuit dissection of the role of somatostatin in itch and pain

Stimuli that elicit itch are detected by sensory neurons that innervate the skin. This information is processed by the spinal cord; however, the way in which this occurs is still poorly understood. Here we investigated the neuronal pathways for itch neurotransmission, particularly the contribution of the neuropeptide somatostatin. We find that in the periphery, somatostatin is exclusively expressed in Nppb+ neurons, and we demonstrate that Nppb+somatostatin+ cells function as pruriceptors. Employing chemogenetics, pharmacology and cell-specific ablation methods, we demonstrate that somatostatin potentiates itch by inhibiting inhibitory dynorphin neurons, which results in disinhibition of GRPR+ neurons. Furthermore, elimination of somatostatin from primary afferents and/or from spinal interneurons demonstrates differential involvement of the peptide released from these sources in itch and pain. Our results define the neural circuit underlying somatostatin-induced itch and characterize a contrasting antinociceptive role for the peptide

Dynamic displacement of normal and detached semicircular canal cupula

© 2009 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License. The definitive version was published in JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology 10 (2009): 497-509, doi:10.1007/s10162-009-0174-y.The dynamic displacement of the semicircular canal cupula and modulation of afferent nerve discharge were measured simultaneously in response to physiological stimuli in vivo. The adaptation time constant(s) of normal cupulae in response to step stimuli averaged 36 s, corresponding to a mechanical lower corner frequency for sinusoidal stimuli of 0.0044 Hz. For stimuli equivalent to 40–200 deg/s of angular head velocity, the displacement gain of the central region of the cupula averaged 53 nm per deg/s. Afferents adapted more rapidly than the cupula, demonstrating the presence of a relaxation process that contributes significantly to the neural representation of angular head motions by the discharge patterns of canal afferent neurons. We also investigated changes in time constants of the cupula and afferents following detachment of the cupula at its apex—mechanical detachment that occurs in response to excessive transcupular endolymph pressure. Detached cupulae exhibited sharply reduced adaptation time constants (300 ms–3 s, n = 3) and can be explained by endolymph flowing rapidly over the apex of the cupula. Partially detached cupulae reattached and normal afferent discharge patterns were recovered 5–7 h following detachment. This regeneration process may have relevance to the recovery of semicircular canal function following head trauma.Financial support was provided by the NIDCD R01 DC06685 (Rabbitt) and NASA GSRP 56000135 & NSF IGERT DGE- 9987616 (Breneman)

Interactions between microenvironment and cancer cells in two animal models of bone metastasis

The preferential proliferation of cancer cells in the bone microenvironment is poorly characterised. Expression pattern of bone marrow and other organ microenvironment in contact with osteolytic (Walker W256) and osteoblastic (MatLyLu MLL) metastases were investigated. Fisher and Copenhagen rats received, respectively, W256 and MLL cells injection. Bone and soft tissues were analysed by immunochemistry for DKK1, cathepsin K, RANKL, MCSF or IL6 expression. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP)-positive cells were detected by a histoenzymatic technique. In bone, expressions of MCSF and DKK1 were shown in stromal cells of the bone marrow, in contact with metastatic foci of both tumours. Many stromal cells were found RANKL positive in the vicinity of the tumours. Cells expressing cathepsin K and multinucleated TRAcP+ cells were found in direct contact with trabeculae but also in bone marrow spaces near metastatic cells. In extraosseous tumours, cells in contact with malignant cells did not expressed DKK1, MCSF, cathepsin K and IL6. Some RANKL+ cells were found in the periphery of subcutaneous tumours but may represent Langerhans cells. Abnormal presence of TRAcP+ cells was never observed in the vicinity of malignant cells. Interaction between stromal and cancer cells induces the expression on the formers of characteristics leading to osteoclastogenesis only in the bone microenvironment

Population mixing, socioeconomic status and incidence of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in England and Wales: analysis by census ward

In this population-based study of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) diagnosed among children aged under 15 years in England and Wales during 1986–1995, we analysed incidence at census ward level in relation to a range of variables from the 1991 census, which could be relevant to theories of infectious aetiology. ‘Population-mixing' measures, used as surrogates for quantity and diversity of infections entering the community, were calculated from census data on the origins and destinations of migrants in the year before the census. Incidence at ages 1–4 years tended independently to be higher in rural wards, to increase with the diversity of origin wards from which in-migrants had moved during the year before the census, and to be lower in the most deprived areas as categorised by the Carstairs index. This last association was much weaker when urban/rural status and in-migrants' diversity were allowed for. There was no evidence of association with population mixing or deprivation for ALL diagnosed at ages 0 or 5–14 years. The apparent specificity to the young childhood age group suggests that these associations are particularly marked for precursor B-cell ALL, with the disease more likely to occur when delayed exposure to infection leads to increased immunological stress, as predicted by Greaves. The association with diversity of incomers, especially in rural areas, is also consistent with the higher incidence of leukaemia predicted by Kinlen, where population mixing results in below average herd immunity to an infectious agent

Genome sequencing and molecular characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus ST772-MRSA-V, “Bengal Bay Clone”

Background: The PVL-positive ST772-MRSA-V is an emerging community-associated (CA-) MRSA clone that has been named Bengal Bay Clone since most patients have epidemiological connections to the Indian subcontinent. It is found increasingly common in other areas of the world. Methods: One isolate of ST772-MRSA-V was sequenced using the Illumina Genome Analyzer System. After initial assembling the multiple sequence contigs were analysed using different in-house annotation scripts. Results were compared to microarray hybridisation results of clinical isolates of ST772-MRSA-V, of related strains and to another ST772-MRSA-V genome sequence. Results: According to MLST e-burst analysis, ST772-MRSA-V belongs to Clonal Complex (CC)1, differing from ST1 only in one MLST allele (pta-22). However, there are several additional differences including agr alleles (group II rather than III), capsule type (5 rather than 8), the presence of the egc enterotoxin gene cluster and of the enterotoxin homologue ORF CM14 as well as the absence of the enterotoxin H gene seh. Enterotoxin genes sec and sel are present. ST772-MRSA-V harbours the genes encoding enterotoxin A (sea) and PVL (lukS/F-PV). Both are located on the same prophage. Conclusions: ST772-MRSA-V may have emerged from the same lineage as globally spread CC1 and CC5 strains. It has acquired a variety of virulence factors, and for a CA-MRSA strain it has an unusually high number of genes associated with antibiotic resistance

Screening chest radiography: results from a Greek cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Public health authorities worldwide discourage the use of chest radiography as a screening modality, as the diagnostic performance of chest radiography does not justify its application for screening and may even be harmful, since people with false positive results may experience anxiety and concern. Despite the accumulated evidence, various reports suggest that primary care physicians throughout the world still prescribe chest radiography for screening. We therefore set out to index the use of chest radiography for screening purposes among the healthy adult population and to analyze its relationship with possible trigger factors. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Five thousand four hundred and ninety-nine healthy adults, coming from 26 Greek provinces were surveyed for screening practice habits in the nationwide anticancer study. Data were obtained for the use of screening chest radiography. Impact of age, gender, tobacco exposure, family history positive for malignancies and professional-risk for lung diseases was further analyzed. RESULTS: we found that 20% (n = 1099) of the surveyed individuals underwent chest radiography for screening purposes for at least one time during the previous three years. Among those, 24% do so with a frequency equal or higher than once yearly, and 48% with a frequency equal or higher than every three years. Screening for chest radiography was more commonly adopted among males (OR 1.130, 95% CI 0.988–1.292), pensioners (OR 1.319, CI 1.093–1.593) and individuals with a positive family history for lung cancer (OR 1.251, CI 0.988–1.583). Multivariate analysis confirmed these results. CONCLUSION: Despite formal recommendations, chest radiography for screening purposes was a common practice among the analyzed sample of Greek adults. This practice is of questionable value since the positive predictive value of chest radiography is low. The implementation of even a relatively inexpensive imaging study on a national scale would greatly burden health economics and the workload of radiology departments

Relationships between students' conceptions of constructivist learning and their regulation and processing strategies

The present study investigated relationships between students' conceptions of constructivist learning on the one hand, and their regulation and processing strategies on the other hand. Students in a constructivist, problem-based learning curriculum were questioned about their conceptions of knowledge construction and self-regulated learning, as well as their beliefs regarding their own (in)ability to learn and motivation to learn. Two hypothesized models were tested within 98 psychology students, using a structural equation modelling approach: The first model implemented regulation and processing variables of the Inventory of Learning Styles [ILS, Vermunt (Learning styles and regulation of learning in higher education - towards process-oriented instruction in autonomous thinking, 1992)], the second model of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire [MSLQ, Pintrich and de Groot (Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33-40, 1990)]. Results showed that structural relations exist between conceptions of constructivist learning and regulation and processing strategies. Furthermore, students who express doubt with regard to their own learning capacities are at risk for adopting an inadequate regulation strategy. A three-tiered structure of conceptual, controlling, and operational level appeared valid for the MSLQ variables, but not entirely for those of the ILS