Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an evidence-based self-help therapeutic method and over 100 studies demonstrate its efficacy. However, information about the physiological effects of EFT is limited. The current study sought to elucidate EFTs mechanisms of action across the central nervous system (CNS) by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) and heart coherence (HC); the circulatory system using resting heart rate (RHR) and blood pressure (BP); the endocrine system using cortisol, and the immune system using salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA). The second aim was to measure psychological symptoms. Participants (N = 203) were enrolled in a 4-day training workshop held in different locations. At one workshop (n = 31), participants also received comprehensive physiological testing. Posttest, significant declines were found in anxiety (−40%), depression (−35%), posttraumatic stress disorder (−32%), pain (−57%), and cravings (−74%), all P < .000. Happiness increased (+31%, P = .000) as did SigA (+113%, P = .017). Significant improvements were found in RHR (−8%, P = .001), cortisol (−37%, P < .000), systolic BP (−6%, P = .001), and diastolic BP (−8%, P < .000). Positive trends were observed for HRV and HC and gains were maintained on follow-up, indicating EFT results in positive health effects as well as increased mental well-being

The Interrelated Physiological and Psychological Effects of EcoMeditation

This study investigated changes in psychological and physiological markers during a weekend meditation workshop (N = 34). Psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and happiness were assessed. Physiological markers included cortisol, salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), and resting heart rate (RHR). On posttest, significant reductions were found in cortisol (−29%, P < .0001), RHR (−5%, P = .0281), and pain (−43%, P = .0022). Happiness increased significantly (+11%, P = .0159) while the increase in SigA was nonsignificant (+27%, P = .6964). Anxiety, depression, and PTSD all declined (−26%, P = .0159; −32%, P = .0197; −18%, P = .1533), though changes in PTSD did not reach statistical significance. No changes were found in BP, HRV, and heart coherence. Participants were assessed for psychological symptoms at 3-month follow-up, but the results were nonsignificant due to inadequate sample size (n = 17). EcoMeditation shows promise as a stress-reduction method

Is antibiotic prophylaxis effective for recurrent acute otitis media?

For children who have recurrent episodes of clinically diagnosed acute otitis media (AOM), antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduces recurrence, although the effect is not large (strength of recommendation: A-, based on 1 systematic review of randomized controlled trials [RCTs] with below-average quality and 1 subsequent RCT with conflicting results). Evidence is insufficient to suggest which antibiotic is most appropriate, the optimal length of prophylaxis, or the number of episodes of AOM needed to justify prophylactic treatment. Possible harms of antibiotics include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms

Accounting Enforcement’s Determinants—A Global Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the national characteristics of culture, religion and political factionalization are associated with the strength of accounting enforcement. The study uses data on percentages of religious adherents in a sample nation, the Hofstede cultural dimensions and political factionalization as key independent variables. This study also controls for national legal code (e.g., Common Law or Civic Code) and market liquidity. It uses factor analysis to generate factor scores from the data. These factor scores are then used as the independent variables. The dependent variable, accounting enforcement, is drawn from Brown, Preiato and Tarca (2014). The findings demonstrate that these national characteristics are strongly associated with national accounting regulatory enforcement. The implications of this research are that national characteristics should be taken into account in considering the impact of accounting standards on accounting comparability across nations. The limitation of this study is that, like much international research, the sample size is limited, here to 42 nations. This study provides an important contribution to the literature by helping establish that national characteristics do affect accounting enforcement efforts cross-nationally. This helps researchers and regulators better understand whether international standards can provide the link in comparability across nations that proponents are seeking. It does so by focusing on the variation in enforcement across nations rather than on the standards themselves

Transcription factors leading the pathway to survival

Abstract only availableAsian Soybean Rust, a foliar disease, is caused by the fungal pathogen Phakospora pachyrhizi, which threatens soybean (Glycine max) production in many countries. In the absence of fungicide treatment, yield losses from ASR can be up to 80%. The use of fungicides significantly drives up production costs for farmers. Four resistant genes, Rpp1-4, have been identified for ASR but none of these provide sustained, field resistance due to adaptation by the pathogen. Soybean cultivar Williams 82 is susceptible to ASR, while cultivar DT2000 exhibits significant levels of tolerance to the pathogen. We utilized these two cultivars to examine the differential response in the expression of various transcription factor genes to ASR inoculation. Our goal is to identify transcription factors that contribute to soybean resistance to ASR and to identify the corresponding genes and pathways responsible for resistance. Due to the -relatively low abundance of TF gene mRNA, we utilized the qRT-PCR technique to accurately assay gene expression. We also examined the progress of ASR infection by staining infected leaves at different time points after inoculation. In this way, we hope to correlate the expression of specific genes with the stage of infection. After some trial and error, we were able to easily visualize ASR infection in soybean leaves by staining with Calcofluor White. This staining method allowed us to track ASR infection and document the various stages of fungal development. Our initial screens for TF gene expression identified a few TF genes that are clearly differentially expressed between the susceptible and resistance soybean cultivars. We hope in further experiments to understand the function of these TF genes in soybean resistance to ASR and, ultimately, contribute to the development of soybean cultivars that will benefit soybean farmers.NSF grant to G. Stace

Wistar Kyoto Rats display anhedonia in consumption but retain some sensitivity to the anticipation of palatable solutions

The Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat has been proposed as a model of depression-like symptoms. However, anhedonia—a reduction in the response to normatively rewarding events—as a central depression symptom has yet to be fully assessed in this model. We compared WKY rats and Wistar controls, with stress-susceptibility examined by applying mild unpredictable stress to a subset of each group. Anhedonia-like behavior was assessed using microstructural analysis of licking behavior, where mean lick cluster size reflects hedonic responses. This was combined with tests of anticipatory contrast, where the consumption of a moderately palatable solution (4% sucrose) is suppressed in anticipation of a more palatable solution (32% sucrose). WKY rats displayed greatly attenuated hedonic reactions to sucrose overall, although their reactions retained some sensitivity to differences in sucrose concentration. They displayed normal reductions in consumption in anticipatory contrast, although the effect of contrast on hedonic reactions was greatly blunted. Mild stress produced overall reductions in sucrose consumption, but this was not exacerbated in WKY rats. Moreover, mild stress did not affect hedonic reactions or the effects of contrast. These results confirm that the WKY substrain expresses a direct behavioral analog of anhedonia, which may have utility for increasing mechanistic understanding of depression symptoms

Anatomy integration: Effective change or change of affect?

Anatomy is fundamental to clinical practice, and is key to professional identity formation. Many US medical schools are integrating anatomy into an organ–based preclinical curricula. This curricular change could affect one or more of the three domains of learning: cognitive, affective and psychomotor, including learner preparation to work in teams. Our previous study prospectively queried the effects of integrating anatomy into the existing organ-­based curriculum at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Results showed that students with integrated anatomy initially increased content acquisition, but had similar mastery of anatomical concepts at the end of the first year of the pre-­clinical curriculum. Interestingly, attitudinal differences towards anatomy dissection, working in teams, reflective practices and professional identity formation were seen between students in the two curricula. The current study set out to test the hypothesis that the differences in attitudes would persist as students progressed through the pre-­clinical curriculum. It also asked if additional changes in the affective domain could be detected that may impact content mastery and patient care

TETRA Observation of Gamma Rays at Ground Level Associated with Nearby Thunderstorms

Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes (TGFs) -- very short, intense bursts of electrons, positrons, and energetic photons originating from terrestrial thunderstorms -- have been detected with satellite instruments. TETRA, an array of NaI(Tl) scintillators at Louisiana State University, has now been used to detect similar bursts of 50 keV to over 2 MeV gamma rays at ground level. After 2.6 years of observation, twenty-four events with durations 0.02- 4.2 msec have been detected associated with nearby lightning, three of them coincident events observed by detectors separated by ~1000 m. Nine of the events occurred within 6 msec and 3 miles of negative polarity cloud-to-ground lightning strokes with measured currents in excess of 20 kA. The events reported here constitute the first catalog of TGFs observed at ground level in close proximity to the acceleration site.Comment: To be published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Phys. 118,

HIV-1 Evolutionary Patterns Associated with Metastatic Kaposi's Sarcoma during AIDS.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in HIV-infected individuals can have a wide range of clinical outcomes, from indolent skin tumors to a life-threatening visceral cancer. KS tumors contain endothelial-related cells and inflammatory cells that may be HIV-infected. In this study we tested if HIV evolutionary patterns distinguish KS tumor relatedness and progression. Multisite autopsies from participants who died from HIV-AIDS with KS prior to the availability of antiretroviral therapy were identified at the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR). Two patients (KS1 and KS2) died predominantly from non-KS-associated disease and KS3 died due to aggressive and metastatic KS within one month of diagnosis. Skin and visceral tumor and nontumor autopsy tissues were obtained (n = 12). Single genome sequencing was used to amplify HIV RNA and DNA, which was present in all tumors. Independent HIV tumor clades in phylogenies differentiated KS1 and KS2 from KS3, whose sequences were interrelated by both phylogeny and selection. HIV compartmentalization was confirmed in KS1 and KS2 tumors; however, in KS3, no compartmentalization was observed among sampled tissues. While the sample size is small, the HIV evolutionary patterns observed in all patients suggest an interplay between tumor cells and HIV-infected cells which provides a selective advantage and could promote KS progression

Imaging energy status in live cells with a fluorescent biosensor of the intracellular ATP-to-ADP ratio

The ATP:ADP ratio is a critical parameter of cellular energy status that regulates many metabolic activities. Here we report an optimized genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensor, PercevalHR, that senses the ATP:ADP ratio. PercevalHR is tuned to the range of intracellular ATP:ADP expected in mammalian cells, and it can be used with one- or two-photon microscopy in live samples. We use PercevalHR to visualize activity-dependent changes in ATP:ADP when neurons are exposed to multiple stimuli, demonstrating that it is a sensitive reporter of physiological changes in energy consumption and production. We also use PercevalHR to visualize intracellular ATP:ADP while simultaneously recording currents from ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in single cells, showing that PercevalHR enables the study of coordinated variation in ATP:ADP and KATP channel open probability in intact cells. With its ability to monitor changes in cellular energetics within seconds, PercevalHR should be a versatile tool for metabolic research