Using Lexical Analysis to Identify Emotional Distress in Psychometric Schizotypy

Through the use of lexical analysis software, researchers have demonstrated a greater frequency of negative affect word use in those with schizophrenia and schizotypy compared to the general population. In addition, those with schizotypy endorse greater emotional distress than healthy controls. In this study, our aim was to expand on previous findings in schizotypy to determine whether negative affect word use could be linked to emotional distress. Schizotypy (n=33) and non-schizotypy groups (n=33) completed an open-ended, semi-structured interview and negative affect word use was analyzed using a validated lexical analysis instrument. Emotional distress was assessed using subjective questionnaires of depression and psychological quality of life (QOL). When groups were compared, those with schizotypy used significantly more negative affect words; endorsed greater depression; and reported lower QOL. Within schizotypy, a trend level association between depression and negative affect word use was observed; QOL and negative affect word use showed a significant inverse association. Our findings offer preliminary evidence of the potential effectiveness of lexical analysis as an objective, behavior-based method for identifying emotional distress throughout the schizophrenia-spectrum. Utilizing lexical analysis in schizotypy offers promise for providing researchers with an assessment capable of objectively detecting emotional distress

Particles at oil–air surfaces : powdered oil, liquid oil marbles, and oil foam

The type of material stabilized by four kinds of fluorinated particles (sericite and bentonite platelet clays and spherical zinc oxide) in air–oil mixtures has been investigated. It depends on the particle wettability and the degree of shear. Upon vigorous agitation, oil dispersions are formed in all the oils containing relatively large bentonite particles and in oils of relatively low surface tension (γla < 26 mN m⁻¹) like dodecane, 20 cS silicone, and cyclomethicone containing the other fluorinated particles. Particle-stabilized oil foams were obtained in oils having γla > 26 mN m⁻¹ where the advancing air–oil–solid contact angle θ lies between ca. 90° and 120°. Gentle shaking, however, gives oil-in-air liquid marbles with all the oil–particle systems except for cases where θ is <60°. For oils of tension >24 mN m⁻¹ with omniphobic zinc oxide and sericite particles for which advancing θ ≥ 90°, dry oil powders consisting of oil drops in air which do not leak oil could be made upon gentle agitation up to a critical oil:particle ratio (COPR). Above the COPR, catastrophic phase inversion of the dry oil powders to air-in-oil foams was observed. When sheared on a substrate, the dry oil powders containing at least 60 wt % of oil release the encapsulated oil, making these materials attractive formulations in the cosmetic and food industries

Short-term effects of unilateral lesion of the primary motor cortex (M1) on ipsilesional hand dexterity in adult macaque monkeys

Although the arrangement of the corticospinal projection in primates is consistent with a more prominent role of the ipsilateral motor cortex on proximal muscles, rather than on distal muscles involved in manual dexterity, the role played by the primary motor cortex on the control of manual dexterity for the ipsilateral hand remains a matter a debate, either in the normal function or after a lesion. We, therefore, tested the impact of permanent unilateral motor cortex lesion on the manual dexterity of the ipsilateral hand in 11 macaque monkeys, within a time window of 60 days post-lesion. For comparison, unilateral reversible pharmacological inactivation of the motor cortex was produced in an additional monkey. Manual dexterity was assessed quantitatively based on three motor parameters derived from two reach and grasp manual tasks. In contrast to the expected dramatic, complete deficit of manual dexterity of the contralesional hand that persists for several weeks, the impact on the manual dexterity of the ipsilesional hand was generally moderate (but statistically significant) and, when present, lasted less than 20 days. Out of the 11 monkeys, only 3 showed a deficit of the ipsilesional hand for 2 of the 3 motor parameters, and 4 animals had a deficit for only one motor parameter. Four monkeys did not show any deficit. The reversible inactivation experiment yielded results consistent with the permanent lesion data. In conclusion, the primary motor cortex exerts a modest role on ipsilateral manual dexterity, most likely in the form of indirect hand postural control

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

The Photodecarbonylation of α-Aryl Aldehydes: 1-Formyl-1-methyl-indan and Heterocyclic Analogues

The singlet photodecarbonylation of the indanyl aldehyde 7 – a benzohomologue of laurolenal (1) and also a conformationally rigid ‘out-of-plane’ analogue of the α-aryl aldehyde 4 previously studied [5] [6], – and of the heterocyclic derivatives 8–10 in degassed solutions, has been investigated. While 7 decarbonylates uniformly to the niethylindan 30 in close analogy to the examples studied previously, 8 and 9 decompose to the corresponding Δ2-unsaturated compounds 33, 35 in addition to decarbonylation to 32, 34. The results provide an independent indication for intermediate photolytically formed radical pairs (a) in which heteroatoms facilitate radical removal of hydrogen from C(2), and thus introduce disproportionation to give unsaturated products + CH2O, competing with the otherwise exclusive alternative affording saturated products +CO.</p