213 research outputs found

    Low back pain in Hispanic residential carpenters

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    Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of lost work time and has been recognized as America’s number one workplace safety challenge. Low back pain is occurring at epidemic proportions among construction workers, and minority populations have been under-investigated for risk of back injury. This project investigated the multiple potential risk factors for occupational LBP among Hispanic residential carpenters

    Stress-Dependent Opioid And Adrenergic Modulation Of Newly Retrieved Fear Memory

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    Recent studies on the effect of stress on modulation of fear memory in our laboratory have uncovered endogenous opioid and adrenergic based modulation systems, working in concert, that limit the strengthening or weakening of newly acquired fear memory during consolidation under conditions of mild or intense stress, respectively. The present study sought to determine if similar stress-dependent modulation, mediated by endogenous opioid and adrenergic systems, occurs during reconsolidation of newly retrieved fear memory. Rats underwent contextual fear conditioning followed 24 h later by reactivation of fear memory; a retention test was administered the next day. Stress was manipulated by varying duration of recall of fear memory during reactivation. In the first experiment, vehicle or the opioid-receptor blocker naloxone was administered immediately after varied durations (30 or 120 s) of reactivation. The results indicate that (1) reactivation, in the absence of drug, has a marked effect on freezing behavior-as duration of reactivation increases from 30 to 120 s, freezing behavior and presumably fear-induced stress increases and (2) naloxone, administered immediately after 30 s (mild stress) or 120 s (intense stress) of reactivation, enhances or impairs retention, respectively, the next day. In the second experiment, naloxone and the g-adrenergic blocker propranolol were administered either separately or in combination immediately after 120 s (intense stress) reactivation. The results indicate that separate administration of propranolol and naloxone impairs retention, while the combined administration fails to do so. Taken together the results of the two experiments are consistent with a protective mechanism, mediated by endogenous opioid and adrenergic systems working in concert, that limits enhancement and impairment of newly retrieved fear memory during reactivation in a stress-dependent manner. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

    Strengthening a One Health approach to emerging zoonoses

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    Given the enormous global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada, and manifold other zoonotic pathogen activity, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the human-animal-environment interface and the intersecting biological, ecological, and societal factors contributing to the emergence, spread, and impact of zoonotic diseases. We aim to apply a One Health approach to pressing issues related to emerging zoonoses, and propose a functional framework of interconnected but distinct groups of recommendations around strategy and governance, technical leadership (operations), equity, education and research for a One Health approach and Action Plan for Canada. Change is desperately needed, beginning by reorienting our approach to health and recalibrating our perspectives to restore balance with the natural world in a rapid and sustainable fashion. In Canada, a major paradigm shift in how we think about health is required. All of society must recognize the intrinsic value of all living species and the importance of the health of humans, other animals, and ecosystems to health for all

    Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Drugs in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia

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    BACKGROUND The relative effectiveness of second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic drugs as compared with that of older agents has been incompletely addressed, though newer agents are currently used far more commonly. We compared a first-generation antipsychotic, perphenazine, with several newer drugs in a double-blind study. METHODS A total of 1493 patients with schizophrenia were recruited at 57 U.S. sites and randomly assigned to receive olanzapine (7.5 to 30 mg per day), perphenazine (8 to 32 mg per day), quetiapine (200 to 800 mg per day), or risperidone (1.5 to 6.0 mg per day) for up to 18 months. Ziprasidone (40 to 160 mg per day) was included after its approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The primary aim was to delineate differences in the overall effectiveness of these five treatments. RESULTS Overall, 74 percent of patients discontinued the study medication before 18 months (1061 of the 1432 patients who received at least one dose): 64 percent of those assigned to olanzapine, 75 percent of those assigned to perphenazine, 82 percent of those assigned to quetiapine, 74 percent of those assigned to risperidone, and 79 percent of those assigned to ziprasidone. The time to the discontinuation of treatment for any cause was significantly longer in the olanzapine group than in the quetiapine (P<0.001) or risperidone (P=0.002) group, but not in the perphenazine (P=0.021) or ziprasidone (P=0.028) group. The times to discontinuation because of intolerable side effects were similar among the groups, but the rates differed (P=0.04); olanzapine was associated with more discontinuation for weight gain or metabolic effects, and perphenazine was associated with more discontinuation for extrapyramidal effects. CONCLUSIONS The majority of patients in each group discontinued their assigned treatment owing to inefficacy or intolerable side effects or for other reasons. Olanzapine was the most effective in terms of the rates of discontinuation, and the efficacy of the conventional antipsychotic agent perphenazine appeared similar to that of quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone. Olanzapine was associated with greater weight gain and increases in measures of glucose and lipid metabolism

    You turn me cold: evidence for temperature contagion

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    Introduction During social interactions, our own physiological responses influence those of others. Synchronization of physiological (and behavioural) responses can facilitate emotional understanding and group coherence through inter-subjectivity. Here we investigate if observing cues indicating a change in another's body temperature results in a corresponding temperature change in the observer. Methods Thirty-six healthy participants (age; 22.9±3.1 yrs) each observed, then rated, eight purpose-made videos (3 min duration) that depicted actors with either their right or left hand in visibly warm (warm videos) or cold water (cold videos). Four control videos with the actors' hand in front of the water were also shown. Temperature of participant observers' right and left hands was concurrently measured using a thermistor within a Wheatstone bridge with a theoretical temperature sensitivity of <0.0001°C. Temperature data were analysed in a repeated measures ANOVA (temperature × actor's hand × observer's hand). Results Participants rated the videos showing hands immersed in cold water as being significantly cooler than hands immersed in warm water, F(1,34) = 256.67, p0.1). There was however no evidence of left-right mirroring of these temperature effects p>0.1). Sensitivity to temperature contagion was also predicted by inter-individual differences in self-report empathy. Conclusions We illustrate physiological contagion of temperature in healthy individuals, suggesting that empathetic understanding for primary low-level physiological challenges (as well as more complex emotions) are grounded in somatic simulation
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