How does mindfulness modulate self-regulation in pre-adolescent children? : An integrative neurocognitive review

Pre-adolescence is a key developmental period in which complex intrinsic volitional methods of self-regulation are acquired as a result of rapid maturation within the brain networks underlying the self-regulatory processes of attention control and emotion regulation. Fostering adaptive self-regulation skills during this stage of development has strong implications for physical health, emotional and socio-economic outcomes during adulthood. There is a growing interest in mindfulness-based programmes for pre-adolescents with initial findings suggesting self-regulation improvements, however, neurodevelopmental studies on mindfulness with pre-adolescents are scarce. This analytical review outlines an integrative neuro-developmental approach, which combines self-report and behavioural assessments with event related brain potentials (ERPs) to provide a systemic multilevel understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms of mindfulness in pre-adolescence. We specifically focus on the N2, error related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), P3a, P3b and late positive potential (LPP) ERP components as indexes of mindfulness related modulations in non-volitional bottom-up self-regulatory processes (salience detection, stimulus driven orienting and mind wandering) and volitional top-down self-regulatory processes (endogenous orienting and executive attention)

Responses of the healthy equine carpal joint to treadmill exercise

We investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on synovial fluid (SF) biomarkers and range of motion (ROM) of the carpal joints in healthy Shetland ponies. Seven ponies (age 3-6y; acclimatised to treadmill), were trained five days/week for five weeks, complemented with 30 min (30’) daily walking exercise. Training consisted of 4’ trot (16 km/h), 2’ canter (21 km/h), 2’ trot (preceded and completed by 5’ walking at 4.4 km/h). SF was collected from left (LF) and right (RF) middle carpal joints three days before the first and 24 h after the last training session (Day33), and additionally from the left side at Day11, -12, -32 and -52. Cartilage metabolism markers CPII, C2C and GAG, and inflammatory markers PGE2.D2, CCL2, and MMP were measured. Carpal ROM was measured using 3D optical motion capture (Proreflex 240, Qualisys, framerate 200 Hz), on the treadmill at Day2 and Day25. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis, with significance set at

Responses of the healthy equine carpal joint to treadmill exercise

We investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on synovial fluid (SF) biomarkers and range of motion (ROM) of the carpal joints in healthy Shetland ponies. Seven ponies (age 3-6y; acclimatised to treadmill), were trained five days/week for five weeks, complemented with 30 min (30’) daily walking exercise. Training consisted of 4’ trot (16 km/h), 2’ canter (21 km/h), 2’ trot (preceded and completed by 5’ walking at 4.4 km/h). SF was collected from left (LF) and right (RF) middle carpal joints three days before the first and 24 h after the last training session (Day33), and additionally from the left side at Day11, -12, -32 and -52. Cartilage metabolism markers CPII, C2C and GAG, and inflammatory markers PGE2.D2, CCL2, and MMP were measured. Carpal ROM was measured using 3D optical motion capture (Proreflex 240, Qualisys, framerate 200 Hz), on the treadmill at Day2 and Day25. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis, with significance set at

A mutated B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia subset that recognizes and responds to fungi

<p>B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common leukemia in adults, is a clonal expansion of CD5(+)CD19(+) B lymphocytes. Two types of CLLs are being distinguished as carrying either unmutated or somatically mutated immunoglobulins (Igs), which are associated with unfavorable and favorable prognoses, respectively. More than 30% of CLLs can be grouped based on their expression of stereotypic B cell receptors (BCRs), strongly suggesting that distinctive antigens are involved in the development of CLL. Unmutated CLLs, carrying Ig heavy chain variable (IGHV) genes in germline configuration, express low-affinity, poly-, and self-reactive BCRs. However, the antigenic specificity of CLLs with mutated IGHV-genes (M-CLL) remained elusive. In this study, we describe a new subset of M-CLL, expressing stereotypic BCRs highly specific for beta-(1,6)-glucan, a major antigenic determinant of yeasts and filamentous fungi. beta-(1,6)-glucan binding depended on both the stereotypic Ig heavy and light chains, as well as on a distinct amino acid in the IGHV-CDR3. Reversion of IGHV mutations to germline configuration reduced the affinity for beta-(1,6)-glucan, indicating that these BCRs are indeed affinity-selected for their cognate antigen. Moreover, CLL cells expressing these stereotypic receptors proliferate in response to beta-(1,6)-glucan. This study establishes a class of common pathogens as functional ligands for a subset of somatically mutated human B cell lymphomas.</p>