The Effects of Child Maltreatment on Fixation Patterns and Emotion Recognition

Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem that affects thousands of children each year. Several studies have found links between child maltreatment and impaired cognitive functioning in children and young adults. To this date, there has been no research on how child maltreatment affects fixation patterns in regards to negative and positive stimuli. The purpose of this study was to investigate emotion recognition and fixation patterns in young adults with a history of child maltreatment. Participants included 49 undergraduate students recruited through SONA. Participants completed the SLESQ and the CTQ to assess for trauma and maltreatment. Participants partook in an eye-tracking task where they were presented with varying facial stimuli and instructed to label the expression. Results indicated that child maltreatment did not affect emotion labeling accuracy, nor did it affect how and where participants fixated on particular facial features. These results suggest that child abuse does not affect attentional biases toward particular facial features, and thus does not affect emotion recognition in young adults

Systems-Change Philanthropy: It’s Essential, and It’s Our Responsibility

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health’s mission is to transform how communities promote mental health in everyday life. Policy engagement — fundamental to improving the social and structural determinants of mental health — has always been a strategic priority for the foundation, which has become a trusted resource for mental health and substance use policy issues in Texas. Yet, the state’s mental health and substance use policy community is limited in size, capacity, and training. To address that reality, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health Policy Academy and Policy Fellow Initiative was launched to invest in a mental health policy academy facilitated by a nonprofit organization and to support community organizations in employing and mentoring full-time policy fellows for two years. The academy provides a structured environment and a curriculum that covers the legislative process and technical policy skills, and it strengthens relationships within and around the Texas Capitol. A retrospective evaluation shows that a decade of investment in both the policy academy and policy fellowship has significantly improved the landscape of mental health and substance use policy in the state. Since the program’s inception there has been an increase in peer and recovery services and the peer support workforce across the state. The initiative also deepened policy fellows’ understanding of and ability to navigate the policy arena and increased the capacity of community organizations for effective policy engagement. Alumni have moved into prominent leadership positions, and each cohort adds to a growing network of advocates and organizations working to improve mental health and well-being in Texas

Influence of Post Mortem Muscle Activity on Turkey Meat Quality.

Wing flapping and body movement can occur during the slaughter of poultry. Wing movement and flapping are driven primarily by the breast muscles (Pectoralis major and minor), and this muscle activity may have implications for meat quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate turkey post mortem activity during slaughter at a commercial poultry processing plant. Post mortem activity (during bleeding) was scored on 5,441 male turkeys, from six different genetic lines, using a 1-4 scale from none to severe wing flapping. Meat quality was measured on these birds in terms of pH (initial, ultimate, delta or change), color (L*, a*, b*), and physiochemical traits (drip loss, cooking loss, shear force). Linear mixed models were used to analyze the effect of activity (score 1-4), genetic line (A-F), and season (summer vs. autumn) on the nine meat quality traits. Post mortem activity influenced a*, drip loss, and shear force although the magnitude of the effects was small. There was an effect (P < 0.05) of genetic line on all the meat quality traits except for L*, cooking loss, and shear force. In general, larger, faster-growing lines had higher pH, but the relationship between the lines for the other traits is not as clear. Season affected all the meat quality traits, except for pHdelta, with meat having a higher pH, L*, b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in the summer. This study provides an exploratory assessment of post mortem activity in turkeys and identifies meat quality traits which are most affected while also accounting for the effects of genetic line and season. Although identified effect sizes are small, the cumulative effect on turkey meat quality may be more substantial

Describing the relationships among meat quality traits in domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations.

The presence of meat quality defects is increasing in the turkey industry. While the main strategy for mitigating these issues is through improved housing, management, and slaughter conditions, it may be possible to incorporate meat quality into a turkey breeding strategy with the intent to improve meat quality. Before this can occur, it is important to describe the current state of turkey meat quality as well as the correlations among the different meat quality traits and important production traits. The main objective of the present study was to provide a descriptive analysis of 8 different meat quality traits for turkey breast meat from 3 different purebred lines (A, B, and C), and their correlation with a selection of production traits. Using a total of 7,781 images, the breast meat (N = 590-3,892 birds depending on trait) was evaluated at 24 h postmortem for color (L*, a*, b*), pH, and physiochemical characteristics (drip loss, cooking loss, shear force). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Pearson correlations were computed to describe the relationships among traits within each genetic line. A one-factor ANOVA and post hoc t-test were conducted for each trait and between each of the genetic lines. We found significant differences between genetic lines for some color traits (L* and a*), pHinitial, drip loss, and cooking loss. The lightest line in weight (line B) had meat that was the lightest (L*) in color. The heaviest line (line C) had meat that was less red (a*) with a higher pHinitial and greater cooking loss. Unfavorable correlations between production traits and meat quality were also found for each of the genetic lines where increases in production (e.g., body weight, growth rate) resulted in meat that was lighter and redder in color and in some cases (line B and C), with an increased moisture loss. The results of this study provide an important benchmark for turkey meat quality in purebred lines and provide an updated account of the relationships between key production traits and meat quality. Although the magnitude of these correlations is low, their cumulative effect on meat quality can be more significant especially with continued selection pressure on growth and yield

Life In The Cold: An Investigation Of Polar Regions

Polar areas provide unique environments that, though they may seem extreme and uninhabitable, are flourishing with life. These areas around the North and South poles include deep oceans, shallow shelf regions, tundra, mountain ranges and vast glaciers. With the increasing effects of global climate change, a basic knowledge of polar regions is crucial to understand future impacts and implications. The purpose of this book is to give a broad background of polar biology, and also provide details on specific examples through case studies. Topics included throughout this book are: Ice, Life in Polar Regions, Species Interactions, and Anthropogenic Impacts. The students in the Polar Biology course (MAR 464) at the University of New England have researched and reviewed scientific literature to educate readers about these regions. The class, comprised of fourteen junior and senior Marine Science, Ocean Studies and Marine Affairs, and Environmental Sciences students, selected the different topics, presented the material, wrote the chapters, and assembled the final versions into this book. This book cannot be all inclusive, but we think it will provide an excellent broad overview of the most important aspects of Polar Biology and will stimulate the reader to dive into the material further.https://dune.une.edu/marinesci_studproj/1001/thumbnail.jp

Reliability of a White Striping Scoring System and Description of White Striping Prevalence in Purebred Turkey Lines.

To efficiently meet consumer demands for high-quality lean meat, turkeys are selected for increased meat yield, mainly by increasing breast muscle size and growth efficiency. Over time, this has altered muscle morphology and development rates, which are believed to contribute to the prevalence of myopathies. White striping is a myopathy of economic importance which presents as varying degrees of white striations on the surface of skinless breast muscle and can negatively affect consumer acceptance at the point of sale. Breeding for improved meat quality may be a novel strategy for mitigating the development of white striping in turkey meat; however, it is crucial to have a reliable assessment tool before it can be considered as a phenotype. Six observers used a four-category scoring system (0-3) to score severity in several controlled rounds and evaluate intra- and inter-observer reliability of the scoring system. After sufficient inter-observer reliability (Kendall's W > 0.6) was achieved, 12,321 turkey breasts, from four different purebred lines, were scored to assess prevalence of the condition and analyze its relationship with important growth traits. Overall, the prevalence of white striping (Score > 0) was approximately 88% across all genetic lines studied, with most scores being of moderate-severe severity (Score 1 or 2). As was expected, increased white striping severity was associated with higher slaughter weight, breast weight, and breast meat yield (BMY) within each genetic line. This study highlights the importance of training to improve the reliability of a scoring system for white striping in turkeys and was required to provide an updated account on white striping prevalence in modern turkeys. Furthermore, we showed that white striping is an important breast muscle myopathy in turkeys linked to heavily selected traits such as body weight and BMY. White striping should be investigated further as a novel phenotype in future domestic turkey selection through use of a balanced selection index

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P &lt; 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P &lt; 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p&lt;0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (&lt;1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (&lt;1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline