Schizophrenia and the progression of emotional expression in relation to others

Gaining an improved understanding of people diagnosed with schizophrenia has the potential to influence priorities for therapy. Psychosis is commonly understood through the perspective of the medical model. However, the experience of social context surrounding psychosis is not well understood. In this research project we used a phenomenological methodology with a longitudinal design to interview 7 participants across a 12-month period to understand the social experiences surrounding psychosis. Eleven themes were explicated and divided into two phases of the illness experience: (a) transition into emotional shutdown included the experiences of not being acknowledged, relational confusion, not being expressive, detachment, reliving the past, and having no sense of direction; and (b) recovery from emotional shutdown included the experiences of being acknowledged, expression, resolution, independence, and a sense of direction. The experiential themes provide clinicians with new insights to better assess vulnerability, and have the potential to inform goals for therapy

Relationship Between Morbidity and Performance in Feedlot Cattle

Five datasets from Canada, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Nebraska were used to determine the impact of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) on performance, with emphasis on dry matter intake (DMI) and feed to gain ratio (F:G). Data included pens and individually fed cattle. In general, cattle treated for BRD had lower DMI and average daily gain (ADG) with little to no effect on F:G. When BRD occured early in the feeding period (days), little change in performance was observed

Fault zone permeability structure evolution in basalts

A combination of field, microstructural and experimental static permeability characterization is used to determine fault permeability structure evolution in upper crustal basalt-hosted fault zones in the Faroe Islands. The faults comprise lower strain fracture networks, to higher strain breccias that form tabular volumes around a principal slip zone hosting gouge or cataclasite. Samples representative of these fault zone components are used for static experimental permeability measurement. Results indicate that within the appropriate effective pressure (depth) range (10–90 MPa: ~0.3 to ~3.0 km), basalt-hosted faults evolve from low strain (10–17 m2) structures. Sample analyses reveal that static permeability is controlled by the development of: a) fault-parallel clay alteration (decreasing permeability); and b) porous zeolite vein connectivity due to hydrofracture (increasing permeability). Fault-parallel permeability is increased relative to the host rock, while fault-normal permeability is low throughout fault rock evolution. This configuration will tend to promote across-fault compartmentalization and along-fault fluid flow, facilitating migration between relatively high-permeability horizons (e.g. vesicular flow unit tops and siliciclastic horizons), bypassing the bulk of the stratigraphy

National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle

Our goal is to sustainably reduce feed resources required to produce beef via the rapid development and deployment of novel nutritional, genomic and genetic improvement technologies. We will strengthen the international competitiveness of US agriculture and enable increased food production by increasing the animal protein produced without additional feed inputs and with a reduced greenhouse gas footprint

Control of metallo-supramolecular assemblies via steric, hydrogen bonding and argentophilic interactions; formation of a 3-dimensional polymer of circular helicates

This work shows how multiple non-covalent interactions are employed to control metallosupramolecular architectures and we demonstrate that a ligand, which contains two bidentate domains separated by a ArOH spacer, forms a mesocate when complexed with Ag(I). However, changing this to an ArOCH2CH2Ph spacer unit results in a 1-dimensional helical polymer upon reaction with the same cation. Reaction of Ag(I) with the ArOMe derivative gives a hexanuclear circular helicate which forms inter-assembly Ag⋯Ag interactions resulting in a 3-dimensional honeycomb-like polymer of hexanuclear circular helicates

Exercise therapy in adults with serious mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness are at a higher risk of physical ill health. Mortality rates are at least twice those of the general population with higher levels of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness. Although genetics may have a role in the physical health problems of these patients, lifestyle and environmental factors such as levels of smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low levels of physical activity also play a prominent part.<p></p> Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing the effect of exercise interventions on individuals with serious mental illness.<p></p> Methods: Searches were made in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Biological Abstracts on Ovid, and The Cochrane Library (January 2009, repeated January 2013) through to February 2013.<p></p> Results: Eight RCTs were identified in the systematic search. Six compared exercise versus usual care. One study assessed the effect of a cycling programme versus muscle strengthening and toning exercises. The final study compared the effect of adding specific exercise advice and motivational skills to a simple walking programme. Exercise programmes were noted by their heterogeneity in terms of the type of exercise intervention, setting, and outcome measures. The review found that exercise improved levels of exercise activity (n=13, standard mean difference [SMD] 1.81, CI 0.44 to 3.18, p = 0.01). No beneficial effect was found on negative (n = 84, SMD = -0.54, CI -1.79 to 0.71, p = 0.40) or positive symptoms of schizophrenia (n = 84, SMD = -1.66, CI -3.78 to 0.45, p = 0.12). No change was found on body mass index compared with usual care (n= 151, SMD = -0.24, CI -0.56 to 0.08, p = 0.14), or body weight (n = 77, SMD = 0.13, CI -0.32 to 0.58, p = 0.57). No beneficial effect was found on anxiety and depressive symptoms (n = 94, SMD = -0.26, CI -0.91 to 0.39, p = 0.43), or quality of life in respect of physical and mental domains. One RCT measured the effect of exercise on exercise intensity, attendance, and persistence at a programme. No significant effect was found on these measures.<p></p> Conclusions: This systematic review showed that exercise therapies can lead to a modest increase in levels of exercise activity but overall there was no noticeable change for symptoms of mental health, body mass index, and body weight.<p></p&gt

Ruthenium‐Containing Linear Helicates and Mesocates with Tuneable p53‐Selective Cytotoxicity in Colorectal Cancer Cells

The ligands L1 and L2 both form separable dinuclear double‐stranded helicate and mesocate complexes with RuII. In contrast to clinically approved platinates, the helicate isomer of [Ru2(L1)2]4+ was preferentially cytotoxic to isogenic cells (HCT116 p53−/−), which lack the critical tumour suppressor gene. The mesocate isomer shows the reverse selectivity, with the achiral isomer being preferentially cytotoxic towards HCT116 p53+/+. Other structurally similar RuII‐containing dinuclear complexes showed very little cytotoxic activity. This study demonstrates that alterations in ligand or isomer can have profound effects on cytotoxicity towards cancer cells of different p53 status and suggests that selectivity can be “tuned” to either genotype. In the search for compounds that can target difficult‐to‐treat tumours that lack the p53 tumour suppressor gene, [Ru2(L1)2]4+ is a promising compound for further development

A self‐assembled anion‐binding cryptand for the highly selective liquid‐liquid extraction of phosphate anions

The ligands L1 and L2 form trinuclear self‐assembled complexes with Cu2+ (i.e. [(L1)2Cu3]6+ or [(L2)2Cu3]6+) both of which act as a host to a variety of anions. Inclusion of long aliphatic chains on these ligands allows the assemblies to extract anions from aqueous media into organic solvents. Phosphate can be removed from water efficiently and highly selectively, even in the presence of other anions

Insiders, Outsiders, and the Struggle for Consecration in Cultural Fields: A Core-Periphery Perspective

Building on recent research emphasizing how legitimacy depends on consensus among audiences about candidates’ characteristics and activities, we examine the relationship between cultural producers’ (candidates) position in the social structure and the consecration of their creative work by relevant audiences. We argue that the outcome of this process of evaluation in any cultural field, whether in art or science, is a function of (1) candidates’ embeddedness within the field, and (2) the type of audience—that is, peers versus critics—evaluating candidates’ work. Specifically, we hypothesize that peers are more likely to favor candidates who are highly embedded in the field, whereas critics will not show such favoritism. We find support for these hypotheses in the context of the Hollywood motion picture industry