Altered fMRI restingâ state connectivity in individuals with fibromyalgia on acute pain stimulation

BackgroundFibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain condition, with patients commonly reporting other symptoms such as sleep difficulties, memory complaints and fatigue. The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fibromyalgia has allowed for the detection of neural abnormalities, with alterations in brain activation elicited by experimental pain and alterations in resting state connectivity related to clinical pain.MethodsIn this study, we sought to monitor state changes in resting brain connectivity following experimental pressure pain in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls. Twelve fibromyalgia patients and 15 healthy controls were studied by applying discrete pressure stimuli to the thumbnail bed during MRI. Restingâ state functional MRI scanning was performed before and immediately following experimental pressure pain. We investigated changes in functional connectivity to the thalamus and the insular cortex.ResultsAcute pressure pain increased insula connectivity to the anterior cingulate and the hippocampus. Additionally, we observed increased thalamic connectivity to the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, a known part of the default mode network, in patients but not in controls. This connectivity was correlated with changes in clinical pain.ConclusionsThese data reporting changes in restingâ state brain activity following a noxious stimulus suggest that the acute painful stimuli may contribute to the alteration of the neural signature of chronic pain.What does this study/add?In this study acute pain application shows an echo in functional connectivity and clinical pain changes in chronic pain.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122449/1/ejp832_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/122449/2/ejp832.pd

Crop loading studies on ‘Caricia’ and ‘Eva’ apples grown in a mild winter area

The crop load level of an apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) tree impacts fruit yield and quality parameters, tree vigor and biennial bearing. The optimal crop load is that which allows for consistent annual cropping and fruit quality acceptable to the market. We evaluated the effect of crop load on yield and fruit quality of two low-chill apples cv. ‘Caricia’ and ‘Eva’, growing in a mild winter area. During 2010 and 2011 crop load was manually adjusted from 2 or 3 to 17 fruits cm−2 of trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA). Fruit yield was positively related to crop load in both cultivars but mean fruit weight diminished as the crop load increased. For both cultivars, the production of non-commercial and small-sized fruit increased, whereas production of middle-sized fruit diminished as the fruit load increased. Shoot length was not affected by crop load in ‘Eva’ whereas it was reduced in ‘Caricia’. Red skin color (RSC %) had a quadratic response to crop load in ‘Caricia’. On the other hand, the RSC % of ‘Eva’ fruit was adjusted to a negative logarithmic model as an effect of crop load increment. No biennial bearing was observed in either cultivar. This research study suggests that the maximum limit of crop load for both cultivars is 7 fruits cm−2 of TCSA, and the lower limit of crop load was 3 fruits cm−2 of TCSA for ‘Eva’ and 5 fruits cm−2 of TCSA for ‘Caricia’

Representational predicaments for employees: Their impact on perceptions of supervisors\u27 individualized consideration and on employee job satisfaction

A representational predicament for a subordinate vis-à-vis his or her immediate superior involves perceptual incongruence with the superior about the subordinate\u27s work or work context, with unfavourable implications for the employee. An instrument to measure the incidence of two types of representational predicament, being neglected and negative slanting, was developed and then validated through an initial survey of 327 employees. A subsequent substantive survey with a fresh sample of 330 employees largely supported a conceptual model linking being neglected and negative slanting to perceptions of low individualized consideration by superiors and to low overall job satisfaction. The respondents in both surveys were all Hong Kong Chinese. Two case examples drawn from qualitative interviews illustrate and support the conceptual model. Based on the research findings, we recommend some practical exercises to use in training interventions with leaders and subordinates. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Desempenho de macieiras 'Imperial Gala' e 'Mishima Fuji' em diferentes porta-enxertos

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de diferentes porta-enxertos no desempenho das cultivares de macieira (Malus domestica) Imperial Gala e Mishima Fuji. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. Utilizaram-se os porta-enxertos CG.969, CG.874, CG.210, CG.56, CG.008, JM.2 e JM.7, além da combinação de Marubakaido com interenxerto de M.9 (Marubakaido/M.9). Avaliaram-se as variáveis: produção por planta, produtividade, número de frutos por planta, massa de fruto, área da seção transversal do tronco, sólidos solúveis, firmeza do fruto e índice iodo-amido. A produtividade de ambas as cultivares foi maior com os porta-enxertos Marubakaido/M.9, JM.2, CG.008, CG.874, CG.210 e CG.56. Além disso, os porta-enxertos CG.008, CG.874, CG.210 e CG.56 reduzem o vigor da cultivar-copa, mas sem reduzir a produtividade. O teor de sólidos solúveis dos frutos é maior quando se utilizam porta-enxertos menos vigorosos

Typing of Australian isolates of Treponema hyodysenteriae by serology and by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis

A total of 91 isolates of Treponema hyodysenteriae which were obtained from 62 piggeries located around Australia were typed by serology and by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). The isolates fell into eight serogroups, of which groups B and D were the most common. Isolates with different REA patterns were recognised within serogroups, whilst a few isolates with the same REA pattern were placed into different serogroups. Some of the latter isolates were either from the same piggery or from farms with epidemiological links, thus indicating the bacteria may have altered their antigenic properties. A total of 31 different REA patterns were recognised amongst the Australian isolates. These comprised eight major patterns, with four of these being subdivided on the basis of minor differences in banding. Where a number of isolates were obtained from individual piggeries these all had the same REA pattern, and in one piggery isolates with the same pattern were recovered over a five year period. Plasmid bands were observed in 70 of the Australian isolates (77%), and in six of the seven overseas isolates included in the study for comparison. These plasmids did not affect the REA pattern. Of the States from which substantial numbers of isolates were examined, the greatest number of different strains (12 amongst 19 piggeries) were found from Victoria, and there were 10 REA patterns in strains from 24 piggeries in Queensland. Despite the large total number of different strains of T. hyodysenteriae in Australia, only three were found in more than one State

Identification of a gene sequence encoding a putative pyruvate oxidoreductase in Serpulina pilosicoli

Serpulina pilosicoli is a recently described species of intestinal spirochaete which can be identified using a species-specific monoclonal antibody BJL/AC1 reactive with a 29-kDa protein located in the cell envelope. A genomic library of the type strain of S. pilosicoli P43/6/78(T) was created in λ zap express(TM) and screened using BJL/AC1. Single positive clones were isolated and excised into the phagemid vector pBK-CMV. Phagemid DNA was purified and a single clone was selected for sequencing. The size of spirochaetal DNA insert was determined by digestion with restriction endonucleases EcoRI and PstI as being approximately 2.6 kb. The nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the protein with which the antibody reacted was determined by cycle sequencing. The insert contained an open reading frame of 825 nucleotides. Translation of the nucleotide sequence into amino acid (aa) residues showed a sequence of 275 aa. Comparison of this sequence with databases revealed homology to pyruvate oxidoreductases from various organisms found in the gastrointestinal tract. These included the pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (POR) α subunit of Helicobacter pylori (38.8% identity in 250 aa), pyruvate-flavodoxin oxidoreductase of Escherichia coli (28.7% identity in 258 aa) and Giardia intestinalis (25.1% identity in 251 aa). A significant level of homology was also observed with hyperthermophilic bacteria such as the POR of Thermatoga maritima (38.6% in 254 aa) and the 2-ketovalerate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase of Pyrococcus furiosus (34% in 262 aa)