In the eyes of others : the role of honor concerns in explaining and preventing insult-elicited aggression

Much of the previous work investigating the impact of honor on conflict management has focused on how people endorsing honor values respond to possibly offensive interactions. Despite the accumulation of this research, it is yet unclear why people endorsing the ideal of honor respond more fiercely after being offended. Moreover, hardly any systematic attempts have been undertaken to identify ways in which these negative ramifications of offensive encounters can be prevented or reduced. The discoveries made in the context of this dissertation paint a more balanced picture of the effect of honor concern on conflict management and inform us on possible avenues of effective conflict intervention.NWOSocial decision makin

Effect of Family Environment on Student Academic Performance and Adjustment Problems In School.

The study investigates the effect of family environment on student’s academic performance and adjustment problems among year one students of school of health Technology Keffi, Nasarawa State.  The study included 168 students made up of 77 males and 91 females from four Departments in the School, ranging between the age of 16 – 20 years. The results revealed that family environment has no effect on Academic performance of the student; also there is no gender difference in school adjustment and academic performance of the participants. However, in cons tract, family environment has effect on school adjustment. This finding suggests the need for parents to pay attention on their relationship with children while in school as it may has effect on them negatively

Problematika Siswa Difabel Rungu dalam Pembelajaran Matematika di Sekolah Inklusi

Manusia  adalah  mahluk  ciptaan  Tuhan  yang  paling  sepesial  begitupun Tuli  karena  pada  hakekatnya  manusia  pada  umumnya  dan  tuli khususnya  merupakan  mahluk  yang  penuh  dengan  dinamika. Pada dasarnya individu Tuli atau Difabel rungu sama  dengan  individu  berpendengaran  normal  pada  umumnya,  di mana mereka juga memerlukan kebutuhan akan kasih sayang, adanya rasa aman,  pengakuan  akan  harga  diri,  serta  kebutuhan  akan  pendidikan. Penelitian ini membahas tentang problematika Difabel rungu dalam masyarakat serta dalam pendidikan terutama dalam mata pelajaran matematika di sekolah inklusi. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan metode pengambilan data berupa wawancara terhadap Siswa dan Guru mata pelajaran. Kehilangan  pendengaran  akan  menyebabkan  miskinnya  kebahasaan yang dimiliki oleh individu tuli sehingga akan menghambat komunikasi individu difabel secara nyata. Akibatnya individu ini akan kesulitan dalam berkomunikasi dengan lingkungannya, terutama dalam hal menyesuaikan diri dengan kondisi yang belum lazim dialaminya. Dalam bersosial mereka agak malu dan kadang sering diam menyendiri. Mereka berbahasa dengan bahasa isyarat yang menggunakan gerakan tangan dan mimik wajah. Difabel rungu mengalami kesulitan dalam pembelajaran matematika seperti halnya banyaknya bilangan. Hal itu dikatakan wajar karena yang normalpun tetap merasa kesulitan

Point Mutations on Mitochondrial DNA in Iranian Patients with Friedreich’s Ataxia

ObjectiveMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is considered a candidate modifier factor for neuro-degenerative disorders. The most common type of ataxia is Friedreich's ataxia (FA). The aim of this study was to investigate different parts of mtDNA in 20 Iranian FA patients and 80 age-matched controls by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated DNA sequencing methods to find any probable point mutations involved in the pathogenesis of FA.Materials and MethodsWe identified 13 nucleotide substitutions including A3505G, T3335C, G3421A, G8251A, A8563G, A8563G, G8584A, T8614C, T8598C, C8684T, A8701G, G8994A and A9024G.ResultsTwelve of 13 nucleotide substitutions had already been reported as polymorphism. One of the nucleotide substitutions (A9024G) had not been reported before. The A9024G nucleotide substitution does not change its amino acid. The controls were also investigated for this polymorphism which was found in two of them (2.5%).ConclusionNone of the mutations found in this study can affect the clinical manifestations of FA. This survey also provides evidence that the mtDNA A9024G allele is a new nonpathogenic polymorphism. We suggest follow-up studies for this polymorphism in different populations.

Left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm: Do not make the same mistake

The differentiation between left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm and true aneurysm is sometimes difficult and there are some pitfalls in the process of making the right diagnosis. Correct diagnosis has considerable effect on the outcome and management of the patients. We report the case of 59-year-old man who referred to the emergency department with complaints of lower extremity edema and dyspnea on exertion. In his past medical history, he had been diagnosed with post-myocardial infarction and apical true aneurysm four months before his arrival at the emergency ward. The patient was under strict medical follow-up for his condition. Echocardiography was conducted in the emergency ward, and it revealed a huge apical pseudo-aneurysm, which had been miss-diagnosed in the past echocardiographic examination. We herein seek to address this issue and underscore the pitfalls in making the correct and necessary distinction between these two not so uncommon entities

EFEKTIFITAS PENYULUHAN PERILAKU HIDUP BERSIH DAN SEHAT DI SDN 2 SUKA BUMI

Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat di sekolah merupakan sebuah perilaku yang dilakukan guru, murid dan masyarakat lingkungan sekolah. Hal tersebut dilakukan agar mampu mencegah penyakit, meningkatkan kesehatannya, serta berperan aktif dalam mewujudkan lingkungan yang sehat. Adapun manfaat PHBS yaitu guna meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat sehingga masyarakat mau dan mampu menjalankan hidup bersih dan sehat. Tujuan dilakukannya penyuluhan Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat untuk meningkatkan wawasan dan pengetahuan siswa agar mengetahui dan mampu mempraktikkan PHBS serta dapat berperan aktif dalam mewujudkan sekolah sehat pada pelajar kelas V di SDN 2 Sukabumi. Metode yang digunakan dalam penyuluhan ini yaitu dengan desain quasi eksperimen dengan pendekatan  One group pre test dan post test. Setelah mengisi pre test dan post test hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan tingkat pengetahuan menurun dari 8,35% menjadi 8,13% untuk tingkat sikap terjadi kenaikan dari 30,96% menjadi 34,00% dan untuk tingkat perilaku terdapat kenaikan dari 17,47% menjadi 18,78% dengan total populasi 23 siswa/i kelas V. Kesimpulan yang didapat dari penyuluhan ini yaitu hasil analisis t dependen tidak berdampak pada pengetahuan siswa/siswi. Hal ini dibuktikan berdasarkan terdapatnya nilai rata-rata pre test sebesar 8,35 dan post test 8,13 pada uji t dependen

Hypomethylation of MB-COMT promoter is a major risk factor for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

The variability in phenotypic presentations and the lack of consistency of genetic associations in mental illnesses remain a major challenge in molecular psychiatry. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that altered promoter DNA methylation could play a critical role in mediating differential regulation of genes and in facilitating short-term adaptation in response to the environment. Here, we report the investigation of the differential activity of membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB - COMT) due to altered promoter methylation and the nature of the contribution of COMT Val158Met polymorphism as risk factors for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by analyzing 115 post-mortem brain samples from the frontal lobe. These studies are the first to reveal that the MB - COMT promoter DNA is frequently hypomethylated in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients, compared with the controls (methylation rate: 26 and 29 versus 60; P = 0.004 and 0.008, respectively), particularly in the left frontal lobes (methylation rate: 29 and 30 versus 81; P = 0.003 and 0.002, respectively). Quantitative gene-expression analyses showed a corresponding increase in transcript levels of MB - COMT in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients compared with the controls (P = 0.02) with an accompanying inverse correlation between MB - COMT and DRD1 expression. Furthermore, there was a tendency for the enrichment of the Val allele of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism with MB - COMT hypomethylation in the patients. These findings suggest that MB - COMT over-expression due to promoter hypomethylation and/or hyperactive allele of COMT may increase dopamine degradation in the frontal lobe providing a molecular basis for the shared symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. © Copyright 2006 Oxford University Press

Hypermethylation of the reelin (RELN) promoter in the brain of schizophrenic patients: A preliminary report

DNA methylation changes could provide a mechanism for DNA plasticity and dynamism for short-term adaptation, enabling a type of cell memory to register cellular history under different environmental conditions. Some environmental insults may also result in pathological methylation with corresponding alteration of gene expression patterns. Evidence from several studies has suggested that in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, mRNA of the reelin gene (RELN), which encodes a protein necessary for neuronal migration, axonal branching, synaptogenesis, and cell signaling, is severely reduced in post-mortem brains. Therefore, we investigated the methylation status of the RELN promoter region in schizophrenic patients and normal controls as a potential mechanism for down regulation of its expression. Ten post-mortem frontal lobe brain samples from male schizophrenic patients and normal controls were obtained from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resources Center. DNA was extracted using a standard phenol-chloroform DNA extraction protocol. To evaluate differences between patients and controls, we applied methylation specific PCR (MSP) using primers localized to CpG islands flanking a potential cyclic AMP response element (CRE) and a stimulating protein-1 (SP1) binding site located in the promoter region. For each sample, DNA extraction, bisulfite treatment, and MSP were independently repeated at least four times to accurately determine the methylation status of the target region. Forty-three PCR trials were performed on the test and control samples. MSP analysis of the RELN promoter revealed an unmethylated signal in all reactions (43 of 43) using DNA from the frontal brain tissue, derived from either the schizophrenic patients or normal controls indicating that this region of the RELN promoter is predominantly unmethylated. However, we observed a distinct methylated signal in 73 of the trials (16 of 22) in schizophrenic patients compared with 24 (5 of 21) of controls. Thus, the hypermethylation of the CpG islands flanking a CRE and SP1 binding site observed at a significantly higher level (t = -5.07, P = 0.001) may provide a mechanism for the decreased RELN expression, frequently observed in post-mortem brains of schizophrenic patients. We also found an inverse relationship between the level of DNA methylation using MSP analysis and the expression of the RELN gene using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Despite the small sample size, these studies indicate that promoter hypermethylation of the RELN gene could be a significant contributor in effecting epigenetic alterations and provides a molecular basis for the RELN gene hypoactivity in schizophrenia. Further studies with a larger sample set would be required to validate these preliminary observations. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Ectopic Cdx2 Expression in Murine Esophagus Models an Intermediate Stage in the Emergence of Barrett's Esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is an intestinal metaplasia that occurs in the setting of chronic acid and bile reflux and is associated with a risk for adenocarcinoma. Expression of intestine-specific transcription factors in the esophagus likely contributes to metaplasia development. Our objective was to explore the effects of an intestine-specific transcription factor when expressed in the mouse esophageal epithelium. Transgenic mice were derived in which the transcription factor Cdx2 is expressed in squamous epithelium using the murine Keratin-14 gene promoter. Effects of the transgene upon cell proliferation and differentiation, gene expression, and barrier integrity were explored. K14-Cdx2 mice express the Cdx2 transgene in esophageal squamous tissues. Cdx2 expression was associated with reduced basal epithelial cell proliferation and altered cell morphology. Ultrastructurally two changes were noted. Cdx2 expression was associated with dilated space between the basal cells and diminished cell-cell adhesion caused by reduced Desmocollin-3 mRNA and protein expression. This compromised epithelial barrier function, as the measured trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of the K14-Cdx2 epithelium was significantly reduced compared to controls (1189 Ohm*cm2 ±343.5 to 508 Ohm*cm2±92.48, p = 0.0532). Secondly, basal cells with features of a transitional cell type, intermediate between keratinocytes and columnar Barrett's epithelial cells, were observed. These cells had reduced keratin bundles and increased endoplasmic reticulum levels, suggesting the adoption of secretory-cell features. Moreover, at the ultrastructural level they resembled “Distinctive” cells associated with multilayered epithelium. Treatment of the K14-Cdx2 mice with 5′-Azacytidine elicited expression of BE-associated genes including Cdx1, Krt18, and Slc26a3/Dra, suggesting the phenotype could be advanced under certain conditions. We conclude that ectopic Cdx2 expression in keratinocytes alters cell proliferation, barrier function, and differentiation. These altered cells represent a transitional cell type between normal squamous and columnar BE cells. The K14-Cdx2 mice represent a useful model to study progression from squamous epithelium to BE

Extracting key information from historical data to quantify the transmission dynamics of smallpox

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Quantification of the transmission dynamics of smallpox is crucial for optimizing intervention strategies in the event of a bioterrorist attack. This article reviews basic methods and findings in mathematical and statistical studies of smallpox which estimate key transmission parameters from historical data.</p> <p>Main findings</p> <p>First, critically important aspects in extracting key information from historical data are briefly summarized. We mention different sources of heterogeneity and potential pitfalls in utilizing historical records. Second, we discuss how smallpox spreads in the absence of interventions and how the optimal timing of quarantine and isolation measures can be determined. Case studies demonstrate the following. (1) The upper confidence limit of the 99th percentile of the incubation period is 22.2 days, suggesting that quarantine should last 23 days. (2) The highest frequency (61.8%) of secondary transmissions occurs 3–5 days after onset of fever so that infected individuals should be isolated before the appearance of rash. (3) The U-shaped age-specific case fatality implies a vulnerability of infants and elderly among non-immune individuals. Estimates of the transmission potential are subsequently reviewed, followed by an assessment of vaccination effects and of the expected effectiveness of interventions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Current debates on bio-terrorism preparedness indicate that public health decision making must account for the complex interplay and balance between vaccination strategies and other public health measures (e.g. case isolation and contact tracing) taking into account the frequency of adverse events to vaccination. In this review, we summarize what has already been clarified and point out needs to analyze previous smallpox outbreaks systematically.</p