Reducing alertness does not affect line bisection bias in neurotypical participants.

Alertness, or one's general readiness to respond to stimulation, has previously been shown to affect spatial attention. However, most of this previous research focused on speeded, laboratory-based reaction tasks, as opposed to the classical line bisection task typically used to diagnose deficits of spatial attention in clinical settings. McIntosh et al. (Cogn Brain Res 25:833-850, 2005) provide a form of line bisection task which they argue can more sensitively assess spatial attention. Ninety-eight participants were presented with this line bisection task, once with and once without spatial cues, and both before and after a 50-min vigilance task that aimed to decrease alertness. A single participant was excluded due to potentially inconsistent behaviour in the task, leaving 97 participants for the full analyses. While participants were, on a group level, less alert after the 50-min vigilance task, they showed none of the hypothesised effects of reduced alertness on spatial attention in the line bisection task, regardless of with or without spatial cues. Yet, they did show the proposed effect of decreased alertness leading to a lower level of general attention. This suggests that alertness has no effect on spatial attention, as measured by a line bisection task, in neurotypical participants. We thus conclude that, in neurotypical participants, the effect of alertness on spatial attention can be examined more sensitively with tasks requiring a speeded response compared to unspeeded tasks

evidence from a systematic review and pooled lesion analysis

Despite claims that lesional mania is associated with right-hemisphere lesions, supporting evidence is scarce, and association with specific brain areas has not been demonstrated. Here, we aimed to test whether focal brain lesions in lesional mania are more often right- than left-sided, and if lesions converge on areas relevant to mood regulation. We thus performed a systematic literature search (PROSPERO registration CRD42016053675) on PubMed and Web-Of-Science, using terms that reflect diagnoses and structures of interest, as well as lesional mechanisms. Two researchers reviewed the articles separately according to PRISMA Guidelines, selecting reports of adult-onset hypomania, mania or mixed state following a focal brain lesion, for pooled-analyses of individual patient data. Eligible lesion images were manually traced onto the corresponding MNI space slices, and lesion topography analyzed using standard brain atlases. Using this approach, data from 211 lesional mania patients was extracted from 114 reports. Among 201 cases with focal lesions, more patients had lesions involving exclusively the right (60.7%) than exclusively the left (11.4%) hemisphere. In further analyses of 56 eligible lesion images, while findings should be considered cautiously given the potential for selection bias of published lesion images, right-sided predominance of lesions was confirmed across multiple brain regions, including the temporal lobe, fusiform gyrus and thalamus. These, and several frontal lobe areas, were also identified as preferential lesion sites in comparisons with control lesions. Such pooled-analyses, based on the most comprehensive dataset of lesional mania available to date, confirm a preferential association with right-hemisphere lesions, while suggesting that several brain areas/circuits, relevant to mood regulation, are most frequently affected.publishersversionpublishe

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are increased in joint hypermobility-related disorders with concomitant postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Background Individuals with hypermobility spectrum disorders/hypermobile Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome (HSD/hEDS) frequently fulfill criteria for Rome IV functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is also commonly reported in HSD/hEDS and may impact on co‐morbidity with and severity of FGIDs, although this remains to be studied. We determined the impact of concomitant POTS and HSD/hEDS on their association with Rome IV FGIDs. Methods With the help of the charity organization Ehlers‐Danlos Support UK, an online cross‐sectional health survey was completed by individuals with HSD/hEDS. The survey enquired for (a) self‐reported doctor diagnosis of POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia, (b) the presence and symptom frequency of Rome IV FGIDs, and (c) anxiety and depression scores. Key Results Of 616 subjects with HSD/hEDS, 37.5% reported a doctor diagnosis of POTS. POTS‐positive individuals were significantly younger than POTS‐negative subjects (37 vs 40 years, P = 0.002), more likely to report chronic fatigue syndrome (44% vs 31%, P < 0.0001), and showed a trend toward increased prevalence of fibromyalgia (44% vs 37%, P = 0.06) and higher depression score (P = 0.07). POTS‐positive subjects were also more likely to fulfill criteria for Rome IV FGIDs across various organ domains and experienced both upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms significantly more frequently. The increased associations for FGIDs and GI symptom frequency remained unchanged in HSD/hEDS subjects with POTS following adjustments for age, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and depression scores. Conclusions and Inferences The high FGID burden in HSD/hEDS is further amplified in the presence of POTS. Future studies should elucidate the mechanism by which POTS arises in HSD/hEDS and is associated with increased GI symptoms

Global prevalence and burden of meal-related abdominal pain

BACKGROUND: Patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) report meal intake to be associated with symptoms. DGBI patients with meal-related symptoms may have more severe symptoms overall and worse health outcomes, but this subgroup has not been well characterized. We aimed to describe the global prevalence of meal-related abdominal pain and characterize this subgroup. METHODS: The data analyzed originated from the Internet survey component of the population-based Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study, completed in 26 countries (n = 54,127). Adult subjects were asked whether they had abdominal pain and how often this was meal-related. Respondents were categorized into no, occasional, and frequent meal-related abdominal pain groups based on 0%, 10-40%, and ≥50% of the pain episodes being meal-related, respectively. DGBI diagnoses, frequency of other GI symptoms, psychological distress, non-GI somatic symptoms, quality of life, and healthcare utilization were compared between groups. Mixed linear and ordinal regression was used to assess independent associations between psychological distress, non-GI somatic symptoms, quality of life, other GI symptoms, and meal-related abdominal pain. RESULTS: Overall, 51.9% of the respondents reported abdominal pain in the last 3 months, and 11.0% belonged to the group with frequent meal-related abdominal pain, which included more females and younger subjects. DGBI diagnoses were more common in subjects with frequent meal-related abdominal pain, and the frequency of several GI symptoms was associated with having more frequent meal-related abdominal pain. Having meal-related abdominal pain more frequently was also associated with more severe psychological distress, non-GI somatic symptoms, and a poorer quality of life. The group with frequent meal-related abdominal pain also more often consulted a doctor for bowel problems compared to the other groups of meal-related abdominal pain. CONCLUSION: Reporting frequent meal-related abdominal pain is common across the globe and associated with other GI and non-GI somatic symptoms, psychological distress, healthcare utilization, and a poorer quality of life. Individuals who frequently experience meal-related abdominal pain also more frequently fulfill the diagnostic criteria for DGBI. Assessing meal-related symptoms in all DGBI patients could be of major importance to improve and individualize symptom management

<i>DELAY OF GERMINATION 1</i> mediates a conserved coat-dormancy mechanism for the temperature- and gibberellin-dependent control of seed germination

Seed germination is an important life-cycle transition because it determines subsequent plant survival and reproductive success. To detect optimal spatiotemporal conditions for germination, seeds act as sophisticated environmental sensors integrating information such as ambient temperature. Here we show that the DELAY OF GERMINATION 1 (DOG1) gene, known for providing dormancy adaptation to distinct environments, determines the optimal temperature for seed germination. By reciprocal gene-swapping experiments between Brassicaceae species we show that the DOG1-mediated dormancy mechanism is conserved. Biomechanical analyses showthat thismechanism regulates the material properties of the endosperm, a seed tissue layer acting as germination barrier to control coat dormancy. We found that DOG1 inhibits the expression of gibberellin (GA)-regulated genes encoding cell-wall remodeling proteins in a temperature-dependent manner. Furthermore we demonstrate that DOG1 causes temperature-dependent alterations in the seed GA metabolism. These alterations in hormone metabolism are brought about by the temperature-dependent differential expression of genes encoding key enzymes of the GA biosynthetic pathway. These effects of DOG1 lead to a temperature-dependent control of endosperm weakening and determine the optimal temperature for germination. The conserved DOG1-mediated coat-dormancymechanismprovides a highly adaptable temperature-sensing mechanism to control the timing of germination.</p

Analyse der Integration erneuerbarer Energien in Deutschland und Europa unter Berücksichtigung der Versorgungssicherheit und dezentraler Flexibilitäten

Das Vorhaben greift den Forschungsbedarf auf, der aus dem vorangehenden Vorhaben INTEEVER (FKZ 03ET4020) hervorgegangen ist. Dieser betrifft zum einen den Grad der Genauigkeit und der Differenzierung der modelltechnischen Abbildung von Verbrauchern und Erzeugern im deutschen und europäischen Stromsystem und damit insbesondere die Modelleingangsdaten, die einen relevanten Einfluss auf die Ergebnisse haben. Zum anderen wird eine enge Kopplung von Energiesystemmodellierung und Leistungsflusssimulation im europäischen Verbundnetz angestrebt

Erzeugung und Charakterisierung stationärer, laserinduzierter Plasmen zur Reduktion des Wellenwiderstands im Überschallflug

Die Energiedeposition durch laser-induzierte Plasmen gilt als vielversprechende Methode der aktiven Beeinflussung einer Überschallumströmung. Dieser bisher ausschließlich durch gepulste Lasersysteme eingebrachte, thermisch modifizierte Strömungszustand verändert die auftretenden Verdichtungsstöße und führt nachweislich zur Reduktion des Wellenwiderstands. Die Realisation und Erprobung einer zeitlich konstanten, optischen Strömungsbeeinflussung steht im Zentrum dieser Projektversuche. Der hierfür notwendige stationäre Energieeintrag erfolgt unter ungeströmten Laborbedingungen durch die Überlagerung einer Vorionisation mit einem kontinuierlichen, infraroten Gaslaser. Hierbei dokumentieren die Untersuchungen einen stabilen plasmadynamischen Zustand im Medium Argon für einen Druckbereich von 1,5 bis 5 bar. Die maximale Leistungsdichte des cw-CO2-Lasers beträgt 8 MW/cm², bezogen auf einen Fokusdurchmesser von 80 µm. Durchgeführte Variationen der gasdynamischen und energetischen Parameter grenzen den erzeugten Gleichgewichtszustand aufgrund des Absorptionsverhaltens und der Verluste des angeregten Plasmavolumens ein. Die räumliche und zeitliche Charakterisierung der Plasmaentwicklung bis hin zum Gleichgewichtszustand beruht auf interferometrischen und spektroskopischen Messtechniken