The syllable in visual word recognition.

In a recent article, Taft (1979b) argued that lexical access for visually presented words is based on an initial syllabic unit called the Basic Orthographic Syllable Structure, or BOSS, defined as that part of a word\u27s first root morpheme that contains the first vowel and all orthographically permissible following consonants. The BOSS theory of lexical access rests on the two assumptions that (1) morphologically related words are accessed through an identical entry they share in the internal lexicon and (2) that words are accessed on the basis of an initial syllabic unit. Taft argued that lexical access based on a phonologically defined syllable such as the Vocalic Center Group, or VCG, would often result in morphologically related words being accessed through different lexical entries. The BOSS, in contrast to the VCG, preserves these morphological relationships by assigning a common BOSS to all affixed forms of a root. Thus, although FAS is the VCG of FASTER, both FASTER and FAST have FAST as their BOSS

Partial or Complete Unloading of Skeletal Muscle Leads to Specific Alterations of Anabolic Signal Transduction

Consequences of disuse atrophy of skeletal muscle observed during spaceflight on astronaut health and performance are a focal point of space research. Decrements of both muscle mass and protein synthesis rates have been observed with exposure to varying muscle loading environments (1G \u3e partial loading \u3e 0G), and most of the reduced muscle mass can be attributed to diminished rates of synthesis. However, specific mechanisms behind unloading-dependent reductions of protein synthesis are not well defined. PURPOSE: To determine whether or not alterations of anabolic signal transduction was responsible for the changes previously observed in fractional synthesis rates with specific gravitational loading paradigms. METHODS: Female BALB/cByJ were normalized by bodyweight and assigned to normal cage ambulation (1G), partial weight bearing suspension titrated to approximately 33% bodyweight (G/3), partial weight bearing titrated to 16% bodyweight (G/6) and full unloading of hind limbs (0G) in specially designed cages. All mice were subjected to that loading environment for 21d prior to tissue harvest, and monitored daily. Immunoblotting of the gastrocnemius (n=23) was carried out to analyze alterations of anabolic signal transduction. Although numerous signaling intermediates were assessed, the focus of this abstract will be on ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70-S6K). This important protein has served as a marker of protein synthesis signal transduction as well as the anabolic capacity in skeletal muscle. RESULTS: Regardless of loading paradigm, no differences were detected among groups for the activation of p70-S6K (as indicated by the phospho: total protein content). Total protein content, however, was ~27% lower than control in 0G and G/3 (P=0.008) with G/6 not being different from control (P\u3e0.05). CONCLUSION: In combination with previous data (unpublished observations), Partial gravitational fields at least partially rescues anabolic signaling, suggesting that a threshold level of stimulus is necessary to maintain anabolic capacity in muscle. These results may have important implications towards the development of strategies designed to counter the effects of partial/complete unloading on skeletal muscle based on how the anabolic capacity of muscle is affected

The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with late right-sided heart failure in patients supported with an axial-flow left ventricular assist device

BACKGROUND: Early right-sided heart failure (RHF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with increased mortality, but little is known about patients who develop late RHF (LRHF). We evaluated the incidence, risk factors, and clinical impact of LRHF in patients supported by axial-flow LVADs. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 537 patients enrolled in the HeartMate II (HM II; Thoratec/St. Jude) destination therapy clinical trial. LRHF was defined as the development of clinical RHF accompanied by the need for inotropic support occurring more than 30 days after discharge from the index LVAD implant hospitalization. Clinical variables, quality of life, rehospitalizations, and survival were compared between patients with and without LRHF. RESULTS: LRHF developed in 41 patients (8%), with a median time to LRHF of 480 days. A higher preoperative blood urea nitrogen and increased central venous pressure-to-pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ratio were independent predictors of LRHF. The Michigan and HMII RHF risk scores were both associated with an increased likelihood of LRHF (p < 0.05). Patients with LRHF had worse quality of life according to the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (61 ± 26 vs 70 ± 21; p < 0.05), poorer functional capacity by 6-minute walk distance (275 ± 189 m vs 312 ± 216 m; p < 0.05), and more rehospitalizations (6 vs 3; p < 0.001). LRHF was associated with decreased survival (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LRHF is an important complication in patients with LVADs and is associated with worse quality of life, reduced functional capacity, more frequent hospitalizations, and worse survival compared with those without LRHF

The nuclear receptors of Biomphalaria glabrata and Lottia gigantea: Implications for developing new model organisms

© 2015 Kaur et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedNuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription regulators involved in an array of diverse physiological functions including key roles in endocrine and metabolic function. The aim of this study was to identify nuclear receptors in the fully sequenced genome of the gastropod snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni and compare these to known vertebrate NRs, with a view to assessing the snail's potential as a invertebrate model organism for endocrine function, both as a prospective new test organism and to elucidate the fundamental genetic and mechanistic causes of disease. For comparative purposes, the genome of a second gastropod, the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea was also investigated for nuclear receptors. Thirty-nine and thirty-three putative NRs were identified from the B. glabrata and L. gigantea genomes respectively, based on the presence of a conserved DNA-binding domain and/or ligand-binding domain. Nuclear receptor transcript expression was confirmed and sequences were subjected to a comparative phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated that these molluscs have representatives of all the major NR subfamilies (1-6). Many of the identified NRs are conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates, however differences exist, most notably, the absence of receptors of Group 3C, which includes some of the vertebrate endocrine hormone targets. The mollusc genomes also contain NR homologues that are present in insects and nematodes but not in vertebrates, such as Group 1J (HR48/DAF12/HR96). The identification of many shared receptors between humans and molluscs indicates the potential for molluscs as model organisms; however the absence of several steroid hormone receptors indicates snail endocrine systems are fundamentally different.The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, Grant Ref:G0900802 to CSJ, LRN, SJ & EJR [www.nc3rs.org.uk]

Genetic risk and a primary role for cell-mediated immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a common disease of the central nervous system in which the interplay between inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes typically results in intermittent neurological disturbance followed by progressive accumulation of disability. Epidemiological studies have shown that genetic factors are primarily responsible for the substantially increased frequency of the disease seen in the relatives of affected individuals, and systematic attempts to identify linkage in multiplex families have confirmed that variation within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) exerts the greatest individual effect on risk. Modestly powered genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have enabled more than 20 additional risk loci to be identified and have shown that multiple variants exerting modest individual effects have a key role in disease susceptibility. Most of the genetic architecture underlying susceptibility to the disease remains to be defined and is anticipated to require the analysis of sample sizes that are beyond the numbers currently available to individual research groups. In a collaborative GWAS involving 9,772 cases of European descent collected by 23 research groups working in 15 different countries, we have replicated almost all of the previously suggested associations and identified at least a further 29 novel susceptibility loci. Within the MHC we have refined the identity of the HLA-DRB1 risk alleles and confirmed that variation in the HLA-A gene underlies the independent protective effect attributable to the class I region. Immunologically relevant genes are significantly overrepresented among those mapping close to the identified loci and particularly implicate T-helper-cell differentiation in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

Twenty-One Days of Lunar Environment Alters Muscle Fiber Areas in Mouse Gastrocnemius

Download PD

Spectrum of PEX1 and PEX6 variants in Heimler syndrome

Heimler syndrome (HS) consists of recessively inherited sensorineural hearing loss, amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) and nail abnormalities, with or without visual defects. Recently HS was shown to result from hypomorphic mutations in PEX1 or PEX6, both previously implicated in Zellweger Syndrome Spectrum Disorders (ZSSD). ZSSD are a group of conditions consisting of craniofacial and neurological abnormalities, sensory defects and multi-organ dysfunction. The finding of HS-causing mutations in PEX1 and PEX6 shows that HS represents the mild end of the ZSSD spectrum, though these conditions were previously thought to be distinct nosological entities. Here, we present six further HS families, five with PEX6 variants and one with PEX1 variants, and show the patterns of Pex1, Pex14 and Pex6 immunoreactivity in the mouse retina. While Ratbi et al. found more HS-causing mutations in PEX1 than in PEX6, as is the case for ZSSD, in this cohort PEX6 variants predominate, suggesting both genes play a significant role in HS. The PEX6 variant c.1802G>A, p.(R601Q), reported previously in compound heterozygous state in one HS and three ZSSD cases, was found in compound heterozygous state in three HS families. Haplotype analysis suggests a common founder variant. All families segregated at least one missense variant, consistent with the hypothesis that HS results from genotypes including milder hypomorphic alleles. The clinical overlap of HS with the more common Usher syndrome and lack of peroxisomal abnormalities on plasma screening suggest that HS may be under-diagnosed. Recognition of AI is key to the accurate diagnosis of HS

HIV Testing and Care in Canadian Aboriginal Youth: A community based mixed methods study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIV infection is a serious concern in the Canadian Aboriginal population, particularly among youth; however, there is limited attention to this issue in research literature. The purpose of this national study was to explore HIV testing and care decisions of Canadian Aboriginal youth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A community-based mixed-method design incorporating the Aboriginal research principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP) was used. Data were collected through surveys (n = 413) and qualitative interviews (n = 28). Eleven community-based organizations including urban Aboriginal AIDS service organizations and health and friendship centres in seven provinces and one territory assisted with the recruitment of youth (15 to 30 years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average age of survey participants was 21.5 years (median = 21.0 years) and qualitative interview participants was 24.4 years (median = 24.0). Fifty-one percent of the survey respondents (210 of 413 youth) and 25 of 28 interview participants had been tested for HIV. The most common reason to seek testing was having sex without a condom (43.6%) or pregnancy (35.4%) while common reasons for not testing were the perception of being low HIV risk (45.3%) or not having had sex with an infected person (34.5%). Among interviewees, a contributing reason for not testing was feeling invulnerable. Most surveyed youth tested in the community in which they lived (86.5%) and 34.1% visited a physician for the test. The majority of surveyed youth (60.0%) had tested once or twice in the previous 2 years, however, about one-quarter had tested more than twice. Among the 26 surveyed youth who reported that they were HIV-positive, 6 (23.1%) had AIDS at the time of diagnosis. Delays in care-seeking after diagnosis varied from a few months to seven years from time of test.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is encouraging that many youth who had tested for HIV did so based on a realistic self-assessment of HIV risk behaviours; however, for others, a feeling of invulnerability was a barrier to testing. For those who tested positive, there was often a delay in accessing health services.</p

Adventurous Physical Activity Environments: A Mainstream Intervention for Mental Health

Adventurous physical activity has traditionally been considered the pastime of a small minority of people with deviant personalities or characteristics that compel them to voluntarily take great risks purely for the sake of thrills and excitement. An unintended consequence of these traditional narratives is the relative absence of adventure activities in mainstream health and well-being discourses and in large-scale governmental health initiatives. However, recent research has demonstrated that even the most extreme adventurous physical activities are linked to enhanced psychological health and well-being outcomes. These benefits go beyond traditional ‘character building’ concepts and emphasize more positive frameworks that rely on the development of effective environmental design. Based on emerging research, this paper demonstrates why adventurous physical activity should be considered a mainstream intervention for positive mental health. Furthermore, the authors argue that understanding how to design environments that effectively encourage appropriate adventure should be considered a serious addition to mainstream health and well-being discourse