Secreted Phospholipase A2 Involvement in Neurodegeneration: Differential Testing of Prosurvival and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Enzyme Inhibition

There is increased interest in the contribution of secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) enzymes to neurodegenerative diseases. Systemic treatment with the nonapeptide CHEC-9, a broad spectrum uncompetitive inhibitor of sPLA2, has been shown previously to inhibit neuron death and aspects of the inflammatory response in several models of neurodegeneration. A persistent question in studies of sPLA2 inhibitors, as for several other anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective compounds, is whether the cell protection is direct or due to slowing of the toxic aspects of the inflammatory response. To further explore this issue, we developed assays using SY5Y (neuronal cells) and HL-60 (monocytes) cell lines and examined the effects of sPLA2 inhibition on these homogeneous cell types in vitro. We found that the peptide inhibited sPLA2 enzyme activity in both SY5Y and HL-60 cultures. This inhibition provided direct protection to SY5Y neuronal cells and their processes in response to several forms of stress including exposure to conditioned medium from HL-60 cells. In cultures of HL-60 cells, sPLA2 inhibition had no effect on survival of the cells but attenuated their differentiation into macrophages, with regard to process development, phagocytic ability, and the expression of differentiation marker CD36, as well as the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. These results suggest that sPLA2 enzyme activity organizes a cascade of changes comprising both cell degeneration and inflammation, processes that could theoretically operate independently during neurodegenerative conditions. The effectiveness of sPLA2 inhibitor CHEC-9 may be due to its ability to affect both processes in isolation. Testing potential anti-inflammatory/neuroprotective compounds with these human cell lines and their conditioned media may provide a useful screening tool prior to in vivo therapeutic applications

Infections up to 76 days after stroke increase disability and death

Early infection after stroke is associated with a poor outcome. We aimed to determine whether delayed infections (up to 76 days post-stroke) are associated with poor outcome at 90 days. Data came from the international Efficacy of Nitric Oxide Stroke (ENOS, ISRCTN99414122) trial. Post hoc data on infections were obtained from serious adverse events reports between 1 and 76 days following stroke in this large cohort of patients. Regression models accounting for baseline covariates were used to analyse fatalities and functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Barthel Index, Euro-Qol-5D) at 90 days, in patients with infection compared to those without infection. Of 4011 patients, 242 (6.0%) developed one or more serious infections. Infections were associated with an increased risk of death (p < 0.001) and an increased likelihood of dependency (measured by mRS) compared to those of all other patients (p < 0.001). This remained when only surviving patients were analysed, indicating that the worsening of functional outcome is not due to mortality (p < 0.001). In addition, the timing of the infection after stroke did not alter its detrimental association with fatality (p = 0.14) or functional outcome (p = 0.47). In conclusion, severe post-stroke infections, whether occurring early or late after stroke, are associated with an increased risk of death and poorer functional outcome, independent of differences in baseline characteristics or treatment. Not only are strategies needed for reducing the risk of infection immediately after stroke, but also during the first 3 months following a stroke. This study is registered: ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN99414122, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT00989716

Impact of Digital Distraction on Lecture Note Taking and Student Learning

Laptop computers allow students to type lecture notes instead of relying on the traditional longhand (i.e. paper–pencil) method. The present research compared laptop and longhand note-taking methods by investigating how the quality (i.e. complete versus incomplete idea units) and quantity (i.e. total words and total idea units) of typed and handwritten notes differed when students did or did not reply to text messages during a simulated lecture. Accounting for the presence of text messaging while participants took notes situated the present study within the reality facing many students in today’s digital age. Findings indicated that a considerable proportion of the idea units captured in participants’ notes were incomplete, regardless of note-taking method or exposure to distraction during the simulated lecture. However, only the total number of complete idea units stored in student notes meaningfully predicted lecture learning. Furthermore, the presence of digital distraction was particularly disruptive to the quality and quantity of laptop users’ lecture notes relative to longhand note takers. Finally, digital distraction emerged as a more meaningful predictor of lecture learning than note-taking method. Recommendations for improving the quality of student lecture notes are discussed and avenues for future research into note-taking completeness and the interplay between digital distraction and note-taking method are proposed

Do Distracted Students Take Incomplete Notes and Learn Less?

Presentation given at 22nd Annual International Conference on Education, Athens, Greece

I speak : public speaking for contemporary life, 2008 edition/ Nelson

xxvii, 282 hal.: ill., lamp.; 26 c

Classification of Metaplectic Fusion Categories

In this paper, we study a family of fusion and modular systems realizing fusion categories Grothendieck equivalent to the representation category for so(2p+1)2. These categories describe non-abelian anyons dubbed ‘metaplectic anyons’. We obtain explicit expressions for all the F- and R-symbols. Based on these, we conjecture a classification for their monoidal equivalence classes from an analysis of their gauge invariants and define a function which gives us the number of classes

I speak : public speaking for contemporary life, 2008 edition/ Nelson

xxvii, 282 hal.: ill., lamp.; 26 c