Anterior insula degeneration in frontotemporal dementia

The human anterior insula is anatomically and functionally heterogeneous, containing key nodes within distributed speech–language and viscero-autonomic/social–emotional networks. The frontotemporal dementias selectively target these large-scale systems, leading to at least three distinct clinical syndromes. Examining these disorders, researchers have begun to dissect functions which rely on specific insular nodes and networks. In the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia, early-stage frontoinsular degeneration begets progressive “Salience Network” breakdown that leaves patients unable to model the emotional impact of their own actions or inactions. Ongoing studies seek to clarify local microcircuit- and cellular-level factors that confer selective frontoinsular vulnerability. The search for frontotemporal dementia treatments will depend on a rich understanding of insular biology and could help clarify specialized human language, social, and emotional functions

Communicating the Value of Ergonomics to Management – Part 2: Ergonomics ROI Case Study Applications

More than ever, human factors engineers and ergonomists need to justify our practice’s value to management. How can we effectively communicate with management? How should we present a Return on Investment (ROI) that leadership will find useful that addresses company profits, cost savings, productivity, first time quality, and turnover? What else does management care about other than ROI? This second panel in a two panel series will specifically highlight case studies in which presenters give examples of situations in which ROI for ergonomics was investigated from a business value. The session will start with four case study lectures followed by a panel discussion led by the moderators. The audience will be encouraged to participate with their own questions and comments

Application of Snowfall and Wind Statistics to Snow Transport Modeling for Snowdrift Control in Minnesota

Models were utilized to determine the snow accumulation season (SAS) and to quantify windblown snow for the purpose of snowdrift control for locations in Minnesota. The models require mean monthly temperature, snowfall, density of snow, and wind frequency distribution statistics. Temperature and precipitation data were obtained from local cooperative observing sites, and wind data came from Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)/Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) sites in the region. The temperature-based algorithm used to define the SAS reveals a geographic variability in the starting and ending dates of the season, which is determined by latitude and elevation. Mean seasonal snowfall shows a geographic distribution that is affected by topography and proximity to Lake Superior. Mean snowfall density also exhibits variability, with lowerdensity snow events displaced to higher-latitude positions. Seasonal wind frequencies show a strong bimodal distribution with peaks from the northwest and southeast vector direction, with an exception for locations in close proximity to the Lake Superior shoreline. In addition, for western and south-central Minnesota there is a considerably higher frequency of wind speeds above the mean snow transport threshold of 7 m s-1. As such, this area is more conducive to higher potential snow transport totals. Snow relocation coefficients in this area are in the range of 0.4–0.9, and, according to the empirical models used in this analysis, this range implies that actual snow transport is 40%–90% of the total potential in south-central and western areas of the state

Business Case for Implementing Two Ergonomic Interventions at an Electric Power Utility

Ergonomics analysis of line workers in the electric power industry who work overhead on utility poles revealed some tasks for which less than 1% of the general population had sufficient strength to perform. During a 2-year study, a large Midwestern US electric utility provided a university with a team of represented workers and management. They evaluated, recommended, and monitored interventions for 32 common line worker tasks that were rated at medium to high magnitude of risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Two of the recommended ergonomic interventions—the battery-operated press and cutter—were selected by the team as having the greatest potential for reducing risk factors of MSDs. Only overhead distribution line worker tasks were evaluated. A business case was formulated that took into account medical injury and illness statistics, workers’ compensation, replacement worker and retraining costs. An outline of a business case formulation and a sample intervention payback calculation is shown. Based on the business case, the utility committed over $300,000 to purchase battery-operated presses and cutters for their overhead distribution line crews

Growing Degree Days Predictions for Corn and Sorghum Development and Some Applications to Crop Production in Nebraska

The concept of growing degree days (GDD) originated with observations by Reamur (1735) that plant development is more closely related to the temperature accumulated to a given stage than with time alone. It was not until nearly 200 years later, however, that Merriam (1894), Livingston (1916) and Klages (1942) began to use temperature accumulations in plant distribution studies and in crop geography. In the early 1950\u27s, a system involving growing degree days became widely used in the canning industry to schedule plantings and thus control time of harvest of rapidly maturing vegetables. This system provided a more precise control of both quantity and maturity of produce delivered for processing. It had a profound effect on processing efficiency and the cost and quality of canned vegetables, particularly peas and sweet corn. This study concerns GDD requirement for the series of consecutive phenological stages of field corn (Zea mays L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) from emergence to physiological maturity. Such data are important for crop management decisions throughout the growing season

Metabolic Effects of Bariatric Surgery in Mouse Models of Circadian Disruption

Background/Objectives: Mounting evidence supports a link between circadian disruption and metabolic disease. Humans with circadian disruption (for example, night-shift workers) have an increased risk of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases compared with the non-disrupted population. However, it is unclear whether the obesity and obesity-related disorders associated with circadian disruption respond to therapeutic treatments as well as individuals with other types of obesity. Subjects/Methods: Here, we test the effectiveness of the commonly used bariatric surgical procedure, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), in mouse models of genetic and environmental circadian disruption. Results: VSG led to a reduction in body weight and fat mass in both ClockΔ19 mutant and constant-light mouse models (PP\u3e0.05). Within circadian-disrupted models, VSG also led to improved glucose tolerance and lipid handling (P\u3c0.05). Conclusions: Together these data demonstrate that VSG is an effective treatment for the obesity associated with circadian disruption, and that the potent effects of bariatric surgery are orthogonal to circadian biology. However, as the effects of bariatric surgery are independent of circadian disruption, VSG cannot be considered a cure for circadian disruption. These data have important implications for circadian-disrupted obese patients. Moreover, these results reveal new information about the metabolic pathways governing the effects of bariatric surgery as well as of circadian disruption

Retention and generalizability of balance recovery response adaptations from trip-perturbations across the adult lifespan

For human locomotion, varying environments require adjustments of the motor system. We asked whether age affects gait balance recovery adaptation, its retention over months and the transfer of adaptation to an untrained reactive balance task. Healthy adults (26 young, 27 middle-aged and 25 older; average ages 24, 52 and 72 years respectively) completed two tasks. The primary task involved treadmill walking: either unperturbed (control; n=39) or subject to unexpected trip perturbations (training; n=39). A single trip perturbation was repeated after a 14-week retention period. The secondary transfer task, before and after treadmill walking, involved sudden loss of balance in a lean-and-release protocol. For both tasks the anteroposterior margin of stability (MoS) was calculated at foot touchdown. For the first (i.e. novel) trip, older adults required one more recovery step ( P=0.03) to regain positive MoS compared to younger, but not middle-aged, adults. However, over several trip perturbations, all age groups increased their MoS for the first recovery step to a similar extent (up to 70%), and retained improvements over 14 weeks, though a decay over time was found for older adults ( P=0.002; middle-aged showing a tendency for decay: P=0.076). Thus, although adaptability in reactive gait stability control remains effective across the adult lifespan, retention of adaptations over time appears diminished with aging. Despite these robust adaptations, the perturbation training group did not show superior improvements in the transfer task compared to aged-matched controls (no differences in MoS changes), suggesting that generalizability of acquired fall-resisting skills from gait-perturbation training may be limited

Knowledge and causal attributions for mental disorders in HIV-positive children and adolescents: results from rural and urban Uganda

© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Increasing availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART) has led HIV to be considered a chronic disease, shifting attention to focus on quality of life including mental wellbeing. We investigated knowledge and causal attributions for mental disorders in HIV-positive children and adolescents in rural and urban Uganda. This qualitative study was nested in an epidemiological mental health study among HIV-positive children and adolescents aged 5–17years in rural and urban Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers of HIV-positive children (5–11years) and adolescents (12–17years) in HIV care. Interviews were audio recorded with permission from participants and written consent and assent sought before study procedures. Thirty eightparticipants (19 caregivers, 19 children/adolescents) were interviewed. Age range of caregivers was 28–69years; majority were female (17). Caregivers hadlittle knowledge on mental disorders;only 3 related the vignette to a mental problem andattributed itto: improper upbringing, violence, poverty and bereavement. Five adolescents identified vignettes as portraying mental disorders caused by: ill-health of parents, bereavement, child abuse, discrimination, HIV and poverty. Caregivers are not knowledgeable about behavioural and emotional challenges in HIV-positive children/adolescents. Mental health literacy programmes at HIV care clinics are essential to enhance treatment-seeking for mental health

Some Observations of Wake Behavior in Laminar and Turbulence Free Stream Flow

Visual observations of the sphere wake have been obtained using the flash photolysis technique. Free stream turbulence of 7 and 10% was found to progressively reduce the size of the wake but no turbulence was found in the attached shear layer nor was the position of the separation point affected. A separation bubble was identified as predicted by Son and Hanratty (1969). Evidence is presented to show that drag reduction in turbulent free streams is not due to turbulence in the attached boundary layer but to enhanced momentum transfer in the wake

A review of hippocampal activation in post‐traumatic stress disorder

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often characterized by deficits in memory encoding and retrieval and aberrant fear and extinction learning. The hippocampus plays a critical role in memory and contextual processing and has been implicated in intrinsic functional connectivity networks involved in self‐referential thought and memory‐related processes. This review focuses on hippocampal activation findings during memory and fear and extinction learning tasks, as well as resting state hippocampal connectivity in individuals with PTSD. A preponderance of functional neuroimaging studies to date, using memory, fear learning, and extinction tasks, report decreased or “controls comparable” hippocampal activation in individuals with PTSD, which is usually associated with poorer performance on the task imaged. Existing evidence thus raises the possibility that greater hippocampal recruitment in PTSD participants may be required for similar performance levels. Studies of resting state functional connectivity in PTSD predominantly report reduced within‐network connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), as well as greater coupling between the DMN and salience network (SN) via the hippocampus. Together, these findings suggest that deficient hippocampal activation in PTSD may be associated with poorer performance during memory, extinction recall, and fear renewal tasks. Furthermore, studies of resting state connectivity implicate the hippocampus in decreased within‐network DMN connectivity and greater coupling with SN regions characteristic of PTSD.The hippocampus plays a key role in memory, fear learning and extinction, and default mode network resting state connectivity, all processes which have known deficits in post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review, we examine recent fMRI studies on hippocampal function in PTSD and controls and identify critical areas for future research to explore.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153031/1/psyp13357.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153031/2/psyp13357_am.pd