Relationship between social cognition and behavioural difficulties in acquired brain injury

A reduction in appropriate social functioning has been commonly reported following Acquired brain injury (ABI). A post-ABI empathy deficit has been suggested as a possible cause of this; specifically the ability to experience emotional empathy which has been defined as vicariously feeling what someone else is feeling. This review sought to investigate the nature and extent of emotional empathy deficits post-ABI. A systematic search of four databases yielded 10 articles that met inclusion criteria. Specific data was extracted from each article and a methodological quality score was awarded in accordance with a quality checklist. The review revealed that studies used either self-report or physiological readings as measures of experienced emotional empathy. The overarching finding was that experienced emotional empathy deficits are common post-ABI, specifically the ability to experience emotional empathy from negative emotional expressions. The measures being used to assess the experience of emotional empathy were critically appraised and their limitations used to critically assess the studies results. The strengths and limitations of literature reviewed, measures used, neurological findings and the review itself are critically analysed and possible future research discussed

Simpson’s Paradox in the interpretation of “leaky pipeline” data

The traditional ‘leaky pipeline’ plots are widely used to inform gender equality policy and practice. Herein, we demonstrate how a statistical phenomenon known as Simpson’s paradox can obscure trends in gender ‘leaky pipeline’ plots. Our approach has been to use Excel spreadsheets to generate hypothetical ‘leaky pipeline’ plots of gender inequality within an organisation. The principal factors, which make up these hypothetical plots, can be input into the model so that a range of potential situations can be modelled. How the individual principal factors are then reflected in ‘leaky pipeline’ plots is shown. We find that the effect of Simpson’s paradox on leaky pipeline plots can be simply and clearly illustrated with the use of hypothetical modelling and our study augments the findings in other statistical reports of Simpson’s paradox in clinical trial data and in gender inequality data. The findings in this paper, however, are presented in a way, which makes the paradox accessible to a wide range of people

Eradication, Containment, Management and Restoration. A report to the European Commission Working Group 3 on Invasive Species Policy

• Working Group Invasive Species n. 3 • Task 3.1: Eradication, Containment, Management and Restoration o Objective o Scope o Definitions o Eradication o Containment o Mitigation o Coexistence and Acceptance o Restoration o The Role of EU and MS o Practical considerations o References OBJECTIVE To minimise the damage caused by established IAS to species, habitats, ecosystem function and services, economic activities, together with human and animal health. To be achieved, where possible, by the eradication of IAS and, where impractical, the limitation of their impact, further spread and management of the consequences

The Magnesium(2+)-dependent Phosphatidate Phosphohydrolase Of Rat Lung

The Mg(\u272+)-dependent phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAPase) activity has been studied in rat lung subcellular fractions, and a malignant cell line (A549) which serves as a model of human Type II pneumocytes. Properties of this activity, which used a chemically-defined substrate of equimolar PC and PA, were equivalent to those found using membrane-bound substrate. Microsomes washed in buffers containing high salt concentrations displayed a decrease in the PAPase which could be quantitatively recovered in the wash supernatant. Mg(\u272+)-independent activity remained associated with the microsomes under these conditions. These microsomes displayed a reduced capacity to label glycerolipids from (\u2714)C -glycerol phosphate. Labelling could be returned to normal levels by the addition of PAPase from cytosol, wash supernatant, or fractionated cytosol, indicating that this activity was required for biosynthesis of glycerolipids. Determination of the stability constant for magnesium phosphatidate (MgPA) allowed the calculation of the free and bound levels of Mg(\u272+) and PA under assay conditions. The Mg(\u272+) concentration at maximum enzyme activity correlated with the intersection of the increasing free Mg(\u272+) and decreasing free PA which was being converted to the MgPA salt. The MgPA salt appeared to be the required form of the substrate. Chlorpromazine did not replace the requirement for Mg(\u272+) although it stimulated the Mg(\u272+)-independent activity. Triton X-100, Ca(\u272+), and chlorpromazine inhibited the PAPase activity. Examination of the substrate requirements, Mg(\u272+)-requirements, detergent inhibitions, thermal inactivation, molecular weight, and dissociation and reassociation capabilities led to the conclusion that the PAPase activity in microsomes and cytosol was the same enzyme in two subcellular locations. Further studies using digitonin permeated A549 cells demonstrated that the intracellular distribution of the PAPase activity could be shifted from predominately cytosolic to an essentially particulate location upon treatment with 1-4 mM oleate. (\u273)H -oleate did not accumulate in PA under these conditions but rapidly accumulated as MG, DG, TG and PC. This indicated that the translocation of the PAPase functioned to achieve greater glycerolipid synthesis and to maintain the concentration of PA, which is potentially disruptive to membrane integrity, low in times of metabolic flux

METAL METHYLATION IN ESTUARINE WATERS

Metal methylation has been studied in estiiarine waters by directly coupled GC-AAS/llquid nitrogen trapped hydride generation systems and determined accurately. Surveys were carried out in the estuaries of the River Tamar, Camon and Beaulieu (S. England) over a seasonal cycle. Methylated forms of Fb were only observed in rain, drain and estuarine water samples collected in the Tamar. In estuarine waters (GH«)«Fb*'' (<2-10 ng Fb 1"^) was the predominant methylated Fb species. Monomethylarsenic and dimethylarsenic species were observed in the water column in a ll3 estuaries studied. In the Tamar, Beaulieu and Carnon concentrations of methylated As species were similar with concentrations ranging from <0.02-0.7 pg As 1"^. In Tamar porewaters concentrations of methylated As species ranged from< 0.02-0.7 As 1"-^. Methylated forms of Se {Se(CH^)^, 0.5ug Se l"""-) were detected on an occasion in the Carnon. Modelling studies on Pb methylation suggest that conversion of trimethyllead acetate to Ti-IL proceeds by a chemical sulphide-mediated pathway (maximum 2.8% conversion occurred for a biological sediment system). Methylation of inorganic Pb ( H ) salts was not reproducible (maximum conversion of 0,OZQ% for PbGl^) but when observed a biologically mediated methylation process was invoked. From laboratory modelling studies temporal variations in As speciation observed in the Tamar were attributed to seasonal contributions of methylated As species from 3 sources: (i) macro-algae; ( ii ) diatoms; ( iii ) porewaters. The predominance of dimethylarsenic species over monomethylarsenic species in summer reflects the importance of plankton sources. In winter a transition takes place where the predominance of methylated As species occur and concentrations of monomethylarsenic species exceeds that of dimethylarsenic species. This transition is attributed to the increased importance of the porewater source in winter. The significance of metal methylation in the cycling of Pb, As and Se in estuarine waters appears to follow the order Asj>Se>^Fb. The biomethylation of As being highly significant in the transportation of As in the environment.Marine Biological Association Citadel Hill, Plymout

Engineering calculations for communications satellite systems planning

A procedure is described that was used to calculate minimum required satellite separations based on total link carrier to interference requirements. Also summarized are recent results with a switching algorithm for satellite synthesis problems. Analytic solution value bounds for two of the satellite synthesis models studied are described. Preliminary results from an empirical study of alternate mixed integer programming models for satellite synthesis are presented. Research plans for the near future are discussed

Effects of Peroxisomal Catalase Inhibition on Mitochondrial Function

Peroxisomes produce hydrogen peroxide as a metabolic by-product of their many oxidase enzymes, but contain catalase that breaks down hydrogen peroxide in order to maintain the organelle’s oxidative balance. It has been previously demonstrated that, as cells age, catalase is increasingly absent from the peroxisome, and resides instead as an unimported tetrameric molecule in the cell cytosol; an alteration that is coincident with increased cellular hydrogen peroxide levels. As this process begins in middle-passage cells, we sought to determine whether peroxisomal hydrogen peroxide could contribute to the oxidative damage observed in mitochondria in late-passage cells. Early-passage human fibroblasts (Hs27) treated with aminotriazole (3-AT), an irreversible catalase inhibitor, demonstrated decreased catalase activity, increased levels of cellular hydrogen peroxide, protein carbonyls, and peroxisomal numbers. This treatment increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels, and decreased the mitochondrial aconitase activity by ∼85% within 24 h. In addition, mitochondria from 3-AT treated cells show a decrease in inner membrane potential. These results demonstrate that peroxisome-derived oxidative imbalance may rapidly impair mitochondrial function, and considering that peroxisomal oxidative imbalance begins to occur in middle-passage cells, supports the hypothesis that peroxisomal oxidant release occurs upstream of, and contributes to, the mitochondrial damage observed in aging cells

Aircraft Cabin Air Sampling Study; Part 2 of the Final Report

This is the second part of the report on aircraft cabin air quality prepared by Cranfield University for the Department for Transport. The study was set up in light of concerns about possible adverse impacts on the health and well-being of air crew resulting from exposure to substances in cabin air. Part 1 of the report describes in detail the methodology used in the study, summarises the results obtained and assesses cabin air quality against available exposure limits and the quality of air encountered in domestic settings. This second part comprises principally a record of the data obtained on individual flight sectors

Self-Directed Learning in Teacher-Lead Minecraft Classrooms

Minecraft, an online multi-player sandbox video game, is now being used as a teaching tool for course subjects ranging from digital literature to computer science. To understand how Minecraft was being adopted as a classroom tool, we interviewed 16 teachers and 10 students who had used Minecraft inside a classroom setting. Analysis revealed three key ways in which Minecraft enables and motivates students to work towards their own learning goals: the ability to customize context, live through stories, and assume roles in the virtual world. Drawing from these themes we propose a set of design recommendations for online informal learning spaces