Progression of sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease. A 5-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders can occur in early Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the relationship between different sleep disturbances and their longitudinal evolution has not been fully explored. OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency, coexistence and longitudinal change in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), insomnia and probable REM sleep behaviour disorder (pRBD) in early PD. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). EDS, insomnia, and pRBD were defined using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, MDS-UPDRS Part I sub-item 1.7, and RBD screening questionnaire. RESULTS: 218 PD subjects and 102 controls completed five years of follow up. At baseline, 69 (31.7%) PD subjects reported one type of sleep disturbance, 25 (11.5%) reported two types of sleep disturbances, and three (1.4%) reported all three types of sleep disturbances. At five years, the number of PD subjects reporting one, two and three types of sleep disturbances was 85 (39.0%), 51 (23.4%), and 16 (7.3%), respectively. Only 41(18.8%) patients were taking sleep medications. The largest increase in frequency was seen in insomnia (44.5%), followed by EDS (32.1%) and pRBD (31.2%). Insomnia was the most common sleep problem at any time over the 5-year follow-up. The frequency of sleep disturbances in HCs remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: There is a progressive increase in the frequency of sleep disturbances in PD, with the number of subjects reporting multiple sleep disturbances increasing over time. Relatively few patients reported multiple sleep disturbances, suggesting that they can have different pathogenesis. A large number of patients were not treated for their sleep disturbances

The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction

Attentional bias to low-fat bodies is thought to be associated with body dissatisfaction-a symptom and risk factor of eating disorders. However, the causal nature of this relationship is unclear. In three preregistered experiments, we trained 370 women to attend towards either high-or low-fat body stimuli using an attention training dot probe task. For each experiment, we analysed the effect of the attention training on (i) attention to subsequently presented high-versus low-fat body stimuli, (ii) visual adaptation to body size, and (iii) body dissatisfaction. The attention training had no effect on attention towards high-or low-fat bodies in an online setting (Experiment 1), but did increase attention to high-fat bodies in a laboratory setting (Experiment 2). Neither perceptions of a 'normal' body size nor levels of body dissatisfaction changed as a result of the attention training in either setting. The results in the online setting did not change when we reduced the stimulus onset-asynchrony of the dot probe task from 500 to 100 ms (Experiment 3). Our results provide no evidence that the dot probe training task used here has robust effects on attention to body size, body image disturbance or body dissatisfaction

Relative contributions to vergence eye movements of two binocular cues for motion-in-depth

When we track an object moving in depth, our eyes rotate in opposite directions. This type of "disjunctive" eye movement is called horizontal vergence. The sensory control signals for vergence arise from multiple visual cues, two of which, changing binocular disparity (CD) and inter-ocular velocity differences (IOVD), are specifically binocular. While it is well known that the CD cue triggers horizontal vergence eye movements, the role of the IOVD cue has only recently been explored. To better understand the relative contribution of CD and IOVD cues in driving horizontal vergence, we recorded vergence eye movements from ten observers in response to four types of stimuli that isolated or combined the two cues to motion-in-depth, using stimulus conditions and CD/IOVD stimuli typical of behavioural motion-in-depth experiments. An analysis of the slopes of the vergence traces and the consistency of the directions of vergence and stimulus movements showed that under our conditions IOVD cues provided very little input to vergence mechanisms. The eye movements that did occur coinciding with the presentation of IOVD stimuli were likely not a response to stimulus motion, but a phoria initiated by the absence of a disparity signal

Law Libraries and Laboratories: The Legacies of Langdell and His Metaphor

Law Librarians and others have often referred to Harvard Law School Dean C.C. Langdell’s statements that the law library is the lawyer’s laboratory. Professor Danner examines the context of what Langdell through his other writings, the educational environment at Harvard in the late nineteenth century, and the changing perceptions of university libraries generally. He then considers how the “laboratory metaphor” has been applied by librarians and legal scholars during the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. The article closes with thoughts on Langdell’s legacy for law librarians and the usefulness of the laboratory metaphor

A Novel, All-Optical Tool for Controllable and Non- Destructive Poration of Cells with Single-Micron Resolution

We demonstrate controllable poration within ≈1 µm regions of individual cells, mediated by a near-IR laser interacting with thin-layer amorphous silicon substrates. This technique will allow new experiments in single-cell biology, particularly in neuroscience. As our understanding of the fundamental mechanistic processes underpinning biology expands, so does the need for high-precision tools to allow the dissection of the heterogeneity and stochastic processes that dominate at the single- and sub-cellular level. Here, we demonstrate a highly controllable and reproducible optical technique for inducing poration within specific regions of a target cell’s plasma membrane, permitting localized delivery of payloads, depolarization and lysis experiments to be conducted in unprecedented detail. Experiments support a novel mechanism for the process, based upon a thermally-induced change triggered by the interactions of a near-IR laser with a biocompatible thin film substrate at powers substantially below that used in standard optoporation experiments

How acceptable are antiretrovirals for the prevention of sexually transmitted HIV? A review of research on the acceptability of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention

Recent research has demonstrated how antiretrovirals (ARVs) could be effective in the prevention of sexually transmitted HIV. We review research on the acceptability of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) for HIV prevention amongst potential users. We consider with whom, where and in what context this research has been conducted, how acceptability has been approached, and what research gaps remain. Findings from 33 studies show a lack of TasP research, PrEP studies which have focused largely on men who have sex with men (MSM) in a US context, and varied measures of acceptability. In order to identify when, where and for whom PrEP and TasP would be most appropriate and effective, research is needed in five areas: acceptability of TasP to people living with HIV; motivation for PrEP use and adherence; current perceptions and management of risk; the impact of broader social and structural factors; and consistent definition and operationalisation of acceptability which moves beyond adherence

Effect of vegetation cover and sediment type on 3D subsurface structure and shear strength in saltmarshes

Funder: Queen Mary; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100009148Abstract: The vulnerability of saltmarshes to lateral erosion at their margin depends on the local biogeomorphological properties of the substrate. In particular, the 3D architecture of pore and root systems is expected to influence shear strength, with repercussions for the wider‐scale stability of saltmarshes. We apply X‐ray computed microtomography (μCT) to visualize and quantify subsurface structures in two UK saltmarshes at Tillingham Farm, Essex (silt/clay rich substrate) and Warton Sands (sand‐rich substrate), with four types of ground cover: bare ground, Spartina spp, Salicornia spp and Puccinellia spp. We extracted μCT structural parameters that characterize pore and root morphologies at each station, and compared them with field measurements of shear strength using a principal component analysis and correlation tests. The 3D volumes show that species‐dependent variations in root structures, plant colonization events and bioturbation activity control the morphology of macropores, while sediment cohesivity determines the structural stability and persistence of these pore structures over time, even after the vegetation has died. Areas of high porosity and high mean pore thickness were correlated to lower values of shear strength, especially at Tillingham Farm, where well‐connected vertical systems of macropores were associated with current or previous colonization by Spartina spp. However, while well‐connected systems of macropores may lower the local deformation threshold of the sediment, they also encourage drainage, promote vegetation growth and reduce the marsh vulnerability to hydrodynamic forces. The highest values of shear strength at both sites were found under Puccinellia spp, and were associated with a high density of mesh‐like root structures that bind the sediment and resist deformation. Future studies of marsh stability should ideally consider time series of vegetation cover, especially in silt/clay‐dominated saltmarshes, in order to consider the potential effect of preserved buried networks of macropores on water circulation, marsh functioning and cliff‐face erosion

Impact of soil and water conservation measuren on catchment hydrological response: a case in north Ethiopia

Impact studies of catchment management in the developing world rarely include detailed hydrological components. Here, changes in the hydrological response of a 200-ha catchment in north Ethiopia are investigated. The management included various soil and water conservation measures such as the construction of dry masonry stone bunds and check dams, the abandonment of post-harvest grazing, and the establishment of woody vegetation. Measurements at the catchment outlet indicated a runoff depth of 5 mm or a runoff coefficient (RC) of 1·6% in the rainy season of 2006. Combined with runoff measurements at plot scale, this allowed calculating the runoff curve number (CN) for various land uses and land management techniques. The pre-implementation runoff depth was then predicted using the CN values and a ponding adjustment factor, representing the abstraction of runoff induced by the 242 check dams in gullies. Using the 2006 rainfall depths, the runoff depth for the 2000 land management situation was predicted to be 26·5mm(RCD 8%), in line with current RCs of nearby catchments. Monitoring of the ground water level indicated a rise after catchment management. The yearly rise in water table after the onset of the rains (ΔT) relative to the water surplus (WS) over the same period increased between 2002-2003 (ΔT/WS D 3·4) and 2006 (ΔT/WS >11·1). Emerging wells and irrigation are other indicators for improved water supply in the managed catchment. Cropped fields in the gullies indicate that farmers are less frightened for the destructive effects of flash floods. Due to increased soil water content, the crop growing period is prolonged. It can be concluded that this catchment management has resulted in a higher infiltration rate and a reduction of direct runoff volume by 81% which has had a positive influence on the catchment water balance. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Age at menarche and current substance use among Canadian adolescent girls: results of a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Substance use is among the key public health threats that find its genesis during adolescence. Timing of puberty has been lately researched as a potential predictor of subsequent substance abuse. The present study, therefore, aims to assess the effect of age at menarche on current practices of smoking, alcohol drinking and drug use among 14-15 year old Canadian girls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The analysis of the study was based on all female respondents aged 14 to 15 years during Cycle 4 (2000/2001) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children & Youth (NLSCY). The main independent variable was age at menarche assessed as the month and year of the occurrence of the first menstrual cycle. The dependent variables were current smoking, heavy alcohol drinking in the past 12 months and drug use in the past 12 months. Three logistic regression models were performed to investigate the association between age at menarche and each of the substance use outcomes, adjusting for possible confounders. Bootstrapping was performed to account for the complex sampling design.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The total weighted sample included in the analysis represented 295,042 Canadian girls. The prevalence of current smokers, heavy drinkers (drunk in the past 12 months) and drug users in the past 12 months was approximately 22%, 38% and 26%, respectively. After adjusting of all potential confounders, no association was found between age at menarche and any of the substance use outcomes. School performance and relationship with the father, however, stood out as the main variables to be associated with smoking, heavy drinking and drug use.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Qualitative studies understanding the social and psychological changes experienced by early maturing Canadian adolescents are warranted to identify other correlates or pathways to substance use in this higher risk population.</p

Neutrino Mass and μ→e+γ\mu \rightarrow e + \gamma from a Mini-Seesaw

The recently proposed "mini-seesaw mechanism" combines naturally suppressed Dirac and Majorana masses to achieve light Standard Model neutrinos via a low-scale seesaw. A key feature of this approach is the presence of multiple light (order GeV) sterile-neutrinos that mix with the Standard Model. In this work we study the bounds on these light sterile-neutrinos from processes like \mu ---> e + \gamma, invisible Z-decays, and neutrinoless double beta-decay. We show that viable parameter space exists and that, interestingly, key observables can lie just below current experimental sensitivities. In particular, a motivated region of parameter space predicts a value of BR(\mu ---> e + \gamma) within the range to be probed by MEG.Comment: 1+26 pages, 7 figures. v2 JHEP version (typo's fixed, minor change to presentation, results unchanged