Increased aortic pressures and pulsatile afterload components promote concentric left ventricular remodeling in adults with transposition of the great arteries and arterial switch operation

BACKGROUND

Functional abnormalities of the ascending aorta (AA) have been mainly reported in young patients who underwent arterial switch operation (ASO) for transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

OBJECTIVES

To compare systolic, diastolic brachial and central blood pressures (bSBP, bDBP, cSBP, cDBP), aortic biomechanical parameters, and left ventricular (LV) afterload criteria in adult ASO patients with healthy controls and to assess their relationships with LV remodeling and aortic size.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-one prospectively enrolled patients (16.8 to 35.8 years) and 41 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers underwent cardiac MRI to assess LV remodeling with simultaneous brachial BP estimation. After MRI, carotid-femoral tonometry was performed to measure pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), cSBP and cDBP for further calculation of pulse pressure (cPP), AA distensibility (AAD), and AA and LV elastance (AAE, LVE).

RESULTS

bSBP, bDBP, cSBP,cDBP and cPP were all significantly higher in ASO group than in controls: cSBP (116.5 ± 13.8 vs 106.1 ± 12.0, p < 0.001), cDBP (72.5 ± 6.9 vs 67.1 ± 9.4, p = 0.002), cPP (44.0 ± 12.1 vs 39.1 ± 8.9, p = 0.003) and not related to aortic size. AAD were decreased in ASO patients vs controls (4.70 ± 2.72 vs 6.69 ± 2.16, p < 0.001). LV mass was correlated with bSBP, cSBP, cPP (ρ = 0.48; p < 0.001), while concentric LV remodeling was correlated with AAE (ρ = 0.60, p < 0.001) and LVE (ρ = 0.32, p = 0.04), but not with distensibility.

CONCLUSION

Even without reaching arterial hypertension, aortic sBP and PP are increased in the adult TGA population after ASO, altering the pulsatile components of afterload and contributing to LV concentric remodeling.

A longitudinal investigation of the cross-dimensional mediating role of negative life events between neuroticism and depressive symptoms in adolescents

BACKGROUND

Neuroticism has been identified as a significant predictor for depression within the adolescent population However, few longitudinal studies have investigated this association and explored the mediation effect of the negative life events. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between neuroticism, negative life events, and depression in a large sample of Chinese adolescents.

METHODS

Data on Five Factor Inventory-Neuroticism Subscale (FFI-N) was collected from 1150 participants aged 14-19 years old at baseline, and data on Adolescent Life Event Questionnaire (ALEQ) and Center of Epidemiological Study-Depression (CES-D) were collected both at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Multilevel modelings were used to analyze the longitudinal associations among neuroticism, negative life events and depression.

RESULTS

Through a longitudinal study design, results from multilevel regression analyses indicated a direct correlation between increased levels of neuroticism and the aggregation of negative life events with the prediction of more severe depressive symptoms. Further, results of multilevel mediations suggested that the negative life events served to partially mediate the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression.

LIMITATIONS

The results cannot be used to make a clinical diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The current findings suggest the negative life events as a cross-dimensional mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and each dimension of depression. Regulating neuroticism levels and implementing strategies to coping stress derived from daily life events could be integral approaches to reducing the prevalence of depression within the adolescent population.

The relationship between oxidative stress markers and 1H-Magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings in obsessive compulsive disorder

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to examine N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and glutamate, glutamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid complex (Glx)/Cr levels in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls' orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and caudate nucleus (CN) by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) method and to investigate their relationship with oxidative stress markers glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

METHODS

This study included patients with OCD (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 25) ranging in age from 18 to 65. We used the ELISA method to evaluate serum SOD and GPx levels. Levels of NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr in the orbitofrontal cortex and caudate nucleus were measured using the 1H-MRS method.

RESULTS

Our study did not detect statistically significant differences in the orbitofrontal cortex Glx/Cr and NAA/Cr levels between the OCD patients and the control group. OCD patients exhibited a decrease in NAA/Cr levels, consistent with impaired neuronal integration, and an increase in Glx/Cr levels, consistent with hyperactivation, in the caudate nucleus compared to the control group. We observed a negative correlation between NAA/Cr levels in the caudate nucleus and the levels of SOD and GPx.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to assess CN and OFC together in OCD patients using 3 T MR, investigating the relationship between neurometabolite concentrations and oxidative stress parameters. The negative correlation we observed between NAA/Cr levels and SOD and GPx in the caudate nucleus suggests that increased oxidative stress in this brain region in OCD patients may contribute to impaired neuronal integration and functionality.

Long-term outcome after neonatal intervention for congenital critical aortic stenosis

BACKGROUND

This study explored long-term outcome and functional status of patients born with critical aortic stenosis (CAS) following neonatal surgical or catheter interventions.

METHODS

A 40-year retrospective review of all consecutive patients within a large, single-center referral unit who required neonatal (<30 days) intervention for CAS. Additional detailed evaluation of surviving patients >7 years age was performed, with clinical assessment, objective cardiopulmonary exercise testing and state-of-the-art characterization of myocardial function (advanced echocardiography and cardiac MRI).

RESULTS

Between 1970 and 2010, ninety-six neonates underwent CAS intervention (mean age 9 ± 7.5 days). Early death occurred in 19 (19.8%) and late death in 10 patients. Overall survival at 10 and 30 years was 70.1% and 68.5%, freedom from reintervention was 41.8% and 32.9% respectively. Among the 25 long-term survivors available for detailed assessment (median age 15.7 ± 6.4 years), 55% exhibited impaired peak oxygen uptake. Mean left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction was 65 ± 11.2%, with a mean LV end-diastolic volume z-score of 0.02 ± 1.4. Mean LV outflow tract Vmax was 2.3 ± 1.02 m/s. CAS patients had reduced LV longitudinal and increased radial strain (p = 0.003, p < 0.001 respectively). Five patients had severe LV diastolic dysfunction associated with endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) (p = 0.0014).

CONCLUSION

Despite high early mortality rate, long-term survival of patients with CAS is reasonable at the expense of high reintervention rate. With successful intervention, there remained long-term clinical and subclinical LV myocardial impairment, of which EFE was one marker. Long-term follow-up of all CAS patients is crucial, involving detailed myocardial functional assessment to help elucidate physiology and optimise management.

First comprehensive assessment of dietary chlorinated paraffins intake and exposure risk for the rural population of the Tibetan Plateau, China

Knowledge regarding the occurrence of short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) in foodstuffs and their dietary exposure risks for rural Tibetan residents remains largely unknown. Herein, we collected main foodstuffs (including highland barley, vegetables, Tibetan butter, mutton, and yak beef) across the rural Tibetan Plateau and characterized the CP profiles and concentrations. The highest SCCPs concentrations were detected in Tibetan butter (geometric mean (GM): 240.6 ng/g wet weight (ww)), followed by vegetables (59.4 ng/g ww), mutton (51.4 ng/g ww), highland barley (46.3 ng/g ww), and yak beef (31.7 ng/g ww). For MCCPs, the highest concentrations were also detected in Tibetan butter (319.5 ng/g ww), followed by mutton (181.9 ng/g ww), vegetables (127.0 ng/g ww), yak beef (71.2 ng/g ww), and highland barley (30.3 ng/g ww). The predominant congener profiles of SCCPs were C13Cl7-8 in mutton and yak beef, C10Cl7-8 in Tibetan butter, and C10-11Cl6-7 in highland barley and vegetables. The predominant congener profiles of MCCPs were C14Cl7-9 in all sample types. Combined with our previous results of free-range chicken eggs, the median estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of SCCPs and MCCPs via diet for Tibetan rural adults and children was estimated to be 728.8 and 1853.9 ng/kg bw/day and 2565.6 and 5952.8 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. In the worst scenario, MCCPs might induce potential health risks for rural Tibetan population. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic dietary exposure research of SCCPs and MCCPs in the remote rural areas.

Associations of maternal blood metal concentrations with plasma eicosanoids among pregnant women in Puerto Rico

BACKGROUND/AIM

Heavy metals are known to induce oxidative stress and inflammation, and the association between metal exposure and adverse birth outcomes is well established. However, there lacks research on biomarker profiles linking metal exposures and adverse birth outcomes. Eicosanoids are lipid molecules that regulate inflammation in the body, and there is growing evidence that suggests associations between plasma eicosanoids and pregnancy outcomes. Eicosanoids may aid our understanding of etiologic birth pathways. Here, we assessed associations between maternal blood metal concentrations with eicosanoid profiles among 654 pregnant women in the Puerto Rico PROTECT birth cohort.

METHODS

We measured concentrations of 11 metals in whole blood collected at median 18 and 26 weeks of pregnancy, and eicosanoid profiles measured in plasma collected at median 26 weeks. Multivariable linear models were used to regress eicosanoids on metals concentrations. Effect modification by infant sex was explored using interaction terms.

RESULTS

A total of 55 eicosanoids were profiled. Notably, 12-oxoeicosatetraenoic acid (12-oxoETE) and 15-oxoeicosatetraenoic acid (15-oxoETE), both of which exert inflammatory activities, had the greatest number of significant associations with metal concentrations. These eicosanoids were associated with increased concentrations of Cu, Mn, and Zn, and decreased concentrations of Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb, with the strongest effect sizes observed for 12-oxoETE and Pb (β:-33.5,95 %CI:-42.9,-22.6) and 15-oxoETE and Sn (β:43.2,95 %CI:11.4,84.1). Also, we observed differences in metals-eicosanoid associations by infant sex. Particularly, Cs and Mn had the most infant sex-specific significant associations with eicosanoids, which were primarily driven by female fetuses. All significant sex-specific associations with Cs were inverse among females, while significant sex-specific associations with Mn among females were positive within the cyclooxygenase group but inverse among the lipoxygenase group.

CONCLUSION

Certain metals were significantly associated with eicosanoids that are responsible for regulating inflammatory responses. Eicosanoid-metal associations may suggest a role for eicosanoids in mediating metal-induced adverse birth outcomes.

Risky alcohol use during youth: Impact on emotion, cognitive networks, and resting-state EEG activity

The identification of the risk factors of alcohol consumption in youths is crucial for early interventions focused on reducing harmful alcohol use. In our study, 82 college students (40 healthy control (CO group) and 42 with risky alcohol use (RAU group) determined by AUDIT questionnaire) between the ages of 18 and 25 years underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment covering emotional and cognitive functioning. Their resting-state activity was also recorded with an EEG for 10 min with their eyes open (EO) and 10 min with their eyes closed (EC) and analyzed using the Fitting Oscillations & One-Over-F (FOOOF) paradigm. After adjusting for sex, those in the RAU group had higher emotional dysregulation and impulsivity traits. The RAU girls presented more emotional regulation problems, such as dysregulation and negative urgency compared with the RAU boys. The RAU youths had significantly worse functioning in several cognitive domains, such as sustained attention, verbal memory, and executive functions. Cognitive network analysis revealed a different pattern of connections in each group showing that in the RAU group, the verbal memory domain had the highest connection with other cognitive functions. The EEG analyses did not reveal any significant differences between the CO and the RAU groups. However, we observed only in the EO condition that boys the from the RAU group displayed a higher theta/beta ratio than the RAU girls, whereas these differences were not observed within the CO group. Our findings highlight the need to explore more deeply the emotional, cognitive and brain changes underlying the RAU in young people.

Intergenerational Storytelling as a Developmental Resource in LGBTQ+ Communities

LGBTQ+ people continue to be threatened by systemic censorship and erasure in public spaces and discourses, making community-based resources for positive development crucial. In this study, we examined one such developmental resource-LGBTQ+ intergenerational storytelling about cultural-historical events. LGBTQ+ adults (N = 495) ranging in age from 17 to 80 years (M = 39.22, SD = 19.89) responded to an online survey about LGBTQ+ intergenerational storytelling and relationships. Results showed that although LGBTQ+ intergenerational storytelling was reported to occur infrequently, sharing stories across generations was considered important, and LGBTQ+ people desired even greater intergenerational connection. Intergenerational narratives reported by participants were primarily about cultural-historical events involving adversity and oppression (e.g. AIDS crisis), policy and legislation (e.g. marriage equality), and protest, resistance, and activism (e.g. Stonewall uprising). Stories were mostly told by older friends in private or social settings for the purpose of passing on LGBTQ+ history. Lessons learned through storytelling were diverse but tended to focus on appreciation and affirmation. Valuing intergenerational storytelling was associated with positive psychosocial identity. This study suggests that intergenerational storytelling may be an important developmental resource for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities.

Bypassing input to V1 in visual awareness: A TMS-EROS investigation

Early visual cortex (V1-V3) is believed to be critical for normal visual awareness by providing the necessary feedforward input. However, it remains unclear whether visual awareness can occur without further involvement of early visual cortex, such as re-entrant feedback. It has been challenging to determine the importance of feedback activity to these areas because of the difficulties in dissociating this activity from the initial feedforward activity. Here, we applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left posterior parietal cortex to elicit phosphenes in the absence of direct visual input to early visual cortex. Immediate neural activity after the TMS pulse was assessed using the event-related optical signal (EROS), which can measure activity under the TMS coil without artifacts. Our results show that: 1) The activity in posterior parietal cortex 50 ms after TMS was related to phosphene awareness, and 2) Activity related to awareness was observed in a small portion of V1 140 ms after TMS, but in contrast (3) Activity in V2 was a more robust correlate of awareness. Together, these results are consistent with interactive models proposing that sustained and recurrent loops of activity between cortical areas are necessary for visual awareness to emerge. In addition, we observed phosphene-related activations of the anteromedial cuneus and lateral occipital cortex, suggesting a functional network subserving awareness comprising these regions, the parietal cortex and early visual cortex.

Audiovisual speech asynchrony asymmetrically modulates neural binding

Previous psychophysical and neurophysiological studies in young healthy adults have provided evidence that audiovisual speech integration occurs with a large degree of temporal tolerance around true simultaneity. To further determine whether audiovisual speech asynchrony modulates auditory cortical processing and neural binding in young healthy adults, N1/P2 auditory evoked responses were compared using an additive model during a syllable categorization task, without or with an audiovisual asynchrony ranging from 240 ms visual lead to 240 ms auditory lead. Consistent with previous psychophysical findings, the observed results converge in favor of an asymmetric temporal integration window. Three main findings were observed: 1) predictive temporal and phonetic cues from pre-phonatory visual movements before the acoustic onset appeared essential for neural binding to occur, 2) audiovisual synchrony, with visual pre-phonatory movements predictive of the onset of the acoustic signal, was a prerequisite for N1 latency facilitation, and 3) P2 amplitude suppression and latency facilitation occurred even when visual pre-phonatory movements were not predictive of the acoustic onset but the syllable to come. Taken together, these findings help further clarify how audiovisual speech integration partly operates through two stages of visually-based temporal and phonetic predictions.

Enhancement of phonemic verbal fluency in multilingual young adults by transcranial random noise stimulation

Several studies have analyzed the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on verbal fluency tasks in non-clinical populations. Nevertheless, the reported effects on verbal fluency are inconsistent. In addition, the effect of other techniques such as transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on verbal fluency enhancement has yet to be studied in healthy multilingual populations. This study aims to explore the effects of tRNS on verbal fluency in healthy multilingual individuals. Fifty healthy multilingual (Spanish, English and Basque) adults were randomly assigned to a tRNS or sham group. Electrodes were placed on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus. All participants performed phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks before, during (online assessment) and immediately after (offline assessment) stimulation in three different languages. The results showed significantly better performance by participants who received tRNS in the phonemic verbal fluency tasks in Spanish (in the online and offline assessment) and English (in the offline assessment). No differences between conditions were found in Basque nor semantic verbal fluency. These findings suggests that tRNS on the left prefrontal cortex could help improve phonemic, yet not semantic, fluency in healthy multilingual adults.

Delving into the relationship between regular physical exercise and cardiac interoception in two cross-sectional studies

Cardiac interoception, the ability to sense and process cardiac afferent signals, has been shown to improve after a single session of acute physical exercise. However, it remains unclear whether repetitive engagement in physical exercise over time leads to long-term changes in cardiac interoceptive accuracy. It is also unknown whether those changes affect the neural activity associated with the processing of afferent cardiac signals, assessed by the heart-evoked potential (HEP). In this study, we aimed to investigate this hypothesis through two cross-sectional studies, categorizing participants as active or inactive based on physical fitness (Study I; N = 45) or self-reported physical activity levels (Study II; N = 60). Interoception was assessed at rest using the HEP (Studies I and II), the Heartbeat Counting task (Study II), and the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) (Study II). Study I showed strong evidence of better cardiovascular fitness in the active group than in the inactive group as well as robust between-group differences in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings. Study 2 replicated the clear differences in ECG as a function of regular physical activity. Those results were expected due to clear differences in physical activity habits. In contrast, our analysis revealed no robust differences between groups across cardiac interoception tasks and the RHI, although the direct relevance of these measures to interoception remains under investigation. In sum, our results do not provide convincing evidence to support a strong version of the notion that regular physical exercise is associated with an enhanced in cardiac interoception.

Sentence superiority in the reading brain

When a sequence of written words is briefly presented and participants are asked to identify just one word at a post-cued location, then word identification accuracy is higher when the word is presented in a grammatically correct sequence compared with an ungrammatical sequence. This sentence superiority effect has been reported in several behavioral studies and two EEG investigations. Taken together, the results of these studies support the hypothesis that the sentence superiority effect is primarily driven by rapid access to a sentence-level representation via partial word identification processes that operate in parallel over several words. Here we used MEG to examine the neural structures involved in this early stage of written sentence processing, and to further specify the timing of the different processes involved. Source activities over time showed grammatical vs. ungrammatical differences first in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG: 321-406 ms), then the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL: 466-531 ms), and finally in both left IFG (549-602 ms) and left posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG: 553-622 ms). We interpret the early IFG activity as reflecting the rapid bottom-up activation of sentence-level representations, including syntax, enabled by partly parallel word processing. Subsequent activity in ATL and pSTG is thought to reflect the constraints imposed by such sentence-level representations on on-going word-based semantic activation (ATL), and the subsequent development of a more detailed sentence-level representation (pSTG). These results provide further support for a cascaded interactive-activation account of sentence reading.

Motor or non-motor speech interference? A multimodal fMRI and direct cortical stimulation mapping study

We retrospectively analyzed data from 15 patients, with a normal pre-operative cognitive performance, undergoing awake surgery for left fronto-temporal low-grade glioma. We combined a pre-surgical measure (fMRI maps of motor- and language-related centers) with intra-surgical measures (MNI-registered cortical sites data obtained during intra-operative direct electrical stimulation, DES, while they performed the two most common language tasks: number counting and picture naming). Selective DES effects along the precentral gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus (and/or the connected speech articulation network) were obtained. DES of the precentral gyrus evoked the motor speech arrest, i.e., anarthria (with apparent mentalis muscle movements). We calculated the number of shared voxels between the lip-tongue and overt counting related- and silent naming-related fMRI maps and the Volumes of Interest (VOIs) obtained by merging together the MNI sites at which a given speech disturbance was observed, normalized on their mean the values (i.e., Z score). Both tongue- and lips-related movements fMRI maps maximally overlapped (Z = 1.05 and Z = 0.94 for lips and tongue vs. 0.16 and -1.003 for counting and naming) with the motor speech arrest seed. DES of the inferior frontal gyrus, pars opercularis and the rolandic operculum induced speech arrest proper (without apparent mentalis muscle movements). This area maximally overlapped with overt counting-related fMRI map (Z = -0.11 and Z = 0.09 for lips and tongue vs. 0.9 and 0.0006 for counting and naming). Interestingly, our fMRI maps indicated reduced Broca's area activity during silent speech compared to overt speech. Lastly, DES of the inferior frontal gyrus, pars opercularis and triangularis evoked variations of the output, i.e., dysarthria, a motor speech disorder occurring when patients cannot control the muscles used to produce articulated sounds (phonemes). Silent object naming-related fMRI map maximally overlapped (Z = -0.93 and Z = -1.04 for lips and tongue vs. -1.07 and 0.99 for counting and naming) with this seed. Speech disturbances evoked by DES may be thought of as selective interferences with specific recruitment of left inferior frontal gyrus and precentral cortex which are differentiable in terms of the specific interference induced.

Processing of visual social-communication cues during a social-perception of action task in autistic and non-autistic observers

Social perception and communication differ between those with and without autism, even when verbal fluency and intellectual ability are equated. Previous work found that observers responded more quickly to an actor's points if the actor had chosen by themselves where to point instead of being directed where to point. Notably, this 'choice-advantage' effect decreased across non-autistic participants as the number of autistic-like traits and tendencies increased (Pesquita et al., 2016). Here, we build on that work using the same task to study individuals over a broader range of the spectrum, from autistic to non-autistic, measuring both response initiation and mouse movement times, and considering the response to each actor separately. Autistic and non-autistic observers viewed videos of three different actors pointing to one of two locations, without knowing that the actors were sometimes freely choosing to point to one target and other times being directed where to point. All observers exhibited a choice-advantage overall, meaning they responded more rapidly when actors were freely choosing versus when they were directed, indicating a sensitivity to the actors' postural cues and movements. Our fine-grained analyses found a more robust choice-advantage to some actors than others, with autistic observers showing a choice-advantage only in response to one of the actors, suggesting that both actor and observer characteristics influence the overall effect. We briefly explore existing actor characteristics that may have contributed to this effect, finding that both duration of exposure to pre-movement cues and kinematic cues of the actors likely influence the choice advantage to different degrees across the groups. Altogether, the evidence suggested that both autistic and non-autistic individuals could detect the choice-advantage signal, but that for autistic observers the choice-advantage was actor specific. Notably, we found that the influence of the signal, when present, was detected early for all actors by the non-autistic observers, but detected later and only for one actor by the autistic observers. Altogether, we have more accurately characterized the ability of social-perception in autistic individuals as intact, but highlighted that detection of signal is likely delayed/distributed compared to non-autistic observers and that it is important to investigate actor characteristics that may influence detection and use of their social-perception signals.

The electrophysiology of lexical prediction of emoji and text

As emoji often appear naturally alongside text in utterances, they provide a way to study how prediction unfolds in multimodal sentences in direct comparison to unimodal sentences. In this experiment, participants (N = 40) read sentences in which the sentence-final noun appeared in either word form or emoji form, a between-subjects manipulation. The experiment featured both high constraint sentences and low constraint sentences to examine how the lexical processing of emoji interacts with prediction processes in sentence comprehension. Two well-established ERP components linked to lexical processing and prediction - the N400 and the Late Frontal Positivity - are investigated for sentence-final words and emoji to assess whether, to what extent, and in what linguistic contexts emoji are processed like words. Results indicate that the expected effects, namely an N400 effect to an implausible lexical item compared to a plausible one and an LFP effect to an unexpected lexical item compared to an expected one, emerged for both words and emoji. This paper discusses the similarities and differences between the stimulus types and constraint conditions, contextualized within theories of linguistic prediction, ERP components, and a multimodal lexicon.

The role of preSMA and STS in face recognition: A transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study

Current models propose that facial recognition is mediated by two independent yet interacting anatomo-functional systems: one processing facial features mainly mediated by the Fusiform Face Area and the other involved in the extraction of dynamic information from faces, subserved by Superior Temporal Sulcus (STS). Also, the pre-Supplementary Motor Area (pre-SMA) is implicated in facial expression processing as it is involved in its motor mimicry. However, the literature only shows evidence of the implication of STS and preSMA for facial expression recognition, without relating it to face recognition. In addition, the literature shows a facilitatory role of facial motion in the recognition of unfamiliar faces, particularly for poor recognizers. The present study aimed at studying the role of STS and preSMA in unfamiliar face recognition in people with different face recognition skills. 34 healthy participants received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the right posterior STS, pre-SMA and as sham during a task of matching of faces encoded through: facial expression, rigid head movement or as static (i.e., absence of any facial or head motion). All faces were represented without emotional content. Results indicate that STS has a direct role in recognizing identities through rigid head movement and an indirect role in facial expression processing. This dissociation represents a step forward with respect to current face processing models suggesting that different types of motion involve separate brain and cognitive processes. PreSMA interacts with face recognition skills, increasing the performance of poor recognizers and decreasing that of good recognizers in all presentation conditions. Together, the results suggest the use of at least partially different mechanisms for face recognition in poor and good recognizers and a different role of STS and preSMA in face recognition.

Selective cortical adaptations associated with neural efficiency in visuospatial tasks - the comparison of electroencephalographic profiles of expert and novice artists

Visuospatial cognition encapsulates an individual's ability to efficiently navigate and make sense of the multimodal cues from their surroundings, and therefore has been linked to expert performance across multiple domains, including sports, performing arts, and highly skilled tasks, such as drawing (Morrone and Minini, 2023). As neural efficiency posits a task-specific functional reorganization facilitated by long-term training, the present study employs a visuospatial construction task as a means of investigating the neurophysiological adaptations associated with expert visuospatial cognitive performance. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data acquisitions were used to evaluate the event-related changes (ER%) and statistical topographic maps of nine expert versus nine novice artists. The expert artists displayed overall higher global ER% compared to the novices within task-active intervals. Significant increases in relative ER% were found in the theta (t (10) = 3.528, p = 0.003, CI = [27.3,120.9]), lower-alpha (t (10) = 3.751, p = 0.002, CI = [28.2,110.5]), upper-alpha (t (10) = 3.829, p = 0.002, CI = [50.2,189.8]), and low beta (t (10) = 4.342, p < 0.001, CI = [37.0,114.9]) frequency bands, when comparing the experts to the novice participants. These results were particularly found in the frontal (t (14) = 2.014, p = 0.032, CI = [7.7,245.4]) and occipital (t (14) = 2.647, p = 0.010, CI = [45.0,429.7]) regions. Further, a significant decrease in alpha ER% from lower to upper activity (t (8) = 4.475, p = 0.001, CI = [21.0, 65.8]) was found across cortical regions in the novice group. Notably, greater deviation between lower and upper-alpha activity was found across scalp locations in the novice group, compared to the experts. Overall, the findings demonstrate potential local and global EEG-based indices of selective cortical adaptations within a task requiring a high degree of visuospatial cognition, although further work is needed to replicate these findings across other domains.

Evidence for grid-cell-like activity in the time domain

The relation between the processing of space and time in the brain has been an enduring cross-disciplinary question. Grid cells have been recognized as a hallmark of the mammalian navigation system, with recent studies attesting to their involvement in the organization of conceptual knowledge in humans. To determine whether grid-cell-like representations support temporal processing, we asked subjects to mentally simulate changes in age and time-of-day, each constituting "trajectory" in an age-day space, while undergoing fMRI. We found that grid-cell-like representations supported trajecting across this age-day space. Furthermore, brain regions concurrently coding past-to-future orientation positively modulated the magnitude of grid-cell-like representation in the left entorhinal cortex. Finally, our findings suggest that temporal processing may be supported by spatially modulated systems, and that innate regularities of abstract domains may interface and alter grid-cell-like representations, similarly to spatial geometry.

The Relationship Between the Sense of Professional Belonging and Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Among Turkish Midwifery Students

This study examined the relationship between the sense of professional belonging and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care among midwifery students. This cross-sectional study's sample included 194 third- and fourth-year midwifery students associated with the Faculty of Health Sciences at two universities in western Turkey. Data were collected using web-based surveys. The results indicate a positive relationship between total scores on the Midwifery Belonging Scale and scores on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. As the students' spirituality and spiritual care perceptions increased, their feelings of professional belonging as midwives also increased. Therefore, including the concepts of spirituality and belonging in the midwifery curriculum can increase students' spiritual perceptions and sense of professional belonging, thereby enhancing the quality of the care they ultimately provide.

A comparison of the continuous supraclavicular brachial plexus block using the proximal longitudinal oblique approach and the interscalene brachial plexus block for arthroscopic shoulder surgery: A randomised, controlled, double-blind trial

BACKGROUND

Continuous interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) is widely used for arthroscopic shoulder surgery, but the incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paresis (HDP) has been reported to reach 100%. Several methods, including injections distal to the C5-C6 nerve roots, have been attempted to reduce the HDP incidence. However, catheter placement distal to the C5-C6 nerve roots interferes with the surgical site.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary objective was to describe a new technique, the supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SCB), using the proximal longitudinal oblique approach (PLO-SCB), which can facilitate catheter placement and, when compared with ISB, to test whether this would provide noninferior analgesia and spare the phrenic nerve.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomised, double-blind study.

SETTING

Operating rooms, postanaesthesia care unit, and wards.

PATIENTS

Seventy-six patients aged 20 to 80 years scheduled for arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomly assigned to the continuous PLO-SCB ( n  = 40) or the continuous ISB ( n  = 40) groups. All patients received an initial low-volume single-injection (5 ml 0.75% ropivacaine) followed by a patient-controlled infusion of 0.15% ropivacaine.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcomes were the incidence of HDP and pain scores. Secondary outcomes were respiratory function, postoperative analgesic consumption, sensory and motor function, and complications.

RESULTS

The HDP incidence was significantly lower in the PLO-SCB group than in the ISB group at 30 min after block injection: 0% (0 of 38 patients) and 73.7% (28 of 38 patients), respectively ( P  < 0.001). Similarly, at 24 h after surgery, the incidences were 23.7% (9 of 38 patients) and 47.4% (18 of 38 patients) in the PLO-SCB and ISB groups, respectively ( P  = 0.002). Median [IQR] NRS pain scores at rest measured after surgery in the ISB and PLO-SCB groups were similar: immediately after surgery, 1 [0 to 2] vs. 1 [0 to 1], P  = 0.06); at 30 min, 2 [0.25 to 2] vs. 1 [0 to 2], P  = 0.065); and at 24 h 2 [0.25 to 3] vs. 1 [0 to 3], P  = 0.47, respectively.

CONCLUSION

For major shoulder surgery, compared with continuous ISB, continuous PLO-SCB was more sparing of diaphragmatic and respiratory function while providing noninferior analgesia. Catheter placement via the PLO approach is feasible without interfering with the surgical field.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registered by the Clinical Trial Registry of Korea (Seoul, Korea; KCT0004759, http: cris.nih.go.kr, principal investigator: Hyungtae Kim).

Breastfeeding Intentions among Pregnant Women Enrolled in a Healthy Start Program in Arkansas

INTRODUCTION

Exclusive breastfeeding is recognized as the optimal source of nutrition for infants. Although exclusive breastfeeding rates have increased overall in the United States, substantial inequities exist in breastfeeding among individuals of different socioeconomic statuses, races, and ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics associated with exclusive breastfeeding intentions among pregnant women in Arkansas enrolled in a Healthy Start program.

METHODS

The current study included a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 242 pregnant women in Arkansas enrolled in a Healthy Start program.

RESULTS

The majority of the participants (56.6%) indicated their infant feeding intentions included a combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding. There were substantial differences in breastfeeding intentions among women of different races/ethnicities, with 18.5% of Marshallese women indicating they planned to exclusively breastfeed, compared to 42.1% of White women, 47.6% of Black women, and 31.8% of Hispanic women (p < 0.001). Women over the age of 18 and with higher educational attainment were more likely to intend on exclusively breastfeeding.

DISCUSSION

This is the first study to examine characteristics associated with exclusive breastfeeding intentions among pregnant women in Arkansas enrolled in a Healthy Start program. The study found that race/ethnicity and age were most strongly associated with breastfeeding intentions. These findings are critical to identifying populations for resource allocation and to developing culturally-tailored interventions to help women in Arkansas achieve their desired infant feeding methods.

Exploring Religion as a Path to Meaning: The Role of "Pastrotherapy" in Supporting Young People's Quest for a Good Life in Nigeria

This paper examines suicide prevalence among Nigerian youth struggling to find meaning in life. Frustrated by unattainable ideals, they experience despair. The study explores religion's role in providing support for meaning-seeking individuals. Utilizing an explorative approach, the paper highlights how religion can play a role in offering solidarity, morality, and hope as vital resources for creating a meaningful life. It introduces "Pastrotherapy" as a pastoral care approach to addressing existential questions. Findings emphasize the importance of religious communities and leaders in promoting resilience and addressing underlying causes of despair. This study reveals how religious beliefs and practices support Nigerian youth facing existential challenges, shedding light on the intersection of religion, meaning-making, and mental health.

Association of Social Media Use Disorder and Orthorexia Nervosa Among Lebanese University Students: The Indirect Effect of Loneliness and Factor Structure of the Social Media Use Disorder Short Form and the Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scales

The current study aims to examine the relationship between Social Media Use Disorder (SMUD) and Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), and evaluate the indirect effect of loneliness in this association. This cross-sectional study was carried out between July and September 2021. A total of 363 university students were recruited through convenience sampling through several universities in Lebanon's governorates. Data about information about the social media applications mostly used (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the number of times of entry to social media applications, the time spent on these applications, ON, loneliness and SMUD, were also collected. The Mplus v.7.2 software was used to estimate categorical confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the SMD and loneliness scales. The one-factorial model of the SMD scale fitted well according to χ2/df (69.71/27 = 2.58), TLI (.967), CFI (.956), and RMSEA values (.066; CI [.047-.085]; pclose = .079). The one-factorial model of the loneliness scale fitted well according to χ2/df (10.30/5 = 2.06) TLI (=0.97), CFI (=0.98), and RMSEA values (=0.054; CI [0.000-0.101]; pclose = 0.379). When entering the social media applications and time spent on these applications as independent variables in a first regression model, using Instagram (Beta = 2.73), using Tumblr (Beta = 3.22), spending 30-60 minutes per day on social media apps compared to less than 30 minutes (Beta = 2.33), higher physical activity index (Beta = 0.04) and loneliness (Beta = 0.67) were significantly associated with more ON. When entering the SMUD score as an independent variable in a second regression model, the results showed that higher SMUD (Beta = 0.50) was significantly associated with more ON. Also, loneliness played a partial indirect role in the association between SMUD and ON (by 16%). The current results can help mental health professionals better detect these potential psychological disorders and might help improve future treatment of issues related to ON and SMUD.

Effects of an AAC feature on decoding and encoding skills of adults with Down syndrome

Literacy skills can assist in the navigation and enjoyment of adult life. For individuals who have reached adulthood without strong literacy skills, opportunities for continued literacy learning are few. Redesigning AAC technologies to support literacy skill development could extend literacy learning opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities who have limited speech. The current preliminary study evaluated an AAC technology feature designed to support literacy development. The study used a multiple probe across participants design. Three adults with Down syndrome who had limited speech and only basic decoding skills participated. Results suggest the participants made modest gains in decoding accuracy after interacting using the AAC app with the literacy supportive feature, though performance was highly variable. Results also offer emerging evidence that, for two participants, some generalization to encoding performance may have also been achieved. Results showed that, for all the participants, interacting using the literacy supportive feature increased their reading confidence. Altogether, the study's results show preliminary evidence that the feature can support adults with Down syndrome in their ongoing literacy learning, though access to formal instruction is still critical. Future research is needed to continue to explore this and other AAC technology redesigns to increase learning opportunities for the people who use the technology every day to communicate.

Speaking partners' talk in transitions between symbols in conversations that use speech-output technologies

Aided conversations differ from spoken ones in their transitions between turns and symbols because seeking and choosing symbols takes more time than speaking words naturally. This study adopted the concepts and principles of conversation analysis (CA) to analyze the transitions between symbols during the construction of aided turns. The data was from the spontaneous conversations at home between mothers and four males (sons) who used speech-output technologies. The analyses compared the durations of transitions between turns and symbols and frequency of mothers' talk during the transitions. The mothers most often remained silent during the symbol-transitions, but when they talked, their speech was inspired by the current context and was not coincidental. When the mothers spoke during the symbol-transitions, their sons either continued or paused constructing their turn. Despite the effect on the progress of conversations, the participants did not orient to these expanded aided turns as challenging. The expansions manifested (a) in parallel (b) side by side with the aided turn, and (c) as a part of the ongoing aided turn. Analyzing the structural characteristics of aided conversations deepens our understanding of theoretical concepts, offers strategies to guide aided communicators and their partners, and helps to develop augmentative and alternative communication technologies that promote interactive communication.

Decreased oxytocin levels related to social cognition impairment in borderline personality disorder

INTRODUCTION

Dysfunctions in the oxytocin system have been reported in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Deficits could be related to interpersonal hypersensitivity, which has been previously associated with failures in social cognition (SC) in this disorder, especially in Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. The aim of this work is to study the links between the oxytocin system and SC impairments in patients with BPD.

METHOD

Plasma oxytocin levels (OXT) and protein expression of oxytocin receptors in blood mononuclear cells (OXTR) were examined in 33 patients with a diagnosis of BPD (age: M 28.85, DT = 8.83). Social cognition was assessed using the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). Statistical associations between biochemical factors and different response errors in MASC were analyzed through generalized linear regression controlling for relevant clinical factors.

RESULTS

Generalized linear regression showed a significant relationship between lower OXTR and overmentalization in BPD patients (OR = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

This work supports the relationship between alterations in the oxytocin system and ToM impairments observed in BPD patients, enhancing the search for endophenotypes related to the phenotypic features of the disorder to improve current clinical knowledge and address more specific therapeutic targets.

Explaining racial and ethnic disparities in antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral suppression among U.S. men who have sex with men

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors - including social determinants of health (SDOH) - that explain racial/ethnic disparities in antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and sustained viral suppression (SVS) among U.S. men who have sex with men (MSM) with HIV.

DESIGN

We used weighted data from 2017-2021 cycles of the Medical Monitoring Project.

METHODS

Among MSM taking ART, we calculated prevalence differences (PDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of ART adherence (100% ART adherence, past 30 days) and SVS (all viral loads in past 12 months <200 copies/ml or undetectable) for Black MSM (BMSM) and Hispanic/Latino MSM (HMSM) compared with White MSM (WMSM). Using forward stepwise selection, we calculated adjusted PDs with 95% CIs to examine if controlling for selected variables reduced PDs.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, any unmet service need, federal poverty level (FPL), food insecurity, homelessness, time since HIV diagnosis, gap in health coverage, and education, the BMSM/WMSM PD for ART adherence reduced from -16.9 to -8.2 (51.5%). For SVS, the BMSM/WMSM PD reduced from -8.3 to -3.6 (56.6%) after adjusting for ART adherence, age, homelessness, food insecurity, gap in health coverage, FPL, any unmet service need, time since diagnosis, and ER visit(s). The HMSM/WMSM PD for ART adherence reduced from -9.3 to -2.9 (68.8%) after adjusting for age and FPL. The unadjusted HMSM/WMSM PD for SVS was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjusting for SDOH and other factors greatly reduced racial/ethnic disparities in ART adherence and SVS. Addressing these factors - particularly among BMSM - could substantially improve health equity among MSM with HIV.

Contact allergy in Swedish professional ice hockey players

BACKGROUND

Professional ice hockey players may contract irritant and allergic contact dermatitis.

AIMS

To investigate the presence of contact allergy (CA) in professional ice hockey players in Sweden.

METHODS

Ten teams from the two top leagues were assessed for potential occupational exposure to sensitizers. Exactly 107 players were patch tested with an extended baseline series and a working series, in total 74 test preparations. The CA rates were compared between the ice hockey players and controls from the general population and dermatitis patients.

RESULTS

One out of 4 players had at least one contact allergy. The most common sensitizers were Amerchol L 101, nickel and oxidized limonene. CA was as common in the ice hockey players as in dermatitis patients and significantly more common than in the general population. Fragrances and combined sensitizers in cosmetic products (fragrances + preservatives + emulsifier) were significantly more common in ice hockey players compared with the general population.

CONCLUSION

The possible relationship between CA to fragrances and cosmetic products on the one hand and the presence of dermatitis on the other should be explored further.

Results of patch testing with five fragrance materials hitherto not tested: A dose-finding study in the clinical population

BACKGROUND

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) for skin sensitization is used to derive safe use levels of sensitising fragrance ingredients in products. Post-marketing surveillance of the prevalence of contact allergy to these ingredients provides relevant data to help evaluate the performance of these measures.

OBJECTIVES

To determine a suitable patch test concentration for five fragrance materials that had hitherto not been tested on a regular basis. These concentrations are then to be used in a surveillance study with patch testing consecutive patients over an extended monitoring period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Furaneol, CAS.3658-77-3; trans-2-hexenal, CAS.6728-26-3; 4,8-dimethyl-4,9-decadienal, CAS.71077-31-1; longifolene, CAS.475-20-7; benzaldehyde, CAS.10052-7, were patch tested with other fragrance allergens in four clinics. Patch testing was conducted in three rounds, starting with the lowest concentrations of the five ingredients. The doses were increased in the subsequent rounds if no late-appearing positive reactions and virtually no irritant reactions were reported.

RESULTS

Overall, 373 patients were tested. No positive allergic reaction was reported to the five ingredients. Patch test results of other fragrance allergens are reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The highest test concentrations are each considered safe for patch testing consecutive patients. Further surveillance based on these preparations will evaluate the hypothesis that QRA-driven consumer product levels of these fragrances can prevent sensitization.

A multidisciplinary approach of a patient with pheochromocytoma presenting as recurrent acute fulminant myocarditis: A rare case report and comprehensive review of literature

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a rare illness characterized by abrupt and severe widespread cardiac inflammation, which frequently results in mortality due to cardiogenic shock, ventricular arrhythmias, or multiorgan system failure. Pheochromocytoma is an uncommon and difficult-to-diagnose cause of FM, and it is associated with a significant risk of recurrent acute myocarditis. There is, however, little information on reoccurring acute FM. Herein, we report a rare case of recurrent acute FM due to pheochromocytoma. We present the case of a 22-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital three days previously with acute dyspnea. Five months prior, the patient was diagnosed with post-acute myocarditis, and a massive tumor on the right adrenal gland was discovered, which lead to pheochromocytoma diagnosis. In this present admission, following the exclusion of infection, autoimmune, and metabolic derangements, pheochromocytoma was presumed to be the reason for the recurrence and more severe acute FM during the current hospitalization. The patient responded favorably to high-dose steroids combined with heart failure therapy regimens. To detect recurrent acute myocarditis related to pheochromocytoma, a multidisciplinary approach was used, including several laboratory biomarkers and imaging findings. Following pheochromocytoma removal and biopsy, the patient recovered satisfactorily. Our findings may provide beneficial contributions to the literature as pheochromocytoma is an uncommon but important cause of recurrent acute myocarditis. A multidisciplinary approach is essential in identifying acute FM and determining the underlying causes of this malady.

Effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin on visual attention to faces vs. natural scenes in older adults

Aging is associated with changes in face processing, including desensitization to face cues like gaze direction and an attentional preference to faces with positive over negative emotional valence. A parallel line of research has shown that acute administration of oxytocin (OT) increases visual attention to social stimuli such as human faces. The current study examined effects of chronic OT administration among older adults on fixation duration to faces that varied in emotional expression, gaze direction, age, and sex. One hundred and twelve generally healthy older adults (aged 55-95 years) underwent a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subject clinical trial in which they self-administered either OT or placebo (P) intranasally twice a day for 4 weeks. The behavioral task involved rating the trustworthiness of faces (i.e., social stimuli) and natural scenes (i.e., non-social control stimuli) during eye tracking and was conducted before and after the intervention. Fixation duration to both the faces and the natural scenes declined from pre- to post-intervention, however this decline was less pronounced among older adults in the OT compared to the P group for faces but not scenes. Further, face cues (emotional expression, gaze direction, age, sex) did not moderate the treatment effect. This study provides first evidence that chronic intranasal OT maintains salience of social cues over time in older adults, perhaps buffering effects of habituation. These findings enhance understanding of OT effects on social cognition among older adults, and would benefit from follow up with a young adult comparison group to directly speak to specificity of observed effects to older adults and reflection of the aging process.

Predicting treatment response using machine learning: A registered report

OBJECTIVE

Previous research on psychotherapy treatment response has mainly focused on outpatients or clinical trial data which may have low ecological validity regarding naturalistic inpatient samples. To reduce treatment failures by proactively screening for patients at risk of low treatment response, gain more knowledge about risk factors and to evaluate treatments, accurate insights about predictors of treatment response in naturalistic inpatient samples are needed.

METHODS

We compared the performance of different machine learning algorithms in predicting treatment response, operationalized as a substantial reduction in symptom severity as expressed in the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale. To achieve this goal, we used different sets of variables-(a) demographics, (b) physical indicators, (c) psychological indicators and (d) treatment-related variables-in a naturalistic inpatient sample (N = 723) to specify their joint and unique contribution to treatment success.

RESULTS

There was a strong link between symptom severity at baseline and post-treatment (R2 = .32). When using all available variables, both machine learning algorithms outperformed the linear regressions and led to an increment in predictive performance of R2 = .12. Treatment-related variables were the most predictive, followed psychological indicators. Physical indicators and demographics were negligible.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment response in naturalistic inpatient settings can be predicted to a considerable degree by using baseline indicators. Regularization via machine learning algorithms leads to higher predictive performances as opposed to including nonlinear and interaction effects. Heterogenous aspects of mental health have incremental predictive value and should be considered as prognostic markers when modelling treatment processes.

Hemodynamic and Clinical Response to Liver Transplantation in Children and Young Adults POPH Patients

Portopulmonary hypertension is an intractable form of pulmonary hypertension. Although liver transplantation is recommended for patients who respond poorly to treatments, the mechanisms by which liver transplantation improves pulmonary hypertension remain unclear. The present study investigated these mechanisms by retrospectively evaluating patients' data. This study retrospectively evaluated echocardiography and catheterization data before and after liver transplantation in 12 patients who underwent liver transplantation from 2001 to 2019. The 12 patients included one male and 11 females, of median age at liver transplantation of 10 years, 2 months. Nine patients underwent liver transplantation for congenital biliary atresia and three for portal vein aplasia or hypoplasia. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 44.1 ± 8.1 mmHg at the first cardiac catheter examination, 35.3 ± 7.8 mmHg before liver transplantation, and 29.5 ± 9.3 mmHg 6 months after liver transplantation. Pulmonary artery pressure was reduced by treatments of pulmonary hypertension and by liver transplantation. Pulmonary vascular resistance did not differ before and after liver transplantation, whereas the cardiac index decreased significantly, indicating that the significant reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure was due to a decrease in cardiac index. Decreased cardiac index was thought to result from improvements in hyperdynamic conditions due to increased (normalized) systemic vascular resistance. Liver transplantation likely suppresses shear stress on pulmonary arteries, preventing further damage by hyper-circulation. A longer-term evaluation is required to determine the effect of improving pulmonary artery remodeling.

The gustin gene variation at rs2274333 and PROP taster status affect dietary fat perception: a stepwise multiple regression model study

Gustin, a trophic factor for taste bud development, and its polymorphism at rs2274333 influence taste perception of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and fungiform papillae (FP) density. The PROP taster status affects dietary fat sensing and body composition. However, there is a paucity of research on the gustin genotype with dietary fat perception, PROP tasting ability, and body mass index (BMI). Thus, taste sensitivity to fat and bitterness was evaluated in 178 healthy individuals. The general labeled magnitude scale was used to determine suprathreshold taste intensity ratings, whereas the alternative forced choice approach was used to estimate the taste-sensing ability. The FP density was assessed by applying blue-colored food dye over the anterior region of the tongue. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to detect the genetic polymorphism (rs2274333) in the carbonic anhydrase VI (CA-VI) gene. Fisher's chi-square analysis showed that the CA-VI genotype and allelic frequencies significantly correlated (p<0.001) with the PROP taster status and BMI. Healthy individuals with AA genotypes of the CA-VI polymorphism and PROP super-tasters demonstrated stronger gustatory sensitivity for linoleic acid (LA) with greater FP density in comparison to individuals with AG/GG genotypes and other PROP taster groups. Stepwise forward multiple regression analysis indicates that BMI and PROP taster status significantly influence the LA sensing ability. The suprathreshold intensity rating for LA was also significantly impacted by PROP taster status and CA-VI genotypes, with a variation of 73.3%. Overall, our findings show a relationship between the taste papillae environment and the CA-VI genetic mutation at rs2274333, which influenced the gustatory preference for dietary fat and bitter taste.

A qualitative exploration of how to support PrEP adherence among young men who have sex with men

New HIV infections disproportionately affect young men who have sex with men (YMSM). PrEP is effective in preventing HIV acquisition; however, adherence is critical and is often suboptimal among YMSM. Interventions addressing the unique PrEP adherence challenges faced by YMSM are needed. We conducted qualitative interviews with 20 HIV-negative, YMSM (ages 15-24) with a PrEP indication and 11 healthcare professionals to inform adaption of a PrEP adherence intervention (Life-Steps for PrEP) for YMSM. We explored environmental, healthcare, and individual factors influencing uptake, adherence, attitudes, and perspectives (including desired modifications) on the Life-Steps intervention. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Of YMSM study participants (mean age 21.6) 55% were White, 15% Hispanic, and 5% Black. Most YMSM were PrEP-experienced (70%). Healthcare professionals (6 prescribers, 1 nurse, 2 health educators, 2 other/unspecified) averaged 6.9 years of experience caring for YMSM. All described stigma as a barrier to PrEP; YMSM expressed concern around being perceived as "risky" and concern about inadvertent PrEP disclosure if family/friends found their medication, or if parental insurance was used. Difficulty with planning for potential adherence challenges were identified by both groups. YMSM highlighted benefits of a nurse-led intervention (i.e., adding "legitimacy"), but stressed need for nonjudgmental, "savvy" interventionists. YMSM expressed a desire for comprehensive YMSM-specific sexual health information. These findings informed modification and expansion of Life-Steps content. Results highlight key potential barriers, many of which center around privacy. Content that addresses PrEP stigma, disclosing PrEP use, navigating insurance, and planning ahead in a nonjudgmental environment by trusted providers emerged as important components of a YMSM-focused delivery of Life-Steps for PrEP.

Reference Intervals of Serum Iodine Concentration in Chinese Pregnant Women

The study aims to establish trimester-specific reference ranges for serum iodine (SI) in Chinese pregnant women and explore its associations with maternal and infantile thyroid function. Apparently healthy pregnant women were enrolled during their first antenatal visit. Fasting venous and spot urine samples were collected for determining serum and urinary iodine (UI) levels by a validated inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyrotropin (TSH), and neonatal TSH levels were tested by electro-chemiluminescent assay. The reference ranges of SI were established by percentile method and reported as 2.5-97.5%. ROC analysis was applied to compare the discriminative ability of SI, UI, and UI to urinary creatine ratio (UI /UCr) in early pregnancy for various thyroid conditions. The trimester-specific reference ranges of SI for Chinese pregnant women were 60.91-114.53 μg/L for the first trimester (T1, n = 1029), 54.57-103.42 μg/L for the second trimester (T2, n = 379), and 52.03-110.40 μg/L for the third trimester (T3, n = 455). Maternal SI at T1 but not UI and UI/UCr was significantly correlated with FT3 (r = 0.393, P < 0.001), FT4 (r = 0.637, P < 0.001), and TSH (r = -0.299, P<0.001). Maternal SI change% from T1 to T2 (but not SI change% from T1 to T3) had marginal correlation with neonatal TSH (r=-0.106, P=0.046). ROC analysis showed that maternal SI at T1 had better predictability for several thyroid conditions than UIC and UI/UCr.

Expectancy or Salience?-Replicating Senders' Dial-Monitoring Experiments With a Gaze-Contingent Window

INTRODUCTION

In the 1950s and 1960s, John Senders carried out a number of influential experiments on the monitoring of multidegree-of-freedom systems. In these experiments, participants were tasked with detecting events (threshold crossings) for multiple dials, each presenting a signal with different bandwidth. Senders' analyses showed a nearly linear relationship between signal bandwidth and the amount of attention paid to the dial, and he argued that humans sample according to bandwidth, in line with the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem.

OBJECTIVE

The current study tested whether humans indeed sample the dials based on bandwidth alone or whether they also use salient peripheral cues.

METHODS

A dial-monitoring task was performed by 33 participants. In half of the trials, a gaze-contingent window was used that blocked peripheral vision.

RESULTS

The results showed that, without peripheral vision, humans do not effectively distribute their attention across the dials. The findings also suggest that, when given full view, humans can detect the speed of the dial using their peripheral vision.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that salience and bandwidth are both drivers of distributed visual attention in a dial-monitoring task.

APPLICATION

The present findings indicate that salience plays a major role in guiding human attention. A subsequent recommendation for future human-machine interface design is that task-critical elements should be made salient.

Mortality patterns in a Danish nationwide cohort of persons with intellectual disabilities

Mortality disparities among persons with intellectual disability are important to guide health-care practices. The objective was to evaluate mortality patterns of persons with intellectual disability in a nationwide study from 1976 to 2020. This study establishes a Danish nationwide cohort of persons with intellectual disability and age- and sex-matched reference cohort through linkage between several registers. We established a cohort of 79,114 persons with intellectual disability. Standardized mortality ratios were increased for persons with intellectual disability, most pronounced among younger persons and among females. Life expectancies were markedly lower; among persons with intellectual disability 63.6 years among females and 59.8 years among males in 2016-2020 compared to 82.4 and 78.7 years among females and males in the reference cohort. Life expectancies decreased with severity of intellectual disability. This study reports the establishment of a nationwide Danish cohort of persons with intellectual disability.

Allowable movement of wavefront-guided contact lens corrections in normal and keratoconic eyes

PURPOSE

The goal was to use SyntEyes modelling to estimate the allowable alignment error of wavefront-guided rigid contact lens corrections for a range of normal and keratoconic eye aberration structures to keep objectively measured visual image quality at or above average levels of well-corrected normal eyes. Secondary purposes included determining the required radial order of correction, whether increased radial order of the corrections further constrained the allowable alignment error and how alignment constraints vary with keratoconus severity.

METHODS

Building on previous work, 20 normal SyntEyes and 20 keratoconic SyntEyes were fitted with optimised wavefront-guided rigid contact lens corrections targeting between three and eight radial orders that drove visual image quality, as measured objectively by the visual Strehl ratio, to near 1 (best possible) over a 5-mm pupil for the aligned position. The resulting wavefront-guided contact lens was then allowed to translate up to ±1 mm in the x- and y-directions and rotate up ±15°.

RESULTS

Allowable alignment error changed as a function of the magnitude of aberration structure to be corrected, which depends on keratoconus severity. This alignment error varied only slightly with the radial order of correction above the fourth radial order. To return the keratoconic SyntEyes to average levels of visual image quality depended on maximum anterior corneal curvature (Kmax). Acceptable tolerances for misalignment that returned keratoconic visual image quality to average normal levels varied between 0.29 and 0.63 mm for translation and approximately ±6.5° for rotation, depending on the magnitude of the aberration structure being corrected.

CONCLUSIONS

Allowable alignment errors vary as a function of the aberration structure being corrected, the desired goal for visual image quality and as a function of keratoconus severity.

Parent and Friend Relationship Quality and Links to Trajectories of Loneliness During the First Year of College

Beginning college involves changes that can increase one's vulnerability to loneliness and associated negative outcomes. Parent and friend relationships are potential protective factors against loneliness given their positive association with adjustment. The present longitudinal study, with data collection at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months later, assessed the comparative effects of self-reported parent and friend relationship quality on loneliness in first-year college students (N = 101; 80 female, Mage = 18.36). At baseline, parent and friend relationship quality were negatively associated with loneliness. Longitudinal data revealed that friend relationship quality interacted with time, such that its effects on loneliness attenuated over the course of 2 months. By contrast, parent relationship quality continued to predict lower loneliness 2 months post-baseline. These results highlight the importance of close relationships and suggest that targeting relationship quality could be effective in helping youth transition to college.

Proteus species bloodstream infections: Comparative epidemiology of three species

BACKGROUND

Although Proteus species are occasional causes of serious infections, their epidemiology has not been well defined. The objective was to describe the overall and species-specific occurrence and determinants of Proteus species bloodstream infection (BSI) in a large Australian population.

METHODS

All Queensland residents with Proteus species BSI identified within the publicly funded healthcare system between 2000 and 2019 were included.

RESULTS

A total of 2,143 incident episodes of Proteus species BSI were identified among 2,079 Queensland residents. The prevalence of comorbid illness differed with higher Charlson comorbidity scores observed with P. penneri and P. vulgaris, and higher prevalence of liver disease with P. penneri, higher comorbid cancer with P. vulgaris, and lower diabetes and renal disease prevalence with P. mirabilis BSIs.

CONCLUSION

This study provides novel information on the epidemiology of Proteus species BSI.

Higher CCR5 density on CD4 + T-cells in mothers and infants is associated with increased risk of in-utero HIV-1 transmission

OBJECTIVE

CCR5-tropic viruses are preferentially transmitted during perinatal HIV-1 infection. CCR5 density on CD4 + T-cells likely impacts susceptibility to HIV-1 infection.

DESIGN

Fifty-two mother-infant dyads were enrolled. All mothers were living with HIV-1, 27 of the infants acquired HIV-1 in utero and 25 infants remained uninfected.

METHODS

CCR5 density, together with frequencies of CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells expressing immune activation (CCR5, ICOS and HLA-DR) and immune checkpoint (TIGIT and PD-1) markers, were measured in whole blood from the dyads close to delivery.

RESULTS

Compared with mothers who did not transmit, mothers who transmitted HIV-1 had less exposure to ART during pregnancy ( P = 0.015) and higher plasma viral load close to delivery ( P = 0.0005). These mothers, additionally, had higher CCR5 density on CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells and higher frequencies of CCR5, ICOS and TIGIT-expressing CD8 + T-cells. Similarly, compared with infants without HIV-1, infants with HIV-1 had higher CCR5 density on CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells and higher frequencies of CCR5, TIGIT, and PD-1-expressing CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells as well as higher frequencies of HLA-DR-expressing CD8 + T-cells. CCR5 density on maternal CD4 + T-cells remained significantly associated with transmission after adjusting for maternal viral load and CD4 + T cell counts. Mother-infant dyads with shared high CCR5 density phenotypes had the highest risk of transmission/acquisition of infection compared with dyads with shared low-CCR5 density phenotypes.

CONCLUSION

This study provides strong evidence of a protective role for a combined mother-infant low CD4 + T-cell CCR5 density phenotype in in-utero transmission/acquisition of HIV-1.

Racial Hate at the Intersection of Online and Offline Worlds: The Joint Impact of Online and Offline Racism on the Mental Health of Racially Minoritized Individuals

With the everyday influence of social media and online platforms, racially minoritized individuals face the risk of experiencing racial discrimination in both offline and online contexts. Yet, there is scant research on how online and offline racism could jointly impact the mental health of racially minoritized individuals. Thus, the study examined online racism as a moderator in the link between offline racism and mental health issues. Using data from 651 racially minoritized emerging adults (Mage = 22.15, SD = 3.39), a moderation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro with bias-corrected bootstrapping (10,000 resamples). Experiencing more offline racism was significantly associated with greater mental health issues. Online racism was a significant moderator in the link between offline racism and mental health issues. The link between offline racism and mental health issues was not significant at low levels of online racism. However, the link was significant and strengthened at mean to high levels of online racism. The results suggest complex interactions in understanding the compounding impact of online and offline racism on mental health costs among racially minoritized individuals. Implications for future research on understanding the interplay between online and offline racism are discussed.

Effectiveness of a web-based group intervention for internet addiction in university students

The phenomenon of Internet addiction has been systematically addressed with numerous studies highlighting its association with deficits in self-regulation. Despite the extensive literature elucidating the adverse effects of Internet addiction on university students, the availability of relevant interventions has remained constrained. The current study aimed at evaluating a web-based, group intervention, which aimed to prevent Internet addiction and enhance self-regulation. The sample consisted of 47 undergraduate and postgraduate university students (Ν = 47, Mage=21, SD = 3), who were divided into an intervention (n = 24) and a control group (n = 23). The participants were asked to complete a) the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998), and b) the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Brown et al., 1999), prior to the commencement of the intervention, after its conclusion, and one and a half months after the intervention. The web-based intervention consisted of 6 sessions, over a two-week period. Results indicated an improvement of self-regulation and Internet addiction levels for the intervention group, compared to the control group. These results were maintained at the one and a half months follow-up. Implications for designing and implementing web-based group interventions for Internet addiction are discussed.

Reduced coupling between global signal and cerebrospinal fluid inflow in patients with depressive disorder: A resting state functional MRI study

BACKGROUND

Depressed patients often suffer from sleep disturbance, which has been recognized to be responsible for glymphatic dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the coupling strength of global blood‑oxygen-level-dependent (gBOLD) signals and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflow dynamics, which is a biomarker for glymphatic function, in depressed patients and to explore its potential relationship with sleep disturbance by using resting-state functional MRI.

METHODS

A total of 138 depressed patients (112 females, age: 34.70 ± 13.11 years) and 84 healthy controls (29 females, age: 36.6 ± 11.75 years) participated in this study. The gBOLD-CSF coupling strength was calculated to evaluate glymphatic function. Sleep disturbance was evaluated using the insomnia items (item 4 for insomnia-early, item 5 for insomnia-middle, and item 6 for insomnia-late) of The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for depressed patients, which was correlated with the gBOLD-CSF coupling strength.

RESULTS

The depressed patients exhibited weaker gBOLD-CSF coupling relative to healthy controls (p = 0.022), possibly due to impairment of the glymphatic system. Moreover, the gBOLD-CSF coupling strength correlated with insomnia-middle (r = 0.097, p = 0.008) in depressed patients. Limitations This study is a cross-sectional study.

CONCLUSION

Our findings shed light on the pathophysiology of depression, indicating that cerebral waste clearance system deficits are correlated with poor sleep quality in depressed patients.

From identity-based distress to thinking "I am better off being dead:" Minority stress, posttraumatic cognitions, and suicidal ideation

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation (SI) disproportionately impacts individuals with minoritized race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Minority stress - i.e., traumatic, insidious distress that results from acts of discrimination - may lead to the formation of posttraumatic cognitions that may generalize to suicidal ideation, elevating SI risk in minoritized populations. The current study aimed to test this potential relationship by examining whether minority stress and posttraumatic cognitions accounted for the association between discrimination and SI.

METHODS

Series of structural equation models, including multigroup confirmatory factor analyses conducted to test invariance of latent constructs, were estimated on cross-sectional data collected from minoritized young adults (n = 337).

RESULTS

Results supported the hypothesized model: experience of discrimination indirectly associated with SI via correlations shared between minority stress and posttraumatic cognitions. Experiences of discrimination lacked a significant correlation with SI while accounting for minority stress and posttraumatic cognition variance. Invariance testing conducted to account for applicability of the model across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and plurality of minoritized identities all demonstrated that the model was applicable across these identity dimensions.

LIMITATIONS

Granular inspection of identity dimensions was infeasible due to sample size and causal inferences cannot be drawn given cross-sectional nature of the data used.

CONCLUSIONS

Posttraumatic cognitions within the context of discrimination may be effective treatment targets for minoritized individuals who present with minority stress and SI. Future studies should aim to replicate such findings longitudinally to infer temporality.

The impact of school exclusion in childhood on health and well-being outcomes in adulthood: Estimating causal effects using inverse probability of treatment weighting

BACKGROUND

Previous evidence has suggested a strong association between school exclusion and health outcomes. However, as health risks are themselves related to the risk of experiencing a school exclusion, it has been challenging to determine the extent to which school exclusion impacts later health outcomes, as opposed to reflecting a marker for pre-existing risks.

AIM

The aim of the current study was to address this challenge in estimating the medium-to-long-term impact of school exclusion of health and well-being outcomes.

METHODS

To this end, we used an inverse propensity weighting approach in the Next Steps data set (N = 6534, from wave 1, 2014, to wave 8, 2015).

RESULTS

We found that after weighting for propensity of treatment scores estimated based on a wide range of factors, including previous health indicators, there was a significant effect of school exclusion on a wide range of health and well-being outcomes.

DISCUSSION

These results provide some of the most robust evidence to date that school exclusion harms long-term health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that policies should aim to reduce exclusion and ensure access to preventative health support for those who experience a school exclusion.

Effects of a dual-task activity on gait parameters of people with and without intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

The main objective of this study was to evaluate gait parameters in people with intellectual disability (ID) and without intellectual disability (WID) in two different walking conditions [single task vs. dual task (DT)]. A secondary aim was to evaluate the dual-task cost (DTC) that the DT causes in each group.

METHODS

A total of 119 participants joined in this study: 56 ID (30 men) and 63 WID (30 men). The OptoGait system was used to assess gait. In addition, Witty photocells were added to assess gait under the DT condition.

RESULTS

Single support time was lower for participants with ID (P < 0.01), while double support time was higher (P < 0.05). All coefficients of variation for gait parameters were higher in participants with ID. Additionally, changes in gait were observed in both groups during the DT condition compared with the single-task condition. These changes were larger for participants with ID in step length, double support time and gait speed (P < 0.001), resulting in a higher DTC in these variables in the ID group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Both groups reduced gait performance in the DT condition. However, greater gait variability occurred in the ID group. In addition, DTC was higher for the ID group in all variables analysed. Therefore, people with ID show worse gait performance during a DT than people WID.

Testing the reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and insomnia

BACKGROUND

Although the importance of sleep difficulties in emotional disorders has long been acknowledged, the nature of the potential reciprocal relationship between sleep and depressive symptoms is not yet well understood. The coronavirus disease 19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to study the interrelation of these symptoms over a period marked by increases in sleep and psychological difficulties.

METHODS

Using online data collection, we followed 1200 adults (59% male) through 1 year of the pandemic. Measures of sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms were assessed at eight time points. Factor analysis of the items from these two measures suggested separate insomnia and depressive symptom factors. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to assess within-person relationships between factor analysis-informed subscales of insomnia and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms predicted subsequent changes in insomnia symptoms; however, insomnia did not predict changes in depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest the impact of depressive symptoms on insomnia is evident, but the reverse is not. Implications of this finding along with the need for research addressing depressive symptoms and insomnia as treatment targets are discussed.