- October 25, 2016
- 05:27 AM
- 28 views
Vitamin D toxicity and autism: a case report
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Alternative medicine treatment put four-year-old boy in A&E [accident & emergency / emergency room]" went the recent BBC headline talking about the case report published by Drs Catriona Boyd and Abdul Moodambail [2].Describing the experiences of a 4-year old boy who attended A&E (the emergency room) following an extended period of "vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, polyuria, polydipsia and loss of 3kg in weight" in previous weeks, the authors report how after an unremar........ Read more »
Boyd, C., & Moodambail, A. (2016) Severe hypercalcaemia in a child secondary to use of alternative therapies. BMJ Case Reports. DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2016-215849
- October 24, 2016
- 01:42 PM
- 38 views
Study uncovers brain changes in offending pedophiles
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
New research reveals that certain alterations in the brain may be present in pedophiles, with differences between hands-on offenders and those who have not sexually offended against children.
... Read more »
Kärgel, C., Massau, C., Weiß, S., Walter, M., Borchardt, V., Krueger, T., Tenbergen, G., Kneer, J., Wittfoth, M., Pohl, A.... (2016) Evidence for superior neurobiological and behavioral inhibitory control abilities in non-offending as compared to offending pedophiles. Human Brain Mapping. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23443
- October 24, 2016
- 11:19 AM
- 38 views
Exercise After Study Boosts Memory
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
There is significant interest in activities that may boost academic achievement in the classroom.I previously posted on evidence that exercise prior to a learning task improved reading comprehension scores.You can access that post by clicking HERE.Now a study has compared two types of activities after a memorization task in male students.In this study, 60 male students completed a learning task and then were randomized into one of three activities for one hour. The three activities were playing ........ Read more »
Kindermann, H., Javor, A., & Reuter, M. (2016) Playing counter-strike versus running: The impact of leisure time activities and cortisol on intermediate-term memory in male students. Cognitive Systems Research, 1-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2016.01.002
- October 24, 2016
- 07:02 AM
- 11 views
Empathy, need for cognition, getting it right and hair transplants
by Doug Keene in The Jury Room
It is yet another installment of things you want to know for voir dire, your personal appearance and choices, and how our country rates on caring for others. Sit back, educate yourself, and return to the fray with tidbits that will heighten your reputation among your co-workers for useful and inspirational pieces of information. “Need […]
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Empathy: Paving the road to preferential treatment with good intentions
Men: Exude confidence, masculinity, authority, and power!
........ Read more »
Chopik, W., OBrien, E., & Konrath, S. (2016) Differences in Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking Across 63 Countries. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/0022022116673910
McElroy T, Dickinson DL, Stroh N, & Dickinson CA. (2016) The physical sacrifice of thinking: Investigating the relationship between thinking and physical activity in everyday life. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(8), 1750-7. PMID: 25609406
- October 24, 2016
- 04:22 AM
- 44 views
Bipolar disorder and the autism spectrum continued
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
In a previous post on this blog I talked about an important paper by Vannucchi and colleagues [1] summarising the state of the peer-reviewed research (up to 2014) on bipolar disorder and Asperger syndrome (AS). Today, I'm adding to the conversation on this important topic by introducing two papers to the discussions: the first by Xenia Borue and colleagues [2] and the second by Ahmad Abu-Akel and colleagues [3] covering the longitudinal course of bipolar disorder (BD) in rela........ Read more »
Borue, X., Mazefsky, C., Rooks, B., Strober, M., Keller, M., Hower, H., Yen, S., Gill, M., Diler, R., Axelson, D.... (2016) Longitudinal Course of Bipolar Disorder in Youth With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child . DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.08.011
Abu-Akel, A., Clark, J., Perry, A., Wood, S., Forty, L., Craddock, N., Jones, I., Gordon-Smith, K., & Jones, L. (2016) Autistic and Schizotypal Traits and Global Functioning in Bipolar I Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.09.059
- October 24, 2016
- 03:05 AM
- 45 views
The Role of “Roll-Off” During Gait in Patients Recovering from a Lateral Ankle Sprain
by Revay O. Corbett, MS, ATC, PES in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
People with persistent complaints 6 to 12 months after an ankle sprain walk differently than those without persistent complaints.... Read more »
Kros, W., Keijsers, N., van Ochten, J., Bierma-Zeinstra, S., & van Middelkoop, M. (2016) Center of pressure during stance and gait in subjects with or without persistent complaints after a lateral ankle sprain. Gait , 24-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2016.04.022
- October 23, 2016
- 02:57 PM
- 59 views
Your BMI might affect your brain function
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
There are plenty of reasons it's important to maintain a healthy weight, and now you can add one more to the list: It may be good for your brain. Researchers have found that having a higher body mass index, or BMI, can negatively impact cognitive functioning in older adults.
... Read more »
Bourassa, K., & Sbarra, D. (2016) Body mass and cognitive decline are indirectly associated via inflammation among aging adults. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.023
- October 22, 2016
- 03:10 PM
- 67 views
Red meat and organs may pose a significant health hazard
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Neu5Gc, a non-human sialic acid sugar molecule common in red meat that increases the risk of tumor formation in humans, is also prevalent in pig organs, with concentrations increasing as the organs are cooked, a study has found. The research suggests that Neu5Gc may pose a significant health hazard among those who regularly consume organ meats from pigs.
... Read more »
Ji, S., Wang, F., Chen, Y., Yang, C., Zhang, P., Zhang, X., Troy, F., & Wang, B. (2016) Developmental changes in the level of free and conjugated sialic acids, Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc and KDN in different organs of pig: a LC-MS/MS quantitative analyses. Glycoconjugate Journal. DOI: 10.1007/s10719-016-9724-9
- October 22, 2016
- 06:00 AM
- 69 views
Does Effect Size Matter for fMRI?
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic_Discover
fMRI researchers should care about (and report) the size of the effects that they study, according to a new Neuroimage paper from NIMH researchers Gang Chen and colleagues. It's called Is the statistic value all we should care about in neuroimaging?. The authors include Robert W. Cox, creator of the popular fMRI analysis software AFNI.
Chen et al. explain the purpose of their paper:
Here we address an important issue that has been embedded within the neuroimaging community for a long tim... Read more »
Chen G, Taylor PA, & Cox RW. (2016) Is the Statistic Value All We Should Care about in Neuroimaging?. NeuroImage. PMID: 27729277
- October 22, 2016
- 04:21 AM
- 88 views
Language and motor skills: preschool predictors of academic achievement in autism
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
A fairly quick post for your reading delight today as I bring the paper by Miller and colleagues [1] to your attention suggesting that: "Early intervention targeting language and motor skills may improve later achievement in this population."'This population' referred to a small cohort (N=26) of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were examined "at the approximate ages of two, four, and ten" years with regards to their academic achievement and the variables that might b........ Read more »
Miller LE, Burke JD, Troyb E, Knoch K, Herlihy LE, & Fein DA. (2016) Preschool predictors of school-age academic achievement in autism spectrum disorder. The Clinical neuropsychologist, 1-22. PMID: 27705180
- October 21, 2016
- 03:15 PM
- 88 views
A new view of the immune system
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
Pathogen epitopes are fragments of bacterial or viral proteins. Attached to the surface structure of cells, they prompt the body's immune system to mount a response against foreign substances. Researchers have determined that nearly a third of all existing human epitopes consist of two different fragments. Known as 'spliced epitopes', these types of epitopes have long been regarded as rare. The fact that they are so highly prevalent might, among other things, explain why the immun........ Read more »
Liepe, J., Marino, F., Sidney, J., Jeko, A., Bunting, D., Sette, A., Kloetzel, P., Stumpf, M., Heck, A., & Mishto, M. (2016) A large fraction of HLA class I ligands are proteasome-generated spliced peptides. Science, 354(6310), 354-358. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4384
- October 21, 2016
- 05:39 AM
- 82 views
Chest CT in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax is cost-effective
by Joana Guedes in BHD Research Blog
Patients that present with a spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) without a known medical history of lung disease are usually diagnosed as primary spontaneous pneumothorax - a pneumothorax that occurs without underlying diseases. However, underlying diffuse cystic lung diseases such as Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHD), lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) may have a spontaneous pneumothorax as their first symptom. In their new study, Gupta et al. (2016) evaluat........ Read more »
Gupta N, Langenderfer D, McCormack FX, Schauer DP, & Eckman MH. (2016) Chest Computed Tomographic Image Screening for Cystic Lung Diseases in Patients with Spontaneous Pneumothorax is Cost-effective. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. PMID: 27737563
- October 21, 2016
- 04:37 AM
- 96 views
One more time: asthma and autism
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
I'm actually getting a little bored of talking about the various peer-reviewed research looking at a possible connection between asthma and autism on this blog. It's not that it isn't an interesting topic but rather that the data is coming in thick and fast suggesting that behaviour and physiology are not completely separate anymore.I did however want to direct you to the paper by Alessandro Tonacci and colleagues [1] who, following a systematic review "according to the PRISMA guidelines" s........ Read more »
Tonacci A, Billeci L, Ruta L, Tartarisco G, Pioggia G, & Gangemi S. (2016) A systematic review of the association between allergic asthma and autism. Minerva pediatrica. PMID: 27706122
- October 20, 2016
- 01:51 PM
- 99 views
Oligodendrocyte selectively myelinates a particular set of axons in the white matter
by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories
There are three kinds of glial cells in the brain, oligodendrocyte, astrocyte and microglia. Oligodendrocytes myelinate neuronal axons to increase conduction velocity of neuronal impulses. A Japanese research team found a characteristic feature of oligodendrocytes that selectively myelinate a particular set of neuronal axons.
... Read more »
Osanai, Y., Shimizu, T., Mori, T., Yoshimura, Y., Hatanaka, N., Nambu, A., Kimori, Y., Koyama, S., Kobayashi, K., & Ikenaka, K. (2016) Rabies virus-mediated oligodendrocyte labeling reveals a single oligodendrocyte myelinates axons from distinct brain regions. Glia. DOI: 10.1002/glia.23076
- October 20, 2016
- 01:00 PM
- 90 views
Is the reproducibility crisis exacerbated by pre-publication peer review?
by SciELO in SciELO in Perspective
A lack of scrutiny of articles published in peer-reviewed journals on the basis of a belief that pre-publication peer-review provides sufficient scrutiny, may well add to the relatively high number of articles in which results are presented that cannot be replicated. … Read More →... Read more »
Baker, M. (2016) 1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility. Nature, 533(7604), 452-454. DOI: 10.1038/533452a
- October 20, 2016
- 04:32 AM
- 107 views
"Folinic acid improves communication in childhood autism"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
A quote to begin: "... in this small trial of children with non-syndromic ASD [autism spectrum disorder] and language impairment, treatment with high-dose folinic acid for 12 weeks resulted in improvement in verbal communication as compared with placebo, particularly in those participants who were positive for FRAAs [folate receptor-α autoantibody]."Those were the findings reported by Richard Frye and colleagues [1] (open-access) continuing a research theme from this group l........ Read more »
Frye, R., Slattery, J., Delhey, L., Furgerson, B., Strickland, T., Tippett, M., Sailey, A., Wynne, R., Rose, S., Melnyk, S.... (2016) Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Molecular Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.168
- October 19, 2016
- 01:01 PM
- 120 views
The Discovery of DNA Structure – Who Stayed in the Shadows of a Nobel?
by Rita Silva in United Academics
In 1962, the Nobel Prize of Medicine was given to Watson, Crick and Wilkins, for their finding of the double-helical structure of the DNA molecule. But who were the scientists overshadowed by the names of Watson and Crick?... Read more »
Leslie Pray. (2008) Discovery of DNA structure and function: Watson and Crick. Nature Education, 1(1). info:other/
- October 19, 2016
- 11:30 AM
- 92 views
A Windstorm is a Reminder of Disaster Preparation for Pets
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
The best time to start disaster preparation for your pet is now.Recently, like many people in this part of the world, we heard there was a big storm on the way. The third of three windstorms was said to be the most powerful. Since we live in an area with many beautiful trees and the power lines are above ground, it does not take much to knock out the power.In the end, we were lucky. The storm was not as strong as predicted, and it changed track and went further north. But it’s a reminder that ........ Read more »
Heath SE, & Linnabary RD. (2015) Challenges of Managing Animals in Disasters in the U.S. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 5(2), 173-92. PMID: 26479228
Yamazaki, S. (2015) A Survey of Companion-Animal Owners Affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures, Japan. Anthrozoös, 28(2), 291-304. DOI: 10.1080/08927936.2015.11435403
- October 19, 2016
- 07:02 AM
- 8 views
Divided [North] America: We are (still) divided on climate change
by Doug Keene in The Jury Room
Our scientists are not divided but we the people are very divided on the issue of climate change. You would think that when 97% of scientists agree the global weather patterns (aka “climate change”) are changing (aka “warming”) that Americans would give up and just say “okay, yeah, it’s happening”. But if you think that, […]
Related posts:
Divided [North] America: What divides America? Survey says: Values and Politics
What do (13,000) Americans really think about climat........ Read more »
Dunlap, R., McCright, A., & Yarosh, J. (2016) The Political Divide on Climate Change: Partisan Polarization Widens in the U.S. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 58(5), 4-23. DOI: 10.1080/00139157.2016.1208995
- October 19, 2016
- 04:30 AM
- 101 views
A Winning Combination: Manual Therapy and Exercises for Recurrent Ankle Sprains
by John J. Fraser, PT, MS, OCS in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field
Patients with chronic ankle instability who received a 4-week supervised rehabilitation program consisting of therapeutic exercise, joint mobilization, and neural mobilizations had greater clinical improvements compared with patients who were treated with therapeutic exercise alone.... Read more »
Plaza-Manzano, G., Vergara-Vila, M., Val-Otero, S., Rivera-Prieto, C., Pecos-Martin, D., Gallego-Izquierdo, T., Ferragut-Garcías, A., & Romero-Franco, N. (2016) Manual therapy in joint and nerve structures combined with exercises in the treatment of recurrent ankle sprains: A randomized, controlled trial. Manual Therapy, 141-149. DOI: 10.1016/j.math.2016.08.006
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