Catechol-O-methyltransferase and the clinical features of psychosis

A functional polymorphism (Val-158-Met) at the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) locus has been identified as a potential etiological factor in schizophrenia. Yet the association has not been convincingly replicated across independent samples. We hypothesized that phenotypic heterogeneity might be diluting the COMT effect. To clarify the putative association, we performed an exploratory analysis to test for association between COMT and five psychosis symptom scales. These were derived through factor analysis of the Operational Criteria Checklist for Psychiatric Illness. Our sample was the Irish Study of High Density Schizophrenia Families, a large collection consisting of 268 multiplex families. This sample has previously shown a small but significant effect of the COMT Val allele in conferring risk for schizophrenia. We tested for preferential transmission of COMT alleles from parent to affected offspring (n = 749) for each of the five factor-derived scales (negative symptoms, delusions, hallucinations, mania, and depression). Significant overtransmission of the Val allele was found for mania (P <0.05) and depression (P = 0.01) scales. Examination of odds ratios (ORs) revealed a heterogeneous effect of COMT, whereby it had no effect on Negative Symptoms, but largest impact on Depression (OR = 1.4). These results suggest a modest affective vulnerability conferred by this allele in psychosis, but will require replication.

Spectroscopic Observations of SN 2012fr: A Luminous Normal Type Ia Supernova with Early High Velocity Features and Late Velocity Plateau

We present 65 optical spectra of the Type Ia supernova SN 2012fr, of which 33 were obtained before maximum light. At early times SN 2012fr shows clear evidence of a high-velocity feature (HVF) in the Si II 6355 line which can be cleanly decoupled from the lower velocity "photospheric" component. This Si II 6355 HVF fades by phase -5; subsequently, the photospheric component exhibits a very narrow velocity width and remains at a nearly constant velocity of v~12,000 km/s until at least 5 weeks after maximum brightness. The Ca II infrared (IR) triplet exhibits similar evidence for both a photospheric component at v~12,000 km/s with narrow line width and long velocity plateau, as well as a high-velocity component beginning at v~31,000 km/s two weeks before maximum. SN 2012fr resides on the border between the "shallow silicon" and "core-normal" subclasses in the Branch et al. (2009) classification scheme, and on the border between normal and "high-velocity" SNe Ia in the Wang et al. (2009a) system. Though it is a clear member of the "low velocity gradient" (LVG; Benetii et al., 2005) group of SNe Ia and exhibits a very slow light-curve decline, it shows key dissimilarities with the overluminous SN 1991T or SN 1999aa subclasses of SNe Ia. SN 2012fr represents a well-observed SN Ia at the luminous end of the normal SN Ia distribution, and a key transitional event between nominal spectroscopic subclasses of SNe Ia.

MRI diffusion tractography study in individuals with schizotypal features: A pilot study

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have identified changes in white matter tracts in schizophrenia patients and those at high risk of transition. Schizotypal samples represent a group on the schizophrenia continuum that share some aetiological risk factors but without the confounds of illness. The aim of the current study was to compare tract microstructural coherence as measured by
fractional anisotropy (FA) between 12 psychometrically defined schizotypes and controls. We investigated bilaterally the uncinate and arcuate fasciculi (UF and AF) via a probabilistic tractography algorithm (PICo), with FA values compared between groups. Partial correlations were also examined between measures of subclinical hallucinatory/delusional experiences and FA values. High schizotypes
were found to have significantly higher FA values in bilateral UF only, but failed to reach significance in each hemisphere. In the whole sample there was a positive correlation between increasing FA values and measures of hallucinatory experience in the right AF. These findings suggest subtle changes in microstructural coherence are present in schizotypes. Correlations between mild hallucinatory experience and increasing FA values could indicate increasing coherence could be associated with symptom formation.

Symptoms and Endoscopic Features at Barrett's Esophagus Diagnosis: Implications for Neoplastic Progression Risk

OBJECTIVES: Risk stratification of Barrett's esophagus (BE) patients based on clinical and endoscopic features may help to optimize surveillance practice for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) development. The aim of this study was to investigate patient symptoms and endoscopic features at index endoscopy and risk of neoplastic progression in a large population-based cohort of BE patients.

METHODS: A retrospective review of hospital records relating to incident BE diagnosis was conducted in a subset of patients with specialized intestinal metaplasia from the Northern Ireland BE register. Patients were matched to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry to identify progressors to EAC or esophageal high-grade dysplasia (HGD). Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate the association between endoscopic features, symptoms, and neoplastic progression risk.

RESULTS: During 27,997 person-years of follow-up, 128 of 3,148 BE patients progressed to develop HGD/EAC. Ulceration within the Barrett's segment, but not elsewhere in the esophagus, was associated with an increased risk of progression (hazard ratio (HR) 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–2.76). Long-segment BE carried a significant sevenfold increased risk of progression compared with short-segment BE; none of the latter group developed EAC during the study period. Conversely, the absence of reflux symptoms was associated with an increased risk of cancer progression (HR 1.61; 95% CI: 1.05–2.46).

CONCLUSIONS: BE patients presenting with a long-segment BE or Barrett's ulcer have an increased risk of progressing to HGD/EAC and should be considered for more intense surveillance. The absence of reflux symptoms at BE diagnosis is not associated with a reduced risk of malignant progression, and may carry an increased risk of progression.

Hygrothermal Features of Laterite Dimension Stones for Sub-Saharan Residential Building Construction

The building sector is widely recognized as having a major impact on sustainable development. Both in developed and developing countries, sustainability in buildings approaches are growing. Laterite dimension stone (LDS) is a building material that was traditionally used in sub-Saharan Africa, but its technical features still need to be assessed. This article presents some results of a study focused on the characterization of LDS exploited in Burkina Faso for building purposes. The measured average thermal conductivity is 0.51  W/mK, which increases with water content and evolves with the specific gravity and with porosity. Rock mineral phases (quartz, goethite, hematite, magnetite) are cemented by kaolinite. The porosity of the material is high (30%), with macropores visible on the surface and found in the rock inner structure as well. Results from the hygrothermal monitoring of a pilot building are also presented.

A Novel Bradykinin-Related Dodecapeptide (RVALPPGFTPLR) from the Skin Secretion of the Fujian Large-Headed Frog (Limnonectes fujianensis) Exhibiting Unusual Structural and Functional Features

Bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) are significant components of the defensive skin secretions of many anuran amphibians, and these secretions represent the source of the most diverse spectrum of such peptides so far encountered in nature. Of the many families of bioactive peptides that have been identified from this source, the BRPs uniquely appear to represent homologues of counterparts that have specific distributions and receptor targets within discrete vertebrate taxa, ranging from fishes through mammals. Their broad spectra of actions, including pain and inflammation induction and smooth muscle effects, make these peptides ideal weapons in predator deterrence. Here, we describe a novel 12-mer BRP (RVALPPGFTPLR-RVAL-(L1, T6, L8)-bradykinin) from the skin secretion of the Fujian large-headed frog (Limnonectes fujianensis). The C-terminal 9 residues of this BRP (-LPPGFTPLR) exhibit three amino acid substitutions (L/R at Position 1, T/S at Position 6 and L/F at Position 8) when compared to canonical mammalian bradykinin (BK), but are identical to the kinin sequence present within the cloned kininogen-2 from the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) and differ from that encoded by kininogen-2 of the Tibetan ground tit (Pseudopodoces humilis) at just a single site (F/L at Position 8). These data would imply that the novel BRP is an amphibian defensive agent against predation by sympatric turtles and also that the primary structure of the avian BK, ornithokinin (RPPGFTPLR), is not invariant within this taxon. Synthetic RVAL-(L1, T6, L8)-bradykinin was found to be an antagonist of BK-induced rat tail artery smooth muscle relaxation acting via the B2-receptor.

Nanosecond imaging of shock-and jet-like features

The production of shock- and collimated jet-like features is recorded from the self-emission of a plasma using a 16- frame camera, which can show the progression of the interaction over short (100s ns) durations. A cluster of laser beams, with intensity 10¹⁵ W/cm², was focused onto a planar aluminum foil to produce a plasma that expanded into 0.7 mbar of argon gas. The acquisition of 16 ultrafast images on a single shot allows prompt spatial and temporal characterization of the plasma and enables the velocity of the jet- and shock-like features to be calculated.

The whole song is greater than the sum of its parts: Local and structural features in music listening

Four experiments reported here demonstrate the importance of structural as well as local features in listening to contemporary popular music. Experiment 1 established that listeners without formal musical training regard as salient the formal structure that links individual sections of songs. When asked to listen to and assemble the individual sections of unfamiliar contemporary songs to form new compositions, participants positioned the sections in ways consistent with the true structure of the music. In Experiment 2, participants were provided with only the song lyrics with which to arrange the individual sections of contemporary songs. It was found that in addition to musical features
studied in Experiment 1, lyrical content of contemporary music also acts as a strong cue to a song’s formal structure. Experiments 3 and 4 revealed that listeners’ enjoyment of music is influenced both by structural features and local features of music, which were carried by the individual song sections.
The influence of structural features on music listening was most apparent over repeated hearings. In Experiment 4, listeners’ liking for contemporary music followed an inverted U-shape trend with repeated exposure, in which liking for music took a downward turn after just four repeated hearings. In contrast, liking for restructured music increased with repeated hearings and almost eliminated an initial negative effect of restructuring by the sixth hearing. In sum, our findings demonstrate that structural features as well as local features of contemporary music are salient and important to
listeners.

Enabling and constraining features of donor accountability and its relationship to beneficiary accountability

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to theorise and empirically examine the views of various NGO stakeholders on the role of donors in facilitating beneficiary accountability.

Method: The paper adopts a case study design and draws primarily on semi-structured interviews with the officials of a large development NGO, donor representatives and regulators.

Findings: We find that donor accountability contains both enabling and constraining features in relation to beneficiary accountability. Our evidence shows that while legitimising their own actions, donors’ accountability requirements embed some enabling provisions of beneficiary accountability, such as participation, monitoring, evaluation and lessons learning, which facilitate beneficiary accountability (Ebrahim, 2003b). We argue that exerting the attributes of power, legitimacy and urgency donors are in a position to realise their accountability claims (Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997) and can hold funded NGOs to account. In the absence of beneficiaries’ power and the unwillingness of regulators to hold NGOs to account, donors’ accountability can play a complementary role in making an NGO accountable to its beneficiaries. Finally, we capture and illustrate some constraining features of donor accountability which limits the promotion of beneficiary accountability.

Research limitations/implications: The findings have significant implications for the policy makers and donors in the context of the current phenomenon of NGOs drive for self-sustainability via commercial activities which are actively encouraged by the donors.

Originality: This paper provides an alternative theorisation of donor accountability in a development NGO context. It draws on rare qualitative empirical data which incorporate the views of multiple groups (including donors which is hitherto rare in the NGO accountability literature) who are directly and/or indirectly involved in setting and negotiating NGO-donors accountability relationship. It enhances our understanding in terms providing a more nuanced portrayal of donor accountability.