Grapheme-color synaesthesia is associated with a distinct cognitive style

In this study we investigated whether synaesthesia is associated with a particular cognitive style. Cognitive style refers to preferred modes of information processing, such as a verbal style or a visual style. We reasoned that related to the enriched world of experiences created by synaesthesia, its association with enhanced verbal and visual memory, higher imagery and creativity, synaesthetes might show enhanced preference for a verbal as well as for a visual cognitive style compared to non-synaesthetes. In Study 1 we tested a large convenience sample of 1046 participants, who classified themselves as grapheme-color, sound-color, lexical-gustatory, sequence-space, or as non-synaesthetes. To assess cognitive style, we used the revised verbalizer-visualizer questionnaire (VVQ), which involves three independent cognitive style dimensions (verbal style, visual-spatial style, and vivid imagery style). The most important result was that those who reported grapheme-color synaesthesia showed higher ratings on the verbal and vivid imagery style dimensions, but not on the visual-spatial style dimension. In Study 2 we replicated this finding in a laboratory study involving 24 grapheme-color synaesthetes with objectively confirmed synaesthesia and a closely matched control group. Our results indicate that grapheme-color synaesthetes prefer both a verbal and a specific visual cognitive style. We suggest that this enhanced preference, probably together with the greater ease to switch between a verbal and a vivid visual imagery style, may be related to cognitive advantages associated with grapheme color synaesthesia such as enhanced memory performance and creativity.

Association of folate receptor (FOLR1, FOLR2, FOLR3) and reduced folate carrier (SLC19A1) genes with meningomyelocele.

BACKGROUND: Meningomyelocele (MM) results from lack of closure of the neural tube during embryologic development. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation is a modifier of MM risk in humans, leading toan interest in the folate transport genes as potential candidates for association to MM. METHODS: This study used the SNPlex Genotyping (ABI, Foster City, CA) platform to genotype 20 single polymorphic variants across the folate receptor genes (FOLR1, FOLR2, FOLR3) and the folate carrier gene (SLC19A1) to assess their association to MM. The study population included 329 trio and 281 duo families. Only cases with MM were included. Genetic association was assessed using the transmission disequilibrium test in PLINK. RESULTS: A variant in the FOLR2 gene (rs13908), three linked variants in the FOLR3 gene (rs7925545, rs7926875, rs7926987), and two variants in the SLC19A1 gene (rs1888530 and rs3788200) were statistically significant for association to MM in our population. CONCLUSION: This study involved the analyses of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms across the folate receptor genes and the folate carrier gene in a large population sample. It provided evidence that the rare alleles of specific single nucleotide polymorphisms within these genes appear to be statistically significant for association to MM in the patient population that was tested.

DQB1 locus alone explains most of the risk and protection in narcolepsy with cataplexy in Europe

STUDY OBJECTIVE Prior research has identified five common genetic variants associated with narcolepsy with cataplexy in Caucasian patients. To replicate and/or extend these findings, we have tested HLA-DQB1, the previously identified 5 variants, and 10 other potential variants in a large European sample of narcolepsy with cataplexy subjects. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. SETTING A recent study showed that over 76% of significant genome-wide association variants lie within DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs). From our previous GWAS, we identified 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with P < 10(-4) mapping to DHSs. Ten SNPs tagging these sites, HLADQB1, and all previously reported SNPs significantly associated with narcolepsy were tested for replication. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS For GWAS, 1,261 narcolepsy patients and 1,422 HLA-DQB1*06:02-matched controls were included. For HLA study, 1,218 patients and 3,541 controls were included. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS None of the top variants within DHSs were replicated. Out of the five previously reported SNPs, only rs2858884 within the HLA region (P < 2x10(-9)) and rs1154155 within the TRA locus (P < 2x10(-8)) replicated. DQB1 typing confirmed that DQB1*06:02 confers an extraordinary risk (odds ratio 251). Four protective alleles (DQB1*06:03, odds ratio 0.17, DQB1*05:01, odds ratio 0.56, DQB1*06:09 odds ratio 0.21, DQB1*02 odds ratio 0.76) were also identified. CONCLUSION An overwhelming portion of genetic risk for narcolepsy with cataplexy is found at DQB1 locus. Since DQB1*06:02 positive subjects are at 251-fold increase in risk for narcolepsy, and all recent cases of narcolepsy after H1N1 vaccination are positive for this allele, DQB1 genotyping may be relevant to public health policy.

The effects of exercise on self-rated sleep among adults with chronic sleep complaints

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether and to what extent the observed effects on self-rated sleep in a previous study using a combined treatment program with physical exercise and sleep education can be attributed by the physical activity (PA) component. Methods The present study reports supplementary analysis of an already described and published study. Data were provided by a nonclinical sample of 98 normal-active adults with chronic initiating and the maintaining of sleep complaints. The additional analysis included sleep log, exercise log, and daily pedometer data which were collected during a baseline week and 6-week of a combined intervention. Results The results indicate that the number of steps (p = 0.02) and the duration of PA (p = 0.01) is significantly related to the improvement in subjective sleep measures and therefore reveal an independent effect within this combined sleep program. Sleep diary data (recuperation of sleep, number of awakenings after sleep onset, and wake time after sleep onset time) improved significant (all p < 0.01) over the intervention program. About 50% of the participants stated that the PA had an effect on their improvement. Conclusion Improvements on subjective sleep quality after a combined intervention cannot be attributed to the cognitive component alone, but PA has an independent effect. Adults with chronic sleep complaints benefit from exercise. Therefore structured PA should be implemented in any sleep management programs.

The Neuropsychological Assessment of Cognitive Deficits Considering Measures of Performance Variability

Neuropsychologists often face interpretational difficulties when assessing cognitive deficits, particularly in cases of unclear cerebral etiology. How can we be sure whether a single test score below the population average is indicative of a pathological brain condition or normal? In the past few years, the topic of intra-individual performance variability has gained great interest. On the basis of a large normative sample, two measures of performance variability and their importance for neuropsychological interpretation will be presented in this paper: the number of low scores and the level of dispersion.We conclude that low scores are common in healthy individuals. On the other hand, the level of dispersion is relatively small. Here, base rate information about abnormally low scores and abnormally high dispersion across cognitive abilities are providedto improve the awareness of normal variability and to serve clinicians as additional interpretive measures in the diagnostic process.

More adaptive versus less maladaptive coping: What is more predictive of symptom severity? Development of a new scale to investigate coping profiles across different psychopathological syndromes

BACKGROUND: Lack of adaptive and enhanced maladaptive coping with stress and negative emotions are implicated in many psychopathological disorders. We describe the development of a new scale to investigate the relative contribution of different coping styles to psychopathology in a large population sample. We hypothesized that the magnitude of the supposed positive correlation between maladaptive coping and psychopathology would be stronger than the supposed negative correlation between adaptive coping and psychopathology. We also examined whether distinct coping style patterns emerge for different psychopathological syndromes. METHODS: A total of 2200 individuals from the general population participated in an online survey. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory revised (OCI-R) and the Paranoia Checklist were administered along with a novel instrument called Maladaptive and Adaptive Coping Styles (MAX) questionnaire. Participants were reassessed six months later. RESULTS: MAX consists of three dimensions representing adaptive coping, maladaptive coping and avoidance. Across all psychopathological syndromes, similar response patterns emerged. Maladaptive coping was more strongly related to psychopathology than adaptive coping both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The overall number of coping styles adopted by an individual predicted greater psychopathology. Mediation analysis suggests that a mild positive relationship between adaptive and certain maladaptive styles (emotional suppression) partially accounts for the attenuated relationship between adaptive coping and depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Results should be replicated in a clinical population. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that maladaptive and adaptive coping styles are not reciprocal. Reducing maladaptive coping seems to be more important for outcome than enhancing adaptive coping. The study supports transdiagnostic approaches advocating that maladaptive coping is a common factor across different psychopathologies.

Dietary intake patterns and relationships to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and phthalate body burden

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and phthalates are chemicals of concern because of high levels measured in people and the environment as well as the demonstrated toxicity in animal studies and limited epidemiological studies. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with a range of toxicological outcomes, including developmental effects, behavioral changes, endocrine disruption, effects on sexual health, and cancer. Previous research has shown that both of these classes of chemicals contaminate food in the United States and worldwide. However, how large a role diet plays in exposure to these chemicals is currently unknown. To address this question, an exploratory analysis of data collected as part of the 2003-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was conducted. Associations between dietary intake (assessed by 24-hour dietary recalls) for a range of food types (meat, poultry, fish, and dairy) and levels PBDEs and phthalate metabolites were analyzed using multiple linear regression modeling. Levels of individual PBDE congeners 28, 47, 99, 100 as well as total PBDEs were found to be significantly associated with the consumption of poultry. Metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were found to be associated with the consumption of poultry, as well as with an increased consumption of fat of animal origin. These results, combined with results from previous studies, suggest that diet is an important route of intake for both PBDEs and phthalates. Further research needs to be conducted to determine the sources of food contamination with these toxic chemicals as well as to describe the levels of contamination of US food in a large, representative sample.^

Genome-wide association study of LDL-cholesterol over ApoB ratio

Genome-Wide Association Study analytical (GWAS) methods were applied in a large biracial sample of individuals to investigate variation across the genome for its association with a surrogate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size phenotype, the ratio of LDL-cholesterol level over ApoB level. Genotyping was performed on the Affymetrix 6.0 GeneChip with approximately one million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The ratio of LDL cholesterol to ApoB was calculated, and association tests used multivariable linear regression analysis with an additive genetic model after adjustment for the covariates sex, age and BMI. Association tests were performed separately in African Americans and Caucasians. There were 9,562 qualified individuals in the Caucasian group and 3,015 qualified individuals in the African American group. Overall, in Caucasians two statistically significant loci were identified as being associated with the ratio of LDL-cholesterol over ApoB: rs10488699 (p<5 x10-8, 11q23.3 near BUD13) and the SNP rs964184 (p<5 x10-8 11q23.3 near ZNF259). We also found rs12286037 ((p<4x10-7) (11q23.3) near APOA5/A4/C3/A1 with suggestive associate in the Caucasian sample. In exploratory analyses, a difference in the pattern of association between individuals taking and not taking LDL-cholesterol lowering medications was observed. Individuals who were not taking medications had smaller p-value than those taking medication. In the African-American group, there were no significant (p<5x10-8) or suggestive associations (p<4x10-7) with the ratio of LDL-cholesterol over ApoB after adjusting for age, BMI, and sex and comparing individuals with and without LDL-cholesterol lowering medication. Conclusions: There were significant and suggestive associations between SNP genotype and the ratio of LDL-cholesterol to ApoB in Caucasians, but these associations may be modified by medication treatment.^

Occupation and glioma: The Harris County Brain Tumor Study, 2001--2010

The relationship between occupational exposures and glioma has not been adequately assessed due to the lack of studies in current scientific literature. To address this disparity, the Harris County Brain Tumor Study, an ongoing population-based case-control study, began in January 2001. Longest-held occupation for 382 cases and 629 controls were frequency matched on age (within 5 years), sex, and race and placed into 14 predetermined occupational categories. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each category using multiple logistic regression. Potential confounders assessed included sex, age, smoking status, education and income. For all subjects, significantly elevated adjusted odds ratios were found in health-related (aOR=1.66; 95%CI=1.03, 2.68), teaching (aOR=1.84; 95%CI=1.17, 2.88), and protective service (aOR=3.6; 95%CI=1.05, 12.31) occupational categories after controlling for sex and education. A significantly lowered odds ratio was seen in the writers, artists, and entertainers category (aOR=0.14; 95%CI=0.03, 0.58). In the stratified analyses, which controlled for education, males had a significantly elevated odds ratio for protective service workers (aOR=4.83; 95%CI=1.24, 18.83) while a significantly lower odds ratio was found in mechanics and machine operators (aOR=0.33; 95%CI=0.12,0.87). In females, we observed a significantly elevated odds ratio in teachers (aOR=1.99; 95%CI=1.20,3.31) and a significantly lower odds ratio in clerical workers (aOR=0.63; 95%CI=0.45,0.90). These analyses revealed several significant associations and allowed for separate analyses by gender, distinguishing this study from many glioma studies. Further analyses should provide a large enough sample size to stratify by gender as well as histological subtype.^

The risk prediction for SPM and its impact on the survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth common malignancy in the world, with high rates of developing second primary malignancy (SPM) and moderately low survival rates. This disease has become an enormous challenge in the cancer research and treatments. For HNSCC patients, a highly significant cause of post-treatment mortality and morbidity is the development of SPM. Hence, assessment of predicting the risk for the development of SPM would be very helpful for patients, clinicians and policy makers to estimate the survival of patients with HNSCC. In this study, we built a prognostic model to predict the risk of developing SPM in patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC. The dataset used in this research was obtained from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. For the first aim, we used stepwise logistic regression to identify the prognostic factors for the development of SPM. Our final model contained cancer site and overall cancer stage as our risk factors for SPM. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (p-value= 0.15>0.05) showed the final prognostic model fit the data well. The area under the ROC curve was 0.72 that suggested the discrimination ability of our model was acceptable. The internal validation confirmed the prognostic model was a good fit and the final prognostic model would not over optimistically predict the risk of SPM. This model needs external validation by using large data sample size before it can be generalized to predict SPM risk for other HNSCC patients. For the second aim, we utilized a multistate survival analysis approach to estimate the probability of death for HNSCC patients taking into consideration of the possibility of SPM. Patients without SPM were associated with longer survival. These findings suggest that the development of SPM could be a predictor of survival rates among the patients with HNSCC.^

Examining the relationship among genes, attention bias to emotion, and depression in youth

The investigation of biologically initiated pathways to psychological disorder is critical to advance our understanding of mental illness. Research has suggested that attention bias to emotion may be an intermediate trait for depression associated with biologically plausible candidate genes, such as the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and catechol-o-methyl-transferase (COMT) genes, yet there have been mixed findings in regards to the precise direction of effects. The experience of recent stressful life events (SLEs) may be an important, yet currently unstudied, moderator of the relationship between genes and attention bias as SLEs have been associated with both gene expression and attention to emotion. Additionally, although attention biases to emotion have been studied as a possible intermediate trait associated with depression, no study has examined whether attention biases within the context of measured genetic risk lead to increased risk for clinical depressive episodes over time. Therefore, this research investigated both whether SLEs moderate the link between genetic risk (5-HTTLPR and COMT) and attention bias to emotion and whether 5-HTTLPR and COMT moderated the relationship between attention biases to emotional faces and clinical depression onset prospectively across 18 months within a large community sample of youth (n= 467). Analyses revealed a differential effect of gene. Youth who were homozygous for the low expressing allele of 5-HTTLPR (S/S) and had experienced more recent SLEs within the last three months demonstrated preferential attention toward negative emotional faces (angry and sad). However, youth who were homozygous for the high expressing COMT genotype (Val/Val) and had experienced more recent SLEs showed attentional avoidance of positive facial expressions (happy). Additionally, youth who avoided negative emotion (i.e., anger) and were homozygous for the S allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene were at greater risk for prospective depressive episode onset. Increased risk for depression onset was specific to the 5-HTTLPR gene and was not found when examining moderation by COMT. These findings highlight the importance of examining risk for depression across multiple levels of analysis, such as combined genetic, environmental, and cognitive risk, and is the first study to demonstrate clear evidence of attention biases to emotion functioning as an intermediate trait predicting depression.

The many lives of magnetized neutron stars

The magnetic field strength at birth is arguably one of the most important properties to determine the evolutionary path of a neutron star. Objects with very high fields, collectively known as magnetars, are characterized by high X-ray quiescent luminosities, occurrence of outbursts, and, for some of them, sporadic giant flares. While the magnetic field strength is believed to drive their collective behaviour, however, the diversity of their properties, and, especially, the observation of magnetar-like bursts from “low-field” pulsars, has been a theoretical puzzle. In this review, we discuss results of long-term simulations following the coupled evolution of the X-ray luminosity and the timing properties for a large, homogeneous sample of X-ray emitting isolated neutron stars, accounting for a range of initial magnetic field strengths, envelope compositions, and neutron star masses. In addition, by following the evolution of magnetic stresses within the neutron star crust, we can also relate the observed magnetar phenomenology to the physical properties of neutron stars, and in particular to their age and magnetic field strength and topology. The dichotomy of “high-B” field pulsars versus magnetars is naturally explained, and occasional outbursts from old, low B-field neutron stars are predicted. We conclude by speculating on the fate of old magnetars, and by presenting observational diagnostics of the neutron star crustal field topology.

Sexual abuse, antisocial behaviour and substance use: gender differences in young community adolescents

Objective: To investigate gender-specific relationships between self-reported sexual abuse, antisocial behaviour and substance use in a large community sample of adolescents. Method: A cross-sectional study of students aged, on average, 13 (n = 2596), 14 (n = 2475) and 15 years (n = 2290), from 27 schools in South Australia with a questionnaire including sexual abuse, frequency and severity of substance use, depressive symptomatology (CES-D), family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device), and antisocial behaviour (an adapted 22-item Self-Report Delinquency Scale). Logistic regression analyses using HLM V5.05 with a population-average model were conducted. Results: In the model considered, reported sexual abuse is significantly independently associated with antisocial behaviour, controlling for confounding factors of depressive symptomatology and family dysfunction, with increased risks of three- to eightfold for sexually abused boys, and two- to threefold for sexually abused girls, compared to nonabused. Increased risks of extreme substance use in sexually abused girls (age 13) and boys (ages 13-15) are more than fourfold, compared to nonabused. Age differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for the development of antisocial behaviour and substance use in young adolescents. Clinicians should be aware of gender differences.

The relationship between the auditory brain-stem response and its reconstructed waveforms following discrete wavelet transformation

Objective: To examine the relationship between the auditory brain-stem response (ABR) and its reconstructed waveforms following discrete wavelet transformation (DWT), and to comment on the resulting implications for ABR DWT time-frequency analysis. Methods: ABR waveforms were recorded from 120 normal hearing subjects at 90, 70, 50, 30, 10 and 0 dBnHL, decomposed using a 6 level discrete wavelet transformation (DWT), and reconstructed at individual wavelet scales (frequency ranges) A6, D6, D5 and D4. These waveforms were then compared for general correlations, and for patterns of change due to stimulus level, and subject age, gender and test ear. Results: The reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms showed 3 primary components: a large-amplitude waveform in the low-frequency A6 scale (0-266.6 Hz) with its single peak corresponding in latency with ABR waves III and V; a mid-amplitude waveform in the mid-frequency D6 scale (266.6-533.3 Hz) with its first 5 waves corresponding in latency to ABR waves 1, 111, V, VI and VII; and a small-amplitude, multiple-peaked waveform in the high-frequency D5 scale (533.3-1066.6 Hz) with its first 7 waves corresponding in latency to ABR waves 1, 11, 111, IV, V, VI and VII. Comparisons between ABR waves 1, 111 and V and their corresponding reconstructed ABR DWT waves showed strong correlations and similar, reliable, and statistically robust changes due to stimulus level and subject age, gender and test ear groupings. Limiting these findings, however, was the unexplained absence of a small number (2%, or 117/6720) of reconstructed ABR DWT waves, despite their corresponding ABR waves being present. Conclusions: Reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms can be used as valid time-frequency representations of the normal ABR, but with some limitations. In particular, the unexplained absence of a small number of reconstructed ABR DWT waves in some subjects, probably resulting from 'shift invariance' inherent to the DWT process, needs to be addressed. Significance: This is the first report of the relationship between the ABR and its reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms in a large normative sample. (C) 2004 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

User dyads in software testing: bypassing the need for expert observers

This paper arises out of a research study into the online help facilities provided in popular software applications such as word processors. Its particular focus is on experimental methods of evaluating the effectiveness and usability of those facilities. Focus groups, questionnaires, and online surveys had already been used in other phases of the study, but it was judged that these approaches would be unsuitable for measuring effectiveness and usability because they are susceptible to respondents' subjectivity. Direct observation of people working on set word-processing tasks was ruled out initially because of a lack of trained observers; it would have taken too long for the investigator to observe a large enough sample by himself. Automatic recording of users' actions was also rejected, as it would have demanded equipment and/or software that was not available and seemed too expensive to acquire. The approach and techniques described here were an attempt to overcome these difficulties by using observers drawn from the same population of students that provided the test subjects; as a by-product, this may also have enhanced the acceptability (and hence possibly the validity) of the experiments by reducing the exam pressure perceived by participants.