Persistent Impression Research Articles

Impairment of spatial memory and dorsal hippocampal synaptic plasticity in adulthood due to adolescent morphine exposure

Opioid exposure during adolescence, a crucial period of neurodevelopment, has lasting neurological and behavioral consequences and affects the cognitive functions in adulthood. This study investigated the effects of adolescent morphine exposure in spatial learning and memory and synaptic plasticity of the CA1 area of the dorsal hippocampus.Adolescent Wistar rats received increasing doses of morphine for 1, 5, and 10 days. Acute morphine group was injected 2.5 mg/kg morphine for 1 day, subchronic morphine group for 5 days, with an increasing dose of 2.5 mg/kg and reached to the dose of 12.5 mg/kg and chronic morphine group for 10 days that began with an increasing dose of 2.5 mg/kg and reached to the dose of 25 mg/kg. Then after 25 days and reaching adulthood, spatial learning and memory were evaluated via the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Moreover, we test the electrophysiological properties of dorsal hippocampal plasticity in adult rats by in vitro field potential recordings.Subchronic and chronic adolescent morphine exposure impaired spatial learning and memory in the MWM test. Baseline synaptic responses in the chronic morphine group were increased and long-term potentiation (LTP) impaired in the CA1 area in subchronic and chronic morphine groups. In adulthood, the slope of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) required to elicit a half-maximal population spike (PS) amplitude was significantly larger in subchronic and chronic adolescent morphine exposure compared to the saline group. Therefore, subchronic and chronic adolescent morphine exposure altered synaptic transmission and plasticity in addition to learning and memory.Long-term morphine exposure during adolescence can interfere with neurodevelopment, making a persistent impression on plasticity and cognitive capability in adulthood.

Sensory Profiling and Liking of Salami and Pancetta from Immunocastrated, Surgically Castrated and Entire Male Pigs.

Simple SummaryAlternatives to surgical castration are an important issue in pig production due to societal concerns regarding animal welfare. Castration of piglets is a common practice to avoid boar taint, an unpleasant taste (urine/fecal like) of meat from uncastrated male pigs. In view of abandoning surgical castration and introduction of new alternatives, such as raising entire male pigs and applying immunocastration, several new issues are emerging. These include boar taint occurrence in case of entire male pigs and a deteriorated raw material (meat, fat) quality, which can affect consumer perception. Therefore, more information is needed about the consumer acceptance of products from the different alternatives. In the present study, two types of dry-cured meat products were assessed to give some insights into the sensory characteristic and consumers’ liking of the products coming from immunocastrated, entire male and surgically castrated animals.Consumer studies on acceptability of pork from immunocastrates (IC) and entire males (EM) are of primary importance, if these alternatives are to replace surgical castration (SC) of piglets. Data on the sensory traits and consumers acceptance of IC and EM meat products are still limited. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to (1) describe the sensory profile by quantitative descriptive analysis and (2) test the perception and consumer liking of salami (dry-fermented sausage) and pancetta (dry-cured belly) from EM, IC and SC animals. The consumer tests included the scaling method and check-all-that-apply. Profiling showed that EM products were scored lower in the overall sensory quality compared to IC or SC. EM products differed mainly from IC and SC in the intensity of the manure, sweat odor and flavor, persistent impression and texture (hardness, gumminess and easy to fragment). Salami samples did not differ in liking. In pancetta, the differences were significant for odor liking and visual quality (expected liking). Consumers did not perceive EM products as inferior in terms of liking, while sensory profiling indicated differences for boar taint presence and texture. Using meat originating from IC did not result in any differences in consumers acceptance as compared to products from SC.

Afterword - Chimpanzee stick use culture in Western Uganda: not so limited after all, and what this means

For the last two decades, a persistent impression in the literature has been that Ugandan chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) cultures were limited compared to those of other African chimpanzee populations (e.g. McGrew, 2010). The three long-term habituated Western Ugandan chimpanzee communities (the Sonso community of Budongo Forest, and the Kanyawara and Ngogo communities of Kibale Forest) display roughly half as many tools as found in other chimpanzee communities, both within East ...

Patient Blood Management Program Improves Blood Use and Clinical Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery.

WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Although randomized trials show that patients do well when given less blood, there remains a persistent impression that orthopedic surgery patients require a higher hemoglobin transfusion threshold than other patient populations (8 g/dl vs. 7 g/dl). The authors tested the hypothesis in orthopedic patients that implementation of a patient blood management program encouraging a hemoglobin threshold less than 7 g/dl results in decreased blood use with no change in clinical outcomes. After launching a multifaceted patient blood management program, the authors retrospectively evaluated all adult orthopedic patients, comparing transfusion practices and clinical outcomes in the pre- and post-blood management cohorts. Risk adjustment accounted for age, sex, surgical procedure, and case mix index. After patient blood management implementation, the mean hemoglobin threshold decreased from 7.8 ± 1.0 g/dl to 6.8 ± 1.0 g/dl (P < 0.0001). Erythrocyte use decreased by 32.5% (from 338 to 228 erythrocyte units per 1,000 patients; P = 0.0007). Clinical outcomes improved, with decreased morbidity (from 1.3% to 0.54%; P = 0.01), composite morbidity or mortality (from 1.5% to 0.75%; P = 0.035), and 30-day readmissions (from 9.0% to 5.8%; P = 0.0002). Improved outcomes were primarily recognized in patients 65 yr of age and older. After risk adjustment, patient blood management was independently associated with decreased composite morbidity or mortality (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.86; P = 0.016). In a retrospective study, patient blood management was associated with reduced blood use with similar or improved clinical outcomes in orthopedic surgery. A hemoglobin threshold of 7 g/dl appears to be safe for many orthopedic patients.

In Memoriam: Millicent Bell (1919–2015)

In Memoriam: Millicent Bell (1919–2015)

Footprints in the sand: a persistent spatial impression of fishing in a mobile groundfish assemblage

Fishing is well known to curtail the size distribution of fish populations. This paper reports the discovery of small-scale spatial patterns in length appearing in several exploited species of Celtic Sea demersal ‘groundfish’. These patterns match well with spatial distributions of fishing activity, estimated from vessel monitoring records taken over a period of 6 years, suggesting that this ‘mobile’ fish community retains a persistent impression of local-scale fishing pressure. An individual random-walk model of fish movement best matched these exploitation ‘footprints’ with individual movement rates set to <35 km per year. We propose that Celtic Sea groundfish may have surprisingly low movement rates for much of the year, such that fishing impact is spatially heterogeneous and related to local fishing intensity.

The Umbrella That Is Too Wide and Yet Too Small: Why Dynamic Testing Has Still Not Delivered on the Promise That Was Never Made

In this article, I reflect on potential reasons for the seemingly persistent impression that dynamic testing has not delivered on its promise. Potential reasons are embedded in a paradox. On the one hand, validity-related expectations toward dynamic tests seem too broad. This includes fuzziness in defining the diagnostic target constructs, simplistic quantitative focus on conventional validity indices, and overgeneralized expectations regarding incremental validity. At the same time, the focus on dynamic testing seems too narrow. By introducing three tests of cognitive flexibility, I exemplify that dynamic testing has potential which goes beyond the assessment of learning potential in specific subpopulations. My ambition is to help in addressing potential users’ misconceptions about dynamic testing productively.

Opportunistic disclosure in press release headlines

This paper examines managerial, self-serving, disclosure practices in the headlines of press releases announcing annual results. Headlines are a framing feature that can be used to capture and retain attention with the ultimate intention of affecting the thoughts and feelings of readers, thus influencing their opinions. Therefore, headlines have a key role in a company's communication strategy. Using a large sample of Spanish listed companies for the years 2005 and 2006, we provide evidence of persistent impression management in press release headlines. Companies, irrespective of whether they perform well or badly, are inclined to stress good news and downplay bad news. Companies with very small profits report surprising amounts of good news. We provide evidence that companies are selective in the performance figures they include in the headlines of press releases. In particular, the disclosure of profits or sales figures in press release headlines is also associated with earnings performance. Finally, we find that larger firms are more likely to issue press releases than smaller ones, consistent with the theory that highly visible firms face a greater demand for information transparency.

Chronic Illness and Hmong Shamans

Among the challenges health care personnel in California's central valley face has been finding ways to help Hmong Americans manage chronic illness. Interviews were conducted with 11 Hmong shamans diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension and were qualitatively analyzed to ascertain respondents' understanding and management of their illnesses. Hmong shamans are influential individuals within their communities and are often the resource persons to whom patients turn for information on health. Understanding the shamans' perspective on chronic illness was seen as a gateway to understanding how the broader Hmong American community perceived these conditions. The concept of chronic illness was not well understood, resulting in sporadic medication and dietary regimens, limited awareness of potential complications, and a persistent impression that these illnesses could be cured rather than managed. Suggestions for patient educators include family and community involvement in care regimens and the use of descriptive terminology to identify the disease.

Autoantibodies in alcoholic liver disease

Despite many decades of research, the reasons why only a relatively small proportion of individuals who consume excessive quantities of alcohol develop clinically significant liver disease remain unknown. The association with features of autoimmune diseases, including hypergammaglobulinaemia, circulating autoantibodies, inheritance of certain immunogenetic (HLA) markers and response to corticosteroid therapy in some patients has led to a persistent impression that altered immune regulation with a relative loss of self-tolerance underlies susceptibility to the development of the more severe forms of alcoholic liver disease (alcoholic hepatitis and/or cirrhosis). However, review of the data from the numerous studies that have been conducted over the past 30 years fails to reveal sufficiently convincing evidence that autoimmunity plays a primary role in alcohol-related liver damage. In particular, most of the wide range of circulating autoantibodies that have been reported in patients are found mainly at low titres, are not confined to those with severe liver injury, and are probably more likely to be a response to the hepatic insult than causally related to liver damage. Additionally, an association with various HLA phenotypes has not been confirmed by meta-analysis. Interpretation is complicated by evidence that alcohol may have direct effects on some components of the immune system but, if there is an immunogenetic basis for alcoholic liver disease, the present evidence suggests that this might be related more to cytokine gene polymorphisms than to a predisposition to autoimmunity per se.

Law and Love in The Merchant of Venice

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE IS THE ONE PLAY of Shakespeare which can be called a work of Christian apologetics. Elements of Christian belief function importantly in several of Shakespeare's other plays, and he everywhere draws heavily upon the cultural endowment of Christianity, but only in The Merchant of Venice does he make an expressly Christian argument the basis for an entire play. The play is also notable for giving rise to a persistent impression among audiences and critics that the poet's real sympathies are at odds with the ostensible message of the piece. Anxiety about anti-Semitism doubtless predisposes modern audiences to fasten upon whatever may be found in the play to suggest that the poet was really of the Jew's party without knowing itor, at any rate, of the party of common humanity as against the particular Christian bias he assumed-but much that is not directly related to the treatment of Shylock has also been felt to counteract the play's Christian affirmation.' This should not surprise us, for it is of the very nature of that affirmation to incur just such a counter-interpretation. The play is in fact a kind of hermeneutic drama, reflecting the contest between Christian and Jew for the possession of Hebrew scriptures. The issue is joined on the subject of usury, on which the Old Testament provides a clear directive: Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury, but thou shalt not lend upon usury unto thy brother, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou setest thine hand

Some factors affecting the susceptibility of plants to fire blight

Abstract does not appear. First page follows. Students of fire blight (caused by Bacillus amylovorus) for a century or more (4)5 have made observations which suggested that the environment of the inherently susceptible plant has a marked influence on the degree of susceptibility in any given situation. Certain elements of the environment have been studied exhaustively in more recent times, while others are still somewhat neglected. In the work reported in this paper, consideration has been given to some of the factors which might be expected to affect the degree of susceptibility of a given plant, and more particularly those which might give some clue as to the nature of resistance to this disease. A few of the points dealt with have to do rather with escape than true resistance. Morphology of the Plant in Relation to Infection Apart from wounds made by insects and other agencies, the entrance of the blight organism into the plant seems to be limited largely or entirely to natural openings, particularly in the nectaries and to a less extent in certain other flower parts (31), the stomata of the leaves (14), (30), and probably also on the very young fruits (26) and shoots. It now seems probable (8), (17), (36) that penetration from the nectary into the receptacle, at least in the pear and apple, is through openings similar to or identical with the stomata. There is a persistent impression, however, among pear growers and others, that infections may develop in the older bark of trunks, crotches, or large branches in the absence of any discernible shoot, spur, or wound. With this in mind, in three experiments, pear branches of varying ages up to about seven years were cut into convenient lengths and kept in a highly humid atmosphere until the whitish parenchyma tissues began to be exserted at various places on the surface. The blight organism was then applied to these tissues with a camel’s-hair brush. No infection followed.