Emotional variability during mother–adolescent conflict interactions: Longitudinal links to adolescent disclosure and maternal control

The aim of this study was to examine relations of emotional variability during mother–adolescent conflict interactions in early adolescence with adolescent disclosure and maternal control in early and late adolescence. Data were used from 92 mother–adolescent dyads (M age T1 = 13.05; 65.20% boys) that were videotaped at T1 while discussing a conflict. Emotional variability was derived from these conflict interactions. Mothers also completed questionnaires at the start of the study (T1) and five years later (T6) on adolescent disclosure and maternal control. Path analysis showed that more emotional variability during conflict interactions in early adolescence was associated with higher levels of adolescent disclosure in early adolescence and with relative decreases in maternal control from early to late adolescence. More emotional variability of mother–adolescent dyads serves an important function in adaptively dealing with relational challenges that arise during adolescence.     

Aprepitant’s Prophylactic Efficacy in Decreasing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Morbidly Obese Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Background

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is a major cause of patient dissatisfaction towards surgery. For bariatric surgery, increased vomiting/retching is detrimental to surgical anastomosis. The present study evaluated the efficacy of aprepitant (neurokinin-1 inhibitor) as a prophylactic antiemetic in morbidly obese patients for laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

Methods

After institutional review board approval, 125 morbidly obese patients were recruited into this double-blind placebo-controlled trial. On random division, the patients received a tablet of aprepitant (80 mg) in group A, or a similar-appearing placebo in group P, an hour prior to surgery. All patients received intravenous ondansetron (4 mg) intraoperatively. Postoperatively, the patients were evaluated for nausea and vomiting by a blinded evaluator at 30 min, 1, 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h.

Results

Both groups were evenly distributed for age, body mass index, type, and length of surgery. Cumulative incidence of vomiting at 72 h was significantly lower in group A (3 %) compared to group P (15 %; p?=?0.021). Odds ratio for vomiting in group P compared to group A was 5.47 times. On Kaplan–Meier plot, time to first vomiting was also significantly delayed in group A (p?=?0.019). A higher number of patients showed complete absence of nausea or vomiting in group A compared to group P (42.18 vs. 36.67 %). On the other hand, nausea scores were unaffected by aprepitant, and no significant difference between groups was found at any of the measured time points.

Conclusions

In morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery, addition of aprepitant to ondansetron can significantly delay vomiting episodes simultaneously lowering the incidence of postoperative vomiting.     

Safety and Immunogenicity of a Vero Cell Culture-Derived Whole-Virus H5N1 Influenza Vaccine in Chronically Ill and Immunocompromised Patients

The development of vaccines against H5N1 influenza A viruses is a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness. Clinical trials of H5N1 vaccines have been undertaken in healthy subjects, but studies in risk groups have been lacking. In this study, the immunogenicity and safety of a nonadjuvanted cell culture-derived whole-virus H5N1 vaccine were assessed in chronically ill and immunocompromised adults. Subjects received two priming immunizations with a clade 1 A/Vietnam H5N1 influenza vaccine, and a subset also received a booster immunization with a clade 2.1 A/Indonesia H5N1 vaccine 12 to 24 months later. The antibody responses in the two populations were assessed by virus neutralization and single radial hemolysis assays. The T-cell responses in a subset of immunocompromised patients were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISPOT). The priming and the booster vaccinations were safe and well tolerated in the two risk populations, and adverse reactions were predominantly mild and transient. The priming immunizations induced neutralizing antibody titers of ≥1:20 against the A/Vietnam strain in 64.2% of the chronically ill and 41.5% of the immunocompromised subjects. After the booster vaccination, neutralizing antibody titers of ≥1:20 against the A/Vietnam and A/Indonesia strains were achieved in 77.5% and 70.8%, respectively, of chronically ill subjects and in 71.6% and 67.5%, respectively, of immunocompromised subjects. The T-cell responses against the two H5N1 strains increased significantly over the baseline values. Substantial heterosubtypic T-cell responses were elicited against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus and seasonal A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B subtypes. There was a significant correlation between T-cell responses and neutralizing antibody titers. These data indicate that nonadjuvanted whole-virus cell culture-derived H5N1 influenza vaccines are suitable for immunizing chronically ill and immunocompromised populations. (This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00711295","term_id":"NCT00711295"}}NCT00711295.)     

Investigations of the charge transfer phenomenon at the hybrid dye/BiVO4 interface under visible radiation

Photocatalytic hybrid systems were realized by associating bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) nanostructured thin films with anchored organic and metal–organic complex molecules. The chosen dyes are based on indoline and azo-based moieties. Optical and photoinduced charge transfer features were investigated experimentally and analysed theoretically through the electron band alignment on the organic/inorganic interface. Quantum calculations were carried out for the studied hybrid systems by using DFT and semi-empirical approaches. The calculations were performed by implementing a cluster model applied for the nanostructures and hybrid systems. The electronic density peculiarities point out efficient charge transfer for D149 based hybrids compared to azo-based systems. The electron distribution in hybrid systems inferred from the computational analysis and their experimental probing using Kelvin Force Microscopy (KFM) maps the way to understanding the photoinduced charge transfer occurring at the interfaces between organic dyes and an inorganic photocatalyst. The presented approach helps to predict suitable photoactive hybrid materials leading to efficient photocatalytic devices.

Photocatalytic hybrid systems were realized by associating bismuth vanadate nanostructured thin films with anchored organic dyes. The quantum chemical calculations and computer modelling may explain the charge transfer behaviour occurring in the hybrid systems.     

Effects of phosphate-modified analogs of adenosine 5′-diphosphate and adenosine 5′-triphosphate at P2T-purinoceptors mediating human platelet activation by ADP

Adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) induces human platelet aggregation and inhibits stimulated adenylate cyclase by an action at P_2T-purinoceptors. Both of these effects of ADP are inhibited competitively by ATP. Structure-activity relationships for phosphate-modified analogs of ADP and adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) were studied by testing their effects on human platelet activation. Of the ADP analogs, only β,γ-imido-ADP (AMPNHP) induced platelet aggregation, but was a weak partial agonist (pA₅₀ 4.53). ADP-induced platelet aggregation was antagonized noncompetitively by β,γ-methylene-ADP (AMPCP) (pA₂ 3.2), β,γ-ethylene-ADP (AMPCCP) (pA₂ 4.42), and β,γ-difluoromethylene-ADP (AMPCF₂P) (pA₂ 4.77), and competitively by β,γ-dichloromethylene-ADP (AMPCCl₂P) (pA₂ 4.68). None of the ADP analogs inhibited prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁)-stimulated adenylate cyclase, and ADP-induced inhibition of PGE₁-stimulated adenylate cyclase was unaffected by AMPNHP, AMPCP, or AMPCCP (100 μM), but was antagonized by AMPCF₂P (pA₂ 4.36) and AMPCCl₂P (4.24). ADP-induced platelet aggregation was antagonized competitively by the ATP analogs β,γ-difluoromethylene-ATP (AMP-PCF₂P) (pA₂ 4.55), β,γ-dichloromethylene-ATP (AMP-PCCl₂P) (pA₂ 4.42), and β,γ-imido-ATP (AMP-PNHP) (pA₂ 4.32) and non-competitively by 2-methylthio-β,γ-methylene-ATP (2-MeS-AMP-PCP), 2-methylthio-β,γ-difluoromethylene-ATP (2-MeS-AMP-PCF₂P), and 2-methylthio-β,γ-dichloromethylene-ATP (2-MeS-AMP-PCCl₂P). In summary, agonist activity at the human platelet P_2T-purinoceptor was extremely sensitive to alterations to the diphosphate chain of ADP, and only AMPNHP induced platelet aggregation. Increasing the electronegativity of the methylene group by halogen substitution increased the antagonist potency of the ADP analog AMPCP but resulted in little or no change in the antagonist potencies of the ATP analogs AMP-PCP and 2-MeS-AMP-PCP. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The effects of scopolamine on the recall of repeated words: a preliminary investigation

We investigated the effects of scopolamine on the recall of repeated words. Subjects performed continuous recognition memory tasks both before and after the administration of scopolamine, and were asked to recall as many words from the lists as they could immediately after the recognition tasks. Cerebral blood flow was measured by H₂¹⁵O positron emission tomography during the performance of each task. Scopolamine altered performance on the recall task such that subjects were just as likely to recall words presented once as they were to recall words presented three times. In addition, scopolamine decreased cerebral blood flow during the performance of the task. The extent to which scopolamine decreased cerebral blood flow appeared to be associated with the change in performance on the recall task.     

The efficacy of the back school: An analysis of the literature

One of the possible treatments for patients suffering from low back pain is the so-called back school, which is of Swedish origin. Back schools offer an education and skills program in a group setting, directed toward pain management and consisting of elements of education and/or training of skills. The contents and, briefly, the efficacy of all reported and evaluated back schools in a group setting are presented. Based on the different contents of back schools and the necessity of a multidimensional approach to treating low back pain, we designed the Maastricht Back School to be a combination of all those elements about which we consider a back school should give information and/or training.     

Characterization of mGluR5R,a novel,metabotropic glutamate receptor 5-related gene

We report here the isolation of a novel gene termed mGluR5R (mGluR5-related). The N-terminus of mGluR5R is highly similar to the extracellular domain of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) whereas the C-terminus bears similarity to the testis-specific gene, RNF18. mGluR5R is expressed in the human CNS in a coordinate fashion with mGluR5. Although the sequence suggests that mGluR5R may be a secreted glutamate binding protein, we found that when expressed in HEK293 cells it was membrane associated and not secreted. Furthermore, mGluR5R was incapable of binding the metabotropic glutamate receptor class I selective agonist, quisqualate. Although mGluR5R could not form disulfide-mediated covalent homodimers, it was able to form a homomeric complex, presumably through noncovalent interactions. mGluR5R also formed noncovalent heteromeric associations with an engineered construct of the extracellular domain of mGluR5 as well as with full-length mGluR5 and mGluR1alpha. The ability of mGluR5R to associate with mGluR1alpha and mGluR5 suggests that it may be a modulator of class I metabotropic glutamate receptor function.