Validity of an eyetracking method for capturing auditory–visual cross-format semantic priming

Introduction: Semantic priming paradigms are important for understanding lexical–semantic processing and the nature of linguistic deficits accompanying language performance in neurologically impaired individuals such as people with aphasia. Reaction-time-(RT)-based traditional semantic priming tasks entail potential confounds, especially problematic when applied to people with aphasia, who may have concomitant neurocognitive challenges that limit task performance. Some of these confounds include requirements of following complex instructions, making metalinguistic judgments, and using speech or limb-based motor actions to indicate overt responses. Eyetracking methods have great potential for avoiding some of these confounds. We tested the validity of an eyetracking method in capturing semantic priming in an auditory–visual cross-format priming paradigm (auditory word prime–visual image target).

Method: A total of 72 neurologically unimpaired adults participated in two phases: a stimulus development phase using traditional priming (n = 32) and an experimental eyetracking phase (n = 40). Each phase included two conditions, representing distinct levels of prime–target semantic relatedness: unrelated and related. Mean RT data from the traditional priming (stimuli development) phase guided image selection for the eyetracking experiment. Eyetracking indices of fixation duration and latency of fixation were recorded to capture semantic priming in the eyetracking experiment.

Results: Eye fixation data indicated that images related to auditory primes were attended to earlier and attracted significantly greater visual attention than unrelated images. These results mirrored RT data from the traditional priming method, which showed faster RT latencies and more accurate naming performance for related images than for unrelated images.

Conclusions: Results support the validity of eyetracking indices of semantic priming and offer a robust testing protocol for future studies in this line of research. Current clinical relevance for people with aphasia is highlighted. Further empirical testing of the psychometric properties of the eyetracking measures in various semantic priming contexts is recommended.     

Do men with normal testosterone–oestradiol ratios benefit from letrozole for the treatment of male infertility?

Research question

Previous studies of aromatase inhibitors on male infertility have focused on men with low testosterone–oestradiol ratio of less than 10. Can aromatase inhibitors improve spermatogenesis in men with idiopathic male infertility with normal testosterone–oestradiol ratio?

Effect of single‐dose injection of vitamin D on immune cytokines in ulcerative colitis patients: a randomized placebo‐controlled trial

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic recurrent inflammation of the colon. It has been proposed that the UC pathogenesis may be related to vitamin D deficiency and/or vitamin D administration in UC patients may have an ameliorating effect on the intestinal inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vitamin D on the serum levels of immune cytokines in UC patients. In this double‐blind randomized controlled trial, 90 mild‐to‐moderate UC patients were assigned to get either a single muscular injection of 7.5 mg vitamin D3 or 1 mL normal saline as placebo. Three months later serum levels of IL‐4, IL‐10, IL‐12p70, IFN‐γ, and TNF‐α were measured. Two group variables were compared using independent t‐test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). There was a significant increase in vitamin D only in the vitamin D group. Compared to placebo, vitamin D had significant decreasing effects on serum TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, and IL12p70 levels, but it had no significant effect on serum levels of IL4 and IL10. Vitamin D seems to inhibit Th1 immune responses and have no effect on Th2 responses. The findings of this study support several in vitro studies, which suggest a therapeutic immunomodulatory potential of vitamin D.     

Applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in occupational heat stress assessment: a case study in brick industries

The present study aimed to investigate the applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) as an innovative and science-based index in public health researches, in occupational heat stress assessment. All indoor and outdoor workers (200 people) of Brick industries of Shahroud, Iran participated in the research. First, the environmental variables such as air temperature, wet-bulb temperature, globe temperature, air velocity and relative humidity were measured; then UTCI and WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature) indices were calculated. Simultaneously, physiological parameters including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, oral temperature, skin temperature, tympanic temperature and heart rate of workers were measured. UTCI and WBGT indices were 34.2 ± 2°C, 21.8 ± 1.8°C in the outdoor environments and 38.1 ± 4.4°C, 24.7 ± 3.3°C at the indoor environments, respectively. There were the weak inverse relationships between UTCI and WBGT indices at the outdoor environments and physiological responses such as systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. However, there were no similar results for indoor environments. The significant relationships were found between UTCI and WBGT at both indoor and outdoor environments. Both UTCI and WBGT indices are suitable for assessing the occupational heat stress. Although, UTCI index seems more appropriate for heat stress assessment in the environments with low humidity and air velocity.     

Effects of upper-body resistance exercise training on serum nesfatin-1 level,insulin resistance,and body composition in obese paraplegic men

Background

As a recently discovered adipokine, nesfatin-1 is conducive to insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, energy balance, and probably obesity.

Hematological and biochemical indices of kutum Rutilus frisii kutum,associated with capture methods

The aim of current research was to determine hematological and biochemical parameters of captured kutum with gill net and beach seine. A total of 16 matured kutums were used for blood sampling from each device. The result showed significant differences in white blood cells, red blood cell, mean corpuscle volume, Ca²⁺, Cl^?, and cholesterol between gill net and beach seine methods, but there were no significant differences in other parameters. Based on obtained results during our experiment, we concluded that the stress due to capture can influence the blood parameters, and different capture methods lead to different reactions in blood parameters.     

The Carbomer-Lecithin Adjuvant Adjuplex Has Potent Immunoactivating Properties and Elicits Protective Adaptive Immunity against Influenza Virus Challenge in Mice

The continued discovery and development of adjuvants for vaccine formulation are important to safely increase potency and/or reduce the antigen doses of existing vaccines and tailor the adaptive immune response to newly developed vaccines. Adjuplex is a novel adjuvant platform based on a purified lecithin and carbomer homopolymer. Here, we analyzed the adjuvant activity of Adjuplex in mice for the soluble hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza A virus. The titration of Adjuplex revealed an optimal dose of 1% for immunogenicity, eliciting high titers of HA-specific IgG but inducing no significant weight loss. At this dose, Adjuplex completely protected mice from an otherwise lethal influenza virus challenge and was at least as effective as the adjuvants monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and alum in preventing disease. Adjuplex elicited balanced Th1-/Th2-type immune responses with accompanying cytokines and triggered antigen-specific CD8⁺ T-cell proliferation. The use of the peritoneal inflammation model revealed that Adjuplex recruited dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes, and neutrophils in the context of innate cytokine and chemokine secretion. Adjuplex neither triggered classical maturation of DCs nor activated a pathogen recognition receptor (PRR)-expressing NF-κB reporter cell line, suggesting a mechanism of action different from that reported for classical pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-activated innate immunity. Taken together, these data reveal Adjuplex to be a potent and well-tolerated adjuvant with application for subunit vaccines.     

Erythropoietin attenuates motor impairments induced by bilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion in rats

Neurologic sequelae remain a common and destructive problem in patients with acute kidney injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on motor impairments following bilateral renal ischemia (BRI) in two time points after reperfusion: short term (24 h) and long term (1 week). Male Wistar rats underwent BRI or sham surgery. EPO or saline administration was performed 30 min before surgery (1000 U/kg, i.p.). Explorative behaviors and motor function of the rats were evaluated by open field, rotarod, and wire grip tests. Plasma concentrations of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were significantly enhanced in BRI rats 24 h after reperfusion. BRI group had only an increased level of BUN but not Cr 1 week after reperfusion. Impairment of balance function by BRI was not reversed by EPO 24 h after reperfusion, but counteracted 7 days after renal ischemia. Muscle strength had no significant differences between the groups. BRI group had a decrease in locomotor activity, and EPO could not reverse this reduction in both time points of the experiment. Although EPO could not be offered as a potential neuroprotective agent in the treatment of motor dysfunctions induced by BRI, it could be effective against balance dysfunction 1 week after renal ischemia.