Differential correlates of fear and anxiety in salience perception: A behavioral and ERP study with adolescents.

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychopathologies among adolescents. Their diagnostic criteria include both fear and anxiety symptomatology, although according to the literature, we can find evidence for some distinction between these two emotions. The present study contribute to this distinction, exploring the effects of trait fear and trait anxiety on behavioral and neural correlates. Thirty-two participants (aged 11-16 years) performed two experimental tasks of salient target detection, including visual stimuli that were manipulated to become salient, while reaction times and EEG were recorded. Results of both tasks revealed differential effects of trait fear and trait anxiety assessed through the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised and the Youth Anxiety Measure for DSM-5 on reaction times and ERP components amplitudes. Specifically, higher symptoms from Separation Anxiety Disorder increased early neural visual processing and decreased reaction times for more salient stimuli. Also, trait fear reduced later neural visual processing of salient stimuli. These findings may provide a significant contribution to guiding psychological interventions, especially with adolescents presenting higher levels of anxiety-related symptomatology.

WITHDRAWN: Evaluation and clinical quantification of neoplastic lesions and physiological structures in TOF-PET/MRI and non-TOF/MRI - a pilot study.

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.

Deciphering the role of ttrA and pduA genes for Salmonella enterica serovars in a chicken infection model.

Salmonella enterica serovars use self-induced intestinal inflammation to increase electron acceptor availability and to obtain a growth advantage in the host gut. There is evidence suggesting that the ability of Salmonella to use tetrathionate and 1,2-propanediol provides an advantage in murine infection. Thus, we present here the first study to evaluate both systemic infection and faecal excretion in commercial poultry challenged by Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) and S. Typhimurium (STM) harbouring deletions in ttrA and pduA genes, which are crucial to the metabolism of tetrathionate and 1,2-propanediol, respectively. Mutant strains were excreted at higher rates when compared to the wild-type strains. The highest rates were observed with white egg-layer and brown egg-layer chicks (67.5%), and broiler chicks (56.7%) challenged by SEΔttrAΔpduA, and brown egg-layer chicks (64.8%) challenged by STMΔttrAΔpduA. SEΔttrAΔpduA presented higher bacterial counts in the liver and spleen of the three chicken lineages and caecal contents from the broiler chickens, whereas STMΔttrAΔpduA presented higher counts in the liver and spleen of the broiler and brown-egg chickens for 28 days post-infection (P < 0.05). The ttrA and pduA genes do not appear to be major virulence determinants in faecal excretion or invasiveness for SE and STM in chickens. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSttrA and pudA do not impair gut colonization or systemic infection in chicks.Mutant strains were present in higher numbers in broilers than in laying chicks.Mutants of SE and STM showed greater pathogenicity in broiler chicks than layers.

Age-related decline in emotional perspective-taking: Its effect on the late positive potential.

Aging is associated with changes in cognitive and affective functioning, which likely shape older adults' social cognition. As the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying age differences in social abilities remain poorly understood, the present study aims to extend the research in this field. To this purpose, younger (n = 30; Mage = 26.6), middle-aged (n = 30; Mage = 48.4), and older adults (n = 29; Mage = 64.5) performed a task designed to assess affective perspective-taking, during an EEG recording. In this task, participants decided whether a target facial expression of emotion (FEE) was congruent or incongruent with that of a masked intervener of a previous scenario, which portrayed a neutral or an emotional scene. Older adults showed worse performance in comparison to the other groups. Regarding electrophysiological results, while younger and middle-aged adults showed higher late positive potentials (LPPs) after FEEs congruent with previous scenarios than after incongruent FEEs, older adults had similar amplitudes after both. This insensitivity of older adults' LPPs in differentiating congruent from incongruent emotional context-target FEE may be related to their difficulty in generating information about others' inner states and using that information in social interactions.

First Measurement of Near-Threshold J/ψ Exclusive Photoproduction off the Proton.

We report on the measurement of the γp→J/ψp cross section from E_{γ}=11.8 GeV down to the threshold at 8.2 GeV using a tagged photon beam with the GlueX experiment. We find that the total cross section falls toward the threshold less steeply than expected from two-gluon exchange models. The differential cross section dσ/dt has an exponential slope of 1.67±0.39 GeV^{-2} at 10.7 GeV average energy. The LHCb pentaquark candidates P_{c}^{+} can be produced in the s channel of this reaction. We see no evidence for them and set model-dependent upper limits on their branching fractions B(P_{c}^{+}→J/ψp) and cross sections σ(γp→P_{c}^{+})×B(P_{c}^{+}→J/ψp).

Inclusion of IgY in a dog's diet has moderate impact on the intestinal microbial fermentation.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) in a diet on the systemic health and the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of dogs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixteen healthy 11-month-old Beagle dogs were distributed at random (eight animals per treatment) in two treatments groups: control (0 g kg-1 IgY) and test (2 g IgY per day). The animals were evaluated on days 0 and 40 for a complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical profiles (ALT, ALP, creatinine and urea). Faecal samples were collected from days 35 to 40 to measure nutrient digestibility, faecal characteristics, sialic acid, intestinal microbiota composition and microbial metabolites. The CBC, biochemical profiles, apparent nutrient digestibility and faecal characteristics did not differ between the two treatment groups (P > 0·05). Dog faeces that received IgY were characterized by lower sialic acid and n-valeric concentration, as well as an increase in n-butyric concentration, in contrast to dogs fed a diet without IgY (P < 0·05). The other microbial faecal metabolites did not differ between the two treatment groups (P > 0·05). There tended to be an increase in the copy number of Clostridium cluster XIVa (Clostridium coccoides group) in the IgY group in contrast to the control group (P = 0·07). The other bacteria analysed did not differ between the treatment groups (P > 0·05). The colonic pH in the IgY group was lower than in control group (P < 0·05). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of IgY in the diet of healthy dogs maintains the microbial balance and has an interesting effect on microbial metabolites. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The use of IgY, antibodies produced by laying hens, in animal feed is an alternative for the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases in companion animals.

Saliva versus serum cortisol to identify subclinical hypercortisolism in adrenal incidentalomas: simplicity versus accuracy.

PURPOSE: Subclinical hypercortisolism (SCH) leads to metabolic derangements and increased cardiovascular risk. Cortisol autonomy is defined by the overnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Saliva cortisol is an easier, stress-free, and cost-effective alternative to serum cortisol. We compared 23 h and post-1 mg DST saliva with serum cortisol to identify SCH in adrenal incidentalomas (AI). METHODS: We analyzed 359 DST obtained retrospectively from 226 AI subjects (173F/53 M; 19-83 years) for saliva and serum cortisol. We used three post-DST serum cortisol cutoffs to uncover SCH: 1.8, 2.5, and 5.0 µg/dL. We determined post-DST and 23 h saliva cortisol cutoffs by ROC curve analysis and calculated their sensitivities (S) and specificities (E). RESULTS: The sensitive 1.8 µg/dL cutoff defined 137 SCH and 180 non-functioning adenomas (NFA): post-DST and 23 h saliva cortisol S/E were: 75.2%/74.4% and 59.5%/65.9%, respectively. Using the specific 5.0 µg/dL cortisol cutoff (22 SCH/295 NFA), post-DST and 23 h saliva cortisol S/E were 86.4%/83.4% and 66.7%/80.4%, respectively. Using the intermediate 2.5 µg/dL cutoff (89 SCH/228 NFA), post-DST and 23 h saliva cortisol S/E were 80.9%/68.9% and 65.5%/62.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Saliva cortisol showed acceptable performance only with the 5.0 µg/dL cortisol cutoff, as in overt Cushing's syndrome. Lower cutoffs (1.8 and 2.5 µg/dL) that identify larger samples of patients with poor metabolic outcomes are less accurate for screening. These results may be attributed to pre-analytical factors and inherent patient conditions. Thus, saliva cortisol cannot replace serum cortisol to identify SCH among patients with AI for screening DST.

Quality assessment of systematic reviews regarding dental implant placement on diabetic patients: an overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Since implant placement on diabetic patients still is a controversial topic and systematic reviews are at the top of scientific evidence hierarchy, a thorough assessment of the methodological quality of these reviews must be performed to inform clinicians if their conclusions and recommendations can be followed on clinical practice. An overview of systematic reviews was performed with the purpose to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews regarding dental implant placement on diabetic patients. In addition, we presented a synthesis of clinical outcomes about the focused theme. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online search was performed on MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, DARE-Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and SIGLE via Open Grey. Searches were conducted from database inception to May 2018. Systematic review articles with or without meta-analysis about the placement of dental implants on diabetic patients were included. Exclusion criteria were: articles whose primary outcome was not the survival/success rate of dental implants on diabetic patients; studies that do not relate the survival/success rate of dental implants with diabetes; duplicated papers. Methodological quality assessment was performed with AMSTAR. A descriptive synthesis of clinical outcomes was performed. RESULTS: We identified 1.661 initial hits and eight articles were selected for overview (kappa=0.83; strong agreement). Six studies presented moderate methodological quality and two showed high methodological quality. Implant survival rate ranged from 31.8% to 100% and data from four meta-analysis showed that diabetes does not affect implant survival rate. On the other hand, data from two meta-analysis for marginal bone loss showed that diabetes statistically affects this outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Two of the eight included studies presented high methodological quality and their meta-analysis showed that implant placement on diabetic patients does not affect implant survival rate and statistically affects marginal bone loss. However, clinicians must be aware that marginal bone loss values were not clinically relevant and may not be safe to follow the conclusions and recommendations of these studies.

Immediate dental implants placed into infected sites present a higher risk of failure than immediate dental implants placed into non-infected sites: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar infection is known as a risk factor for implant failure. Current meta-analysis on the theme could not prove statistically that immediate dental implants placed into infected sites have a higher risk of failure than immediate dental implants placed into non-infected sites. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of immediate dental implants placed into infected versus non-infected sites. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven databases were sought by two reviewers. Randomized or non-randomized clinical trials that compared the placement of dental implants into infected versus non-infected sites were eligible for the study. Exclusion criteria were: papers in which the survival rate was not the primary outcome; papers without a control group; studies with less than one year of follow-up; studies whose patients did not receive antibiotic therapy; studies with medically compromised patients; duplicated papers. Risk of bias assessment was performed with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. RESULTS: Of the 3.253 initial hits, 8 studies were included in both qualitative and quantitative synthesis (kappa=0.90; very good agreement). Forest plot for implant failure showed that immediate implants placed into infected sites presented a statistically significant risk of failure that is almost 3 times higher than when placed into non-infected sites (risk ratio= 2.99; 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 8.56; p= 0.04; 935 implants; i2= 0%). Peri-implant outcomes showed no statistical difference. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate dental implants placed into infected sites presented a statistically significant higher risk of failure than immediate dental implants placed into non-infected sites. Peri-implant outcomes were not statistically affected in this intervention.

Hexapartite Entanglement in an above-Threshold Optical Parametric Oscillator.

We demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, the generation of hexapartite modal entanglement by the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) operating above the oscillation threshold. We show that the OPO generates a rich structure of entanglement among sets of six optical sideband modes interacting through the nonlinear crystal. The class of quantum states thus produced can be controlled by a single parameter, the power of the external laser that pumps the system. Our platform allows for the generation of massive entanglement among many optical modes with well defined but vastly different frequencies, potentially bridging nodes of a multicolor quantum network.

When do trade-offs occur? The roles of energy constraints and trait flexibility in bushcricket populations.

In many animal species, the expression of sexually selected traits is negatively correlated with traits associated with survival such as immune function, a relationship termed a 'trade-off'. But an alternative in which sexually selected traits are positively correlated with survival traits is also widespread. We propose that the nature of intertrait relationships is largely determined by overall energy expenditure, energy availability and trait flexibility, with trade-offs expected when individuals are subject to energy constraints. We tested this hypothesis in Ephippiger diurnus, a European bushcricket in which males are distinguished by two prominent sexually selected traits, acoustic calls and a large spermatophore transferred to the female at mating, and where immune function may be critical in survival. Ephippiger diurnus are distributed as small, isolated populations that are differentiated genetically and behaviourally. We analysed songs, spermatophores and the immune function in male individuals from eight populations spanning a range of song types. As predicted, we only found trade-offs in those populations that expended more energy on song and were less flexible in their ability to adjust that expenditure. Ultimately, energy constraints and resulting trade-offs may limit the evolution of song exaggeration in E. diurnus populations broadcasting long calls comprised of multiple 'syllables'.

Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate, gastric cancer and tooth agenesis.

BACKGROUND: To determine the frequency of nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NSCL/P) in first-degree relatives and to analyze the prevalence of tooth agenesis in patients with gastric cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional, observational, case-control study included 798 patients attended at hospital Santa Casa in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais and Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology of the Federal University of the Minas Gerais. Information on basic demographic data and tooth agenesis of both groups and their family history of NSCL/P in first-degree relatives were evaluated. The collected information was stored in a database and analyzed using statistical program SPSS version 21.0 and the values with p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 798 patients, 113 (14.16%) consisted of the case group and 685 of the control group (85.84%). Non-Caucasian males were the most affected, although no differences among the groups were detected. Of all participants (n=798), 66 (8.27%) presented tooth agenesis and 25 (3.13%) presented oral cleft in first degree relative. CONCLUSIONS: Our results no found increase in the frequency of tooth agenesis in patients with gastric cancer and in the frequency of NSCL/P in the first-degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer.

Female preference functions drive interpopulation divergence in male signalling: call diversity in the bushcricket Ephippiger diurnus.

Female preferences play a major role in the elaboration and diversification of male traits: as a selective pressure on males, variation in female preferences can generate population divergence and ultimately, speciation. We studied how interpopulation differences in the shape of female mate preference functions may have shaped male advertisement signals in the bushcricket Ephippiger diurnus. This species is distributed as geographically isolated populations with striking interpopulation variation in male acoustic signals, most notably in the number of syllables per call. Here, we asked whether differences in the shape of preference functions exist among populations and whether those differences may have driven male signal evolution resulting in the observed differences in syllable numbers. Our results reveal fundamental differences in female preferences among populations, with differences in the overall preference function shape corresponding to differences in male signals. These differences in female preferences best explain the major differences in male signals among populations. The interpopulation variation in signals and preferences potentially reflects the evolutionary history of the species and may contribute to further divergence among populations and subsequent speciation.

In vivo and in vitro phagocytosis of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigotes by B-1 cells.

Leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania parasites that infect several cell types. The promastigote stage of Leishmania is internalized by phagocytic cells and transformed into the obligate intracellular amastigote form. B-1 cells are a subpopulation of B cells that are able to differentiate in vitro and in vivo into mononuclear phagocyte-like cells with phagocytic properties. B-1 cells use several receptors for phagocytosis, such as the mannose receptor and third complement receptor. Leishmania binds to the same receptors on macrophages. In this study, we demonstrated that phagocytes derived from B-1 cells (B-1 CDP) were able to internalize promastigotes of L. (L.) amazonensis in vitro. The internalized promastigotes differentiated into amastigotes. Our results showed that the phagocytic index was higher in B-1 CDP compared to peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived macrophages. The in vivo phagocytic ability of B-1 cells was also demonstrated. Parasites were detected inside purified B-1 cells after intraperitoneal infection with L. (L.) amazonensis promastigotes. Intraperitoneal stimulation with the parasites led to an increase in both IL-10 and TNF-α. These results highlight the importance of studying B-1 CDP cells as phagocytic cells that can participate and contribute to immunity to parasites.

Multi-technique hybrid imaging in PET/CT and PET/MR: what does the future hold?

Integrated positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) is one of the most important imaging techniques to have emerged in oncological practice in the last decade. Hybrid imaging, in general, remains a rapidly growing field, not only in developing countries, but also in western industrialised healthcare systems. A great deal of technological development and research is focused on improving hybrid imaging technology further and introducing new techniques, e.g., integrated PET and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). Additionally, there are several new PET tracers on the horizon, which have the potential to broaden clinical applications in hybrid imaging for diagnosis as well as therapy. This article aims to highlight some of the major technical and clinical advances that are currently taking place in PET/CT and PET/MRI that will potentially maintain the position of hybrid techniques at the forefront of medical imaging technologies.

Relationship Among Body Image, Anthropometric Parameters and Mental Health in Physical Education Students.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of body image dissatisfaction (BID) is currently high. Given that psychological well-being is associated with the body measurements imposed by esthetic standards, BID is an important risk factor for mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: Identify the prevalence of BID, and compare anthropometric and mental health parameters between individuals satisfied and dissatisfied with their body image. METHOD: A total of 140 university students completed the silhouette scale to screen for BID. Anthropometric measures, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BFP) were used. To investigate mental health, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI-S and STAI-T), Profile of Mood States (POMS) scale and Quality of Life (QOL-36) questionnaire were used to investigate mental health. The Student's t-test was applied to compare anthropometric and mental health parameters. RESULTS: 67.1% of university students exhibited BID. There was a significant difference (p = 0.041) in BF and WC (p = 0.048) between dissatisfied and satisfied individuals. With respect to mood states, significant differences were observed for anger (p = 0.014), depression (p = 0.011), hostility (p = 0.006), fatigue (p = 0.013), mental confusion (p = 0.021) and total mood disturbance (TMD) (p = 0.001). The mental aspect of QOL was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in satisfied university students compared to their dissatisfied counterparts. CONCLUSION: BID was high and it seems to be influenced by anthropometric measures related to the amount and distribution of body fat. This dissatisfaction may have a negative effect on the quality of life and mood state of young adults.

The impact of fear and psychopathological symptoms on neural responses to naturalistic stimuli in adolescents.

The presentation of real-world images can swiftly engage processing mechanisms within specific brain regions and neural pathways. In this study, we explore the effects of fear and psychopathological symptoms on neural processing of realistic stimuli during a free viewing naturalistic task in a sample of adolescents (11-16y). Thirty-one participants performed an experimental task consisting of the visualization of animal pictures according to three conditions - Snakes, Spiders, and Dogs - during EEG recordings. Dimensions of fear and psychopathological symptoms were previously assessed through The Fear Survey Schedule for Children- Revised and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Earlier and later visual processing was analyzed through ERP components' peak amplitudes. The results show a robust effect of psychopathology-related dimensions in the visual processing of naturalistic images, suggesting an increase of neural activity at later stages of visual processing (at the N200 time window) in symptomatic adolescents, corroborating the role of psychopathological symptoms in modulating neural responses to naturalistic images, and also guiding clinicians by providing additional data on how symptomatic adolescents perceive and process reality.

Differentiation between normal and metastatic lymph nodes in patients with skin melanoma: Preliminary findings using a DIXON-based whole-body MRI approach.

Purpose: Metastatic melanoma lymph nodes (MMLns) might be challenging to detect on MR-WBI, as both MMLns and normal lymph nodes (NLns) can show restricted water diffusion. Our purpose is to assess the potential contribution of the DIXON sequence in differentiating MMLns from NLns. Material and methods: We followed a cohort of 107 patients with stage IIIb/c and IV skin melanoma for 32 months using MR-WBI with DIXON, STIR, and DWI/ADC sequences. We compared signal intensity (SI) values of MMLns and NLns in the four series of the DIXON sequence (in/out-of-phase, fat_only, and water_only series). The fat fraction (SIfat_only/SIin) and the long:short axis ratio of MMLns were calculated. The fat fraction was also calculated in the fatty hila of NLns. Results: All MMLns (8 from 7 patients) showed SIout>SIin with a mean fat fraction of 10%. In 40 normal fatty hila (25 patients), the proportion of SIout>SIin was 100% and mean fat fraction was 89% (p<0.001 for fat fraction, Mann-Whitney U-test). In the cortex of NLns, a SIout>SIin pattern was identified in 41/113 cases from 19/40 patients. The median long:short axis ratio in MMLns was 1.13 (range 1.03-1.25). Conclusion: The combination of three features of MMLns (SIout>SIin, low-fat fraction and rounded shape) might hold promise in differentiating NLns from MMLns in patients with skin melanoma. Further research is warranted due to the small number of MMLns in our cohort.

Escherichia coli ST117: exploring the zoonotic hypothesis.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) can lead to severe infections, with additional risks of increasing antimicrobial resistance rates. Genotypic similarities between ExPEC and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) support a possible role for a poultry meat reservoir in human disease. Some genomic studies have been done on the ST117 lineage which contaminates poultry meat, carries multidrug resistance, can be found in the human intestinal microbiota, and causes human extraintestinal disease. This study analyzed the genomes of 61 E. coli from Brazilian poultry outbreaks focusing on ST117, to further define its possible zoonotic characteristics by genotypic and phylogenomic analyses, along with 1,699 worldwide ST117 isolates originating from human, animal, and environment sources. A predominance of ST117 was detected in the Brazilian isolates (n = 20/61) frequently carrying resistance to critical antibiotics (>86%) linked to IncFII, IncI1, or IncX4 replicons. High similarities were found between IncX4 from Brazilian outbreaks and those from E. coli recovered from imported Brazilian poultry meat and human clinical cases. The ST117 phylogeny showed non-specificity according to host and continent and an AMR index score indicated the highest resistance in Asia and South America, with the latter statistically more resistant and overrepresented with resistance to extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL). Most ST117 human isolates were predicted to have a poultry origin (93%, 138/148). In conclusion, poultry is a likely source for zoonotic ExPEC strains, particularly the ST117 lineage which can also serve as a reservoir for resistance determinants against critical antibiotics encoded on highly transmissible plasmids. IMPORTANCE: Certain extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are particularly important as they affect humans and animals. Lineages, such as ST117, are predominant in poultry and frequent carriers of antibiotic resistance, presenting a risk to humans handling or ingesting poultry products. We analyzed ExPEC isolates causing outbreaks in Brazilian poultry, focusing on the ST117 as the most detected lineage. Genomic comparisons with international isolates from humans and animals were performed describing the potential zoonotic profile. The Brazilian ST117 isolates carried resistance determinants against critical antibiotics, mainly on plasmids, in some cases identical to those carried by international isolates. South American ST117 isolates from all sources generally exhibit more resistance, including to critical antibiotics, and worldwide, the vast majority of human isolates belonging to this lineage have a predicted poultry origin. As the world's largest poultry exporter, Brazil has an important role in developing strategies to prevent the dissemination of multidrug-resistant zoonotic ExPEC strains.

Beyond spectral homodyne detection: complete quantum measurement of spectral modes of light.

Spectral homodyne detection, a widely used technique for measuring quantum properties of light beams, cannot retrieve all the information needed to reconstruct the quantum state of spectral field modes. We show that full quantum state reconstruction can be achieved with the alternative measurement technique of resonator detection. We experimentally demonstrate this difference by engineering a quantum state with features that go undetected by homodyne detection but are clearly revealed by resonator detection.