Does Anthropomorphism of Dogs Affect Pain Perception in Animal-Assisted Interventions? An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the effects of anthropomorphism of a therapy dog on pain perception during an animal-assisted intervention. Participants were 32 college women who were randomly assigned to the anthropomorphism condition or the control condition. All participants engaged in a pretest cold pressor task to measure base-line individual differences in pain tolerance and perceptions of pain intensity and pain unpleasantness. After completing this task, participants in the anthropomorphism group engaged in a task intended to prime them to view a therapy dog anthropomorphically. Specifically, they rated photos of dogs on a series of humanlike traits (e.g., “this dog would be a good listener”). Participants in the control condition rated photos of dogs on a series of canine traits (e.g., “this dog would make a good watchdog”). After this experimental manipulation, participants engaged in a second cold pressor task in the presence of a therapy dog and the therapy dog handler. We hypothesized that participants in the anthropomorphism group would demonstrate greater pain tolerance and report lower levels of pain intensity and pain unpleasantness during the second cold pressor task than participants in the control group. Results provide partial support for these hypotheses. Participants in the anthropomorphism group reported lower posttest pain intensity than participants in the control group. In addition, they demonstrated greater posttest pain tolerance than participants in the control group—but only under conditions of medium or high pretest pain tolerance. The two groups did not differ with respect to posttest pain unpleasantness. The results of this exploratory study provide preliminary evidence that prompting individuals to view a therapy dog anthropomorphically may augment their experience of pain relief from a therapy dog visit.     

The cyclin-dependent kinases cdk2 and cdk5 act by a random, anticooperative kinetic mechanism

cdk2.cyclin E and cdk5.p25 are two members of the cyclin-dependent kinase family that are potential therapeutic targets for oncology and Alzheimer's disease, respectively. In this study we have investigated the mechanism for these enzymes. Kinases catalyze the transfer of phosphate from ATP to a protein acceptor, thus utilizing two substrates, ATP and the target protein. For a two-substrate reaction, possible kinetic mechanisms include: ping-pong, sequential random, or sequential ordered. To determine the kinetic mechanism of cdk2.GST-cyclin E and cdk5.GST-p25, kinase activity was measured in experiments in which concentrations of peptide and ATP substrates were varied in the presence of dead-end inhibitors. A peptide identical to the peptide substrate, but with a substitution of valine for the phosphoacceptor threonine, competed with substrate with a K(i) value of 0.6 mm. An aminopyrimidine, PNU 112455A, was identified in a screen for inhibitors of cdk2. Nonlinear least squares and Lineweaver-Burk analyses demonstrated that the inhibitor PNU 112455A was competitive with ATP with a K(i) value of 2 microm. In addition, a co-crystal of PNU 112455A with cdk2 showed that the inhibitor binds in the ATP binding pocket of the enzyme. Analysis of the inhibitor data demonstrated that both kinases use a sequential random mechanism, in which either ATP or peptide may bind first to the enzyme active site. For both kinases, the binding of the second substrate was shown to be anticooperative, in that the binding of the first substrate decreases the affinity of the second substrate. For cdk2.GST-cyclin E the kinetic parameters were determined to be K(m, ATP) = 3.6 +/- 1.0 microm, K(m, peptide) = 4.6 +/- 1.4 microm, and the anticooperativity factor, alpha = 130 +/- 44. For cdk5.GST-p25, the K(m, ATP) = 3.2 +/- 0.7 microm, K(m, peptide) = 1.6 +/- 0.3 microm, and alpha = 7.2 +/- 1.8.     

Family centred care for the neonate -- the view from Wolverhampton

The increased technology of neonatal intensive care has meant that babies born at increasingly lower gestational age are surviving to be discharged home. A family centred approach in neonatal care supports the move toward patient or parent empowerment, which is vital, if babies are to be fully integrated into the family unit. Nurses are essential to the success of this process as they have the most direct and prolonged contact with both family and their baby. Critical care areas such as Neonatal Units (NNU) can be adjusted to support a more family focused philosophy. In Wolverhampton Orems 'Self-Care Model' of self care has been adapted to the family as the self care unit and simple adjustments to the area such as Quiet Times supports families feeling of well being and control.     

Optimization of the first dimension for separation by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of basic proteins from human brain tissue

A major cause of poor resolution in the alkaline pH range of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gels is unsatisfactory separation of basic proteins in the first dimension. We have compared methods for the separation of basic proteins in the isoelectric focusing dimension of human brain proteins. The combined use of anodic cup-loading and the hydroxyethyldisulphide containing solution (DeStreak) produced better resolution in both analytical and micropreparative protein loaded 2-DE gels than the other methods investigated.     

Seasonal Variation of Antifouling Activities of Marine Algae from the Brittany Coast (France)

The antifouling activity of extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and dichloromethane) of 9 marine macroalgae against bacteria, fungi, diatoms, macroalgal spores, mussel phenoloxidase activity, and barnacle cypris larvae has been investigated in relation to season in bimonthly samples from the Bay of Concarneau (France). Of the extracts tested, 48.2% were active against at least one of the fouling organisms, and of these extracts, 31.2% were seasonally active with a peak of activity in summer corresponding to maximal values for water temperature, light intensity, and fouling pressure, and 17% were active throughout the year. This seasonal activity may be adaptive as it coincides with maximal fouling pressure in the Bay of Concarneau. Dichloromethane extracts of Rhodophyceae were the most active in the antifouling assays.     

Homozygosity for a missense mutation in the 67 kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase in a family with autosomal recessive spastic cerebral palsy: parallels with Stiff-Person Syndrome and other movement disorders

Background  

Cerebral palsy (CP) is an heterogeneous group of neurological disorders of movement and/or posture, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 1000 live births. Non-progressive forms of symmetrical, spastic CP have been identified, which show a Mendelian autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. We recently described the mapping of a recessive spastic CP locus to a 5 cM chromosomal region located at 2q24-31.1, in rare consanguineous families.