Dogs' (Canis familiaris) responsiveness to human pointing gestures

In a series of 3 experiments, dogs (Canis familiaris) were presented with variations of the human pointing gesture: gestures with reversed direction of movement, cross-pointing, and different arm extensions. Dogs performed at above chance level if they could see the hand (and index finger) protruding from the human body contour. If these minimum requirements were not accessible, dogs still could rely on the body position of the signaler. The direction of movement of the pointing arm did not influence the performance. In summary, these observations suggest that dogs are able to rely on relatively novel gestural forms of the human communicative pointing gesture and that they are able to comprehend to some extent the referential nature of human pointing.     

MTHFR: Addressing Genetic Counseling Dilemmas Using Evidence-Based Literature

The 5, 10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme is a catalyst in the folate metabolism pathway, the byproducts of which are involved in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Methionine is a precursor for a major DNA methyl donor and is important for DNA methylation and gene regulation. Rare mutations in the MTHFR gene have been associated with autosomal recessive MTHFR deficiency leading to homocystinuria. In addition, two polymorphic variants in this gene (C677T and A1298C) have been implicated in a mild form of MTHFR deficiency associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. Mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia has been previously implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Further, the presence of these variants, with and without mildly elevated levels of homocysteine, has been studied in relation to several multifactorial disorders including recurrent pregnancy loss, neural tube defects and congenital anomalies, cancer, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Given this wide spectrum of purported clinical implications and the prevalence of these polymorphisms, genetic counselors may encounter questions regarding the significance of MTHFR polymorphisms in a variety of settings. Here we present a brief background of the MTHFR polymorphisms, review of the literature regarding clinical considerations, and discussion of relevant genetic counseling aspects through case vignettes. Educational resources for patients and providers are also included.     

Different Associations of Health Related Quality of Life with Pain,Psychological Distress and Coping Strategies in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disorder

The primary aim of this study was to measure psychological distress, pain severity, health related quality of life (QOL) and pain coping strategies in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis (UC). A second aim was to determine the influence of somatic and psychological variables on health related QOL. Eighty-eight IBS and 66 UC patients completed the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire (IBSQOL), Pain Severity Scale of West Haven Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPY), Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). T-tests and GLM Analysis of Covariance were used for statistical analysis. IBS patients had significantly higher levels of psychological distress, pain severity and maladaptive pain coping strategies (catastrophization), and lower QOL than UC patients. Variance of QOL in IBS was explained for the most part by catastrophization (15%), then by psychological distress (8%), and for the less part by pain severity (5%). In UC, pain severity explained 21%, psychological distress 8%, and catastrophization 3% of the variance of QOL. These results suggest there are differences between IBS and UC patients in the role of physical and psychological factors in QOL and emphasize the importance of cognitive processes in IBS.     

Identification of Matrices in Science and Engineering

Engineering science is a scientific discipline that from the point of view of epistemology and the philosophy of science has been somewhat neglected. When engineering science was under philosophical scrutiny it often just involved the question of whether engineering is a spin-off of pure and applied science and their methods. We, however, hold that engineering is a science governed by its own epistemology, methodology and ontology. This point is systematically argued by comparing the different sciences with respect to a particular set of characterization criteria. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Automatic change detection in vision: Adaptation,memory mismatch,or both? II: Oddball and adaptation effects on event-related potentials

In this study we compared the event-related potentials (ERPs) obtained in two different paradigms: a passive visual oddball paradigm and an adaptation paradigm. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between the effects of activity decrease following an adaptor (stimulus-specific adaptation) and the effects of an infrequent stimulus within sequences of frequent ones. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with different line textures. The frequent (standard) and rare (deviant) texture elements differed in their orientation. In Experiment 2, windmill pattern stimuli were presented in which the number of vanes differentiated the deviant and standard stimuli. In Experiment 1 the ERP differences elicited between the oddball deviant and the standard were similar to the differences between the ERPs to the nonadapted and adapted stimuli in the adaptation paradigm. In both paradigms the differences appeared as a posterior negativity with the latency of 120–140 ms. This finding demonstrates that the representation of a sequential rule (successive presentation of the standard) and the violation of this rule are not necessary for deviancy effects to emerge. In Experiment 2 (windmill pattern), in the oddball paradigm the difference potentials appeared as a long-lasting negativity. In the adaptation condition, the later part of this negativity (after 200 ms) was absent. We identified the later part of the oddball difference potential as the genuine visual mismatch negativity—that is, an ERP correlate of sequence violations. The latencies of the difference potentials (deviant minus standard) and the endogenous components (P1 and N1) diverged; therefore, the adaptation of these particular ERP components cannot explain the deviancy effect. Accordingly, the sources contributing to the standard-versus-deviant modulations differed from those related to visual adaptation; that is, they generated distinct ERP components.     

Inherited Thrombophilia: Key Points for Genetic Counseling

With the evolution of medical genetics to focus on highly prevalent, multifactorial conditions, it is inevitable that genetic counselors will be called upon to participate in the evaluation and counseling of individuals with inherited thrombophilia. The purpose of this review is to educate the genetic counselor on key issues related to risk assessment and genetic counseling for hereditary thrombophilia. The information contained in this document is derived from an extensive review of the literature, as well as the author's personal expertise. Upon completion of this review, the genetic counselor will be able to: a) describe inherited and acquired risk factors for thrombosis, b) collect and interpret personal and family histories to assess risk related to hereditary thrombophilia, c) discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of thrombophilia testing, including psychosocial aspects and implications for medical management, and d) identify educational and support resources for patients and families.     

The Impact of Comprehensive Community Initiatives on Population-Level Child,Youth, and Family Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) represent a popular method for creating systemic change, yet there is a dearth of evidence on their effectiveness (Zaff, Pufall Jones, Donlan, Lin, & Anderson, 2016). This article presents a systematic review of the evidence on the population-level impact of CCIs, focusing specifically on documented effects from studies using an experimental or quasi-experimental design. Of 1,947 articles identified through a database and hand search, 25 articles examining six different CCIs—most of which employed prevention science frameworks—met the review inclusion criteria. The results of this review show that CCIs can strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors, delay initiation of and reduce substance use, and reduce the likelihood of, and delay engagement in, violent and/or delinquent behaviors. Impacts have been documented as soon as one year after initial intervention, and as early as 7^th grade, with effects sustained as long as seven years post-intervention, and as late as a year post-high school. However, relative to the prevalence of CCIs as a practical intervention, the evidence base is small, potentially dated, and focused on a narrow set of outcomes and populations. Recommendations for interpreting the evidence base are discussed, including methodological limitations and implications for future work.     

Semantic Elaboration through Integration: Hints Both Facilitate and Inform the Process

Semantic knowledge can be extended in a variety of ways, including self-generation of new facts through integration of separate yet related episodes. We sought to promote integration and self-generation by providing “hints” to help 6-year-olds (Experiment 1) and 4-year-olds (Experiment 2) see the relevance of separate episodes to one another. Varying the timing of presentation of the hints—whether provided between episodes or before test—afforded insights into the processes responsible for self-generation of new semantic knowledge through integration. In both experiments, hints provided immediately before testing facilitated performance relative to a control condition. In contrast, hints provided between episodes did not. The findings imply that integration of distinct experiences is not an automatic process set into motion based on shared elements. Even when integration is primed through a hint that a prior episode is relevant to a forthcoming experience, shared elements apparently are not sufficient to promote self-generation of new semantic knowledge. Instead, the process seems to occur upon demand, such as in response to a question. These findings can be used to guide interventions designed to promote enrichment of semantic memory and also further our understanding of the basic cognitive processes involved in extension of knowledge.