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Teachers frequently use humour, but it is unclear how this affects the academic experiences and psychosocial development of students. There is sparsity in the literature regarding the impact of teachers’ humour on adolescent students. Teachers and the use of humour in the classroom have the potential to foster healthy development of social and academic skills during this key formative stage of maturation, but equally may be detrimental. This scoping review aimed to determine how and why teachers used humour in the classrooms of students aged 11-18, and the effect humour may have on students’ educational experiences. The Joanna Briggs methodological framework and PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews checklist were used. The narrative synthesis generated six themes from 43 empirical papers. Many studies have considered humour as a single construct, reporting improved classroom management and students’ learning processes. However, other reports have suggested that humour use could lead to a loss of class control and for important information to be lost. Studies considering specific humour styles have identified affiliative humour as increasing engagement in deeper thinking. However, aggressive and course-related humour have reported mixed effects on educational experiences. This review identifies the humour styles and sub-styles reported in the sparse literature. It also highlights the lack of a comprehensive humour styles measure that adequately captures humour use and perceptions in teachers of adolescents and, importantly, how teachers’ humour is perceived by this population. Such a tool is vital to enable understanding of how teaching humour styles may directly affect adolescents’ educational experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of viewing body positive quotes on body satisfaction, body appreciation and self-objectification, in comparison with viewing body positive images or neutral stimulus amongst young women. A total of 179 participants took part in this current research, all of whom identified as female, aged 18–30. Participants were randomly assigned to view body positive images (and captions), body positive quotes or neutral stimulus (nature scenes) and completed pre- and post-measurements of body satisfaction, body appreciation and self-objectification. Results found that post-exposure state body satisfaction significantly increased in all groups, although there was not a significant difference in the magnitude of the increase between those who viewed body positive images, quotes or neutral stimulus. There was a significant increase in body appreciation post exposure, and participants exposed to body positive images or quotes had a significant increase in body appreciation post exposure, with increases significantly higher than those exposed to neutral content. Lastly, results suggest that no significant differences were ascertained in post-exposure self-objectification between those who viewed body positive images, quotes or neutral stimulus. Interpretations and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An irreversible extrapyramidal syndrome occurs in man after intravenous abuse of "homemade" methcathinone (ephedrone, Mcat) that is contaminated with manganese (Mn) and is accompanied by altered basal ganglia function. Both Mcat and Mn can cause alterations in nigrostriatal function but it remains unknown whether the effects of the 'homemade' drug seen in man are due to Mcat or to Mn or to a combination of both. To determine how toxicity occurs, we have investigated the effects of 4-week intraperitoneal administration of Mn (30 mg/kg t.i.d) and Mcat (100 mg/kg t.i.d.) given alone, on the nigrostriatal function in male C57BL6 mice. The effects were compared to those of the 'homemade' mixture which contained about 7 mg/kg of Mn and 100 mg/kg of Mcat. Motor function, nigral dopaminergic cell number and markers of pre- and postsynaptic dopaminergic neuronal integrity including SPECT analysis were assessed. All three treatments had similar effects on motor behavior and neuronal markers. All decreased motor activity and induced tyrosine hydroxylase positive cell loss in the substantia nigra. All reduced 123I-epidepride binding to D2 receptors in the striatum. Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) binding was not altered by any drug treatment. However, Mcat treatment alone decreased levels of the dopamine transporter (DAT) and Mn alone reduced GAD immunoreactivity in the striatum. These data suggest that both Mcat and Mn alone could contribute to the neuronal damage caused by the 'homemade' mixture but that both produce additional changes that contribute to the extrapyramidal syndrome seen in man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: To evaluate patient satisfaction and regret with their decision for reconstructive surgery, and determine if they valued each item equally in the composite definition of success after making the decision for surgery. Methods: A list was created including all patients who underwent laparoscopic sacral colpopexy or laparoscopic uterosacrocolpopexy. Patients were placed in mutually exclusive outcome categories (retreatment, symptomatic failure, anatomic failure, and surgical success). Retreatment included any postoperative treatment for urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse including pessary use, or surgery for mesh complications. The validated modified Decision Regret Scale (DRS) and the Satisfaction Decision Scale (SDS) questionnaires were administered by telephone. Higher DRS scores indicate greater regret and higher SDS scores indicate greater satisfaction with the decision for surgery. Results: Of 715 patients, 197 were successfully contacted by telephone following reconstructive surgery and surveyed as study participants. Composite surgical outcomes were available for 150. Information on the need for retreatment was available for all the study participants. Surgery was successful in 101 (67.3 %) of the study participants. Anatomic failure occurred in 14, symptomatic failure occurred in 10, and retreatment was required in 25 of the study participants. Overall, the study participants were more satisfied than regretful with their decision for reconstructive surgery. Regret and satisfaction with their decision differed between outcomes in the composite definition of success after reconstructive surgery. Conclusions: Surgeons and patients should focus on retreatment rates during preoperative outcome discussions because retreatment will result in the least satisfaction and greatest regret with the decision for reconstructive surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrative stress is a key component of the pathogenic process in Parkinson's disease (PD), but the relative roles of constitutive neuronal nitric oxide synthase (n-NOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (i-NOS) in glial cells remain unresolved. We have investigated the effects of a range of concentrations of the selective n-NOS inhibitor ARR17477, and the selective i-NOS inhibitor 1400W, on MPP-induced cell death in foetal ventral mesencephalic (VM) dopaminergic cultures. MPP induced a loss of TH-positive neurones accompanied by an increase in immunoreactivity for GFAP and OX-6 as markers of astrocytes and activated microglia, respectively, and induced i-NOS immunoreactivity. Unexpectedly, MPP treatment did not induce 3-NT immunoreactivity in the cultures. ARR17477 and 1400W alone had no effect on the number of TH-positive cells or on the number of GFAP or OX-6 positive cells. ARR17477 did not prevent the MPP-induced decrease in TH-positive neurones and had no effect on the increased number of GFAP- and OX-6-positive cells. By contrast, 1400W caused a concentration-dependent preservation of TH-positive neurones in the presence of MPP. It also significantly reduced the number of OX-6-immunoreactive cells and there was a small reduction in GFAP immunoreactivity. The results suggest a major role for i-NOS-mediated nitrative stress in microglia in MPP-induced dopaminergic cell death and this may have important implications for developing neuroprotective strategies for PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Parkinson's disease (PD), destruction of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) may precede damage to nigral cells and subsequently exaggerate dopaminergic cell loss. We examine if destruction of the locus coeruleus with N-(2-chloroethyl)- N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) alters dopaminergic cell loss in substantia nigra (SN) initiated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the rat through an effect on glial cell activation. In rats, a single intraperitoneal dose of DSP-4 administered 8 days previously, caused a marked loss of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in LC but no change in dopaminergic cell number in SN. Unilateral nigral LPS administration resulted in marked dopaminergic cell death with reactive microgliosis associated with enhanced p47 in OX-6 and OX-42 positive microglia. There was proliferation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-positive cells, formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and proliferation of astrocytes that expressed glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Following combined DSP-4 treatment and subsequent administration of LPS, unexpectedly, no further loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactivity (-ir) occurred in the SN compared to the effects of LPS alone. However, there was a marked alteration in the morphology of microglial cell and a reduction of 3-NT- and iNOS-ir was evident. Expression of p47 was downregulated in microglia but up-regulated in TH-ir neurons. No further change in GFAP-ir was observed compared to that produced by DSP-4 alone or LPS alone, but the expression of GDNF was markedly reduced. This study suggests that in contrast to previous reports, prior LC damage does not influence subsequent nigral dopaminergic cell degeneration induced by LPS. Rather it appears to attenuate the microglial response thought to contribute to disease progression in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marmosets rendered parkinsonian with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and treated with l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l-DOPA) develop dyskinesia, but with differing degrees of severity. To provide insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for the different level of dyskinesia to manifest in individual animals, proteins in striatum from MPTP-treated marmosets with different levels of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia were separated by 2-dimensional (2-D) protein electrophoresis. Thirty-five differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry and peptide mass fingerprinting, and comparative analysis found 10 were significantly increased and 3 had significantly reduced expression in animals with a high level of dyskinesia when compared to animals with a low incidence of dyskinesia. These proteins belonged to a range of functional classes, for example, molecular chaperones, metabolic enzymes and synaptic structural proteins. The findings of this study provide clues about the molecular mechanisms that cause dyskinesia to manifest and point towards potential novel targets for the development of therapeutic agents to prevent or treat established dyskinesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are two pathophysiological factors often associated with the neurodegenerative process involved in Parkinson's disease (PD). Although, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is able to cause dopaminergic neurodegeneration in experimental models of PD by an oxidative stress-mediated process, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. It has been established that some antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are often altered in PD, which suggests a potential role of these enzymes in the onset and/or development of this multifactorial syndrome. In this study we have used high-resolution respirometry to evaluate the effect of 6-OHDA on mitochondrial respiration of isolated rat brain mitochondria and the lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay to assess the percentage of cell death induced by 6-OHDA in human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. Our results show that 6-OHDA affects mitochondrial respiration by causing a reduction in both respiratory control ratio (IC = 200 ± 15 nM) and state 3 respiration (IC = 192 ± 17 nM), with no significant effects on state 4. An inhibition in the activity of both complex I and V was also observed. 6-OHDA also caused cellular death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells (IC = 100 ± 9 μM). Both SOD and CAT have been shown to protect against the toxic effects caused by 6-OHDA on mitochondrial respiration. However, whereas SOD protects against 6-OHDA-induced cellular death, CAT enhances its cytotoxicity. The here reported data suggest that both superoxide anion and hydroperoxyl radical could account for 6-OHDA toxicity. Furthermore, factors reducing the rate of 6-OHDA autoxidation to its p-quinone appear to enhance its cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catechol- O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition is widely used to potentiate the effects of levodopa in Parkinson’s disease but the effects of nigral dopaminergic cell loss and levodopa treatment on COMT activity are not known. The present study investigated the expression of COMT in the brain and liver of normal common marmosets, and animals treated with MPTP and those treated with levodopa to induce dyskinesia. Reverse transcript PCR demonstrated the expression of COMT mRNA in the liver, cortex and striatum of normal marmosets. Using Western blotting, the presence of two subunits of COMT protein, membrane bound COMT (MB-COMT) and soluble COMT (S-COMT), was shown in the liver, cortex and striatum of normal marmosets. Quantitative analysis of the MB-COMT and S-COMT subunit bands showed that there was no significant difference in the density of bands in MPTP treated marmosets or those exposed to levodopa compared to normal animals. COMT immunoreactivity was expressed in many brain regions including the cortex and striatum. No difference in COMT staining intensity was observed between normal, MPTP exposed or MPTP plus levodopa treated animals. COMT immunostaining was present in most striatal neurones and it was occasionally seen in glial cells. The data from present study demonstrated the expression of COMT mRNA and protein in the brain of common marmoset contrary to a previous report that it is not expressed in this species. COMT activity appears unaffected by loss of the dopaminergic nigro-striatal pathway and levodopa treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoscintigraphy involves interstitial injection of radiolabelled particulate materials or radioproteins. Although several variations in the technique have been described, their place in clinical practice remains controversial. Traditional diagnostic criteria are based primarily on lymph node appearances but in situations such as breast cancer, where lymph nodes may have been excised, these criteria are of limited use. In these circumstances, lymphatic vessel morphology takes on greater importance as a clinical endpoint, so a method that gives good definition of lymphatic vessels would be useful. In patients with breast cancer, for example, such a method, used before and after lymph node resection, may assist in predicting the development of breast cancer-related lymphoedema. The aim of this study was to optimise a method for the visualisation of lymphatic vessels. Subcutaneous (sc) and intradermal (id) injection sites were compared, and technetium-99m nanocolloid, a particulate material, was compared with [sup 99m]Tc-human immunoglobulin (HIG), which is a soluble macromolecule. Twelve normal volunteers were each studied on two occasions. In three subjects, id [sup 99m]Tc-HIG was compared with sc [sup 99m]Tc-HIG, in three id [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid was compared with sc [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid, in three id [sup 99m]Tc-HIG was compared with id [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid and in three sc [sup 99m]Tc-HIG was compared with sc [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid. Endpoints were quality of lymphatic vessel definition, the time after injection at which vessels were most clearly visualised, the rate constant of depot disappearance (k) and the systemic blood accumulation rate as measured by gamma camera imaging over the liver or cardiac blood pool. Excellent definition of lymphatic vessels was obtained following id injection of either radiopharmaceutical, an injection route that was clearly superior to sc. Differences between radiopharmaceuticals were less clear, although after id injection, [sup 99m]Tc-HIG gave images that were marginally but significantly better than those given by [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid. Image quality correlated inversely with time after injection at which the best image was obtained, consistent with the notion that good vessel definition was dependent on a “narrow” bolus width. k was approximately three times higher after id injection than after sc injection but it was not significantly different between radiopharmaceuticals for either injection route. Intradermal [sup 99m]Tc-HIG gave a cardiac blood pool signal that, over the first 60 min, increased about five times faster than that with sc [sup 99m]Tc-HIG, but no clear difference was observed in the rate of increase in hepatic activity between id [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid and sc [sup 99m]Tc-nanocolloid. We conclude that id injection provides rapid access of radiotracers to lymphatic vessels, which is ideal for imaging lymphatic vessel morphology. [sup 99m]Tc-HIG is marginally superior to nanocolloid for this purpose and, in drainage basins from which lymph nodes have been excised, is not handicapped by a potentially inferior ability, compared with radiocolloid, to image lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.To measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed. Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.Objectives: Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.To measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed. Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.Methods: Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.To measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed. Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.Results: Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.To measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed. Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.Conclusions: Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.To measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed. Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate a possible association between neighbourhood socio-economic status and spontaneous premature birth in Alberta births., Methods: The study design was a retrospective cohort of all births in Alberta for the years 2001 and 2006. The primary outcome was spontaneous preterm birth at &lt;37 weeks gestation. Neighbourhood socio-economic status was measured by the Pampalon Material Deprivation Index for each Statistics Canada census dissemination area. Births were linked to dissemination area using maternal postal codes., Results: The analysis comprised 73,585 births, in which the rate of spontaneous preterm delivery at &lt;37 weeks was 5.3%. The rates of spontaneous preterm delivery for each neighbourhood socio-economic category ranged from 4.9% (95% CI 4.5%-5.2%) in the highest category to 6.3% (95% CI 6.0%-6.7%) in the lowest (p&lt;0.001). After controlling for smoking, parity, maternal age and year, we found that women living in the highest socio-economic status neighbourhoods had an adjusted spontaneous preterm birth rate of 5.1% (95% CI 4.7%-5.5%) compared to 6.0% (95% CI 5.6%-6.4%) for women living in the lowest (p=0.003)., Conclusion: This study documented a modest increase in the risk of spontaneous preterm birth with low socio-economic status. The possibility of confounding bias cannot be ruled out.