Health

Two regions of the brain critical to integrating semantic information while reading, UTHealth Houston research finds

Published

9 months ago

October 24, 2023

Newswise — Two different regions of the brain are critical to integrating semantic information while reading, which could shed more light on why people with aphasia have difficulty with semantics, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

The study, led by first author Elliot Murphy, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and senior author Nitin Tandon, MD, professor and chair ad interim of the department in the medical school, was published today in Nature Communications.

Language depends largely on the integration of vocabulary across multiple words to derive semantic concepts, including reference to events and objects, and statements of truth. However, the way people integrate semantic information while reading remains undetermined.

“Typically, we take pieces from different words and derive a meaning that’s separate. For example, one of the definitions in our study was ‘a round red fruit’ — the word ‘apple’ doesn’t appear in that sentence, but we wanted to know how patients made that inference,” Murphy said. “We were able to expose the dynamics of how the human brain integrates semantic information, and which areas come online at different stages.”

To uncover this, researchers studied intracranial recordings in 58 epilepsy patients who read written word definitions, which were either referential or nonreferential to a common object, as well as phrases that were either coherent (“a person at the circus who makes you laugh”) or incoherent (“a place where oceans shop”). Sentences were presented on the screen one word at a time, and researchers focused their analysis over the time window when the final word in the sentence was presented.

Overall, they found that different areas of the language network showed sensitivity to meaning across a small window of rapidly cascading activity. Specifically, they discovered the existence of complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration in two areas: the posterior temporal cortex and the inferior frontal cortex. The posterior temporal cortex is activated early on in the semantic integration process, while the inferior frontal cortex is particularly sensitive to all aspects of meaning, especially in deep sulcal sites, or grooves in the folds of the brain.

Murphy said these findings can help illuminate the inner dynamics of aphasia, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to express and understand written and spoken language. It can occur suddenly after a stroke or head injury, or develop slowly from a growing brain tumor or disease.

People with aphasia often have difficulty with semantic integration, meaning that while they can understand individual words, they cannot make additional semantic inferences.

“Both the frontal and posterior temporal cortexes disrupt semantic integration, which we see happen in individuals with various aphasias,” Murphy said. “We speculate that this intricately designed mosaic structure makes some sense out of the varying semantic deficits people experience after frontal strokes.”

Co-authors with UTHealth Houston included Kathryn M. Snyder, MD/PhD student; and Patrick S. Rollo, research associate and third-year medical student, both with the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery and the Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies (TIRN) at McGovern Medical School. Tandon is the Nancy, Clive and Pierce Runnels Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience of the Vivian L. Smith Center for Neurologic Research and the BCMS Distinguished Professor in Neurological Disorders and Neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School and a member of TIRN. Tandon is also a faculty member with The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where Snyder is also a student. Kiefer J. Forseth, MD, PhD, and Cristian Donos, PhD, both formerly with UTHealth Houston and now with the University of California at San Diego and the University of Bucharest in Romania, respectively, also contributed to the study.

Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

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Related Topics:Brain Health health and wellness Semantic Information

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Health

Sleep Apnea is More Than a Snore

Published

3 days ago

July 23, 2024

Daily News Staff

(Family Features) Snoring throughout the night. Gasping for air suddenly while sleeping. Feeling tired after a night of rest. These aren’t just signs of a poor night’s sleep – they could be symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder characterized by a repetitive collapse of the airway during sleep. Most people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it – in fact, 80% of people with sleep apnea in the United States are undiagnosed, according to research published in the “American Journal of Epidemiology.”

Experts from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommend most adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night without waking frequently. If you have untreated sleep apnea, healthy, uninterrupted sleep can be hard to achieve. When the airway collapses or becomes blocked while you sleep, it causes you to wake briefly – maybe with a snore or gasp for air – to unblock the airway.

Untreated sleep apnea can contribute to long-term health problems, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and depression. Overall quality of life can also suffer. It can lead to a decline in mood, lower work productivity, difficulty concentrating and making decisions and an increased likelihood of getting into a traffic accident due to sleepiness.

The disorder may even affect your family and relationships; snoring or poor sleep due to sleep apnea can keep your family members up at night, affect your mood with others and impact your general decision-making. Consider this additional information about sleep apnea from Count on Sleep, a collaborative awareness program led by the AASM.

Signs and symptoms of OSA:

Snoring or noisy breathing
Stopping breathing while asleep
Waking up gasping or choking
Restless sleep or waking up tired and groggy after a full night’s sleep
Insomnia
Waking up frequently to use the bathroom
Having headaches in the morning
Feeling sleepy or falling asleep during the day
Having difficulty with memory or concentrating
Mood changes or irritability
Drowsy driving

Risk factors for OSA:

Overweight or obesity (BMI of more than 30)
High blood pressure
Neck size of more than 17 inches for men; 16 inches for women
Coronary artery disease (a type of heart disease) or heart attack
Atrial fibrillation or other heart rhythm problems
Congestive heart failure
Type 2 diabetes
Stroke
Daytime sleepiness

If you think you may have undiagnosed sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about your signs, symptoms, risk factors and concerns. If friends or family members exhibit these symptoms, urge them to talk to a doctor.

Your doctor may screen or test you for sleep apnea, which could include an at-home sleep test or sleep study at an accredited sleep center. If diagnosed, treatment options include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliance, surgery or lifestyle changes.

Learn more about how sleep apnea affects health and take a short quiz to see if you may be at risk at countonsleep.org.

Sleep Apnea Treatments

When followed properly, sleep apnea treatment improves breathing, sleepiness and quality of life. Some people may find the disorder improves through lifestyle changes such as losing weight, sleeping on their side or quitting smoking or drinking alcohol. Most of the time, however, other treatment options are necessary, such as:

CPAP
The most common and recognized treatment for sleep apnea, a CPAP machine provides a steady stream of air to keep your airway open throughout the night.

Oral appliance therapy
Similar to a mouthguard, an oral appliance can be worn at night to prevent the airway from collapsing by moving the jaw forward.

Surgery
If lifestyle changes, CPAP or oral appliance therapy don’t work, there are surgical options to treat sleep apnea. They include upper airway stimulation, which uses an implanted device to stimulate a nerve that controls the tongue, moving it forward while you sleep.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

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Lifestyle

Important Recall Alert: Expanded Produce Recall Due to Listeria Concerns

Published

4 days ago

July 23, 2024

Charles Elliot, Daily News Staff

In a significant public health alert, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has announced an expanded recall of fresh produce supplied by Wiers Farm Inc., based in Huron County. This comes amidst growing concerns about potential listeria contamination, prompting vigilance among consumers shopping at select retailers, including Walmart, Aldi, and Kroger stores across Ohio and several other states.

people at supermarket. recall — Photo by Sebastián Mera Jaramillo on Pexels.com

What You Need to Know

On July 22, 2024, Wiers Farm Inc. expanded its voluntary recall to include additional produce items that were packed between July 5 and July 12. While there have been no reported illnesses or consumer complaints to date, the ODA is taking proactive measures to ensure public safety.

Affected Products

The recall includes a variety of retail packaged items and bulk produce sold at various grocery chains. Here’s a comprehensive list of the impacted products:

Retail Packaged Items

Sold at select Walmart stores in multiple states:

Wiers Farm Bagged Poblano – UPC 073064202581 – 16 oz bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Cubanelle – UPC 073064201836 – 16 oz bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Green Beans – UPC 073064200846 – variable weight bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Salad Cucumber – UPC 073064459619 – 2 lb. bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Serrano – UPC 073064201829 – 4 oz bag
Wiers Farm Organic Bell Pepper – UPC 073064201416 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Cucumber – UPC 073064201423 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Yellow Squash – UPC 073064201447 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Zucchini Squash – UPC 073064201430 – 2 count tray

Sold at Aldi stores in Ohio and nearby states:

Freshire Farms Bagged Green Beans – 16 oz bag
Freshire Farms Bagged Jalapenos – 8 oz bag

Bulk Retail Items (sold individually or by the pound)

Anaheim peppers
Cilantro (sold in bunches)
Cubanelle peppers
Whole cucumbers
Green beans
Green Bell Pepper
Habanero peppers
Hungarian Wax peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Mustard Greens (sold in bunches)
Poblano peppers
Serrano peppers
Tomatillos

In Ohio, these bulk items were distributed to Walmart, Kroger, Save-a-Lot, and local food banks in Cleveland and Youngstown.

What Should Consumers Do?

The ODA is urging consumers who may have purchased any of the listed products to discard them immediately. It’s crucial to stay informed, as listeria monocytogenes can lead to serious health issues, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal distress—anyone experiencing these symptoms after consuming the recalled products should seek medical attention promptly.

Commitment to Safety

Wiers Farm Inc. has expressed its dedication to resolving this situation and ensuring the safety of its products. The ODA is actively investigating the matter, a response initiated after potential contamination was flagged during routine testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Stay Informed

For further inquiries or concerns, consumers can reach out to Wiers Farm at 419-933-2161. It’s essential to stay updated on recalls and food safety alerts to protect your health and the health of your loved ones.

As we navigate through these recalls, let’s remain vigilant and prioritize food safety to ensure a healthy dining experience for everyone. Remember, when in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry—check your pantry and fridge today!

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Lifestyle

OFF!® Brand and The Weather Channel Partner to Launch New In-App Mosquito Forecast

Published

2 weeks ago

July 14, 2024

Daily News Staff

The partnership aims to leverage weather data and insights to allow people to get their local OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ as easily as their local weather forecast

ATLANTA and RACINE, Wis. /PRNewswire/ — As summer’s higher heat and humidity nears, people prepare for an influx of mosquitoes. To help individuals and their families better protect themselves from mosquitoes, The Weather Company and its flagship consumer brand, The Weather Channel, has teamed up with OFF!®, America’s #1 trusted Insect Repellent brand in 2024¹, to bring local mosquito forecasts to The Weather Channel app. Launched in the U.S. in 2022, Brazil in 2023, and Canada in 2024, OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ predicts mosquito behavior and populations to help consumers better plan summer activities and optimize their outdoor time this summer.

Off! — Better plan for outdoor time with the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast, now available within The Weather Channel app and with improved weather data. Now checking your local mosquito forecast is as easy as checking your local weather forecast.

Through The Weather Company’s newly launched data and insights platform, The Weather Engine™, OFF!® brand is enhancing its OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ from SC Johnson’s Center for Insect Science with weather data and analytics from The Weather Company, the world’s most accurate weather forecaster,² to include a mosquito index in The Weather Channel app, the world’s most downloaded weather app.³

How it works: Helping people become mosquito-ready
The collaboration focuses on combining OFF!® and The Weather Channel teams’ respective expertise to help people live well and enjoy the outdoors.

Incorporating over 15 billion climate data points and real-world mosquito data from 5,000 locations, the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast combines entomology research on local mosquito species with detailed weather data inputs to predict mosquito populations and activity levels by ZIP code. Historic activity patterns, varying weather conditions, and weather and climate factors are accounted for when building these regional models.

Now leveraging The Weather Company’s deep meteorological expertise, enhanced datasets include historical and forecast temperature, humidity and precipitation for predicting mosquito sources, as well as forecast conditions that drive day-of mosquito activity.

How to view your OFF!Cast Forecast
By integrating OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ into The Weather Channel app, millions more consumers can now get into a routine of checking their local mosquito and weather forecasts simultaneously across multiple platforms:

For those who already depend on the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™, it continues to be available on OFF.com, but now with improved weather data from The Weather Channel.
The OFF!Cast tool will also be visible in The Weather Channel app’s new experience on iOS. Check out the Daily tab and Outdoor Activity tabs for camping, hiking, golf and gardening for an at-a-glance risk level – low, medium, high, very high, severe – of mosquito activity based on local weather conditions for today and the days ahead.
To know mosquito risk for the area, sign up for weekly forecasts on the OFF.com website or from within the OFF!Cast tool on The Weather Channel properties.
Learn more about mosquitoes and how to avoid them with educational, integrated content across The Weather Channel app and OFF.com.
When weather conditions are ripe for heightened mosquito activity, OFF! will share relevant, informative messaging on The Weather Channel digital properties and beyond.

“Mosquito activity is very dependent on weather patterns,” said Tom Mascari, principal entomologist with SC Johnson’s Center for Insect Science. “Checking the weather and local mosquito forecasts for the week can improve people’s ability to prepare themselves to spend time outdoors.”

What the partnership means: New, expanded mosquito forecasting resources
The Weather Company will now host the OFF!Cast mosquito model for users in the U.S., Brazil and Canada to start within The Weather Engine, a platform that combines proprietary weather data, first-party data and other supporting data sources to create multivariate models and analysis based on AI and 30 different weather variables. The result delivers deeper insights on the impact of weather with neighborhood-level precision to harness weather and scale its use across an enterprise.

“As weather patterns change and increasingly impact the health of both people and businesses, innovative teams like the OFF!® brand are using weather intelligence and factoring changing weather conditions into how they help consumers from the start,” said Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company. “This partnership is a natural fit, and the inspired innovation by both companies turned a trove of trusted, scalable data into invaluable insights to activate across a business, helping people understand their mosquito risk and plan ahead for mosquito protection.”

Since 2022, OFF!® brand has been helping people and families plan ahead for mosquitoes with OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast.™ This color-coded 7-day forecast of mosquito populations uses the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science’s 65 years of entomology expertise to provide consumers with an accurate view of mosquito activity. Similarly, The Weather Company helps people plan ahead to prepare for weather’s impact on their lives, which all starts with having accurate, reliable, actionable weather data.

The purpose-driven collaboration leverages deep content alignment and organic integration of weather data and insights to help people prepare for mosquito activity and stay safe. Check out the OFF!Cast Mosquito Forecast™ from OFF.com and The Weather Channel app for iOS.

ABOUT OFF!

OFF! brand is a pioneer in personal insect repellents for over 65 years. As one of SC Johnson’s leading pest control brands, OFF! is on a mission to make life better for the next generation. In addition to providing protection against mosquitoes, OFF! is a part of SC Johnson’s mission to develop mosquito prevention programs and supports scientific studies on mosquitoes that help make a difference in millions of lives. OFF! is proud to create products with proven effectiveness that repel mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies so families can have a trusted line of protection. No matter the activity or time outdoors, there is an OFF! product for every occasion. Ranging in both personal and area repellents, OFF! product offerings include: OFF! Deep Woods®, OFF! Clean Feel, OFF! Kids, OFF! FamilyCare, OFF! Defense, OFF! Botanicals®, OFF! Active, OFF! Backyard or OFF! products should always be used as directed. Effectiveness against pests differs by product and each OFF! product label should be read and followed carefully. Learn more at OFF.com.

ABOUT SC JOHNSON
Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin USA, SC Johnson believes that a more sustainable, healthier and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities isn’t just possible – it’s our responsibility.

A heritage of innovation and bold, transparent decisions is why our high-quality products and iconic brands – including OFF!® Raid®, Glade®, Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Ziploc®, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, method®, Autan®, Baygon®, Mr Muscle®, Duck®, Lysoform® and more – are in homes, schools and businesses in virtually every country worldwide.

As a global, purpose-led company, we are committed to making the world a better place today and for future generations. That means relentlessly bringing our expertise in science, innovation and partnerships to bear on some of the world’s most pressing environmental and health issues like reducing plastic waste and helping to eradicate malaria. Around the world, we use our resources to unlock greater economic and educational opportunities for people and communities where access may be limited, but curiosity and potential are limitless.

See how SC Johnson is a Family Company At Work For a Better World by visiting scjohnson.com or joining us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About The Weather Company
The Weather Company helps people and businesses around the world make more informed decisions and take action in the face of weather. With its deep industry expertise and highly accurate, high-volume weather data combined with advanced technology and AI, The Weather Company provides insights and solutions that harness the power of weather in a scalable, privacy-forward way. The world’s most accurate forecaster, the company serves hundreds of enterprise customers across media, advertising, aviation and more, and is trusted by hundreds of millions of monthly active users via digital properties from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com). For more, visit weathercompany.com.

¹ Voted most trusted Insect Repellent (for Use on Body) brand by American shoppers based on the 2024 BrandSpark® American Trust Study. For details visit www.BrandSparkMostTrusted.com
² ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview, 2017-2022, https://forecastwatch.com/AccuracyOverview2017-2022, commissioned by The Weather Company.
³ According to data.ai Intelligence, The Weather Channel has been the world’s most-downloaded weather app across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store beginning on July 4, 2010 and into 2023.

SOURCE The Weather Company