Alleviation of Dyspnea and Changes in Physical Activity Level by Air Flow to the Face With a Fan

BACKGROUND

Dyspnea is an unpleasant subjective symptom and is associated with decreased physical activity level (PAL). Effect of blowing air toward the face has received a great deal of attention as a symptomatic therapy for dyspnea. However, little is known about the duration of its effect and its impact on PAL. Therefore, this study aimed to measure dyspnea severity and changes in dyspnea and PALs with air blasts to the face.

METHODS

The trial conducted was open-label, randomized, and controlled. This study included out-patients with dyspnea caused by chronic respiratory deficiency. Subjects were provided a small fan and instructed to blow air toward their faces either twice a day or when having trouble breathing. Subsequently, severity of dyspnea and PALs was measured using visual analog scale and physical activity scale for the elderly (PASE), respectively, before and after 3-week treatment. Amounts of changes in dyspnea and PALs before and after treatment were compared using analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

Overall, 36 subjects were randomized, and 34 were analyzed. Mean age was 75.4 y (26 males [76.5%] and 8 females [23.5%]). Visual analog scale score for dyspnea (SD) before treatment was 33 (13.9) mm and 42 (17.5) mm in the control and intervention groups, respectively. PASE score before treatment was 78.0 (45.1) and 57.7 (38.0) in the control and intervention groups, respectively. No significant difference in changes in dyspnea severity and PAL was observed between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

No significant difference was observed for dyspnea and PALs in subjects after blowing air toward their own faces with a small fan for 3 weeks at home. Disease variability and impact of protocol violations were high due to small number of cases. Further studies with a design focused on subject protocol adherence and measurement methods are required to understand impact of air flow on dyspnea and PAL.

Effect of electric fan use in isolation or combined with ice slurry/cold water ingestion and lower-leg immersion in young men during intermittent physical activity in hot-humid conditions

Using a randomized crossover protocol, 10 young men completed four 180 min exposures (38 °C, 60% relative humidity), alternating between 30 min of walking and 30 min of sitting where fluid or ice slurry were served. Participants underwent four trials: (i) 5 mL·kg body mass-1 of 20 °C water (CON); (ii) 5 mL·kg body mass-1 of 20 °C water + fan at 4 m·s-1 (FAN); (iii) fan + 3 mL·kg body mass-1 of ice slurry + 2 mL·kg body mass-1 of 4 °C water (FAN + ISCW); and (iv) FAN + ISCW + lower-leg immersion in 20 °C water (FAN + ISCW + LLI). Sweat and body mass losses were higher with FAN than CON, FAN + ISCW, and FAN + ISCW + LLI. Mean and peak changes in Δrectal temperature, heart rate, and perceived heat and thirst from baseline were not statistically and practically different between FAN and CON. FAN + ISCW + LLI decreased sweat loss compared with FAN + ISCW and mean and peak changes in Δrectal temperature, heart rate, and perceived thirst compared with CON. FAN + ISCW + LLI also attenuated the changes in Δrectal temperature (peak) and thirst (mean and peak) compared with FAN. In conclusion, FAN slightly exacerbates fluid loss but does not attenuate the changes in Δrectal temperature, heart rate, and perceived heat and thirst during intermittent physical activity in hot-humid conditions. However, coupling ISCW or ISCW + LLI with the use of a fan attenuates the increase in these outcomes compared with no intervention and to a greater extent for rectal temperature and thirst when fan is coupled with ISCW + LLI than when it is used in isolation.

[Subject playing with flat images: Transmedia spreadability of anime and manga character images]

Anime and manga characters are so ubiquitous in Japan that people see them anywhere, regardless of public or private. The two-dimensional flatness of line drawing allows the character images to straddle the boundaries of the worlds of works and media. The analysis of individual artworks needs to be revised to understand the transmedia spreadability of characters and our living conditions. This paper, thus, overviews the preceding discussions of anime and manga scholars on human-character relations and compares them with the theory of subject formation in film studies, whose realist tendency once emphasized the three-dimensional space and time. While psychoanalysis-influenced theories such as suture and male gaze model after one-point perspective and subordinate two-dimensionality, Thomas Lamarre formulates a de-unified perspective in relation to the multilayered image field of Japanese anime. In conjunction with the orientation of cultural and fan studies to emphasize audience agency, this article discusses the de-unified perspective on flat images which has the potential for understanding the complexity of subject formation through the interplay with two-dimensional images.

Application of Digital Twins and Metaverse in the Field of Fluid Machinery Pumps and Fans: A Review

Digital twins technology (DTT) is an application framework with breakthrough rules. With the deep integration of the virtual information world and physical space, it becomes the basis for realizing intelligent machining production lines, which is of great significance to intelligent processing in industrial manufacturing. This review aims to study the application of DTT and the Metaverse in fluid machinery in the past 5 years by summarizing the application status of pumps and fans in fluid machinery from the perspective of DTT and the Metaverse through the collection, classification, and summary of relevant literature in the past 5 years. The research found that in addition to relatively mature applications in intelligent manufacturing, DTT and Metaverse technologies play a critical role in the development of new pump products and technologies and are widely used in numerical simulation and fault detection in fluid machinery for various pumps and other fields. Among fan-type fluid machinery, twin fans can comprehensively use technologies, such as perception, calculation, modeling, and deep learning, to provide efficient smart solutions for fan operation detection, power generation visualization, production monitoring, and operation monitoring. Still, there are some limitations. For example, real-time and accuracy cannot fully meet the requirements in the mechanical environment with high-precision requirements. However, there are also some solutions that have achieved good results. For instance, it is possible to achieve significant noise reduction and better aerodynamic performance of the axial fan by improving the sawtooth parameters of the fan and rearranging the sawtooth area. However, there are few application cases of the Metaverse in fluid machinery. The cases are limited to operating real equipment from a virtual environment and require the combination of virtual reality and DTT. The application effect still needs further verification.

Bacterial Communities in Various Parts of Air-Conditioning Units in 17 Japanese Houses

HVAC systems have a significant impact on the indoor environment, and microbial contamination in HVAC systems has a significant effect on the indoor air quality. In this study, to gain a better understanding of the microbial contamination inside ACs, we used NGS to analyze the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria adhering to AC filters, cooling coils, fans, and air outlet surfaces. The five phyla in terms of the highest relative abundance were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The surface of an AC filter provides a history of indoor airborne bacterial contamination, and of the 10 bacterial genera we detected with the highest abundance (in the following order: Pseudomonas > Staphylococcus > Paracoccus > Corynebacterium > Acinetobacter > Streptococcus > Methylobacterium > Enhydrobacter > Sphingomonas > Actinotignum) on the filter surface, the top 6 genera were Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, the seventh-most abundant genus adhering to the filter surface (Methylobacterium) was the second-most abundant genus on the cooling coil and fan, and the ninth-most abundant genus on the air filter (Sphingomonas) was the third-most abundant genus on the cooling coil. Various factors impact the bacterial flora inside AC units, including the location of the house, AC unit usage, and occupant activity.

Aeroacoustic characteristics of owl-inspired blade designs in a mixed flow fan: effects of leading- and trailing-edge serrations

There is an increasing need in industry for noise reduction in fans. Inspired by owls' silent flight, we propose four owl-inspired blade designs for a mixed-flow fan to examine whether leading-edge (LE) and/or trailing-edge (TE) serrations can resolve the tradeoff between sound suppression and aerodynamic performance. We investigate the blades' aeroacoustic characteristics through various experimental methods and large-eddy simulation (LES)-based numerical analyses. Experimental results suggest that 'slotted', simply-fabricated LE serrations can achieve a lowering of the noise level while sustaining the aerodynamic performance of the fan, whereas TE serrations fail. In addition, the inclination angle can improve LE serration performance in aeroacoustic and aerodynamic performance with a reduction in the specific noise level by around 1.4 dB. LES results and noise spectral analysis indicate that the LE serrations can suppress flow separation, reducing the broadband noise at low-to-middle frequencies (40-4k Hz). This passive-flow-control mechanism, likely due to local higher incidence angles associated with LE serrations, is capable of alleviating the intensive pressure gradient while suppressing wall-pressure fluctuations over the LE region, hence weakening the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The tonal noise also shows a marked reduction at the highest peak frequency associated with fan-vane interaction. Moreover, we find that the high-frequency noise by-product radiates mainly from the LE serrations andsurroundings, due to the small eddies broken up when the vortical flows pass through the LE serrations. Our results demonstrate that the biomimetic design of the LE serrations can facilitate the break-up of LE vortices passively and effectively without negatively impacting aerodynamic performance, which can be utilized as an effective device to improve the aeroacoustic performance of fan blades.

Changes in Shape, Texture and Airflow Improve Efficiency of Monitoring Traps for Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Simple Summary

The commercially-available traps for the red flour beetle generally have low trapping efficiency, limiting their effectiveness for accurate monitoring of the population density of this cosmopolitan pest in different storage and food processing facilities. Five new traps were developed, and their efficiency for trapping the red flour beetle was tested. These new traps have the option of operating with or without a fan. The new traps generally had higher trapping than the present commercial trap. Further exploration for use in different stored-product facilities would enhance the use of these traps while providing a better estimate of the population present.

Abstract

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, is an important pest of stored products. We compared an existing standard commercial trap with five experimental trap designs differing from the status quo in shape, surface texture, and in forced air capability provided by fans. We tested the five new traps and a commercial trap with T. castaneum adults with the presence/absence of air flow and the availability of either the pheromone only or both the pheromone and kairomone. Without using the fans and baited with pheromone only, these new trap designs capture beetles three to five times as efficiently as the status quo trap. Use of both pheromone and kairomone doubled the capture efficiency of the status quo trap but did not significantly affect the capture efficiency of the new trap designs, all of which captured significantly more effectively than the status quo trap. Turning on fans for forced ventilation significantly improved trap efficiency of the more effective of the newer traps compared to monitoring with both pheromone and kairomone but no fan. This study provides new insights into factors affecting trap efficiency for monitoring of T. castaneum in grain storage facilities, and suggests ways in which existing traps might be improved.

Belongingness as a mediator of the relationship between felt stigma and identification in fans

In the present study we examined the relationship between felt stigma and fan group identification as well as potential mediators of this relationship. Fans of various interests (e.g., sport, music) completed measures regarding felt stigma toward the fan group, psychological needs obtained through group membership (e.g., self-esteem, belonging), and identification with the fan community. The results showed that felt stigma predicted fan group identification, and the relationship was mediated by a psychological need for belonging. The results support prior research regarding the association between stigma and identification. However, the results add to the literature by showing belongingness as a mediator of this association.

Fan Therapy for the Treatment of Dyspnea in Adults: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

The use of a handheld or electric fan has been proposed as one component of the complex clinical interventions used in the relief of dyspnea; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding its efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea.

METHODS

We searched the Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all fan therapy studies published from January 1, 1946 to September 31, 2018. The search terms included "dyspnea," "dysponea," "dyspneic," "short of breath," "shortness of breath," "breathless," "breathlessness," "breathing difficulty," "labored breathing," and "fan." Searches were limited to articles in English or Chinese. The bibliographies of identified articles were also manually searched. Three authors independently assessed papers for inclusion.

RESULTS

Ten of the 92 unique records identified met the inclusion criteria (nine randomized controlled trials and one cohort study). Most studies (80%) were conducted in the hospital setting, and none were double blinded. Nearly half (159 [46%]) of the 344 total subjects had cancer. The most common nonmalignant disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most common duration of fan therapy was five minutes. Six studies (60%) reported a significant improvement in dyspnea with fan therapy. There are two ongoing trials being conducted based on a search of trial registries.

CONCLUSION

Limited direct evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates that fan therapy may effectively alleviate dyspnea. Additional trials are warranted to confirm this finding and explore the use of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea in more diverse populations and settings.

The Hand-Held Fan and the Calming Hand for People With Chronic Breathlessness: A Feasibility Trial

CONTEXT

The battery-operated hand-held fan ("fan") and the Calming Hand (CH), a cognitive strategy, are interventions used in clinical practice to relieve chronic breathlessness.

OBJECTIVE

To test the feasibility of a Phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the impact of the fan and/or CH compared with exercise advice alone for the relief of chronic breathlessness due to respiratory conditions.

METHODS

A single-site, feasibility "2 × 2" factorial, nonblinded, mixed-methods RCT was performed. Participants randomly allocated to four groups: fan + exercise advice, CH + exercise advice, fan + CH + exercise advice, and exercise advice alone. Measures included recruitment, acceptability, data quality and study outcomes (baseline and day 28), modified Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (mISWT), recovery time from exertion-induced breathlessness, life-space questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and breathlessness numerical rating scales. Willing participants and carers were interviewed at study end.

RESULTS

Recruitment/acceptability/data completion: 53 people were screened, 40 randomized and completed (mean age 72 years (SD 9.8), 70% male). There were few missing data (mISWT, n = 2). Recovery time (seconds) from exertion-induced breathlessness showed most improvement for the fan; mean reduction from baseline -33.5 vs. CH mean increase from baseline 5.7. This represents a recovery speed at day 28 (-20.4%) faster for the fan vs. 4.1% slower for the CH. Qualitative data indicated participants valued the faster recovery and identified the fan as a useful "medical" device but found the CH unhelpful.

CONCLUSION

A Phase III RCT is feasible. Mixed-methods data synthesis supports recovery time as a novel, meaningful outcome measure.

Battery operated fan and chronic breathlessness: does it help?

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether use of a hand-held fan ('fan') improves breathlessness and increases physical activity.

METHODS

A secondary exploratory analysis using pooled data from the fan arms of two feasibility randomised controlled trials in people with chronic breathlessness: (1) fan and activity advice vs activity advice, (2) activity advice alone or with the addition or the 'calming hand', or the fan, or both. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis to explore patient characteristics associated with benefit (eg age, sex, diagnosis, general self-efficacy).

RESULTS

Forty-one participants were allocated the fan (73 years (IQR 65-76, range 46-88), 59% male, 20 (49%) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), three (7%) heart failure, three (7%) cancer). Thirty-five (85%) reported that the fan helped breathing, and 22 (54%) reported increased physical activity.Breathlessness benefit was more likely in older people, those with COPD and those with a carer. However, due to the small sample size none of these findings were statistically significant. Those with COPD were more likely to use the fan than people with other diagnoses (OR 5.94 (95% CI 0.63 to 56.21, p=0.120)).

CONCLUSIONS

These exploratory data support that the fan helps chronic breathlessness in most people and adds new data to indicate that the fan is perceived to increase people's physical activity. There is also a signal of possible particular benefits in people with COPD which is worthy of further study.

Fault Detection of Electric Impact Drills and Coffee Grinders Using Acoustic Signals

Increasing demand for higher safety of motors can be noticed in recent years. Developing of new fault detection techniques is related with higher safety of motors. This paper presents fault detection technique of an electric impact drill (EID), coffee grinder A (CG-A), and coffee grinder B (CG-B) using acoustic signals. The EID, CG-A, and CG-B use commutator motors. Measurement of acoustic signals of the EID, CG-A, and CG-B was carried out using a microphone. Five signals of the EID are analysed: healthy, with 15 broken rotor blades (faulty fan), with a bent spring, with a shifted brush (motor off), with a rear ball bearing fault. Four signals of the CG-A are analysed: healthy, with a heavily damaged rear sliding bearing, with a damaged shaft and heavily damaged rear sliding bearing, motor off. Three acoustic signals of the CG-B are analysed: healthy, with a light damaged rear sliding bearing, motor off. Methods such as: Root Mean Square (RMS), MSAF-17-MULTIEXPANDED-FILTER-14 are used for feature extraction. The MSAF-17-MULTIEXPANDED-FILTER-14 method is also developed and described in the paper. Classification is carried out using the Nearest Neighbour (NN) classifier. An acoustic based analysis is carried out. The results of the developed method MSAF-17-MULTIEXPANDED-FILTER-14 are very good (total efficiency of recognition of all classes—TE_D = 96%, TE_CG-A = 97%, TE_CG-B = 100%).

How Live Music Moves Us: Head Movement Differences in Audiences to Live Versus Recorded Music

A live music concert is a pleasurable social event that is among the most visceral and memorable forms of musical engagement. But what inspires listeners to attend concerts, sometimes at great expense, when they could listen to recordings at home? An iconic aspect of popular concerts is engaging with other audience members through moving to the music. Head movements, in particular, reflect emotion and have social consequences when experienced with others. Previous studies have explored the affiliative social engagement experienced among people moving together to music. But live concerts have other features that might also be important, such as that during a live performance the music unfolds in a unique and not predetermined way, potentially increasing anticipation and feelings of involvement for the audience. Being in the same space as the musicians might also be exciting. Here we controlled for simply being in an audience to examine whether factors inherent to live performance contribute to the concert experience. We used motion capture to compare head movement responses at a live album release concert featuring Canadian rock star Ian Fletcher Thornley, and at a concert without the performers where the same songs were played from the recorded album. We also examined effects of a prior connection with the performers by comparing fans and neutral-listeners, while controlling for familiarity with the songs, as the album had not yet been released. Head movements were faster during the live concert than the album-playback concert. Self-reported fans moved faster and exhibited greater levels of rhythmic entrainment than neutral-listeners. These results indicate that live music engages listeners to a greater extent than pre-recorded music and that a pre-existing admiration for the performers also leads to higher engagement.

[Using Fans to Relieve Dyspnea: A Systematic Review and Clinical Implications]

BACKGROUND

Dyspnea is a subjective symptom of breathing discomfort that is commonly experienced by terminally ill patients in the last few weeks of life. Fans have been used to reduce breathlessness in clinical practice for terminally ill patients. However, reviews in the systematic literature are insufficient to make definite conclusions regarding the effectiveness of this intervention and to provide a consistent protocol for clinical application.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects and clinical application of using fans in dyspnea patients.

METHODS

A systematic review was used. Relevant articles published prior to September 2017 were retrieved from electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane CENTRAL. Keywords and MeSH terms were identified for each PICO (participant, intervention, comparison, outcome) element, including dyspnea, breathless, breath shortness, breathing difficulty or labored respiration, fan, and scale. A total of 41 articles that matched the search criteria were extracted. After screening the topics, deleting repetitions, and doing critical appraisals, three randomized controlled trials were selected for further analysis. The GRADE (grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation) quality of evidence rating was intermediate.

RESULTS

The systematic review of the three articles revealed that a fan set at low speed with facial cooling of the 2nd and 3rd branches of the trigeminal nerve as soon as possible for 5 minutes and at a distance that is comfortable for the participant may relieve subjective feelings of dyspnea in nonhypoxic patients (e.g., cardiopulmonary disease and cancer) better than drugs and oxygen treatment alone.

CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Reducing the subjective feelings of dyspnea is the first step for nonhypoxic patients. Using a fan to relieve dyspnea is an evidence-based, non-invasive, economical, and effective nonpharmacological palliative intervention.

A Mixed-Methods, Randomized, Controlled Feasibility Trial to Inform the Design of a Phase III Trial to Test the Effect of the Handheld Fan on Physical Activity and Carer Anxiety in Patients With Refractory Breathlessness

CONTEXT

The handheld fan is an inexpensive and safe way to provide facial airflow, which may reduce the sensation of chronic refractory breathlessness, a frequently encountered symptom.

OBJECTIVES

To test the feasibility of developing an adequately powered, multicenter, multinational randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of a handheld fan and exercise advice with advice alone in increasing activity in people with chronic refractory breathlessness from a variety of medical conditions, measuring recruitment rates; data quality; and potential primary outcome measures.

METHODS

This was a Phase II, multisite, international, parallel, nonblinded, mixed-methods randomized controlled trial. Participants were centrally randomized to fan or control. All received breathlessness self-management/exercise advice and were followed up weekly for four weeks. Participants/carers were invited to participate in a semistructured interview at the study's conclusion.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven people were screened, 49 randomized (mean age 68 years; 49% men), and 43 completed the study. Site recruitment varied from 0.25 to 3.3/month and screening:randomization from 1.1:1 to 8.5:1. There were few missing data except for the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Self-Efficacy Scale (two-thirds of data missing). No harms were observed. Three interview themes included 1) a fan is a helpful self-management strategy, 2) a fan aids recovery, and 3) a symptom control trial was welcome.

CONCLUSION

A definitive, multisite trial to study the use of the handheld fan as part of self-management of chronic refractory breathlessness is feasible. Participants found the fan useful. However, the value of information for changing practice or policy is unlikely to justify the expense of such a trial, given perceived benefits, the minimal costs, and an absence of harms demonstrated in this study.

"I'm Your Number One Fan"- A Clinical Look at Celebrity Worship

Celebrity worship-is it more than just being a casual fan? To explore this question, a number of scales have been developed to assess celebrity adulation. The most prevalent scale of this type in the literature is the Celebrity Attitudes Scale. Using these types of scales, investigators have examined various college-student and community samples. Findings reveal that individuals with high scores on celebrity-worship scales tend to display a number of psychosocial characteristics. For example, these individuals may harbor concerns about body image (particularly young adolescents), be more prone to cosmetic surgery, and have a personality style characterized by sensation-seeking, cognitive rigidity, identity diffusion, and poor interpersonal boundaries. Likewise, celebrity worshippers may exhibit narcissistic features, dissociation, addictive tendencies, stalking behavior, and compulsive buying. Studies also indicate that individuals with high levels of celebrity worship are more likely to have poorer mental health as well as clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction. Of note, no study to date has examined celebrity worshippers for bona fide Axis I and II psychiatric disorders. However, given that celebrity worship exists along a continuum, it appears that being on the high end of this continuum is likely to be associated with a number of potential psychological maladies.

Analysis of the air flow generated by an air-assisted sprayer equipped with two axial fans using a 3D sonic anemometer

The flow of air generated by a new design of air assisted sprayer equipped with two axial fans of reversed rotation was analyzed. For this goal, a 3D sonic anemometer has been used (accuracy: 1.5%; measurement range: 0 to 45 m/s). The study was divided into a static test and a dynamic test. During the static test, the air velocity in the working vicinity of the sprayer was measured considering the following machine configurations: (1) one activated fan regulated at three air flows (machine working as a traditional sprayer); (2) two activated fans regulated at three air flows for each fan. In the static test 72 measurement points were considered. The location of the measurement points was as follow: left and right sides of the sprayer; three sections of measurement (A, B and C); three measurement distances from the shaft of the machine (1.5 m, 2.5 m and 3.5 m); and four measurement heights (1 m, 2 m, 3 m and 4 m). The static test results have shown significant differences in the module and the vertical angle of the air velocity vector in function of the regulations of the sprayer. In the dynamic test, the air velocity was measured at 2.5 m from the axis of the sprayer considering four measurement heights (1 m, 2 m, 3 m and 4 m). In this test, the sprayer regulations were: one or two activated fans; one air flow for each fan; forward speed of 2.8 km/h. The use of one fan (back) or two fans (back and front) produced significant differences on the duration of the presence of wind in the measurement point and on the direction of the air velocity vector. The module of the air velocity vector was not affected by the number of activated fans.

The type 1 TNF receptor and its associated adapter protein, FAN, are required for TNFalpha-induced sickness behavior

RATIONALE

During the course of an infection, the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) acts in the brain to trigger development of behavioral responses, collectively termed sickness behavior. Biological activities of TNFalpha can be mediated by TNF receptor type 1 (TNF-R1) and type 2 (TNF-R2). TNFalpha activates neutral sphingomyelinase through the TNF-R1 adapter protein FAN (factor associated with neutral sphingomyelinase activation), but a behavioral role of FAN in the brain has never been reported.

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesized that TNFalpha-induced sickness behavior requires TNF-R1 and that FAN is a necessary component for this response.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We determined the role of brain TNF-R1 in sickness behavior by administering an optimal amount of TNFalpha intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v., 50 ng/mouse) to wild-type (WT), TNF-R1-, TNF-R2-, and FAN-deficient mice. Sickness was assessed by decreased social exploration of a novel juvenile, induction of immobility, and loss of body weight.

RESULTS

TNF-R1-deficient mice were resistant to the sickness-inducing properties of i.c.v. TNFalpha, whereas both TNF-R2-deficient and WT mice were fully responsive. Furthermore, the complete absence of TNFalpha-induced sickness behavior in FAN-deficient mice provided in vivo evidence that FAN-dependent TNF-R1 signaling is critical for this central action of TNFalpha.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report to demonstrate that TNFalpha-induced sickness behavior is fully mediated by TNF-R1 and that the adaptor protein FAN is a necessary intracellular intermediate for sickness behavior.

Memory for Items and Associations: Distinct Representations and Processes in Associative Recognition

In two experiments, participants studied word pairs and later discriminated old (intact) word pairs from foils, including recombined word pairs and pairs including one or two previously unstudied words. Rather than making old/new memory judgments, they chose one of five responses: (1) Old-Old (original), (2) Old-Old (rearranged), (3) Old-New, (4) New-Old, (5) New-New. To tease apart the effects of item familiarity from those of associative strength, we varied both how many times a specific word-pair was repeated (1 or 5) and how many different word pairs were associated with a given word (1 or 5). Participants could discriminate associative information from item information such that they recognized which word of a foil was new, or whether both were new, as well as discriminating recombined studied words from original pairings. The error and latency data support the view that item and associative information are stored as distinct memory representations and make separate contributions at retrieval.