bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Twister3: a simple and fast microwire twister
Authors: Newman Jonathan P , Voigts Jakob , Borius Maxim , Karlsson Mattias , Harnett Mark T , Wilson Matthew A
Published: February 2020

Objective. Twisted wire probes (TWPs, e.g. stereotrodes and tetrodes) provide a cheap and reliable method for obtaining high quality, multiple single-unit neural recordings in freely moving animals. Despite their ubiquity, TWPs are constructed using a tedious procedure
consisting of manually folding, turning, and fusing microwire. This imposes a significant labor burden on research personnel who use TWPs in their experiments. Approach. To address this issue, we created Twister3, an open-source microwire twisting machine.
This machine features a quick-draw wire feeder that eliminates manual wire folding, an auto-aligning motor attachment mechanism which results in consistently straight probes, and a high speed motor for rapid probe turning.
Main results. Twister3 greatly increases the speed and repeatability of constructing twisted microwire
probes compared to existing options. Users with less than one hour of experience using the device were able to make ~70 tetrodes per hour, on average. It is cheap, well documented, and all associated designs and source code are open-source. Significance. Twister3 significantly reduces the labor burden of creating high-quality TWPs so electrophysiologists can spend more of their time performing recordings rather than making probes. Therefore, this device is of interest to any lab performing TWP neural recordings, for example, using microdrives.
Nonstationary distributions and relaxation times in a stochastic model of memristor
Authors: Agudov N V , Safonov A V , Krichigin A V , Kharcheva A A , Dubkov A A , Valenti D , Guseinov D V , Belov A I , Mikhaylov A N , Carollo A , Spagnolo B
Published: February 2020

We propose a stochastic model for a memristive system by generalizing known approaches and experimental results. We validate our theoretical model by experiments carried out on a memristive device based on multilayer structure. In the framework of the proposed model we obtain the exact analytic expressions for stationary and nonstationary solutions. We analyze the equilibrium and non-equilibrium steady-state distributions of the internal state variable of the memristive system and study the influence of fluctuations on the resistive switching, including the relaxation time to the steady-state. The relaxation time shows a nonmonotonic dependence, with a minimum, on the intensity of the fluctuations. This paves the way for using the intensity of fluctuations as a control parameter for switching dynamics in memristive devices.
Nanopillar and nanohole fabrication via mixed lithography
Authors: Baek Seung Hee , Lee Sunwoong , Bae Ju-Hyun , Hong Chang-Won , Park Mae-Ja , Park Hongsik , Baek Moon-Chang , Nam Sung-Wook
Published: February 2020

We report a fabrication method for the production of nanopillar (NP) or nanohole (NH) arrays together with a micrometer-sized structure within a single layer. On a 200 mm silicon wafer, we produced 200–400 nm NP or NH arrays using electron beam lithography (EBL). The EBL patterns on a positive-tone EB resist—either a poly(methyl methacrylate) or chemically semi-amplified resist—were transferred to a hard mask oxide (HMO) layer using reactive-ion etching (RIE), as the first etching step. We used the HMO as an intermediate layer to connect the EB patterns to photolithography patterns. On the EB-patterned HMO layer, large-scale photolithography patterns were produced on a photoresist (PR), and transferred to the HMO layer using the second RIE step. After removing the PR, the mixed EB and photolithography patterns in the HMO layer were transferred to the target layer in the third RIE step. Our method offers an efficient way to combine nanometer-sized EBL patterns with high-throughput photolithography patterns in a single layer.
Erdafitinib: A novel therapy for FGFR-mutated urothelial cancer
Authors: Roubal Kiera , Myint Zin W , Kolesar Jill M
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To provide an overview of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) gene alterations and the pharmacology, clinical effectiveness, dosage and administration, cost, and place in therapy of erdafitinib in bladder cancer.

Erdafitinib (Balversa, Janssen Pharmaceuticals) is a novel pan-FGFR inhibitor recently approved for the treatment of patients with advanced urothelial cancer with specific FGFR genetic alterations who have received at least one prior platinum-containing regimen. Erdafitinib binding to the FGFR2 and FGFR3 receptors inhibits FGF activity, resulting in cell death. Erdafitinib is available in tablet form, and the current recommended daily dosing is 8 mg, with dose escalation to 9 mg after 14 to 21 days of therapy if tolerated. A phase 2 clinical trial demonstrated that patients who received erdafitinib experienced on average 5.5 months of progression-free survival (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-6.0 months). In addition, 40% (95% CI, 31-50%) of patients responded to erdafitinib therapy. Patients receiving erdafitinib therapy should be monitored specifically for elevations in serum phosphate levels and changes in vision. Other adverse effects include anemia, thrombocytopenia, and electrolyte abnormalities.

Conclusion

Erdafitinib is the first small-molecule FGFR inhibitor approved for use in advanced bladder cancer.
Statistical significance of cluster membership for unsupervised evaluation of cell identities
Authors: Chung Neo Christopher
Published: February 2020

Motivation

Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows us to dissect transcriptional heterogeneity arising from cellular types, spatio-temporal contexts and environmental stimuli. Transcriptional heterogeneity may reflect phenotypes and molecular signatures that are often unmeasured or unknown a priori. Cell identities of samples derived from heterogeneous subpopulations are then determined by clustering of scRNA-seq data. These cell identities are used in downstream analyses. How can we examine if cell identities are accurately inferred? Unlike external measurements or labels for single cells, using clustering-based cell identities result in spurious signals and false discoveries.

Results

We introduce non-parametric methods to evaluate cell identities by testing cluster memberships in an unsupervised manner. Diverse simulation studies demonstrate accuracy of the jackstraw test for cluster membership. We propose a posterior probability that a cell should be included in that clustering-based subpopulation. Posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs) for cluster memberships can be used to select and visualize samples relevant to subpopulations. The proposed methods are applied on three scRNA-seq datasets. First, a mixture of Jurkat and 293T cell lines provides two distinct cellular populations. Second, Cell Hashing yields cell identities corresponding to eight donors which are independently analyzed by the jackstraw. Third, peripheral blood mononuclear cells are used to explore heterogeneous immune populations. The proposed P-values and PIPs lead to probabilistic feature selection of single cells that can be visualized using principal component analysis (PCA), t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and others. By learning uncertainty in clustering high-dimensional data, the proposed methods enable unsupervised evaluation of cluster membership.

Availability and implementation

https://cran.r-project.org/package=jackstraw.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Composite Kernel Association Test (CKAT) for SNP-set joint assessment of genotype and genotype-by-treatment interaction in Pharmacogenetics studies
Authors: Zhang Hong , Zhao Ni , Mehrotra Devan V , Shen Judong
Published: February 2020

Motivation

It is of substantial interest to discover novel genetic markers that influence drug response in order to develop personalized treatment strategies that maximize therapeutic efficacy and safety. To help enable such discoveries, we focus on testing the association between the cumulative effect of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a particular genomic region and a drug response of interest. However, the currently existing methods are either computational inefficient or not able to control type I error and provide decent power for whole exome or genome analysis in Pharmacogenetics (PGx) studies with small sample sizes.

Results

In this article, we propose the Composite Kernel Association Test (CKAT), a flexible and robust kernel machine-based approach to jointly test the genetic main effect and SNP-treatment interaction effect for SNP-sets in Pharmacogenetics (PGx) assessments embedded within randomized clinical trials. An analytic procedure is developed to accurately calculate the P-value so that computationally extensive procedures (e.g. permutation or perturbation) can be avoided. We evaluate CKAT through extensive simulation studies and application to the gene-level association test of the reduction in Clostridium difficile infection recurrence in patients treated with bezlotoxumab. The results demonstrate that the proposed CKAT controls type I error well for PGx studies, is efficient for whole exome/genome association analysis and provides better power performance than existing methods across multiple scenarios.

Availability and implementation

The R package CKAT is publicly available on CRAN https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/CKAT/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Solidarity Economy Markets as “mobilizational commons”: re-signifying the market through the lens of cooperation
Authors: Esteves Ana Margarida
Published: February 2020

This article explores an understudied dimension of Solidarity Economy, which is how spaces of community development-oriented commercialization balance the embedment of their activities in cooperative norms and practices, while at the same time mobilizing support from mainstream society and its institutions. The analysis is based on the case study of the Solidarity Economy markets organized by Esperança/Cooesperança, a community development project based in the town of Santa Maria, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It engages the concept of “edge work”, from Social Permaculture Design, in framing Solidarity Economy markets as spaces that manifest Karl Polanyi’s vision of an “active society” in counter-movement to market commodification. This materializes as a reconciliation of cooperative practices with market mechanisms, based on trust-building and political mobilization, among different social sectors and agents, around direct producer-to-consumer exchanges. The analysis frames these markets as “mobilizational commons”: Sites of re-signification of market activity through the engagement of otherwise competing producers in experimenting, enacting and coordinating cooperative practices, as well as of consumers, social movements and the state in the re-framing economic activity over time. It concludes with an analysis of the political limitations to the “edge work” promoted by Esperança/Cooesperança, posed by electoral rotation and political socialization, as well as the suggestion to frame further research on this topic in the context of structural power relations.
EuroEcho 2019: highlights
Authors: Magne Julien , Bharucha Tara , Cikes Maya , Galderisi Maurizio , Price Suzanna , Sade Leyla Elif , Popescu Bogdan A , Cosyns Bernard , Edvardsen Thor
Published: February 2020

The annual meeting of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, EuroEcho 2019, was held in Vienna, Austria, in December 2019. In this article, we present a summary of the ‘Highlights’ session.
Obesity and atrial fibrillation: making inroads through fat
Authors: Javed Saad , Gupta Dhiraj , Lip Gregory Y H
Published: February 2020

The global prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions, paralleled by a rise in cases of atrial fibrillation (AF). Data from epidemiological cohorts support the role of obesity as an independent risk factor for AF. Increasing evidence indicates that obesity may contribute to the AF substrate through a number of pathways including by altering epicardial adipose tissue biology, inflammatory pathways, structural cardiac remodelling, and inducing atrial fibrosis. Due to changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, specific therapeutic considerations are required to guide management of patients with AF including anticoagulation and rhythm control. Also, weight loss in patients with AF has been associated with reduced progression from paroxysmal to persistent AF and indeed regression from persistent to proximal AF. However, the role of dietary intervention in AF control remains to be fully elucidated and hard prospective outcome data to support weight loss are required in AF to determine its role as part of a comprehensive risk factor management strategy for AF in obese patients.
The moral perils of conditional cash transfer programmes and their significance for policy: a meta-ethnography of the ethical debate
Authors: Scheel Inger B , Scheel Andrea E , Fretheim Atle
Published: February 2020

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) is a compelling policy alternative for reducing poverty and improving health, and its effectiveness is promising. CCT programmes have been widely deployed across geographical, economic and political contexts, but not without contestation. Critics argue that CCTs may result in infringements on freedom and dignity, gender discrimination and disempowerment and power imbalances between programme providers and beneficiaries. In this analysis, we aim to identify the ethical concepts applicable to CCTs and to contextualize these by mapping the tensions of the debate, allowing us to understand the separate contributions as parts of a larger whole. We searched a range of databases for records on public health CCT. Strategies were last run in January 2017. We included 31 dialectical articles deliberating the ethics of CCTs and applied a meta-ethnographic approach. We identified 22 distinct ethical concepts. By analysing and mapping the tensions in the discourse, the following four strands of debate emerged: (1) responsibility for poverty and health: personal vs public duty, (2) power balance: autonomy vs paternalism, (3) social justice: empowerment vs oppression and (4) marketization of human behaviour and health: ‘fair trade’ vs moral corruption. The debate shed light on the ethical ideals, principles and doctrines underpinning CCT. These were consistent with a market-oriented liberal welfare regime ideal: privatization of public responsibilities; a selective rather than a universal approach; empowerment by individual entrepreneurship; marketization of health with a conception of human beings as utility maximizing creatures; and limited acknowledgement of the role of structural injustices in poverty and health. Identification of key tensions in the public health ethics debate may expose underpinning ideological logics of health and social programmes that may be at odds with public values and contemporary political priorities. Decisions about CCTs should therefore not be considered a technical exercise, but a context-dependent process requiring transparent, informed and deliberative decision-making.
Simulation testing methods for estimating misreported catch in a state-space stock assessment model
Authors: Perretti Charles T , Deroba Jonathan J , Legault Christopher M
Published: February 2020

State-space stock assessment models have become increasingly common in recent years due to their ability to estimate unobserved variables and explicitly model multiple sources of random error. Therefore, they may be able to better estimate unobserved processes such as misreported fishery catch. We examined whether a state-space assessment model was able to estimate misreported catch in a simulated fishery. We tested three formulations of the estimation model, which exhibit increasing complexity: (i) assuming no misreporting, (ii) assuming misreporting is constant over time, and (iii) assuming misreporting follows a random walk. We tested these three estimation models against simulations using each of the three assumptions and an additional fourth assumption of uniform random misreporting over time. Overall, the worst estimation errors occurred when misreporting was ignored while it was in fact occurring, while there was a relatively small cost for estimating misreporting when it was not occurring. Estimates of population scale and fishing mortality rate were particularly sensitive to misreporting assumptions. Furthermore, in the uniform random scenario, the relatively simple model that assumed misreporting was fixed across ages and time was more accurate than the more complicated random walk model, despite the increased flexibility of the latter.
A game-based education approach for sustainable ocean development
Authors: Koenigstein Stefan , Hentschel Lisa-Henrike , Heel Lena Christin , Drinkorn Catherine
Published: February 2020

The goods and services of the ocean are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Novel approaches for an integrated education for sustainable ocean development are needed, to teach an understanding of ocean systems and their sustainable governance to future generations of users and consumers. We developed a table-top, role-playing game for marine sustainability education at the high school level and above. Ocean Limited lets players negotiate their uses and interactions as ocean stakeholders, providing a comprehensive social–ecological integration of global ocean systems, marine sustainability challenges, and climate change impacts. Observations of in-game player behaviour, game results, and player feedback indicate that players understood the game world, identified with their roles, and actively engaged as ocean stakeholders. Ocean Limited stimulated empathy for other actors, systemic and foresighted thinking, and the development of sustainability-oriented cooperation and agreements. The game can demonstrate and teach real-world marine sustainability issues, and could support collective learning of problem-solving capacities for social–ecological conflicts and trade-offs in ocean uses. We suggest using role-playing game-based approaches for an integrated marine sustainability education, to train students the skills needed to participate in and support sustainable ocean development.
Preliminary Evaluation of Human Personal Protective Measures Against the Nymphal Stage of the Asian Longhorned Tick (Acari: Ixodidae)
Authors: Foster Erik , Fleshman Amy C , Ford Shelby L , Levin Michael L , Delorey Mark J , Eisen Rebecca J , Eisen Lars
Published: February 2020

The invasive, human-biting Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, is establishing in the United States. This tick is a threat to public health in its native range in Asia, serving as a vector of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus and Rickettsia japonica, the agent of Japanese spotted fever. However, there is a lack of published information specifically for H. longicornis concerning the efficacy of generally recommended personal tick bite prevention measures. We, therefore, evaluated permethrin-treated clothing and formulated human skin repellent products, representing the six repellent active ingredients generally recommended for tick bite prevention by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), against H. longicornis nymphs from a colony established with adult ticks collected in New York state. Reluctance of H. longicornis nymphs to stay in contact with nontreated human skin precluded the use of a human skin bioassay to optimally evaluate repellency. In a Petri dish choice bioassay, all tested product formulations were highly effective with estimated repellencies ranging from 93 to 97%. In addition, we observed strong contact irritancy of a summer-weight permethrin-treated garment against H. longicornis nymphs, with 96% of introduced ticks dislodging from the vertically oriented textile within 3 min. These preliminary studies indicate that personal tick bite prevention measures currently recommended by the CDC are effective against the invasive H. longicornis. However, additional studies are needed to explore the efficacy of the evaluated products against different life stages of H. longicornis, as well as ticks collected in the field rather than reared in the laboratory.
Assessing the Well-being of Sexual Minority Soldiers at a Military Academic Institution
Authors: McDonald Jennifer L , Ganulin Michelle L , Dretsch Michael N , Taylor Maura R , Cabrera Oscar A
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The goal of the present study was to characterize behavioral health rates, behavioral health care utilization, loneliness, and perceived prejudice and support among sexual minority soldiers.

Materials and Methods

Cross-sectional survey data were obtained from 640 active-duty U.S. soldiers enrolled in an academic training institute who provided information on their sexual orientation. Survey topics included demographics, behavioral health, behavioral health care utilization, and mitigating factors (eg, perceived prejudice, perceived support, and loneliness). Chi-square analyses were utilized to determine any differences between groups for behavioral health rates and behavioral health care utilization. Robust regression was used for analysis of self-reported loneliness.

Results

A higher proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) soldiers than heterosexual soldiers screened positive for anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality. No between-group differences in behavioral health care utilization were found; however, a higher proportion of LGB soldiers sought help from military family life counselors. No between-group differences for loneliness were found. Finally, perceived prejudice was higher for LGB soldiers and perceived support was lower.

Conclusion

Organizational barriers, such as perceived prejudice and lack of support, appear to still exist for sexual minority soldiers. Increasing organizational support and implementing training and education for health care providers in order to better support the LGB soldier community may mitigate these barriers.
The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) on Cognitive Performance in a Sample of Active Duty U.S. Military Service Members
Authors: Rice Valerie J , Schroeder Paul J , Cassenti Daniel N , Boykin Gary L
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered a signature injury from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the year 2000, over 370,000 U.S. active duty service members have been diagnosed with TBI. Although prior research has shown that even mild forms of TBI are associated with impaired cognitive performance, it is not clear which facets of cognition (computation, memory, reasoning, etc.) are impacted by injury.

Method

In the present study, we compared active duty military volunteers (n = 88) with and without TBI on six measures of cognition using the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric software.

Results

Healthy volunteers exhibited significantly faster response times on the matching-to-sample, mathematical processing, and second round of simple reaction time tasks and had higher throughput scores on the mathematical processing and the second round of the simple reaction time tasks (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In this population, cognitive impairments associated with TBI influenced performance requiring working memory and basic neural processing (speed/efficiency).
Deriving pQCT-Type Spatial Density from DXA Images
Authors: Iyoho Anthony E , Niederberger Brenda A , Bergquist-Turori Dale , Kelly Karen R , Ng Laurel J
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Musculoskeletal overuse injuries are a serious problem in the military, particularly in basic combat training, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost because of limited duty days, medical treatment, and high rates of reinjury. Injury risk models have been developed using peripheral computed tomography (pQCT)-based injury correlates. However, pQCT image capture on large number of recruits is not practical for military settings. Thus, this article presents a method to derive spatial density pQCT images from much lower resolution but more accessible dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Materials and Methods

Whole-body DXA images and lower leg pQCT images for 51 male military recruits were collected before a 40-day School of Infantry. An artificial neural network model was constructed to relate the DXA density profiles to spatial pQCT density at the 38% and 66% tibial locations.

Results

Strong correlation, R2 = 0.993 and R2 = 0.990 for the 38% and 66% pQCT slices, respectively, was shown between spatial density predicted by the artificial neural network model and raw data.

Conclusions

High potential exists to create a practical protocol using DXA in place of pQCT to assess stress fracture risk and aid in mitigating musculoskeletal injuries seen in military recruits.
Exposure to Intense Noise Causes Vestibular Loss
Authors: Stewart Courtney E , Kanicki Ariane C , Bauer David S , Altschuler Richard A , King W Michael
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The vestibular system is essential for normal postural control and balance. Because of their proximity to the cochlea, the otolith organs are vulnerable to noise. We previously showed that head jerks that evoke vestibular nerve activity were no longer capable of inducing a response after noise overstimulation. The present study adds a greater range of jerk intensities to determine if the response was abolished or required more intense stimulation (threshold shift).

Materials and Methods

Vestibular short-latency evoked potential (VsEP) measurements were taken before noise exposure and compared to repeated measurements taken at specific time points for 28 days after noise exposure. Calretinin was used to identify changes in calyx-only afferents in the sacculus.

Results

Results showed that more intense jerk stimuli could generate a VsEP, although it was severely attenuated relative to prenoise values. When the VsEP was evaluated 4 weeks after noise exposure, partial recovery was observed.

Conclusion

These data suggest that noise overstimulation, such as can occur in the military, could introduce an increased risk of imbalance that should be evaluated before returning a subject to situations that require normal agility and motion. Moreover, although there is recovery with time, some dysfunction persists for extended periods.
A Novel Intervention Platform for Service Members With Subjective Cognitive Complaints: Implementation, Patient Participation, and Satisfaction
Authors: Sullivan Katherine W , Law Wendy A , Loyola Laura , Knoll Martin A , Shub Daniel E , French Louis M
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Program overview of a novel cognitive training platform at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) for service members with subjective cognitive complaints: analysis of patient participation, satisfaction with the program, and perceived areas of improvement.

Materials and Method

Retrospective review of 1,030 participants from November 2008 through May 2017. Data were obtained within an approved protocol (WRNMMC-EDO-2017-0004/# 876230).

Results

The program has shown growth in numbers of referrals, types of patient populations served, and patient visits. Patients report satisfaction with the program and endorse improvements in cognitive functions.

Conclusions

This program model may benefit other military facilities looking to provide and assess novel therapeutic approaches.
Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Formulated in Chitosan Matrices are Effective Against Biofilms of Multidrug-Resistant Wound Pathogens
Authors: Neff Jennifer A , Bayramov Danir F , Patel Esha A , Miao Jing
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Infection frequently complicates the treatment of combat-related wounds, impairs healing, and leads to worse outcomes. To better manage wound infections, antimicrobial therapies that are effective against biofilm and designed for direct wound application are needed. The primary objective of this work was to evaluate a chitosan matrix for delivery of two engineered antimicrobial peptides, (ASP)-1 and ASP-2, to treat biofilm-associated bacteria. A secondary objective was to determine whether replacing the levorotatory (L) form amino acids in ASP-2 with dextrorotatory (D) form amino acids would impact peptide activity.

Materials and Methods

Chitosan gels loaded with antimicrobial peptides were evaluated for peptide release over 7 days and tested for efficacy against biofilms grown both in vitro on polymer mesh and ex vivo on porcine skin.

Results

When delivered via chitosan, 70% to 80% of peptides were released over 7 days. Gels eradicated biofilms of gram-positive and gram-negative, drug-resistant bacteria in vitro and ex vivo. Under the conditions tested, no meaningful differences in peptide activity between the L and D forms of ASP-2 were detected.

Conclusions

Chitosan serves as an effective delivery platform for ASP-1 and ASP-2 to treat biofilm-embedded bacteria and warrants further development as a topical treatment.
Conceptualizations of Hooking Up Among Male Soldiers: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Berry-Cabán Cristóbal S , Orchowski Lindsay M , Winstead Tremaine L , Metzger Elizabeth C , Kazemi Donna M
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Hooking up is an impersonal sexual interaction, differing from sexual activity that occurs in the context of a committed relationship. Hookup behavior has been widely studied among college populations; however, this type of sexual behavior has yet to be explored in a military population.

Methods

The current study conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 male soldiers with high-risk drinking habits to explore conceptualizations of hooking up. Interviews were systematically coded and analyzed via thematic analysis.

Results

Five themes emerged: (1) definitions of hookups, (2) descriptions of why hookups occur, (3) how hookups occur (ie, the social context of hookups), (4) factors that facilitate hookups, and (5) differences between hookups and relationships.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that perceptions of hookups among participants who were male soldiers are generally consistent with college populations, with some varying aspects.
Temporal Effects of 2% Pilocarpine Ophthalmic Solution on Human Pupil Size and Accommodation
Authors: Kinney Micah , Johnson Andrew D , Reddix Michael , McCann Mary B
Published: February 2020

Introduction

First responders and those who work with organophosphate (OP) compounds can experience ocular symptoms similar to those caused by exposure to low levels of nerve agents. This study was designed to examine the efficacy of a safe, clinically available, simulant that reproduces ocular symptoms associated with low-level OP exposure. Among these ocular symptoms are a constriction of the pupils (miosis), decreased visual acuity, and changes in accommodation.

Materials and Methods

Volunteers aged 18–40 were assigned to groups receiving either a two-drop or three-drop dose of FDA approved 2% pilocarpine ophthalmic solution. Baseline visual performance measurements were taken before eye drop instillation and a timer was started following the first drop of pilocarpine. Once eye drops were administered, visual performance including distant and near vision, pupil size, and accommodation were measured every 5 minutes for 2 hours.

Results

Both groups experienced significant miosis in excess of 90 minutes. Visual acuity was significantly reduced because of accommodative changes. The three-drop group experienced longer lasting combined effects when compared to the two-drop group.

Conclusions

2% pilocarpine ophthalmic solution can safely simulate major ocular symptoms of OP exposure for behavioral research studies for at least 60 minutes.
Experimental Basis for Creating an Osseointegrated Neural Interface for Prosthetic Control: A Pilot Study in Rabbits
Authors: Dingle Aaron M , Ness Jared P , Novello Joseph , Millevolte Augusto X T , Zeng Weifeng , Sanchez Ruston , Nemke Brett , Lu Yan , Suminski Aaron J , Markel Mark D , Williams Justin C , Poore Samuel O
Published: February 2020

Introduction

While debate persists over how to best prevent or treat amputation neuromas, the more pressing question of how to best marry residual nerves to state-of-the-art robotic prostheses for naturalistic control of a replacement limb has come to the fore. One potential solution involves the transposition of terminal nerve ends into the medullary canal of long bones, creating the neural interface within the bone. Nerve transposition into bone is a long-practiced, clinically relevant treatment for painful neuromas. Despite neuropathic pain relief, the physiological capacity of transposed nerves to conduct motor and sensory signals required for prosthesis control remains unknown. This pilot study addresses the hypotheses that (1) bone provides stability to transposed nerves and (2) nerves transposed into bone remain physiologically active, as they relate to the creation of an osseointegrated neural interface.

Methods

New Zealand white rabbits received transfemoral amputation, with the sciatic nerve transposed into the femur.

Results

Morphological examination demonstrates that nerves remain stable within the medullary canal, while compound nerve action potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the residual nerve within the bone could be achieved at 12 weeks (p < 0.0005).

Conclusion

Transposed nerves retain a degree of physiological function suitable for creating an osseointegrated neural interface.
U.S. Army Combat Medic eFAST Performance with a Novel Versus Conventional Transducers: A Randomized, Crossover Trial
Authors: Ahern Brian J , Monti Jonathan D , Naylor Jason F , Cronin Aaron J , Perreault Michael D
Published: February 2020

Background

Point-of-injury extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) may identify life-threatening torso hemorrhage and expedite casualty evacuation. The purpose of this study was to compare combat medic eFAST performance between the novel and conventional ultrasound (US) transducers.

Methods

We conducted a randomized crossover trial. Medic participants, previously naïve to US, were randomized to the type of transducer first utilized. The primary outcome was eFAST completion time in seconds. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic accuracy, technical adequacy, and transducer ease-of-use rating.

Results

Forty medics performed 160 eFASTs. We found a statistically significant difference in eFAST completion times in favor of conventional transducers (304 vs. 358 s; P = 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference between the conventional and novel transducers in terms of diagnostic accuracy (97.7% vs. 96.0%; P = 0.25) and technical adequacy (65% vs. 72.5%; P = 0.11). Median transducer ease-of-use rating (Likert 1–5 scale) was statistically significant in favor of the conventional transducers (5 vs. 4; P = < 0.001).

Conclusions

Extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma exam times was faster with the conventional transducers. Combat medics performed diagnostically accurate eFASTs with both transducer types in a simulated aid station setting after a brief training intervention. Conventional transducers were rated higher for ease-of-use.
Initial Biphasic Fractional Anisotropy Response to Blast-Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in a Mouse Model
Authors: Venkatasubramanian Palamadai N , Pina-Crespo Juan C , Mathews Kiran , Rigby Paul H , Smith Matthew , Duckworth Josh L , Wyrwicz Alice M , Spiess Joachim
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury was generated in a mouse model using a shock tube to investigate recovery and axonal injury from single blast.

Methods

A supersonic helium wave hit the head of anesthetized male young adult mice with a reflected pressure of 69 psi for 0.2 ms on Day 1. Subsequently, the mice were cardioperfused on Days 2, 5, or 12. The isolated brains were subjected to diffusion tensor imaging. Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) indicated axonal injury.

Results

After single blast, FA showed a biphasic response in the corpus callosum with decrease on Days 2 and 12 and increase on Day 5.

Conclusions

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury in a mouse model follows a biphasic FA response within 12 days after a single blast similar to that reported for human subjects.
Understanding How Clinicians Use a New Web-based Tool for Disseminating Evidence-Based Practices for the Treatment of PTSD: The PTSD Clinicians Exchange
Authors: Coleman Julia L , Marceau Lisa , Zincavage Rebekah , Magnavita Ashley M , Ambrosoli James , Shi Ling , Simon Erica , Ortigo Kile , Clarke-Walper Kristina , Penix Elizabeth , Wilk Joshua , Ruzek Josef I , Rosen Raymond C
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Web-based interventions hold great promise for the dissemination of best practices to clinicians, and investment in these resources has grown exponentially. Yet, little research exists to understand their impact on intended objectives.

Materials & Methods

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Clinicians Exchange is a website to support clinicians treating veterans and active duty military personnel with PTSD, evaluated in a randomized controlled trial (N = 605). This manuscript explores how a subset of clinicians, those who utilized the intervention (N = 148), engaged with it by examining detailed individual-level web analytics and qualitative feedback. Stanford University and New England Research Institutes Institutional Review Boards approved this study.

Results

Only 32.7% of clinicians randomized to the intervention ever accessed the website. The number of pages viewed was positively associated with changes from baseline to 12 months in familiarity (P = 0.03) and perceived benefit of practices (P = 0.02). Thus, engagement with the website did predict an improvement in practice familiarity and benefit outcomes despite low rates of use.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the importance of methodologically rigorous evaluations of participant engagement with web-based interventions. These approaches provide insight into who accesses these tools, when, how, and with what results, which can be translated into their strategic design, evaluation, and dissemination.
Revisiting the reactivity between HCO and CH3 on interstellar grain surfaces
Authors: Enrique-Romero J , Álvarez-Barcia S , Kolb F J , Rimola A , Ceccarelli C , Balucani N , Meisner J , Ugliengo P , Lamberts T , Kästner J
Published: February 2020

The formation of interstellar complex organic molecules is currently thought to be dominated by the barrierless coupling between radicals on the interstellar icy grain surfaces. Previous standard density functional theory (DFT) results on the reactivity between CH3 and HCO on amorphous water surfaces showed that the formation of CH4 + CO by H transfer from HCO to CH3 assisted by water molecules of the ice was the dominant channel. However, the adopted description of the electronic structure of the biradical (i.e. CH3/HCO) system was inadequate [without the broken-symmetry (BS) approach]. In this work, we revisit the original results by means of BS-DFT both in gas phase and with one water molecule simulating the role of the ice. Results indicate that the adoption of BS-DFT is mandatory to describe properly biradical systems. In the presence of the single water molecule, the water-assisted H transfer exhibits a high energy barrier. In contrast, CH3CHO formation is found to be barrierless. However, direct H transfer from HCO to CH3 to give CO and CH4 presents a very low energy barrier, hence being a potential competitive channel to the radical coupling and indicating, moreover, that the physical insights of the original work remain valid.
MHD-shock structures of astrospheres: λ Cephei -like astrospheres
Authors: Scherer K , Baalmann L R , Fichtner H , Kleimann J , Bomans D J , Weis K , Ferreira S E S , Herbst K
Published: February 2020

The interpretation of recent observations of bow shocks around O-stars and the creation of corresponding models require a detailed understanding of the associated (magneto-)hydrodynamic structures. We base our study on 3D numerical (magneto-)hydrodynamical models, which are analysed using the dynamically relevant parameters, in particular, the (magneto)sonic Mach numbers. The analytic Rankine–Hugoniot relation for HD and MHD are compared with those obtained by the numerical model. In that context, we also show that the only distance which can be approximately determined is that of the termination shock, if it is an HD shock. For MHD shocks, the stagnation point does not, in general, lie on the inflow line, which is the line parallel to the inflow vector and passing through the star. Thus an estimate via the Bernoulli equation as in the HD case is, in general, not possible. We also show that in O-star astrospheres, distinct regions exist in which the fast, slow, Alfvénic, and sonic Mach numbers become lower than one, implying subslow magnetosonic as well as subfast and subsonic flows. Nevertheless, the analytic MHD Rankine–Hugoniot relations can be used for further studies of turbulence and cosmic ray modulation.
A search for the lenses in the Herschel Bright Sources (HerBS) sample
Authors: Bakx Tom J L C , Eales Stephen , Amvrosiadis Aristeidis
Published: February 2020

Verifying that sub-mm galaxies are gravitationally lensed requires time-expensive observations with oversubscribed high-resolution observatories. Here, we aim to strengthen the evidence of gravitational lensing within the Herschel Bright Sources (HerBS) by cross-comparing their positions to optical (SDSS) and near-infrared (VIKING) surveys, in order to search for the foreground lensing galaxy candidates. Resolved observations of the brightest HerBS sources have already shown that most are lensed, and a galaxy evolution model predicts that ∼76 per cent of the total HerBS sources are lensed, although with the SDSS survey we are only able to identify the likely foreground lenses for 25 per cent of the sources. With the near-infrared VIKING survey, however, we are able to identify the likely foreground lenses for 57 per cent of the sources, and we estimate that 82 per cent of the HerBS sources have lenses on the VIKING images even if we cannot identify the lens in every case. We find that the angular offsets between lens and Herschel source are larger than that expected if the lensing is done by individual galaxies. We also find that the fraction of HerBS sources that are lensed falls with decreasing 500-micron flux density, which is expected from the galaxy evolution model. Finally, we apply our statistical VIKING cross-identification to the entire Herschel-ATLAS catalogue, where we also find that the number of lensed sources falls with decreasing 500-micron flux density.
Comparison of the efficacy of MOE and PMO modifications of systemic antisense oligonucleotides in a severe SMA mouse model
Authors: Sheng Lei , Rigo Frank , Bennett C Frank , Krainer Adrian R , Hua Yimin
Published: February 2020

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease. Nusinersen, a splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), was the first approved drug to treat SMA. Based on prior preclinical studies, both 2′-O-methoxyethyl (MOE) with a phosphorothioate backbone and morpholino with a phosphorodiamidate backbone—with the same or extended target sequence as nusinersen—displayed efficient rescue of SMA mouse models. Here, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of these two modification chemistries in rescue of a severe mouse model using ASO10-29—a 2-nt longer version of nusinersen—via subcutaneous injection. Although both chemistries efficiently corrected SMN2 splicing in various tissues, restored motor function and improved the integrity of neuromuscular junctions, MOE-modified ASO10-29 (MOE10-29) was more efficacious than morpholino-modified ASO10-29 (PMO10-29) at the same molar dose, as seen by longer survival, greater body-weight gain and better preservation of motor neurons. Time-course analysis revealed that MOE10-29 had more persistent effects than PMO10-29. On the other hand, PMO10-29 appears to more readily cross an immature blood-brain barrier following systemic administration, showing more robust initial effects on SMN2 exon 7 inclusion, but less persistence in the central nervous system. We conclude that both modifications can be effective as splice-switching ASOs in the context of SMA and potentially other diseases, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
High-throughput sleep phenotyping produces robust and heritable traits in Diversity Outbred mice and their founder strains
Authors: Keenan Brendan T , Galante Raymond J , Lian Jie , Simecek Petr , Gatti Daniel M , Zhang Lin , Lim Diane C , Svenson Karen L , Churchill Gary A , Pack Allan I
Published: February 2020

Study Objectives

This study describes high-throughput phenotyping strategies for sleep and circadian behavior in mice, including examinations of robustness, reliability, and heritability among Diversity Outbred (DO) mice and their eight founder strains.

Methods

We performed high-throughput sleep and circadian phenotyping in male mice from the DO population (n = 338) and their eight founder strains: A/J (n = 6), C57BL/6J (n = 14), 129S1/SvlmJ (n = 6), NOD/LtJ (n = 6), NZO/H1LtJ (n = 6), CAST/EiJ (n = 8), PWK/PhJ (n = 8), and WSB/EiJ (n = 6). Using infrared beam break systems, we defined sleep as at least 40 s of continuous inactivity and quantified sleep–wake amounts and bout characteristics. We developed assays to measure sleep latency in a new environment and during a modified Murine Multiple Sleep Latency Test, and estimated circadian period from wheel-running experiments. For each trait, broad-sense heritability (proportion of variability explained by all genetic factors) was derived in founder strains, while narrow-sense heritability (proportion of variability explained by additive genetic effects) was calculated in DO mice.

Results

Phenotypes were robust to different inactivity durations to define sleep. Differences across founder strains and moderate/high broad-sense heritability were observed for most traits. There was large phenotypic variability among DO mice, and phenotypes were reliable, although estimates of heritability were lower than in founder mice. This likely reflects important nonadditive genetic effects.

Conclusions

A high-throughput phenotyping strategy in mice, based primarily on monitoring of activity patterns, provides reliable and heritable estimates of sleep and circadian traits. This approach is suitable for discovery analyses in DO mice, where genetic factors explain some proportion of phenotypic variation.
Update on chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction
Authors: Zenzeri Letizia , Tambucci Renato , Quitadamo Paolo , Giorgio Valentina , De Giorgio Roberto , Di Nardo Giovanni
Published: February 2020

Purpose of review

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is the most severe and disabling form of gastrointestinal dysmotility characterized by an impairment of coordinated propulsive activity in the gastrointestinal tract mimicking mechanical intestinal obstruction. Over the last few years, major advances have been made in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of this rare disorder.

Recent findings

The present narrative review aims to summarize the current literature about the management of CIPO focusing on significant novelties about definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapeutic options. The most significant advancement is a consensus on classification and dedicated diagnostic criteria for CIPO in children highlighting the distinctive features between adult and pediatric forms of CIPO (hence pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction). Despite no single diagnostic test is pathognomonic of CIPO and no recommended drug treatment is advised to improve gastrointestinal motility, recent reports suggest promising results in both diagnostic testing and therapy that might assist the diagnosis and help the management of patients with CIPO.

The articles referenced in this review will help in optimizing the clinical management of this rare and severe disease in adult population.