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The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) –related psychostimulant use in the context of concussion risk and symptom recovery. Data were obtained from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Department of Defense Grand Alliance Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (NCAA-DOD CARE) Consortium from 2014 to 2017. Relative to individuals without diagnosed ADHD (i.e., control), both ADHD diagnosis and the combination of ADHD diagnosis and psychostimulant use were associated with a greater risk of incurring a concussive injury. Following a concussive injury, ADHD diagnosis was associated with longer symptom recovery time relative to the control group. However, individuals with ADHD who use psychostimulants did not take longer to resolve symptoms than controls, suggesting that psychostimulants may have a positive influence on recovery. Regardless of time point, ADHD diagnosis was associated with an elevated number of concussion-related symptoms; however, this effect appears mitigated by having used ADHD-related psychostimulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are facing devastating effects of the climate emergency and systemic environmental breakdown. These impact on mental health and wellbeing. Family therapy has only marginally engaged with these crises and the relationship between people and ecosystem. This Delphi survey identifies key elements to include in family therapy training to attend to the ecosystem and the climate and ecological emergencies. Participants generated ninety‐six statements that were clustered into six overarching 'topic areas' (theories, orientations, schools, integrations/transformations, methods, and techniques). There were sixty‐six statements agreed at a high level of consensus and seventeen with a moderate level of consensus, while there was no consensus over the remaining thirteen items. All participants opted to suggest references, which form a reading list to accompany these ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Role of dust in Salmonella transmission on chicken farms is not well characterised. Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) infection of commercial layer chickens was investigated using a novel sprinkling method of chicken dust spiked with ST and the uptake compared to a conventional oral infection. While both inoculation methods resulted in colonisation of the intestines, the Salmonella load in liver samples was significantly higher at 7 dpi after exposing chicks to sprinkled dust compared to the oral infection group. Infection of chickens using the sprinkling method at a range of doses showed a threshold for colonisation of the gut and organs as low as 1000 CFU/g of dust. Caecal content microbiota analysis post‐challenge showed that the profiles of chickens infected by the sprinkling and oral routes were not significantly different; however, both challenges induced differences when compared to the uninfected negative controls. Overall, the study showed that dust sprinkling was an effective way to experimentally colonise chickens with Salmonella and alter the gut microbiota than oral gavage at levels as low as 1000 CFU/g dust. This infection model mimics the field scenario of Salmonella infection in poultry sheds. The model can be used for future challenge studies for effective Salmonella control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proprioceptive impairments are common after stroke and are associated with worse motor recovery and poor rehabilitation outcomes. Motor learning may also be an important factor in motor recovery, and some evidence in healthy adults suggests that reduced proprioceptive function is associated with reductions in motor learning. It is unclear how impairments in proprioception and motor learning relate after stroke. Here we used robotics and a traditional clinical assessment to examine the link between impairments in proprioception after stroke and a type of motor learning known as visuomotor adaptation. Methods: We recruited participants with first-time unilateral stroke and controls matched for overall age and sex. Proprioceptive impairments in the more affected arm were assessed using robotic arm position- (APM) and movement-matching (AMM) tasks. We also assessed proprioceptive impairments using a clinical scale (Thumb Localization Test; TLT). Visuomotor adaptation was assessed using a task that systematically rotated hand cursor feedback during reaching movements (VMR). We quantified how much participants adapted to the disturbance and how many trials they took to adapt to the same levels as controls. Spearman's rho was used to examine the relationship between proprioception, assessed using robotics and the TLT, and visuomotor adaptation. Data from healthy adults were used to identify participants with stroke who were impaired in proprioception and visuomotor adaptation. The independence of impairments in proprioception and adaptation were examined using Fisher's exact tests. Results: Impairments in proprioception (58.3%) and adaptation (52.1%) were common in participants with stroke (n = 48; 2.10% acute, 70.8% subacute, 27.1% chronic stroke). Performance on the APM task, AMM task, and TLT scores correlated weakly with measures of visuomotor adaptation. Fisher's exact tests demonstrated that impairments in proprioception, assessed using robotics and the TLT, were independent from impairments in visuomotor adaptation in our sample. Conclusion: Our results suggest impairments in proprioception may be independent from impairments in visuomotor adaptation after stroke. Further studies are needed to understand factors that influence the relationship between motor learning, proprioception and other rehabilitation outcomes throughout stroke recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the Salmonella reduction strategies in poultry production, one option is to use a Salmonella vaccine. The aim of vaccinating layer flocks is to reduce the shedding of wild-type Salmonella in the poultry environment, thereby reducing the contamination of poultry products (eggs and meat). Nutritive diluent and a higher dose of vaccine may enhance its colonization potential in the gut of chickens. In this study, a commercially available live attenuated vaccine (Vaxsafe® ST) was reconstituted in different media and delivered orally to day-old chicks at three different doses (107, 108, and 109 CFU/chick). Gut colonization of the vaccine strain and the effects of vaccination on gut microbiota were assessed in commercial-layer chickens. The vaccine diluent and dosage minimally affected microbiota alpha diversity. Microbiota beta diversity was significantly different (P < 0.05) based on the vaccine diluent and dose, which indicated that the vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens had different gut microbial communities. Differences were noted in the abundance of several genera, including Blautia, Colidextribacter, Dickeya, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Sellimonas. The abundance of Colidextribacter was significantly lower in chickens that received vaccine reconstituted in Marek's and water diluents, while Lactobacillus abundance was significantly lower in the water group. The highest vaccine dose (109 CFU/chick) did not significantly alter (P > 0.05) the abundance of microbial genera. Chicken age affected the microbiota composition more significantly than the vaccine dose and diluent. The abundance of Lactobacillus, Blautia, Caproiciproducens, Pediococcus, and Colidextribacter was significantly higher on day 14 compared with day 7 post-vaccination. The Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine load in the caeca was not significantly affected by diluent and vaccine dose; however, it was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) on day 14 compared with day 7 post-vaccination. Overall, the S. Typhimurium vaccine minimally affected the gut microbiota structure of layer chicks, whereas changes in microbiota were more significant with chicken age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) was found to form gels in the benign solvent 1,3-diphenylacetone (DPA). Gelation of PEEK in DPA was found to form an interconnected, strut-like morphology composed of polymer axialites. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a strut-like morphology for PEEK aerogels. PEEK/DPA gels were prepared by first dissolving PEEK in DPA at 320 °C. Upon cooling to 50 °C, PEEK crystallizes and forms a gel in DPA. The PEEK/DPA phase diagram indicated that phase separation occurs by solid–liquid phase separation, implying that DPA is a good solvent for PEEK. The Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, calculated as χ12 = 0.093 for the PEEK/DPA system, confirmed that DPA is a good solvent for PEEK. PEEK aerogels were prepared by solvent exchanging DPA to water then freeze-drying. PEEK aerogels were found to have densities between 0.09 and 0.25 g/cm3, porosities between 80 and 93%, and surface areas between 200 and 225 m2/g, depending on the initial gel concentration. Using nitrogen adsorption analyses, PEEK aerogels were found to be mesoporous adsorbents, with mesopore sizes of about 8 nm, which formed between stacks of platelike crystalline lamellae. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray scattering were utilized to elucidate the hierarchical structure of the PEEK aerogels. Morphological analysis found that the PEEK/DPA gels were composed of a highly nucleated network of PEEK axialites (i.e., aggregates of stacked crystalline lamellae). The highly connected axialite network imparted robust mechanical properties on PEEK aerogels, which were found to densify less upon freeze-drying than globular PEEK aerogel counterparts gelled from dichloroacetic acid (DCA) or 4-chlorphenol (4CP). PEEK aerogels formed from DPA were also found to have a modulus–density scaling that was far more efficient in supporting loads than the poorly connected aerogels formed from PEEK/DCA or PEEK/4CP solutions. The strut-like morphology in these new PEEK aerogels also significantly improved the modulus to a degree that is comparable to high-performance crosslinked aerogels based on polyimide and polyurea of comparable densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an introduction to a special section in the Journal of Computing in Higher Education that focuses on learning analytics in the higher education ecosystem. The section features six articles, four of which provide empirical analysis of learning analytics initiatives, and two that offer conceptual approaches to understanding the learning analytics ecosystem. The articles cover topics such as engaging stakeholders, creating inclusive learning analytics initiatives, learning self-regulated behaviors, course engagement, and research on inclusiveness. The articles provide insights into building initiatives, frameworks for learning analytics, mechanisms for fostering collective knowledge, and improving inclusiveness and support for disabled students. [Extracted from the article]

As learning analytics use grows across U.S. colleges and universities, so does the need to discuss the plans, purposes, and paths for the data collected via learning analytics. More specifically, students, faculty, and others who are impacted by learning analytics use should have more information about their campus' learning analytics practices than many colleges and universities currently provide. Therefore, in the current text, the authors leverage networked learning to create a networked learning analytics logic model that supports colleges and universities in developing more transparent, ethical, inclusive learning analytics plans. The authors build on their previous learning analytics framework as well as extant learning analytics literature to develop the networked learning analytics logic model. The model offers flexibility that allows for adaptive implementation by institutions that are both new to or already engaging in learning analytics initiatives. We encourage those considering learning analytics to implement the model and disseminate their findings so that the model can evolve to align with the dynamic nature of learning analytics implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental studies suggest the use of spatially extended laser beam profiles as a strategy to control the melt pool during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing. However, linkages connecting laser beam profiles to thermal fields and resultant microstructures have not been established. Herein, we employ a coupled thermal transport-Monte Carlo model to predict the evolution of temperature fields and grain microstructures during LPBF using Gaussian, ring, and Bessel beam profiles. Simulation results reveal that the ring-shaped beam yields lower temperatures compared with the Gaussian beam. Owing to the small melt pool size when using the Bessel beam, the grains are smaller in size and more equiaxed compared to those using the Gaussian and ring beams. Our approach provides future avenues to predict the impact of laser beam shaping on microstructure development during LPBF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript describes the synthesis and characterization of guanine and cytosine‐containing supramolecular copolymers, which are inspired from the guanine and cytosine nucleobase pair in deoxyribonucleic acid. Regioselective Michael‐addition allowed the efficient installation of the nucleobases on acrylate‐containing monomers, which enabled the preparation of a series of nucleobase‐functionalized acrylate and n‐butyl acrylate copolymers using conventional free radical copolymerization. Guanine‐containing copolymers exhibited superior thermal properties, thermomechanical performance, and more defined morphological structure than cytosine‐containing copolymer analogs due to the relatively strong guanine self‐association, thus expanding the potential applications for mechanically reinforced polymeric networks. Blending guanine‐ and cytosine‐containing copolymers formed a supramolecular structure through multiple hydrogen bonding between guanine and cytosine units. The supramolecular blend exhibited intermediate thermomechanical and morphological properties, which suggested that guanine and cytosine units were not fully associated in the random copolymer composition. This work provides valuable fundamental understanding of structure–property‐morphology relationships in acrylic copolymers with the presence of guanine‐cytosine self‐ and complementary interactions, suggesting new understanding in supramolecular design for enhanced mechanical and morphological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The gut microbiota influences chicken health, welfare, and productivity. A diverse and balanced microbiota has been associated with improved growth, efficient feed utilisation, a well-developed immune system, disease resistance, and stress tolerance in chickens. Previous studies on chicken gut microbiota have predominantly focused on broiler chickens and have usually been limited to one or two sections of the digestive system, under controlled research environments, and often sampled at a single time point. To extend these studies, this investigation examined the microbiota of commercially raised layer chickens across all major gut sections of the digestive system and with regular sampling from rearing to the end of production at 80 weeks. The aim was to build a detailed picture of microbiota development across the entire digestive system of layer chickens and study spatial and temporal dynamics. Results: The taxonomic composition of gut microbiota differed significantly between birds in the rearing and production stages, indicating a shift after laying onset. Similar microbiota compositions were observed between proventriculus and gizzard, as well as between jejunum and ileum, likely due to their anatomical proximity. Lactobacillus dominated the upper gut in pullets and the lower gut in older birds. The oesophagus had a high proportion of Proteobacteria, including opportunistic pathogens such as Gallibacterium. Relative abundance of Gallibacterium increased after peak production in multiple gut sections. Aeriscardovia was enriched in the late-lay phase compared to younger birds in multiple gut sections. Age influenced microbial richness and diversity in different organs. The upper gut showed decreased diversity over time, possibly influenced by dietary changes, while the lower gut, specifically cecum and colon, displayed increased richness as birds matured. However, age-related changes were inconsistent across all organs, suggesting the influence of organ-specific factors in microbiota maturation. Conclusion: Addressing a gap in previous research, this study explored the microbiota across all major gut sections and tracked their dynamics from rearing to the end of the production cycle in commercially raised layer chickens. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of microbiota structure and development which help to develop targeted strategies to optimise gut health and overall productivity in poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to synthesize chemically recyclable thermoplastic elastomers, a redox‐switchable catalytic system was developed to synthesize triblock copolymers containing stiff poly(lactic acid) (PLA) end blocks and a flexible poly(tetrahydrofuran‐co‐cyclohexene oxide) (poly(THF‐co‐CHO) copolymer as the mid‐block. The orthogonal reactivity induced by changing the oxidation state of the iron‐based catalyst enabled the synthesis of the triblock copolymers in a single reaction flask from a mixture of monomers. The triblock copolymers demonstrated improved flexibility compared to poly(l‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and thermomechanical properties that resemble thermoplastic elastomers, including a rubbery plateau in the range of −60 to 40 °C. The triblock copolymers containing a higher percentage of THF versus CHO were more flexible, and a blend of triblock copolymers containing PLLA and poly(d‐lactic acid) (PDLA) end‐blocks resulted in a stereocomplex that further increased polymer flexibility. Besides the low cost of lactide and THF, the sustainability of this new class of triblock copolymers was also supported by their depolymerization, which was achieved by exposing the copolymers sequentially to FeCl3 and ZnCl2/PEG under reactive distillation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to synthesize chemically recyclable thermoplastic elastomers, a redox‐switchable catalytic system was developed to synthesize triblock copolymers containing stiff poly(lactic acid) (PLA) end blocks and a flexible poly(tetrahydrofuran‐co‐cyclohexene oxide) (poly(THF‐co‐CHO) copolymer as the mid‐block. The orthogonal reactivity induced by changing the oxidation state of the iron‐based catalyst enabled the synthesis of the triblock copolymers in a single reaction flask from a mixture of monomers. The triblock copolymers demonstrated improved flexibility compared to poly(l‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and thermomechanical properties that resemble thermoplastic elastomers, including a rubbery plateau in the range of −60 to 40 °C. The triblock copolymers containing a higher percentage of THF versus CHO were more flexible, and a blend of triblock copolymers containing PLLA and poly(d‐lactic acid) (PDLA) end‐blocks resulted in a stereocomplex that further increased polymer flexibility. Besides the low cost of lactide and THF, the sustainability of this new class of triblock copolymers was also supported by their depolymerization, which was achieved by exposing the copolymers sequentially to FeCl3 and ZnCl2/PEG under reactive distillation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological drought is a serious issue globally, which is likely to be amplified by 21st century climate change. In the UK, the impacts of changes in river flow and groundwater drought severity in a future of climate change and higher water demand are potentially severe. Recent publication of a new nationally consistent set of river flow and groundwater level projections (the eFLaG dataset), based on state-of-the-art UKCP18 climate projections, offers a unique opportunity to quantitatively assess future UK hydrological drought susceptibility. The dataset includes a transient, multi-model ensemble of hydrological projections driven by a single regional climate model (RCM), with a 12-member perturbed-parameter ensemble, for 200 catchments and 54 boreholes spanning a period from 1961 to 2080. Assessment of a baseline period (1989–2018) shows that the RCM-driven projections adequately reproduce observed river flow and groundwater level regimes, improving our confidence in using these models for assessment of future drought. Across all hydrological models and most catchments, future low river flows are projected to decline consistently out to 2080. Drought durations, intensities and severities are all projected to increase in most (over 90 %, pooling across different drought characteristics) UK catchments. However, the trajectory of low groundwater levels and groundwater drought characteristics diverges from that of river flows. Whilst groundwater levels at most (> 85 %) boreholes are projected to decline (consistent with river flows), these declines are relatively modest (< 10 % reduction) in transient low groundwater levels by 2080, and, in fact, six show moderate increases. Groundwater drought characteristics in the far future (2050–2079) are often similar to those of the baseline (1989–2018), with only 33 % of boreholes showing an increase (towards worsening drought) of more than 10 % for drought severity (48 % of boreholes for drought intensity). Interestingly, for some boreholes, droughts are projected to be more prolonged and severe in the near future (2020–2049) before returning to shorter durations and lower severity in the far future. A number of explanatory factors for this divergence between river flow and groundwater are discussed. The sensitivity to seasonal changes in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration is proposed as a principal driver of divergence because low river flows are more influenced by shorter-term rainfall deficits in the summer half-year, whilst groundwater drought appears to be offset somewhat by the wetter winter signal in the RCM projections. Our results have important implications for water management, demonstrating a widespread increase in river flow drought severity and diminishing low flows that could have profound societal and environmental impacts unless mitigated. Furthermore, the divergence in projections of drought in river flows and groundwater levels brings into question the balance between surface and subsurface water resources. The projected contrast in fortunes of surface and subsurface water resources identified for the UK may be replicated in other parts of the world where climate projections suggest a shift towards drier summers and wetter winters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present investigation was to provide insight into how postconcussion symptomatology may be altered in individuals exhibiting attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related behaviors and examine factors that may be responsible for driving such relationships. A total of 99 individuals were assessed during the subacute phase of concussion recovery. Inattentive symptomatology, but not diagnosis of ADHD, was related to greater concussion-symptom severity and overall symptoms endorsed. Cluster and factor analyses highlighted that the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and concussion symptomatology was not a function of overlapping constructs being assessed (i.e., concussion-related symptomatology was not a proxy of ADHD-related symptomatology). These relationships were not mediated by parental observations of impairments in behaviors associated with executive functioning (i.e., executive dysfunction was not driving the greater concussion-related symptomatology associated with ADHD-related symptomatology). These findings highlight the importance of moving beyond categorical frameworks of ADHD to, instead, consider the continuum of underlying behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital-acquired diarrhoea (HAD) is common, and often associated with gut microbiota and metabolome dysbiosis following antibiotic administration. Clostridioides difficile is the most significant antibiotic-associated diarrhoeal (AAD) pathogen, but less is known about the microbiota and metabolome associated with AAD and C. difficile infection (CDI) with contrasting antibiotic treatment. We characterised faecal microbiota and metabolome for 169 HAD patients (33 with CDI and 133 non-CDI) to determine dysbiosis biomarkers and gain insights into metabolic strategies C. difficile might use for gut colonisation. The specimen microbial community was analysed using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, coupled with untargeted metabolite profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiling using GC-MS. AAD and CDI patients were associated with a spectrum of dysbiosis reflecting non-antibiotic, short-term, and extended-antibiotic treatment. Notably, extended antibiotic treatment was associated with enterococcal proliferation (mostly vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium) coupled with putative biomarkers of enterococcal tyrosine decarboxylation. We also uncovered unrecognised metabolome dynamics associated with concomitant enterococcal proliferation and CDI, including biomarkers of Stickland fermentation and amino acid competition that could distinguish CDI from non–CDI patients. Here we show, candidate metabolic biomarkers for diagnostic development with possible implications for CDI and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) treatment. Antibiotics can cause hospital-acquired diarrhoea, resulting in gut microbiota and metabolome changes. Here, the authors study the faecal microbiota and metabolome of 169 patients, offering insights into these changes, and identified biomarkers for diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Chronic pain is a major problem for patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. This exploratory study examined patient reported efficacy of medical cannabis for pain management in this population. Methods: Participants (N = 56; 71.4% female; Age = 48.9, SD = 14.6; 48.5% CMT1) were recruited though the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. The online survey contained 52 multiple choice questions about demographics, medical cannabis use, symptomology, efficacy, and adverse effects. Results: Nearly all (90.9%) of respondents reported experiencing pain, including all (100%) females and 72.7% of males (chi-square P <.05) with 91.7% of respondents indicating cannabis provided at least 50% pain relief. The most frequent response was an 80% reduction in pain. Moreover, 80.0% of respondents reported using less opiates, 69% noted using less sleep medication, and 50.0% reported using less anxiety/antidepressant medications. Negative side effects were noted by 23.5% of respondents. However, almost all (91.7%) of that subgroup did not have plans to stop consuming cannabis. One-third (33.9%) possessed a medical cannabis certificate. Patient perceptions of their physicians' attitudes regarding patient medical cannabis use greatly impacted whether respondents informed their providers of their usage. Conclusion: The vast majority of patients with CMT reported that cannabis was effective to manage pain symptoms. These data support the need for prospective, randomized, controlled trials using standardized dosing protocols to further delineate and optimize the potential use of cannabis to treat pain related to CMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest is growing in the association between repetitive concussions and mental health. However, studies on the relationship between concussion frequency and adverse mental health outcomes among female and male youth are lacking. To examine the association between self-reported concussion frequency and nonfatal suicidal behaviors among youth and to explore the possible interaction of biological sex. Retrospective cross-sectional survey. National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. United States secondary school students (N = 28 442). Exposure variables were the frequency of self-reported sport- or recreation-related concussion in the previous 12 months (0, 1, ≥2). Outcome variables were feelings of self-reported sadness or hopelessness and suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. Covariates were age, sex, race and ethnicity, bullying victimization, sexual orientation, and physical activity. Students who reported ≥2 concussions were at significantly greater odds of reporting suicidal attempts (adjusted odds ratio = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.43, 2.88) when compared with students reporting a single concussive event during the past 12 months. However, sex interactions revealed that this finding may have been driven by males; the strength of associations did not increase from single to multiple concussions among females. Our findings suggest that adolescents who reported concussion were at increased odds of reporting poor mental health and suicidal behaviors. Moreover, an increased number of concussive events may be associated with significantly greater odds of reporting suicidal attempts, particularly among males. Irrespective of sex, health care professionals should closely monitor mental health behaviors in adolescents with repetitive concussions, especially those that occur in close temporal proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The designs of most chatbots and voice assistants provide features for the agent to understand what the user said, but not the equivalent features for the user to understand the agent. Although the agents in the study suffered from many under-trained intents and a considerable lack of knowledge in the case of open-domain inquiries, the NCF dialog patterns nonetheless appeared to help users, and agents, manage the interaction, and move on. Keywords: Conversational user interfaces; conversational UX design; Conversation Analysis; chatbots; voice assistants EN Conversational user interfaces conversational UX design Conversation Analysis chatbots voice assistants 168 193 26 04/20/23 20230701 NES 230701 1. Two versions of tutorials were given to the users who are the full-featured agents and the reduced features agents, respectively, since each agent uses different interaction mechanics. Similarly, only one participant in all 23 conversations asked the buddy agent about its hobbies I first i , whereas the full-featured agent brought up its hobby, Splendor, in 13 of the 15 conversations. [Extracted from the article]

Anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity is a set of unfavorable adverse effects on central or peripheral nervous systems associated with administration of anesthesia. Several animal model studies from the early 2000's, from rodents to nonhuman primates, have shown that general anesthetics cause neuroapoptosis and impairment in neurodevelopment. It has been difficult to translate this evidence to clinical practice. However, some studies suggest lasting behavioral effects in humans due to early anesthesia exposure. Dexmedetomidine is a sedative and analgesic with agonist activities on the alpha-2 (α2) adrenoceptors as well as imidazoline type 2 (I2) receptors, allowing it to affect intracellular signaling and modulate cellular processes. In addition to being easily delivered, distributed, and eliminated from the body, dexmedetomidine stands out for its ability to offer neuroprotection against apoptosis, ischemia, and inflammation while preserving neuroplasticity, as demonstrated through many animal studies. This property puts dexmedetomidine in the unique position as an anesthetic that may circumvent the neurotoxicity potentially associated with anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research considers dual branding, where national brand manufacturers produce store brands against which they compete. Although agreements are confidential, rumors about the practice emerge. Thus, the authors examine the influence of dual branding rumor exposure on consumers' respective national and store brand evaluations. The results support positive (negative) serial indirect effects of rumor exposure on participants' store (national) brand evaluations through dual branding beliefs and comparative quality perceptions. In addition, smart shopper perceptions amplify the indirect effects of dual branding rumor exposure on store, but not national, brand outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the development and evaluation of the enhanced future FLows and Groundwater (eFLaG) dataset of nationally consistent hydrological projections for the UK, based on the latest UK Climate Projections (UKCP18). The projections are derived from a range of hydrological models. For river flows, multiple models (Grid-to-Grid, PDM (Probability Distributed Model) and GR (Génie Rural; both four- and six-parameter versions, GR4J and GR6J)) are used to provide an indication of hydrological model uncertainty. For groundwater, two models are used, a groundwater level model (AquiMod) and a groundwater recharge model (ZOODRM: zooming object-oriented distributed-recharge model). A 12-member ensemble of transient projections of present and future (up to 2080) daily river flows, groundwater levels and groundwater recharge was produced using bias-corrected data from the UKCP18 regional (12 km) climate ensemble. Projections are provided for 200 river catchments, 54 groundwater level boreholes and 558 groundwater bodies, all sampling across the diverse hydrological and geological conditions of the UK. An evaluation was carried out to appraise the quality of hydrological model simulations against observations and also to appraise the reliability of hydrological models driven by the regional climate model (RCM) ensemble in terms of their capacity to reproduce hydrological regimes in the current period. The dataset was originally conceived as a prototype climate service for drought planning for the UK water sector and so has been developed with drought, low river flow and low groundwater level applications as the primary objectives. The evaluation metrics show that river flows and groundwater levels are, for the majority of catchments and boreholes, well simulated across the flow and level regime, meaning that the eFLaG dataset could be applied to a wider range of water resources research and management contexts, pending a full evaluation for the designated purpose. Only a single climate model and one emissions scenario are used, so any applications should ideally contextualise the outcomes with other climate model–scenario combinations. The dataset can be accessed in Hannaford et al. (2022): 10.5285/1bb90673-ad37-4679-90b9-0126109639a9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, there are no FDA approved therapies for persistent posttraumatic headache (PPTH) secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI). As such neither headache nor TBI specialists have an effective means to manage PPTH. Thus, the objective of the present pilot trial was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a four-week at-home remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (RS-tDCS) intervention for veterans with PPTH. Methods: Twenty-five (m = 46.6 ± 8.7 years) veterans with PPTH were randomized into two groups and received either active (n = 12) or sham (n = 13) RS-tDCS, with anodal stimulation over left dlPFC and cathodal over occipital pole. Following a four-week baseline, participants completed 20-sessions of active or sham RStDCS with real-time video monitoring over a period of four-weeks. Participants were assessed again at the end of the intervention and at four-weeks postintervention. Primary outcomes were overall adherence rate (feasibility) and change in moderate-to-severe headache days per month (efficacy). Secondary outcomes were changes in total number of headache days, and PPTH-related functional outcomes. Results: Adherence rate was high with 88% of participants (active = 10/12; sham = 12/13) fully completing tDCS interventions. Importantly, there was no significant difference in adherence between active and sham groups (p = 0.59). Moderate-to-severe headache days were significantly reduced within the active RS-tDCS group (p = 0.004), compared to sham during treatment (-2.5 ± 3.5 vs. 2.3 ± 3.4), and 4-week follow-up (-3.9 ± 6.4 vs. 1.2 ± 6.5). Total number of headache days was significantly reduced within the active RS-tDCS (p = 0.03), compared to sham during-treatment (-4.0 ± 5.2 vs. 1.5 ± 3.8), and 4-week follow-up (-2.1 ± 7.2 vs. -0.2 ± 4.4). Conclusion: The current results indicate our RS-tDCS paradigm provides a safe and effective means for reducing the severity and number of headache days in veterans with PPTH. High treatment adherence rate and the remote nature of our paradigm indicate RS-tDCS may be a feasible means to reduce PPTH, especially for veterans with limited access to medical facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) generated a need to quickly and accurately assemble up-to-date information related to its spread. In this research article, we propose two methods in which Twitter is useful when modelling the spread of COVID-19: (1) machine learning algorithms trained in English, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian are used to identify symptomatic individuals derived from Twitter. Using the geo-location attached to each tweet, we map users to a geographic location to produce a time-series of potential symptomatic individuals. We calibrate an extended SEIRD epidemiological model with combinations of low-latency data feeds, including the symptomatic tweets, with death data and infer the parameters of the model. We then evaluate the usefulness of the data feeds when making predictions of daily deaths in 50 US States, 16 Latin American countries, 2 European countries and 7 NHS (National Health Service) regions in the UK. We show that using symptomatic tweets can result in a 6% and 17% increase in mean squared error accuracy, on average, when predicting COVID-19 deaths in US States and the rest of the world, respectively, compared to using solely death data. (2) Origin/destination (O/D) matrices, for movements between seven NHS regions, are constructed by determining when a user has tweeted twice in a 24 h period in two different locations. We show that increasing and decreasing a social connectivity parameter within an SIR model affects the rate of spread of a disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological drought is a serious issue globally which is likely to be amplified by 21st 10 century climate change. In the UK, the impacts of changes in river flow and groundwater drought severity in a future of climate change and higher water demand are potentially severe. Recent publication of a new nationally-consistent set of river flow and groundwater level projections based on state-of-the-art UKCP18 climate projections offers a unique opportunity to quantitatively assess future UK hydrological drought susceptibility. The dataset includes a transient, multi-model ensemble of hydrological 15 projections driven by a single regional climate model (RCM) for 200 catchments and 54 boreholes spanning a period from 1961 to 2080. Assessment of a baseline period (1989-2018) shows that the RCM-driven projections adequately reproduce observed river flow and groundwater level regimes, improving our confidence in using these models for assessment of future drought. Across all hydrological models and most catchments, future low river flows are projected to decline consistently out to 2080. Drought durations, intensities and severities are all projected to increase in most UK catchments. However, the 20 trajectory of low groundwater levels and groundwater drought characteristics diverge from those of river flows. Whilst groundwater levels at most boreholes are projected to decline (consistent with river flows), the majority of boreholes show <10% reduction in transient low groundwater levels by 2080 and eight show moderate increases. Groundwater drought characteristics in the far future (2050-2079) are often similar to those of the baseline (1989-2018), and in some instances droughts are projected to be most prolonged and severe in the near future (2020-2049). A number of explanatory factors for 25 this divergence are discussed. The sensitivity to seasonal changes in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration is proposed as a principal driver of divergence because low river flows are more influenced by shorter-term rainfall deficits in the summer half-year, whilst groundwater drought appears to be offset somewhat by the wetter winter signal in the RCM projections. Our results have fundamental importance for water management, demonstrating a widespread increase in river flow drought severity and diminishing low flows that could have profound societal and environmental impacts unless 30 mitigated. Furthermore, the divergence in projections of drought in river flows and groundwater levels brings into question the balance between surface and subsurface water resources. The projected contrast in fortunes of surface and subsurface water resources identified for the UK may be replicated in other parts of the world where climate projections suggest a shift towards drier summers and wetter winters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gabapentin has been adopted in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols as a means to reduce opioid consumption while maintaining adequate post-operative analgesia. The purpose of our study was to review and compare changes in length of stay, opioid use, and patient reported pain scores after the addition of gabapentin into five, distinct pain protocols for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: A retrospective review was completed using a database of electronic medical data from a single pediatric orthopedic healthcare system that was queried for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who underwent first-time posterior spinal fusion. Perioperative data including demographics, hospital length of stay, surgical details, opioid use, patient reported pain scores, and non-opioid analgesic use were collected. Results: From December 2012 to February 2019, 682 hospitalizations for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were identified with complete inpatient data; 49% were administered gabapentin. For the gabapentin cohort, the system saw no statistically significant effect on length of stay or pain averaged over POD#0–3. Opioid use was statistically lower averaged over POD#0–3. Individual sites saw variation on length of stay and opioid use compared to the system. Conclusion: In conclusion, system-wide data showed gabapentin containing protocols reduced opioid use while maintaining clinically equivalent analgesia. However, variations of individual site results make it difficult to conclude the degree to which gabapentin were responsible for this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter hepaticus is an important pathogen which causes Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) in layer chickens. SLD results in an increase in mortality and a significant decrease in egg production and therefore is an important economic concern of the global poultry industry. The human pathogen Campylobacter jejuni encodes an N-linked glycosylation system that plays fundamental roles in host colonization and pathogenicity. While N-linked glycosylation has been extensively studied in C. jejuni and is now known to occur in a range of Campylobacter species, little is known about C. hepaticus glycosylation. In this study glycoproteomic analysis was used to confirm the functionality of the C. hepaticus N-glycosylation system. It was shown that C. hepaticus HV10T modifies > 35 proteins with an N-linked heptasaccharide glycan. C. hepaticus shares highly conserved glycoproteins with C. jejuni that are involved in host colonisation and also possesses unique glycoproteins which may contribute to its ability to survive in challenging host environments. C. hepaticus N-glycosylation may function as an important virulence factor, providing an opportunity to investigate and develop a better understanding the system's role in poultry infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaboration and teamwork are concepts routinely attributed to organizational success and successful change management. Yet often the details of these collaborative experiences are limited to participants in the team involved. In this case study we highlight how a learning experience architect, as part of an organizational working group, could leverage human performance technology (HPT) principles to lead the analysis efforts surrounding an LMS platform change at a professional training organization. Human performance technology is the study and practice of improving productivity in organizations. This includes designing and developing effective interventions, processes, and methodologies that are ethical, results-oriented, comprehensive, and systemic (West, 2018). This article covers the project's genesis, the project team's creation, and how the analysis work was carried out. The first author's unique access to the subject matter of this case study provides the ability to present the project's analysis phase in the following narrative format. This article's intrinsic case study represents an exploratory inquiry into a single case, as this article's conclusions are inherently limited to its scope. Nevertheless, the article provides evidence that large scale change within organizations requires a balance of effective communication practices and organizational systems thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic investigations on the effect of sulfonic acid additives for the fabrication of thermally stable sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (PAES) composites for proton exchange membranes fuel cell applications were carried out. A uniform microstructure containing different concentration (1, 5 and 10 vol.%) of aromatic sulfonic acid additives (aniline‐2‐sulfonic acid (ASA), 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (ABSA) and 3‐amino‐4‐hydroxy‐benzenesulfonic acid (AHBSA)) and biphenol‐based disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer (PAES) as the matrix were successfully prepared. Phase segregation of the additives with sizes ranging from 1 to 2 μm was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed that additive derived PAES were thermally stable up to 400 °C. Proton conductivity of ASA‐PAES membranes was found to increase gradually with ASA concentration. Among all membranes PAES‐10 %ASA exhibited the highest conductivity of 0.123±0.01 S⋅cm−1 at 100 % relative humidity. However, PAES‐1 %ASA and PAES‐10 %ABSA membranes demonstrated the lowest leaching. Water uptake, ion exchange capacity and leaching parameters were correlated to additive concentration. This study will serve as a guide for the fabrication of PAES membranes with high concentration of sulfonated group in the polymer chain with enhanced thermal stability and proton conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates from infectious disease models have constituted a significant part of the scientific evidence used to inform the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. These estimates can vary strikingly in their bias and variability. Epidemiological forecasts should be consistent with the observations that eventually materialize. We use simple scoring rules to refine the forecasts of a novel statistical model for multisource COVID-19 surveillance data by tuning its smoothness hyperparameter. This article is part of the theme issue 'Technical challenges of modelling real-life epidemics and examples of overcoming these'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered insecticidal protein Mpp75Aa1.1 from Brevibacillus laterosporus is a member of the ETX_MTX family of beta-pore forming proteins (β-PFPs) expressed in genetically modified (GM) maize to control western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte). In this manuscript, bioinformatic analysis establishes that although Mpp75Aa1.1 shares varying degrees of similarity to members of the ETX_MTX2 protein family, it is unlikely to have any allergenic, toxic, or otherwise adverse biological effects. The safety of Mpp75Aa1.1 is further supported by a weight of evidence approach including evaluation of the history of safe use (HOSU) of ETX_MTX2 proteins and Breviballus laterosporus. Comparisons between purified Mpp75Aa1.1 protein and a poly-histidine-tagged (His-tagged) variant of the Mpp75Aa1.1 protein demonstrate that both forms of the protein are heat labile at temperatures at or above 55°C, degraded by gastrointestinal proteases within 0.5 min, and have no adverse effects in acute mouse oral toxicity studies at a dose level of 1920 or 2120 mg/kg body weight. These results support the use of His-tagged proteins as suitable surrogates for assessing the safety of their non-tagged parent proteins. Taken together, we report that Mpp75Aa1.1 is the first ETX-MTX2 insecticidal protein from B. laterosporus and displays a similar safety profile as typical Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to examine the psychometric properties of a color-shape version of the switch task. In Study 1, 128 participants completed a battery of standardized measures of executive functions (EFs) as well as the switch task to determine the construct validity of three traditionally computed costs (global, switch, and mixing) and primary variables (accuracy [ACC], reaction time [RT], and inverse efficiency score [IES] of the heterogeneous condition). In Study 2, 48 participants completed the task twice, seven days apart, to evaluate its short-term test-retest reliability. Results do not support the construct validity and the test-retest reliability of switch and mixing costs. The overall higher psychometric properties of the global costs (RT and IES), and primary variables (Hetero RT and IES) suggest that they may be useful measures for clinicians to assess EFs. The latter variables show evidence of convergent validity with standardized measures of EFs and good test-rest reliability (ICC ≥ .68). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hurricane Laura was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana since 1969 with maximum sustained winds of 130 knots. One University of Oklahoma Shared Atmospheric Mobile and Teaching Polarmetric Radar (SR1‐P), and four portable in situ precipitation stations (PIPSs) equipped with parsivel disdrometers were spatially and temporally collocated with two NASA Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Dual‐frequency Precipitation Radar overpasses. The combined retrieval methods were able to quantify and compare drop size distribution moments and radar‐inferred precipitation processes before, during, and after the storm center made landfall. It was found that the magnitude of collision‐coalescence dominant precipitation decreased from before to after landfall. Further, the presence of a bright‐band becomes more evident across all percentiles in the post‐landfall overpass, indicating an increase in stratiform precipitation compared to convective precipitation after Laura moved inland. The PIPS showed an increase in mean drop size from 1.0 mm before landfall to as high as 4.0 mm in the eyewall, while decreasing to below 1.0 mm as Laura continued to move inland with a decrease in maximum echo top height of 0.5–1.0 km. Last, the Dual‐frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) algorithm overestimated the normalized intercept parameter by 0.5–1.0 m−3 mm−1 compared to the PIPS implying differences in measured drop number concentration, potentially due to differences in measurement footprint or assumptions in the DPR retrieval algorithm. These findings can potentially be used to improve the DPR particle size distribution algorithm in tropical cyclones. Plain Language Summary: Understanding the dominant precipitation processes in tropical cyclones (TCs) is important for quantifying the potential for flash flooding in warning operations and improving precipitation forecasts from numerical models. Hurricane Laura (2020) provided a unique opportunity to analyze precipitation processes throughout its evolution as numerous radars and instruments were deployed in various portions of the storm. As each observational method has advantages and disadvantages, a joint analysis between all sensors allows for a direct comparison of rainfall characteristics to better understand the evolution and distribution of precipitation in landfalling TCs. The results suggest that the space‐borne radar may be overestimating rainfall concentration compared to the ground‐based instruments, and considerable variations in raindrop size occurred between the outer portions of the storm compared to the storm center. Key Point: A joint analysis between ground radar, space‐borne radar, and disdrometers to quantify precipitation processes in a tropical cyclone [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a sport-related concussion, many athletes experience persisting neurophysiological alterations. These alterations may be absent at rest but emerge during moments of physiological stress. Unnoticed and untreated neurophysiological dysfunction may negatively affect long-term neurologic health in adolescent athletes, as they are at a critical point in development. To assess cardio-autonomic functioning in athletes with and those without a history of concussion by quantifying measures of heart rate variability (HRV) during times of physical and mental exertion. Case-control study. Research laboratory. Thirty-four male Hockey Quebec Midget-AAA hockey players were separated into those with (n = 16; age = 16.06 ± 0.73 years, body mass index = 23.29 ± 1.79) and those without (n = 18; age = 15.98 ± 0.62 years, body mass index = 23.60 ± 2.49) a history of concussion. All athletes underwent a series of HRV recording sessions (1) at rest, (2) while completing a cognitive task at rest, and (3) while completing a cognitive task after a bout of submaximal aerobic exercise. Time-domain measures of HRV, including mean NN intervals, SD of NN intervals, and root mean square of successive NN interval differences, were quantified for each assessment. No differences in characteristics were evident between groups. No between-groups differences in HRV at rest were observed. However, during the cognitive task at rest and after aerobic exercise, athletes with a history of concussion demonstrated a higher SD of NN intervals (78.1 ± 4.3 versus 63.2 ± 4.1 milliseconds and 71.2 ± 4.3 versus 65.2 ± 3.8 milliseconds, respectively; F1,31 = 4.31, P =.046) and root mean square of successive NN interval differences (75.8 ± 6.0 versus 59.0 ± 5.6 milliseconds and 74.0 ± 5.5 versus 59.0 ± 5.2 milliseconds, respectively; F1,31 = 4.88, P =.04) than athletes without a history of concussion. Concussive injuries may result in long-term cardio-autonomic dysfunction. These deficits may not be present at rest but may be triggered by physiological stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effects of the interfacial modification to the functional properties of magnetic topological insulator thin films is crucial for developing novel technological applications from spintronics to quantum computing. Here, a large electronic and magnetic response is reported to be induced in the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 by controlling the propagation of surface oxidation. It is shown that the formation of the surface oxide layer is confined to the top 1–2 unit cells but drives large changes in the overall magnetic response. Specifically, a dramatic reversal of the sign of the anomalous Hall effect is observed to be driven by finite thickness magnetism, which indicates that the film splits into distinct magnetic layers each with a unique electronic signature. These data reveal a delicate dependence of the overall magnetic and electronic response of MnBi2Te4 on the stoichiometry of the top layers. This study suggests that perturbations resulting from surface oxidation may play a non‐trivial role in the stabilization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in this system and that understanding targeted modifications to the surface may open new routes for engineering novel topological and magnetic responses in this fascinating material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]