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Exposure to adversities in early life appears to affect the development of white matter, especially oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, altered myelination is present in regions subjected to maturation during the developmental time when early adversities are experienced. In this review, studies applying two well-established animal models of early life adversity, namely maternal separation and maternal immune activation, focusing on oligodendrocyte alterations and resulting implications for psychiatric disorders are discussed. Studies revealed that myelination is reduced as a result of altered oligodendrocyte expression. Furthermore, early adversity is associated with increased cell death, a simpler morphology, and inhibited oligodendrocyte maturation. However, these effects seem to be region- specific as some brain regions show increased expression while others show decreased expression of oligodendroglia-related genes, and they occur especially in regions of ongoing development. Some studies furthermore suggest that early adversity leads to premature differentiation of oligodendrocytes. Importantly, especially early exposure results in stronger oligodendrocyte-related impairments. However, resulting alterations are not restricted to exposure during the early pre- and postnatal days as social isolation after weaning leads to fewer internodes and branches and shorter processes of oligodendrocytes in adulthood. Eventually, the found alterations may lead to dysfunction and long-lasting alterations in structural brain development associated with psychiatric disorders. To date, only few preclinical studies have focused on the effects of early adversity on oligodendrocytes. More studies including several developmental stages are needed to further disentangle the role of oligodendrocytes in the development of psychiatric disorders.

The brain is built with hemispheric asymmetries in structure and function to enable fast neuronal processing. In neuroimaging studies, several mental disorders have been associated with altered or attenuated hemispheric asymmetries. However, the exact mechanism linking asymmetries and disorders is not known. Here, studies in animal models of mental disorders render important insights into the etiology and neuronal alterations associated with both disorders and atypical asymmetry. In this review, the current literature of animal studies in rats and mice focusing on anxiety and fear, anhedonia and despair, addiction or substance misuse, neurodegenerative disorders as well as stress exposure, and atypical hemispheric asymmetries is summarized. Results indicate overall increased right-hemispheric neuronal activity and a left-sided behavioral bias associated with symptoms of anxiety, fear, anhedonia, behavioral despair as well as stress exposure. Addiction behavior is associated with right-sided bias and transgenic models of Alzheimer’s disease indicate an asymmetrical accumulation of fibrillar plaques. Most studies focused on changes in the bilateral amygdala and frontal cortex. Across studies, two crucial factors influencing atypical asymmetries arose independently of the disorder modeled: sex and developmental age. In conclusion, animal models of mental disorders demonstrate atypical hemispheric asymmetries similar to findings in patients. Particularly, increased left-sided behavior and greater right-hemispheric activity were found across models applying stress-based paradigms. However, sex- and age-dependent effects on atypical hemispheric asymmetries are present that require further investigation. Animal models enable the analysis of hemispheric changes on the molecular level which may be most effective to detect early alterations.

In the general population, 10.6% are left-handed and 89.4% are right-handed (Papadatou-Pastou et al., 2020). Interestingly, the handedness prevalence is shifted toward a higher frequency of left and/or non-right-handedness in several neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders (Mundorf and Ocklenburg, 2021). For dementia and especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), the results rather propose the opposite. Some studies report reduced rates of non-right-handedness in AD compared to controls but increased rates of non-right-handedness are associated with early-onset AD (Ryan et al., 2019). However, a meta-analysis of existing findings is needed before further conclusions can be drawn. Given the increasing evidence of increased rates of left- or non-right-handedness evident in several psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (Borawski et al., 2023), it is of great interest to understand the prevalence of handedness in patients diagnosed with dementia. By conducting a systematic search and meta-analysis of existing findings of rates of handedness in patients diagnosed with dementia and its subtypes, we aim to help researchers disentangle and interpret specific effects found only for one hemisphere and the role of handedness in early or late symptom onset. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to present an integrative overview of potential differences in handedness in dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) based on existing patient studies.

We present timing solutions for 21 pulsars discovered in 350 MHz surveys using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). All were discovered in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar survey, with the exception of PSR J0957-0619, which was found in the GBT 350 MHz Drift-scan pulsar survey. The majority of our timing observations were made with the GBT at 820 MHz. With a spin period of 37 ms and a 528-day orbit, PSR J0032+6946 joins a small group of five other mildly recycled wide binary pulsars, for which the duration of recycling through accretion is limited by the length of the companion's giant phase. PSRs J0141+6303 and J1327+3423 are new disrupted recycled pulsars. We incorporate Arecibo observations from the NANOGrav pulsar timing array into our analysis of the latter. We also observed PSR J1327+3423 with the Long Wavelength Array, and our data suggest a frequency-dependent dispersion measure. PSR J0957-0619 was discovered as a rotating radio transient, but is a nulling pulsar at 820 MHz. PSR J1239+3239 is a new millisecond pulsar (MSP) in a 4-day orbit with a low-mass companion. Four of our pulsars already have published timing solutions, which we update in this work: the recycled wide binary PSR J0214+5222, the non-eclipsing black widow PSR J0636+5128, the disrupted recycled pulsar J1434+7257, and the eclipsing binary MSP J1816+4510, which is in an 8.7 hr orbit with a redback-mass companion., Comment: 32 pages, 17 figures, 9 tables. Submitted to ApJ

Stage 1 IPA at Cortex

Two event-related brain potential (ERP) components elicited during feedback processing are the frontocentral feedback-related negativity (FRN), followed by the posterior P300. According to the Error-Related Reinforcement Learning Theory (Holroyd & Coles, 2002), the FRN amplitude is largest when the outcome is negative and unexpected. Complementing this, studies on the subsequent P300 have often reported larger amplitudes for positive than negative outcomes. In an influential ERP study, Hajcak et al., (2005) manipulated outcome valence and expectancy in a guessing task. However, they found that the FRN component was larger for negative (no-reward) than positive (reward) outcomes, irrespective of expectancy. Conversely, the P300 component was larger for unexpected than expected outcomes, irrespective of valence. These results were at odds with prominent theories and extant literature. Here, we aim to replicate these results within the #EEGManyLabs project (Pavlov et al., 2021). Across thirteen labs we will not only undertake a close replication, but test the robustness of these effects to analytical choices (e.g. quantification of ERPs) and supplement the findings with Bayesian multilevel linear models to test for the reported absence of the effects.

Remembering one event tends to trigger retrieval of other events previously experienced nearby in time (temporal contiguity effect). The retrieved context framework attributes this effect to automatic encoding and retrieval processes, predicting temporal contiguity even with incidental encoding and implicit retrieval. There is strong evidence of temporal contiguity following incidental encoding, but does the prediction hold for implicit retrieval? In this experiment, we tested the framework’s predictions for recall and repetition priming. Across 30 trials, undergraduates read a series of words aloud. In each trial, two words were repeated (cue and target), initially separated by |lag| = 1, 2, or 5. On their second presentation, the cue was presented first, immediately followed by the target. Temporal contiguity occurred in surprise final free recall, replicating previous work. Repeating a cue enhanced repetition priming for its associated target, and this effect varied with initial lag, demonstrating temporal contiguity in implicit retrieval.

Remembering one item in free recall often triggers recall of other items encoded nearby in time to the initial item. Retrieved Context Models can account for this temporal contiguity effect (TCE) but cannot account for how various experimental manipulations modulate the size of the TCE. We attempt to model the finding that orthographic distinctiveness dramatically reduces the TCE. Across six experiments, we found that the TCE is sometimes attenuated (though never eliminated) by distinctiveness. We developed a model of the distinctiveness effect by integrating the item-order framework with Retrieved Context Models. This model assumes orthographic distinctiveness increases the amount of processing devoted to items themselves, thereby reducing the functionality of the model mechanisms that generate temporal contiguity: context drift rate during study and the formation of new associations between items and experimental context. This model was fit to recall and TCE data from pure-list conditions and accounted for the data quite well. We then used the parameter values resulting from pure-list fits to simulate mixed-list data. Despite the substantial differences between pure- and mixed-lists, the model fit the mixed-list data quite well. The results support an item-order account of the distinctiveness effect.

Recent animal and human studies connected the Morc family CW-type zinc finger 1 (Morc1) gene with early life stress and depression. Moreover, the Morc superfamily is related to epigenetic regulation in diverse nuclear processes. So far, the Morc1 gene was mainly studied in spermatogenesis, whereas its distribution and function in the brain are still unknown. In a first attempt to characterize Morc1 in the brain, we performed a Western Blot analysis as well as a real-time PCR analysis during different stages of development. Additionally, we detected Morc1 mRNA using real-time PCR in different mood-regulating brain areas in adult rats. We found that MORC1 protein as well as Morc1 mRNA is already expressed in the brain at embryonic day 14 and is stably expressed until adulthood. Furthermore, Morc1 mRNA is present in many important brain areas of mood regulation like the medial prefrontal cortex, the nucleus accumbens, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the amygdala. The ample distribution in the brain and its molecular structure as a zinc finger protein indicate that Morc1 might act as a transcription factor. This function and its expression in mood-regulating areas already in the early brain development turn Morc1 into a possible candidate gene for mediating early life stress and depression.

This systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines illustrates the current state of research on the neural coding of the subjective value of rewards or other action outcomes. It includes studies using neuroimaging or electroencephalography. Only studies investigating this topic in healthy, human adults are included. Multiple studies have shown that the human brain ascribes values that vary interindividually to different types of rewards. Those reward value representations are flexible, enabling the brain to generate a new reward value as soon as internal or external conditions change. For example, the activation pattern in the orbitofrontal cortex in response to a snack that is liked very much by a participant will be modified once this snack has been consumed until satiety (Kringelbach et al., 2003). Our systematic review will present an overview of studies using flexible but also fixed reward values to explain the neural coding of subjective reward value. Furthermore this systematic review will focus on dopaminergic structures such as the striatum and the ventral tegmental area and their implication in processes of reward prediction and value representation (Jocham et al., 2014; O'Doherty et al., 2003; Pessiglione et al., 2008). In addition to neuroimaging data, we will describe electrophysiological findings. The size of a reward is reflected in event-related-potential (ERP) components called feedback related negativity (FRN) and P300 (Bellebaum et al., 2010). Huvermann et al. (2021) and Peterburs et al. (2019) additionally reported coding of reward preferences in the amplitude of the ERP-component P2. Therefore we will focus on those three components in our systematic review.

Numerous cortical and subcortical structures have been studied extensively concerning alterations of their integrity as well as their neurotransmitters in depression. However, connections between these structures have received considerably less attention.This systematic review presents results from recent neuroimaging as well as neuropathologic studies conducted on humans and other mammals. It aims to provide evidence for impaired white matter integrity in individuals expressing a depressive phenotype.A systematic database search in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify imaging and postmortem studies conducted on humans with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, as well as on rodents and primates subjected to an animal model of depression.Alterations are especially apparent in frontal gyri, as well as in structures establishing interhemispheric connectivity between frontal regions. Translational neuropathological findings point to alterations in oligodendrocyte density and morphology, as well as to alterations in the expression of genes related to myelin synthesis. An important role of early life adversities in the development of depressive symptoms and white matter alterations across species is thereby revealed. Data indicating that stress can interfere with physiological myelination patterns is presented. Altered myelination is most notably present in regions that are subject to maturation during the developmental stage of exposure to adversities.Translational studies point to replicable alterations in white matter integrity in subjects suffering from depression across multiple species. Impaired white matter integrity is apparent in imaging as well as neuropathological studies. Future studies should focus on determining to what extent influencing white matter integrity is able to improve symptoms of depression in animals as well as humans.

In this article, we describe a collaboratively developed information literacy curriculum that was embedded into three core 8th grade subjects: Algebra, American History, and English Language Arts. ...

Pre-mRNA splicing catalyzed by the spliceosome represents a critical step in the regulation of gene expression contributing to transcriptome and proteome diversity. The spliceosome consists of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), the biogenesis of which remains only partially understood. Here we define the evolutionarily conserved protein Ecdysoneless (Ecd) as a critical regulator of U5 snRNP assembly and Prp8 stability. Combining Drosophila genetics with proteomic approaches, we demonstrate the Ecd requirement for the maintenance of adult healthspan and lifespan and identify the Sm ring protein SmD3 as a novel interaction partner of Ecd. We show that the predominant task of Ecd is to deliver Prp8 to the emerging U5 snRNPs in the cytoplasm. Ecd deficiency, on the other hand, leads to reduced Prp8 protein levels and compromised U5 snRNP biogenesis, causing loss of splicing fidelity and transcriptome integrity. Based on our findings, we propose that Ecd chaperones Prp8 to the forming U5 snRNP allowing completion of the cytoplasmic part of the U5 snRNP biogenesis pathway necessary to meet the cellular demand for functional spliceosomes.

Memory tends to be better when items are processed for their meaning (deep processing) rather than their perceptual features (shallow processing). This levels of processing (LOP) effect is well-replicated and has been applied in many settings, but the mechanisms involved are still not well understood. The temporal contiguity effect (TCE), the finding that recalling one event often triggers recall of another event experienced nearby in time, also predicts memory performance. This effect has given rise to several competing theories with specific contiguity-generating mechanisms related to how items are processed. Therefore, studying how LOP and the TCE interact may shed light on the mechanisms underlying both effects. However, it is unknown how LOP and the TCE interact-various theories make differing predictions. In this preregistered study, we tested predictions of three theoretical explanations: accounts which assume temporal information is automatically encoded, accounts based on a trade-off between item and order information, and accounts which emphasize the importance of strategic control processes. Participants completed an immediate free recall task where they either engaged in deep processing, shallow processing, or no additional task while studying each word. Recall and the TCE were highest for no-task lists and greater for deep than shallow processing. Our results support theories which assume temporal associations are automatically encoded and those which emphasize strategic control processes. Both perspectives should be considered in theory development. These findings also suggest temporal information may contribute to better recall under deeper processing with implications for determining which situations benefit from deep processing.

Purpose To describe the changes in endothelial cell density (ECD), the coefficient of variation (CV), and the percent of hexagonal cells (%HEX) after 3 months of therapy with netarsudil (Rhopressa; Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc, Durham, NC) 0.02% dosed once daily (QD) or twice daily (BID) and to compare these changes with those seen with timolol 0.5% BID in eyes with ocular hypertension (OHTN) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Design Post hoc analysis of data from a phase 3 evaluation of the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy and safety of netarsudil 0.02% versus timolol 0.5%. Participants A subset of study subjects underwent corneal endothelial cell imaging by specular microscopy at baseline and after 3 months of therapy. Methods Images were evaluated in a masked fashion at an independent reading center. The ECD, CV, and %HEX were determined using a standardized protocol for image analysis. Main Outcome Measures Changes in ECD, CV, and %HEX from baseline to 3 months were compared between treatment groups using 2-sample t tests. Results Data from 386 subjects from whom analyzable specular microscopy images were obtained at both baseline and month 3 were included in this analysis. Mean ECD, CV, and %HEX values were comparable between groups at baseline. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in changes from baseline to month 3 in ECD, CV, or %HEX between either of the netarsudil groups and the timolol group. Within groups, CV declined in a statistically significant fashion from baseline to month 3 in all 3 groups by 1.4% to 2.1% (P Conclusions Netarsudil 0.02% showed no clinically significant effects on ECD, CV, or %HEX when dosed QD or BID for 3 months in eyes with OHTN or OAG.

The purpose of this study was to compare the analgesic effect of pulsating ultrasound treatment and placebo on delayed onset of muscle soreness produced by an eccentric exercise bout. In addition, the effect of pulsed ultrasound on muscular performance following an eccentric exercise bout was studied. Eighteen untrained subjects were randomly assigned to: 1) ultrasound (A) [N = 6] over the areas of concentrated muscle soreness, i.e. proximal vastus lateralis and distal vastus medialis; 2) placebo ultrasound (B) [N = 6]; and 3) no therapeutic intervention (C) [N = 6]. Baseline data were recorded for maximum isometric knee extension contraction (MVC), maximum knee extension torque (MT), knee extension work (W), and soreness perception (SP). All values were subsequently reassessed 24 and 48 hours after intense muscular activity. Immediately following the 24 hour reassessment the A group received ultrasound treatment, the B group received placebo ultrasound, while the C group received no treatment. Percent deviation from baseline of SP, MVC, MT and W were significantly less for A than B and C (p less than 0.05) at 48 hours post muscle soreness bout. These data indicate that pulsed ultrasound accelerates restoration of normal muscle performance, and thus is effective in decreasing delayed onset of muscle soreness. The mechanism for decreasing soreness perception in the muscle is unknown, but may be related to decreasing intramuscular pressure and/or decreasing the inflammatory response.

The postpartum period is a sensitive time where women are especially vulnerable to develop postpartum depression (PPD), with 10%-15% of women affected. This review investigates whether the maternal separation (MS) paradigm in rodents holds the potential to help to understand mothers suffering from PPD. MS is a well-established stress model to investigate effects on infants, whereas effects on the dam are often overlooked. The database PubMed was searched for studies investigating effects of daily MS within the first weeks after parturition on dams in rats and mice and compared to findings in PPD mothers. MS was categorized as brief MS (5-45 min) with or without handling of pups and long MS (3-4 h and longer). MS alters maternal care, depressive-like behavior, anxiety, and aggression; leads to alterations in neuronal gene expression; and affects hormone and neurotransmitter levels similar to observations in PPD patients. Even though there are disparities between human and rodent mothers, with some results differing in directionality, as well as the reason for separation (self-induced in PPD, externally induced in MS), the overall effects found on neurobiological, hormonal, and behavioral levels mostly coincide. Thus, the MS paradigm can add relevant knowledge to existing PPD animal models, further advancing the study of PPD.

Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung, Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung (Journal for Higher Education Development), Software auf Basis Künstlicher Intelligenz aus dem Bereich des Natural Language Processing hat das Potenzial, wissenschaftliches Schreiben grundlegend zu verändern. Entsprechende Tools können bereits erstaunlich kohärente Texte in wissenschaftlichem Ton produzieren. Dies führt zu fundamentalen Fragen guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis und akademischer Kultur. Wir diskutieren diese Entwicklung vor dem Hintergrund einer Befragung deutscher Schreibdidaktiker:innen und arbeiten Fragen heraus, die im Zusammenhang mit KI-Schreibtools zukünftig von zentraler Bedeutung sein werden. Abschließend schlagen wir einen Passus für eine Selbstständigkeitserklärung vor, der den Entwicklungen Rechnung trägt., Software based on artificial intelligence (AI) from the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has the potential to fundamentally change scientific writing at universities. Related applications are already capable of producing astonishingly coherent texts in a scientific tone. This raises fundamental questions about good scholarly practice and academic culture in both research and teaching. This paper explores this development against the background of a survey of German writing pedagogy and discusses questions of central importance related to AI writing tools. Finally, we propose a declaration of academic integrity that takes into account the technological developments described.

The temporal contiguity effect (TCE) is the tendency for the recall of one event to cue recall of other events originally experienced nearby in time. Retrieved context theory proposes that the TCE results from fundamental properties of episodic memory: binding of events to a drifting context representation during encoding and the reinstatement of those associations during recall. If these processes are automatic, the TCE should not be dependent on any encoding strategy and should, in fact, be present regardless of encoding intentionality. Here, we ask whether this theory is compatible with recent findings that the TCE is dramatically reduced under incidental encoding, even though memory accuracy is only modestly reduced. We begin by attempting to replicate this finding in a new large-scale study with over 5,000 participants in which we manipulated encoding intentionality between participants in both delayed free recall and continual distractor free recall. A small, but reliable, TCE was observed in all conditions, although the effect was dramatically reduced in incidental encoding. In a simulation study, we demonstrated that retrieved context theory can simultaneously account for both overall recall and the strength of the TCE in incidental encoding conditions. Additional analyses revealed that the incidental TCE is not an artifact of theoretically uninteresting factors, such as recency, and is consistent with being generated by the core contextual dynamics of retrieved context theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A single chronic stress is often considered a potential reinforcer in psychiatric disorders. Lithium and ketamine both seem to ameliorate the consequences of stress. Here, male mice were either injected with lithium carbonate (LiCl), ketamine hydrochloride (KET), or sodium chloride (NaCl; controls) over nine consecutive days. Treatment was followed by 2 h of restraint stress over the first seven days. On the 9th day, 2 h after injection, all animals were tested in the open field, and novel object tests and behavior were analyzed using the toolbox ‘DeepLabCut’. To exclude an effect of generally altered locomotion activity on turning behavior, further parameters were assessed. Treatment before chronic stress exposure did not influence the total number of turns, nor the direction of turning behavior in the open field and the novel object test. Additionally, general locomotion did not differ. However, mice treated with LiCl showed a stronger turning bias (i.e., larger absolute lateralization quotients) in the novel object test when compared to mice treated with KET. This study underlines the potential of investigating turning behavior as a sensitive and reliable marker of stress reaction. Additionally, analyzing behavioral asymmetries in the context of psychopharmacological treatment can render new insights.

Background To describe the retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy learning curve differences between a high volume (training) hospital in Basel, Switzerland, and a low volume (trainee) hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, after knowledge transfer. The South African hospital is resource constraint in hospital and training equipment. Techniques for performing the surgery were near identical. Methods Both units maintained prospective databases. Comparisons were made of the first 74 cases in each database: Basel’s series were from 19 January 2001 until 28 June 2004, while the Cape Town Hospital were from 8 April 2008 until 15 July 2008. Four surgeons operated in the Basel group, while only one surgeon operated in the Cape Town group. Variables compared include operating time (first skin incision until kidney was extracted), warm ischaemic time (renal arterial occlusion until cold bench reperfusion), blood loss, graft function, and hospital stay. We also analysed the first and last 25 cases of each series. Subgroup analysis of a single Basel surgeon was conducted. Results Donor age (means: Basel vs. Cape Town 54 vs. 33 p P = 0.0023). There was double the number of early graft failures in the South African group (six vs. three)—not related to donor surgery. Both groups showed a decline in operating times, plateauing at 30–34 cases. Conclusions There are statistically significant differences in some aspects of the learning curves of the Swiss (training) and South African (trainee) hospitals. These differences are clinically not pronounced, and the knowledge transfer was worth the effort.

Memory tends to be better when items are processed for their meaning (deep processing) rather than their perceptual features (shallow processing). This levels of processing (LOP) effect is well-replicated and has been applied in many settings, but the mechanisms involved are still not well understood. The temporal contiguity effect (TCE), the finding that recalling one event often triggers recall of another event experienced nearby in time, also predicts memory performance. This effect has given rise to several competing theories with specific contiguity-generating mechanisms related to how items are processed. Therefore, studying how LOP and the TCE interact may shed light on the mechanisms underlying both effects. However, it is unknown how LOP and the TCE interact—the various theories make differing predictions. In this preregistered study, we tested predictions of three theoretical explanations: accounts which assume temporal information is automatically encoded, accounts based on a trade-off between item and order information, and accounts which emphasize the importance of strategic control processes. Participants completed an immediate free recall task where they either engaged in deep processing, shallow processing, or no additional task while studying each word. Recall and the TCE were highest for no-task lists and greater for deep than shallow processing. Our results support theories which assume temporal associations are automatically encoded and those which emphasize strategic control processes. Both perspectives should be considered in theory development. These findings also suggest temporal information may contribute to better recall under deeper processing with implications in determining which situations benefit from deep processing.

Der Sammelband bietet einen Überblick über den Einsatz autobiografischen Schreibens in verschiedenen Bildungskontexten. Vorgestellt werden theoretisch fundierte Konzepte und in der Praxis bewährte Methoden zur Reflexion der Lebens-, Sozialisations- und Bildungsgeschichte. Fokussiertes, bildungsorientiertes autobiografisches Schreiben bezieht sich auf ausgewählte Ausschnitte der Lebensgeschichte, ermöglicht Erlebnisse, Erfahrungen, Erinnerungen, Beobachtungen und Wahrnehmungen der schreibenden Person schriftlich zu explizieren und bildungsorientiert zu reflektieren. In der Schule, im Studium, in der Lehrer*innenbildung, in der Schreibberatung und in Weiterbildungsangeboten können Formen autobiografischen Schreibens zur Professionalisierung und Selbstfürsorge im Beruf und zur Bewältigung von Lebenskrisen beitragen. Für Unterricht und Berufspraxis finden Lehrer*innen, Trainer*innen, Hochschuldidaktiker*innen und Schreibberater*innen hier interessanten Input.

To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy and safety of netarsudil once daily (QD) and timolol twice daily (BID).Double-masked, randomized, phase 3, noninferiority study.Patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (unmedicated baseline IOP20 to30 mm Hg at 8:00 AM) were randomized to netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% QD (PM) or timolol ophthalmic solution 0.5% BID. The primary endpoint was mean IOP at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 4:00 PM at week 2, week 6, and month 3 in patients with baseline IOP25 mm Hg (per-protocol population). Safety was recorded over the 6-month treatment period.A total of 186 patients from each treatment arm were included in the primary efficacy analysis. Netarsudil QD met the criteria for noninferiority to timolol BID. Mean treated IOP ranged from 16.3 to 17.9 mm Hg for netarsudil and 16.7 to 17.6 for timolol, with mean reductions from baseline of 3.9 to 4.7 mm Hg and 3.8 to 5.2 mm Hg, respectively. In prespecified secondary analyses, netarsudil demonstrated noninferiority to timolol in patients with baseline IOP27 mm Hg and30 mm Hg. The IOP-lowering effects of netarsudil were sustained over 6 months of treatment. No treatment-related serious adverse event (AE) was reported for either study drug. However, statistically significant reductions in mean heart rate were recorded at all study visits for the timolol group. The most frequent ocular AE among netarsudil-treated patients was conjunctival hyperemia (47.9%), which was predominately mild.Netarsudil QD (PM), a first-in-class IOP-lowering medication, was noninferior to timolol BID and was associated with tolerable ocular AEs.

Entrepreneurship in higher education increasingly values entrepreneurial creativity as a key driver to enhance the innovation ability of university students. This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial creativity under a newly proposed framework that recognizes the role of inspiration in the creativity processes, and administered questionnaires among 1873 students across 36 universities in China, who have participated in entrepreneurship classes or maker space. Results reveal that effectiveness of entrepreneurship education has a strong positive correlation with entrepreneurial creativity, which is partially mediated by entrepreneurial inspiration through a bootstrap method test and a robustness test of the SEM model. This finding contributes to understanding the process of enhancing entrepreneurial creativity and promoting university creativity through entrepreneurship education.

Atypical asymmetries have been reported in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, linking higher symptom severity to weaker lateralization. Furthermore, both lateralization and schizophrenia are influenced by the dopaminergic system. However, whether a direct link between the etiology of schizophrenia and atypical asymmetries exists is yet to be investigated. In this study, we examined whether maternal immune activation (MIA), a developmental animal model for schizophrenia and known to alter the dopaminergic system, induces atypical lateralization in adolescent and adult offspring. As the dopaminergic system is a key player in both, we analyzed neuronal dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) mRNA expression. MIA was induced by injecting pregnant rats with 10 mg/kg polyinosinic:polycytidylic (PolyI:C) at gestational day 15. Controls were injected with 0.9 % NaCl. Offspring were tested at adolescence or early adulthood for asymmetry of turning behavior in the open field test. The total number of left and right turns per animal was assessed using DeepLabCut. Strength and preferred side of asymmetry were analyzed by calculating lateralization quotients. Additionally, DRD2 mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex of offspring at both ages was analyzed using real-time PCR. MIA was associated with a rightward turning behavior in adolescents. In adults, MIA was associated with an absence of turning bias, indicating reduced asymmetry after MIA. The analysis of DRD2 mRNA expression revealed significantly lower mRNA levels after MIA compared to controls in adolescent, but not adult animals. Our results reinforce the association between atypical asymmetries, reduced DRD2 mRNA expression, and schizophrenia. However, more preclinical research is needed.

Atypical leftward behavioral asymmetries have been associated with early life stress and psychopathologies in humans and animals. Maternal separation (MS) is a frequently used model to investigate early life stress and psychopathologies but has not yet been studied in terms of asymmetries. This study aims to investigate whether prolonged MS induces atypical leftward asymmetries in the turning behavior of rats. MS was performed from postnatal days 2-20 followed by a second stressor from postnatal days 21-40. Asymmetry of turning behavior was then examined in the elevated plus-maze test upon weaning (juveniles and dams) or adolescence. The number of left and right turns was calculated per animal using the deep learning software package DeepLabCut enabling markerless pose estimation. Then, a lateralization quotient (LQ) was determined for each animal allowing to investigate the strength as well as the preferred side of asymmetry. LQ analysis revealed a significant leftward asymmetry in the prolonged stress group. Moreover, analyzing the number of turns revealed significantly more left than right turns in total in this group. Control animals showed no asymmetries in turning behavior. These results indicate that prolonged stress during the early postnatal days led to atypical leftward turning behavior. The stress-induced atypical asymmetry might be a mediator of early life stress and the development of psychiatric disorders.

Introduction. While school-based kitchen garden programs are shown to improve fruit and vegetable consumption and knowledge among children, there has been little research on participant perceptions of these programs, specifically among minority populations that are disproportionately affected by and at high risk for overweight and obesity. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of and values associated with participation in school-based kitchen garden programs implemented through Edible Schoolyard New Orleans in low-income, predominantly African American schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. Method. Qualitative data were collected through semistructured focus group discussions with key stakeholder groups at schools offering Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. Results. A total of 10 focus groups were conducted across 4 middle schools with students ( n = 27), parents ( n = 17), and teachers ( n = 17). Four primary themes emerged during data analysis: development of life skills, food and health, family and community, and experiential and participatory learning. Conclusions. To strengthen the sustainability and potential impact of school-based kitchen garden programs, future intervention strategies should place specific emphasis on the themes that emerged from this study. School-based kitchen garden programs may be a promising strategy to positively influence the individual, social, and physical environmental factors that contribute to overweight and obesity in low-income, African American communities.

Objectives To clarify the effectiveness of perinatal social support interventions in reducing postpartum depression among minority, low-income women. Methods The Transdisciplinary Research Consortium for Gulf Resilience on Women's Health supported a community-based participatory research project to improve perinatal health among low-income, first-time pregnant women living in a vulnerable Gulf Coast region. Community health workers (CHWs) were partnered with recruited women, and used a mix of mobile technology and home visits to develop a supportive relationship during the perinatal period. Results Women enrolled in the CHW-led intervention had lower (F: 2.38, p = 0.04) average postpartum depression scores (EPDS) 6 months postpartum than a comparison population. The difference, however, was not seen among women in the intervention group who reported relatively poor relationships with their CHWs. Conclusions for Practice Results reinforce the evidence that perinatal social support can affect postpartum depression outcomes. CHWs are increasingly utilized by public programs to reach at-risk populations. We discuss the potential efficacy of CHW programs, but also, the need to pair outreach with effective monitoring and evaluation of the relationship development between CHW and clients.

Computational studies of low spin d6 cis– and trans–[M(DABF)2A2]+ complexes (M = Co, Rh, Ir; A = anionic ligand) employing multiple model chemistries find that cis geometries are preferred for complexes where the binding atom in A is high and/or to the left in the Periodic Table, while trans geometries are preferred for complexes where the binding atom is heavy or to the right of the Periodic Table. This holds despite the fact that consideration of the trans influence for the π-acceptor spectator DABF ligand suggest that all such complexes should prefer cis geometries. Energy decomposition analysis ties the phenomenon mostly to the degree of DFT exchange; that this benefits trans geometries more than cis geometries is thought to arise from the greater electronic symmetry of the former. This is supported by predictions for haloborane complexes [M(DABF)2(BX2)2]+. In contrast, [M(CO)4A2]+ complexes, containing better π-accepting CO spectator ligands (presumably higher in the trans influence series), are predicted to prefer cis geometries except for the halogen complexes [M(CO)4X2]+ (X = F, Cl, I), where no distinct preferences exist.

To describe the changes in endothelial cell density (ECD), the coefficient of variation (CV), and the percent of hexagonal cells (%HEX) after 3 months of therapy with netarsudil (Rhopressa; Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc, Durham, NC) 0.02% dosed once daily (QD) or twice daily (BID) and to compare these changes with those seen with timolol 0.5% BID in eyes with ocular hypertension (OHTN) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG).Post hoc analysis of data from a phase 3 evaluation of the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy and safety of netarsudil 0.02% versus timolol 0.5%.A subset of study subjects underwent corneal endothelial cell imaging by specular microscopy at baseline and after 3 months of therapy.Images were evaluated in a masked fashion at an independent reading center. The ECD, CV, and %HEX were determined using a standardized protocol for image analysis.Changes in ECD, CV, and %HEX from baseline to 3 months were compared between treatment groups using 2-sample t tests.Data from 386 subjects from whom analyzable specular microscopy images were obtained at both baseline and month 3 were included in this analysis. Mean ECD, CV, and %HEX values were comparable between groups at baseline. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in changes from baseline to month 3 in ECD, CV, or %HEX between either of the netarsudil groups and the timolol group. Within groups, CV declined in a statistically significant fashion from baseline to month 3 in all 3 groups by 1.4% to 2.1% (P0.001), and %HEX increased by a statistically significant amount (0.7%, P = 0.030) in the timolol group. These small changes were unlikely to be of clinical significance. No statistically significant changes in ECD were seen in any group.Netarsudil 0.02% showed no clinically significant effects on ECD, CV, or %HEX when dosed QD or BID for 3 months in eyes with OHTN or OAG.

Following environmental health disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill, U.S. Gulf residents expressed concern regarding air quality. Women with children make many decisions that mitigate household air quality risks; however, research examining culture's influence in their risk perception and the influence which this has on their behaviour is limited. In this article we examine the cultural connection between low-income women with children along the U.S. Gulf concerning the local threat of air quality. We used cultural consensus analysis to examine the perceptions of low-income, first-time pregnant women. We undertook an interview survey of 112 women living in Southeast Louisiana, USA between May 2014 and March 2015. In this article we examine if there was a shared (cultural) understanding among these women on how to manage air quality threats, to evaluate what determined cultural sharing in the group, and to explore what role cultural beliefs played in their intended household strategies. We found that although air quality was rarely discussed by the women in our study, we were able to identify two multi-centric cultural models of how these women sought to make sense of air quality issues. In one model they relied on their immediate social network of family and friends while in the other model they were willing to make use of official sources of information. These two models helped explain what measures these women planned to take to address air quality issues in an around their household. Our findings show that cultural norms permeate the assessment of risk in a community and that programmes designed to improve public health need to take into account the cultural context of the population.

Even though lithium is widely used as treatment for mood disorders, the exact mechanisms of lithium in the brain remain unknown. A potential mechanism affects the downstream target of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, specifically glutamine synthetase (GS). Here, we investigate the effect of lithium on GS-promoter activity in the brain. Over seven days, B6C3H-Glultm(T2A-LacZ) mice that carry LacZ as a reporter gene fused to the GS-promotor received either daily intraperitoneal injections of lithium carbonate (25 mg/kg) or NaCl, or no treatment. Following histochemical staining of β-galactosidase relative GS-promotor activity was measured by analyzing the intensity of the staining. Furthermore cell counts were conducted. GS-promotor activity was significantly decreased in female compared to male mice. Treatment group differences were only found in male hippocampi, with increased activity after NaCl treatment compared to both the lithium treatment and no treatment. Lithium treatment increased the overall number of cells in the CA1 region in males. Daily injections of NaCl might have been sufficient to induce stress-related GS-promotor activity changes in male mice; however, lithium was able to reverse the effect. Taken together, the current study indicates that lithium acts to prevent stress, rather affecting general GS-promoter activity.

DNA methylation and demethylation can be influenced by several environmental factors including diet, smoking, drug consumption, parental behavior and stress. Given that methylation changes can lead to altered gene transcription their impact can be enormous. Therefore, it is very important to understand the processes and underlying factors influencing methylation. Changes in DNA methylation that occur early during development induce altered gene expression that can affect the development of the brain and other organs right from the beginning. Stress during early development is linked to an increased risk for psychiatric and physiological disorders and altered DNA methylation could be the mediating factor. Whether the addition or the removal of methyl groups is linked to psychiatric outcome depends on several factors like the specific gene and the exposure. There are different approaches to investigate this relationship and to identify risk genes. Some groups focus on the mediating effect of gene methylation on early life stress exposure and psychiatric outcome. Another approach is the study of gene methylation in adults with already diagnosed psychiatric disorders. Others investigated the reversible effect of psychotherapy on gene methylation in patients. Only a few studies correlate gene methylation in healthy adults with subclinical symptoms.