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Derived from the concept of neurodiversity, neurodivergence is an umbrella term for various conditions such as Autism‐Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Dyslexia, or Dyspraxia, which affect approximately 22% of the population. Sensory difficulties and overload are a common symptom. The provision of physical workplace adjustments for neurodivergent workers, such as workplace design solutions, has become popular in practice, yet their utility remains unsubstantiated. This review evaluates the evidence for physical workplace adjustments and their link to occupational longevity, performance and health/well‐being in neurodivergent workers. A systematic review (PRISMA guidelines) of studies published in English between 2000 and 2021 focused on these inclusion criteria: adult office workers clinically considered neurodiverse, their families, colleagues, employers, experts and vocational programme staff; at least one physical workplace adjustment; and all types of empirical study designs. The theoretical framing was based on the ecological model of person–environment fit supplemented by the International Classification of Functioning, (ICF) disability and health and environmental stress theory. Quality assessment and data synthesis were undertaken. Of the 319 studies identified, 20 met the eligibility criteria; the majority addressed ASD. Most studies described a combination of adjustments to address different environmental stimuli. The most frequent adjustments addressed sound distractions (e.g. single‐person offices) and light sensitivity (e.g. light control), which were related to occupational longevity, performance and health/well‐being. A range of other adjustments addressed aspects such as environmental control, crowding or decompression rooms. There is insufficient evidence to fully evaluate the usefulness of adjustments, partially due to methodological shortcomings. Despite the variety of challenges with the sensory physical environment acknowledged in the literature for neurodivergent conditions, there is a paucity of evidence. Given the potential of physical adjustments to improve work and health outcomes, we highlight the necessity for more theoretically driven and methodologically sound research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) mitochondrial (mtDNA) genetic diversity is considered low, especially in the North Atlantic, where only seven haplotypes have been recorded in previous studies using a 345 bp control region fragment. Such studies have not included samples from Ireland or the Netherlands. In this study we analyzed a longer sequence of the mtDNA control region (631 bp) from individuals stranded around Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands between 1995 and 2019 (n = 180). Nine haplotypes were identified, of which five were newly described (haplotype diversity h = 0.511). Pairwise tests revealed significant differentiation between the Irish and Scottish samples. Potential confounding factors are discussed but given that failure to recognize population structure may compromise conservation efforts, the findings show the need for further investigation using nuclear markers. Six mass stranding events were included, of which one event reported two haplotypes among individuals confirming a mixing of matrilineal groups. Although the permanence of this combination cannot be determined, this is the first record of such an occurrence within the North Atlantic. This study shows that stranding sample databases are a useful resource for genetic studies and provides new insights into genetic diversity of long‐finned pilot whales in the eastern North Atlantic and adjacent waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operational and socioeconomic consequences of Covid‐19 have made cash assistance the global go‐to relief modality, whether through humanitarian or social protection channels. Cash has proven to be an adaptable means of saving lives and supporting livelihoods and mitigating the pandemic's impacts on local economies while giving recipients the flexibility to decide what they require. Many humanitarian organisations have increased the scale of cash programmes, while government‐administered social assistance mechanisms have been utilised on a huge scale. The crisis has bolstered attention on why linkages between social protection and humanitarian cash are important, including how to work together more effectively to enable better coverage of those in need. This paper has been developed with inputs from across the CALP Network. It explores how cash and voucher assistance—with a focus on humanitarian response—has been scaled up or adjusted in response to Covid‐19, and how it is changing ways of working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social environments influence multiple traits of individuals including immunity, stress and ageing, often in sex‐specific ways. The composition of the microbiome (the assemblage of symbiotic microorganisms within a host) is determined by environmental factors and the host's immune, endocrine and neural systems. The social environment could alter host microbiomes extrinsically by affecting transmission between individuals, probably promoting homogeneity in the microbiome of social partners. Alternatively, intrinsic effects arising from interactions between the microbiome and host physiology (the microbiota‐gut‐brain axis) could translate social stress into dysbiotic microbiomes, with consequences for host health. We investigated how manipulating social environments during larval and adult life‐stages altered the microbiome composition of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies. We used social contexts that particularly alter the development and lifespan of males, predicting that any intrinsic social effects on the microbiome would therefore be sex‐specific. The presence of adult males during the larval stage significantly altered the microbiome of pupae of both sexes. In adults, same‐sex grouping increased bacterial diversity in both sexes. Importantly, the microbiome community structure of males was more sensitive to social contact at older ages, an effect partially mitigated by housing focal males with young rather than coaged groups. Functional analyses suggest that these microbiome changes impact ageing and immune responses. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the substantial effects of the social environment on individual health are mediated through intrinsic effects on the microbiome, and provides a model for understanding the mechanistic basis of the microbiota‐gut‐brain axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that can predispose to psychopathology. Meta‐analysis demonstrates an association between response impulsivity and Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), a common genetic generalized epilepsy. Here, we test the hypotheses that trait impulsivity is (i) elevated in JME compared to controls; (ii) moderated by specific seizure characteristics; and (iii) associated with psychiatric adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Methods: 322 participants with JME and 126 age and gender‐matched controls completed the Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐brief) alongside information on seizure history and AED use. We compared group BIS‐brief scores and assessed associations of JME BIS‐brief scores with seizure characteristics and AED adverse effects. Results: The mean BIS‐brief score in JME was 18.1 ± 4.4 compared with 16.2 ± 4.1 in controls (P = 0.0007). Elevated impulsivity was associated with male gender (P = 0.027), frequent absence seizures (P = 0.0004) and lack of morning predominance of myoclonus (P = 0.008). High impulsivity significantly increased the odds of a psychiatric adverse event on levetiracetam (P = 0.036), but not any other psychiatric or somatic adverse effects. Interpretation: Trait impulsivity is elevated in JME and comparable to scores in personality and neurotic disorders. Increased seizure frequency and absence of circadian seizure pattern moderate BIS score, suggesting disruption of both cortico‐striatal and thalamocortical networks as a shared mechanism between seizures and impulsivity in JME. These findings warrant consideration of impulsivity as a distinct target of intervention, and as a stratifying factor for AED treatment in JME, and perhaps other types of epilepsy. The role of impulsivity in treatment adherence and psychosocial outcome requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acid functionalized perylene bisimides (PBIs) form self‐assembled structures in solution, the nature of which depends on the local environment. Using a high‐throughput photocatalysis setup, five PBIs are studied for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under a range of conditions (pH and hole scavenger concentration) across 350 experiments to explore the relationship between supramolecular structure and photocatalytic activity. Using small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), NMR spectroscopy and ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐vis) absorption spectroscopy, it is shown that photocatalytic activity is determined by the nature of the self‐assembled aggregate that is formed, demonstrating the potential of self‐assembly to tune activity. There is a clear correlation between the presence of charged flexible cylindrical aggregates and the occurrence of photocatalytic H2 production, with UV–vis spectroscopy indicating that the most active structure type has a distinctive form of π‐aggregation which is proposed to enable efficient charge separation across multiple PBI units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Central venous access devices (CVAD) are commonly employed in the management of cancer patients. While having several benefits they are associated with significant risks. Aim: To review the incidence and risk factors for catheter‐related thrombosis (CRT) in cancer patients with a CVAD. Methods: We performed a prospective observational cohort study of adult patients with cancer requiring a CVAD between 1 January 2004 and 29 June 2016. The rate of, and risk factors for the development of, symptomatic CRT were evaluated. Results: A total of 4920 central lines was inserted into 3130 patients. The incidence of CRT was 3.6%. CRT developed a median of 12 days following line insertion. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) were associated with the highest rates of CRT (hazards ratio (HR) 22.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.9–170.6). Older age groups developed CRT at lower rates (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.39–0.84 for age 50–61 years, and HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.45–0.89 for age >61 years) compared to age <50 years. Increased CRT was seen in patients with prior CRT (HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.19–2.77). There was a trend to more CRT events with a Khorana tumour score of 1 compared to those with a score of 0 (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.00–1.88). Hodgkin lymphoma, germ cell and oesophagus cancers had the highest CRT rates. Side of insertion was not associated with thrombosis risk (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.57–1.05; P = 0.10). Conclusions: Age <50 years, PICC lines and prior CRT were associated with highest CRT rate. Cancer subtype and insertion side were not predictive of thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: This study assesses the impact of state repressive counterterrorism actions on terrorists' targeting and lethality of the terrorism landscape in Israel. Using systematic data on government responses to terrorism and an empirical model that addresses reciprocal relationships, we analyze dynamical interactions between types of government repression with attacks against civilian or government targets, and deadly terrorist violence. Contrary to public policy pronouncements of forcefully fighting terrorism to eradicate terrorist threats, our results suggest that repressive counterterrorism actions by the state increase terror and deadly violence. Importantly, the results indicate that these unintended escalatory or backlash effects are dependent on the scope of government repression, the type of terrorist targets, and the lethality of terrorism. Policy Implications: Our findings provide insight into particular behaviors and exchanges within the state repression–terrorism nexus that evoke and prolong terrorist violence. Centered on key aspects of terrorist activities involving target choice and deadly violence, our ecological study contributes to the development of a systematic understanding of specific impacts of government policies on terrorism. In all, constructing an empirically rigorous evidence base for terrorism prevention policies and practices is essential for ensuring the protection of human lives and public resources from terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of information transfer on student examination performance is debatable,[[1]] but may confer advantage to students undertaking OSCE stations later in the exam diet. An alternative strategy is to quarantine students, which prevents students who have undertaken the OSCE from being able to liaise with candidates who have not yet taken the OSCE. The case for quarantining was further strengthened by a highly publicised instance of student collusion identified in the 2016/17 examination diet at Glasgow.[5] The Year-5 OSCE was subsequently re-run under quarantine conditions in 2016/17, and the Glasgow OSCEs for Years 2, 3 and 5 have been quarantined since the 2017/18 academic year. [Extracted from the article]

The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends hepatitis C testing people born from 1945 to 1965, "birth cohort" as well as hepatitis C and hepatitis B testing people from countries of birth with endemic infection risk. We automated the hospital electronic health record system to test birth cohort and those born in countries with endemic infection risk. A script is launched searching the laboratory database upon registration for any hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis C RNA and/or hepatitis B surface antigen result. If no positive result was found, a hepatitis C antibody/reflex RNA and/or hepatitis B surface antigen were ordered. A patient navigator received weekly results and assisted patients with positive serology to schedule an appointment with their primary care provider or treatment specialist. A total of 10 726 participants were hepatitis C antibody tested, with 6.9% antibody positive. Monthly hepatitis C testing from January to July 2016 compared to August 2016‐August 2017 increased 342% as a result of "birth cohort" testing. Following country of birth testing, monthly hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing increased 91%, and 44%, respectively, during June‐August 2017 compared to September 2017‐March 2018. 67% of hepatitis C‐positive patients were linked to care. If the navigator contacted the patient, 92% were linked to care, and 32% were treated. Of hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive patients, 43% were linked to care, 5% were on treatment, and 15% started treatment. Automated electronic health record ordering of hepatitis C and/or hepatitis B testing is feasible and increases testing. In the population tested, much improvement is needed with linkage to care and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intestinal volvulus is a potentially life‐threatening condition that occurs when loops of bowel twist around its supporting mesentery and associated vasculature. Clinicians often rely on various radiological investigations for prompt diagnosis to avoid complications such as bowel infarction. This review assesses the clinical reliability of the ultrasonographic whirlpool sign (WS) in the diagnosis of intestinal volvulus. Methods: In adherence with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐analyses) statement, a systematic search of BMJ Best Practice, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed (August 2017), using relevant search terms. Selected studies were ranked for quality and relevance using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Program) tool. Results: Sixteen articles (1640 participants) were assessed. The mean and median sample size was 102.5 (SD ± 192.23) and 28 (range 7–770), respectively. The WS was positive in 212 of 255 (83.1%) patients with intestinal volvulus. Meta‐analysis of the studies that provided sufficient data resulted in a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 87.42% (95% confidence interval (CI): 81.05–92.25) and 98.63% (95% CI: 97.88–99.18), respectively, with an estimated summary effect of 5.28 (95% CI: 4.47–6.08, P < 0.001). There was negligible inter‐study heterogeneity, which was suggested by an I2 statistic of 0% (95% CI: 0.00–76.34) and a τ2 parameter of 0 (95% CI: 0.00–5.35). Conclusion: Though the pooled sensitivity was less than ideal (87.42%), this review and meta‐analysis nevertheless supports the reliability of the ultrasonographic WS as an acceptable indicator of intestinal volvulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Internet and mobilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have made non‐manual work increasingly portable and remotely accessible. As a result, a considerable number of employees use their ICTs to engage in work‐related tasks during designated non‐work time, even without contractual obligation. However, existing research on such voluntary work‐related ICT use remains fragmented and spread across disciplines. The authors conducted a narrative review of 56 studies to identify themes in existing research, synthesize the evidence base and identify gaps in understanding. They identify five themes: (1) Social‐normative organizational context, (2) Job‐related characteristics and work processes, (3) Person characteristics, (4) Designated non‐work time and well‐being, and (5) Empowerment/Enslavement Paradox. A conceptual model of voluntary ICT use is developed by integrating the identified themes with existing organizational research, outlining the relationships between the identified themes and voluntary ICT use. The discussion emphasizes the need for more conceptual clarity on voluntary ICT use and related constructs, and for the integration of different disciplines and methodological approaches to advance knowledge in the field. The authors further identify person‐centred research as a critical future avenue to explore different ICT user types. Additionally, more research into the mechanisms and moderating influences regarding voluntary ICT use and its outcomes is considered advisable to advance knowledge on the Empowerment/Enslavement Paradox and its potential resolution. The paper concludes with preliminary implications to inform practice, addressing the need for employers to provide control over voluntary ICT use and employees enacting this control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of point process patterns and related techniques (e.g., MaxEnt) make use of the expected number of occurrences per unit area and second-order statistics based on the distance between occurrences. Ecologists working with point process data often assume that points exist on a two-dimensional x-y plane or within a three-dimensional volume, when in fact many observed point patterns are generated on a two-dimensional surface existing within three-dimensional space. For many surfaces, however, such as the topography of landscapes, the projection from the surface to the x-y plane preserves neither area nor distance. As such, when these point patterns are implicitly projected to and analyzed in the x-y plane, our expectations of the point pattern's statistical properties may not be met. When used in hypothesis testing, we find that the failure to account for the topography of the generating surface may bias statistical tests that incorrectly identify clustering and, furthermore, may bias coefficients in inhomogeneous point process models that incorporate slope as a covariate. We demonstrate the circumstances under which this bias is significant, and present simple methods that allow point processes to be simulated with corrections for topography. These point patterns can then be used to generate 'topographically corrected' null models against which observed point processes can be compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of a circular economy (CE) has become prominent in both European and Chinese policy making. Chinese and European perspectives on a CE share a common conceptual basis and exhibit many similar concerns in seeking to enhance resource efficiency. Yet they also differ, and this article explores differences in the focus of CE policy in China and Europe. We present evidence on the differing understandings of the CE concept in Chinese and European policy discourse, drawing on qualitative and quantitative analysis of policy documents, media articles, and academic publications. We show that the Chinese perspective on the CE is broad, incorporating pollution and other issues alongside waste and resource concerns, and it is framed as a response to the environmental challenges created by rapid growth and industrialization. In contrast, Europe's conception of the CE has a narrower environmental scope, focusing more narrowly on waste and resources and opportunities for business. We then examine similarities and differences in the focus of policy activity in the two regions and in the indicators used to measure progress. We show differences in the treatment of issues of scale and place and different priorities across value chains (from design to manufacture, consumption, and waste management). We suggest some reasons for the divergent policy articulation of the CE concept and suggest lessons that each region can learn from the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the list of individuals whom editorial team extend thanks for supporting the journal by providing reviews of submitted articles from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 including Robert Agnew, Arjan Blokland, and Valerie Clark.

The Escherichia coli formate hydrogenlyase (FHL) complex is produced under fermentative conditions and couples formate oxidation to hydrogen production. In this work, the architecture of FHL has been probed by analysing affinity-tagged complexes from various genetic backgrounds. In a successful attempt to stabilize the complex, a strain encoding a fusion between FdhF and HycB has been engineered and characterised. Finally, site-directed mutagenesis of the hycG gene was performed, which is predicted to encode a hydrogenase subunit important for regulating sensitivity to oxygen. This work helps to define the core components of FHL and provides solutions to improving the stability of the enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of secondary production in streptomycetes involves the funneling of environmental and physiological signals to the cluster-situated (transcriptional) regulators ( CSRs) of the biosynthetic genes. For some systems, the binding of biosynthetic products to the CSR has been shown to provide negative feedback. Here we show for the production of lidamycin ( C-1027), a clinically relevant antitumor agent, by S treptomyces globisporus that negative feedback can extend to a point higher in the regulatory cascade. We show that the DNA-binding activity of the S . globisporus orthologue of AtrA, which was initially described as a transcriptional activator of actinorhodin biosynthesis in S . coelicolor, is inhibited by the binding of heptaene, a biosynthetic intermediate of lidamycin. Additional experiments described here show that S . globisporus AtrA binds in vivo as well as in vitro to the promoter region of the gene encoding SgcR1, one of the CSRs of lidamycin production. The feedback to the pleiotropic regulator AtrA is likely to provide a mechanism for coordinating the production of lidamycin with that of other secondary metabolites. The activity of AtrA is also regulated by actinorhodin. As AtrA is evolutionarily conserved, negative feedback of the type described here may be widespread within the streptomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S treptomyces coelicolor is a model for studying bacteria renowned as the foremost source of natural products used clinically. Post-genomic studies have revealed complex patterns of gene expression and links to growth, morphological development and individual genes. However, the underlying regulation remains largely obscure, but undoubtedly involves steps after transcription initiation. Here we identify sites involved in RNA processing and degradation as well as transcription within a nucleotide-resolution map of the transcriptional landscape. This was achieved by combining RNA-sequencing approaches suited to the analysis of GC-rich organisms. E scherichia coli was analysed in parallel to validate the methodology and allow comparison. Previously, sites of RNA processing and degradation had not been mapped on a transcriptome-wide scale for E . coli. Through examples, we show the value of our approach and data sets. This includes the identification of new layers of transcriptional complexity associated with several key regulators of secondary metabolism and morphological development in S . coelicolor and the identification of host-encoded leaderless mRNA and rRNA processing associated with the generation of specialized ribosomes in E . coli. New regulatory small RNAs were identified for both organisms. Overall the results illustrate the diversity in mechanisms used by different bacterial groups to facilitate and regulate gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criminal victimization is known to influence households' moving decisions, but theories suggest that the processes leading to a moving decision can vary across racial and ethnic groups. Drawing from current literature, we hypothesized that victimization would have a stronger effect on moving decisions for Whites than for Blacks or Hispanics, and that racial/ethnic residential segregation would moderate the impact of victimization on mobility. Using a longitudinal sample of 34,134 housing units compiled from the National Crime Victimization Survey for the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the United States (1995-2003), we found results that both support and contradict the hypotheses. Specifically, White residents display consistent evidence that victimization is a significant predictor of household mobility. Blacks and Hispanics, in contrast, are more varied in their moving behavior after victimization. In addition, significant differences exist among these groups in responses to victimization and in how mobility is influenced by residential segregation. Higher levels of residential segregation play a part in the victimization-mobility relationship among Blacks in a way that is more complex than we hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Stress, alcohol and tobacco use can detrimentally influence wound healing outcomes; however, there is uncertainty as to whether these observations generalise to dental practice. This study explored whether stress, alcohol and tobacco use influenced the complication rate experienced by patients following tooth extraction. Material and methods Patients attending an oral surgery clinic for a tooth extraction were recruited while they waited for their appointment. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire containing instruments that measure perceived stress, experienced pain, and alcohol and tobacco use. Demographic information was collected. Participants were telephoned 2 weeks following their initial appointment and asked if they had experienced any complications relating to their treatment. Results Data were available from 68 patients, of whom 52 could be contacted by telephone. A Cox proportional-hazards regression yielded a significant positive effect of stress on the likelihood of a complication ( P < 0.05). Participants with higher levels of alcohol consumption were less likely to develop a post-extraction complication ( P < 0.001), as were younger participants ( P < 0.01). Participants who experienced a complication also reported significantly higher post-extraction pain scores ( P < 0.001). Conclusions These data suggest that stress and pain are positively associated, and alcohol consumption is negatively associated, with post-extraction complication rates. These results are discussed in relation to opportunities for novel behavioural interventions to reduce stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological stress evokes increases in sympathetic activity and blood pressure, which are due at least in part to an upward resetting of the baroreceptor-sympathetic reflex. In this study we determined whether sympathetic premotor neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla ( RVLM), which have a critical role in the reflex control of sympathetic activity, are activated during air puff stress, a moderate psychological stressor. Secondly, we identified neurons that are activated by air puff stress and that also project to the nucleus tractus solitarius ( NTS), a key site for modulation of the baroreceptor reflex. Air puff stress resulted in increased c-Fos expression in several hypothalamic and brainstem nuclei, including the paraventricular nucleus ( PVN), dorsomedial hypothalamus, perifornical area (PeF), periaqueductal gray ( PAG), NTS and rostral ventromedial medulla, but not in the RVLM region that contains sympathetic premotor neurons. In contrast, neurons in this RVLM region, including catecholamine-synthesizing neurons, did express c-Fos following induced hypotension, which reflexly activates RVLM sympathetic premotor neurons. The highest proportion of NTS-projecting neurons that were double-labelled with c-Fos after air puff stress was in the ventrolateral PAG (29.3 ± 5.5%), with smaller but still significant proportions of double-labelled NTS-projecting neurons in the PVN and PeF (6.5 ± 1.8 and 6.4 ± 1.7%, respectively). The results suggest that the increased sympathetic activity during psychological stress is not driven primarily by RVLM sympathetic premotor neurons, and that neurons in the PVN, PeF and ventrolateral PAG may contribute to the resetting of the baroreceptor-sympathetic reflex that is associated with psychological stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tradition has it that the Shugborough dinner service was presented to Commodore Anson (1697-1762) by the European merchants of Canton in gratitude for his crew's part in extinguishing a fire that threatened the city in 1743, and the service has come to symbolise the ultimate triumph of this courageous and determined commodore over dithering and obstructive Chinese mandarins. This article argues that the link between the dinner service and the fire is actually a twentieth-century invention, and that its story, as currently presented to us, distorts our understanding both of Canton in 1743 and of mid-eighteenth-century Sino-British relations more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-ergic neuromuscular transmission (NMT) was examined in the internal anal sphincter of wild-type mice and compared with that of VIP−/− mice., Relaxation and hyperpolarization during brief trains of electrical field stimulation (EFS; 4 s) were mediated by purinergic and nitrergic NMT., During longer stimulus trains, a non-purinergic, non-nitrergic (NNNP) relaxation and hyperpolarization slowly developed and persisted for several minutes beyond the end of the stimulus train., The NNNP NMT was abolished by VIP receptor antagonists, absent in the VIP−/− mouse internal anal sphincter and mimicked by exogenous VIP., These data suggest that NNNP NMT gives rise to ultraslow relaxation and hyperpolarization that is mediated by VIP. In vivo, this pathway may be activated with larger rectal distensions, leading to a more prolonged anal relaxation., Abstract There is evidence that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) participates in inhibitory neuromuscular transmission (NMT) in the internal anal sphincter (IAS). However, specific details concerning VIP-ergic NMT are limited, largely because of difficulties in selectively blocking other inhibitory neural pathways. The present study used the selective P2Y1 receptor antagonist MRS2500 (1 μ m) and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro- l-arginine ( l-NNA; 100 μ m) to block purinergic and nitrergic NMT to characterize non-purinergic, non-nitrergic (NNNP) inhibitory NMT and the role of VIP in this response. Nerves were stimulated with electrical field stimulation (0.1-20 Hz, 4-60 s) and the associated changes in contractile and electrical activity measured in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic conditions in the IAS of wild-type and VIP−/− mice. Electrical field stimulation gave rise to frequency-dependent relaxation and hyperpolarization that was blocked by tetrodotoxin. Responses during brief trains of stimuli (4 s) were mediated by purinergic and nitrergic NMT. During longer stimulus trains, an NNNP relaxation and hyperpolarization developed slowly and persisted for several minutes beyond the end of the stimulus train. The NNNP NMT was abolished by VIP6-28 (30 μ m), absent in the VIP−/− mouse and mimicked by exogenous VIP (1-100 n m). Immunoreactivity for VIP was co-localized with neuronal nitric oxide synthase in varicose intramuscular fibres but was not detected in the VIP−/− mouse IAS. In conclusion, this study identified an ultraslow component of inhibitory NMT in the IAS mediated by VIP. In vivo, this pathway may be activated with larger rectal distensions, leading to a more prolonged period of anal relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the contributions of Gondwanan vicariance and marine dispersal to the contemporary distribution of galaxiid fishes. This group has been central in arguments concerning the roles of dispersal and vicariance in the Southern Hemisphere, as some taxa have marine life history stages through which transoceanic dispersal may have been facilitated, yet other galaxiids are entirely restricted to freshwaters. Location Southern Hemisphere land masses of Gondwanan derivation. Methods Biogeographic hypotheses of Gondwanan vicariance and marine dispersal were tested using four lines of evidence: (1) concordance of species-area phylogenetic relationships, (2) molecular estimates of lineage divergence times with a priori expectations based on plate tectonics, (3) reconstructions of ancestral dispersal capabilities, and (4) reconstructions of distribution inheritance scenarios (using the dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model to infer historical ranges and dispersal and extinction events). Results Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed from 4531 mitochondrial and nuclear nucleotide characters, and 181 morphological characters, across 53 of the 56 presently recognized species. Phylogenetic relationships were generally well resolved and supported among galaxiids using the combined dataset, and conflicting relationships between molecular and morphological datasets typically received low topological support from either or both datasets. Transoceanic disjunctions were exhibited at 16 nodes, but only three pre-dated relevant continental fragmentation events; furthermore, ancestral distribution inheritance scenarios for two of these nodes reflected cladogenesis within, rather than between, Gondwanan land masses, and ancestral marine dispersal capability could not be rejected for all three. Instead, the four lines of evidence surveyed suggest that Gondwanan vicariance occurred twice, but in both instances was preceded by marine dispersal between land masses, and in at least one instance was initiated by the cessation of marine dispersal subsequent to continental fragmentation. Main conclusions Gondwanan vicariance appears to have been preceded by marine dispersal in the few instances where it may explain contemporary galaxiid distribution, such that these biogeographic mechanisms may sometimes have a synergistic relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aptamers are biomolecular ligands composed of nucleic acids. They can be developed to bind specifically to a range of target molecules and subsequently exploited in a fashion analogous to more traditional biomolecules such as antibodies. Methods for the production of aptamers and their potential applications to the food industry in the form of rapid assays and biosensors are discussed. In contrast to antibody-based diagnostics, aptamers can be produced in animal-free systems which have clear ethical and financial benefits. This review identifies a need for the development of new aptamers with specificity against micro-organisms and highlights their potential use for the detection of food-borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer has undergone substantial technological and clinical advances in the recent years. The Australian & New Zealand Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group undertook a process to develop consensus clinical practice guidelines for external beam radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma delivered with curative intent, aiming to provide guidance for clinicians on the appropriate integration of clinical evidence and newer technologies. Draft guidelines were presented and discussed at a consensus workshop in May 2009 attended by radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. Amended guidelines were distributed to radiation oncologists in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore for comment, and modifications were incorporated where appropriate. Evidence based recommendations for risk stratification, the role of image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, prescribed dose, simulation and treatment planning, the role and duration of neo-adjuvant/adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy and outcome reporting are presented. Central to the guidelines is the recommendation that image-guided radiation therapy should be used when definitive external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer is prescribed. The consensus guidelines provide a co-operatively developed, evidence-based framework for contemporary treatment of prostate cancer with external beam radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Muir has long been known as a significant figure in the history of conservation, including for promoting the recognition of the Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California as a national park by the American people and government. Muir is known particularly for his pivotal involvement in the establishment of the Sierra Club, one of North America’s leading conservation associations. His place in the history of biogeography has been largely unrecognized, although a reading of his books shows that there is a rich seam of innovative historical and ecological biogeographical ideas resulting from his many years living in the Sierras. Added to Muir’s interests in the Sierra Mountains and the Sierra Club were his explorations of the mountain ranges and forests of Alaska, as well as his near world-wide travels to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific. The literature on biogeography has remained very largely isolated from Muir’s writing, a dissociation that the present paper seeks to remedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the microlevel process of housing turnover between Blacks and Whites to assess whether crime plays an important role in the racial transition of neighborhoods. The study uses a unique, longitudinal version of the National Crime Survey in which each dwelling's close neighbors are identified. After controlling for household characteristics and the characteristics of their close neighbors, crime occurring in nearby areas is found to increase the chances of White-to-Black turnover while decreasing the chances of Black-to-White turnover. This change occurs even though the directly victimized houses do not necessarily have a probability of racial turnover different than that of other houses nearby. The findings suggest the presence of structural constraints that limit the housing opportunities for Blacks and constrain their choice of residence to comparatively unsafe neighborhoods. They also indicate that “White avoidance,” in which Whites systematically bypass high-crime neighborhoods, is important in maintaining the relationship between race and crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The best characterized pathway for the initiation of mRNA degradation in Escherichia coli involves the removal of the 5′-terminal pyrophosphate to generate a monophosphate group that stimulates endonucleolytic cleavage by RNase E. We show here however, using well-characterized oligonucleotide substrates and mRNA transcripts, that RNase E can cleave certain RNAs rapidly without requiring a 5′-monophosphorylated end. Moreover, the minimum substrate requirement for this mode of cleavage, which can be categorized as ‘direct’ or ‘internal’ entry, appears to be multiple single-stranded segments in a conformational context that allows their simultaneous interaction with RNase E. While previous work has alluded to the existence of a 5′ end-independent mechanism of mRNA degradation, the relative simplicity of the requirements identified here for direct entry suggests that it could represent a major means by which mRNA degradation is initiated in E. coli and other organisms that contain homologues of RNase E. Our results have implications for the interplay of translation and mRNA degradation and models of gene regulation by small non-coding RNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of nutrients is a major determinant for the timing of morphogenesis and antibiotic production in the soil-dwelling bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor. Here we show that N-acetylglucosamine transport, the first step of an important nutrient signalling cascade, is mediated by the NagE2 permease of the phosphotransferase system, and that the activity of this permease is linked to nutritional control of development and antibiotic production. The permease serves as a high-affinity transporter for N-acetylglucosamine ( Km of 2.6 µM). The permease complex was reconstituted with individually purified components. This showed that uptake of N-acetylglucosamine requires a phosphoryl group transfer from phosphoenolpyruvate via the phosphotransferases EI, HPr and IIACrr to NagF, which in turn phosphorylates N-acetylglucosamine during transport. Transcription of the nagF and nagE2 genes is induced by N-acetylglucosamine. Nutrient signalling by N-acetylglucosamine that triggers the onset of development was abolished in the nagE2 and nagF mutants. nagE2 is subject to multi-level control by the global transcription factor DasR and the activator AtrA that also stimulates genes for antibiotic actinorhodin biosynthesis. Hence, it is apparent that streptomycetes tightly control the nutritional state in a complex manner to ensure the correct timing for the developmental programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) evokes increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP), sympathetic activity, heart rate (HR) and respiratory activity. Results of previous studies suggest that the DMH-evoked increases in MAP and HR are mediated by neurons within the periaqueductal grey (PAG), but a recent study has proposed that the converse is also true, i.e. that increases in MAP and HR evoked from the PAG depend upon neuronal activity in the DMH. In this study in anaesthetized rats, we examined the functional relationship between the DMH and PAG in regulating renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and respiratory activity (determined by measuring phrenic nerve activity (PNA)). Bilateral microinjections of the neuronal inhibitor muscimol into the DMH virtually abolished the increases in MAP, RSNA and PNA burst rate and amplitude evoked from the dorsolateral (dl) PAG. In contrast, multiple bilateral injections of much larger (10 times) doses of muscimol or of the local anaesthetic lignocaine into sites in the dlPAG at three different rostrocaudal levels did not reduce the magnitude or duration of the sympathetic vasomotor and respiratory responses evoked by disinhibition of neurons in the DMH. Thus, sympathetic vasomotor and respiratory responses generated from the dlPAG are dependent upon neuronal activity in the DMH, but not the converse. The results of this study together with those of previous studies indicate that the PAG regulates cardiovascular and respiratory function via both ascending projections to the DMH and descending projections to the ventral medulla, that originate from different PAG subregions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By inserting a microlens array at the intermediate image plane of an optical microscope, one can record four-dimensional light fields of biological specimens in a single snapshot. Unlike a conventional photograph, light fields permit manipulation of viewpoint and focus after the snapshot has been taken, subject to the resolution of the camera and the diffraction limit of the optical system. By inserting a second microlens array and video projector into the microscope's illumination path, one can control the incident light field falling on the specimen in a similar way. In this paper, we describe a prototype system we have built that implements these ideas, and we demonstrate two applications for it: simulating exotic microscope illumination modalities and correcting for optical aberrations digitally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the impact of criminal victimization on household residential mobility. Existing research finds that direct experiences with crime influence mobility decisions, such that persons who suffer offenses near their homes are more likely to move. The current study extends this line of inquiry to consider whether indirect victimization that involves neighbors also stimulates moving. The analysis uses the National Crime Survey to estimate multilevel models that incorporate data from individual households and their spatially proximate neighbors. The results show that the link between direct victimization and moving continues to hold after controlling for neighborhood context. Indirect property victimization also leads to moving, with effects about equal in size to those of direct victimization. In contrast, no evidence is found that violent victimization that occurs in neighboring homes influences mobility, probably because most of these events are nonstranger violence that provokes less anxiety for neighbors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an examination of the peer-reviewed scientific literature regarding the accuracy, comprehensibility and use of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) in the workplace. Researchers explain that the sheets are used in workplaces to inform workers the hazards of chemical products. They found that several factors contribute to low comprehensibility of workers regarding MSDSs, including poor presentation and complex language. Additionally, the review discovered serious problems with the use of MSDSs as hazard communication tools.