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A new method to recover the orientation matrix of a single crystal with a known unit cell by analyzing synthesized pseudo‐Kossel lines from time‐of‐flight neutron transmission data has been outlined in a companion article [Dessieux et al. (2023). J. Appl. Cryst.56, https://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1600576723001346; referred to here as Article I]. In this work, validation of this new technique is presented by employing experimental neutron transmission and diffraction measurements performed on two copper single‐crystal specimens. Time‐of‐flight spectra were recorded during rotation (ω) of the single crystals about a vertical axis perpendicular to the incident neutron beam. The λ–ω maps recorded in transmission are utilized to determine the crystal orientation with respect to the neutron beam, following the procedure presented in Article I. To validate the indexing procedure, the crystal orientations are compared with those obtained via conventional methods using the diffraction data. The resulting pseudo‐Kossel lines across the 2D detectors are also observed for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy‐dispersive neutron spectra transmitted through single crystals are characterized by sharp Bragg dips at specific wavelengths, where Bragg's law is being fulfilled for certain crystallographic planes. This phenomenon allows for developing methods for crystal‐orientation determination techniques similar to electron backscatter diffraction and X‐ray diffraction microscopy. This work presents a new procedure to recover the orientation matrix for single crystals using transmission spectra recorded during rotation of a crystal about an axis perpendicular to a polychromatic neutron beam. The proposed method consists of an initial transformation of the as‐collected wavelength–rotation maps to a wavevector K space, resulting in linear pseudo‐Kossel lines that are suitable for analysis and indexing using image‐processing procedures. Simulated neutron transmission spectra through a copper crystal with known orientations were used to set and prove the numerical approach. This technique may be expanded for cases where the neutron beam intersects multiple single‐crystal grains with different orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Sprouted grain products meet consumer demands for foods with clean label ingredient statements and plant‐based origins. The purpose of this study was to optimize oat cultivar, sprouting time and temperature, and preservation technique to produce a sprouted oat powder ingredient that could be stored and later added to oat flour to produce a sweetened paste for use in creating cereal bars and other products. Findings: During sprouting at 16°C, Paul cv., GMI 423 cv., Souris cv. and Horsepower cv. oats had higher alpha‐amylase activity than the other 10 cultivars evaluated. During 4‐week ambient storage, Paul decreased in alpha‐amylase activity for both oven‐dried and freeze‐dried samples, whereas Horsepower remained constant, with freeze‐drying being the superior preservation method. Optimal temperature for sugar production in a slurry of sprouted Horsepower oats, oat flour, and water heated for up to 6 hr was 55°C. Conclusions: Horsepower cv. oats, sprouted for 120 hr at 24°C, can be freeze‐dried and stored up to 4 weeks without a decrease in alpha‐amylase activity. Subsequent addition of this enhanced amylase powder to oat flour increased sugar production. Significance and novelty: Oat products containing sprouted oat powder have the market advantage of a simpler ingredient list, being sweetened with sugars hydrolyzed from oat starch using endogenous oat enzymes. The potential for using endogenous enzymes in oats to produce a clean label oat sweetener has not been reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To (i) validate patient‐evaluated mixed symptoms and irritability measured using smartphones against clinical evaluations; (ii) investigate associations between mixed symptoms and irritability with stress, quality of life and functioning, respectively, in patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: A total of 84 patients with bipolar disorder used a smartphone‐based system for daily evaluation of mixed symptoms and irritability for nine months. Clinically evaluated symptoms, stress, quality of life and clinically rated functioning were collected multiple times during follow‐up. Results: Patients presented mild affective symptoms. Patient‐reported mixed symptoms and irritability correlated with clinical evaluations. In analyses including confounding factors there was a statistically significant association between both mixed symptoms and irritability and stress (P < 0.0001) and between irritability and both quality of life and functioning (P < 0.0001) respectively. There was no association between mixed mood and both quality of life and functioning. Conclusion: Mixed symptoms and irritability can be validly self‐reported using smartphones in patients with bipolar disorder. Mixed symptoms and irritability are associated with increased stress even during full or partial remission. Irritability is associated with decreased quality of life and functioning. The findings emphasize the clinical importance of identifying inter‐episodic symptoms including irritability pointing towards smartphones as a valid tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carriers of the mitochondrial mutation m.3243A>G presents highly variable phenotypes including mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactoacidosis and stroke‐like episodes (MELAS). We conducted a follow‐up study to evaluate changes in leucocyte heteroplasmy and the clinical phenotypes in m.3243A>G carriers. Leucocyte heteroplasmy was determined by next generation sequencing covered by 100 000X reads in 32 individuals with a median follow‐up of 10.2 years. Ten‐year clinical follow‐up is reported in 46 individuals. The annual leucocyte mutation level declined by −0.7 (±0.4) percentage points/year (P < .0001), and correlated with the level of the initial sample (ρ = −0.92, P < .0001). Eleven of 46 m.3243A>G carriers died and clinical symptoms progressed. This longitudinal study shows the decline in leucocyte m.3243A>G heteroplasmy associates with the level of the initial sample. Further, there was a high mortality among carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate whether the use of antibiotics from infancy to adolescence influences the risk of Type 1 diabetes. Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study, including all Type 1 diabetes cases in Denmark among children born between 1997 and 2012 ( n = 1578). Odds ratios associating Type 1 diabetes with use of antibiotics were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Results Overall, we found no association between the use of antibiotics and risk of Type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, no associations were seen specifically for broad-spectrum, narrow-spectrum, bactericidal or bacteriostatic types of antibiotics or for the most frequently used individual classes of antibiotics. No differences were observed in subgroups defined by sex or by age at time of diagnosis. However, filling five or more antibiotic prescriptions in the first 2 years of life specifically was associated with a higher odds ratio of 1.35 (95% CI 1.10-1.64). This association appeared to be driven by exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics within the second year of life. Conclusion Antibiotic exposure in childhood is generally not associated with the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes. Future studies should investigate the effects of multiple exposures to broad-spectrum antibiotics during the second year of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Mexican women are deficient in folic acid. Fortification of the corn tortilla could be an effective way to help increase the folic acid levels among the Mexican population. Previous studies have shown significant folic acid losses in the masa dough as it is held before baking. This loss in folic acid could be owing to utilization by lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the masa. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bacteria native to corn masa on the folic acid content in masa. Bacteria in dough samples from six mills in Guadalajara, Mexico, were isolated and identified. Bacterial isolates were inoculated into sterile fortified corn masa flour, which was converted to masa and held at 56°C for 0, 3, and 6 h, replicating the conditions of freshly milled masa as held before baking. All samples, including the control, showed losses of folic acid between 66 and 79%w/w in the first 3 h of incubation. Because folic acid degradation in the sterile control sample was not different than the inoculated sample results, the decline in folic acid was not owing to bacteria (mainly Streptococcus spp.) present in the masa flour but appeared to be a chemical degradation related to time and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Ageing in men is associated with changes in levels of sex hormones. Objective To evaluate differences in sex hormones in young and elderly men and the significance of comorbidity and fat mass on sex hormones in elderly men. Design Cross-sectional. Patients Seven hundred and eighty-three men aged 20-29 years and 600 men aged 60-74 years randomly recruited from the background population. Measurements Sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin ( SHBG) were measured, and reference intervals were determined in healthy individuals in both groups and in elderly men stratified according to whether they were obese or lean (waist circumference ≥102 cm). Results Sex hormones were lower and SHBG higher in elderly men compared with the young cohort. Lower cut-offs for total testosterone ( TT) in healthy, young and elderly men were similar [Lower cut-off (95% CI): Young: 11·7 (11·2-12·1) vs elderly: 11·2 (10·3-12·1) nmol/l], but lower and higher cut-offs of bioavailable testosterone ( BT) and free testosterone ( FT) were higher in young men. Higher levels of androgens were found in healthy elderly men compared with those with a chronic disease or obesity. Androgens were inversely associated with central fat mass ( CFM), whereas SHBG was inversely and directly associated with CFM and lower extremity fat mass, respectively, in both young and elderly men. Conclusion Reference intervals for TT were comparable in healthy young and elderly men, but reference intervals for FT and BT were lower in elderly men due to higher levels of SHBG. Androgens and SHBG were lower in elderly men with chronic disease and inversely associated with CFM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regime shift is a large, sudden, and long-lasting change in the dynamics of an ecosystem, affecting multiple trophic levels. There are a growing number of papers that report regime shifts in marine ecosystems. However, the evidence for regime shifts is equivocal, because the methods used to detect them are not yet well developed. We have collated over 300 biological time series from seven marine regions around the UK, covering the ecosystem from phytoplankton to marine mammals. Each time series consists of annual measures of abundance for a single group of organisms over several decades. We summarised the data for each region using the first principal component, weighting either each time series or each biological component ( e.g. plankton, fish, benthos) equally. We then searched for regime shifts using Rodionov's regime shift detection (RSD) method, which found regime shifts in the first principal component for all seven marine regions. However, there are consistent temporal trends in the data for six of the seven regions. Such trends violate the assumptions of RSD. Thus, the regime shifts detected by RSD in six of the seven regions are likely to be artefacts caused by temporal trends. We are therefore developing more appropriate time series models for both single populations and whole communities that will explicitly model temporal trends and should increase our ability to detect true regime shift events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Although vitamin D and bone metabolism are closely related, few studies have addressed the effects of vitamin D status on bone in men at time of peak bone mass. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in a cross-sectional study in young men and the effects of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on bone mass, bone markers and metabolic function. Design and Participants The study population consisted of 783 men aged 20-29 years. Measurements Bone mineral density (BMD) of the total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine was measured. dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to evaluate total body fat mass (BFAT). Visceral fat mass and abdominal subcutaneous fat mass (ViFM and ScFM) were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. A radioimmunoassay was used to measure the level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD). Results The prevalence of vitamin deficiency (serum 25OHD < 50 nm) was 6·3% during summer and 43·6% during winter. Serum 25OHD was associated with BMD at all sites and inversely associated with bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and directly with carboxyterminal telopeptide of type-1-collagen. 25OHD and PTH were inversely associated with BFAT, whereas 25OHD also was inversely associated with body mass index, waist-hip ratio, ViFM and ScFM after adjustment for confounders. The associations were found only to be present in participants with insufficient levels of 25OHD. 25-Hydroxy vitamin D and PTH were inversely related to insulin resistance in vitamin-insufficient participants only. No associations between PTH or 25OHD and blood pressure were noted. Conclusion The study showed a high prevalence of 25OHD deficiency in young, northern European men, which was significantly associated with decreased BMD. PTH and 25OHD were found to be inversely related to the markers of insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative sensitivity of side-by-side and sequential monadic consumer liking protocols was compared. In the side-by-side evaluation, all samples were presented at once and evaluated together 1 characteristic at a time. In the sequential monadic evaluation, 1 sample was presented and evaluated on all characteristics, then returned before panelists received and evaluated another sample. Evaluations were conducted on orange juice, frankfurters, canned chili, potato chips, and applesauce. Five commercial brands, having a broad quality range, were selected as samples for each product category to assure a wide array of consumer liking scores. Without their knowledge, panelists rated the same 5 retail brands by 1 protocol and then 3 wk later by the other protocol. For 3 of the products, both protocols yielded the same order of overall liking. Slight differences in order of overall liking for the other 2 products were not significant. Of the 50 pairwise overall liking comparisons, 44 were in agreement. The different results obtained by the 2 protocols in order of liking and significance of paired comparisons were due to the experimental variation and differences in sensitivity. Hedonic liking scores were subjected to statistical power analyses and used to calculate minimum number of panelists required to achieve varying degrees of sensitivity when using side-by-side and sequential monadic protocols. In most cases, the side-by-side protocol was more sensitive, thus providing the same information with fewer panelists. Side-by-side protocol was less sensitive in cases where sensory fatigue was a factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on he national evaluation of Sure Start local programmes in England. Sure Start local programmes are central to the Great Britain's government's policy for combating the adverse effects of poverty and disadvantage on young children and their families. Sure Start local programmes are designed to be comprehensive, community-based projects adapted to local needs, and making maximal use of local expertise and enthusiasms. The Sure Start programmes recognized the need for rigorous evaluation and after a competitive commissioning process the National evaluation of Sure Start was initiated. Sure Start local programmes involve changes to existing services. Improved services and community functioning are presumed to lead to enhanced family community functioning that enhance child development.

While research exists on the well-being of women during a specific phase of breast cancer, little research exists in which researchers utilized the same instruments to examine differences in women's well-being, based on the phase of their breast cancer. Using a trajectory framework, the purpose of this study is to examine the differences in the physical and social well-being of women during the following breast cancer states: newly diagnosed, adjuvant therapy, stable disease and recurrent disease. The convenience sample consisted of 35 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, 52 women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy, 84 women whose breast cancer was considered stable and 64 women with recurrent breast cancer. Participants completed a packet of questionnaires which contained a demographic questionnaire, Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey, a researcher designed (RD) questionnaire, Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System-Short Form (CARES-SF) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and general linear F-tests were used to analyze the data. Differences were found across phases of disease on various subscales, including those representing perceived health states, overall impact, medical interactions, physical function, role function, fatigue, pain, social function and satisfaction with health. No significant differences were found between groups on the BSI subscales with the exception of somatization, global psychosocial measures, sexual and marital relation subscales. While individuals with recurrent disease often experienced more difficulties with their well-being than women in the other groups, women newly diagnosed and in the adjuvant group experienced more difficulties in select areas of well-being when compared with women in the stable group. Health care professionals need to recognize differences between groups to better meet the needs of patients with a breast cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates health visitors' perceptions of domestic violence with a focus on the abuse of women by their male partners. Criticism has been levied at health visitors for responding inappropriately to women who seek help. There has been limited research into the process of health visiting practice in dealing with this emotive health need. The extent of the problem is difficult to ascertain, but estimates would suggest that it is a major public health issue. The abuse frequently commences or intensifies during pregnancy, and many of the women who experience domestic violence have children of pre-school age. It is during this time that they are most likely to come into contact with the health visiting service. The research was carried out in two National Health Service (NHS) trusts, one in the London region and the other in the south-east of England. A brief questionnaire was sent to all health visitors within the NHS trusts to ascertain the numbers of abused women known to the health visiting service. The findings suggest that the majority of health visitors in both NHS trusts were involved with families where domestic violence occurs. One of the key themes which emerged from interviews with 12 health visitors from each NHS trust (n = 24) was the very private nature of domestic violence in terms of identifying the issue. Implications for practice are that health visitors need to be more proactive in their questioning techniques and in influencing public policy, but they also require support through the provision of appropriate training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst on teaching practice at an institute of higher education, I became increasingly aware of the limitations of subject-based, teacher-centred courses in the education of health care professionals. My involvement in problem-based learning indicated the possibility of this innovative form of education bridging the gap between theory and practice. This investigation reveals the dissatisfaction of some educationalists with traditional training courses and the spread world wide of problem-based learning as an alternative method of developing curriculum. The process of using problem-based learning in the classroom is discussed and its strengths and weaknesses analysed for both teachers and students. This article suggests that problem-based learning is more likely to equip health care professionals to deal with the demands of a changing society than conventional courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract related to detection of RNA and DNA viruses during equine influenza outbreak in Australia in 2007 is presented.

Objective: To investigate (i) the proportions of time with irritability and (ii) the association between irritability and affective symptoms and functioning, stress, and quality of life in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar depressive disorder (UD)., Methods: A total of 316 patients with BD and 58 patients with UD provided self-reported once-a-day data on irritability and other affective symptoms using smartphones for a total of 64,129 days with observations. Questionnaires on perceived stress and quality of life and clinical evaluations of functioning were collected multiple times during the study., Results: During a depressive state, patients with UD spent a significantly higher proportion of time with presence of irritability (83.10%) as compared with patients with BD (70.27%) (p = 0.045). Irritability was associated with lower mood, activity level and sleep duration and with increased stress and anxiety level, in both patient groups (p-values<0.008). Increased irritability was associated with impaired functioning and increased perceived stress (p-values<0.024). In addition, in patients with UD, increased irritability was associated with decreased quality of life (p = 0.002). The results were not altered when adjusting for psychopharmacological treatments., Conclusions: Irritability is an important part of the symptomatology in affective disorders. Clinicians could have focus on symptoms of irritability in both patients with BD and UD during their course of illness. Future studies investigating treatment effects on irritability would be interesting., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: To assess the long-term safety of subcutaneous buprenorphine (CAM2038) weekly and monthly depots., Design: Phase 3, open-label, observational, multi-centre 48-week trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02672111)., Setting: Twenty-six out-patient sites (United States, United Kingdom, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Australia) between 14 December 2015 and 12 April 2017., Participants: Two hundred and twenty-eight adults with opioid use disorder; 227 received CAM2038 (37 initiated onto CAM2038 and 190 converted from sublingual buprenorphine)., Interventions: CAM2038 weekly (8, 16, 24 or 32 mg) or monthly (64, 96, 128 or 160 mg) with flexible dosing and individualized titration utilizing multiple CAM2038 weekly and monthly doses., Measurements: Safety variables, urine toxicology samples and self-reported illicit opioid use were collected at each visit. Participants were administered a patient satisfaction survey at months 6 and 12, completed by 162 of 227 (71.4%) participants., Findings: The study treatment period was completed by 167 of 227 (73.6%) participants. At least one treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) was reported by 143 of 227 (63.0%) participants, of whom 60 of 227 (26.4%) reported as being drug-related. Most of the TEAEs, reported by 128 of 227 (56.4%) of participants, were mild or moderate in intensity. Injection-site reactions were reported by 46 of 227 (20.3%) participants, with most [45 of 46 (97.8%)] reported as mild to moderate. Five participants (2.2%) discontinued the study drug due to a TEAE, two cases (0.9%) of which were injection-site-related. No serious adverse events were attributed to the study drug. Among those remaining in the study, the percentage of opioid-negative urine tests combined with self-reports was 63.0% (17 of 27) in new-to-treatment participants and 82.8% (111 of 134) for those converted from sublingual buprenorphine. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with CAM2038., Conclusions: Subcutaneous buprenorphine delivered weekly or monthly (CAM2038) was well tolerated, with a systemic safety profile consistent with the known profile of sublingual buprenorphine. CAM2038 weekly and monthly was associated with high retention rates and low levels of illicit opioid use throughout this study., (© 2019 Braeburn Inc. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Osteoporosis is a common condition that leads to substantial morbidity and mortality and affects an increasing number of persons worldwide. Several pharmacological therapies that inhibit bone resorption, promote bone formation, or both, are available for the treatment of osteoporosis. The osteoanabolic treatment spectrum was recently expanded by the introduction of a novel bone-forming agent in the United States, and clinical trials indicate that a new class of bone anabolic therapy may become available. Both antiresorptive and bone anabolic therapies are associated with common and rare adverse effects, which are particularly important to address as these drugs are used for long-term treatment in numerous patients with a large proportion being elderly and/or having multimorbidity. In addition, antiresorptive drugs are used to inhibit bone resorption in patients with malignant hypercalcaemia or to prevent skeletal events in cancer patients, and bisphosphonates have been repurposed as a cancer preventive therapy. However, therapeutic doses are generally higher when antiresorptive drugs are used in the oncological setting, which influence the prevalence of adverse effects significantly. This review highlights key issues and controversies regarding adverse effects of currently available and emerging drugs used for osteoporosis and metastatic bone diseases., (© 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Aims: The purpose was to determine the exposure-response relationship of everolimus in patients with angiomyolipoma from the EXIST-2 trial and to analyze the correlation between exposure and plasma concentrations of angiogenic biomarkers in these patients., Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients with angiomyolipoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) or sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (sLAM) were randomly assigned 2 : 1 to receive everolimus 10 mg (n = 79) or placebo (n = 39) once daily. Blood samples for determining everolimus concentration were collected at weeks 2, 4, 12, 24 and 48 during double-blind treatment. Plasma samples for biomarker analysis were collected at baseline and weeks 4, 12, 24, 36, 48 and at the end of treatment. Concentrations of eight angiogenic biomarkers associated with tumour growth were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: Peak and trough concentrations of everolimus in blood remained stable over time and similar to those reported in other indications. Substantial pharmacodynamic effects were observed in the everolimus, but not placebo, arm for three biomarkers: After 24 weeks of treatment, reduction of vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) and collagen type IV (COL-IV) (mean fold-changes with 95% confidence intervals [CI] were 0.36 [0.33, 0.40], and 0.54 [0.51, 0.57], respectively, P < 0.001 for both), along with increased VEGF-A (mean fold-change of 1.59 [1.39, 1.80], P < 0.001), were seen. Furthermore, baseline VEGF-D and COL-IV levels were associated with angiomyolipoma size at baseline and with angiomyolipoma response to everolimus., Conclusions: These findings suggest that plasma angiogenic markers may provide an objective measure of patient response to everolimus., (© 2015 The British Pharmacological Society.)

Poor nutrition during critical growth phases may alter the structural and physiologic development of vital organs thus "programming" the susceptibility to adult-onset diseases and disease-related health conditions. Epigenome-wide association studies have been performed in birth-weight discordant twin pairs to find evidence for such "programming" effects, but no significant results emerged. We further investigated this issue using a new computational approach: Instead of probing single genomic sites for significant alterations in epigenetic marks, we scan for differentially methylated genomic regions. Whole genome DNA methylation levels were measured in whole blood from 150 pairs of adult identical twins discordant for birth-weight. Intrapair differential DNA methylation was associated with qualitative (large or small) and quantitative (percentage) birth-weight discordance at each genomic site using regression models adjusting for age and sex. Based on the regression results, genomic regions with consistent alteration patterns of DNA methylation were located and tested for significant robustness using computational permutation tests. This yielded an interesting genomic region on chromosome 1, which is significantly differentially methylated for quantitative birth-weight discordance. The region covers two genes (TYW3 and CRYZ) both reportedly associated with metabolism. We conclude that prenatal conditions for birth-weight discordance may result in persistent epigenetic modifications potentially affecting even adult health., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.)