Stand-Capable Workstations Reduce Occupational Sedentary Time Among Administrative Workers.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSIn this study, we found that workers who use stand-biased desks stood more and sat less during their workday compared to workers who use traditional desks. Stand-biased users also experienced significantly less lower back discomfort compared to both traditional and sit-stand workstation users. Based on these findings, we recommend that the use of stand-biased workstations be considered when designing or renovating work office workspaces. The health risks of sedentary behavior are inherent in most office work, but these risks can be alleviated with intentional equipment choices. Using stand-biased desks can encourage workers to move more throughout the workday without their productivity or comfort being disturbed.

Background: Sedentary activity, especially occupational sitting, is a leading cause of musculoskeletal discomfort among office workers. The amount of time employees spend seated is associated with the type of workstation that they utilize.Purpose: We investigated differences in computer utilization, physical activity, and discomfort among office workers who used three workstation types (stand-biased, sit-stand, or traditional).Methods: Among a sample of office workers (n = 61), we used data-logging software to measure computer utilization over 10 days, activity sensors to measure daily general activity levels (i.e., sitting, standing, running, etc.) during the 8am­5pm workday and the 24-h day, and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to evaluate discomfort.Results: There was no significant difference in the number of keyclicks between the three groups; however, the stand-biased group had a significantly higher word count and more errors than the traditional group. The 24-h activity data revealed that the stand-biased group had significantly more standing time, less sitting time, and fewer transitions per hour compared to their traditional counterparts.Conclusions: Stand-biased workstations can be a viable workstation alternative to reduce sitting time without decreasing activity or creating additional discomfort.

Clinical and electrophysiological correlates of hopelessness in the context of suicide risk✰.

Hopelessness is a key risk factor for suicide. This analysis explored whether hopelessness indicates a recent suicide crisis state and is linked with magnetoencephalography (MEG) oscillatory power and effective connectivity differences. Change in hopelessness ratings and effective connectivity post-ketamine were also evaluated in a subsample of high-risk individuals to evaluate correlates of dynamic changes over time. Participants (66F;44 M;1 transgender) included individuals with suicide crisis in the last two weeks (High Risk (HR), n = 14), those with past suicide attempt but no recent suicide ideation (SI) (Low Risk (LR), n = 37), clinical controls (CC, n = 33), and healthy volunteers at minimal risk (MinR, n = 27). MEG oscillatory power and clinical hopelessness ratings (via the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS)) were evaluated across groups. Dynamic casual modeling (DCM) evaluated connectivity within and between the anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). A subsample of HR individuals who received ketamine (n = 10) were evaluated at Day 1 post-infusion. The HR group reported the highest levels of hopelessness, even when adjusting for SI. MEG results linked hopelessness with reduced activity across frequency bands in salience network regions, with no group or group-by-interaction effects. Using DCM, the HR group had reduced intrinsic drive from granular Layer IV stellate cells to superficial pyramidal cells in the ACC and AI. In the pilot HR study, reduced hopelessness was linked with increased drive for this same connection post-ketamine. Hopelessness is a possible proxy for suicide risk. Electrophysiological targets for hopelessness include widespread reductions in salience network activity, particularly in the ACC and AI.

Novel delivery systems for controlled release of bacterial therapeutics.

As more is learned about the benefits of microbes, their potential to prevent and treat disease is expanding. Microbial therapeutics are less burdensome and costly to produce than traditional molecular drugs, often with superior efficacy. Yet, as with most medicines, controlled dosing and delivery to the area of need remain key challenges for microbes. Advances in materials to control small-molecule delivery are expected to translate to microbes, enabling similar control with equivalent benefits. In this perspective, recent advances in living biotherapeutics are discussed within the context of new methods for their controlled release. The integration of these advances provides a roadmap for the design, synthesis, and analysis of controlled microbial therapeutic delivery systems.

Alkyl-templated cocrystallization of long-chain 1-bromoalkanes by lipid-like ionic liquids.

The serendipitous discovery of an unorthodox ionic cocrystallization system using 2-mercaptothiazolium-based ionic liquids as a crystallization milieu paves the way for the first report of crystal structures of long-chain 1-bromoalkanes. We used single crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the structures of 1-bromo-hexadecane and 1-octadecane with the aid of ionic liquids with alkyl side chains of equivalent length to the bromoalkane at room temperature. Long alkyl chains in combination with σ-hole interactions from strategically placed sulfur motifs synergistically function to crystallize the 1-bromoalkanes.

Errors elicit frontoparietal theta-gamma coupling that is modulated by endogenous estradiol levels.

Cognitive control-related error monitoring is intimately involved in behavioral adaptation, learning, and individual differences in a variety of psychological traits and disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests that a focus on women's health and ovarian hormones is critical to the study of such cognitive brain functions. Here we sought to identify a novel index of error monitoring using a time-frequency based phase amplitude coupling (t-f PAC) measure and examine its modulation by endogenous levels of estradiol in females. Forty-three healthy, naturally cycling young adult females completed a flanker task while continuous electroencephalogram was recorded on four occasions across the menstrual cycle. Results revealed significant error-related t-f PAC between theta phase generated in fronto-central areas and gamma amplitude generated in parietal-occipital areas. Moreover, this error-related theta-gamma coupling was enhanced by endogenous levels of estradiol both within females across the cycle as well as between females with higher levels of average circulating estradiol. While the role of frontal midline theta in error processing is well documented, this paper extends the extant literature by illustrating that error monitoring involves the coordination between multiple distributed systems with the slow midline theta activity modulating the power of gamma-band oscillatory activity in parietal regions. They further show enhancement of inter-regional coupling by endogenous estradiol levels, consistent with research indicating modulation of cognitive control neural functions by the endocrine system in females. Together, this work identifies a novel neurophysiological marker of cognitive control-related error monitoring in females that has implications for neuroscience and women's health.

Complete genome sequences of microbacterium phages Tedro and BAjuniper.

We purified two novel bacteriophages from soil collected in Sioux County, Iowa: BAjuniper and Tedro. These bacteriophages were isolated from the host, Microbacterium foliorum. BAjuniper was assigned to cluster EB, and Tedro was assigned to cluster EF. Both phages display genomes typical of other phages in their clusters.

Ionomer-free and recyclable porous-transport electrode for high-performing proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis.

Clean hydrogen production requires large-scale deployment of water-electrolysis technologies, particularly proton-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). However, as iridium-based electrocatalysts remain the only practical option for PEMWEs, their low abundance will become a bottleneck for a sustainable hydrogen economy. Herein, we propose high-performing and durable ionomer-free porous transport electrodes (PTEs) with facile recycling features enabling Ir thrifting and reclamation. The ionomer-free porous transport electrodes offer a practical pathway to investigate the role of ionomer in the catalyst layer and, from microelectrode measurements, point to an ionomer poisoning effect for the oxygen evolution reaction. The ionomer-free porous transport electrodes demonstrate a voltage reduction of > 600 mV compared to conventional ionomer-coated porous transport electrodes at 1.8 A cm-2 and <0.1 mgIr cm-2, and a voltage degradation of 29 mV at average rate of 0.58 mV per 1000-cycles after 50k cycles of accelerated-stress tests at 4 A cm-2. Moreover, the ionomer-free feature enables facile recycling of multiple components of PEMWEs, which is critical to a circular clean hydrogen economy.

Secondary Institutional Betrayal: Implications for Observing Mistreatment of Sexual Assault Survivors Secondhand.

Institutional betrayal has been used to describe the experiences of sexual assault survivors who are harmed by institutions which they rely on for safety or survival. This concept has primarily been studied in the context of survivors' direct relationships with institutions they are members of (e.g., universities, churches, military) and how the said institutions either failed to protect them or were unsupportive following their disclosure. Institutional betrayal can exacerbate negative mental and physical health outcomes for survivors, highlighting a need to hold institutions accountable for harm they cause. A limitation to this conceptualization is that many adults in the general public are not proximally connected to institutions (as they have historically been defined), and the majority of survivors do not formally report. Drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with young women survivors (n = 12), the present study aims to address this gap by abstracting the conceptualization to a more macro level, proposing the term secondary institutional betrayal. Secondary institutional betrayal refers to survivors' feelings of mistrust and disillusionment toward institutions they are distally connected to which are not directly involved in their own assault (e.g., the media, U.S. government, U.S. criminal legal system, their university), yet still have influence over their personal safety and survival. This sense of betrayal stems from secondhand observations, through the news media, of how other survivors are treated by these institutions. Many survivors in the present study reported their secondhand observations of institutional betrayal would likely deter them from reporting future assaults. Establishing research in this area is important to understand how survivors in the general public are impacted by news stories which highlight institutional betrayal, particularly in the context of ongoing social movements (e.g., #MeToo) which amplify public discourse about sexual assault.

Stimulation of nucleus accumbens 5-HT6 receptors increases both appetitive and consummatory motivation in an effort-based choice task.

Activity of the serotonin 6(5-HT6) receptor impacts food intake and body weight in animal models and has also shown potential as a target for treatment of anhedonia, a symptom of major depressive disorder. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key region involved in motivational processes and has been implicated in the neural mechanisms underlying anhedonia. Here, we assessed the potential role that 5-HT6 receptors in the NAc play in regulating motivation towards food. Rats received surgical implantation of guide cannulas above the NAc shell. On testing days, they were injected with either the selective 5-HT6 agonist EMD 386088 (at 0.0, 1.0, and 4.0 mg/0.5 mL/side) or the 5-HT6 antagonist SB 252585 (at 0, 1.0, and 4.0 µg/0.5 µL/side) prior to completing a 1-h long effort-based choice task. The task simultaneously examined the impact of NAc 5-HT6 receptor manipulation on appetitive motivation, measured as the breakpoint for earning a preferred sugar pellet in a progressive ratio task, and consummatory motivation, quantified as the grams of freely-available rat chow consumed during the session. Stimulation of NAc 5-HT receptors significantly increased both appetitive and consummatory motivation as assessed in this effort-based choice task. In contrast, 5-HT6 antagonism did not affect break point nor the consumption of the freely-available chow. These data suggest that 5-HT6 receptors are functional within the NAc, that their stimulation increases motivated behavior, and that they may therefore be a viable target for the treatment of anhedonia and disorders that inhibit motivational processes.

Anticancer Agents as Design Archetypes: Insights into the Structure-Property Relationships of Ionic Liquids with a Triarylmethyl Moiety.

A fundamental challenge underlying the design principles of ionic liquids (ILs) entails a lack of understanding into how tailored properties arise from the molecular framework of the constituent ions. Herein, we present detailed analyses of novel functional ILs containing a triarylmethyl (trityl) motif. Combining an empirically driven molecular design, thermophysical analysis, X-ray crystallography, and computational modeling, we achieved an in-depth understanding of structure-property relationships, establishing a coherent correlation with distinct trends between the thermophysical properties and functional diversity of the compound library. We observe a coherent relationship between melting (T m) and glass transition (T g) temperatures and the location and type of chemical modification of the cation. Furthermore, there is an inverse correlation between the simulated dipole moment and the T m/T g of the salts. Specifically, chlorination of the ILs both reduces and reorients the dipole moment, a key property controlling intermolecular interactions, thus allowing for control over T m/T g values. The observed trends are particularly apparent when comparing the phase transitions and dipole moments, allowing for the development of predictive models. Ultimately, trends in structural features and characterized properties align with established studies in physicochemical relationships for ILs, underpinning the formation and stability of these new lipophilic, low-melting salts.

How College Students in the United States Make Sense of Examples of Gender and Intersectional Microaggressions in Classroom Settings.

Women and racially minoritized college students report frequent experiences of being targets of gender and race-based microaggressions in the classroom context. However, while much research has focused on reports of experiences by targets, less is known about how observers would evaluate and make sense of these microaggressive experiences. Thus the present study used vignettes based on real-life situations to ascertain how 272 college students (76% White, 52% ciswomen) in the United States interpreted gender-based and intersectional microaggressions occurring in the classroom. Thematic analysis revealed that microaggressions were deemed acceptable when participants believed: 1) the situation humorous, 2) the instructor did not cause the situation, or 3) the stereotype/statement to be true. Microaggressions were evaluated negatively when: 1) the topic was deemed sensitive, 2) the classroom was perceived as unsuitable, or the instructor was seen as: 3) making students uncomfortable, 4) being defensive, or 5) teaching misinformation. The findings highlight the complexity involved in observers evaluating and interpreting gender-based and intersectional microaggressions.

1-Methyl-5-nitro-imidazolium chloride.

The title salt, C4H6N3O2 +·Cl-, exhibits multiple hydrogen-bonding inter-actions involving the nitro-imidazolium cation and the chloride anion. Strong hydrogen bonds between the amine hydrogen atom and the chloride anion link the ionic moieties. Of note, with respect to H⋯Cl inter-actions, the central aromatic hydrogen atom displays a shorter inter-action than the other aromatic hydrogen atom. Finally, inter-actions are observed between the nitro moiety and methyl H atoms. While no π-π stacking is observed, anion-π inter-actions are present. The crystal was refined as a two-component twin.

An Exploratory Feasibility Study of Incorporating Volunteering Into Treatment for Adolescent Depression and Anxiety.

Community volunteering is an under-utilized, at least under-researched, strategy to supplement existing treatment for affective disorders. We present findings from a feasibility study incorporating community volunteering into clinical treatment for depression and anxiety among adolescents and young adults. This exploratory pilot study had four aims: to investigate recruitment feasibility; to describe participants' experiences with volunteering; to explore psychosocial assets by which volunteering might decrease depressive and anxiety symptoms; and to document preliminary changes in mental health outcomes before and after the volunteering intervention. Interviews and surveys were employed with participants (N = 9; ages 14-20, Mage = 16 years old; eight women and one man) newly diagnosed with: mild to moderate depression (single episode), mild to moderate anxiety, or adjustment disorder. Recruitment was feasible overall, successes and challenges are discussed. Experiences with volunteering were very positive. Qualitative findings revealed perceived positive effects of volunteering on mood and well-being such as helping with social anxiety and being a positive distraction. Qualitative findings revealed several psychosocial assets that improved related to volunteering (e.g., sense of purpose/meaning and sense of community). On average, participants reported a 19% decrease in depressive symptoms from the pre-survey (before volunteering) to the post-survey (after volunteering). Although more research is warranted, the implication of this study for practicing psychologists treating adolescents and young adults for mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety is that they may wish to consider incorporating community volunteer activities into treatment. Volunteering was a desirable activity for interested participants in treatment for affective disorders.

The mental health impact of contact with COVID-19 patients on healthcare workers in the United States.

This study assessed the relationship between contact with COVID-19 patients and the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States (US). In a convenience sample of 957 HCWs who completed an anonymous online survey between April-May 2020, HCWs who provided direct care to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients reported increased depressive and posttraumatic symptoms compared to HCWs with no COVID-19 patient contact. Additionally, more frequent contact was associated with higher distress. More data drawn from diverse samples that better represent US HCWs are needed to fully assess the scope of this association.

Exploring Survivor Experiences on Social Media in the #MeToo Era: Clinical Recommendations for Addressing Impacts on Mental Health and Relationships.

Since the inception of the viral #MeToo Movement in 2017, news coverage of sexual assault incidents and related public discourse have become much more prevalent on social media platforms. While this hashtag activism has prompted important social discourse, little is known about how exposure to this type of trauma-related content affects survivors of sexual violence navigating these online spaces. To explore this phenomenon, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with young adult women survivors of sexual assault who regularly use social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). Participants were asked to reflect on sexual assault-related content (i.e., news stories and related public discourse) which they have observed on social media platforms. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data found survivors described (1) negative changes to their mental health and relationships in the face of these exposures, (2) certain types of content (e.g., rape culture narratives) which were particularly distressing to them, (3) how they coped with distress tied to this exposure, and (4) recommendations for clinicians on how to help survivors navigate social media in a healthier way. The present study is a first step toward understanding the impact of online social movements on trauma survivors and provides concrete clinical recommendations for therapists working with sexual assault survivors in this unique post-#MeToo context.

Bioinspired translation of classical music intode novoprotein structures using deep learning and molecular modeling.

Architected biomaterials, as well as sound and music, are constructed from small building blocks that are assembled across time- and length-scales. Here we present a novel deep learning-enabled integrated algorithmic workflow to merge the two concepts for radical discovery ofde novoprotein materials, exploiting musical creativity as the foundation, and extrapolating through a recursive method to increase protein complexity by successively injecting protein chemistry into the process. Indeed, music is one of the few universal expressions that can create bridges between cultures, find associations between seemingly unrelated concepts, and can be used as a novel way to generate bio-inspired designs that derive functions from the imaginations of the creative mind. Earlier work has offered a pathway to convert proteins into sound, and sound into proteins. Here we build on this paradigm and translate a piece of classical music into matter. Based on Bach's Goldberg variations, we offer a series of case studies to convert the musical data imagined by the composer into protein design, and folded into a 3D structure using deep learning. The quest we seek to address is to identify semblances, or memories, or information content in such musical creation, that offers new insights into pattern relationships between distinct manifestations of information. Using basic local alignment search tool analysis, we find that several fragments of the new proteins display similarities to existing protein sequences found in proteobacteria among other organisms, especially in regions of low complexity and repetitive motifs. The resulting protein forms the basis for iterative musical composition, and an evolutionary paradigm that defines a variational pathway for melodic development, complementing conventional creative or mathematical methods. This paper broadens the concept of what is understood as bio-inspiration to include a broad array of systems created by humans, animals, or other natural mechanisms.

Covalently linked hydrogen bond donors: The other side of molecular frustration in deep eutectic solvents.

In this work, we investigated the effects of a single covalent link between hydrogen bond donor species on the behavior of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and shed light on the resulting interactions at molecular scale that influence the overall physical nature of the DES system. We have compared sugar-based DES mixtures, 1:2 choline chloride/glucose [DES(g)] and 1:1 choline chloride/trehalose [DES(t)]. Trehalose is a disaccharide composed of two glucose units that are connected by an α-1,4-glycosidic bond, thus making it an ideal candidate for comparison with glucose containing DES(g). The differential scanning calorimetric analysis of these chemically close DES systems revealed significant difference in their phase transition behavior. The DES(g) exhibited a glass transition temperature of -58 °C and behaved like a fluid at higher temperatures, whereas DES(t) exhibited marginal phase change behavior at -11 °C and no change in the phase behavior at higher temperatures. The simulations revealed that the presence of the glycosidic bond between sugar units in DES(t) hindered free movement of sugar units in trehalose, thus reducing the number of interactions with choline chloride compared to free glucose molecules in DES(g). This was further confirmed using quantum theory of atoms in molecule analysis that involved determination of bond critical points (BCPs) using Laplacian of electron density. The analysis revealed a significantly higher number of BCPs between choline chloride and sugar in DES(g) compared to DES(t). The DES(g) exhibited a higher amount of charge transfer between the choline cation and sugar, and better interaction energy and enthalpy of formation compared to DES(t). This is a result of the ability of free glucose molecules to completely surround choline chloride in DES(g) and form a higher number of interactions. The entropy of formation for DES(t) was slightly higher than that for DES(g), which is a result of fewer interactions between trehalose and choline chloride. In summary, the presence of the glycosidic bond between the sugar units in trehalose limited their movement, thus resulting in fewer interactions with choline chloride. This limited movement in turn diminishes the ability of the hydrogen bond donor to disrupt the molecular packing within the lattice structure of the hydrogen bond acceptor (and vice versa), a crucial factor that lowers the melting point of DES mixtures. This inability to move due to the presence of the glycosidic bond in trehalose significantly influences the physical state of the DES(t) system, making it behave like a semi-solid material, whereas DES(g) behaves like a liquid material at room temperature.

Facets of Emotion Regulation and Emotional Disorder Symptom Dimensions: Differential Associations and Incremental Validity in a Large Clinical Sample.

A growing literature suggests robust associations between dimensions of emotion regulation and emotional disorder psychopathology. However, limited research has investigated associations of emotion regulation dimensions across several emotional disorders (transdiagnostic associations), or the incremental validity of emotion regulation versus the higher-order construct of neuroticism. The current study used exploratory structural equation modeling and a large clinical sample (N = 1,138) to: (a) develop a multidimensional emotion regulation measurement model, (b) evaluate the differential associations between latent emotion regulation dimensions and five latent emotional disorder symptom dimensions (social anxiety, depression, agoraphobia/panic, obsessions/compulsions, generalized worry), and (c) determine the incremental contribution of emotion regulation in predicting symptom dimensions beyond neuroticism. The best-fitting measurement model of emotion regulation included four dimensions: Problematic Responses, Poor Recognition/Clarity, Negative Thinking, and Emotional Inhibition/Suppression. Although many zero-order associations between the four latent emotion regulation dimensions and five latent symptom dimensions were significant, few associations remained significant in a structural regression model that included neuroticism. Specifically, Negative Thinking and Problematic Responses incrementally predicted depression symptoms, while Emotional Inhibition/Suppression predicted both social anxiety and depression symptoms. Associations between neuroticism and the emotional disorder dimensions were similar regardless of whether the emotion regulation dimensions were held constant. These results suggest that self-reported emotion regulation dimensions are associated with the severity and expression of a range of emotional disorder symptoms, but that some emotion regulation dimensions have limited incremental validity after accounting for general emotional reactivity. Studies of emotion regulation should assess neuroticism as a key covariate.

Incorporating Volunteering Into Treatment for Depression Among Adolescents: Developmental and Clinical Considerations.

Volunteering, or taking part in unpaid work for the benefit of others, can be a powerful positive experience with returns to both individual well-being and community projects. Volunteering is positively associated with mental health in observational studies with community samples but has not been systematically examined as a potential part of treatment interventions with clinical adolescent samples. In this manuscript, we review the empirical evidence base connecting volunteerism to mental health and well-being, outline potential mechanisms based in the theoretical literature from developmental science, and discuss the existing clinical approaches that support community volunteering as a part of treatment. Drawing on this review, we propose that including volunteering as a component of clinical treatment approaches for adolescent depression can be a powerful intervention for adolescents.

Design Principles of Lipid-like Ionic Liquids for Gene Delivery.

We developed lipid-like ionic liquids, containing 2-mercaptoimidazolium and 2-mercaptothiazolinium headgroups tethered to two long saturated alkyl chains, as carriers for in vitro delivery of plasmid HEK DNA into 293T cells. We employed a combination of modular design, synthesis, X-ray analysis, and computational modeling to rationalize the self-assembly and desired physicochemical and biological properties. The results suggest that thioamide-derived ionic liquids may serve as a modular platform for lipid-mediated gene delivery. This work represents a step toward understanding the structure-function relationships of these amphiphiles with long-range ordering and offering insight into design principles for synthetic vectors based on self-assembly behavior.