Verbal Encouragement Provokes Significant Increases in Maximal Volitional Dynamic Postural Sway.

Limits of Stability protocols are typically target-oriented, leaving volitional aspects of control unobservable. A novel unconstrained protocol, volitional Limits of Stability (vLOS), shows high test-retest-reliability. We tested if verbal encouragement impacts this protocol. Forty healthy young adults (age 20.1 ± .9 years) performed three trials of vLoS with instructions that were agnostic to strategy or vigor, except trial three included verbal encouragement. Total sway area was used to metric the maximum volitional dynamic sway during each 1-min trial. One-way, repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant differences (F(2,117) = 41.56, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.52) due to encouragement. Specifically, follow-up paired t-tests showed no difference in sway area between the first two trials (p = 0.61), while trial three was much larger than trials one and two (p < 0.0001). Significant, large increases in sway area with verbal encouragement indicate that top-down mechanisms should be considered in theories of postural control. As well, clinical utilization of novel vLOS should be careful with word selection and delivery of protocol instructions.HIGHLIGHTSLimits of Stability balance tests typically include a goal directed instruction and metrics.Dynamic postural sway should be tested in a task affording participant volitional control.A novel volitional Limits of Stability protocol has been developed.Maximal dynamic postural sway responds to motivating instructions.Psychological factors of postural sway control deserve further investigation.

HIT-It or Quit It: Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Testing Appropriateness Using 4T Scoring and Inappropriate Testing Cost Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The American Society of Hematology's 4T scoring system is a validated tool to assess a patient's probability of having heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) before testing is performed. There is no benefit to testing patients with a low probability 4T score for HIT. This study aimed to assess for inappropriate HIT testing at our institution based on 4T scoring. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 201 patient charts and calculated 4T scores and testing costs to assess for inappropriate testing and the economic impact of such testing. RESULTS: HIT testing often occurred in the least appropriate patients and resulted in tens of thousands of dollars of waste for unnecessary testing. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate testing for HIT is still a prevalent issue despite literature supporting the 4T score for guidance in testing appropriateness.

Roundup negatively impacts the behavior and nerve function of the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa).

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup formulations. Glyphosate-based herbicides are used globally in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and in urban settings. Glyphosate can persist for years in our soil, potentially impacting the soil-dwelling arthropods that are primary drivers of a suite of ecosystem services. Furthermore, although glyphosate is not generally classified as neurotoxic to insects, evidence suggests that it may cause nerve damage in other organisms. In a series of experiments, we used food to deliver environmentally realistic amounts of Roundup ready-to-use III, a common 2% glyphosate-based herbicide formulation that lists isopropylamine salt as its active ingredient, to Madagascar hissing cockroaches. We then assessed the impact of contamination on body mass, nerve health, and behavior. Contaminated food contained both 30.6 mg glyphosate and so-called inert ingredients. Food was refreshed weekly for 26-60 days, depending on the experiment. We found that consumption of contaminated food did not impact adult and juvenile survivorship or body weight. However, consumption of contaminated food decreased ventral nerve cord action-potential velocity by 32%, caused a 29% increase in respiration rate, and caused a 74.4% decrease in time spent on a motorized exercise wheel. Such changes in behavior may make cockroaches less capable of fulfilling their ecological service, such as pollinating or decomposing litter. Furthermore, their lack of coordination may make them more susceptible to predation, putting their population at risk. Given the decline of terrestrial insect abundance, understanding common risks to terrestrial insect populations has never been more critical. Results from our experiments add to the growing body of literature suggesting that this popular herbicide can act as a neurotoxin.

Be quiet and man up: a qualitative questionnaire study into fathers who witnessed their Partner's birth trauma.

BACKGROUND: Research focusing on paternal mental health is limited, especially regarding the impact of the experience of poor mental health in the perinatal period. For example, little is known about the experiences of fathers who witness their partner's traumatic birth and the subsequent impact on their mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore fathers' experiences of witnessing a traumatic birth, how these experiences impacted their wellbeing, and what support they received during and following the traumatic birth. METHODS: Sixty-one fathers were recruited via targeted social media to complete an anonymous online qualitative questionnaire regarding their birth trauma experience. Eligible participants were fathers aged eighteen or over, resided in the UK and had witnessed their partner's traumatic birth (that did not result in loss of life). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the questionnaire data. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: 'fathers' understanding of the experience' (subthemes: nothing can prepare you for it; merely a passenger; mixed experiences with staff; not about me); 'life after birth trauma' (subthemes: manhood after birth; inability to be happy; impact on relationships); and 'the support fathers received vs what they wanted' (subthemes: prenatal support; birth support; and postnatal support). CONCLUSIONS: Fathers reported that witnessing their partner's traumatic birth had a significant impact on them. They felt this affected their mental health and relationships long into the postnatal period. However, there is no nationally recognised support in place for fathers to use as a result of their experiences. The participants attributed this to being perceived as less important than women in the postnatal period, and maternity services' perceptions of the father more generally. Implications include ensuring support is available for both the mother and father following a traumatic birth, with additional staff training geared towards the father's role.

Severity of misophonia symptoms is associated with worse cognitive control when exposed to misophonia trigger sounds.

The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which the severity of misophonia symptoms is linked with cognitive control under misophonia symptom-provocation circumstances in the general population sample. Participants (N = 79) completed a measure of cognitive control-a Stroop color naming task, which consists of congruent and incongruent stimuli, and requires inhibition of a prepotent response (reading a word) in the service of a less predominant response (naming a color), while listening to misophonia symptom-provocation or universally unpleasant sounds. Participants' misophonia sound sensitivity, and emotional behaviors towards trigger sounds were assessed using the Misophonia Questionnaire. Stronger emotional behavioral reactions to misophonia trigger sounds were significantly associated with the larger Stroop effect when participants were exposed to the misophonia trigger sounds, but not when they were exposed to the universally unpleasant sounds. This effect held when controlling for the personality trait of Neuroticism and for baseline levels of anxiety. Both elevated misophonia sound sensitivity and emotional behaviors towards trigger sounds significantly correlated with higher self-reported anxiety when performing the Stroop task. However, only elevated emotional behaviors towards trigger sounds were linked with higher anxiety levels at baseline, suggesting that people who experience stronger emotions and behavioral reactions to misophonia trigger sounds may have higher anxiety at a trait level. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

A call from justice to support the people in Gaza.

Using Madison Powers and Ruth Faden's definition of 'well-being,' the authors argue that Israel, the international community and public health practitioners have a justice-based obligation to assist the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Focusing on Palestinians in Gaza, the authors first outline a normative framework of justice, as articulated by Powers and Faden. Following Powers and Faden's assumption that empirical assessments of justice can be made using the six dimensions of well-being, the authors next present current data on the living conditions in Gaza and describe how these conditions prevent residents from achieving sufficient levels of well-being. Using these indicators to demonstrate that Palestinians living in Gaza suffer deficiencies in these dimensions of well-being, the authors present a strong argument from justice to assist the residents of Gaza. The medical, public health, and bioethics community cannot sit idle while injustice continues.

Gender Differences in the Social Cost of Affective Deviance.

The current study tested whether men and women receive different degrees of social punishment for violating norms of emotional expression. Participants watched videos of male and female targets (whose reactions were pre-tested to be equivalent in expressivity and valence) viewing either a positive or negative slideshow, with their emotional reaction to the slideshow manipulated to be affectively congruent, affectively incongruent, or flat. Participants then rated the target on a number of social evaluation measures. Displaying an incongruent emotional expression, relative to a congruent one, harmed judgments of women more than men. Women are expected to be more emotionally expressive than men, making an incongruent expression more deviant for women. These results highlight the importance of social norms in construing another person's emotion displays, which can subsequently determine acceptance or rejection of that person.

Extensive transcriptional response associated with seasonal plasticity of butterfly wing patterns.

In the eastern United States, the buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia, shows seasonal wing colour plasticity where adults emerging in the spring are tan, while those emerging in the autumn are dark red. This variation can be artificially induced in laboratory colonies, thus making J. coenia a useful model system to examine the mechanistic basis of plasticity. To better understand the developmental basis of seasonal plasticity, we used RNA-seq to quantify transcription profiles associated with development of alternative seasonal wing morphs. Depending on the developmental stage, between 547 and 1420 transfrags were significantly differentially expressed between morphs. These extensive differences in gene expression stand in contrast to the much smaller numbers of differentially expressed transcripts identified in previous studies of genetic wing pattern variation in other species and suggest that environmentally induced phenotypic shifts arise from very broad systemic processes. Analyses of candidate endocrine and pigmentation transcripts revealed notable genes upregulated in the red morph, including several ecdysone-associated genes, and cinnabar, an ommochrome pigmentation gene implicated in colour pattern variation in other butterflies. We also found multiple melanin-related transcripts strongly upregulated in the red morph, including tan and yellow-family genes, leading us to speculate that dark red pigmentation in autumn J. coenia may involve nonommochrome pigments. While we identified several endocrine and pigmentation genes as obvious candidates for seasonal colour morph differentiation, we speculate that the majority of observed expression differences were due to thermal stress response. The buckeye transcriptome provides a basis for further developmental studies of phenotypic plasticity.

Verbal compliments as a differential source of mate poaching threat for men and women.

Two studies tested whether people feel threatened by another individual verbally complimenting their romantic partner. Such compliments may indicate that the other person is a potential rival who will try to "poach" their mate. Across two studies, women were more threatened than men when imagining another person complimenting their partner's physical appearance. There were no sex differences in response to imagining another person complimenting their partner's sense of humor. When another person compliments one's partner's physical appearance, this indicates that they may be sexually attracted to the partner. Mediation analyses revealed that the sex difference occurs because women believe men are more open to casual sex, and therefore more vulnerable to mate poaching when another person expresses sexual interest in them.

Global regulator Anr represses PlcH phospholipase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa when oxygen is limiting.

Haemolytic phospholipase C (PlcH) is a potent virulence and colonization factor that is expressed at high levels by Pseudomonas aeruginosa within the mammalian host. The phosphorylcholine liberated from phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin by PlcH is further catabolized into molecules that both support growth and further induce plcH expression. We have shown previously that the catabolism of PlcH-released choline leads to increased activity of Anr, a global transcriptional regulator that promotes biofilm formation and virulence. Here, we demonstrated the presence of a negative feedback loop in which Anr repressed plcH transcription and we proposed that this regulation allowed for PlcH levels to be maintained in a way that promotes productive host-pathogen interactions. Evidence for Anr-mediated regulation of PlcH came from data showing that growth at low oxygen (1%) repressed PlcH abundance and plcH transcription in the WT, and that plcH transcription was enhanced in an Δanr mutant. The plcH promoter featured an Anr consensus sequence that was conserved across all P. aeruginosa genomes and mutation of conserved nucleotides within the Anr consensus sequence increased plcH expression under hypoxic conditions. The Anr-regulated transcription factor Dnr was not required for this effect. The loss of Anr was not sufficient to completely derepress plcH transcription as GbdR, a positive regulator of plcH, was required for expression. Overexpression of Anr was sufficient to repress plcH transcription even at 21 % oxygen. Anr repressed plcH expression and phospholipase C activity in a cell culture model for P. aeruginosa-epithelial cell interactions.

Anr and its activation by PlcH activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa host colonization and virulence.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa hemolytic phospholipase C (PlcH) degrades phosphatidylcholine (PC), an abundant lipid in cell membranes and lung surfactant. A ΔplcHR mutant, known to be defective in virulence in animal models, was less able to colonize epithelial cell monolayers and was defective in biofilm formation on plastic when grown in lung surfactant. Microarray analyses found that strains defective in PlcH production had lower levels of Anr-regulated transcripts than the wild type. PC degradation stimulated the Anr regulon in an Anr-dependent manner under conditions where Anr activity was submaximal because of the presence of oxygen. Two PC catabolites, choline and glycine betaine (GB), were sufficient to stimulate Anr activity, and their catabolism was required for Anr activation. The addition of choline or GB to glucose-containing medium did not alter Anr protein levels, growth rates, or respiratory activity, and Anr activation could not be attributed to the osmoprotectant functions of GB. The Δanr mutant was defective in virulence in a mouse pneumonia model. Several lines of evidence indicate that Anr is important for the colonization of biotic and abiotic surfaces in both P. aeruginosa PAO1 and PA14 and that increases in Anr activity resulted in enhanced biofilm formation. Our data suggest that PlcH activity promotes Anr activity in oxic environments and that Anr activity contributes to virulence, even in the acute infection phase, where low oxygen tensions are not expected. This finding highlights the relationships among in vivo bacterial metabolism, the activity of the oxygen-sensitive regulator Anr, and virulence.

Determining changes in the distribution and abundance of a Rhyzopertha dominica phosphine resistance allele in farm grain storages using a DNA marker.

BACKGROUND: The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), is a highly destructive pest of stored grain that is strongly resistant to the fumigant phosphine (PH3 ). Phosphine resistance is due to genetic variants at the rph2 locus that alter the function of the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) gene. This discovery now enables direct detection of resistance variants at the rph2 locus in field populations. RESULTS: A genotype assay was developed for direct detection of changes in distribution and frequency of a phosphine resistance allele in field populations of R. dominica. Beetles were collected from ten farms in south-east Queensland in 2006 and resampled in 2011. Resistance allele frequency increased in the period from 2006 to 2011 on organic farms with no history of phosphine use, implying that migration of phosphine-resistant R. dominica had occurred from nearby storages. CONCLUSION: Increasing resistance allele frequencies on organic farms suggest local movement of beetles and dispersal of insects from areas where phosphine has been used. This research also highlighted for the first time the utility of a genetic DNA marker in accurate and rapid determination of the distribution of phosphine-resistant insects in the grain value chain. Extending this research over larger landscapes would help in identifying resistance problems and enable timely pest management decisions.

Cellular correlates of anxiety in CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells of 5-HT1A receptor knockout mice.

RATIONALE: 5-HT(1A) receptor knockout (1AKO) mice have a robust anxiety phenotype. Tissue-specific "rescue" strategies and electrophysiology have implicated a critical role for postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors, particularly in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we evaluated differences in membrane properties and synaptic activity in CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells between 1AKOs and wild-type (WT) controls to better understand the cellular correlates of anxiety in this mouse model. METHODS: Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were conducted in CA1 pyramidal cells in hippocampal brain slices from 1AKOs and WTs that had previously been screened for anxiety with the elevated-plus maze. Spontaneous miniature inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs and EPSCs) and stimulus-evoked eIPSCs and eEPSCs were recorded in addition to the effect of the benzodiazepine agonist diazepam or the inverse agonist FG 7142 on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic eIPSCs. RESULTS: Evoked EPSC amplitude was greater in 1AKOs than WTs. When subjects were pooled across genotypes, anxiety measures correlated with eEPSC amplitude, indicating enhanced postsynaptic glutamate synaptic activity under conditions of synaptic activation in anxious subjects. While GABA synaptic activity and sensitivity to diazepam were not affected by genotype or correlated with anxiety, sensitivity to the anxiogenic FG 7142 was smaller in anxious subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate enhanced postsynaptic glutamate receptor sensitivity and decreased GABAergic inhibition by a benzodiazepine inverse agonist in CA1 hippocampal neurons of anxious mice are produced by deletion of the 5-HT(1A) receptor. These data provide new information about interactions between 5-HT, GABA, and glutamate systems during the expression of chronic anxiety.

Influence of adsorption on phenol transport through soil-bentonite vertical barriers amended with activated carbon.

The potential for enhanced containment of phenol by soil-bentonite (SB) vertical barriers amended with activated carbon (AC) was investigated. Results of batch equilibrium adsorption tests on model SB backfills amended with 0-10 wt.% granular AC (GAC) or powdered AC (PAC) illustrate that the backfills exhibited nonlinear adsorption behavior that was described well by both the Freundlich and Tóth adsorption models. The AC amended backfills exhibited enhanced phenol adsorption relative to unamended backfill due to hydrophobic partitioning to the AC. Adsorption capacity increased with increasing AC content but was insensitive to AC type (GAC versus PAC). Results of numerical transport simulations based on the measured adsorption behavior show that the Tóth model yielded similar or lower phenol breakthrough times than the Freundlich model for the range of source concentrations (C(o)) considered in the simulations (0.1-10 mg/L). Breakthrough time decreased with increasing C(o) but increased with increasing AC content. Predicted breakthrough times for an SB vertical barrier amended with 2-10 wt.% AC increased by several orders of magnitude relative to the theoretical case of a nonreactive (non-adsorbing) barrier. The findings suggest that AC may be a highly effective adsorption amendment for sustaining the containment performance of SB vertical barriers.

Corticotropin-releasing factor increases GABA synaptic activity and induces inward current in 5-hydroxytryptamine dorsal raphe neurons.

Stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression involve dysfunction of the serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] system. Previous studies have found that the stress neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) inhibits 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in vivo. The goals of the present study were to characterize the CRF receptor subtypes (CRF-R1 and -R2) and cellular mechanisms underlying CRF-5-HT interactions. Visualized whole-cell patch-clamp recording techniques in brain slices were used to measure spontaneous or evoked GABA synaptic activity in DRN neurons of rats and CRF effects on these measures. CRF-R1 and -R2-selective agonists were bath applied alone or in combination with receptor-selective antagonists. CRF increased presynaptic GABA release selectively onto 5-HT neurons, an effect mediated by the CRF-R1 receptor. CRF increased postsynaptic GABA receptor sensitivity selectively in 5-HT neurons, an effect to which both receptor subtypes contributed. CRF also had direct effects on DRN neurons, eliciting an inward current in 5-HT neurons mediated by the CRF-R2 receptor and in non-5-HT neurons mediated by the CRF-R1 receptor. These results indicate that CRF has direct membrane effects on 5-HT DRN neurons as well as indirect effects on GABAergic synaptic transmission that are mediated by distinct receptor subtypes. The inhibition of 5-HT DRN neurons by CRF in vivo may therefore be primarily an indirect effect via stimulation of inhibitory GABA synaptic transmission. These results regarding the cellular mechanisms underlying the complex interaction between CRF, 5-HT, and GABA systems could contribute to the development of novel treatments for stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Cellular effects of swim stress in the dorsal raphe nucleus.

Swim stress regulates forebrain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release in a complex manner and its effects are initiated in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of swim stress on the physiology of DRN neurons in conjunction with 5-HT immunohistochemistry. Basic membrane properties, 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated responses and glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were measured using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Rats were forced to swim for 15min and 24h later DRN brain slices were prepared for electrophysiology. Swim stress altered the resting membrane potential, input resistance and action potential duration of DRN neurons in a neurochemical-specific manner. Swim stress selectively elevated glutamate EPSC frequency in 5-HT DRN neurons. Swim stress non-selectively reduced EPSC amplitude in all DRN cells. Swim stress elevated the 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated inhibition of glutamatergic synaptic activity that selectively targeted 5-HT cells. Non-5-HT DRN neurons appeared to be particularly responsive to the effects of a milder handling stress. Handling elevated EPSC frequency, reduced EPSC decay time and enhanced a 5-HT(1B) receptor-mediated inhibition of mEPSC frequency selectively in non-5-HT DRN cells. These results indicate that swim stress has both direct, i.e., changes in membrane characteristics, and indirect effects, i.e., via glutamatergic afferents, on DRN neurons. These results also indicate that there are distinct local glutamatergic afferents to neurochemically specific populations of DRN neurons, and furthermore that these distinct afferents are differentially regulated by swim stress. These cellular changes may contribute to the complex effects of swim stress on 5-HT neurotransmission and/or the behavioral changes underlying the forced swimming test model of depression.