3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid Delays Paralysis in Caenorhabditis elegans Models of Amyloid-Beta and Polyglutamine Proteotoxicity.

Age is the primary risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and a leading cause of death in the elderly population of the United States. No effective treatments for these diseases currently exist. Identifying effective treatments for Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and other neurodegenerative diseases is a major current focus of national scientific resources, and there is a critical need for novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we investigate the potential for targeting the kynurenine pathway metabolite 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3HAA) using Caenorhabditis elegans expressing amyloid-beta or a polyglutamine peptide in body wall muscle, modeling the proteotoxicity in Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, respectively. We show that knocking down the enzyme that degrades 3HAA, 3HAA dioxygenase (HAAO), delays the age-associated paralysis in both models. This effect on paralysis was independent of the protein aggregation in the polyglutamine model. We also show that the mechanism of protection against proteotoxicity from HAAO knockdown is mimicked by 3HAA supplementation, supporting elevated 3HAA as the mediating event linking HAAO knockdown to delayed paralysis. This work demonstrates the potential for 3HAA as a targeted therapeutic in neurodegenerative disease, though the mechanism is yet to be explored.

Fibromyalgia: Diagnosis and Management.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic, centralized pain syndrome characterized by disordered processing of painful stimuli. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed more frequently in women and occurs globally, affecting 2% of people in the United States. Patients with fibromyalgia have diffuse chronic pain, poor sleep, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disturbances. Comorbid conditions, such as functional somatic syndromes, psychiatric diagnoses, and rheumatologic conditions may be present. The Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool is a helpful screening method for patients with diffuse chronic pain. The American College of Rheumatology criteria or the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy diagnostic criteria can diagnose fibromyalgia. Establishing the diagnosis and providing education can reassure patients and decrease unnecessary testing. A multidisciplinary approach that incorporates nonpharmacologic therapies and medications to address problematic symptoms is most effective. Patient education, exercise, and cognitive behavior therapy can improve pain and function. Duloxetine, milnacipran, pregabalin, and amitriptyline are potentially effective medications for fibromyalgia. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids have not demonstrated benefits for fibromyalgia and have significant limitations.

Scientists benefit greatly from K-12 partnerships: the Panama Research Experiences for Teachers project.

Scientist-teacher partnerships are highly beneficial to K-12 STEM education. While much is known about the benefits for teachers in these partnerships, the corresponding benefits for scientists are less well known. With emphasis on the scientists' perspective, here we describe our NSF RET (Research Experiences for Teachers) project consisting of five successive cohorts from 2012 to 2016. Coincident with a "once-in-a-century" expansion of the Panama Canal, the science research focused on the paleontology, evolutionary biology, and geology of this region to better understand the ancient Neotropical biota related to the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). In the field, scientists and teachers worked together collecting fossils and geological samples. Back in the K-12 classrooms, lesson plans related to their experiences were implemented and the teachers hosted scientist role-model visits. More than 30 scientists and 44 teachers participated in this Panama "GABI RET" project. Using a new validated survey developed during this project and focus groups, we explored the impact of this project, and in particular the perceived benefits accrued by the scientists. Our study confirmed that scientists felt they improved their communication skills, had a better appreciation for the K-12 teaching professions, greatly enjoyed working with the teachers, considered them colleagues, and many wanted to continue K-12 outreach as part of their careers. Overall, scientists perceived that they greatly benefited from these partnerships. In addition to describing their activities, they had numerous recommendations for similar partnerships in the future. For example, these include: (1) having more teachers participate in multiple cohorts, (2) continued opportunities for teachers to be involved in professional meetings, (3) ongoing webinars and face-to-face engagement, and (4) more diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds, subjects taught, and regions represented. Although this case study was focused on the GABI RET, our results also potentially inform other projects that involve scientists' education and outreach activities. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12052-022-00177-z.

Characterizing missed identifications and errors in latent fingerprint comparisons using eye-tracking data.

Latent fingerprint examiners sometimes come to different conclusions when comparing fingerprints, and eye-gaze behavior may help explain these outcomes. missed identifications (missed IDs) are inconclusive, exclusion, or No Value determinations reached when the consensus of other examiners is an identification. To determine the relation between examiner behavior and missed IDs, we collected eye-gaze data from 121 latent print examiners as they completed a total 1444 difficult (latent-exemplar) comparisons. We extracted metrics from the gaze data that serve as proxies for underlying perceptual and cognitive capacities. We used these metrics to characterize potential mechanisms of missed IDs: Cursory Comparison and Mislocalization. We find that missed IDs are associated with shorter comparison times, fewer regions visited, and fewer attempted correspondences between the compared images. Latent print comparisons resulting in erroneous exclusions (a subset of missed IDs) are also more likely to have fixations in different regions and less accurate correspondence attempts than those comparisons resulting in identifications. We also use our derived metrics to describe one atypical examiner who made six erroneous identifications, four of which were on comparisons intended to be straightforward exclusions. The present work helps identify the degree to which missed IDs can be explained using eye-gaze behavior, and the extent to which missed IDs depend on cognitive and decision-making factors outside the domain of eye-tracking methodologies.

A new genus, Perplexacara, and new generic placements of species of Australian marsh beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) based on morphology and molecular genetic data.

The Australian Scirtidae species previously identified as misplaced in the widespread genus Prionocyphon Redtenbacher are revisited as well as their possible relationship with the Australian genus Macrodascillus (Lea) using sequence data from the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and two nuclear genes, elongation factor 1-alpha and Topoisomerase. The study confirmed the conclusion of Cooper et al. (2014) that the species did not belong in Prionocyphon. The study also included a species from each of three possibly related genera, Chameloscyphon Watts, Daploeuros Watts and Dasyscyphon Watts. Chameloscyphon huonensis Watts, Dasyscyphon victoriaensis Watts and Daploeuros lamingtonensis Watts were recovered as separate lineages with C. huonensis linking with Das. victoriaensis and Dap. lamingtonensis isolated. The species previously included in Prionocyphon were shown to belong in two genera, Macrodascillus and a new genus Perplexacara: Perplexacara caementum (Watts) new combination, P. latusmandibulara (Watts) new combination, P. macroflavida (Watts) new combination, Macrodascillus scalaris (Lea), M. insolitus (Watts) new combination and M. lamingtonensis (Watts) new combination.

Re-assessing the role of the fecalith in acute appendicitis in adults: case report, case series and literature review.

Appendicitis in adults is thought to occur because of luminal obstruction from a fecalith. We present a unique case of a patient who had her entire appendiceal lumen occupied by a fecalith (5.0 cm long) but had no appendicitis. We reviewed the records of 257 veterans who underwent surgical intervention at our institution for the management of acute appendicitis. Fecaliths occurred in 15.6% of patients. At laparotomy, 20.6% had a perforated appendix; pathology showed fecaliths in 20.8% of specimens. A review of the literature inclusive of 25 series showed fecaliths in 33.3% of patients with a normal appendix, 23.5% of patients with acute appendicitis and 24.9% with perforated appendicitis. These data show that appendicitis is not a common cause of fecalith obstruction in adults.

Why do latent fingerprint examiners differ in their conclusions?

Forensic latent print examiners usually but do not always reproduce each other's conclusions. Using data from tests of experts conducting fingerprint comparisons, we show the extent to which differing conclusions can be explained in terms of the images, and in terms of the examiners. Some images are particularly prone to disagreements or erroneous conclusions; the highest and lowest quality images generally result in unanimous conclusions. The variability among examiners can be seen as the effect of implicit individual decision thresholds, which we demonstrate are measurable and differ substantially among examiners; this variation may reflect differences in skill, risk tolerance, or bias. Much of the remaining variability relates to inconsistency of the examiners themselves: borderline conclusions (i.e., close to individual decision thresholds) often were not repeated by the examiners themselves, and tended to be completed more slowly and rated difficult. A few examiners have significantly higher error rates than most: aggregate error rates of many examiners are not necessarily representative of individual examiners. The use of a three-level conclusion scale does not precisely represent the underlying agreements and disagreements among examiners. We propose a new method of quantifying examiner skill that would be appropriate for use in proficiency tests. These findings are operationally relevant to staffing, quality assurance, and disagreements among experts in court.

Effects of Astrobiology Lectures on Knowledge and Attitudes about Science in Incarcerated Populations.

The incarcerated population has little or no access to science education programs, STEM resources, or scientists. We explored the effects of a low-cost, potentially high-impact informal science education program that enabled NASA scientists to provide astrobiology lectures to adults inside 16 correctional institutions in three states. Post- versus pre-lecture surveys suggest that presentations significantly increased science content knowledge, positively shifted attitudes about science and scientists, increased a sense of science self-identity, and enhanced behavioral intentions about communicating science. These were significant across ethnicity, gender, education level, and institution type, size, location, and state. Men scored higher than women on pre-lecture survey questions. Among men, participants with greater levels of education and White non-Hispanics scored higher than those with less educational attainment and African American and other minority participants. Increases in science content knowledge were greater for women than men and, among men, for those with lower levels of education and African American participants. Women increased more in science identity than did men. Thus, even limited exposure to voluntary, non-credit science lectures delivered by scientists can be an effective way to broker a relationship to science for this underserved public group and can potentially serve as a step to broaden participation in science.

Gaze behavior and cognitive states during fingerprint target group localization.

BACKGROUND: The comparison of fingerprints by expert latent print examiners generally involves repeating a process in which the examiner selects a small area of distinctive features in one print (a target group), and searches for it in the other print. In order to isolate this key element of fingerprint comparison, we use eye-tracking data to describe the behavior of latent fingerprint examiners on a narrowly defined "find the target" task. Participants were shown a fingerprint image with a target group indicated and asked to find the corresponding area of ridge detail in a second impression of the same finger and state when they found the target location. Target groups were presented on latent and plain exemplar fingerprint images, and as small areas cropped from the plain exemplars, to assess how image quality and the lack of surrounding visual context affected task performance and eye behavior. One hundred and seventeen participants completed a total of 675 trials. RESULTS: The presence or absence of context notably affected the areas viewed and time spent in comparison; differences between latent and plain exemplar tasks were much less significant. In virtually all trials, examiners repeatedly looked back and forth between the images, suggesting constraints on the capacity of visual working memory. On most trials where context was provided, examiners looked immediately at the corresponding location: with context, median time to find the corresponding location was less than 0.3 s (second fixation); however, without context, median time was 1.9 s (five fixations). A few trials resulted in errors in which the examiner did not find the correct target location. Basic gaze measures of overt behaviors, such as speed, areas visited, and back-and-forth behavior, were used in conjunction with the known target area to infer the underlying cognitive state of the examiner. CONCLUSIONS: Visual context has a significant effect on the eye behavior of latent print examiners. Localization errors suggest how errors may occur in real comparisons: examiners sometimes compare an incorrect but similar target group and do not continue to search for a better candidate target group. The analytic methods and predictive models developed here can be used to describe the more complex behavior involved in actual fingerprint comparisons.

Intragenomic internal transcribed spacer 2 variation in a genus of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): implications for accurate species delimitation and phylogenetic analysis.

A recent DNA barcoding study of Australian microgastrines (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) sought to use next-generation sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) barcoding gene region, the wingless (WG) gene and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) to delimit molecular species in a highly diverse group of parasitic wasps. Large intragenomic distances between ITS2 variants, often larger than the average interspecific variation, caused difficulties in using ITS2 for species delimitation in both threshold and tree-based approaches, and the gene was not included in the reported results of the previous DNA barcoding study. We here report on the intragenomic, and the intra- and interspecies, variation in ITS2in the microgastrine genus Diolcogasterto further investigate the value of ITS2as a marker for species delimitation and phylogenetics of the Microgastrinae. Distinctive intragenomic variant patterns were found in different species of Diolcogaster, with some species possessing a single major variant, and others possessing many divergent variants. Characterizing intragenomic variation of ITS2is critical as it is a widely used marker in hymenopteran phylogenetics and species delimitation, and large intragenomic distances such as those found in this study may obscure phylogenetic signal.

Automated Delivery of Clinical Follow-Up to the Radiologist via E-Mail: Feasibility Study of a New Information Technology Algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to develop an automated process for radiologists to obtain clinical follow-up on radiology reports via HIPAA-compliant e-mail and to determine what follow-up data were collected and whether they were relevant to the radiology reports. CONCLUSION: The algorithm generated high-yield follow-up data for radiologists that may improve patient care by facilitating radiologist engagement and self-assessment.

5 drug interactions you don't want to miss.

These interactions can affect contraceptive efficacy, increase bleeding risk, or lead to rhabdomyolysis. This practical guide can help you avoid trouble.

MRI of Native Knee Cartilage Delamination Injuries.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the normal imaging appearance of cartilage and the pathophysiologic findings, imaging appearance, and surgical management of cartilage delamination. CONCLUSION: Delamination injuries of knee cartilage signify surgical lesions that can lead to significant morbidity without treatment. These injuries may present with clinical symptoms identical to those associated with meniscal injury, and arthroscopic identification can be difficult, thereby creating a role for imaging diagnosis. A low sensitivity of imaging identification of delamination injury of the knee is reported in the available literature, although vast improvements in MRI of cartilage have since been introduced.

Factors associated with latent fingerprint exclusion determinations.

Exclusion is the determination by a latent print examiner that two friction ridge impressions did not originate from the same source. The concept and terminology of exclusion vary among agencies. Much of the literature on latent print examination focuses on individualization, and much less attention has been paid to exclusion. This experimental study assesses the associations between a variety of factors and exclusion determinations. Although erroneous exclusions are more likely to occur on some images and for some examiners, they were widely distributed among images and examiners. Measurable factors found to be associated with exclusion rates include the quality of the latent, value determinations, analysis minutia count, comparison difficulty, and the presence of cores or deltas. An understanding of these associations will help explain the circumstances under which errors are more likely to occur and when determinations are less likely to be reproduced by other examiners; the results should also lead to improved effectiveness and efficiency of training and casework quality assurance. This research is intended to assist examiners in improving the examination process and provide information to the broader community regarding the accuracy, reliability, and implications of exclusion decisions.

Microwave Ablation for Lung Neoplasms: A Retrospective Analysis of Long-Term Results.

PURPOSE: To determine the long-term safety and efficacy of microwave (MW) ablation in the treatment of lung tumors at a single academic medical center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was performed of 108 patients (42 female; mean age, 72.5 y ± 10.3 [standard deviation]) who underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous MW ablation for a single lung malignancy. Eighty-two were primary non-small-cell lung cancers and 24 were metastatic tumors (9 colorectal carcinoma, 2 renal-cell carcinoma, 4 sarcoma, 2 lung, and 7 other). Mean maximum tumor diameter was 29.6 mm ± 17.2. Patient clinical and imaging data were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier modeling and logistic regression. RESULTS: Odds of primary technical success were 11.1 times higher for tumors < 3 cm vs those > 3 cm (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.97-41.1; P = .0003). For every millimeter increase in original tumor maximal diameter (OMD), the odds of not attaining success increased by 7% (95% CI, 3%-10%; P = .0002). For every millimeter increase in OMD, the odds of complications increased by 3% (95% CI, 0.1%-5%; P = .04). Median time to tumor recurrence was 62 months (95% CI, 29, upper bound not reached; range, 0.2-96.6 mo). Recurrence rates were estimated at 22%, 36%, and 44% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Recurrence rates were estimated at 31% at 13 months for tumors > 3 cm and 17% for those < 3 cm. Complications included pneumothorax (32%), unplanned hospital admission (28%), pain (20%), infection (7%), and postablation syndrome (4%). CONCLUSIONS: This study further supports the safe and effective use of MW ablation for the treatment of lung tumors.

Data on the interexaminer variation of minutia markup on latent fingerprints.

The data in this article supports the research paper entitled "Interexaminer variation of minutia markup on latent fingerprints" [1]. The data in this article describes the variability in minutia markup during both analysis of the latents and comparison between latents and exemplars. The data was collected in the "White Box Latent Print Examiner Study," in which each of 170 volunteer latent print examiners provided detailed markup documenting their examinations of latent-exemplar pairs of prints randomly assigned from a pool of 320 pairs. Each examiner examined 22 latent-exemplar pairs; an average of 12 examiners marked each latent.

Interexaminer variation of minutia markup on latent fingerprints.

Latent print examiners often differ in the number of minutiae they mark during analysis of a latent, and also during comparison of a latent with an exemplar. Differences in minutia counts understate interexaminer variability: examiners' markups may have similar minutia counts but differ greatly in which specific minutiae were marked. We assessed variability in minutia markup among 170 volunteer latent print examiners. Each provided detailed markup documenting their examinations of 22 latent-exemplar pairs of prints randomly assigned from a pool of 320 pairs. An average of 12 examiners marked each latent. The primary factors associated with minutia reproducibility were clarity, which regions of the prints examiners chose to mark, and agreement on value or comparison determinations. In clear areas (where the examiner was "certain of the location, presence, and absence of all minutiae"), median reproducibility was 82%; in unclear areas, median reproducibility was 46%. Differing interpretations regarding which regions should be marked (e.g., when there is ambiguity in the continuity of a print) contributed to variability in minutia markup: especially in unclear areas, marked minutiae were often far from the nearest minutia marked by a majority of examiners. Low reproducibility was also associated with differences in value or comparison determinations. Lack of standardization in minutia markup and unfamiliarity with test procedures presumably contribute to the variability we observed. We have identified factors accounting for interexaminer variability; implementing standards for detailed markup as part of documentation and focusing future training efforts on these factors may help to facilitate transparency and reduce subjectivity in the examination process.

Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians screen adults for alcohol misuse and provide persons engaged in risky or hazardous drinking behaviors with brief behavioral counseling to reduce alcohol misuse. However, only a minority of American adults with high-risk alcohol use receive treatment. Three medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat alcohol use disorder: acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone. Acamprosate and naltrexone reduce alcohol consumption and increase abstinence rates, although the effects appear to be modest. Disulfiram has been used for years, but evidence supporting its effectiveness is inconsistent. Other medications may be beneficial to reduce heavy alcohol use. The anticonvulsants topiramate and gabapentin may reduce alcohol ingestion, although long-term studies are lacking. Antidepressants do not decrease alcohol use in patients without mood disorders, but sertraline and fluoxetine may help depressed patients decrease alcohol ingestion. Ondansetron may reduce alcohol use, particularly in selected subpopulations. Further study is needed for genetically targeted or as-needed medications to reduce alcohol use.

Timed Stair Climbing Is the Single Strongest Predictor of Perioperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Current methods to predict patients' perioperative morbidity use complex algorithms with multiple clinical variables focusing primarily on organ-specific compromise. The aim of the current study was to determine the value of a timed stair climb in predicting perioperative complications for patients undergoing abdominal surgery. STUDY DESIGN: From March 2014 to July 2015, three hundred and sixty-two patients attempted stair climbing while being timed before undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Vital signs were measured before and after stair climb. Ninety-day postoperative complications were assessed by the Accordion Severity Grading System. The prognostic value of stair climb was compared with the American College of Surgeons NSQIP risk calculator. RESULTS: A total of 264 (97.4%) patients were able to complete the stair climb. Stair climb time directly correlated to changes in both mean arterial pressure and heart rate as an indicator of stress. An Accordion grade 2 or higher complication occurred in 84 (25%) patients. There were 8 mortalities (2.4%). Patients with slower stair climb times had increased complication rates (p < 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, stair climb time was the single strongest predictor of complications (odds ratio = 1.029; p < 0.0001), and no other clinical comorbidity reached statistical significance. Receiver operative characteristic curves predicting postoperative morbidity by stair climb time was superior to that of the American College of Surgeons risk calculator (area under the curve = 0.81 vs 0.62; p < 0.0001). Additionally, slower patients had greater deviations from predicted length of hospital stay (p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Stair climb provides measurable stress, accurately predicts postoperative complications, and is easy to administer in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Larger patient populations with a diverse group of operations will be needed to validate the use of stair climbing in risk-prediction models.

Change in Body Mass Index After Breast Reconstruction and Associated Complications.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence and prevalence of breast cancer continue to rise. Therapies may contribute to patient weight gain. Obesity, a major predictor of surgical complications, may affect reconstructive outcome. The goal of this study was to quantify weight gain/change after the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in women choosing reconstruction after mastectomy. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients undergoing mastectomy with reconstruction at a dedicated Cancer Center from 1996 to 2011 was conducted. Patient demographics, body mass index (BMI), and surgical complications were reported. Patients were stratified as normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m(2)) and overweight/obese (BMI >25 kg/m(2)). Body mass index at the time of mastectomy was compared with BMI postreconstruction. RESULTS: A total of 443 patients had mastectomy and reconstruction. Forty-nine percent of patients were classified as normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m(2)) at the time of mastectomy and 51% as overweight/obese (body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)). Mean body mass index at the time of mastectomy was 26.1 kg/m(2) (4.9 SD) and 26.4 kg/m(2) (5.1 SD) at the final follow-up. Median follow-up time was 2.7 years (range <1 to 15 years). There was no statistically significant change in BMI before and after cancer treatment (P > .05). However, overweight/obese patients with complications were more likely to require an unanticipated return to the operating room (P = .0124). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the stress of breast cancer diagnosis, surgical treatment, and reconstruction, we find that patients' weight does not change significantly over time. Overweight and obese patients are not always at higher risk for surgical complications but may have more severe complications when they do occur.