White matter microstructure in obesity and bipolar disorders: an ENIGMA bipolar disorder working group study in 2186 individuals.

Although specific risk factors for brain alterations in bipolar disorders (BD) are currently unknown, obesity impacts the brain and is highly prevalent in BD. Gray matter correlates of obesity in BD have been well documented, but we know much less about brain white matter abnormalities in people who have both obesity and BD. We obtained body mass index (BMI) and diffusion tensor imaging derived fractional anisotropy (FA) from 22 white matter tracts in 899 individuals with BD, and 1287 control individuals from 20 cohorts in the ENIGMA-BD working group.

Modular pipeline for reconstruction and localization of implanted intracranial ECoG and sEEG electrodes.

Implantation of electrodes in the brain has been used as a clinical tool for decades to stimulate and record brain activity. As this method increasingly becomes the standard of care for several disorders and diseases, there is a growing need to quickly and accurately localize the electrodes once they are placed within the brain. We share here a protocol pipeline for localizing electrodes implanted in the brain, which we have applied to more than 260 patients, that is accessible to multiple skill levels and modular in execution.

Mega-analysis of association between obesity and cortical morphology in bipolar disorders: ENIGMA study in 2832 participants.

Background: Obesity is highly prevalent and disabling, especially in individuals with severe mental illness including bipolar disorders (BD). The brain is a target organ for both obesity and BD. Yet, we do not understand how cortical brain alterations in BD and obesity interact.

Peptide Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration.

Expanding the toolbox of therapeutic materials for soft tissue and organ repair has become a critical component of tissue engineering. While animal- and plant-derived proteins are the foundation for developing biomimetic tissue constructs, using peptides as either constituents or frameworks for the materials has gained increasing momentum in recent years. This mini review discusses recent advances in peptide-based biomaterials' design and application.

Obesity and brain structure in schizophrenia - ENIGMA study in 3021 individuals.

Schizophrenia is frequently associated with obesity, which is linked with neurostructural alterations. Yet, we do not understand how the brain correlates of obesity map onto the brain changes in schizophrenia. We obtained MRI-derived brain cortical and subcortical measures and body mass index (BMI) from 1260 individuals with schizophrenia and 1761 controls from 12 independent research sites within the ENIGMA-Schizophrenia Working Group.

The histone H3.1 variant regulates TONSOKU-mediated DNA repair during replication.

The tail of replication-dependent histone H3.1 varies from that of replication-independent H3.3 at the amino acid located at position 31 in plants and animals, but no function has been assigned to this residue to demonstrate a unique and conserved role for H3.

Nanoengineered Sprayable Therapy for Treating Myocardial Infarction.

We report the development, as well as the and testing, of a sprayable nanotherapeutic that uses surface engineered custom-designed multiarmed peptide grafted nanogold for on-the-spot coating of an infarcted myocardial surface. When applied to mouse hearts, 1 week after infarction, the spray-on treatment resulted in an increase in cardiac function (2.4-fold), muscle contractility, and myocardial electrical conductivity.

Diagnosis of bipolar disorders and body mass index predict clustering based on similarities in cortical thickness-ENIGMA study in 2436 individuals.

Aims: Rates of obesity have reached epidemic proportions, especially among people with psychiatric disorders. While the effects of obesity on the brain are of major interest in medicine, they remain markedly under-researched in psychiatry.

Methods: We obtained body mass index (BMI) and magnetic resonance imaging-derived regional cortical thickness, surface area from 836 bipolar disorders (BD) and 1600 control individuals from 14 sites within the ENIGMA-BD Working Group.

Mimicking biofilm formation and development: Recent progress in and biofilm models.

Biofilm formation in living organisms is associated to tissue and implant infections, and it has also been linked to the contribution of antibiotic resistance. Thus, understanding biofilm development and being able to mimic such processes is vital for the successful development of antibiofilm treatments and therapies. Several decades of research have contributed to building the foundation for developing and biofilm models.

A low cost and open access system for rapid synthesis of large volumes of gold and silver nanoparticles.

Rapid synthesis of nanomaterials in scalable quantities is critical for accelerating the discovery and commercial translation of nanoscale-based technologies. The synthesis of metal nanogold and silver in volumes larger than 100 mL is not automatized and might require of the use of harsh conditions that in most cases is detrimental for the production of nanoparticles with reproducible size distributions. In this work, we present the development and optimization of an open-access low-cost NanoParticle Flow Synthesis System (NPFloSS) that allows for the rapid preparation of volumes of up to 1 L of gold and silver nanoparticle aqueous solutions.

Consensus on a video analysis framework of descriptors and definitions by the Rugby Union Video Analysis Consensus group.

Using an expert consensus-based approach, a rugby union Video Analysis Consensus (RUVAC) group was formed to develop a framework for video analysis research in rugby union. The aim of the framework is to improve the consistency of video analysis work in rugby union and help enhance the overall quality of future research in the sport. To reach consensus, a systematic review and Delphi method study design was used.

Changes in mechanical properties of sprinting during repeated sprint in elite rugby sevens athletes.

This study aimed to analyse fatigue-induced changes in mechanical sprinting properties during a specific repeated-sprint test in elite rugby sevens athletes. Twenty elite rugby sevens players performed ten 40 m sprints on a 30 s cycle with participant's running back and forth in a marked lane. Radar was used to assess maximal overground sprint performance over each 40 m.

Self-Neglect in Older Populations: A Description and Analysis of Current Approaches.

Self-neglect in old age has severe effects on a person's health and quality of life and poses diverse challenges for primary caregivers and the community. The authors provide a narrative overview of the literature on self-neglect and summarize what is known to date about the main approaches for describing self-neglect, the factors that contribute to self-neglect, and the interventions that have been attempted. We found that answering the question about what factors led people into a state of self-neglect was extremely complex since many studies described a variety of interlinked factors, some of which are sociocultural and others medical.

High quality clinical grade human embryonic stem cell lines derived from fresh discarded embryos.

Background: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) hold tremendous promise for cell replacement therapies for a range of degenerative diseases. In order to provide cost-effective treatments affordable by public health systems, HLA-matched allogeneic tissue banks of the highest quality clinical-grade hESCs will be required. However only a small number of existing hESC lines are suitable for clinical use; they are limited by moral and ethical concerns and none of them apply Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards to the earliest and critical stages of gamete and embryo procurement.

Medical and Assistive Health Technology: Meeting the Needs of Aging Populations.

Purpose Of The Study: To identify policy gaps in the delivery and availability of assistive health technology (AHT) and medical devices (MD) for aging populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Design And Methods: The findings presented in this paper are the results of several narrative overviews. They provide a contextual analysis of the conclusions and evidence from WHO commissioned research and expert consultations in 2013 and 2014, as well as a synthesis of literature reviews conducted on AHT and MD.

A world of cities and the end of TB.

The WHO's End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 95% and incidence by 90% between 2015 and 2035. As the world rapidly urbanizes, more people could have access to better infrastructure and services to help combat poverty and infectious diseases, including TB. And yet large numbers of people now live in overcrowded slums, with poor access to urban health services, amplifying the burden of TB.

Metrics in Urban Health: Current Developments and Future Prospects.

The research community has shown increasing interest in developing and using metrics to determine the relationships between urban living and health. In particular, we have seen a recent exponential increase in efforts aiming to investigate and apply metrics for urban health, especially the health impacts of the social and built environments as well as air pollution. A greater recognition of the need to investigate the impacts and trends of health inequities is also evident through more recent literature.

Assistive technologies for ageing populations in six low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Despite the benefits derived from the use of assistive technologies (AT), some parts of the world have minimal or no access to AT. In many low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), only 5-15% of people who require AT have access to them. Rapid demographic changes will exacerbate this situation as populations over 60 years of age, as well as functional limitations among older populations, in LMIC are expected to be higher than in high-income countries in the coming years.

Prioritizing action on health inequities in cities: An evaluation of Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) in 15 cities from Asia and Africa.

Following the recommendations of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008), the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (HEART) to support local stakeholders in identifying and planning action on health inequities. The objective of this report is to analyze the experiences of cities in implementing Urban HEART in order to inform how the future development of the tool could support local stakeholders better in addressing health inequities. The study method is documentary analysis from independent evaluations and city implementation reports submitted to WHO.

The achievement of public health services in pharmacy practice: A literature review.

Background: It is known that pharmacists are currently contributing to public health; however, the extent of this contribution as reported in the literature has not been examined. Investigating the ways that pharmacists are currently participating in public health is critical for the profession of pharmacy, pharmacy educators, and the public health community.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the reported contributions of pharmacy to each of the ten essential services of public health, and which of the five core competencies of public health were most frequently utilized in those contributions.

The match demands of international rugby sevens.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the global match demands of international rugby sevens and to compare the match demands of forwards and backs, and between tournament rounds. To assess the match demands, global positioning system (GPS) and video analysis were collected from 27 international rugby sevens players from the same team across an entire International Rugby Board Sevens World Series season. Differences in running demands and match activities between forwards and backs were mostly trivial and small (ES = 0.

A Comparison of the Match Demands of International and Provincial Rugby Sevens.

Purpose: To compare the running demands and match activity profiles of international and provincial rugby sevens players.

Participants: 84 rugby sevens players, consisting of 16 international players from 1 team and 68 provincial players from 8 teams.

Methods: Global positioning system analysis was completed during international and provincial tournament matches.

Comparison of the Anthropometric and Physical Characteristics of International and Provincial Rugby Sevens Players.

Unlabelled: Anthropometrical and physical characteristics have been used to distinguish players of different competition levels and position groups; however, there is no literature on rugby sevens.

Purpose: To compare the anthropometrical and physical characteristics of international and provincial rugby sevens players and between forwards and backs.

Methods: To assess whether differences exist, 65 rugby sevens players including 22 international players and 43 provincial-level players were assessed for height, mass, body composition, speed, repeated-sprint ability, lower-body power, upper-body strength, and maximal aerobic endurance during in-season preparation for tournaments.