Benefits and Harms of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Chronic Painful Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia: A Systematic Review.

Background: Cranial electrical stimulation (CES) is increasingly popular as a treatment, yet its clinical benefit is unclear.

Purpose: To review evidence about the benefits and harms of CES for adult patients with chronic painful conditions, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Data Sources: Several databases from inception to 10 October 2017 without language restrictions and references from experts, prior reviews, and manufacturers.

Wavefront control in adaptive microscopy using Shack-Hartmann sensors with arbitrarily shaped pupils.

In adaptive optical microscopy of thick biological tissue, strong scattering and aberrations can change the effective pupil shape by rendering some Shack-Hartmann spots unusable. The change of pupil shape leads to a change of wavefront reconstruction or control matrix that should be updated accordingly. Modified slope and modal wavefront control methods based on measurements of a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor are proposed to accommodate an arbitrarily shaped pupil.

Four-dimensional light shaping: manipulating ultrafast spatiotemporal foci in space and time.

The spectral dispersion of ultrashort pulses allows the simultaneous focusing of light in both space and time, which creates so-called spatiotemporal foci. Such space-time coupling may be combined with the existing holographic techniques to give a further dimension of control when generating focal light fields. In the present study, it is shown that a phase-only hologram placed in the pupil plane of an objective and illuminated by a spatially chirped ultrashort pulse can be used to generate three-dimensional arrays of spatio-temporally focused spots.

The Effect of Training Loads on Performance Measures and Injury Characteristics in Rugby League Players: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To conduct a systematic review into the effect of training load (TL) on both performance measures and injury characteristics in rugby league players.

Methods: Based on PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of electronic databases was performed from the earliest record to December 2016. Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and AusSportMed) were searched using keywords within the subcategories of population (rugby league players), intervention (training quantification), and outcomes (performance or injury).

Rapid adaptive remote focusing microscope for sensing of volumetric neural activity.

The ability to record neural activity in the brain of a living organism at cellular resolution is of great importance for defining the neural circuit mechanisms that direct behavior. Here we present an adaptive two-photon microscope optimized for extraction of neural signals over volumes in intact brains, even in the presence of specimen motion. High speed volume imaging was made possible through reduction of spatial resolution while maintaining the light collection efficiency of a high resolution, high numerical aperture microscope.

Sepsis caused by bloodstream infection in patients in the intensive care unit: the impact of inactive empiric antimicrobial therapy on outcome.

Background: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in the UK.

Aims: To identify the rate of inactive antimicrobial therapy (AMT) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and whether inactive AMT has an effect on in-hospital mortality, ICU mortality, 90-day mortality and length of hospital stay. A further aim was to identify risk factors for receiving inactive AMT.

Transcriptome and toxin family analysis of the paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus.

The Australian paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) secretes neuropathic toxins into saliva that induce host paralysis. Salivary glands and viscera were dissected from fully engorged female I. holocyclus ticks collected from dogs and cats with paralysis symptoms.

Femtosecond laser inscription of Bragg grating waveguides in bulk diamond.

Femtosecond laser writing is applied to form Bragg grating waveguides in the diamond bulk. Type II waveguides are integrated with a single pulse point-by-point periodic laser modification positioned toward the edge of the waveguide core. These photonic devices, operating in the telecommunications band, allow for simultaneous optical waveguiding and narrowband reflection from a fourth-order grating.

Building capacity for continuous quality improvement (CQI): A pilot study.

Background And Objective: Little is known about the feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of CQI approaches in substance use disorder treatment settings.

Methods: In the initial phase of this study, eight programs were randomly assigned to receive a CQI intervention or to a waitlist control condition to obtain preliminary information about potential effectiveness. In the second phase, the initially assigned control programs received the CQI intervention to gain additional information about intervention feasibility while sustainability was explored among the initially assigned intervention programs.

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Versus Banded Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Diabetes and Obesity: a Prospective Randomised Double-Blind Trial.

Background: There are very few randomised, blinded trials comparing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) versus laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) in achieving remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D), particularly silastic ring (SR)-LRYGB. We compared the effectiveness of (LSG) versus SR-LRYGB among patients with T2D and morbid obesity.

Methods: Prospective, randomised, parallel, 2-arm, blinded clinical trial conducted in a single Auckland (New Zealand) centre.

Light-patterning of synthetic tissues with single droplet resolution.

Synthetic tissues can be generated by forming networks of aqueous droplets in lipid-containing oil. Each droplet contains a cell-free expression system and is connected to its neighbor through a lipid bilayer. In the present work, we have demonstrated precise external control of such networks by activating protein expression within single droplets, by using light-activated DNA to encode either a fluorescent or a pore-forming protein.

Aberrations in 4Pi Microscopy.

The combination of two opposing objective lenses in 4Pi fluorescence microscopy significantly improves the axial resolution and increases the collection efficiency. Combining 4Pi microscopy with other super-resolution techniques has resulted in the highest three-dimensional (3D) resolution in fluorescence microscopy to date. It has previously been shown that the performance of 4Pi microscopy is significantly affected by aberrations.

Functional aqueous droplet networks.

Droplet interface bilayers (DIBs), comprising individual lipid bilayers between pairs of aqueous droplets in an oil, are proving to be a useful tool for studying membrane proteins. Recently, attention has turned to the elaboration of networks of aqueous droplets, connected through functionalized interface bilayers, with collective properties unachievable in droplet pairs. Small 2D collections of droplets have been formed into soft biodevices, which can act as electronic components, light-sensors and batteries.

Humanism in Dental Education: A Comparison of Theory, Intention, and Stakeholder Perceptions at a North American Dental School.

In today's dental education environment, a humanistic culture is an expectation for all U.S. dental schools, codified in 2013 by its inclusion in the Commission on Dental Accreditation's standards for accreditation.

Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a prevalent health issue with serious personal and societal consequences. This review aims to estimate the effects and safety of Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) for SUDs.

Methods: We searched electronic databases for randomized controlled trials evaluating MBRP for adult patients diagnosed with SUDs.

Development and Validation of Quantitative Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Assay for Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Liver.

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used to control rodent populations; however, exposure to nontarget animals occurs. A sensitive and rugged quantitative method was developed, optimized, and validated for eight ARs in liver. Target analytes comprised two chemical classes: hydroxycoumarins (warfarin, coumachlor, dicoumarol, bromadiolone, brodifacoum, and difethialone) and indanediones (diphacinone and chlorophacinone).

Novel collection method for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from dogs.

Host derived chemical cues are an important aspect of arthropod attraction to potential hosts. Host cues that act over longer distances include CO, heat, and water vapor, while cues such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) act over closer distances. Domestic dogs are important hosts for disease cycles that include dog heartworm disease vectored by mosquitoes, however the host VOCs utilized by vectors are not well known.

Time-Loss Injuries in Sub-Elite and Emerging Rugby League Players.

This study aimed to 1) investigate the incidence and characteristics of injuries in emerging rugby league players; and 2) explore the differences in injury incidence and characteristics between the various sub-elite competitions. An NRL emerging player development squad (n = 34) was observed from the beginning of pre-season until the finish of competition. Time-loss injury was defined as any physical pain or impairment sustained that resulted in players missing a match.

Economic Evaluation of Quality Improvement Interventions Designed to Prevent Hospital Readmission: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Quality improvement (QI) interventions can reduce hospital readmission, but little is known about their economic value.

Objective: To systematically review economic evaluations of QI interventions designed to reduce readmissions.

Data Sources: Databases searched included PubMed, Econlit, the Centre for Reviews & Dissemination Economic Evaluations, New York Academy of Medicine's Grey Literature Report, and Worldcat (January 2004 to July 2016).

Light-Patterned Current Generation in a Droplet Bilayer Array.

We have created a 4 × 4 droplet bilayer array comprising light-activatable aqueous droplet bio-pixels. Aqueous droplets containing bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a light-driven proton pump, were arranged on a common hydrogel surface in lipid-containing oil. A separate lipid bilayer formed at the interface between each droplet and the hydrogel; each bilayer then incorporated bR.