Neuroenhancement of a dexterous motor task with anodal tDCS.

Motor skill learning can cause structural and functional changes in the primary motor cortex (M1) leading to cortical plasticity that can be associated with the performance change during the motor skill that is practiced. Similarly, anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) has been shown to facilitate and enhance plasticity in M1, causing even greater motor skill improvement. By using a fine motor task (O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Task) in combination with a-tDCS we theorized that a-tDCS could increase the speed of skill acquisition.

Survey-derived best management practices for backyard beekeepers improve colony health and reduce mortality.

Honey bee colony losses in the US have exceeded acceptable levels for at least a decade, leaving beekeepers in need of management practices to improve colony health and survival. Here, an empirical Best Management Practice (BMP) regimen was tested, comprised of the top four management practices associated with reduced colony mortality in backyard beekeeping operations according to Bee Informed Partnership Loss and Management survey results. Seven study locations were established across the US, and each location consisted of ten colonies treated according to empirical BMPs and ten according to average beekeeping practice.

Asthma Predictors Influence on Self-management Asthma Education Status.

The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of adults with active asthma who were most likely to acquire self-management asthma component education. We analyzed adult data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)-Asthma Call-back Survey (ACBS). Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze the association between asthma self-management education and predictors.