Reepithelialization of partial thickness porcine burns treated with silver sulfadiazine, triple antibiotic or petrolatum.

Topical antibiotic application and occlusive dressings stand as the current standard of care for partial thickness burn (PTB) treatment. Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) is the most widely used topical antimicrobial agent for acute burn management worldwide. Despite its antimicrobial benefits, there is emerging evidence that SSD might delay wound reepithelialization.

An output-null signature of inertial load in motor cortex.

Coordinated movement requires the nervous system to continuously compensate for changes in mechanical load across different conditions. For voluntary movements like reaching, the motor cortex is a critical hub that generates commands to move the limbs and counteract loads. How does cortex contribute to load compensation when rhythmic movements are sequenced by a spinal pattern generator? Here, we address this question by manipulating the mass of the forelimb in unrestrained mice during locomotion.

Myo-optogenetics: optogenetic stimulation and electrical recording in skeletal muscles.

Complex movements involve highly coordinated control of local muscle elements. Highly controlled perturbations of motor outputs can reveal insights into the neural control of movements. Here we introduce an optogenetic method, compatible with electromyography (EMG) recordings, to perturb muscles in transgenic mice.

Evaluation of adherence to a daily progestin-only pill in a simulated over-the-counter setting.

Objective: The Adherence with Continuous Dose Oral Contraceptive: Evaluation of Self-Selection and Use (ACCESS) study assessed whether consumers can adhere to the regimen for a progestin-only pill (norgestrel 0.075 mg) in an over-the-counter (OTC) setting.

Study Design: An actual use study in a simulated OTC environment assessed adherence to directions to take norgestrel 0.

Evaluation of consumer self-selection of a proposed over-the-counter, progestin-only daily oral contraceptive.

Objectives: In an effort to switch a norgestrel 0.075 mg progestin-only pill (Opill) from prescription to over-the-counter, we conducted this study to assess whether consumers can use the drug facts label alone to guide appropriate self-selection.

Study Design: Two studies assessed self-selection: (1) an all-comers, actual-use study evaluating self-selection before purchasing and using norgestrel 0.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups.

An output-null signature of inertial load in motor cortex.

Coordinated movement requires the nervous system to continuously compensate for changes in mechanical load across different contexts. For voluntary movements like reaching, the motor cortex is a critical hub that generates commands to move the limbs and counteract loads. How does cortex contribute to load compensation when rhythmic movements are clocked by a spinal pattern generator? Here, we address this question by manipulating the mass of the forelimb in unrestrained mice during locomotion.

A Breast Cancer Polygenic Risk Score Is Feasible for Risk Stratification in the Norwegian Population.

Background: Statistical associations of numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms with breast cancer (BC) have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Recent evidence suggests that a Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) can be a useful risk stratification instrument for a BC screening strategy, and a PRS test has been developed for clinical use. The performance of the PRS is yet unknown in the Norwegian population.

Myomatrix arrays for high-definition muscle recording.

Neurons coordinate their activity to produce an astonishing variety of motor behaviors. Our present understanding of motor control has grown rapidly thanks to new methods for recording and analyzing populations of many individual neurons over time. In contrast, current methods for recording the nervous system's actual motor output - the activation of muscle fibers by motor neurons - typically cannot detect the individual electrical events produced by muscle fibers during natural behaviors and scale poorly across species and muscle groups.

A flexible carbon nanotube electrode array for acute in vivo EMG recordings.

Executing complex behaviors requires precise control of muscle activity. Our understanding of how the nervous system learns and controls motor skills relies on recording electromyographic (EMG) signals from multiple muscles that are engaged in the motor task. Despite recent advances in tools for monitoring and manipulating neural activity, methods for recording in situ spiking activity in muscle fibers have changed little in recent decades.

Modeling the potential benefit of an over-the-counter progestin-only pill in preventing unintended pregnancies in the U.S.

Objectives: To develop a model to estimate the possible impact of use of an over-the-counter (OTC) progestin-only pill (POP) on the number of unintended pregnancies in the United States.

Study Design: Using typical use failure rates (7% for POPs), we compared the expected number of unintended pregnancies for two theoretical cohorts of 100,000 women: one which purchased and used an OTC POP exclusively for contraception, the other using contraceptive methods at proportions obtained from an actual-use clinical trial simulating OTC use of norgestrel 0.075 mg (including 35% using no method and only 19% using hormonal contraception or long-acting contraceptives).

Shared mechanisms of auditory and non-auditory vocal learning in the songbird brain.

Songbirds and humans share the ability to adaptively modify their vocalizations based on sensory feedback. Prior studies have focused primarily on the role that auditory feedback plays in shaping vocal output throughout life. In contrast, it is unclear how non-auditory information drives vocal plasticity.

High-performance Flexible Microelectrode Array with PEDOT:PSS Coated 3D Micro-cones for Electromyographic Recording.

High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) electromyography (EMG) recordings are essential for identifying and analyzing single motor unit activity. While high-density electrodes allow for greater spatial resolution, the smaller electrode area translates to a higher impedance and lower SNR. In this study, we developed an implantable and flexible 3D microelectrode array (MEA) with low impedance that enables high-quality EMG recording.

Adherence among a cohort taking progestin-only pills prescribed by a healthcare provider: Results of the BENCHMARK study.

Objectives: To measure adherence over six months of progestin-only pill (POP) use.

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study measuring adherence to daily dosing and timing of dose in patients prescribed a POP, with up to six months of follow-up, conducted from January to October 2020. A pharmacy benefit manager identified potential participants with a newly prescribed POP and extended an invitation to participate.

Unsupervised Bayesian Ising Approximation for decoding neural activity and other biological dictionaries.

The problem of deciphering how low-level patterns (action potentials in the brain, amino acids in a protein, etc.) drive high-level biological features (sensorimotor behavior, enzymatic function) represents the central challenge of quantitative biology. The lack of general methods for doing so from the size of datasets that can be collected experimentally severely limits our understanding of the biological world.

A review of the effectiveness of a progestogen-only pill containing norgestrel 75 µg/day.

Objectives: To review published data on the effectiveness of a progestogen-only pill containing norgestrel 75 µg/day which should be under consideration by the FDA in 2022 for sale over the counter in the US.

Study Design: A literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE REVIEWS using specified search terms and adding related cross-references.

Results: We identified a total of thirteen relevant studies of women using norgestrel 75 µg/day.

Flow cytometric characterization of cell surface markers to differentiate between fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells of different origin.

Introduction: Identification and purification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expanded in culture for therapeutic use is crucial for improved yield and optimal results. Fibroblasts are the most common cell type in connective tissue and are commonly found as contaminants of MSC cultures, affecting cell yield and potentially causing tumour formation after cell transplantation. In the current study, we wished to identify cell surface markers that can differentiate MSCs of different origins from fibroblasts.

Flexible Multielectrode Arrays With 2-D and 3-D Contacts for Electromyography Recording.

We present a system for recording electromyographic (EMG) signals from songbirds using hybrid polyimide-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexible multielectrode arrays (MEAs). 2-D electrodes with a diameter of 200, 125, and 50 μm and a center-to-center pitch of 300, 200, and 100 μm, respectively, were fabricated. 3-D MEAs were fabricated using a photoresist reflow process to obtain hemispherical domes utilized to form the 3-D electrodes.

Application of the hierarchical bootstrap to multi-level data in neuroscience.

A common feature in many neuroscience datasets is the presence of hierarchical data structures, most commonly recording the activity of multiple neurons in multiple animals across multiple trials. Accordingly, the measurements constituting the dataset are not independent, even though the traditional statistical analyses often applied in such cases (e.g.

Transitioning between preparatory and precisely sequenced neuronal activity in production of a skilled behavior.

Precise neural sequences are associated with the production of well-learned skilled behaviors. Yet, how neural sequences arise in the brain remains unclear. In songbirds, premotor projection neurons in the cortical song nucleus HVC are necessary for producing learned song and exhibit precise sequential activity during singing.

Dopamine Depletion Affects Vocal Acoustics and Disrupts Sensorimotor Adaptation in Songbirds.

Dopamine is hypothesized to convey error information in reinforcement learning tasks with explicit appetitive or aversive cues. However, during motor skill learning feedback signals arise from an animal's evaluation of sensory feedback resulting from its own behavior, rather than any external reward or punishment. It has previously been shown that intact dopaminergic signaling from the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra pars compacta (VTA/SNc) complex is necessary for vocal learning when songbirds modify their vocalizations to avoid hearing distorted auditory feedback (playbacks of white noise).

Fabrication and Characterization of 3D Multi-Electrode Array on Flexible Substrate for EMG Recording from Expiratory Muscle of Songbird.

This work presents fabrication and characterization of flexible three-dimensional (3D) multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) capable of high signal-to-noise (SNR) electromyogram (EMG) recordings from the expiratory muscle of a songbird. The fabrication utilizes a photoresist reflow process to obtain 3D structures to serve as the electrodes. A polyimide base with a PDMS top insulation was utilized to ensure flexibility and biocompatibility of the fabricated 3D MEA devices.

Postpartum contraceptive counseling for first-time adolescent mothers: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Rapid repeat pregnancy is common among adolescent mothers and is associated with increased risks of adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes. Increasing contraceptive uptake among postpartum adolescents may decrease these outcomes through pregnancy prevention. This randomized controlled trial of 100 postpartum adolescent women assessed the effect of a standardized immediate postpartum contraceptive counseling intervention emphasizing healthy birth spacing and the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC).

Publisher Correction: Genetic analysis of over 1 million people identifies 535 new loci associated with blood pressure traits.

In the version of this article originally published, the name of author Martin H. de Borst was coded incorrectly in the XML. The error has now been corrected in the HTML version of the paper.