When Do Team Members Share the Lead? A Social Network Analysis.

Shared leadership is not only about individual team members engaging in leadership, but also about team members adopting the complementary follower role. However, the question of what enables team members to fill in each of these roles and the corresponding influence of formal leaders have remained largely unexplored. Using a social network perspective allows us to predict both leadership and followership ties between team members based on considerations of implicit leadership and followership theories.

The pan-JAK inhibitor delgocitinib in a cream formulation demonstrates dose response in chronic hand eczema in a 16-week randomized phase IIb trial.

Background: Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is a burdensome disease, and new well-documented, safe and efficacious treatments are warranted. In a recent CHE phase IIa trial, the pan-Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor delgocitinib in an ointment formulation was found to be efficacious and well tolerated.

Objectives: This trial assessed the dose response, efficacy and safety of delgocitinib cream in CHE.

The Unfolded Protein Response Is a Major Driver of LCN2 Expression in BCR-ABL- and JAK2V617F-Positive MPN.

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a proinflammatory mediator, is involved in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of LCN2 overexpression in MPN. LCN2 mRNA expression was 20-fold upregulated in peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and myelofibrosis (MF) patients vs.

The Kynurenine Pathway Is Upregulated by Methyl-deficient Diet and Changes Are Averted by Probiotics.

Scope: Probiotics exert immunomodulatory effects and may influence tryptophan metabolism in the host. Deficiency of nutrients related to C1 metabolism might stimulate inflammation by enhancing the kynurenine pathway. This study used Sprague Dawley rats to investigate whether a methyl-deficient diet (MDD) may influence tryptophan/kynurenine pathways and cytokines and whether probiotics can mitigate these effects.

Inflammatory Responses of Astrocytes Are Independent from Lipocalin 2.

The central nervous system (CNS) responds to diverse neurologic injuries with a vigorous activation of astrocytes. In addition to their role in the maintenance of CNS homeostasis and neuronal function, astrocytes are thought to participate in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses in the CNS. Following antigen recognition, reactive astrocytes may participate in the initiation of innate immune responses, and modulate adaptive immune response leading to the recruitment of peripheral immune cells.

Exploring children's perceptions of barriers and facilitators to physical activity in rural Northwestern Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Low levels of physical activity among children are a significant public health concern in several industrialized nations. The current research body has failed to gather adequate information on various geographic regions. Understanding barriers and facilitators in different rural regions is imperative for creating successful physical activity interventions for children in rural areas.

TNF-α controls Lipocalin-2 expression in PC-3 prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common and deadly cancers in men worldwide. The surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) is important in tumor progression, as cytokines and soluble mediators including tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) or lipocalin-2 (LCN2) can influence tumor growth and formation of metastasis. The exact mechanisms on how these pleiotropic factors affect PCa are still unknown.

Administration of galacto-oligosaccharide prebiotics in the Flinders Sensitive Line animal model of depression.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder is the leading source of disability globally and current pharmacological treatments are less than adequate. Animal models such as the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats are used to mimic aspects of the phenotype in the human disorder and to characterise candidate antidepressant agents. Communication between the gut microbiome and the brain may play an important role in psychiatric disorders such as depression.

Differential roles of STAT1 and STAT2 in the sensitivity of JAK2V617F- vs. BCR-ABL-positive cells to interferon alpha.

Background: Interferon alpha (IFNa) monotherapy is recommended as the standard therapy in polycythemia vera (PV) but not in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Here, we investigated the mechanisms of IFNa efficacy in JAK2V617F- vs. BCR-ABL-positive cells.

Sustained overexpression of neuropeptide S in the amygdala reduces anxiety-like behavior in rats.

Neuropeptide S (NPS) has shown anxiolytic-like effects in rodents after acute administration, but its long-term effects remain unknown. Gene therapy enables the targeted delivery of DNA to cell nuclei, and recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors have been identified as suitable tools for stable overexpression. Thus, to explore the effects of long-term expression of NPS, the present study examined anxiety- and depressive-like effects after rAAV-mediated NPS overexpression in the rat amygdala.

Behavioral and metabolic effects of S-adenosylmethionine and imipramine in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat model of depression.

Depression is associated with dysregulation of methyl group metabolism such as low S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We previously reported that Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, an animal model of depression, had lower concentrations of liver SAM than the control rats, Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats. The present study investigated if SAM supplementation may correct liver SAM and behavioral abnormalities in this model.

Altered fecal microbiota composition in the Flinders sensitive line rat model of depression.

Rationale: The gut microbiota is increasingly recognized as a potential mediator of psychiatric diseases. Depressed patients have been shown to have a different microbiota composition compared with healthy controls, and several lines of research now aim to restore this dysbiosis. To develop novel treatments, preclinical models may provide novel mechanistic insights.

Computing trisections of 4-manifolds.

We describe an algorithm to compute trisections of orientable four-manifolds using arbitrary triangulations as input. This results in explicit complexity bounds for the trisection genus of a 4-manifold in terms of the number of pentachora (4-simplices) in a triangulation.

Generalized trisections in all dimensions.

This paper describes a generalization of Heegaard splittings of 3-manifolds and trisections of 4-manifolds to all dimensions, using triangulations as a key tool. In particular, every closed piecewise linear n-manifold can be divided into [Formula: see text] n-dimensional 1-handlebodies, where [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], such that intersections of the handlebodies have spines of small dimensions. Several applications, constructions, and generalizations of our approach are given.

Probiotics reduce risk-taking behavior in the Elevated Plus Maze in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat model of depression.

Several studies have reported beneficial effects of probiotics on behavior and stress in humans and animals. The multi-strain probiotic product Ecologic® Barrier has shown antidepressant-like effects in rats when given in combination with high-fat diet. To circumvent the need for high-fat diet for future clinical use, the present study aimed to potentiate the behavioral effects of Ecologic® Barrier by developing a customized product that includes four additional bacterial species known to be associated with depression.

Development of a dual extrusion printing technique for an acid- and thermo-labile drug.

Over the last years fused deposition modeling has been increasingly considered as a game-changing technique for the preparation of individualized pharmaceutical products. Until now investigations have mainly focused on dosage forms loaded with very stable drugs or model substances. Going beyond this early stage of research, developers will also have to deal with more challenging active substances.

Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review.

Background: It is commonly believed that nature has positive impacts on children's health, including physical, mental and social dimensions. This review focuses on how accessibility to, exposure to and engagement with nature affects the mental health of children and teenagers.

Methods: Ten academic databases were used to systematically search and identify primary research papers in English or French from 1990 to 1 March 2017.

Children and Nature: Linking Accessibility of Natural Environments and Children's Health-Related Quality of Life.

A growing body of research suggests that increasing children's nature interactions can have positive benefits for their health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, researchers have yet to examine how geographical context influences this relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine individual-level and environmental factors that are associated with HRQOL of children from different geographical contexts. Data were collected for 851 children from 34 elementary schools in Ontario, Canada.

Immediate Release 3D-Printed Tablets Produced Via Fused Deposition Modeling of a Thermo-Sensitive Drug.

Purpose: Dissolution speeds of tablets printed via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) so far are significantly lower compared to powder or granule pressed immediate release tablets. The aim of this work was to print an actual immediate release tablet by choosing suitable polymers and printing designs, also taking into account lower processing temperatures (below 100°C) owing to the used model drug pantoprazole sodium.

Methods: Five different pharmaceutical grade polymers polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K12), polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000), Kollidon® VA64, polyethylene glycol 20,000 (PEG 20,000) and poloxamer 407 were successfully hot-melt-extruded to drug loaded filaments and printed to tablets at the required low temperatures.

Probiotics Affect One-Carbon Metabolites and Catecholamines in a Genetic Rat Model of Depression.

Scope: Probiotics may influence one-carbon (C1) metabolism, neurotransmitters, liver function markers, or behavior.

Methods And Results: Male adult Flinders Sensitive Line rats (model of depression, FSL; n = 22) received Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (10 or 10 colony-forming units per day) or vehicle for 10 weeks. The controls, Flinders Resistant Line rats (FRL, n = 8), only received vehicle.

Syringe-feeding as a novel delivery method for accurate individual dosing of probiotics in rats.

Probiotic administration to rodents is typically achieved using oral gavage or water bottles, but both approaches may compromise animal welfare, bacterial viability, dosing accuracy, or ease of administration. Oral gavage dosing may induce stress, especially when given daily over several weeks, and cannot be performed by inexperienced personnel. Delivery in water bottles does not take multiple co-housed animals into account, leading to inaccurate dosing of individual rats.

ZL006, a small molecule inhibitor of PSD-95/nNOS interaction, does not induce antidepressant-like effects in two genetically predisposed rat models of depression and control animals.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) antagonists and nitric oxide inhibitors have shown promising efficacy in depression but commonly induce adverse events. To circumvent these, a more indirect disruption of the nitric oxide synthase/postsynaptic density protein 95 kDa complex at the NMDA-R has been proposed. This disruption can be achieved using small molecule inhibitors such as ZL006, which has attracted attention as ischemic stroke therapy in rodents and has been proposed as a potential novel treatment for depression.