Copula-based robust optimal block designs.

Blocking is often used to reduce known variability in designed experiments by collecting together homogeneous experimental units. A common modeling assumption for such experiments is that responses from units within a block are dependent. Accounting for such dependencies in both the design of the experiment and the modeling of the resulting data when the response is not normally distributed can be challenging, particularly in terms of the computation required to find an optimal design.

Mutations in the predicted DNA polymerase subunit POLD3 result in more rapid flowering of Brachypodium distachyon.

The timing of reproduction is a critical developmental decision in the life cycle of many plant species. Fine mapping of a rapid-flowering mutant was done using whole-genome sequence data from bulked DNA from a segregating F2 mapping populations. The causative mutation maps to a gene orthologous with the third subunit of DNA polymerase δ (POLD3), a previously uncharacterized gene in plants.

Elucidating the influence of linker histone variants on chromatosome dynamics and energetics.

Linker histones are epigenetic regulators that bind to nucleosomes and alter chromatin structures and dynamics. Biophysical studies have revealed two binding modes in the linker histone/nucleosome complex, the chromatosome, where the linker histone is either centered on or askew from the dyad axis. Each has been posited to have distinct effects on chromatin, however the molecular and thermodynamic mechanisms that drive them and their dependence on linker histone compositions remain poorly understood.

Transarterial Chemoembolization in a Woodchuck Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting embolic (DEE) microspheres in a woodchuck model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: Nine woodchucks were studied: 4 normal animals and 5 animals infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus in which HCC had developed. Three animals with HCC underwent multidetector CT.

Mapping the Steroid Response to Major Trauma From Injury to Recovery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Context: Survival rates after severe injury are improving, but complication rates and outcomes are variable.

Objective: This cohort study addressed the lack of longitudinal data on the steroid response to major trauma and during recovery.

Design: We undertook a prospective, observational cohort study from time of injury to 6 months postinjury at a major UK trauma centre and a military rehabilitation unit, studying patients within 24 hours of major trauma (estimated New Injury Severity Score (NISS) > 15).

Hair pulling antecedents in trichotillomania: Their relationship with experiential avoidance.

In this study, 285 adults who met criteria for trichotillomania (TTM) via self-report completed an online, cross-sectional survey examining antecedent phenomenological experiences pertaining to hair pulling along with measures of TTM severity and experiential avoidance (i.e., avoidance of or escape from unwanted thoughts or feelings).

Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel: Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance.

The study of heat adaptation in military personnel offers generalizable insights into a variety of sporting, recreational and occupational populations. Conversely, certain characteristics of military employment have few parallels in civilian life, such as the imperative to achieve mission objectives during deployed operations, the opportunity to undergo training and selection for elite units or the requirement to fulfill essential duties under prolonged thermal stress. In such settings, achieving peak individual performance can be critical to organizational success.

Genome mining and characterisation of a novel transaminase with remote stereoselectivity.

Microbial enzymes from pristine niches can potentially deliver disruptive opportunities in synthetic routes to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and intermediates in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Advances in green chemistry technologies and the importance of stereochemical control, further underscores the application of enzyme-based solutions in chemical synthesis. The rich tapestry of microbial diversity in the oceanic ecosystem encodes a capacity for novel biotransformations arising from the chemical complexity of this largely unexplored bioactive reservoir.

A structure-function analysis of interspecies antagonism by the 2-heptyl-4-alkyl-quinolone signal molecule from .

In recent years, the alkyl-quinolone molecular framework has already provided a rich source of bioactivity for the development of novel anti-infective compounds. Based on the quorum-sensing signalling molecules 4-hydroxy-2-heptylquinoline (HHQ) and 3,4-dihydroxy-2-heptylquinoline (PQS) from the nosocomial pathogen , modifications have been developed with markedly enhanced anti-biofilm bioactivity towards important fungal and bacterial pathogens, including and . Here we show that antibacterial activity of HHQ against is species-specific and it requires an exquisite level of structural fidelity within the alkyl-quinolone molecular framework.

Low prevalence of clinical decision support to calculate caloric and fluid intake for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Clinical decision support (CDS) improves nutrition delivery for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), however, the prevalence of CDS to support nutrition is unknown.

Methods: Online surveys, with telephone and email validation of responses, were administered to NICU clinicians in the Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium (CHNC). We determined and compared the availability of CDS to calculate calories and fluid received in the prior 24 h, stratified by enteral and parenteral intake, using McNemar's test.

Culturally gendered personality traits across the adult lifespan: Longitudinal findings from two cohorts of the intergenerational studies.

Data from two cohorts of individuals, one born in the 1920s and the other in the 1950s, all members of the Intergenerational Studies, a longitudinal study begun in 1929 in Berkeley and Oakland, California, were investigated to explore intraindividual change and interindividual differences in intraindividual change with respect to 2 culturally gendered aspects of personality. Study participants completed the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) a maximum of 5 times across a maximum time interval of 52 years. The CPI generates 20 subscales, 2 of which are particularly gender linked: Femininity (FM) and Dominance (DO).

Whole-Brain Functional and Diffusion Tensor MRI in Human Participants with Metallic Orthodontic Braces.

Background MRI performed with echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequences is sensitive to susceptibility artifacts in the presence of metallic objects, which presents a substantial barrier for performing functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with metallic orthodontic material and other head implants. Purpose To evaluate the ability to reduce susceptibility artifacts in healthy human participants wearing metallic orthodontic braces for two alternative approaches: T2-prepared functional MRI and diffusion-prepared DTI with three-dimensional fast gradient-echo readout. Materials and Methods In this prospective study conducted from February to September 2018, T2-prepared functional MRI and diffusion-prepared DTI were performed in healthy human participants.

"You felt like a prisoner in your own self, trapped": the experiences of Aboriginal people with acquired communication disorders.

Purpose: Aboriginal Australians are under-represented in brain injury rehabilitation services despite a high incidence of both stroke and traumatic brain injury in this population. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Aboriginal Australian adults with acquired communication disorders (ACDs) after brain injury for the first time to inform the development of accessible and culturally secure service delivery models.

Methods And Materials: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 32 Aboriginal people who had experienced a brain injury resulting in ACDs (aged 35-79 years) and 18 family members/carers across Western Australia.

Comorbidity in trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder): A cluster analytical approach.

Background: A promising approach to reducing the phenotypic heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders involves the identification of homogeneous subtypes. Careful study of comorbidity in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) contributed to the identification of the DSM-5 subtype of OCD with tics. Here we investigated one of the largest available cohorts of clinically diagnosed trichotillomania (TTM) to determine whether subtyping TTM based on comorbidity would help delineate clinically meaningful subgroups.

Subscapularis sparing total shoulder arthroplasty through a superolateral approach: a radiographic study.

Background: Most anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (ATSA) techniques release and reattach the subscapularis tendon. The risk of failed healing is a widely recognized complication. The purpose of this study was to radiographically compare a traditional deltopectoral (DP) approach and a superolateral subscapularis sparing (SSS) technique through the rotator interval.

Quorum Sensing Signaling Alters Virulence Potential and Population Dynamics in Complex Microbiome-Host Interactomes.

Despite the discovery of the first -acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) based quorum sensing (QS) in the marine environment, relatively little is known about the abundance, nature and diversity of AHL QS systems in this diverse ecosystem. Establishing the prevalence and diversity of AHL QS systems and how they may influence population dynamics within the marine ecosystem, may give a greater insight into the evolution of AHLs as signaling molecules in this important and largely unexplored niche. Microbiome profiling of and BD1268 sponge samples identified several potential QS active genera.

Positive adaptation of HPA axis function in women during 44 weeks of infantry-based military training.

Background: Basic military training (BMT) is a useful model of prolonged exposure to multiple stressors. 8-12 week BMT is associated with perturbations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which could predispose recruits to injury and psychological strain. However, characterisations of HPA axis adaptations during BMT have not been comprehensive and most studies included few if any women.

Preventive efficacy of oral moxidectin at various doses and dosage regimens against macrocyclic lactone-resistant heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) strains in dogs.

Background: Moxidectin has previously shown limited efficacy (≤ 44.4%) against confirmed macrocyclic lactone (ML)-resistant Dirofilaria immitis strains at 3 µg/kg after single and multiple oral dosages. Three studies were conducted to evaluate higher oral moxidectin doses for efficacy against confirmed ML-resistant D.

Effect of behavior therapy for Tourette's disorder on psychiatric symptoms and functioning in adults.

Background: Although behavior therapy reduces tic severity, it is unknown whether it improves co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes for adults with Tourette's disorder (TD). This information is essential for effective treatment planning. This study examined the effects of behavior therapy on psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes in older adolescents and adults with TD.

Coping With a Mass Casualty: Insights into a Hospital's Emergency Response and Adaptations After the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion.

Objective: The study provides a comprehensive insight into how an initial receiving hospital without adequate capacity adapted to coping with a mass casualty incident after the Formosa Fun Coast Dust Explosion (FFCDE).

Methods: Data collection was via in-depth interviews with 11 key participants. This was combined with information from medical records of FFCDE patients and admission logs from the emergency department (ED) to build a detailed timeline of patients flow and ED workload changes.

General practitioners' perceptions of their communication with Australian Aboriginal patients with acquired neurogenic communication disorders.

Objective: Aboriginal people have high rates of stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI), often with residual, chronic communication deficits and multiple co-morbidities. This study examined general practitioners' (GPs') perceptions of their communication with Aboriginal patients with acquired communication disorders (ACD) after brain injury. Effective communication underpins good care but no previous research has explored this specific context.

Acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy for trichotillomania: Randomized controlled trial rationale, method, and strategies for recruiting minority participants.

Trichotillomania (TTM) involves the chronic pulling out of hair to the point of hair loss or thinning, which continues despite repeated attempts to stop. Behavior therapy is a promising treatment for the condition, but studies have been limited by the lack of a credible control condition, small sample sizes, follow-up periods of short duration, and low participation by underrepresented populations. In the current article, the authors describe the theoretical rationale for an acceptance-enhanced form of behavior therapy for TTM in adults and describe the methodology used to test the efficacy of this intervention against a psychoeducation and supportive control condition.

Author Correction: Diverse and robust molecular algorithms using reprogrammable DNA self-assembly.

An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.