Phenotypic virulence characterization of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolates from broiler breeders with colibacillosis in Mississippi.

AIMS: In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic virulence characteristics of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolates from broiler breeders with colibacillosis in Mississippi. Also, the relationship between phenotypic and genotypic virulence patterns was determined. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-eight APEC isolated from lesions of broiler breeders diagnosed with colibacillosis were used for embryo lethality assay and chick challenge study. The percentage of embryo mortality following embryo lethality assay and pathogenicity score following the chick challenge study were used to categorize the isolates based on virulence. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between embryo mortality, chick pathogenicity, and the presence of virulence-associated genes in the isolates. Overall, 39.3% of the isolates were highly virulent and 3.5% were avirulent, following both assays. There existed a positive correlation between embryo mortality and chick pathogenicity (r = 0.73, P < .01), as well as percentage embryo mortality and pathogenicity score with the presence of some virulence genes. CONCLUSIONS: Even though all the APEC were isolated from lesions of diseased breeders, the virulence potential varied from being avirulent to highly virulent. Further, we identified a positive relationship between phenotypic virulence and the frequency of virulence-associated genes.

Vocational peer support for adults with psychiatric disabilities: Results of a randomized trial.

Objective: Peer support services for individuals with psychiatric conditions have burgeoned and now are proliferating within mental health systems nationally and internationally. More recently, variations of peer support have been developed, including those that focus on vocational outcomes. Methods: We conducted a randomized clinical trial in two mental health programs to test a newly developed model of vocationally oriented peer support. We recruited, randomly assigned, and followed 166 individuals for 12 months; 83 received Vocational Peer Support (the experimental condition, VPS) and 83 received peer support services-as-usual. Peer support specialists (PSS) delivering VPS were trained and supervised. We examined vocational and educational outcomes as well as work hope, quality of life, and work readiness at baseline, 6- and 12-month postrandomization. We assessed the working alliance as well. Results: We found a group-by-time effect on domains of work readiness and modest differences in vocational activity. Secondary analyses revealed that VPS resulted in a stronger working alliance with the peer specialist, which mediated some aspects of a better quality of life and greater work hope. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: In the context of the peer relationship, peer specialists are often called upon to support individuals who are pursuing employment, often without adequate preparation or training. Our findings suggest that vocationally oriented peer support affects several aspects of readiness to pursue work-related goals and mediates some aspects of vocational hope and quality of life. VPS may assist individuals receiving peer support as they choose, get, and keep employment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of feeder space on broiler feeding behaviors.

Providing adequate feeder space in broiler production is important to ensure bird performance and well-being; however, the effect of feeder space on behavior responses of broilers remains unclear. The objective of this research was to investigate feeding behaviors of broilers provided with 4 feeder spaces, that are 2.3 cm/bird with one feeder (2.3FSO); and 2.3, 4.6, and 6.9 cm/bird with 3 feeders (2.3FST, 4.6FST, and 6.9FST, respectively). Number of feeder slots per feeder was 14 at 2.3FSO, 5 at 2.3FST, 9 at 4.6FST, and 14 at 6.9FST. Sixteen identical pens, each with 45 broilers (Ross 708, mixed sex), were used to accommodate the 4 feeder space treatments. Feeding behaviors were continuously monitored from weeks 4 to 8 using an ultra-high-frequency radio frequency identification system. The results show that the daily feeding time and number of feeder visits for broilers at 2.3FST were similar to those at 4.6FST and 6.9FST but higher than those at 2.3FSO (P < 0.01). The feeder utilization ratio was the highest at 2.3FST, indicating the feeder being used most efficiently among the 4 treatments (P < 0.01). Coefficient of variations (33.0-65.1%) of the feeding behavior responses was similar among the treatments (P ≥ 0.06), suggesting similar group uniformity of feeding behaviors of individual broilers. Feeders among all treatments may not be fully used because for most of the time, less than 6 birds chose to eat simultaneously at a more-than-five-slot feeder in all treatments. Given the same feeder space, increasing feeder number can accommodate more birds to eat simultaneously. The outcomes of this study provide insights into improvement of feeder design and management for broiler production.

Research Note: Effect of stocking density on crop fill progression in broilers grown to 14 d.

Crop fill rates are measured as an indirect means of assessing management during the brooding phase. Primary breeder guidelines indicate that 95% of the chicks assessed should present a crop that is full, soft, and rounded after 24 h, which indicates chicks have successfully located feed and water. Crop fill progression has received little attention in the scientific literature and is primarily discussed in trade literature, and thus, the dynamic nature of crop fill progression has not been previously characterized. This study examined the role of 2 market weight stocking density treatments (29.3 kg/m2 and 43.9 kg/m2) on performance and crop fill of broilers grown to 14 d. Crop fill progression was observed at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h after placement and tracked BW of birds that presented empty crops at 24 h; chicks with empty crops were identified to track postplacement BW. Stocking density had no significant effect on bird performance or crop fill. At 24 h, 86% of birds in this study had full, soft, and rounded crops, while only 3% of birds had crops that were devoid of food or water at 24 h. BW for birds with empty crops was significantly lower at 7 d (P = 0.006) but not at 14 d (P = 0.535). The data herein indicate that crop fill rates of 95% or higher at 24 h may be difficult to achieve in typical commercial broiler settings. In addition, assessing crop fill may be a useful tool to diagnose conspicuous management problems during brooding, but it does not appear to be a direct predictor of early performance.

Is the Australian smoking population hardening?

BACKGROUND: The hardening hypothesis proposes that as smoking rates decline, the remaining smokers will become hardcore and resistant to quitting. This group of highly resistant quitters will potentially require more individualistic approaches to cessation and harm reduction. The harm reduction approach (specifically e-cigarettes) has been proposed as an option to address hardened Australian smokers. We tested the hardening hypothesis by analysing the rates of hardcore smoking in the Australian smoking population between 2010 and 2016. METHODS: Data were drawn from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in 2010, 2013 and 2016. Two different definitions were used to assess hardcore smoking to arrive at an upper and lower rate. Logistic regression models assessed hardcore smoker characteristics for both definitions of hardcore smoking. RESULTS: The most inclusive definition of hardcore smoking (i.e., a smoker with no plan to quit) showed a significant decline in hardcore smoking between 2010 and 2016 (5.49%-4.85%) In contrast, the prevalence of hardcore smoking using the most stringent definition (i.e., a current daily smoker of at least 15 cigarettes per day, aged 26 years or over, with no intention to quit, a lifetime consumption of at least 100 cigarettes, and no quit attempt in the past 12 months) did not change significantly between 2010 and 2016. CONCLUSION: The observed trends in the prevalence of hardcore smokers (i.e., either stable or declining depending on the definition) suggest that the Australian smoking population is not hardening. These results do not support claims that remaining smokers are becoming hardcore.

Technological Improvement Rates and Evolution of Energy-Based Therapeutics.

This paper examines the field of energy-based medical therapies based on the analysis of patents. We define the field as the use of external stimuli to achieve biomedical modifications to treat disease and to increase health. Based upon distinct sets of patents, the field is subdivided into sub-domains for each energy category used to achieve the stimulation: electrical, magnetic, microwave, ultrasound, and optical. Previously developed techniques are used to retrieve the relevant patents for each of the stimulation modes and to determine main paths along the trajectory followed by each sub-domain. The patent sets are analyzed to determine key assignees, number of patents, and dates of emergence of the sub-domains. The sub-domains are found to be largely independent as to patent assignees. Electrical and magnetic stimulation patents emerged earliest in the 1970s and microwave most recently around 1990. The annual rate of improvement of all sub-domains (12-85%) is found to be significantly higher than one we find for an aggregate pharmaceutical domain (5%). Overall, the results suggest an increasingly important role for energy-based therapies in the future of medicine.

Functional performance improvement data and patent sets for 30 technology domains with measurements of patent centrality and estimations of the improvement rate.

This article accompanies the study presented in Triulzi et al. (2020) [1]. It briefly describes and makes available the data on functional performance for 30 technology domains, their patent sets, the measurement of patent centrality and the method to estimate the yearly technology performance improvement rate (TIR) that underly that study. Some of this data (performance time series and the lists of patents for 28 domains) has been collected by other authors for previous studies but were previously unavailable to the public. Measurements of patent centrality and other patent-based indicators for the 30 domains, and for 5.259.906 utility patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office between 1976 and 2015 are novel data contributed by Triulzi et al. (2020) [1]. Here we organize, describe and make available the collection of data in its entirety. This allows anyone interested to replicate the study or use the method to estimate the improvement rate of a given technology for which patents can be identified. For a detailed description of the data and methods see Triulzi et al. (2020) [1].

Complex Trauma and Ecological Vulnerability: Development of a Resources Perspective Framework to Inform Longitudinal Examination.

Translation and application of current complex trauma knowledge for high-risk groups such as the homeless is needed. Existing research in this area has been limited by lack of a cohesive theoretical framework that captures the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of complex trauma within the context of ecological vulnerability (e.g. homelessness). This paper aims to address these gaps by proposing an integrated resources perspective framework situating Layne and colleagues' (Layne et al. 2009, 2010) concept of 'risk factor caravans' as central focus. We demonstrate how the 'risk factor caravan' representation captures current theoretical and clinical insights into the pervasive and enduring consequences of complex trauma exposure. Personal resources are highlighted as key for understanding resource loss and gain in the current context. Longitudinal person-centered approaches as integral methodological considerations for future application of this proposed framework are examined. Implications for reducing barriers to access of available support services are discussed.

Tobacco harm reduction: are smokers becoming more hardcore?

We undertook a systematic review to identify and summarise studies on hardcore smoking and hardening to: determine the degree of variability in definitions of hardcore smoking and hardening; assess the evidence for claims that smokers are becoming increasingly hardened within the context of harm reduction as a policy initiative; and identify the determining characteristics of a hardcore smoker. We searched five electronic databases from 1970 to mid-April 2018 using the search term "smok* AND hard* AND (tobacco OR cigar* OR nicotin*)". We included studies if they included a definition of hardcore smokers and/or hardening, and provided a prevalence rate for hard core smokers or empirical evidence for hardening. Definitions of hardcore smoker varied substantially across studies. Hardening was not evident in the general smoking population and we found mounting evidence of softening occurring in smoking populations. These results indicate that hardening of smokers is not occurring and that calls for policy interventions on this basis should be challenged.

Investigating the relationships between social capital, chronic health conditions and health status among Australian adults: findings from an Australian national cohort survey.

BACKGROUND: Social capital is a collective attribute of communities that determines health and well-being of populations. The collective resources in a high social capital community have been reported to result in better health outcomes. While evidence supports the links between social capital and various health outcomes, it is not clear about underlying mechanisms connecting multiple dimensions of social capital to health. METHODS: Using the two-wave data from a nationally representative cohort study of Australian adults (N = 16,637), this study examined the effects of two dimensions of social capital (i.e., structural and cognitive social capital) on physical and mental health in the Australian adult population. Based on prior literature and theoretical reasoning, it was anticipated that the structural and cognitive social capital would influence self-assessed health status (physical and mental health). Additionally, these two dimensions of social capital were hypothesized to moderate the relationships between chronic health conditions and these two aspects of health status. RESULTS: Analyses showed that the effects of chronic health conditions on mental health status were moderated by the structural social capital (ß = .652, SE = .249, p = .009). Additionally, it was found that perceived community cohesion was predictive of mental health (ß = .295, SE = .103, p = .004). Our analysis also indicated that perceptions of disadvantaged neighbourhood environment contributed to poorer mental health status (ß = -.461, SE = .144, p = .001). However, none of the social capital variables significantly predicted physical health status. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the structural dimension of social capital would function as a buffer against the malicious effects of chronic health conditions, impairments and disabilities. Specifically, community participation (structural social capital) is indispensable to develop an effective community-based program to improve health and well-being of those with chronic health conditions or disabilities, as increasing active participation may generate beneficial effects in this vulnerable population. Subjective perceptions about communities can also play an important role in improving better health outcomes. Further research is needed to examine underlying mechanisms linking the multiple dimensions of social capital to health outcomes among individuals who are vulnerable to external stressors.

Sleep Timing During Adolescence: A Latent Transition Analysis Approach.

Objective/Background: This paper utilized a person-centered approach to examine individual differences in sleep timing cross-sectionally and prospectively in adolescents. Participants: Data from Waves 5 and 6 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used. At Wave 5, the sample included 3,552 Australian adolescents aged 12-13 years (51% males, 49% females); 84% provided data at two-year follow-up (Wave 6). Methods: Through structured interviews, adolescents provided information on sleep timing (bedtimes, sleep-onset times, and wake times) on weekends and weekdays, and relevant covariates. Latent profile analysis identified sleep profiles at Waves 5 and 6 separately; latent transition analysis examined stability and change in profiles across time. Results: Six sleep timing profiles were identified at age 12-13 years: Early Larks (n = 228; 6.4%); Larks (n = 1257; 35.4%); Intermediate (n = 1311; 36.9%); Owls (n = 351; 9.9%); Variable Owls (n = 308; 8.7%); and, Late Owls (n = 97; 2.7%). Six similar profiles were identified at age 14-15 years. The latent transition analysis indicated that the Early Larks, Larks, and Intermediate profiles were more stable over time compared with the Owls, Variable Owls, and Late Owls profiles. Higher body mass index (BMI) and longer screen time predicted transitions from Larks and Early Larks to the Owls, Variable Owls, and Late Owls profiles. Conclusions: Many adolescents showed healthy sleep timing, which continued with age. However, the Variable Owls, Owls, and Late Owls profiles reflected less healthy and more variable sleep patterns that may require targeted interventions.

The Physical Work Environment and Sleep: A Latent Class Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between the physical work environment and sleep using a person-centered approach. METHODS: A total of 542 Australian employees aged 18 to 60 years completed a survey assessing exposure to physical work environment stressors (eg, noise, poor air quality, and hazardous manual tasks), sleep timing and sleep quality, and relevant covariates. RESULTS: Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed three physical work environment classes: Infrequent exposure (51%); Occasional Exposure (31%); and Regular Exposure (18%). LCA also identified four sleep classes: Larks (24%); Typical sleep (43%); Insufficient sleep (20%); and Owls (13%). The Regular Exposure class was significantly associated with the Insufficient Sleep (odds ratio [OR] = 3.15, [1.29, 7.66]) and Owls (OR = 3.47 [1.24, 9.71]) classes. CONCLUSIONS: The person-centered approach provides important insights into how unique physical work environment experiences are linked with sleep.

Vocational Peer Support: Results of a Qualitative Study.

Peer-delivered services for individuals with psychiatric conditions are becoming an established part of the mental health workforce. Given the growing focus on evidence-based supported employment, peer specialists are often assisting individuals who are choosing, getting, or keeping employment. As part of a larger randomized clinical trial examining the effectiveness of an innovative intervention called vocational peer support, 13 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to examine how recipients perceived peer support, and whether or how it was useful for pursuing vocational goals. A thematic analysis approach was utilized for identifying major themes and sub-themes. Results suggest that a key factor in the effectiveness of vocational peer support is the identification with another individual's "lived experience," which then promotes engagement and a sense of normalcy. Vocational peer support may be particularly useful for individuals with psychiatric disabilities wishing to pursue a vocational goal.

Pre-existing technological core and roots for the CRISPR breakthrough.

This paper applies objective methods to explore the technological origins of the widely acclaimed CRISPR breakthrough in the technological domain of genome engineering. Previously developed patent search techniques are first used to recover a set of patents that well-represent the genome editing domain before CRISPR. Main paths are then determined from the citation network associated with this patent set allowing identification of the three major knowledge trajectories. The most significant of these trajectories for CRISPR involves the core of genome editing with less significant trajectories involving cloning and endonuclease specific developments. The major patents on the core trajectory are consistent with qualitative expert knowledge of the topical area. A second set of patents that we call the CRISPR roots are obtained by finding the patents directly cited by the recent CRISPR patents along with patents cited by that set of patents. We find that the CRISPR roots contain 8 key patents from the genome engineering main path associated with restriction endonucleases and the expected strong connection of CRISPR to prior genome editing technology such as Zn finger nucleases. Nonetheless, analysis of the full CRISPR roots shows that a very wide array of technological knowledge beyond genome engineering has contributed to achieving the CRISPR breakthrough. Such breadth in origins is not surprising since "spillover" is generally perceived as important and previous qualitative studies of CRISPR have shown not only technological breadth in origins but scientific breadth as well. In addition, we find that the estimated rate of functional performance improvement of the CRISPR roots set is about 9% per year compared to the genome engineering set (~4% per year). These estimates indicate below average rates of improvement and may indicate that CRISPR (and perhaps yet undiscovered) genome engineering developments could evolve in effectiveness over an upcoming long rather than short time period.

Trajectories of Psychological Distress in Australians Living in Urban Poverty: The Impact of Interpersonal Trauma.

Childhood maltreatment and interpersonal trauma experience is an important factor underpinning the apparent perpetuation of the cycle of social disadvantage experienced by homeless adults. This paper aimed to examine longitudinal patterns of psychological distress in a sample of 1,504 socially disadvantaged adult participants from the Journeys Home Study in Australia. The current paper utilized the "conservation of resources" theory and the concept of "risk factor caravans" to investigate the nature and implications of childhood trauma in the context of homelessness. Growth mixture modeling revealed four distinct trajectories of psychological distress as measured by the Kessler 6 across six time points (covering a period of 2.5 years): chronic, escalating, attenuating, and resistant. Our results also indicated that experiences of different types of trauma during childhood were associated with these psychological distress trajectories. In particular, adults experiencing chronic psychological distress were significantly more likely than those exhibiting distress resistance to have experienced multiple and varied childhood maltreatment, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.30, 95% CI [0.37, 6.05], p = .002. Furthermore, adult experiences of assault were found to be associated with psychological distress. These findings have important implications for mental health, as well as interventions aimed at breaking the cycle of urban poverty. Specific focus on interpersonal trauma vulnerabilities is important. Prioritizing socioecological stability, with mental health needs assessed on an individual level, may be most appropriate. This work also highlights the need to direct future attention to barriers to access and facilitation of social support services.

The Work-Family Interface and Sleep Quality.

OBJECTIVE: This article investigated whether work-to-family conflict (WFC) and work-to-family enrichment (WFE) were associated with employee sleep quality. WFC and WFE reflect the potential for experiences at work to negatively and positively influence nonworking life respectively, and may have implications for sleep quality. In this article, we examined whether WFC and WFE were linked with sleep quality via hedonic balance (i.e., positive affect relative to negative affect). PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 3,170 employed Australian parents involved in the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. METHODS: Information on WFC, WFE, hedonic balance, sleep quality, and relevant covariates was collected through a structured interview and self-completion questionnaire. RESULTS: WFC was associated with poorer sleep quality (ß = .27, p < .001), and this relationship was stronger in males than females and in dual parent-single income families. WFC was also found to be indirectly associated with poor sleep quality via a lower hedonic balance (ß = .17, 99% confidence interval [.14, .20]). WFE was not directly associated with sleep quality, but was indirectly associated with better sleep quality via a higher hedonic balance (ß = -.04 [-.07, -.02]). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that aspects of the work-family interface are associated with employee sleep quality. Furthermore, affective experiences were found to link WFC and WFE with sleep quality. Workplace interventions that target WFC and WFE may have implications for employee sleep.

Explaining variations in the findings of presenteeism research: A meta-analytic investigation into the moderating effects of construct operationalizations and chronic health.

The purpose of the present study is to theorize and test the moderating effects of two variables-the way presenteeism is operationalized and the presence of a preexisting chronic health condition-on the relationships between presenteeism and its antecedents (i.e., physical health, mental health, work factors, social factors, and personal factors). A meta-analysis of 116 studies (N = 301,402) investigated the impact of both moderator variables while controlling for the country of the sample and publication source. As expected, the magnitude of the relationships between presenteeism and its antecedents varied depending on the type of operationalization of presenteeism. Specifically, the average mean correlations reported in previous studies were larger when presenteeism was operationalized using both a behavior and an outcome (e.g., productivity loss stemming from attending work while ill) as compared with when presenteeism was operationalized as a behavior only (e.g., attending work while ill). Furthermore, we found that the associations between presenteeism and its antecedents were stronger for those workers with a preexisting chronic health condition (e.g., osteoarthritis), as compared with healthier workers. These findings have important implications for research and theory. In particular, they suggest that the way presenteeism is operationalized can artificially inflate the observed effect sizes between presenteeism and its antecedents. This is a significant contribution, as it may shape future measures of presenteeism. Theoretically, the findings are also important, as they provide a framework for understanding why some workers are more prone to presenteeism than others (e.g., because individuals with chronic health problems may be more resilient). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Emergence and Collapse of Knowledge Boundaries.

The dynamics of knowledge transfer is an important topic for engineering managers. In this paper, we study knowledge boundaries - barriers to knowledge transfer - in groups of experts, using topic modeling, a natural language processing technique, applied to transcript data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Circulatory Systems Advisory Panel. As predicted by prior theory, we find that knowledge boundaries emerge as the group faces increasingly challenging problems. Beyond this theory, we find that knowledge boundaries cease to structure communications between communities of practice when the group's expert ability is insufficient to solve its task, such as in the presence of high novelty. We conjecture that the amount of expert knowledge that the group can collectively bring to bear is a determining factor in boundary formation. This implies that some of the factors underlying knowledge boundary formation may aid - rather than hinder - knowledge aggregation. We briefly explore this conjecture using qualitative exploration of several relevant meetings. Finally, we discuss implications of these results for organizations attempting to leverage their expertise given the state of their collective knowledge.