Diastereoselective and Scalable Synthesis of 6-(S)-Hydroxycannabidivarin.

The synthesis of 6-(S)-hydroxycannabidivarin was required to assess its biological activity in the treatment of neurological disorders. A novel and scalable synthesis has been developed where the key step involves a Friedel-Crafts alkylation of phloroglucinol with (1S,2R,5R)-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-3-en-1-ylbenzoate. Careful optimization of the reaction conditions identified trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in isopropyl acetate as the best catalyst/solvent combination, providing optimum regioselectivity, diastereoselectivity, and yield for this step. This enabled the multigram synthesis of 6-(S)-hydroxycannabidivarin in 10 steps from S-(+)-carvone.

Encouraging willingness to try insect foods with a utility-value intervention.

Despite the benefits of eating insects (entomophagy), Western society is often inclined to reject this practice based on initial reactions of disgust. It is suggested there is potential to overcome this attitude through increasing interest and gaining knowledge of the benefits. One way to accomplish this is through an adapted utility-value intervention, traditionally applied in education research, to increase interest and perceived value in a topic. Across two studies (each with a one-month follow-up) participants researched and wrote an essay designed to increase interest and value in entomophagy or a control essay. Participants then completed a rating task assessing their willingness to try insect and familiar foods, along with other key attributes (e.g., sustainability). The utility-value intervention increased willingness to try insect foods as well as other key attributes compared to a non-insect control essay (Study 1). Unexpectedly, we also found a potentially similar (but smaller) effect of researching an insect-based recipe (Study 2) on willingness to try. The effects found in both studies were consistent at follow-up. These findings indicate the usefulness of utility-value interventions in encouraging entomophagy but also suggest that exposure to information about insect food, although less effective than a utility-value intervention, may also be sufficient.

Clinical features associated with thrombotic events in children with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

In children with MPNs, clots are most common in those with JAK2 mutations and those with polycythemia vera.

Curious to eat insects? Curiosity as a Key Predictor of Willingness to try novel food.

Entomophagy - the consumption of insects - is often rejected by Western society despite its benefits over traditional animal-based proteins. While several factors have been identified as potential predictors of people's willingness to try insect foods, this study introduced an under-explored factor: curiosity, which is a powerful motivator of behaviour that can overcome negative emotions and motivate us to seek new experiences. In two experiments (Ns = 240 and 248), participants (all UK residents, 99.6% British citizens) rated a number of food dishes, half of which contained insects, on a number of factors including curiosity and willingness to try the dish. Across both studies, curiosity predicted willingness to try both insect and non-insect foods above and beyond other factors. Furthermore, we unexpectedly (but consistently) observed a "curiosity-boosting effect" in which curiosity positively interacted with other predictors, increasing their effect on willingness to try insect foods, but not familiar foods. These findings suggest that curiosity promotes the willingness to try insect food in two different manners: A direct effect (above and beyond other factors) and a boosting effect.

Practical Comparison of the BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel to Routine Diagnostic Methods and Potential Impact on Antimicrobial Stewardship in Adult Hospitalized Patients with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections.

Lower respiratory tract infections, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia, are common in hospitalized patient populations. Standard methods frequently fail to identify the infectious etiology due to the polymicrobial nature of respiratory specimens and the necessity of ordering specific tests to identify viral agents. The potential severity of these infections combined with a failure to clearly identify the causative pathogen results in administration of empirical antibiotic agents based on clinical presentation and other risk factors. We examined the impact of the multiplexed, semiquantitative BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia panel (PN panel) test on laboratory reporting for 259 adult inpatients submitting bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens for laboratory analysis. The PN panel demonstrated a combined 96.2% positive percent agreement (PPA) and 98.1% negative percent agreement (NPA) for the qualitative identification of 15 bacterial targets compared to routine bacterial culture. Semiquantitative values reported by the PN panel were frequently higher than values reported by culture, resulting in semiquantitative agreement (within the same log10 value) of 43.6% between the PN panel and culture; however, all bacterial targets reported as >105 CFU/ml in culture were reported as ≥105 genomic copies/ml by the PN panel. Viral targets were identified by the PN panel in 17.7% of specimens tested, of which 39.1% were detected in conjunction with a bacterial target. A review of patient medical records, including clinically prescribed antibiotics, revealed the potential for antibiotic adjustment in 70.7% of patients based on the PN panel result, including discontinuation or de-escalation in 48.2% of patients, resulting in an average savings of 6.2 antibiotic days/patient.

Radiographic tracheal dimensions in brachycephalic breeds before and after surgical treatment for brachycephalic airway syndrome.

The objective of this retrospective study was to compare preoperative and postoperative tracheal measurements in brachycephalic dogs undergoing surgical treatment of brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) using 2 radiographic methods (TD:TI and TT:3R). Medical records of 24 brachycephalic dogs with surgically corrected BAS were reviewed. Represented breeds included English bulldogs (n = 9), French bulldogs (n = 9), pugs (n = 5), and a Japanese chin (n = 1). Dogs with BAS that had postoperative thoracic radiographs ≤ 1 week after surgery showed no significant difference in the mean TD:TI ratios (P = 0.06) or mean TT:3R ratios (P = 0.19) when comparing preoperative to postoperative ratios. Dogs that had postoperative thoracic radiographs > 1 week after surgery showed no significant difference in the mean TD:TI ratios (P = 0.06) or mean TT:3R ratios (P = 0.32) when comparing preoperative to postoperative ratios. According to these findings, surgical correction for BAS does not resolve or improve tracheal hypoplasia in brachycephalic breeds.

L'objectif de cette étude rétrospective était de comparer les mesures trachéales préopératoire et postopératoire chez des chiens brachycéphales soumis à un traitement chirurgical pour le syndrome des voies respiratoires brachycéphales (BAS) en utilisant deux méthodes radiographiques (TD:TI et TT:3R). Les dossiers médicaux de 24 chiens brachycéphales avec un BAS corrigé chirurgicalement furent examinés. Les races représentées incluaient les bulldogs anglais (n = 9), les bulldogs français (n = 9), les carlins (n = 5) et l'épagneul japonais (n = 1). Les chiens avec BAS qui ont eu des radiographies thoraciques postopératoires ≤ 1 semaine après la chirurgie ne montraient aucune différence significative dans les ratios moyens TD:TI (P = 0,06) ou ratios moyens TT:3R (P = 0,19) lors de la comparaison des ratios préopératoire et postopératoire. Les chiens avec BAS qui ont eu des radiographies thoraciques postopératoires > 1 semaine après la chirurgie ne montraient aucune différence significative dans les ratios moyens TD:TI (P = 0,06) ou ratios moyens TT:3R (P = 0,32) lors de la comparaison des ratios préopératoire et postopératoire. En fonction de ces trouvailles, la correction chirurgicale pour le BAS ne résout pas ou n'améliore pas l'hypoplasie trachéale chez les races brachycéphales.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

A Facile Synthesis of Blue Luminescent [7]Helicenocarbazoles Based on Gold-Catalyzed Rearrangement-Iodonium Migration and Suzuki-Miyaura Benzannulation Reactions.

New azahelicenes having interesting photophysical properties have been prepared in a four-step sequence. These [7]helicenocarbazoles are efficient blue luminophores, demonstrating the utility of gold catalysis in the preparation of advanced materials.

Role of Metacognitive Confidence Judgments in Curiosity: Different Effects of Confidence on Curiosity Across Epistemic and Perceptual Domains.

Previous research suggests that curiosity is sometimes induced by novel information one has no relevant knowledge about, but it is sometimes induced by new information about something that one is familiar with and has prior knowledge about. However, the conditions under which novelty or familiarity triggers curiosity remain unclear. Using metacognitive confidence judgments as a proxy to quantify the amount of knowledge, this study evaluates the relationship between the amount of relevant knowledge and curiosity. We reviewed previous studies on the relationship between subjective curiosity and confidence and reanalyzed existing large-sample data. The findings indicate that the relationship between curiosity and confidence differs depending on the nature of the stimuli: epistemic versus perceptual. Regarding perceptual stimuli, curiosity is stronger when individuals have lower confidence levels. By contrast, for epistemic stimuli, curiosity is stronger when individuals have higher confidence levels. These results suggest that curiosity triggered by perceptual stimuli is based on perceived novelty, whereas that triggered by epistemic stimuli is based on familiarity with prior knowledge.

Global analysis of phase variation in Myxococcus xanthus.

Myxococcus xanthus can vary its phenotype or 'phase' to produce colonies that contain predominantly yellow or tan cells that differ greatly in their abilities to swarm, survive and develop. Yellow variants are proficient at swarming (++) and tend to lyse in liquid during stationary phase. In contrast, tan variants are deficient in swarming (+) and persist beyond stationary phase. The phenotypes and transcriptomes of yellow and tan variants were compared with mutants affected in phase variation. Thirty-seven genes were upregulated specifically in yellow variants including those for production of the yellow pigment, DKxanthene. A mutant in DKxanthene synthesis produced non-pigmented (tan) colonies but still phase varied for swarming suggesting that pigmentation is not the cause of phase variation. Disruption of a gene encoding a HTH-Xre-like regulator, highly expressed in yellow variants, abolished pigment production and blocked the ability of cells to switch from a swarm ++ to a swarm (+) phenotype, showing that HTH-Xre regulates phase variation. Among the four genes whose expression was increased in tan variants was pkn14, which encodes a serine-threonine kinase that regulates programmed cell death in Myxococcus via the MrpC-MazF toxin-antitoxin complex. High levels of phosphorylated Pkn14 may explain why tan cells enjoy enhanced survival.

Investigation of burnout syndrome and job-related risk factors in veterinary technicians in specialty teaching hospitals: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate veterinary technician burnout and associations with frequency of self-reported medical error, resilience, and depression and job-related risk factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study using an anonymous survey conducted between November 2017 and June 2018. SETTING: Four referral teaching hospitals in the United States and Canada. SUBJECTS: A total of 344 veterinary technicians were invited to participate. Response rate was 95%. Overall 256 surveys were ultimately analyzed. INTERVENTIONS: Burnout, depression, and resilience were measured using validated instruments. Respondents reported perceptions of workload, working environment, and medical error frequency. Associations between burnout and factors related to physical work environment, workload and schedule, compensation package, interpersonal relationships, intellectual enrichment, and exposure to ethical conflicts were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Burnout, characterized by high emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment was common, and was positively associated with perceived medical errors, desire to change career, and depression. Burnout levels on all 3 burnout subscales were higher in this population than previously reported for a contemporaneous group of trauma nurses working with human patients (P < 0.05). Burnout was negatively associated with resilience. Respondents' feelings of fear or anxiety around supervisor communications, perception that patient load was too high to allow for excellent patient care, and perceived lack of available assistance during sudden workload increases were all associated with burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout in veterinary technicians is common and is associated with numerous undesirable outcomes. Work-related interventions to reduce burnout should focus on improving supervisor relationships and maintaining an appropriate patient:caregiver ratio.

Characterizing Verified Head Impacts in High School Girls' Lacrosse.

BACKGROUND: Girls' high school lacrosse players have higher rates of head and facial injuries than boys. Research indicates that these injuries are caused by stick, player, and ball contacts. Yet, no studies have characterized head impacts in girls' high school lacrosse. PURPOSE: To characterize girls' high school lacrosse game-related impacts by frequency, magnitude, mechanism, player position, and game situation. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Thirty-five female participants (mean age, 16.2 ± 1.2 years; mean height, 1.66 ± 0.05 m; mean weight, 61.2 ± 6.4 kg) volunteered during 28 games in the 2014 and 2015 lacrosse seasons. Participants wore impact sensors affixed to the right mastoid process before each game. All game-related impacts recorded by the sensors were verified using game video. Data were summarized for all verified impacts in terms of frequency, peak linear acceleration (PLA), and peak rotational acceleration (PRA). Descriptive statistics and impact rates were calculated. RESULTS: Fifty-eight verified game-related impacts ≥20 g were recorded (median PLA, 33.8 g; median PRA, 6151.1 rad/s2) during 467 player-games. The impact rate for all game-related verified impacts was 0.12 per athlete-exposure (AE) (95% CI, 0.09-0.16), equivalent to 2.1 impacts per team game, indicating that each athlete suffered fewer than 2 head impacts per season ≥20 g. Of these impacts, 28 (48.3%) were confirmed to directly strike the head, corresponding with an impact rate of 0.05 per AE (95% CI, 0.00-0.10). Overall, midfielders (n = 28, 48.3%) sustained the most impacts, followed by defenders (n = 12, 20.7%), attackers (n = 11, 19.0%), and goalies (n = 7, 12.1%). Goalies demonstrated the highest median PLA and PRA (38.8 g and 8535.0 rad/s2, respectively). The most common impact mechanisms were contact with a stick (n = 25, 43.1%) and a player (n = 17, 29.3%), followed by the ball (n = 7, 12.1%) and the ground (n = 7, 12.1%). One hundred percent of ball impacts occurred to goalies. Most impacts occurred to field players within the attack area of the field (n = 32, 55.2%) or the midfield (n = 18, 31.0%). Most (95%) impacts did not result in a penalty. CONCLUSION: The incidence of verified head impacts in girls' high school lacrosse was quite low. Ball to head impacts were associated with the highest impact magnitudes. While stick and body contacts are illegal in girls' high school lacrosse, rarely did such impacts to the head result in a penalty. The verification of impact mechanisms using video review is critical to collect impact sensor data.