Determination of optimal experimental conditions for accurate 3D reconstruction of the magnetization vector via XMCD-PEEM.

This work presents a detailed analysis of the performance of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism photoemission electron microscopy (XMCD-PEEM) as a tool for vector reconstruction of magnetization. For this, 360° domain wall ring structures which form in a synthetic antiferromagnet are chosen as the model to conduct the quantitative analysis. An assessment is made of how the quality of the results is affected depending on the number of projections that are involved in the reconstruction process, as well as their angular distribution. For this a self-consistent error metric is developed which allows an estimation of the optimum azimuthal rotation angular range and number of projections. This work thus proposes XMCD-PEEM as a powerful tool for vector imaging of complex 3D magnetic structures.

Controlled evolution of three-dimensional magnetic states in strongly coupled cylindrical nanowire pairs.

Cylindrical magnetic nanowires are promising systems for the development of three-dimensional spintronic devices. Here, we simulate the evolution of magnetic states during fabrication of strongly-coupled cylindrical nanowires with varying degrees of overlap. By varying the separation between wires, the relative strength of exchange and magnetostatic coupling can be tuned. Hence, we observe the formation of six fundamental states as a function of both inter-wire separation and wire height. In particular, two complex three-dimensional magnetic states, a 3D Landau Pattern and a Helical domain wall, are observed to emerge for intermediate overlap. These two emergent states show complex spin configurations, including a modulated domain wall with both Néel and Bloch character. The competition of magnetic interactions and the parallel growth scheme we follow (growing both wires at the same time) favours the formation of these anti-parallel metastable states. This works shows how the engineering of strongly coupled 3D nanostructures with competing interactions can be used to create complex spin textures.

Incidence, Mechanisms, and Characteristics of Injuries in Pole Dancers: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Pole dancing is a challenging physical activity. Prospective injury studies in pole dancing are lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, mechanisms, and characteristics of injuries in pole dancers. METHODS: A total of 66 pole dancers from 41 studios across Australia were prospectively followed over 12 months. An intake questionnaire was administered including items on pole dancers' demographics and training characteristics. Exposure was assessed using a daily online training diary. Self-reported injury data were collected via an incident report form and subsequently coded using the Orchard Sports Injury Classification System. Injuries occurring during pole-specific and pole-related activities were included in the analyses. RESULTS: The sample included 63 females and 3 males, mean age 32.3 ± 8.9 years and mean pole training experience 3.5 ± 2.8 years. 25 of 66 participants completed the full study. The 1-year incidence of all new injuries was 8.95/1,000 exposure hours (95% CI 6.94 - 10.96), 7.65/1,000 hrs (95% CI 5.79 - 9.51) for pole-specific injuries and 1.29/1,000 hrs (95% CI 0.53 - 2.06) for pole-related injuries. A total of 103 injuries occurred, 62.1% of which were sudden onset and 37.9% gradual onset. Mechanism of onset included 54.4% acute and 45.6% repetitive in nature. Shoulder (20.4%) and thigh (11.7%, majority ham¬string) were the most reported anatomic injury sites. Non-contact mechanisms accounted for the majority of injuries (57.3%). The most reported primary contributor to injury onset at the shoulder were manoeuvres characterised by loaded internal humeral rotation (33.3%), and at the hamstring were manoeuvres and postures involving front splits (100.0%). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that pole dancers are at high risk for injuries. Future research is needed to understand the biomechani¬cal demand of manoeuvres and training characteristics of pole dancing (e.g., workload and recovery) to guide the development of preventative interventions, particularly targeted toward the shoulder and hamstring.

Quantum superposition at the half-metre scale.

The quantum superposition principle allows massive particles to be delocalized over distant positions. Though quantum mechanics has proved adept at describing the microscopic world, quantum superposition runs counter to intuitive conceptions of reality and locality when extended to the macroscopic scale, as exemplified by the thought experiment of Schrödinger's cat. Matter-wave interferometers, which split and recombine wave packets in order to observe interference, provide a way to probe the superposition principle on macroscopic scales and explore the transition to classical physics. In such experiments, large wave-packet separation is impeded by the need for long interaction times and large momentum beam splitters, which cause susceptibility to dephasing and decoherence. Here we use light-pulse atom interferometry to realize quantum interference with wave packets separated by up to 54 centimetres on a timescale of 1 second. These results push quantum superposition into a new macroscopic regime, demonstrating that quantum superposition remains possible at the distances and timescales of everyday life. The sub-nanokelvin temperatures of the atoms and a compensation of transverse optical forces enable a large separation while maintaining an interference contrast of 28 per cent. In addition to testing the superposition principle in a new regime, large quantum superposition states are vital to exploring gravity with atom interferometers in greater detail. We anticipate that these states could be used to increase sensitivity in tests of the equivalence principle, measure the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect, and eventually detect gravitational waves and phase shifts associated with general relativity.

Safety and efficacy of subcutaneous alpha-tocopherol in healthy adult horses.

Vitamin E is essential for neuromuscular function. The primary treatment, oral supplementation with natural ('RRR') α-tocopherol, is not effective in all horses. The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a subcutaneously administered RRR-α-tocopherol preparation. Horses were randomly assigned in a cross-over design to initially receive RRR-α-tocopherol (5000 IU/450 kg of 600 IU/mL) subcutaneously (n = 3) or orally (n = 3) or were untreated sentinels (n = 2). Tissue reactions following injection in Phase I of the study necessitated adjustment of the preparation with reduction of the RRR-α-tocopherol concentration to 500 IU/mL in Phase 2. Following an 8-week washout period, horses received the reciprocal treatment route with the new preparation (5000 IU/450 kg of 500 IU/mL). Serum, CSF and muscle α-tocopherol concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography over a 14-day period during each phase. Serum and CSF α-tocopherol concentrations increased significantly postinjection only when the 500 IU/mL product was administered (P<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the muscle concentration of α-tocopherol following either treatment. All eight horses had marked tissue reaction to subcutaneous injection, regardless of product concentration. Whilst we have demonstrated that this route may be a useful alternative to oral supplementation, the marked tissue reaction makes use of such products limited at this time to only the most refractory of cases.

Fatigue and depression predict reduced health-related quality of life in childhood-onset lupus.

We aimed to identify risk factors for persistently reduced health-related quality of life in childhood-onset lupus and describe a risk profile for persistently reduced health-related quality of life. At a tertiary rheumatology clinic, 50 childhood onset lupus patients were assessed twice, approximately six months apart. Measures of disease activity and patient-reported measures of health-related quality of life, pain, depressive symptoms, anxiety and disability were collected at each visit. At visits 1 and 2, respectively, clinically relevant fatigue was present in 66% and 56% of patients; clinically significant depressive symptoms in 26% and 24%; and clinically significant anxiety in 34% and 28%. Poorer health-related quality of life at follow-up was significantly predicted by higher fatigue and depressive symptoms at the initial visit. Using clinically relevant cut-offs for fatigue and depressive symptoms, patients were assigned to Low ( n = 27) or High Risk ( n = 23) groups. A profile of significantly greater pain, anxiety and coping difficulties was seen in the High Risk group. Routine assessment of fatigue and mood symptoms in youth with childhood-onset lupus could be helpful in identifying those at risk for persistently poor health-related quality of life. Integration of behavioral interventions to address fatigue and mood symptoms into medical care for such patients may be beneficial, but more research in this area is needed.

Consensus categorization of cheese based on water activity and pH-A rational approach to systemizing cheese diversity.

Development of science-based interventions in raw milk cheese production is challenging due to the large diversity of production procedures and final products. Without an agreed upon categorization scheme, science-based food safety evaluations and validation of preventive controls would have to be completed separately on each individual cheese product, which is not feasible considering the large diversity of products and the typically small scale of production. Thus, a need exists to systematically group raw milk cheeses into logically agreed upon categories to be used for food safety evaluations. This paper proposes and outlines one such categorization scheme that provides for 30 general categories of cheese. As a base for this systematization and categorization of raw milk cheese, we used Table B of the US Food and Drug Administration's 2013 Food Code, which represents the interaction of pH and water activity for control of vegetative cells and spores in non-heat-treated food. Building on this table, we defined a set of more granular pH and water activity categories to better represent the pH and water activity range of different raw milk cheeses. The resulting categorization scheme was effectively validated using pH and water activity values determined for 273 different cheese samples collected in the marketplace throughout New York State, indicating the distribution of commercially available cheeses among the categories proposed here. This consensus categorization of cheese provides a foundation for a feasible approach to developing science-based solutions to assure compliance of the cheese processors with food safety regulations, such as those required by the US Food Safety Modernization Act. The key purpose of the cheese categorization proposed here is to facilitate product assessment for food safety risks and provide scientifically validated guidance on effective interventions for general cheese categories. Once preventive controls for a given category have been defined, these categories would represent safe havens for cheesemakers, which would allow cheesemakers to safely and legally produce raw milk cheeses that meet appropriate science-based safety requirements (e.g., risk to human health equivalent to pasteurized milk cheeses).

Infertility associated with the absence of endometrial progesterone receptors in a bitch.

A three-year-old intact female Old English sheepdog was presented for evaluation of infertility. A uterine biopsy was performed during dioestrus, and the microscopic appearance was inconsistent with progesterone stimulation; the glands were sparse, simple and failed to show coiling, while the glandular epithelium was cuboidal instead of columnar. There was very little evidence of glandular activity. Due to the inappropriate appearance of the glands for the stage of the cycle, immunohistochemistry for progesterone receptors was performed. No progesterone receptor-positive immunoreactivity was identified in the endometrial luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium or stroma. Weak intranuclear immunoreactivity was identified within the smooth muscle cells of the myometrium. The absence of progesterone receptors within the endometrial glands is the most likely explanation for the abnormal appearance of the endometrium and for this bitch's infertility. To our knowledge, this is the first report of endometrial progesterone receptor absence in a bitch.

Recognition of cancer warning signs and anticipated delay in help-seeking in a population sample of adults in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Not recognising a symptom as suspicious is a common reason given by cancer patients for delayed help-seeking; but inevitably this is retrospective. We therefore investigated associations between recognition of warning signs for breast, colorectal and lung cancer and anticipated time to help-seeking for symptoms of each cancer. METHODS: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with a population-representative sample (N=6965) of UK adults age ≥ 50 years, using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer scale. Anticipated time to help-seeking for persistent cough, rectal bleeding and breast changes was categorised as >2 vs ≤ 2 weeks. Recognition of persistent cough, unexplained bleeding and unexplained lump as cancer warning signs was assessed (yes/no). Associations between recognition and help-seeking were examined for each symptom controlling for demographics and perceived ease of health-care access. RESULTS: For each symptom, the odds of waiting for >2 weeks were significantly increased in those who did not recognise the related warning sign: breast changes: OR=2.45, 95% CI 1.47-4.08; rectal bleeding: OR=1.77, 1.36-2.30; persistent cough: OR=1.30, 1.17-1.46, independent of demographics and health-care access. CONCLUSION: Recognition of warning signs was associated with anticipating faster help-seeking for potential symptoms of cancer. Strategies to improve recognition are likely to facilitate earlier diagnosis.

Diagnosis and management of placentitis with severe funisitis in a multiparous Warmblood mare.

Placentitis is an important cause of reproductive losses in the equine industry. Many cases of clinical placentitis are not diagnosed until late in the course of the disease, and for this reason there is variability in the timing of intervention, diagnostic measurements, and treatment protocols. An 8-year-old multiparous Dutch Warmblood mare that was recently exposed to EHV-1 in the herd of origin presented for routine foaling management. Placentitis was diagnosed upon intake, and medical treatment was initiated. The mare delivered a term foal, and diagnostics for infectious etiology were unrewarding. While there were obvious clinical signs supporting a diagnosis of placentitis, histopathologic examination did not reveal active inflammatory lesions in the chorioallantois; however, severe funisitis was present. This report reviews early diagnosis and management of placentitis, demonstrates an array of classic and subtle pathologic lesions seen on microscopic examination, and discusses pathophysiology of placentitis.

The role of platelet-rich plasma in androgenetic alopecia: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also referred to as male or female pattern hair loss, is the commonest cause of chronic hair loss and affects up to 80% of men by the age of 70. Despite a high prevalence, there are few approved therapies, which show minimal efficacy. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PrP) in the treatment of AGA in male patients. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane (CENTRAL), CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov, Google Scholar and the Science Citation Index database were searched to identify eligible studies. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies related to PrP use in AGA were included. Primary outcomes included changes in hair density and hair count. Methodological quality was assessed using bias assessment tools. RESULTS: Eight RCTs and one cohort study were included in the review with a total of 291 participants. Six studies reported a statistically significant increase in hair density in the PrP group versus the control. Five studies reported a statistically significant increase in hair count with PrP. Seven studies showed moderate risk and two showed low risk of bias. CONCLUSION: In a methodologically robust review on the effectiveness of PrP on male AGA, PrP demonstrated some potential to be used therapeutically. However, the low quality of evidence, moderate risk of bias, and high heterogeneity of included studies limit inferences and call for more robust designs to investigate this further.

Differences in cancer awareness and beliefs between Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK (the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership): do they contribute to differences in cancer survival?

BACKGROUND: There are wide international differences in 1-year cancer survival. The UK and Denmark perform poorly compared with other high-income countries with similar health care systems: Australia, Canada and Sweden have good cancer survival rates, Norway intermediate survival rates. The objective of this study was to examine the pattern of differences in cancer awareness and beliefs across these countries to identify where these might contribute to the pattern of survival. METHODS: We carried out a population-based telephone interview survey of 19079 men and women aged ≥ 50 years in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer measure. RESULTS: Awareness that the risk of cancer increased with age was lower in the UK (14%), Canada (13%) and Australia (16%) but was higher in Denmark (25%), Norway (29%) and Sweden (38%). Symptom awareness was no lower in the UK and Denmark than other countries. Perceived barriers to symptomatic presentation were highest in the UK, in particular being worried about wasting the doctor's time (UK 34%; Canada 21%; Australia 14%; Denmark 12%; Norway 11%; Sweden 9%). CONCLUSION: The UK had low awareness of age-related risk and the highest perceived barriers to symptomatic presentation, but symptom awareness in the UK did not differ from other countries. Denmark had higher awareness of age-related risk and few perceived barriers to symptomatic presentation. This suggests that other factors must be involved in explaining Denmark's poor survival rates. In the UK, interventions that address barriers to prompt presentation in primary care should be developed and evaluated.

Second and third order dispersion generation using nonlinearly chirped silicon waveguide gratings.

The simultaneous generation of second and third order dispersion is demonstrated using nonlinearly chirped silicon waveguide gratings. The nonlinearly chirped gratings are designed to generate varying signs and magnitudes of group velocity dispersion and dispersion slope. The design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of the silicon waveguide gratings are performed. Second order dispersion as high as -2.3 X 106 ps/nm²/km and third order dispersion as high as 1.2 X 105 ps/nm²/km and as low as 1.2 X 104 ps/nm²/km is demonstrated at 1.55 µm.

A focus group study exploring gynecological cancer survivors' experiences and perceptions of participating in a RCT testing the efficacy of a home-based physical activity intervention.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore gynecological cancer survivors' perceptions and experiences following participation in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of a home-based physical activity behavioral change intervention (Donnelly et al., Gynecol Oncol 122:618-624, 2011). METHODS: All participants completing a two-armed parallel RCT were invited to participate in the study (31/33) (Donnelly et al., Gynecol Oncol 122:618-624, 2011). Sixteen participants took part (16/31; physical activity (PA) group n = 9, contact control (CC) group n = 7). Four qualitative group interviews were conducted (focus group size 3-5). A structured interview guide was followed by an independent moderator. Groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using the framework approach (Ritchie and Spencer 2001), a five-stage qualitative method of analysis. RESULTS: One of the most unanimously perceived benefits of taking part in the programme regarded participants' psychological well-being. Additional benefits included improved physical fitness and functioning. Important programme features included the weekly telephone calls from a physiotherapist, the patient-professional relationship, and goal setting. Participants' own motivation and programme timing were also identified as important factors. Suggestions for improvements include: opportunities for social interaction with other gynecological cancer survivors and greater exercise choice. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that women diagnosed with gynecological cancer perceive participation in physical activity as important and participation provides benefits in terms of psychological well-being and improved physical functioning. Support for continuation of many of the current features of the home-based programme was provided. Findings provide insight and rationale for the selection of components for future home-based physical activity interventions. Findings also support further research into the development of multidimensional interventions for the gynecological cancer population.

Transmission scenarios for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and how to tell them apart.

Detection of human cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection internationally is a global public health concern. Rigorous risk assessment is particularly challenging in a context where surveillance may be subject to under-ascertainment and a selection bias towards more severe cases. We would like to assess whether the virus is capable of causing widespread human epidemics, and whether self-sustaining transmission is already under way. Here we review possible transmission scenarios for MERS-CoV and their implications for risk assessment and control. We discuss how existing data, future investigations and analyses may help in reducing uncertainty and refining the public health risk assessment and present analytical approaches that allow robust assessment of epidemiological characteristics, even from partial and biased surveillance data. Finally, we urge that adequate data be collected on future cases to permit rigorous assessment of the transmission characteristics and severity of MERS-CoV, and the public health threat it may pose. Going beyond minimal case reporting, open international collaboration, under the guidance of the World Health Organization and the International Health Regulations, will impact on how this potential epidemic unfolds and prospects for control.

Social Network Factors Affect Nutrition Risk in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

OBJECTIVES: To determine which social network, demographic, and health-indicator variables are associated with SCREEN-8 (nutrition risk) scores at two time points, three years apart, using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 17051 Canadians aged 45 years and older with data from baseline and first follow-up of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. MEASUREMENTS: Nutrition risk was measured using SCREEN-8. Social network factors included social network size, frequency of contact with social network members, social participation, social support, self-rated social standing, and household income. Demographic variables included age, sex assigned at birth, marital status, educational attainment, and living situation (alone or with others). Health-indicator variables included depression, disability, and self-rated general health, mental health, healthy aging, and oral health. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between the social network, demographic, and health-indicator variables and SCREEN-8 scores at two time points, three years apart. RESULTS: Among the social network variables, individuals with higher social participation, self-rated social standing, and social support had higher SCREEN-8 scores at baseline and follow-up. Among the demographic variables, individuals who were single or widowed, compared to married or partnered, had lower SCREEN-8 scores at both time points. For the health-indicator variables, individuals who screened negative for depression, and those with higher self-rated general health, healthy aging, and oral health had higher SCREEN-8 scores at both time points. At baseline, as age increased, SCREEN-8 scores also increased. CONCLUSION: Individuals with low social participation, low social standing, and low social support may be at increased nutrition risk and should be proactively screened by healthcare professionals. Interventions and community programs designed to increase levels of social participation and foster social support may help to reduce the prevalence of nutrition risk.

Development of a convolutional neural network (CNN) based assessment exercise recommendation system for individuals with chronic stroke: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing nearly every aspect of healthcare, but the application of AI in rehabilitation is lagging behind. Clinically, gait parameters and patterns are used to evaluate stroke-specific impairment. We hypothesized that gait kinematics of individuals with stroke provide rich information for the deep-learning to predict the clinical decisions made by physiotherapist. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the results of clinical assessments and exercise recommendations by physiotherapists can be accurately predicted using a deep-learning algorithm with gait kinematics data. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 40 individuals with stroke were assessed by a physiotherapist using the lower-extremity subscale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-LE) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The physiotherapist also decided whether or not the single-leg-stance was an appropriate balance training for each participant. The participants were classified as having good mobility and a low fall risk based on the cutoff scores of the two clinical scales. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained using gait kinematics to predict the assessment results and exercise recommendations. RESULTS: The trained model accurately predicted the results of the clinical assessments and decisions with an average prediction accuracy of 0.84 for the FMA-LE, 0.66 for the BBS, and 0.78 for the recommendation of the single-leg-stance exercise. CONCLUSIONS: This CNN deep-learning model provided time-effective and accurate prediction of clinical assessment results and exercise recommendations. This study provides preliminary evidence to support the use of biomechanical data and AI to assist treatment planning and shorten the decision-making process in rehabilitation.

An anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention framework: incorporating the recent evidence.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates have increased by ∼50% over the last 10 years. These figures suggest that ACL focused research has not been effective in reducing injury rates among community level athletes. Training protocols designed to reduce ACL injury rates have been both effective (n = 3) and ineffective (n = 7). Although a rationale for the use of exercise to reduce ACL injuries is established, the mechanisms by which they act are relatively unknown. This article provides an injury prevention framework specific to noncontact ACL injuries and the design of prophylactic training protocols. It is also apparent that feedback within this framework is needed to determine how biomechanically relevant risk factors like peak joint loading and muscular support are influenced following training. It is by identifying these links that more effective ACL injury prevention training programs can be developed, and, in turn, lead to reduced ACL injury rates in the future.

Structural characterization of human importin alpha 7 in its cargo-free form at 2.5 Å resolution.

Shuttling of macromolecules between nucleus and cytoplasm is a tightly regulated process mediated through specific interactions between cargo and nuclear transport proteins. In the classical nuclear import pathway, importin alpha recognizes cargo exhibiting a nuclear localization signal, and this complex is transported through the nuclear pore complex by importin beta. Humans possess seven importin alpha isoforms that can be grouped into three subfamilies, with many cargoes displaying specificity towards these importin alpha isoforms. The cargo binding sites within importin alpha isoforms are highly conserved in sequence, suggesting that specificity potentially relies on structural differences. Structures of some importin alpha isoforms, both in cargo-bound and free states, have been previously solved. However, there are currently no known structures of cargo free importin alpha isoforms within subfamily 3 (importin alpha 5, 6, 7). Here, we present the first crystal structure of human importin alpha 7 lacking the IBB domain solved at 2.5 Å resolution. The structure reveals a typical importin alpha architecture comprised of ten armadillo repeats and is most structurally conserved with importin alpha 5. Very little difference in structure was observed between the cargo-bound and free states, implying that importin alpha 7 does not undergo conformational change when binding cargo. These structural insights provide a strong platform for further evaluation of structure-function relationships and understanding how isoform specificity within the importin alpha family plays a role in nuclear transport in health and disease.