Creation and validation of 3D-printed head molds for stereotaxic injections of neonatal mouse brains.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of rodent model systems use injection of DNA or viral constructs in the neonatal brain. However, approaches for reliable positioning and stereotaxic injection at this developmental stage are limited, typically relying on handheld positioning or molds that must be re-aligned for use in a given laboratory. NEW METHOD: A complete protocol and open-source software pipeline for generating 3D-printed head molds derived from a CT scan of a neonatal mouse head cast, together with a universal adapter that can be placed on a standard stereotaxic stage. RESULTS: A series of test injections with adenovirus encoding red fluorescent protein, or Fluorogold, were conducted using original clay molds and newly generated 3D printed molds. Several metrics were used to compare spread and localization of targeted injections. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: The new method of head mold generation gave comparable results to the field standard, but also allowed the rapid generation of additional copies of each head mold with standardized positioning of the head each time. CONCLUSIONS: This 3D printing pipeline can be used to efficiently develop a series of head molds with standardized injection coordinates across multiple laboratories. More broadly, this pipeline can easily be adapted to other perinatal ages or species.

The Effect of Abnormal Reproductive Tract Discharge on the Calving to Conception Interval of Dairy Cows.

Prolonged calving-to-conception interval (CCI) can increase economic loss in cattle. We investigated the effect of post-calving abnormal reproductive tract discharge (ARTD) on CCI in dairy cows and quantified the relationship of ARTD and associated risk factors with CCI. The source population was dairy cows that calved in the study period on three pasture-based, year-round calving farms in the Riverina, NSW, Australia. Farm records and records from veterinarians' visits were analyzed. ARTD was defined as the presence of reproductive tract discharge according to the following classification: per vaginum purulent discharge ≥21 days post-calving or mucopurulent discharge >26 days post-calving. The incidence of ARTD was calculated. A Kaplan-Meier survivor function was used to estimate median time to conception post-calving dependent on the presence or absence of ARTD. Mixed effects Cox-proportional hazard models were used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of ARTD, and other potential risk factors on CCI such as body condition score (BCS), ambient temperature, and milk yield. Model structures were guided by a directed acyclic graph of potential risk factors for ARTD. The incidence of ARTD in lactations was 16% (95% CI 13.8-18.5%) and did not differ significantly between the three farms (P > 0.05). The median CCI was 176 and 118 days for lactations with and without ARTD, respectively (P < 0.01). The rate of pregnancy following calving in cows with ARTD was significantly decreased relative to the rate of pregnancy in cows without (total effect hazard ratio = 0.62, se = 0.18, P = 0.01). High peak milk yield (>32 L) and parity >2 also significantly extended CCI. We did not observe an effect of BCS or ambient temperature on CCI. The incidence of ARTD in the current study was consistent with clinical endometritis (considered a major source of ARTD) reported in other studies. In contrast-and despite regular veterinary assessment and treatment of on the farms in this study-ARTD extended CCI. Evaluation of the economic impact of ARTD on dairy farms in this region is warranted, and methods to identify high risk cows and develop effective interventions are required.

"You Are Beautiful, No Matter What They Say": Applying An Evidence-Based Approach To Body Image Law.

Israeli and French Governments passed Body Image Laws that require models to have a minimum BMI or be of a healthy weight and if an image was modified to make the model appear thinner, it must have a warning. Are these laws merely symbolic, to focus a spotlight on this issue, or can they too have an impact? This article analyses some of the criticisms of the Body Image Laws by applying existing evidence from health research. Ultimately, it argues that there are many flaws with the Body Image Laws and that such a law should not be passed in Australia.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes after antipsychotic medication exposure in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Antipsychotic medications are used by increasing numbers of women of reproductive age. The safety of these medications during pregnancy has not been well described. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of the adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes associated with exposure to antipsychotics during pregnancy. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Reprotox, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify potential studies for inclusion. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Case-control or cohort studies estimating adverse birth outcomes associated with antipsychotic exposure during pregnancy were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were used for dichotomous outcomes and weighted mean differences were used for neonatal birth weight and gestational age. Thirteen cohort studies, including 6,289 antipsychotic-exposed and 1,618,039 unexposed pregnancies, were included. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Antipsychotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of major malformations (absolute risk difference [ARD] 0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-0.05, P=.04, Z=2.06), heart defects (ARD 0.01, 95% CI 0.00-0.01, P<.001, Z=3.44), preterm delivery (ARD 0.05, 95% CI 0.03-0.08, P<.001, Z=4.10), small-for-gestational-age births (ARD 0.05, 95% CI 0.02-0.09, P=.006, Z=2.74), elective termination (ARD 0.09, 95% CI 0.05-0.13, P<.001, Z=4.69), and decreased birth weight (weighted mean difference -57.89 g, 95% CI -103.69 to -12.10 g, P=.01). There was no significant difference in the risk of major malformations (test for subgroup differences: χ²=0.07, degrees of freedom=1, P=.79) between typical (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21-1.99, P=.006) and atypical (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.66-2.93, P=.38) antipsychotic medications. Antipsychotic exposure was not associated with risk of large-for-gestational-age births, stillbirth, and spontaneous abortion. Although antipsychotic exposure during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes, this association does not necessarily imply causation. This analysis was limited by the small number of included studies and limited adjustment in studies for possible confounders. CONCLUSION: Women requiring antipsychotic treatment during pregnancy appear at higher risk of adverse birth outcomes, regardless of causation, and may benefit from close monitoring and minimization of other potential risk factors during pregnancy.

Meta-analysis: aerobic exercise for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of exercise as a treatment for DSM-IV diagnosed anxiety disorders. METHODS: We searched PubMED and PsycINFO for randomized, controlled trials comparing the anxiolytic effects of aerobic exercise to other treatment conditions for DSM-IV defined anxiety disorders. Seven trials were included in the final analysis, totaling 407 subjects. The control conditions included non-aerobic exercise, waitlist/placebo, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoeducation and meditation. A fixed-effects model was used to calculate the standardized mean difference of change in anxiety rating scale scores of aerobic exercise compared to control conditions. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the effects of (1) comparison condition; (2) whether comparison condition controlled for time spent exercising and (3) diagnostic indication. RESULTS: Aerobic exercise demonstrated no significant effect for the treatment of anxiety disorders (SMD=0.02 (95%CI: -0.20-0.24), z = 0.2, p = 0.85). There was significant heterogeneity between trials (χ(2) test for heterogeneity = 22.7, df = 6, p = 0.001). The reported effect size of aerobic exercise was highly influenced by the type of control condition. Trials utilizing waitlist/placebo controls and trials that did not control for exercise time reported large effects of aerobic exercise while other trials report no effect of aerobic exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence does not support the use of aerobic exercise as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders as compared to the control conditions. This remains true when controlling for length of exercise sessions and type of anxiety disorder. Future studies evaluating the efficacy of aerobic exercise should employ larger sample sizes and utilize comparison interventions that control for exercise time.