Differences in maternal and early child nutritional status by offspring sex in lowland Nepal.

OBJECTIVE: On average, boys grow faster than girls in early life but appear more susceptible to undernutrition. We investigated sex differences in early child growth, and whether maternal nutritional status and diet differed by offspring sex during and after pregnancy in an undernourished population. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from a cluster-randomized trial from plains Nepal, stratifying results by child or gestational age. Children's outcomes (0-20 months) were weight, length, and head circumference and their z-scores relative to WHO reference data in 2-monthly intervals (n range: 24837 to 25 946). Maternal outcomes were mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and body mass index (BMI) during pregnancy (12-40 weeks) (n = 5550 and n = 5519) and postpartum (n = 15 710 and n = 15 356), and diet in pregnancy. We fitted unadjusted and adjusted mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models comparing boys with girls. RESULTS: Boys were larger than girls, however relative to their sex-specific reference they had lower length and head circumference z-scores from birth to 12 months, but higher weight-for-length z-scores from 0 to 6 months. Mothers of sons had higher MUAC and BMI around 36 weeks gestation but no other differences in pregnancy diets or pregnancy/postpartum maternal anthropometry were detected. Larger sex differences in children's size in the food supplementation study arm suggest that food restriction in pregnancy may limit fetal growth of boys more than girls. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, mothers' anthropometry and dietary intake do not differ according to offspring sex. As boys are consistently larger, we expect that poor maternal nutritional status may compromise their growth more than girls. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Design of ideal vibrational signals for stinkbug male attraction through vibrotaxis experiments.

BACKGROUND: Many groups of insects utilize substrate-borne vibrations for intraspecific communication. This characteristic makes them a suitable model for exploring the use of vibrations as a tool for pest control as an alternative to the use of chemicals. Detailed knowledge of species communication is a prerequisite to select the best signals to use. This study explored the use of substrate-borne vibrations for pest control of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys Stål (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). For this purpose, we first identified the spectral and temporal characteristics that best elicit male responsiveness. Bioassays were conducted with artificial signals that mimicked the natural female calling signal. Second, we used the acquired knowledge to synthesize new signals endowed with different degrees of attractiveness in single- and two-choice bioassays using a wooden custom-made T stand. RESULTS: The results from this study showed that males were attracted to female signals along a high range of amplitudes, especially starting from a threshold of 100 µm s-1 , a high pulse repetition time (1 s) and frequency peak corresponding to the first harmonic (76 Hz). This resulted in an "optimal" signal for use to attract males, while the choice test in the T arena showed that this signal elicits searching behavior and attracts BMSB males towards a stimulation point. CONCLUSION: We confirm the use of vibrational signals as a strong tool for behavioral manipulation of male BMSB and suggest its possible use in the development of field traps and further management of this pest. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

N-Terminal Modification of Proteins with Subtiligase Specificity Variants.

Subtiligase is a powerful enzymatic tool for N-terminal modification of proteins and peptides. In a typical subtiligase-catalyzed N-terminal modification reaction, a peptide ester donor substrate is ligated onto the unblocked N terminus of a protein, resulting in the exchange of the ester bond in the donor substrate for an amide bond between the donor substrate and protein N terminus. Using this strategy, new chemical probes and payloads, such as fluorophores, affinity handles, cytotoxic drugs, and reactive functional groups, can be introduced site-specifically into proteins. While the efficiency of this reaction depends on the sequences to be ligated, a panel of mutants was recently developed that expands the scope of substrate sequences that are suitable for subtiligase modification. This article outlines the steps for applying subtiligase or specificity variants for both site-specific bioconjugation of purified proteins and for global modification of cellular N termini to enable their sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Subtiligase-catalyzed site-specific protein bioconjugation Support Protocol 1: Expression and purification of subtiligase-His6 Support Protocol 2: Subtiligase substrate synthesis Basic Protocol 2: Subtiligase N terminomics using a cocktail of subtiligase specificity mutants.

Assessing Healthspan and Lifespan Measures in Aging Mice: Optimization of Testing Protocols, Replicability, and Rater Reliability.

The relationship between chronological age (lifespan) and biological age (healthspan) varies amongst individuals. Understanding the normal trajectory and characteristic traits of aging mice throughout their lifespan is important for selecting the most reliable and reproducible measures to test hypotheses. The protocols herein describe assays used for aging studies at The Jackson Laboratory's Mouse Neurobehavioral Phenotyping Facility and include assessments of frailty, cognition, and sensory (hearing, vision, olfaction), motor, and fine motor function that can be used for assessing phenotypes in aged mice across their lifespan as well as provide guidance for setting up and validating these behavioral measures. Researchers aiming to study aging phenotypes require access to aged mice as a reference when initiating these types of studies in order to observe normal aging characteristics that cannot be observed in young adult mouse populations. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

X-Ray Computed Tomography of Crop Plant Root Systems Grown in Soil.

Non-destructive methods to quantify the root system architecture of a plant grown in soil are essential to aid our understanding of the factors that impact plant root development in natural environments. With environmental change threatening our ability to sustain agricultural productivity for an expanding global population, the application of these methods has never before seen such an increase in demand. X-ray computed tomography (CT) based phenotyping techniques permit the spatio-temporal quantification of roots, helping to identify novel adaptive root architectural responses to abiotic and biotic factors. This protocol reports an integrated workflow from column preparation and plant growth to image and quantification of the root system using novel open source software applications, RooTrak and RooTh. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Histopathological Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle with Specific Reference to Mouse Models of Muscular Dystrophy.

The muscular dystrophies are a diverse group of degenerative diseases for which many mouse models are available. These models are frequently used to assess potential therapeutic interventions and histological evaluation of multiple muscles is an important part of this assessment. Histological evaluation is especially useful when combined with tests of muscle function. This unit describes a protocol for necropsy, processing, cryosectioning, and histopathological evaluation of murine skeletal muscles, which is applicable to both models of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions. Key histopathological features of dystrophic muscle are discussed using the mdx mouse (a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy) as an example. Optimal handling during dissection, processing and sectioning is vital to avoid artifacts that can confound or prevent future analyses. Muscles carefully processed using this protocol are suitable for further evaluation using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, special histochemical stains, and immuoblotting. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Scapulothoracic Muscle Strength Changes Following a Single Session of Manual Therapy and an Exercise Programme in Subjects with Neck Pain.

INTRODUCTION: Scapulothoracic muscle weakness has been associated with neck pain (NP). Little evidence exists regarding lower trapezius (LT), middle trapezius (MT) and serratus anterior (SA) strength in this population. LT strength changes have been observed following thoracic manipulation in healthy subjects. The purpose of the present study was to examine scapulothoracic strength changes following cervical manipulation in subjects with NP. METHODS: Twenty-two subjects with NP and 17 asymptomatic control (AC) subjects underwent strength testing of the LT, MT and SA using a hand-held dynamometer. Subjects with NP were treated with passive intervertebral neck manipulation and neck range of motion exercises. The AC group received no intervention. Strength testing was repeated after manipulation, then 48 and 96 hours later. Change scores were calculated for strength over time. Paired t-tests were done for strength change between painful and non-painful sides in the NP group. Independent t-tests were done for strength change between the NP group and AC group. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups for age, gender, hand dominance or body mass index. Mean (standard deviation) symptom duration for subjects in the NP group was 43.27 (62.71) months. There was no significant difference in strength change over time between painful and non-painful sides in the NP group for any muscle; however, there was a significant difference in strength change over time between those in the NP group and AC group for the LT (p < 0.01), SA (p < 0.01) and MT (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Scapulothoracic muscle strength improvements were observed in both extremities following passive intervertebral neck manipulation and neck range of motion exercises. Improvements lasted up to 96 hours following manipulation, even though no strengthening exercises were prescribed. CONCLUSIONS: Manipulation and range of motion should be considered as a component of intervention programmes for patients with NP and scapulothoracic muscle weakness. Future studies should compare manipulation alone to exercise alone to determine impact on strength. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Musculoskeletal Care Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An introduction to methodological issues when including non-randomised studies in systematic reviews on the effects of interventions.

BACKGROUND: Methods need to be further developed to include non-randomised studies (NRS) in systematic reviews of the effects of health care interventions. NRS are often required to answer questions about harms and interventions for which evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is not available. Methods used to review randomised controlled trials may be inappropriate or insufficient for NRS. AIM AND METHODS: A workshop was convened to discuss relevant methodological issues. Participants were invited from important stakeholder constituencies, including methods and review groups of the Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations, the Cochrane Editorial Unit and organisations that commission reviews and make health policy decisions. The aim was to discuss methods for reviewing evidence when including NRS and to formulate methodological guidance for review authors. WORKSHOP FORMAT: The workshop was structured around four sessions on topics considered in advance to be most critical: (i) study designs and bias; (ii) confounding and meta-analysis; (iii) selective reporting; and (iv) applicability. These sessions were scheduled between introductory and concluding sessions. SUMMARY: This is the first of six papers and provides an overview. Subsequent papers describe the discussions and conclusions from the four main sessions (papers 2 to 5) and summarise the proposed guidance into lists of issues for review authors to consider (paper 6). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Issues relating to study design and risk of bias when including non-randomized studies in systematic reviews on the effects of interventions.

Non-randomized studies may provide valuable evidence on the effects of interventions. They are the main source of evidence on the intended effects of some types of interventions and often provide the only evidence about the effects of interventions on long-term outcomes, rare events or adverse effects. Therefore, systematic reviews on the effects of interventions may include various types of non-randomized studies. In this second paper in a series, we address how review authors might articulate the particular non-randomized study designs they will include and how they might evaluate, in general terms, the extent to which a particular non-randomized study is at risk of important biases. We offer guidance for describing and classifying different non-randomized designs based on specific features of the studies in place of using non-informative study design labels. We also suggest criteria to consider when deciding whether to include non-randomized studies. We conclude that a taxonomy of study designs based on study design features is needed. Review authors need new tools specifically to assess the risk of bias for some non-randomized designs that involve a different inferential logic compared with parallel group trials. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Issues relating to selective reporting when including non-randomized studies in systematic reviews on the effects of healthcare interventions.

BACKGROUND: Selective outcome and analysis reporting (SOR and SAR) occur when only a subset of outcomes measured and analyzed in a study is fully reported, and are an important source of potential bias. KEY METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES: We describe what is known about the prevalence and effects of SOR and SAR in both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRS), and the effects of SOR and SAR on summary effect estimates and conclusions in systematic reviews of the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. GUIDANCE: Review authors should always suspect SOR and SAR in reviews that include NRS, assess primary studies for the risk of bias, and make reasonable attempts to retrieve study protocols or other documentation developed before study recruitment began. There are clues that may suggest SOR or SAR in NRS, including differences between the methods and results sections of the publication, study funder, and differences between study protocol or registration information and the study report. CONCLUSION: Existing evidence about reporting biases in primary studies comes almost exclusively from methodological reviews of RCTs. The prevalence and impact of SOR and SAR in NRS are likely even greater than in RCTs but it is difficult to identify and confirm selective reporting in NRS. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Non-randomized studies as a source of complementary, sequential or replacement evidence for randomized controlled trials in systematic reviews on the effects of interventions.

The terms applicability, generalizability, external validity and transferability are related, sometimes used interchangeably and have in common that they lack a clear and consistent definition in the classic epidemiological literature. However, all of these terms generally describe one overarching theme: whether or not available research evidence can be directly utilized to answer the healthcare questions at hand, ideally supported by a judgment about the degree of confidence for this utilization. This concept has been called directness. The objectives of this paper were to delineate how non-randomized studies (NRS) inform judgments in relation to directness and the concepts that it encompasses in the context of systematic reviews. We will briefly review what is known and describe the theoretical and practical issues as well as offer guidance to those tackling the challenges of judging directness and using research evidence to answer healthcare questions with evidence from NRS. In particular, we suggest a framework in which authors can use NRS as a complement, sequence or replacement for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by focusing on judgments about the population, intervention, comparison and outcomes. Authors of systematic reviews will use NRS to complement judgments about the inconsistencies, the rationale and credibility of subgroup analysis, the baseline risk estimates for the determination of absolute benefits and downsides, and the directness of surrogate outcomes. This evidence includes contextual or supplementary evidence. Authors of systematic review and other summaries of the evidence use NRS as sequential evidence to provide evidence when insufficient evidence is available for an outcome from RCTs, but NRS evidence is available (e.g., long-term harms). Use of evidence from NRS may also serve to replace RCT evidence when NRS provide equivalent (or potentially higher) confidence in the evidence (i.e. quality) compared to indirect evidence from RCTs. These judgments will be made in the context of other domains that influence the overall quality of the body of evidence, including the risk of bias, publication bias (i.e. limitations in the detailed study design and execution), inconsistency, imprecision and factors that increase our confidence in effects. This article will support systematic reviewers in their interaction with decision makers, that is, those who use the systematic review to develop guidelines, address health policy makers, and make clinical decisions, by making these judgments transparent. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Checklists of methodological issues for review authors to consider when including non-randomized studies in systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest from review authors about including non-randomized studies (NRS) in their systematic reviews of health care interventions. This series from the Ottawa Non-Randomized Studies Workshop consists of six papers identifying methodological issues when doing this. AIM: To format the guidance from the preceding papers on study design and bias, confounding and meta-analysis, selective reporting, and applicability/directness into checklists of issues for review authors to consider when including NRS in a systematic review. CHECKLISTS: Checklists were devised providing frameworks to describe/assess: (1) study designs based on study design features; (2) risk of residual confounding and when to consider meta-analysing data from NRS; (3) risk of selective reporting based on the Cochrane framework for detecting selective outcome reporting in trials but extended to selective reporting of analyses; and (4) directness of evidence contributed by a study to aid integration of NRS findings into summary of findings tables. SUMMARY: The checklists described will allow review groups to operationalize the inclusion of NRS in systematic reviews in a more consistent way. The next major step is extending the existing Cochrane Risk of Bias tool so that it can assess the risk of bias to NRS included in a review. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

OMERACT 10 Sharp Symposium: important findings in examination of imaging methods for measurement of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis.

The Sharp Symposium was held at the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials 2010 meeting (OMERACT 10) in honor of the late John Sharp, consummate rheumatologist and researcher. The symposium focused on the status of current scoring methods in radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as on the use of soluble and tissue biomarkers in RA, with the aim of updating recommendations regarding methods for enhanced detection, monitoring, and prediction of joint damage in clinical trials.

Drug-herb interaction: effect of St John's wort on bioavailability and metabolism of procainamide in mice.

CONTEXT: St John's wort induces the activity of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system causing treatment failure because of increased metabolism of many drugs. Procainamide is metabolized by a different pathway to N-acetyl procainamide. OBJECTIVE: To study St John's wort-procainamide interaction using a mouse (Swiss Webster) model. DESIGN: One group of mice (group A, 4 mice in each group) was fed St John's wort each day for 2 weeks (last dose 1 day before administration of procainamide); another group (group B) received the same dose of St John's wort for 1 week. The third group (group C) received only a single dose 1 hour before administration of procainamide, and the control group (group D) received no St John's wort. All groups later received a single oral dose of procainamide. Blood was drawn 1, 4, and 24 hours after administration of procainamide and concentrations in serum of procainamide as well as N-acetyl procainamide were measured using immunoassays. RESULTS: The procainamide concentrations 1 hour after administration was highest in group C (mean, 11.59 microg/mL) followed by group A (9.92 microg/mL), whereas group B (7.44 microg/mL) and control group D (7.36 microg/mL) showed comparable values. The concentration in group C was significantly greater than the control group D (P = .03, 2-tailed independent t test). N-Acetyl procainamide concentrations and estimated half-life of procainamide among groups were comparable. In a separate experiment when mice were fed purified hypericin, the active component of St John's wort, a significant increase in bioavailability (53%) of procainamide was observed compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: St John's wort has an acute effect to increase bioavailability of procainamide but has no effect on its metabolism.

Lord Rayleigh: John William Strutt, third Baron Rayleigh.

John William Strutt, first son of the second Baron Rayleigh, was born on November 12, 1842. He was a sickly boy, so his schooling was sporadic. Nevertheless, he graduated first in his year at Cambridge and subsequently was a Fellow of Trinity College until his marriage in 1871. His father died in 1873, and he succeeded to the title third Baron Rayleigh. He converted the stable block of his country house, Terling Place, into a laboratory. In 1879, he moved back to Cambridge as Professor of Experimental Physics, but he returned to Terling in 1884. He published The Theory of Sound in 1877/1878 and, in his lifetime, 466 scientific articles. He received the 1904 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of argon and made numerous seminal contributions to scientific progress. In the field of acoustics, he studied scattering, the diffraction limit, surface waves, resonance phenomena, reciprocity, streaming, radiation force, cavitation, relaxation, and binaural perception. He received many honors, was President of the Royal Society, one of the founding members of the Order of Merit, and Chancellor of Cambridge University. He also was interested in psychical research. Lord Rayleigh died on June 30, 1919.

Shaping future directions for incontinence research in aging adults: executive summary.

BACKGROUND: The Center for Gerontological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, as part of the John A. Hartford Foundation's Geriatric Nursing Initiative, convened an invitational nursing research summit on incontinence in St. Paul, Minnesota on October 16-18, 2003. OBJECTIVE: To identify new approaches for conducting urinary and fecal incontinence research in aging adults, identify strategies for reinvigorating and better positioning nursing research on incontinence, and develop recommendations for attracting new nurse investigators to incontinence research and facilitating their research training and mentorship. METHOD: Forty-seven researchers, project officers, clinician leaders, doctoral students, and consumer advocates from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, and Australia attended a 1(1/2) day conference involving trigger talks, reaction papers, and small and large group discussions around broad thematic areas on incontinence research. Recommendations with suggested strategies were derived from the discussion groups. RESULTS: Participants identified issues related to each of the summit objectives and discussed potential strategies to overcome these challenges. Twenty-one recommendations were derived: eleven recommendations focused on new approaches to incontinence research; eight on reinvigorating and repositioning nursing research on incontinence; and two on attracting and mentoring new investigators. CONCLUSIONS: The summit model used effectively engaged an international cadre of researchers and clinicians in stimulating discussions that yielded the identification of strategic directions for conducting and funding incontinence research and strategies for reinvigorating and repositioning nursing research on incontinence.

Differential non-destructive image current detection in a fourier transform quadrupole ion trap

Dual-detector differential non-destructive Fourier transform detection in a quadrupole ion trap is shown to improve signal intensity and reduce noise compared with spectra recorded using a single detector. A larger area detector in each end-cap electrode is machined to fit its hyperbolic shape and so minimize field imperfections on the z-axis. Argon, acetophenone and bromobenzene spectra were recorded to allow a comparison between single- and dual-detector (differential) modes of detection and to demonstrate the improvement achieved with differential detection. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification of fish species using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).

The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was investigated as a potential fish species identification method. One hundred and sixteen specimens from eight species of fish were analysed. The eight species tested were barramundi, Nile perch, john dory, mirror dory, silver dory, spikey oreo, warty oreo and smooth oreo. The predominant species tested was barramundi; 80 specimens of this species were analysed. Of these samples, 42 had been individually verified by independent sources. The RAPD profiles generated were consistent within this group. The remaining samples were retail purchased and consisted of 24 imports and eight local whole small barramundi and six fillets. All of the whole barramundi, including the imported fish, generated profiles which agreed with the verified samples. Four of the six fillets purchased did not match the typical barramundi profile, three profiles, however, were consistent with those generated for Nile perch. Species-specific profiles were also generated for the other seven species analysed by RAPD. One john dory, from five fillets tested, did not comply with the six authenticated sample. All of the RAPD profiles were resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis. Forty nine RAPD profiles including those that did not match were also confirmed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) on a DNA sequencer.