Increasing Pitch Count is Associated with Increasing Elbow Flexion Angle at Ball Release in Youth Baseball Pitchers.

BACKGROUND: Baseball is one of the most popular sports among youth athletes in the United States, and among these players, pitchers are at a particularly high risk of sustaining an injury. Overuse of the arm from repetitive pitching is a common mechanism for injury. Despite the attention that overuse injury has received, little is known regarding the mechanism that leads to elbow injury. This study aims to determine the effect of increasing pitch count on elbow flexion at ball release in a youth pitching cohort. The authors hypothesize that elbow flexion will increase as pitch count increases. METHODS: Study subjects included volunteers from youth baseball players from local teams and public advertisements. Retro-reflective markers attached to bony landmarks were placed on the players according to ISG recommendations. Pitchers threw an indoor simulated game. Three-dimensional marker trajectories were collected using a 12-camera optical motion capture system, and ball velocity was captured using a radar gun. Voluntary maximal isometric strength of the internal and external rotators was evaluated before and after pitching. Paired two-tailed t-tests were performed to determine if a significant change occurred between the fresh and fatigued sets. RESULTS: Twelve adolescent male pitchers were recruited. Eleven of 12 pitchers completed the prescribed 6 sets of 15 pitches, culminating in a 90-pitch simulated game. The ball speed in the second set was found to be the highest in all pitchers and was considered the "peak set" (p = .021) while ball speed was the slowest in the sixth set of pitches and was therefore considered the "fatigue set" (p = .001). There was a moderate but statistically significant inverse correlation between elbow flexion at ball release and maximum internal rotation velocity (p = .005). Elbow flexion at ball release was also significantly positively correlated with shoulder abduction at ball release (p = 0.004). Elbow flexion at ball release was not significantly correlated with ball velocity (p=.108). DISCUSSION: In a simulated game laboratory setting, increasing pitch count was associated with increasing elbow flexion angle at ball release in youth baseball pitchers. These findings demonstrate that pitching with fatigue may cause biomechanical changes that have been associated with increased rates of elbow injury in the adult throwing population. Further investigation on the association between elbow flexion angle and elbow injury in the youth baseball population is needed.

Self-Reported Dysphagia and Psychosocial Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results of a National Study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of dysphagia increases with age, affecting up to 33% of adults over the age of 65. Older adults with dysphagia are at increased risk for negative physical health outcomes such as aspiration pneumonia and death. However, the relationship between dysphagia and psychosocial health is uncertain in this population. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the associations between dysphagia and psychosocial health among older adults (≥ 65) with self-reported dysphagia. DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional assessment of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) conducted in 2019. MAIN MEASURES: Weighted logistic and linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between self-reported dysphagia and psychosocial health using established patient-reported outcome measures including those for depression, anxiety, and social isolation previously used in NHATS analyses, while adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, and risk factors for dysphagia identified by purposeful selection. KEY RESULTS: Among the 4041 adults in this cohort, almost half (40%) were between 70 and 74 years old, more than half were female (55%), and a significantly higher proportion were White, non-Hispanic respondents (78.1%, p < 0.01) compared with other races and ethnicities. There were 428 (10.5%) respondents reporting dysphagia symptoms within the previous month. In the multivariable model, dysphagia was associated with significantly increased odds of anxiety (OR 1.33 [1.06, 1.67]) and a significantly decreased sense of well-being (coefficient - 1.10 [- 1.66, - 0.54]), but no association was detected for social isolation. CONCLUSIONS: When accounting for factors associated with underlying physical health status, self-reported dysphagia is independently associated with negative psychosocial health and warrants attention by healthcare providers. Future studies should aim to identify causal factors and the extent to which interventions may mitigate these factors.

A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study of the Profile of Seminal Fluid Analyses of Men Seeking Fertility Care at Different Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Male infertility contributes 40 % of couple infertility. The prevalence of abnormal semen parameters has been on the increase. Age among other factors affects the fertility potential of males. This study analysed the pattern of seminal fluid parameters of males, seeking fertility treatment in hospitals and the relationship between age, volume and liquefaction time on these other semen parameters. METHODS: This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study conducted in eight secondary and tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. The case notes of couples that sort fertility care at the Gynaecology and Urology clinics of these hospitals from January 1st 2022 to December 31st 2022 were retrieved after receiving ethical approval. A purposeddesigned proforma based on the WHO manual for the examination of human semen was used for data collection. Outcome measures were time of semen collection and examination, volume of semen, sperm number, sperm concentration, PH, agglutination, liquefaction, motility,morphology, vitality, and white blood cell count. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Data were presented as means and proportions. P-value of < 0.05 was used as the level of significance. RESULTS: Overall, 1063 couples attended gynaecology and urology clinics with fertility-related concerns within the study period with a retrieval rate of 98.3%. The mean age of participants was 38.24 ± 8 years, while the mean semen volume and sperm concentrations were 2.62 ± 1.6 mls and 34.32 ± 7.4 million respectively. The age of participants significantly affected motility, volume and morphology (p-values of 0.001, 0.001 and 0.004 respectively). The total motility and sperm concentration have an inverse relationship with the age of the participants. CONCLUSION: This study shows that sperm motility decreases with the age of participants. It was also observed that the most common combined abnormality was oligoasthenozoospermia.

CONTEXTE: L'infertilité masculine représente 40 % de l'infertilité des couples. La prévalence des paramètres anormaux du sperme est en augmentation. L'âge, entre autres facteurs, affecte le potentiel de fertilité des hommes. Cette étude a analysé le profil des paramètres du liquide séminal des hommes cherchant un traitement de fertilité dans les hôpitaux et la relation entre l'âge, le volume et le temps de liquéfaction sur ces autres paramètres du sperme. MÉTHODES: Il s'agit d'une étude de cohorte rétrospective multicentrique menée dans huit hôpitaux secondaires et tertiaires au Nigeria. Les notes de cas des couples qui ont eu recours à des soins de fertilité dans les cliniques de gynécologie et d'urologie de ces hôpitaux entre le 1er janvier et le 31 décembre 2022 ont été récupérées après avoir reçu une approbation éthique. Un proforma conçu à dessein et basé sur le manuel de l'OMS pour l'examen du sperme humain a été utilisé pour la collecte des données. Les mesures des résultats étaient le temps de collecte et d'examen du sperme, le volume de sperme, le nombre de spermatozoïdes, la concentration en spermatozoïdes, le PH, l'agglutination, la liquéfaction, la motilité, la morphologie, la vitalité et la numération des globules blancs. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de SPSS version 23. Les données ont été présentées sous forme de moyennes et de proportions. Une valeur P < 0,05 a été utilisée comme niveau de signification. RÉSULTATS: Dans l'ensemble, 1 063 couples ont fréquenté les cliniques de gynécologie et d'urologie pour des problèmes de fertilité au cours de la période d'étude, avec un taux de récupération de 98,3 %. L'âge moyen des participants était de 38,24 ± 8 ans, tandis que le volume moyen de sperme et les concentrations de spermatozoïdes étaient respectivement de 2,62 ± 1,6 ml et 34,32 ±7,4 millions. L'âge des participants a affecté de manière significative la motilité, le volume et la morphologie (valeurs p de 0,001, 0,001 et 0,004 respectivement). La motilité totale et la concentration en spermatozoïdes ont une relation inverse avec l'âge des participants. CONCLUSION: Cette étude montre que la mobilité des spermatozoïdes diminue avec l'âge des participants. Il a également été observé que l'anomalie combinée la plus fréquente était l'oligoasthénozoospermie. Mots-clés: Infertilité Masculine, Anomalies du Liquide séminal, Nigeria.

Toward the unity of pathological and exertional fatigue: A predictive processing model.

Fatigue is a common experience in both health and disease. Yet, pathological (i.e., prolonged or chronic) and transient (i.e., exertional) fatigue symptoms are traditionally considered distinct, compounding a separation between interested research fields within the study of fatigue. Within the clinical neurosciences, nascent frameworks position pathological fatigue as a product of inference derived through hierarchical predictive processing. The metacognitive theory of dyshomeostasis (Stephan et al., 2016) states that pathological fatigue emerges from the metacognitive mechanism in which the detection of persistent mismatches between prior interoceptive predictions and ascending sensory evidence (i.e., prediction error) signals low evidence for internal generative models, which undermine an agent's feeling of mastery over the body and is thus experienced phenomenologically as fatigue. Although acute, transient subjective symptoms of exertional fatigue have also been associated with increasing interoceptive prediction error, the dynamic computations that underlie its development have not been clearly defined. Here, drawing on the metacognitive theory of dyshomeostasis, we extend this account to offer an explicit description of the development of fatigue during extended periods of (physical) exertion. Accordingly, it is proposed that a loss of certainty or confidence in control predictions in response to persistent detection of prediction error features as a common foundation for the conscious experience of both pathological and nonpathological fatigue.

Early clinical phenotype of late onset Pompe disease: Lessons learned from newborn screening.

PURPOSE: Thoroughly phenotype children with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) diagnosed via newborn screening (NBS) to provide guidance for long-term follow up. METHODS: Twenty infants ages 6-21 months with LOPD diagnosed by NBS underwent systematic clinical evaluation at Duke University including cardiac imaging, biomarker testing, physical therapy evaluation, and speech-language pathology evaluation. RESULTS: Of the 20 infants, four were homozygous for the "late-onset" IVS1 splice site variant c.-32-13 T > G, fourteen were compound heterozygous, and two did not have any copies of this variant. None of the patients had evidence of cardiomyopathy or cardiac rhythm disturbances. Biomarker testing showed an increase in CK, AST, and ALT in 8 patients (40%) and increase in Glc4 in two patients (10%). All patients demonstrated postural and kinematic concerns. Three patients (17%) scored below the 10%ile on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and 15 patients (83%) scored above the 10%ile. Speech-language pathology assessments were normal in all patients and mild feeding/swallowing abnormalities were noted in nine patients (45%). CONCLUSION: Our data show high variability among children with LOPD diagnosed via NBS. Careful physical therapy evaluation is necessary to monitor for subtle musculoskeletal signs that may reflect early muscle involvement. Patients should be monitored closely for symptom progression.

Magic Gap Ratio for Optimally Robust Fermionic Condensation and Its Implications for High-T_{c} Superconductivity.

Bardeen-Schrieffer-Cooper (BCS) and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) occur at opposite limits of a continuum of pairing interaction strength between fermions. A crossover between these limits is readily observed in a cold atomic Fermi gas. Whether it occurs in other systems such as the high temperature superconducting cuprates has remained an open question. We uncover here unambiguous evidence for a BCS-BEC crossover in the cuprates by identifying a universal magic gap ratio 2Δ/k_{B}T_{c}≈6.5 (where Δ is the pairing gap and T_{c} is the transition temperature) at which paired fermion condensates become optimally robust. At this gap ratio, corresponding to the unitary point in a cold atomic Fermi gas, the measured condensate fraction N_{0} and the height of the jump δγ(T_{c}) in the coefficient γ of the fermionic specific heat at T_{c} are strongly peaked. In the cuprates, δγ(T_{c}) is peaked at this gap ratio when Δ corresponds to the antinodal spectroscopic gap, thus reinforcing its interpretation as the pairing gap. We find the peak in δγ(T_{c}) also to coincide with a normal state maximum in γ, which is indicative of a pairing fluctuation pseudogap above T_{c}.

Transcriptomic and cellular decoding of functional brain connectivity changes reveal regional brain vulnerability to pro- and anti-inflammatory therapies.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation induces acute changes in mood, motivation and cognition that closely resemble those observed in depressed individuals. However, the mechanistic pathways linking peripheral inflammation to depression-like psychopathology via intermediate effects on brain function remain incompletely understood. METHODS: We combined data from 30 patients initiating interferon-α treatment for Hepatitis-C and 20 anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy for inflammatory arthritis and used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate acute effects of each treatment on regional global brain connectivity (GBC). We leveraged transcriptomic data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas to uncover potential biological and cellular pathways underpinning regional vulnerability to GBC changes induced by each treatment. RESULTS: Interferon-α and anti-TNF therapies both produced differential small-to-medium sized decreases in regional GBC. However, these were observed within distinct brain regions and the regional patterns of GBC changes induced by each treatment did not correlate suggesting independent underlying processes. Further, the spatial distribution of these differential GBC decreases could be captured by multivariate patterns of constitutive regional expression of genes respectively related to: i) neuroinflammation and glial cells; and ii) glutamatergic neurotransmission and neurons. The extent to which each participant expressed patterns of GBC changes aligning with these patterns of transcriptomic vulnerability also correlated with both acute treatment-induced changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and, for Interferon-α, longer-term treatment-associated changes in depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Together, we present two transcriptomic models separately linking regional vulnerability to the acute effects of interferon-α and anti-TNF treatments on brain function to glial neuroinflammation and glutamatergic neurotransmission. These findings generate hypotheses about two potential brain mechanisms through which bidirectional changes in peripheral inflammation may contribute to the development/resolution of psychopathology.

Structure and interactions at the Mg(0001)/water interface: An ab initio study.

A molecular level understanding of metal/bulk water interface structure is key for a wide range of processes, including aqueous corrosion, which is our focus, but their buried nature makes experimental investigation difficult and we must mainly rely on simulations. We investigate the Mg(0001)/water interface using second generation Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (MD) to gain structural information, combined with static density functional theory calculations to probe the atomic interactions and electronic structure (e.g., calculating the potential of zero charge). By performing detailed structural analyses of both metal-surface atoms and the near-surface water, we find that, among other insights: (i) water adsorption causes significant surface roughening (the planar distribution for top-layer Mg has two peaks separated by ≈0.6Å), (ii) strongly adsorbed water covers only ≈14 of available surface sites, and (iii) adsorbed water avoids clustering on the surface. Static calculations are used to gain a deeper understanding of the structuring observed in MD. For example, we use an energy decomposition analysis combined with calculated atomic charges to show that adsorbate clustering is unfavorable due to Coulombic repulsion between adsorption site surface atoms. Results are discussed in the context of previous simulations carried out on other metal/water interfaces. The largest differences for the Mg(0001)/water system appear to be the high degree of surface distortion and the minimal difference between the metal work function and metal/water potential of zero charge (at least compared to other interfaces with similar metal-water interaction strengths). The structural information, in this paper, is important for understanding aqueous Mg corrosion, as the Mg(0001)/water interface is the starting point for key reactions. Furthermore, our focus on understanding the driving forces behind this structuring leads to important insights for general metal/water interfaces.

Hypoventilation syndrome in neuromuscular disorders.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypoventilation syndrome in neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) is primarily due to respiratory muscle weakness and results in increased morbidity and mortality. This article highlights current aspects of neuromuscular hypoventilation syndrome, including pathophysiology, clinical symptoms, assessment, respiratory involvement in various NMD, and causal and symptomatic treatments with an emphasis on recent research and advances. RECENT FINDINGS AND SUMMARY: New therapeutic agents have been developed within the last years, proving a positive effect on respiratory system. Symptomatic therapies, including mechanical ventilation and cough assistance approaches, are important in NMD and respiratory muscle training may have benefit in strengthening respiratory muscles and should be offered patients with respiratory muscle weakness the same way as physiotherapy. Correct respiratory assessments and their correct interpretation are hallmarks for early diagnosis of hypoventilation syndrome and treatment.

Tongue weakness and atrophy differentiates late-onset Pompe disease from other forms of acquired/hereditary myopathy.

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is an inherited autosomal recessive progressive metabolic myopathy that presents in the first year of life to adulthood. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous, differential diagnosis is challenging, and diagnostic delay is common. One challenge to differential diagnosis is the overlap of clinical features with those encountered in other forms of acquired/hereditary myopathy. Tongue weakness and imaging abnormalities are increasingly recognized in LOPD. In order to explore the diagnostic potential of tongue involvement in LOPD, we assessed tongue structure and function in 70 subjects, including 10 with LOPD naive to treatment, 30 with other acquired/hereditary myopathy, and 30 controls with neuropathy. Tongue strength was assessed with both manual and quantitative muscle testing. Ultrasound (US) was used to assess tongue overall appearance, echointensity, and thickness. Differences in tongue strength, qualitative appearance, echointensity, and thickness between LOPD subjects and neuropathic controls were statistically significant. Greater tongue involvement was observed in LOPD subjects compared to those with other acquired/hereditary myopathies, based on statistically significant decreases in quantitative tongue strength and sonographic muscle thickness. These findings provide additional evidence for tongue involvement in LOPD characterized by weakness and sonographic abnormalities suggestive of fibrofatty replacement and atrophy. Findings of quantitative tongue weakness and/or atrophy may aid differentiation of LOPD from other acquired/hereditary myopathies. Additionally, our experiences in this study reveal US to be an effective, efficient imaging modality to allow quantitative assessment of the lingual musculature at the point of care.

Lef1-dependent hypothalamic neurogenesis inhibits anxiety.

While innate behaviors are conserved throughout the animal kingdom, it is unknown whether common signaling pathways regulate the development of neuronal populations mediating these behaviors in diverse organisms. Here, we demonstrate that the Wnt/ß-catenin effector Lef1 is required for the differentiation of anxiolytic hypothalamic neurons in zebrafish and mice, although the identity of Lef1-dependent genes and neurons differ between these 2 species. We further show that zebrafish and Drosophila have common Lef1-dependent gene expression in their respective neuroendocrine organs, consistent with a conserved pathway that has diverged in the mouse. Finally, orthologs of Lef1-dependent genes from both zebrafish and mouse show highly correlated hypothalamic expression in marmosets and humans, suggesting co-regulation of 2 parallel anxiolytic pathways in primates. These findings demonstrate that during evolution, a transcription factor can act through multiple mechanisms to generate a common behavioral output, and that Lef1 regulates circuit development that is fundamentally important for mediating anxiety in a wide variety of animal species.

Normal-state nodal electronic structure in underdoped high-Tc copper oxides.

An outstanding problem in the field of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity is the identification of the normal state out of which superconductivity emerges in the mysterious underdoped regime. The normal state uncomplicated by thermal fluctuations can be studied using applied magnetic fields that are sufficiently strong to suppress long-range superconductivity at low temperatures. Proposals in which the normal ground state is characterized by small Fermi surface pockets that exist in the absence of symmetry breaking have been superseded by models based on the existence of a superlattice that breaks the translational symmetry of the underlying lattice. Recently, a charge superlattice model that positions a small electron-like Fermi pocket in the vicinity of the nodes (where the superconducting gap is minimum) has been proposed as a replacement for the prevalent superlattice models that position the Fermi pocket in the vicinity of the pseudogap at the antinodes (where the superconducting gap is maximum). Although some ingredients of symmetry breaking have been recently revealed by crystallographic studies, their relevance to the electronic structure remains unresolved. Here we report angle-resolved quantum oscillation measurements in the underdoped copper oxide YBa2Cu3O6 + x. These measurements reveal a normal ground state comprising electron-like Fermi surface pockets located in the vicinity of the nodes, and also point to an underlying superlattice structure of low frequency and long wavelength with features in common with the charge order identified recently by complementary spectroscopic techniques.

Respiratory muscle training (RMT) in late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD): A protocol for a sham-controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Morbidity and mortality in adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) results primarily from persistent progressive respiratory muscle weakness despite treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). To address this need, we have developed a 12-week respiratory muscle training (RMT) program that provides calibrated, individualized, and progressive pressure-threshold resistance against inspiration and expiration. Our previous results suggest that our RMT regimen is safe, well-tolerated, and results in large increases in respiratory muscle strength. We now conduct an exploratory double-blind, randomized control trial (RCT) to determine: 1) utility and feasibility of sham-RMT as a control condition, 2) the clinically meaningful outcome measures for inclusion in a future efficacy trial. This manuscript provides comprehensive information regarding the design and methods used in our trial and will aid in the reporting and interpretation of our future findings. METHODS: Twenty-eight adults with LOPD will be randomized (1:1) in blocks of 4 to RMT (treatment) or sham-RMT (control). Assessments will be conducted at pretest, posttest, 3-months detraining, and 6-months detraining. The primary outcome is maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP). Secondary outcomes include maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), 6-min walk test (6MWT), Gait, Stairs, Gowers, and Chair test (GSGC), peak cough flow (PCF), and patient-reported life activity/social participation (Rasch-built Pompe-specific Activity scale [R-Pact]). Exploratory outcomes include quantitative measures from polysomnography; patient reported measures of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and sleep quality; and ultrasound measures of diaphragm thickness. This research will use a novel tool to provide automated data collection and user feedback, and improve control over dose. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The results of this clinical trial will be promptly analyzed and submitted for publication. Results will also be made available on clinicaltrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02801539, R21AR069880.

Vocal Fold Paralysis/Paresis as a Marker for Poor Swallowing Outcomes After Thoracic Surgery Procedures.

(1) To examine the association between vocal fold paresis/paralysis (VFP) and poor swallowing outcomes in a thoracic surgery cohort at the population level, and (2) to assess utilization of ENT/speech-language pathology intervention in these cases. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) represents a 20% stratified sample of discharges from US hospitals. Using ICD-9 codes, discharges undergoing general thoracic surgical procedures between 2008 and 2013 were identified in the NIS. Sub-cohorts of discharges with VFP and those who utilized ENT/SLP services were also identified. Weighted logistic regression models were used to compare binary outcomes such as dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia, and other complications; generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to compare total hospital costs and length of stay (LOS). We identified a weighted estimate of 673,940 discharges following general thoracic surgery procedures. The weighted frequency of VFP was 3738 (0.55%). Compared to those without VFP, patients who discharged with VFP had increased odds of dysphagia (6.56, 95% CI 5.07-8.47), aspiration pneumonia (2.54, 95% CI 1.74-3.70), post-operative tracheotomy (3.10, 95% CI 2.16-4.45), and gastrostomy tube requirement (2.46, 95% CI 1.66-3.64). Discharges with VFP also had a longer length of stay and total hospital costs. Of the discharges with VFP, 15.7% received ENT/SLP intervention. VFP after general thoracic procedures is associated with negative swallowing-related health outcomes and higher costs. Despite these negative impacts, most patients with VFP do not receive ENT/SLP intervention, identifying a potential opportunity for improving adverse swallowing-related outcomes.

Visual attention, EEG alpha power and T7-Fz connectivity are implicated in prosthetic hand control and can be optimized through gaze training.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic hands impose a high cognitive burden on the user that often results in fatigue, frustration and prosthesis rejection. However, efforts to directly measure this burden are sparse and little is known about the mechanisms behind it. There is also a lack of evidence-based training interventions designed to improve prosthesis hand control and reduce the mental effort required to use them. In two experiments, we provide the first direct evaluation of this cognitive burden using measurements of EEG and eye-tracking (Experiment 1), and then explore how a novel visuomotor intervention (gaze training; GT) might alleviate it (Experiment 2). METHODS: In Experiment 1, able-bodied participants (n = 20) lifted and moved a jar, first using their anatomical hand and then using a myoelectric prosthetic hand simulator. In experiment 2, a GT group (n = 12) and a movement training (MT) group (n = 12) trained with the prosthetic hand simulator over three one hour sessions in a picking up coins task, before returning for retention, delayed retention and transfer tests. The GT group received instruction regarding how to use their eyes effectively, while the MT group received movement-related instruction typical in rehabilitation. RESULTS: Experiment 1 revealed that when using the prosthetic hand, participants performed worse, exhibited spatial and temporal disruptions to visual attention, and exhibited a global decrease in EEG alpha power (8-12 Hz), suggesting increased cognitive effort. Experiment 2 showed that GT was the more effective method for expediting prosthesis learning, optimising visual attention, and lowering conscious control - as indexed by reduced T7-Fz connectivity. Whilst the MT group improved performance, they did not reduce hand-focused visual attention and showed increased conscious movement control. The superior benefits of GT transferred to a more complex tea-making task. CONCLUSIONS: These experiments quantify the visual and cortical mechanisms relating to the cognitive burden experienced during prosthetic hand control. They also evidence the efficacy of a GT intervention that alleviated this burden and promoted better learning and transfer, compared to typical rehabilitation instructions. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for prosthesis rehabilitation, the development of emerging prosthesis technologies and for the general understanding of human-tool interactions.

Brief Exposure to Pictures Depicting Poor Environments Leads to Increased Consumption of Beer in Adult Social Drinkers.

Previous studies have suggested a trait-like association between neighborhood deprivation and alcohol consumption. However, it is not known whether temporarily manipulating poverty and affluence states by exposure to stimuli signifying resource-scarcity or resource-wealth would influence alcohol-seeking behavior. Here, we aimed to investigate whether implicit exposure to affluence and poverty-related pictures would influence beer consumption. Participants in a "poverty" group viewed pictures depicting impoverished environments, and participants in an "affluence" group viewed images of wealthy environments. After priming, participants were provided with nonalcoholic beer (which they were told was alcohol-containing beer) and orange juice under the guise of a bogus taste test, to measure their alcohol-seeking behavior. Results showed that priming participants with a resource-scarce environment led to an increase in beer consumption (as a percentage of total fluid consumed), compared to priming with a resource-rich environment. The same pattern of results was obtained in both a Western European sample (Experiment 1) and a West Indian sample (Experiment 2). In Experiment 2, we also tested whether risk-taking behavior, measured by the Balloon Analogue Risk Task, was influenced by the environmental priming; no differences between groups were observed. These results provide the first experimental evidence that manipulation of poverty-affluence state, by brief exposure to pictures of impoverished or wealthy neighborhoods, can influence alcohol-seeking behavior in adult social drinkers.

Alimentary microbes of winter-form Drosophila suzukii.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a damaging pest of fruit. Reproductively diapausing adults overwinter in woodlands and remain active on warmer winter days. It is unknown if this adult phase of the lifecycle feeds during the winter period, and what the food source may be. This study characterized the flora in the digestive tract of D. suzukii using a metagenomics approach. Live D. suzukii were trapped in four woodlands in the south of England and their guts dissected for DNA extraction and amplicon-based metagenomics sequencing (internal transcribed spacer and 16S rRNA). Analysis at genus and family taxonomic levels showed high levels of diversity with no differences in digestive tract bacterial or fungal biota between woodland sites of winter-form D. suzukii. Female D. suzukii at one site appeared to have higher bacterial diversity in the alimentary canal than males, but there was a site, sex interaction. Many of the biota were associated with cold, wet climatic conditions and decomposition. This study provides the first evidence that winter-form D. suzukii may be opportunistic feeders during the winter period and are probably exploiting food sources associated with moisture on decomposing vegetation during this time. A core gut microbiome has been identified for winter-form D. suzukii.

Highly Asymmetric Nodal Semimetal in Bulk SmB_{6}.

We show that novel low temperature properties of bulk SmB_{6}, including the sudden growth of the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) amplitude (and heat capacity) at millikelvin temperatures and a previously unreported linear-in-temperature bulk electrical conductivity at liquid helium temperatures, signal the presence of a highly asymmetric nodal semimetal. We show that a highly asymmetric nodal semimetal is also a predicted property of the Kondo lattice model (with dispersionless f-electron levels) in the presence of Sm vacancies or other defects. We show it can result from a topological transformation of the type recently considered by Shen and Fu and eliminates the necessity of a neutral Fermi surface for explaining bulk dHvA oscillations in SmB_{6}.

Fragile charge order in the nonsuperconducting ground state of the underdoped high-temperature superconductors.

The normal state in the hole underdoped copper oxide superconductors has proven to be a source of mystery for decades. The measurement of a small Fermi surface by quantum oscillations on suppression of superconductivity by high applied magnetic fields, together with complementary spectroscopic measurements in the hole underdoped copper oxide superconductors, point to a nodal electron pocket from charge order in YBa2Cu3(6+δ). Here, we report quantum oscillation measurements in the closely related stoichiometric material YBa2Cu4O8, which reveals similar Fermi surface properties to YBa2Cu3(6+δ), despite the nonobservation of charge order signatures in the same spectroscopic techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, that revealed signatures of charge order in YBa2Cu3(6+δ). Fermi surface reconstruction in YBa2Cu4O8 is suggested to occur from magnetic field enhancement of charge order that is rendered fragile in zero magnetic fields because of its potential unconventional nature and/or its occurrence as a subsidiary to more robust underlying electronic correlations.