Morning compared to afternoon school-based exercise on cognitive function in adolescents.

PURPOSE: Adolescents may be less ready to learn in the mornings due to a propensity for waking up later. High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has been shown to acutely improve cognitive functioning in teenagers. This within-measures study explored whether the benefit of HIIE differs when delivered in the morning or afternoon. METHODS: 37 teenagers (19 boys, 13.7 ± 0.4 years) each completed 3 trials in school; morning HIIE (MORN), afternoon HIIE (AFTER) and a no-exercise control trial (CON). The HIIE involved 10x10 second sprints, interspersed by 50 s of walking. Cognitive function was assessed using a battery of computerised tasks four times over the course of the day. RESULTS: Z scores for reaction time, but not proportion of correct responses, were improved 45 min post exercise in the MORN trial (P < 0.01, d = 0.47), and this improvement persisted until the third (P = 0.04, d = 0.34), but not final (P = 0.93, d = 0.01), time point. Global reaction time was not improved 45 min post exercise in the AFTER trial (P = 0.17, d = 0.20). Global reaction time was quicker 45 min post morning exercise compared to the same time point in CON (P = 0.02, d = 0.56) and AFTER (P = 0.01, d = 0.72). CONCLUSION: HIIE may be more effectual in improving cognitive functioning when delivered in the morning.

Low language capacity in childhood: A systematic review of prevalence estimates.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Epidemiological studies have provided invaluable insight into the origin and impact of low language skills in childhood and adolescence. However, changing terminology and diagnostic guidelines have contributed to variable estimations of the prevalence of developmental language difficulties. The aim of this review was to profile the extent and variability of low language prevalence estimates through a systematic review of epidemiological literature. METHODS: A systematic review of the empirical research (August 2022) was undertaken to identify studies that aimed to estimate the prevalence of low language skills in children (<18 years). A total of 19 studies published between 1980-2022 met inclusion criteria for review. RESULTS: Studies reported prevalence estimates of low language skills in children between 1 and 16 years. Estimated rates varied from 0.4% to 25.2%. More stable estimations were observed in studies of children aged 5 years and older and those that applied updated diagnostic criteria to performance on standardised assessments of receptive and expressive language. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The estimated prevalence of low language skills in childhood varies considerably in the literature. Application of updated diagnostic criteria, including the assessment of functional impact, is critical to inform advocacy efforts and govern social, health and educational policies. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject Epidemiological research has informed our understanding of the origin and impact of low language capacity in childhood. Childhood language disorder is met with a rich history of evolving terminology and diagnostic guidelines to identify children with low language skills. Inconsistent definitions of and methods to identify low language in children have resulted in variable prevalence estimates in population-based studies. Variability in prevalence estimates impacts advocacy efforts to inform social, health and educational policy for child language disorder. What this study adds A total of 19 studies published at the time of this review aimed to provide estimates of the proportion of children who experience low language skills. Prevalence estimates varied between 0.4% and 25.2%, with more stable estimates reported in studies of older school-age children and those which utilised standardised assessments of both expressive and receptive language. Few studies utilised assessments of functional impact of language difficulties, which is misaligned with updated diagnostic criteria for child language disorder. What are the clinical implications of this work? This review reports substantial variability in estimates of the proportion of children and adolescents who live with low language skills. This variability underscores the importance of applying updated diagnostic criteria to identify the prevalence low language in childhood. Efforts to estimate the prevalence of low language must include measures of functional impact of low language skills. This aligns with clinical recommendations, which call for routine assessment of functional outcomes. To this end, we require a unified understanding of the term 'functional impact' in the context of low language, including the development and evaluation of measures that assess impact across emotional, social and academic domains.

Design and optimization of a high-energy optical parametric amplifier for broadband, spectrally incoherent pulses.

Spectrally incoherent laser pulses with sufficiently large fractional bandwidth are in demand for the mitigation of laser-plasma instabilities occurring in high-energy laser-target interactions. Here, we modeled, implemented, and optimized a dual-stage high-energy optical parametric amplifier for broadband, spectrally incoherent pulses in the near-infrared. The amplifier delivers close to 400 mJ of signal energy through noncollinear parametric interaction of 100-nJ-scale broadband, spectrally incoherent seed pulses near 1053 nm with a narrowband high-energy pump operating at 526.5 nm. Mitigation strategies for high-frequency spatial modulations in the amplified signal caused by index inhomogeneities in the Nd:YLF rods of the pump laser are explored and discussed in detail.

Cattle farmer psychosocial profiles and their association with control strategies for bovine viral diarrhea.

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is endemic in the United Kingdom and causes major economic losses. Control is largely voluntary for individual farmers and is likely to be influenced by psychosocial factors, such as altruism, trust, and psychological proximity (feeling close) to relevant "others," such as farmers, veterinarians, the government, and their cows. These psychosocial factors (factors with both psychological and social aspects) are important determinants of how people make decisions related to their own health, many of which have not been studied in the context of infectious disease control by farmers. Farmer psychosocial profiles were investigated using multiple validated measures in an observational survey of 475 UK cattle farmers using the capability, opportunity, motivation-behavior (COM-B) framework. Farmers were clustered by their BVD control practices using latent class analysis. Farmers were split into 5 BVD control behavior classes, which were tested for associations with the psychosocial and COM-B factors using multinomial logistic regression, with doing nothing as the baseline class. Farmers who were controlling disease both for themselves and others were more likely to do something to control BVD (e.g., test, vaccinate). Farmers who did not trust other farmers, had high psychological capability (knowledge and understanding of how to control disease), and had high physical opportunity (time and money to control disease) were more likely to have a closed, separate herd and test. Farmers who did not trust other farmers were also more likely to undertake many prevention strategies with an open herd. Farmers with high automatic motivation (habits and emotions) and reflective motivation (decisions and goals) were more likely to vaccinate and test, alone or in combination with other controls. Farmers with high psychological proximity (feeling of closeness) to their veterinarian were more likely to undertake many prevention strategies in an open herd. Farmers with high psychological proximity to dairy farmers and low psychological proximity to beef farmers were more likely to keep their herd closed and separate and test or vaccinate and test. Farmers who had a lot of trust in other farmers and invested in them, rather than keeping everything for themselves, were more likely to be careful introducing new stock and test. In conclusion, farmer psychosocial factors were associated with strategies for BVD control in UK cattle farmers. Psychological proximity to veterinarians was a novel factor associated with proactive BVD control and was more important than the more extensively investigated trust. These findings highlight the importance of a close veterinarian-farmer relationship and are important for promoting effective BVD control by farmers, which has implications for successful nationwide BVD control and eradication schemes.

The prevalence of hypertension in multiple sclerosis based on 37 million electronic health records from the United States.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) is a common comorbidity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and it significantly contributes to adverse outcomes. Unfortunately, the distribution of HTN in persons with MS has not been well characterized, and prior estimates have primarily relied on modest sample sizes. The objective of this study was to robustly describe the distribution of HTN in the MS population in comparison to the non-MS population with considerations for age, sex, and race. To date, this is the largest investigation of its kind. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 37 million unique electronic health records available in the IBM Explorys Enterprise Performance Management: Explore database (Explorys) spanning the United States. This resource has previously been validated for use in MS. We evaluated the prevalence of HTN in MS (N = 122 660) and non-MS (N = 37 075 350) cohorts, stratifying by age, sex, and race. RESULTS: The prevalence of HTN was significantly greater among those with MS than among those without MS across age, sex, and race subpopulations, even after adjusting for age and sex. HTN was 25% more common in MS. In both MS and non-MS cohorts, the prevalence of HTN progressively increased with age and was higher in Black Americans and in males. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated that HTN is significantly more common in the MS population compared to the non-MS population, irrespective of sex and race. Because HTN is the leading global risk factor for disability and death, these results emphasize the need for aggressive screening for, and management of, HTN in the MS population.

High-energy parametric amplification of spectrally incoherent broadband pulses.

We study and demonstrate the efficient parametric amplification of spectrally incoherent broadband nanosecond pulses to high energies. Signals composed of mutually incoherent monochromatic lines or amplified spontaneous emission are amplified in a sequence of optical parametric amplifiers pumped at 526.5 nm, with the last amplifier set in a collinear geometry. This configuration results in 70% conversion efficiency from the pump to the combined signal and idler, with a combined energy reaching 400 mJ and an optical spectrum extending over 60 nm around 1053 nm. The spatial, spectral, and temporal properties of the amplified waves are investigated. The demonstrated high conversion efficiency, spectral incoherence, and large bandwidth open the way to a new generation of high-energy, solid-state laser drivers that mitigate laser-plasma instabilities and laser-beam imprint via enhanced spectral bandwidth.

Proton transport through one-atom-thick crystals.

Graphene is increasingly explored as a possible platform for developing novel separation technologies. This interest has arisen because it is a maximally thin membrane that, once perforated with atomic accuracy, may allow ultrafast and highly selective sieving of gases, liquids, dissolved ions and other species of interest. However, a perfect graphene monolayer is impermeable to all atoms and molecules under ambient conditions: even hydrogen, the smallest of atoms, is expected to take billions of years to penetrate graphene's dense electronic cloud. Only accelerated atoms possess the kinetic energy required to do this. The same behaviour might reasonably be expected in the case of other atomically thin crystals. Here we report transport and mass spectroscopy measurements which establish that monolayers of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are highly permeable to thermal protons under ambient conditions, whereas no proton transport is detected for thicker crystals such as monolayer molybdenum disulphide, bilayer graphene or multilayer hBN. Protons present an intermediate case between electrons (which can tunnel easily through atomically thin barriers) and atoms, yet our measured transport rates are unexpectedly high and raise fundamental questions about the details of the transport process. We see the highest room-temperature proton conductivity with monolayer hBN, for which we measure a resistivity to proton flow of about 10 Ω cm(2) and a low activation energy of about 0.3 electronvolts. At higher temperatures, hBN is outperformed by graphene, the resistivity of which is estimated to fall below 10(-3) Ω cm(2) above 250 degrees Celsius. Proton transport can be further enhanced by decorating the graphene and hBN membranes with catalytic metal nanoparticles. The high, selective proton conductivity and stability make one-atom-thick crystals promising candidates for use in many hydrogen-based technologies.

A candidate-SNP retrospective cohort study for fracture risk in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses.

Fractures are medical conditions that compromise the athletic potential of horses and/or the safety of jockeys. Therefore, the reduction of fracture risk is an important horse and human welfare issue. The present study used molecular genetic approaches to determine the effect of genetic risk for fracture at four candidate SNPs spanning the myostatin (MSTN) gene on horse chromosome 18. Among the 3706 Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses, 1089 (29.4%) had experienced fractures in their athletic life, indicating the common occurrence of this injury in Thoroughbreds. In the case/control association study, fractures of the carpus (carpal bones and distal radius) were statistically associated with g.65809482T/C (P = 1.17 x 10-8 ), g.65868604G/T (P = 2.66 x 10-9 ), and g.66493737C/T (P = 6.41 x 10-8 ). In the retrospective cohort study using 1710 racehorses born in 2000, the relative risk (RR) was highest for male horses at g.65868604G/T, based on the dominant allele risk model (RR = 2.251, 95% confidence interval 1.407-3.604, P = 0.00041), and for female horses at g.65868604G/T, based on the recessive allele risk model (RR = 2.313, 95% confidence interval 1.380-3.877, P = 0.00163). Considering the association of these SNPs with racing performance traits such as speed, these genotypes may affect the occurrence of carpus fractures in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses as a consequence of the non-genetic influence of the genotype on the distance and/or intensity of racing and training. The genetic information presented here may contribute to the development of strategic training programs and racing plans for racehorses that improve their health and welfare.

Behavioural and emotional disturbances associated with sleep-disordered breathing symptomatology in children with Down's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Down's syndrome (DS) predisposes to sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). In children with DS, behavioural and emotional disturbances secondary to SDB are often assumed to result from cognitive impairment alone. Our aim was to explore the relationship of behavioural and emotional disturbances with SDB in a population of children with DS. METHODS: A modified sleep questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Paediatric ESS and the short form of the developmental behaviour checklist (DBC-P24) were sent to 261 carers of children aged 4 to 15 years with DS in 2012. RESULTS: Of 120 participants, 25% had probable SDB. In children with probable SDB compared to those without nocturnal symptoms, the total behaviour problem score (TBPS) was significantly higher (20.3 ± 8.6/48 vs. 12 ± 7.5/48; P = 0.002) as was the PaedESS (7.7 ± 5.6/24 vs. 2.8 ± 3.5/24; P = 0.002). For every increase in frequency of choking attacks, snoring and night awakenings, the TBPS increased by 1.37, 1.28 and 1.75 points, respectively, indicating worsening behaviour. The TBPS was found to decrease by 1.31 points for every hour more of self-reported sleep duration (r = -0.25, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: SDB symptoms and shorter self-reported sleep duration are highly prevalent among children with DS and are independently associated with worsening behaviour using the TBPS.

Chinese Mongolian horses may retain early domestic male genetic lineages yet to be discovered.

The Mongolian horse represents one of the most ancient extant horse populations. In this study we determined the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) haplotype distribution in 60 Chinese Mongolian horses representing five distinct populations. Cosmopolitan male lineages were predominant in horses from one improved (Sanhe), one Chinese Mongolian subtype (Baicha Iron Hoof) and one indigenous (Abaga Black) population. In contrast, autochthonous Y chromosome diversity was evident among the two landrace populations (Wushen and Wuzhumuqin), as the majority of their MSY haplotypes were situated at root nodes in a network. Our results also suggest gene flow between Chinese Mongolian and Arabian horses, as an appreciable number of Wuzhumuqin horses carried haplotypes that are typically observed in Arabian horses. Although most horses carried modern haplotypes as a direct result of recent breed improvement, authentic Chinese Mongolian horses retain an ancient signature of paternal lineages that has not previously been described in extant horse populations. Therefore, further characterization of MSY variation in these populations will be important for the discovery of lost diversity in modern domestic horses and also for understanding the evolutionary history of equine paternal lineages.

Analysis of genetic variation contributing to measured speed in Thoroughbreds identifies genomic regions involved in the transcriptional response to exercise.

Despite strong selection for athletic traits in Thoroughbred horses, there is marked variation in speed and aptitude for racing performance within the breed. Using global positioning system monitoring during exercise training, we measured speed variables and temporal changes in speed with age to derive phenotypes for GWAS. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that genetic variation contributes to variation in end-point physiological traits, in this case galloping speed measured during field exercise tests. Standardisation of field-measured phenotypes was attempted by assessing horses exercised on the same gallop track and managed under similar conditions by a single trainer. PCA of six key speed indices captured 73.9% of the variation with principal component 1 (PC1). Verifying the utility of the phenotype, we observed that PC1 (median) in 2-year-old horses was significantly different among elite, non-elite and unraced horses (P < 0.001) and the temporal change with age in PC1 varied among horses with different myostatin (MSTN) g.66493737C>T SNP genotypes. A GWAS for PC1 in 2-year-old horses (n = 122) identified four SNPs reaching the suggestive threshold for association (P < 4.80 × 10-5 ), defining a 1.09 Mb candidate region on ECA8 containing the myosin XVIIIB (MYO18B) gene. In a GWAS for temporal change in PC1 with age (n = 168), five SNPs reached the suggestive threshold for association and defined candidate regions on ECA2 and ECA11. Both regions contained genes that are significantly differentially expressed in equine skeletal muscle in response to acute exercise and training stimuli, including MYO18A. As MYO18A plays a regulatory role in the skeletal muscle response to exercise, the identified genomic variation proximal to the myosin family genes may be important for the regulation of the response to exercise and training.

A genomic prediction model for racecourse starts in the Thoroughbred horse.

Durability traits in Thoroughbred horses are heritable, economically valuable and may affect horse welfare. The aims of this study were to test the hypotheses that (i) durability traits are heritable and (ii) genetic data may be used to predict a horse's potential to have a racecourse start. Heritability for the phenotype 'number of 2- and 3-year-old starts' was estimated to be h m 2  = 0.11 ± 0.02 (n = 4499). A genome-wide association study identified SNP contributions to the trait. The neurotrimin (NTM), opioid-binding protein/cell adhesion molecule like (OPCML) and prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) genes were identified as candidate genes associated with the trait. NTM functions in brain development and has been shown to have been selected during the domestication of the horse. PRCP is an established expression quantitative trait locus involved in the interaction between voluntary exercise and body composition in mice. We hypothesise that variation at these loci contributes to the motivation of the horse to exercise, which may influence its response to the demands of the training and racing environment. A random forest with mixed effects (RFME) model identified a set of SNPs that contributed to 24.7% of the heritable variation in the trait. In an independent validation set (n = 528 horses), the cohort with high genetic potential for a racecourse start had significantly fewer unraced horses (16% unraced) than did low (27% unraced) potential horses and had more favourable race outcomes among those that raced. Therefore, the information from SNPs included in the model may be used to predict horses with a greater chance of a racecourse start.

A randomized controlled trial of an emollient with ceramide and filaggrin-associated amino acids for the primary prevention of atopic dermatitis in high-risk infants.

BACKGROUND: Skin barrier dysfunction may precede infantile development of clinical atopic dermatitis (AD). Early-life emollient therapy to enhance barrier function may prevent or modify AD development in high-risk infants. OBJECTIVES: (a) To determine whether daily full-body application of an emollient with ceramide and amino acids (study emollient) can reduce the cumulative AD incidence compared to standard skin care at 1 year of age. (b) To evaluate the study emollient's effect on skin barrier function, natural moisturizing factor and the microbiome using non-invasive biophysical and biochemical techniques. METHODS: We performed a single-centre, investigator-blinded, randomized controlled trial enrolling infants at high risk for AD development determined by family history. The intervention was full-body once-daily application of the study emollient. The control arm was asked to not apply full-body emollient regularly and only use an emollient of their choice for dry skin. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of AD diagnosed at 12 months by a blinded investigator. RESULTS: Less than half the target sample size was enrolled (n = 100, goal sample was 208) with 28% lost to follow-up. Across all clinical end points, a numerical trend was observed in favour of the intervention, although not statistically significant likely due to lack of power from under-enrolment. AD was diagnosed in 13.2% vs. 25.0% at 12 months (P = 0.204) and 19.4% vs. 31.0% at 2 years (P = 0.296) in intervention vs. control groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups in skin barrier or microbiome assessments. While there were no serious adverse events, there were more cases of reported contact dermatitis in the intervention vs. control arms, 9.3% vs. 4.3%, respectively; however, these events were not related to the study emollient and most mild in severity. CONCLUSION: The observed trends suggest a protective effect of daily study emollient therapy compared to control.

Unconventional natural gas development and hospitalizations: evidence from Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014.

OBJECTIVES: To examine relationships between short-term and long-term exposures to unconventional natural gas development, commonly known as fracking, and county hospitalization rates for a variety of broad disease categories. STUDY DESIGN: This is an ecological study based on county-level data for Pennsylvania, United States, 2003-2014. METHODS: We estimated multivariate regressions with county and year fixed effects, using two 12-year panels: all 67 Pennsylvania counties and 54 counties that are not large metropolitan. RESULTS: After correcting for multiple comparisons, we found a positive association of cumulative well density (per km2) with genitourinary hospitalization rates. When large metropolitan counties were excluded, this relationship persisted, and positive associations of skin-related hospitalization rates with cumulative well count and well density were observed. The association with genitourinary hospitalization rates is driven by females in 20-64 years group, particularly for kidney infections, calculus of ureter, and urinary tract infection. Contemporaneous wells drilled were not significantly associated with hospitalizations after adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that long-term exposure to unconventional gas development may have an impact on prevalence of hospitalizations for certain diseases in the affected populations and identifies areas of future research on unconventional gas development and health.

Co-suppression of AtMIPS demonstrates cooperation of MIPS1, MIPS2 and MIPS3 in maintaining myo-inositol synthesis.

KEY MESSAGE: Co-suppressed MIPS2 transgenic lines allow bypass of the embryo lethal phenotype of the previously published triple knock-out and demonstrate the effects of MIPS on later stages of development. Regulation of inositol production is of interest broadly for its effects on plant growth and development. The enzyme L-myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase (MIPS, also known as IPS) isomerizes D-glucose-6-P to D-inositol 3-P, and this is the rate-limiting step in inositol production. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the MIPS enzyme is encoded by three different genes, (AtMIPS1, AtMIPS2 and AtMIPS3), each of which has been shown to produce proteins with biochemically similar properties but differential expression patterns. Here, we report phenotypic and biochemical effects of MIPS co-suppression. We show that some plants engineered to overexpress MIPS2 in fact show reduced expression of AtMIPS1, AtMIPS2 and AtMIPS3, and show altered vegetative phenotype, reduced size and root length, and delayed flowering. Additionally, these plants show reduced inositol, increased glucose levels, and alteration of other metabolites. Our results suggest that the three AtMIPS genes work together to impact the overall synthesis of myo-inositol and overall inositol homeostasis.

Genetic contributions to precocity traits in racing Thoroughbreds.

Adaptation to early training and racing (i.e. precocity), which is highly variable in racing Thoroughbreds, has implications for the selection and training of horses. We hypothesised that precocity in Thoroughbred racehorses is heritable. Age at first sprint training session (work day), age at first race and age at best race were used as phenotypes to quantify precocity. Using high-density SNP array data, additive SNP heritability (hSNP2) was estimated to be 0.17, 0.14 and 0.17 for the three traits respectively. In genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for age at first race and age at best race, a 1.98-Mb region on equine chromosome 18 (ECA18) was identified. The most significant association was with the myostatin (MSTN) g.66493737C>T SNP (P = 5.46 × 10-12 and P = 1.89 × 10-14 respectively). In addition, two SNPs on ECA1 (g.37770220G>A and g.37770305T>C) within the first intron of the serotonin receptor gene HTR7 were significantly associated with age at first race and age at best race. Although no significant associations were identified for age at first work day, the MSTN:g.66493737C>T SNP was among the top 20 SNPs in the GWAS (P = 3.98 × 10-5 ). Here we have identified variants with potential roles in early adaptation to training. Although there was an overlap in genes associated with precocity and distance aptitude (i.e. MSTN), the HTR7 variants were more strongly associated with precocity than with distance. Because HTR7 is closely related to the HTR1A gene, previously implicated in tractability in young Thoroughbreds, this suggests that behavioural traits may influence precocity.

Spectrally tunable, temporally shaped parametric front end to seed high-energy Nd:glass laser systems.

We describe a parametric-amplification-based front end for seeding high-energy Nd:glass laser systems. The front end delivers up to 200 mJ by parametric amplification in 2.5-ns flat-in-time pulses tunable over more than 15 nm. Spectral tunability over a range larger than what is typically achieved by laser media at similar energy levels is implemented to investigate cross-beam energy transfer in multibeam target experiments. The front-end operation is simulated to explain the amplified signal's sensitivity to the input pump and signal. A large variety of amplified waveforms are generated by closed-loop pulse shaping. Various properties and limitations of this front end are discussed.

Evaluation of microRNA expression in plasma and skeletal muscle of thoroughbred racehorses in training.

BACKGROUND: Circulating miRNAs (ci-miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding RNAs emerging as potential diagnostic biomarkers. Equine miRNAs have been previously identified including subsets of tissue-specific miRNAs. In order to investigate ci-miRNAs as diagnostic tools, normal patterns of expression for different scenarios including responses to exercise need to be identified. Human studies have demonstrated that many ci-miRNAs are up-regulated following exercise with changes in expression patterns in skeletal muscle. However, technical challenges such as haemolysis impact on accurate plasma ci-miRNA quantification, with haemolysis often occurring naturally in horses following moderate-to-intense exercise. The objectives of this study were to identify plasma ci-miRNA profiles and skeletal muscle miRNAs before and after exercise in Thoroughbreds (Tb), and to evaluate for the presence and effect of haemolysis on plasma ci-miRNA determination. Resting and post-exercise plasma ci-miRNA profiles and haemolysis were evaluated in twenty 3 year-old Tbs in sprint training. Resting and post-exercise skeletal muscle miRNA abundance was evaluated in a second cohort of eleven 2 year-old Tbs just entering sprint training. Haemolysis was further quantified in resting blood samples from twelve Tbs in sprint training. A human plasma panel containing 179 miRNAs was used for profiling, with haemolysis assessed spectrophotometrically. Data was analysed using a paired Student's t-test and Pearson's rank correlation. RESULTS: Plasma ci-miRNA data for 13/20 horses and all skeletal muscle miRNA data passed quality control. From plasma, 52/179 miRNAs were detected at both time-points. Haemolysis levels were greater than the threshold for accurate quantification of ci-miRNAs in 18/25 resting and all post-exercise plasma samples. Positive correlations (P < 0.05) between haemolysis and miRNA abundance were detected for all but 4 miRNAs, so exercise-induced changes in plasma ci-miRNA expression could not be quantified. In skeletal muscle samples, 97/179 miRNAs were detected with 5 miRNAs (miR-21-5p, let-7d-3p, let-7d-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-30e-5p) differentially expressed (DE, P < 0.05) between time-points. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of haemolysis needs to be determined prior to quantifying plasma ci-miRNA expression from horses in high-intensity exercise training. Identification of DE miRNAs in skeletal muscle indicates modification of miRNA expression may contribute to adaptive training responses in Tbs. Using a human plasma panel likely limited detection of equine-specific miRNAs.

Predicting non-familial major physical violent crime perpetration in the US Army from administrative data.

BACKGROUND: Although interventions exist to reduce violent crime, optimal implementation requires accurate targeting. We report the results of an attempt to develop an actuarial model using machine learning methods to predict future violent crimes among US Army soldiers. METHOD: A consolidated administrative database for all 975 057 soldiers in the US Army in 2004-2009 was created in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). Of these soldiers, 5771 committed a first founded major physical violent crime (murder-manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, robbery) over that time period. Temporally prior administrative records measuring socio-demographic, Army career, criminal justice, medical/pharmacy, and contextual variables were used to build an actuarial model for these crimes separately among men and women using machine learning methods (cross-validated stepwise regression, random forests, penalized regressions). The model was then validated in an independent 2011-2013 sample. RESULTS: Key predictors were indicators of disadvantaged social/socioeconomic status, early career stage, prior crime, and mental disorder treatment. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.80-0.82 in 2004-2009 and 0.77 in the 2011-2013 validation sample. Of all administratively recorded crimes, 36.2-33.1% (male-female) were committed by the 5% of soldiers having the highest predicted risk in 2004-2009 and an even higher proportion (50.5%) in the 2011-2013 validation sample. CONCLUSIONS: Although these results suggest that the models could be used to target soldiers at high risk of violent crime perpetration for preventive interventions, final implementation decisions would require further validation and weighing of predicted effectiveness against intervention costs and competing risks.

The epidemiology of traumatic event exposure worldwide: results from the World Mental Health Survey Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Considerable research has documented that exposure to traumatic events has negative effects on physical and mental health. Much less research has examined the predictors of traumatic event exposure. Increased understanding of risk factors for exposure to traumatic events could be of considerable value in targeting preventive interventions and anticipating service needs. METHOD: General population surveys in 24 countries with a combined sample of 68 894 adult respondents across six continents assessed exposure to 29 traumatic event types. Differences in prevalence were examined with cross-tabulations. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine whether traumatic event types clustered into interpretable factors. Survival analysis was carried out to examine associations of sociodemographic characteristics and prior traumatic events with subsequent exposure. RESULTS: Over 70% of respondents reported a traumatic event; 30.5% were exposed to four or more. Five types - witnessing death or serious injury, the unexpected death of a loved one, being mugged, being in a life-threatening automobile accident, and experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury - accounted for over half of all exposures. Exposure varied by country, sociodemographics and history of prior traumatic events. Being married was the most consistent protective factor. Exposure to interpersonal violence had the strongest associations with subsequent traumatic events. CONCLUSIONS: Given the near ubiquity of exposure, limited resources may best be dedicated to those that are more likely to be further exposed such as victims of interpersonal violence. Identifying mechanisms that account for the associations of prior interpersonal violence with subsequent trauma is critical to develop interventions to prevent revictimization.