Joint action in a cooperative precision task: Nested processes of intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination

The authors determined the effects of changes in task demands on interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination. Participants performed a joint task in which one participant held a stick to which a circle was attached at the top (holding role), while the other held a pointer through the circle without touching its borders (pointing role). Experiment 1 investigated whether interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination varied depending on task difficulty. Results showed that interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination increased in degree and stability with increments in task difficulty. Experiment 2 explored the effects of individual constraints by increasing the balance demands of the task (one or both members of the pair stood in a less stable tandem stance). Results showed that interpersonal coordination increased in degree and stability as joint task demands increased and that coupling strength varied depending on joint and individual task constraints. In all, results suggest that interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination are affected by the nature of the task performed and the constraints it places on joint and individual performance

Engineering a costume for performance using illuminated LED-yarns

A goal in the field of wearable technology is to blend electronics with textile fibers to create garments that drape and conform as normal, with additional functionality provided by the embedded electronics. This can be achieved with electronic yarns (E-yarns), in which electronics are integrated within the fibers of a yarn. A challenge is incorporating non-stretch E-yarns with stretch fabric that is desirable for some applications. To address this challenge, E-yarns containing LEDs were embroidered onto the stretch fabric of a unitard used as part of a carnival costume. A zig-zag pattern of attachment of E-yarns was developed. Tensile testing showed this pattern was successful in preventing breakages within the E-yarns. Use in performance demonstrated that a dancer was unimpeded by the presence of the E-yarns within the unitard, but also a weakness in the junctions between E-yarns was observed, requiring further design work and reinforcement. The level of visibility of the chosen red LEDs within black E-yarns was low. The project demonstrated the feasibility of using E-yarns with stretch fabrics. This will be particularly useful in applications where E-yarns containing sensors are required in close contact with skin to provide meaningful on-body readings, without impeding the wearer

Re-purposing Ac/Ds transgenic system for CRISPR/dCas9 modulation of enhancers and non-coding RNAs in zebrafish

Due to its genetic amenability coupled with recent advances in genome editing, the zebrafish serves as an excellent model to examine the function of both coding and non-coding elements. Recently, the non-coding genome has gained prominence due to its critical role in development and disease. Here, we have re-purposed the Ac/Ds maize transposition system to reliably screen and efficiently characterise zebrafish enhancers, with or without germline propagation. We further utilised the system to stably express guide RNAs in microinjected embryos enabling tissue-specific CRISPR/dCas9-interference (CRISPRi) knockdown of lncRNA and enhancer activity without disrupting the underlying genetic sequence. Our study highlights the utility of Ac/Ds transposition for transient epigenome modulation of non-coding elements in zebrafish

Clinical and Experimental Applications of NIR-LED Photobiomodulation

This review presents current research on the use of far-red to near-infrared (NIR) light treatment in various in vitro and in vivo models. Low-intensity light therapy, commonly referred to as “photobiomodulation,” uses light in the far-red to near-infrared region of the spectrum (630–1000 nm) and modulates numerous cellular functions. Positive effects of NIR–light-emitting diode (LED) light treatment include acceleration of wound healing, improved recovery from ischemic injury of the heart, and attenuated degeneration of injured optic nerves by improving mitochondrial energy metabolism and production. Various in vitro and in vivo models of mitochondrial dysfunction were treated with a variety of wavelengths of NIR-LED light. These studies were performed to determine the effect of NIR-LED light treatment on physiologic and pathologic processes. NIRLED light treatment stimulates the photoacceptor cytochrome c oxidase, resulting in increased energy metabolism and production. NIR-LED light treatment accelerates wound healing in ischemic rat and murine diabetic wound healing models, attenuates the retinotoxic effects of methanol-derived formic acid in rat models, and attenuates the developmental toxicity of dioxin in chicken embryos. Furthermore, NIR-LED light treatment prevents the development of oral mucositis in pediatric bone marrow transplant patients. The experimental results demonstrate that NIR-LED light treatment stimulates mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in vitro, and accelerates cell and tissue repair in vivo. NIR-LED light represents a novel, noninvasive, therapeutic intervention for the treatment of numerous diseases linked to mitochondrial dysfunction

Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in Indonesia

Clostridium difficile has not been studied in detail in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. We thus performed a prevalence study across four hospitals in Central Java province, Indonesia. Stool samples were collected from patients with diarrhoea and tested by enzyme immunoassay for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and toxin A/B (C DIFF QUIK CHEK COMPLETE, TechLab). Specimens were cultured and molecular typing was performed. In total, 340 samples were tested, of which 70 (20.6%) were GDH positive, with toxin detected in 19 (5.6%). Toxigenic C. difficile was isolated from 37 specimens (10.9%), while a further 36 (10.6%) nontoxigenic isolates were identified. The most common strain was ribotype 017 (24.3% of 74 isolates), followed by nontoxigenic types QX 224 (9.5%), and QX 238 and QX 108 (both 8.1%). The high prevalence of C. difficile highlights a need for ongoing surveillance of C. difficile infection in Indonesia

‘Imposter participants’ in online qualitative research, a new and increasing threat to data integrity?

Letter to the Editor: Health Expectation

pp-sdsd shell gap reduction in neutron-rich systems and cross-shell excitations in 20^{20}O

Excited states in $^{20}$O were populated in the reaction $^{10}$Be($^{14}$C,$\alpha$) at Florida State University. Charged particles were detected with a particle telescope consisting of 4 annularly segmented Si surface barrier detectors and $\gamma$ radiation was detected with the FSU $\gamma$ detector array. Five new states were observed below 6 MeV from the $\alpha$-$\gamma$ and $\alpha$-$\gamma$-$\gamma$ coincidence data. Shell model calculations suggest that most of the newly observed states are core-excited 1p-1h excitations across the $N = Z = 8$ shell gap. Comparisons between experimental data and calculations for the neutron-rich O and F isotopes imply a steady reduction of the $p$-$sd$ shell gap as neutrons are added