An exploration of familial associations of two movement pattern-derived subgroups of chronic disabling low back pain; a cross-sectional cohort study

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Background: Altered movement patterns with pain have been demonstrated in children, adolescents and adults with chronic disabling low back pain (CDLBP). A previously developed classification system has identified different subgroups including active extension and multidirectional patterns in patients with CDLBP. While familial associations have been identified for certain spinal postures in standing, it is unknown whether a familial relationship might exist between movement pattern-derived subgroups in families with CDLBP. Objectives: This study explored whether familial associations in movement pattern-derived subgroups within and between members of families with CDLBP existed. Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Method: 33 parents and 28 children with CDLBP were classified into two subgroups based on clinical analysis of video footage of postures and functional movements, combined with aggravating factors obtained from Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. Prevalence of subgroups within family members was determined, associations between parent and child's subgroup membership was evaluated using Fisher's exact test, and spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the strength of association between familial dyads. Results: The majority of parents were classified as active extenders, sons predominately multidirectional and daughters were evenly distributed between the two subgroups. No significant association was found when comparing subgroups in nine parent-child relationships. Conclusions: The exploration of a small cohort of family dyads in this study demonstrated that children's movement pattern-derived subgroups could not be explained by their parents' subgroup membership. These results cannot be generalised to the CLBP population due to this study's small sample. Larger sample studies are needed to further elucidate this issue

Resources for Texas Sexual Assault Survivors: Inventory and Survey Findings on Services, Gaps, and Accessibility

Texas is a leader among states on the issue of sexual assault, and has promoted and funded the study of sexual violence as well as created the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Task Force (SASTF) through the Office of the Texas Governor (OOG). Sexual assault is clearly established as a public health problem affecting 6.3 million women and men in the state, or 33.2% of adult Texans over their lifetime.1 This statistic comes from thorough research by the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas at Austin on the prevalence and impact of sexual assault on Texans, service providers, and the social and economic system at large. The bipartisan passage of HB 1590 (86R) B signifies a continued commitment by Texas lawmakers to serve sexual assault survivors. Lawmakers and Texans alike acknowledge the seriousness of sexual assault crimes. With the research findings derived from this project, survivors and their families, professionals supporting survivors, and lawmakers can better see the landscape of resources, service provision gaps, and unmet needs across our state. The specific project aims were to: • Inventory the sexual assault services available in Texas. • Assess sexual assault survivors’ needs by region for the 11 Texas regions. • Develop a sexual assault services resource inventory. IDVSA accomplished those aims by: • Developing and implementing a statewide survey to a broad and diverse set of providers who serve survivors of sexual violence. • Conducting a collaborative analysis of the survey findings with a specific focus on service availability and service gaps, and presenting those in this report to the OOG. • Developing an HB 1590 Inventory List of the resources available to survivors across the state and delivering it to the OOG to inform the creation of a comprehensive statewide service directory in the futureInstitute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA

Evolution of grain boundary network topology in 316L austenitic stainless steel during powder hot isostatic pressing

The grain boundary network evolution of 316L austenitic steel powder during its densification by hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) was investigated. While the as-received powder contained a network of random high angle grain boundaries, the fully consolidated specimen had a large fraction of annealing twins, indicating that during densification, the microstructure evolves via recrystallization. By interrupting the HIPing process at different points in time, microstructural changes were tracked quantitatively at every stage using twin boundary fractions, distribution of different types of triple junctions, and the parameters associated with twin related domains (TRDs). Results revealed that, with increase in temperature, (i) the fraction of annealing twins increased steadily, but they mostly were not part of the grain boundary network in the fully consolidated specimen and (ii) the average number of grains within a TRD, the length of longest chain, and twinning polysynthetism increased during HIPing and (iii) the powder characteristics and the HIPing parameters have a strong influence on the development of grain boundary network. Based on the results obtained, possible alterations to the HIPing process are discussed, which could potentially allow twin induced grain boundary engineering

Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests

Background The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set. Results We report on the first genome sequence for any member of the insect order Thysanoptera. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO) assessments of the genome assembly (size = 415.8 Mb, scaffold N50 = 948.9 kb) revealed a relatively complete and well-annotated assembly in comparison to other insect genomes. The genome is unusually GC-rich (50%) compared to other insect genomes to date. The official gene set (OGS v1.0) contains 16,859 genes, of which ~ 10% were manually verified and corrected by our consortium. We focused on manual annotation, phylogenetic, and expression evidence analyses for gene sets centered on primary themes in the life histories and activities of plant-colonizing insects. Highlights include the following: (1) divergent clades and large expansions in genes associated with environmental sensing (chemosensory receptors) and detoxification (CYP4, CYP6, and CCE enzymes) of substances encountered in agricultural environments; (2) a comprehensive set of salivary gland genes supported by enriched expression; (3) apparent absence of members of the IMD innate immune defense pathway; and (4) developmental- and sex-specific expression analyses of genes associated with progression from larvae to adulthood through neometaboly, a distinct form of maturation differing from either incomplete or complete metamorphosis in the Insecta. Conclusions Analysis of the F. occidentalis genome offers insights into the polyphagous behavior of this insect pest that finds, colonizes, and survives on a widely diverse array of plants. The genomic resources presented here enable a more complete analysis of insect evolution and biology, providing a missing taxon for contemporary insect genomics-based analyses. Our study also offers a genomic benchmark for molecular and evolutionary investigations of other Thysanoptera species

Advances in heterometallic ring-opening (co)polymerisation catalysis

Truly sustainable plastics require renewable feedstocks coupled with efficient production and end-of-life degradation/recycling processes. Some of the most useful degradable materials are aliphatic polyesters, polycarbonates and polyamides, which are often prepared via ring-opening (co)polymerisation (RO(CO)P) using an organometallic catalyst. While there has been extensive research into ligand development, heterometallic cooperativity offers an equally promising yet underexplored strategy to improve catalyst performance, as heterometallic catalysts often exhibit significant activity and selectivity enhancements compared to their homometallic counterparts. This review describes advances in heterometallic RO(CO)P catalyst design, highlighting the overarching structure-activity trends and reactivity patterns to inform future catalyst design

Pain Bloc-R Alleviates Unresolved, Non-Pathological Aches and Discomfort in Healthy Adults—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

The lack of effective treatment for chronic discomfort without negative side effects highlights the need for alternative treatments. Pain Bloc-R is a natural health product composed of vitamins B6, B12, D, white willow bark extract, Angelica root extract, acetyl L-carnitine HCl, caffeine, L-theanine, Benfotiamine, and L-tetrahydropalmatine. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of Pain Bloc-R, acetaminophen, and placebo on unresolved aches and discomfort as assessed by the brief pain inventory (BPI) and modified Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaires. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study consisted of three 7-day periods with Pain Bloc-R, acetaminophen, or placebo, each separated by a 7-day washout. Twenty-seven healthy adults (ages 22–63 years) were randomized to receive the three interventions in different sequences. The BPI “pain at its worst” scores were significantly lower when participants took Pain Bloc-R than when they took acetaminophen (21.8% vs. 9.8% decrease, p = 0.026) after seven days of supplementation. Pain Bloc-R achieved a significant improvement in the “pain at its least” score, significantly decreased the interference of discomfort in walking, and significantly decreased musculoskeletal discomfort total scores (34%, p = 0.040) after seven days. In a post hoc subgroup analysis based on age and gender, male participants ≤45 years taking Pain Bloc-R reported significant reductions in pain severity and pain interference vs. acetaminophen. Pain Bloc-R performed as well as acetaminophen in managing unresolved non-pathological pain in otherwise healthy individuals