Establishing operant conflict tests for the translational study of anxiety in mice

Rationale In conflict-based anxiety tests, rodents decide between actions with simultaneous rewarding and aversive outcomes. In humans, computerised operant conflict tests have identified response choice, latency, and vigour as distinct behavioural components. Animal operant conflict tests for measurement of these components would facilitate translational study. Objectives In C57BL/6 mice, two operant conflict tests for measurement of response choice, latency, and vigour were established, and effects of chlordiazepoxide (CDZ) thereon investigated. Methods Mice were moderately diet-restricted to increase sucrose reward salience. A 1-lever test required responding under medium-effort reward/threat conditions of variable ratio 2–10 resulting in sucrose at p = 0.7 and footshock at p = 0.3. A 2-lever test mandated a choice between low-effort reward/threat with a fixed-ratio (FR) 2 lever yielding sucrose at p = 0.7 and footshock at p = 0.3 versus high-effort reward/no threat with a FR 20 lever yielding sucrose at p = 1. Results In the 1-lever test, CDZ (7.5 or 15 mg/kg i.p.) reduced post-trial pause (response latency) following either sucrose or footshock and reduced inter-response interval (increased response vigour) after footshock. In the 2-lever test, mice favoured the FR2 lever and particularly at post-reward trials. CDZ increased choice of FR2 and FR20 responding after footshock, reduced response latency overall, and increased response vigour at the FR2 lever and after footshock specifically. Conclusions Mouse operant conflict tests, especially 2-lever choice, allow for the translational study of distinct anxiety components. CDZ influences each component by ameliorating the impact of both previous punishment and potential future punishment

Evaluation of a Rapid Biological Spore Test for Dental Instrument Sterilization

Aim: This study evaluated the reliability of a new rapid biological spore test (BST) for determining the sterilization efficacy of dental steam autoclaves within 20 minutes, as compared to a conventional BST requiring 2 days of incubation after autoclave exposure.Materials and methods: A total of 177 pairs of BST, each composed of a rapid test (Celerity™ 20 Steam Biologic Indicator, Steris) and a conventional BST (Attest™ 1262 Biological Indicator, 3M), both containing Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores, were placed into steam autoclaves loaded with instruments, and subjected to either sterilizing (157 pairs) or non-sterilizing conditions (20 pairs). Celerity™ BST was then incubated for 20 minutes at 57°C, with the growth medium evaluated spectrophotometrically for fluorescent α-glucosidase signal changes (no change with successful sterilization; increased fluorescence after failed sterilization). Attest™ BST was incubated for 48 hours at 57°C, after which a pH-based color change in the culture broth was visually assessed (no change in purple color with successful sterilization; change to yellow color with failed sterilization).Results: Celerity™ and Attest™ BST both accurately identified successful sterilization, with no G. stearothermophilus spore growth from either BST after exposure to sterilizing steam autoclave conditions (100% agreement between 157 pairs of each BST). Both BST also accurately detected unsuccessful sterilization, with all tested ampoules positive for G. stearothermophilus spore germination after non-sterilizing steam autoclave time periods. Both BST exhibited 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detection of sterilizing steam autoclave conditions.Conclusion: Celerity™ BST, after only 20 minutes incubation, performed equally as well as a BST requiring 48 hours incubation in determining the sterilization efficacy of dental steam autoclaves.Clinical significance: Rapid BST offer earlier detection of sterilization failure before potentially contaminated dental instruments are used in clinical patient care.</p

Design of a randomized superiority trial of a brief couple treatment for PTSD.

Interpersonal difficulties are common among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are associated with poorer treatment response. Treatment outcomes for PTSD, including relationship functioning, improve when partners are included and engaged in the therapy process. Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy for PTSD (CBCT) is a manualized 15-session intervention designed for couples in which one partner has PTSD. CBCT was developed specifically to treat PTSD, engage a partner in treatment, and improve interpersonal functioning. However, recent research suggests that an abbreviated CBCT protocol may lead to sufficient gains in PTSD and relationship functioning, and yield lower dropout rates. Likewise, many veterans report a preference for receiving psychological treatments through clinical videoteleconferencing (CVT) rather than traditional face-to-face modalities that require travel to VA clinics. This manuscript describes the development and implementation of a novel randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examines the efficacy of an abbreviated 8-session version of CBCT ("brief CBCT," or B-CBCT), and compares the efficacy of this intervention delivered via CVT to traditional in-person platforms. Veterans and their partners were randomized to receive B-CBCT in a traditional Veterans Affairs office-based setting (B-CBCT-Office), CBCT through CVT with the veteran and partner at home (B-CBCT-Home), or an in office-delivered, couple-based psychoeducation control condition (PTSD Family Education). This study is the first RCT designed to investigate the delivery of B-CBCT specifically to veterans with PTSD and their partners, as well as to examine the delivery of B-CBCT over a CVT modality; findings could increase access to care to veterans with PTSD and their partners

RefConcile – automated online reconciliation of bibliographic references

Comprehensive bibliographies often rely on community contributions. In such a setting, de-duplication is mandatory for the bibliography to be useful. Ideally, it works online, i.e., during the addition of new references, so the bibliography remains duplicate-free at all times. While de-duplication is well researched, generic approaches do not achieve the result quality required for automated reconciliation. To overcome this problem, we propose a new duplicate detection and reconciliation technique called RefConcile. Aimed specifically at bibliographic references, it uses dedicated blocking and matching techniques tailored to this type of data. Our evaluation based on a large real-world collection of bibliographic references shows that RefConcile scales well, and that it detects and reconciles duplicates highly accurately

Consolidation of pathology services in England: have savings been achieved?

Background: During the last decade, pathology services in England have undergone profound changes with an extensive consolidation of laboratories. This has been driven by some national reviews forecasting a national reduction of costs by £250–£500 million ($315–$630 million) a year as a result. The main aim of this paper is to describe the financial impact of such consolidation, with a specific focus on the forecasted savings. A secondary aim is to describe the development of private sector involvement in laboratory services in a traditionally publicly funded healthcare system and the development of pathology staff size. Methods: In the English scenario, the majority of hospitals and laboratories are publicly funded and a survey was sent as Freedom of Information request to all directors of pathology. A descriptive comparison of savings among consolidated and non-consolidated pathology services was made by using the pathology budgets in two different periods (2015 versus 2010), adjusted by inflation and increased activity. Results: The hub-and-spoke model has been implemented as part of the consolidation process of pathology services in England. Consolidated pathology networks have achieved higher savings compared to non-consolidated single laboratories. There has been an increased role of private providers and savings were achieved with negligible personnel redundancies. Conclusions: Consolidated units have on average achieved larger cost savings than non-consolidated units but further analysis with stronger research design is required to independently evaluate the impact of pathology consolidation on both savings and quality

Enchytraeids (Oligochaeta, Enchytraeidae) as soil quality indicators in integrated systems in Paraná State.

Resumo

The potassic sedimentary rocks in Gale Crater, Mars, as seen by ChemCam on board Curiosity

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity encountered potassium-rich clastic sedimentary rocks at two sites in Gale Crater, the waypoints Cooperstown and Kimberley. These rocks include several distinct meters thick sedimentary outcrops ranging from fine sandstone to conglomerate, interpreted to record an ancient fluvial or fluvio-deltaic depositional system. From ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) chemical analyses, this suite of sedimentary rocks has an overall mean K2O abundance that is more than 5 times higher than that of the average Martian crust. The combined analysis of ChemCam data with stratigraphic and geographic locations reveals that the mean K2O abundance increases upward through the stratigraphic section. Chemical analyses across each unit can be represented as mixtures of several distinct chemical components, i.e., mineral phases, including K-bearing minerals, mafic silicates, Fe-oxides, and Fe-hydroxide/oxyhydroxides. Possible K-bearing minerals include alkali feldspar (including anorthoclase and sanidine) and K-bearing phyllosilicate such as illite. Mixtures of different source rocks, including a potassium-rich rock located on the rim and walls of Gale Crater, are the likely origin of observed chemical variations within each unit. Physical sorting may have also played a role in the enrichment in K in the Kimberley formation. The occurrence of these potassic sedimentary rocks provides additional evidence for the chemical diversity of the crust exposed at Gale Crater

Enquitreídeos como indicadores de qualidade do solo em sistemas integrados de produção nos Campos Gerais, Paraná.

Resumo. FERTBIO 2014