Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are presently a focus of intense research and hold great potential in expanding the horizons of the bioelectronics industry. The notable characteristics of ...OECTs, including their electrolyte‐gating, which offers intimate interfacing with biological environments, and aqueous stability, make them particularly suitable to be operated within a living organism (in vivo). Unlike the existing in vivo bioelectronic devices, mostly based on rigid metal electrodes, OECTs form a soft mechanical contact with the biological milieu and ensure a high signal‐to‐noise ratio because of their powerful amplification capability. Such features make OECTs particularly desirable for a wide range of in vivo applications, including electrophysiological recordings, neuron stimulation, and neurotransmitter detection, and regulation of plant processes in vivo. In this review, a systematic compilation of the in vivo applications is presented that are addressed by the OECT technology. First, the operating mechanisms, and the device design and materials design principles of OECTs are examined, and then multiple examples are provided from the literature while identifying the unique device properties that enable the application progress. Finally, one critically looks at the future of the OECT technology for in vivo bioelectronic applications.
The role of organic electrochemical transistors in different in vivo bioelectronic applications, ranging from human electrophysiology to plant interfacing, is discussed. Particular emphasis is given on analyzing the key materials design and device design aspects that make these devices ideal for addressing future in vivo biological systems. Finally, some challenges, limitations, and future applications are critically assessed.
There is a general consensus that today's deep-sea biodiversity has largely resulted from recurrent invasions and speciations occurring through homogenous waters during periods of the Phanerozoic ...eon. Migrations likely continue today, primarily via isothermal water columns, such as those typical of Polar Regions, but the necessary ecological and physiological adaptations behind them are poorly understood. In an evolutionary context, understanding the adaptations, which allow for colonisation to high-pressure environments, may enable us to predict future events. In this investigation, we examine pressure tolerance during development, in the shallow-water neogastropod Buccinum undatum using thermally acclimated egg masses from temperate and sub-polar regions across the species range. Fossil records indicate neogastropods to have a deep-water origin, suggesting shallow-water species may be likely candidates for re-emergence into the deep sea. Our results show population level differences in physiological thresholds, which indicate low temperature acclimation to increase pressure tolerance. These findings imply this species is capable of deep-sea penetration through isothermal water columns prevailing at high latitudes. This study gives new insight into the fundamentals behind past and future colonisation events. Such knowledge is instrumental to understand better how changes in climate envelopes affect the distribution and radiation of species along latitudinal as well as bathymetric temperature gradients.
Assessing wetland vulnerability to chronic and episodic physical drivers is fundamental for establishing restoration priorities. We synthesized multiple data sets from E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife ...Refuge, New Jersey, to establish a wetland vulnerability metric that integrates a range of physical processes, anthropogenic impact and physical/biophysical features. The geospatial data are based on aerial imagery, remote sensing, regulatory information, and hydrodynamic modeling; and include elevation, tidal range, unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio (UVVR), shoreline erosion, potential exposure to contaminants, residence time, marsh condition change, change in salinity, salinity exposure and sediment concentration. First, we delineated the wetland complex into individual marsh units based on surface contours, and then defined a wetland vulnerability index that combined contributions from all parameters. We applied principal component and cluster analyses to explore the interrelations between the data layers, and separate regions that exhibited common characteristics. Our analysis shows that the spatial variation of vulnerability in this domain cannot be explained satisfactorily by a smaller subset of the variables. The most influential factor on the vulnerability index was the combined effect of elevation, tide range, residence time, and UVVR. Tide range and residence time had the highest correlation, and similar bay-wide spatial variation. Some variables (e.g., shoreline erosion) had no significant correlation with the rest of the variables. The aggregated index based on the complete dataset allows us to assess the overall state of a given marsh unit and quickly locate the most vulnerable units in a larger marsh complex. The application of geospatially complete datasets and consideration of chronic and episodic physical drivers represents an advance over traditional point-based methods for wetland assessment.
Most free-living bacteria can attach to surfaces and aggregate to grow into multicellular communities encased in extracellular polymeric substances called biofilms. Biofilms are recalcitrant to ...antibiotic therapy and a major cause of persistent and recurrent infections by clinically important pathogens worldwide (e.g.,
, and
). Currently, most biofilm remediation strategies involve the development of biofilm-inhibition agents, aimed at preventing the early stages of biofilm formation, or biofilm-dispersal agents, aimed at disrupting the biofilm cell community. While both strategies offer some clinical promise, neither represents a direct treatment and eradication strategy for established biofilms. Consequently, the discovery and development of biofilm eradication agents as comprehensive, stand-alone biofilm treatment options has become a fundamental area of research. Here we review our current understanding of biofilm antibiotic tolerance mechanisms and provide an overview of biofilm remediation strategies, focusing primarily on the most promising biofilm eradication agents and approaches. Many of these offer exciting prospects for the future of biofilm therapeutics for a large number of infections that are currently refractory to conventional antibiotics.
It is increasingly recognised that plastic pollution of the marine environment is highly dynamic in nature. Larger plastic items are fragmented or eroded into smaller and smaller pieces as its moves ...through marine ecosystems and small particles can be fouled or flocculate into larger aggregates. Whilst physical processes play a major part in photo- and oxidative degradation of plastic debris, biological process may also contribute to the breakdown of larger plastic items into smaller particulates, yet this has not been studied well to date. Here, we demonstrate the potential for the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to act as bioeroders of macroplastics. We found that urchins readily graze on a plastic surface, with this grazing activity generating microplastics, when held in experimental systems together. On average each urchin produced 91.7 (±33.8 pieces) smaller plastic pieces (118–15,797 μm) from one macroplastic item over a ten day period. This plastic fragmentation by the urchins grazing activity was strongly influenced by the additional availability of natural food and by the presence of fouling of the macroplastic surface. Fragmentation of macroplastic by urchins dropped by 97% when urchins were exposed to virgin plastic in the presence of natural food (kelp). However, when macroplastic was biofouled urchins acted to fragment this plastic irrespective of the presence of additional food. The majority of fragments produced were negatively buoyant due to both the biofouling process and indeed the fouling by faecal matter, sinking to the bottom of the exposure systems. This smaller size range of plastic would then bioavailable to a much wider suite of species than the original macroplastic item; hence this bioerosion process has the potential to contribute to the transfer plastic fragments through benthic food webs.
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•A single urchin produced on average 91.7 plastic fragments over 10 days.•Fragmentation dropped by 97% when urchins fed on clean plastic and kelp.•Biofouling our trays and adding food led to the greatest fragmentation levels.•The majority (87%) of fragments were incorporated into faeces and sank.
Extreme climatic events, including marine heatwaves (MHWs), are altering ecosystems globally, often with profound socioeconomic impacts. We examine how MHWs have affected the provision of ecosystem ...services and evaluate the socioeconomic consequences for human society. Ecological impacts range from harmful algal blooms and mass mortality events to reconfigurations of entire ecosystems, affecting provisioning, habitat, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services globally. Reported economic costs of individual MHW events exceed US$800 million in direct losses or >US$3.1 billion in indirect losses of ecosystem services for multiple years. However, biological responses to MHWs can also increase human-ocean interactions, providing opportunities for coastal societies. Our study provides a global perspective on the far-reaching impacts of MHWs on human societies and highlights the urgent need to develop robust approaches to mitigation and adaptation.
Rumination is a cognitive process involving repetitive thoughts about negative experiences and emotions and is associated with psychopathology. Rumination has been implicated in mood and anxiety ...disorders, and there is a growing body of research on rumination in relation to eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. The current meta-analytic review focused on the literature addressing rumination and ED psychopathology. A comprehensive search process identified 38 studies, which primarily used cross-sectional designs with non-clinical samples. Results demonstrated that rumination was concurrently (r = 0.33) and prospectively (r = 0.22–0.23) associated with ED psychopathology, and that groups with ED psychopathology evidenced higher levels of rumination compared to non-ED control groups (g = 0.95), though no significant differences in rumination were observed when comparing anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa groups (g = 0.09). In addition, a narrative review of five experimental studies suggested that rumination in response to ED-related stimuli was related to increased negative affect and negative body-related cognitions across clinical and non-clinical samples. The type of rumination and sample population emerged as moderators of effect sizes, such that larger effects were observed among samples using ED-specific measures of rumination and heterogeneous samples compared to only non-clinical samples. Taken together, this literature demonstrates that rumination is a salient process in ED psychopathology, though the literature is characterized by methodological limitations and the need for more fully elaborated theories on the role of rumination in EDs. Findings are discussed in the context of existing models of rumination and ED psychopathology, with suggestions for future research in this area.
•We conducted a meta-analysis of rumination in eating disorder (ED) psychopathology.•A total of 38 studies were identified.•Greater rumination was found in those with ED symptoms versus non-ED controls.•Rumination was concurrently and prospectively associated with ED symptoms.•We discuss limitations and future directions for research in this area.
Research reveals racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in autism diagnosis; there is limited information on potential disparities related to other dimensions of services.
We reviewed evidence ...related to disparities in service use, intervention effectiveness, and quality of care provided to children with autism by race, ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic status.
Medline, PsychInfo, Educational Resources Informational Clearinghouse, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched by using a combination of Medical Subject Headings terms and keywords related to autism, disparities, treatment, and services.
Included studies addressed at least one key question and met eligibility criteria.
Two authors reviewed the titles and abstracts of articles and reviewed the full text of potentially relevant articles. Authors extracted information from articles that were deemed appropriate.
Treatment disparities exist for access to care, referral frequency, number of service hours, and proportion of unmet service needs. Evidence revealed that racial and ethnic minority groups and children from low-income families have less access to acute care, specialized services, educational services, and community services compared with higher-income and white families. We found no studies in which differences in intervention effectiveness were examined. Several studies revealed disparities such that African American and Hispanic families and those from low-income households reported lower quality of care.
The body of literature on this topic is small; hence it served as a limitation to this review.
The documented disparities in access and quality of care may further identify groups in need of outreach, care coordination, and/or other interventions.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex condition with affective components that extend beyond fear and anxiety. The emotion of shame has long been considered critical in the relation ...between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Yet, to date, no meta‐analytic synthesis of the empirical association between shame and PTSD has been conducted. To address this gap, the current study summarized the magnitude of the association between shame and PTSD symptoms after trauma exposure. A systematic literature search yielded 624 publications, which were screened for inclusion criteria (individuals exposed to a Criterion A trauma, and PTSD and shame assessed using validated measures of each construct). In total, 25 studies employing 3,663 participants met full eligibility criteria. A random‐effects meta‐analysis revealed a significant moderate association between shame and posttraumatic stress symptoms, r = .49, 95% CI 0.43, 0.55, p < .001. Moderator analyses were not completed due to the absence of between‐study heterogeneity. Publication bias analyses revealed minimal bias, determined by small attenuation after the superimposition of weight functions. The results underscore that across a diverse set of populations, shame is characteristic for many individuals with PTSD and that it warrants a central role in understanding the affective structure of PTSD. Highlighting shame as an important clinical target may help improve the efficacy of established treatments. Future research examining shame's interaction with other negative emotions and PTSD symptomology is recommended.
Resumen
Spanish s by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET)
Asociación entre la vergüenza y el trastorno por estrés postraumático: un metaanálisis
METANALISIS DE LA VERGÜENZA Y EL ESTRÉS POSTTRAUMATICO
El trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT) es una condición compleja con componentes afectivos que se extienden más allá del miedo y la ansiedad. La emoción de vergüenza ha sido ampliamente considerada como crítica en la relación entre la exposición al trauma y los síntomas de TEPT. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, no se ha desarrollado una síntesis meta‐analítica de la asociación empírica entre vergüenza y TEPT. Para abordar esta brecha, este estudio resumió la magnitud de la asociación entre la vergüenza y los síntomas del TEPT, después de la exposición al trauma. Una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura arrojó 618 publicaciones, que fueron seleccionados según los criterios de inclusión (individuos expuestos a un trauma del Criterio A, y que utilizaron medidas validadas para evaluar cada uno de estos constructos, TEPT y vergüenza). En total, 25 estudios que emplearon 3.663 participantes cumplieron con todos los criterios de elegibilidad. Un metanálisis de efectos aleatorios reveló una asociación moderada significativa entre la vergüenza y los síntomas de TEPT, r = .49, IC 95% 0.43, 0.55, p <.001. No se finalizaron los análisis de moderación debido a la ausencia de heterogeneidad entre los estudios. El análisis de sesgo de publicación reveló un sesgo mínimo, determinado por una pequeña atenuación después de la superposición de funciones ponderadas. Los resultados subrayan que, a través de un conjunto diverso de poblaciones, la vergüenza es característica para muchas personas con TEPT y que ocupa un rol central en la comprensión de la estructura afectiva del TEPT. La vergüenza destaca como un objetivo clínico de relevancia que puede ayudar a mejorar la eficacia de los tratamientos existentes. Se recomienda a la investigación futura que examine la interacción de la vergüenza con otras emociones negativas y la sintomatología del TEPT.
抽象
Traditional and Simplified Chinese s by the Asian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (AsianSTSS)
簡體及繁體中文撮要由亞洲創傷心理研究學會翻譯
Association between shame and posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta‐analysis
Traditional Chinese
標題: 羞恥與創傷後壓力症的關連:元分析
撮要: 創傷後壓力症(PTSD)的情況複雜, 涉及的情感成分不止於恐懼和焦慮而已。過往研究早已認為, 羞恥情緒在創傷經歷與PTSD症狀的關連間為關鍵元素。可是, 直至目前為至, 仍沒有針對羞恥和PTSD之間實證關連的綜合元分析。為填補這個不足, 本研究將概述受創後, 羞恥和PTSD症狀之間的關連強度。我們進行系統性文獻搜尋, 找出618份研究, 繼而根據內容準則 (樣本經歷了準則A類別的創傷, 及對構念使用已經驗證的測量工具來評估PTSD和羞恥) 進行篩選。共有25份研究完全符合內容準則, 當中有3,663名樣本。隨機效應元分析反映, 羞恥和創傷後壓力症狀之間有顯著的中度關連(r = .49, 95% CI 0.43, 0.55, p < .001)。由於各項研究之間欠缺異質性, 我們未能完成調節變量分析。發表偏見分析顯示, 偏見極微, 在於在加權函數疊加後有微小的減弱效果。研究結果凸顯, 在廣泛而不同的人口中, 羞恥是很多PTSD患者擁有的特徵, 並屬理解PTSD情感結構的重點。把羞恥視為重要的臨床醫治目標, 可能有助改善既有療法的功效。我們亦建議, 未來研究應檢視羞恥與其他負面情緒及PTSD症狀學的交互作用。
Simplified Chinese
标题: 羞耻与创伤后压力症的关连:元分析
撮要: 创伤后压力症(PTSD)的情况复杂, 涉及的情感成分不止于恐惧和焦虑而已。过往研究早已认为, 羞耻情绪在创伤经历与PTSD症状的关连间为关键元素。可是, 直至目前为至, 仍没有针对羞耻和PTSD之间实证关连的综合元分析。为填补这个不足, 本研究将概述受创后, 羞耻和PTSD症状之间的关连强度。我们进行系统性文献搜寻, 找出618份研究, 继而根据内容准则 (样本经历了准则A类别的创伤, 及对构念使用已经验证的测量工具来评估PTSD和羞耻) 进行筛选。共有25份研究完全符合内容准则, 当中有3,663名样本。随机效应元分析反映, 羞耻和创伤后压力症状之间有显著的中度关连(r = .49, 95% CI 0.43, 0.55, p < .001)。由于各项研究之间欠缺异质性, 我们未能完成调节变量分析。发表偏见分析显示, 偏见极微, 在于在加权函数迭加后有微小的减弱效果。研究结果凸显, 在广泛而不同的人口中, 羞耻是很多PTSD患者拥有的特征, 并属理解PTSD情感结构的重点。把羞耻视为重要的临床医治目标, 可能有助改善既有疗法的功效。我们亦建议, 未来研究应检视羞耻与其他负面情绪及PTSD症状学的交互作用。
Purpose of Review
Ambulatory assessment methods, including ecological momentary assessment (EMA), have often been used in eating disorders (EDs) to assess the type, frequency, and temporal sequencing ...of ED symptoms occurring in naturalistic environments. Relatedly, growing research in EDs has explored the utility of ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) to target ED symptoms. The aims of the present review were to (1) synthesize recent literature pertaining to ambulatory assessment/EMA and EMI in EDs, and (2) identify relevant limitations and future directions in these domains.
Recent Findings
With respect to ambulatory assessment and EMA, there has been substantial growth in the expansion of constructs assessed with EMA, the exploration of state- vs. trait-level processes, integration of objective and passive assessment approaches, and consideration of methodological issues. The EMI literature in EDs also continues to grow, though most of the recent research focuses on mobile health (mHealth) technologies with relatively minimal EMI components that adapt to momentary contextual information.
Summary
Despite these encouraging advances, there remain several promising areas of ambulatory assessment research and clinical applications in EDs going forward. These include integration of passive data collection, use of EMA in treatment evaluation and design, evaluation of dynamic system processes, inclusion of diverse samples, and development and evaluation of adaptive, tailored EMIs such as just-in-time adaptive interventions. While much remains to be learned in each of these domains, the continual growth in mobile technology has potential to facilitate and refine our understanding of the nature of ED psychopathology and ultimately improve intervention approaches.
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