Collective intelligence for translational medicine: Crowdsourcing insights and innovation from an interdisciplinary biomedical research community.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/07853890.2015.1091945Translational medicine bridges the gap between discoveries in biomedical science and their safe and effective clinical application. Despite the gross opportunity afforded by modern research for unparalleled advances in this field, the process of translation remains protracted. Efforts to expedite science translation have included the facilitation of interdisciplinary collaboration within both academic and clinical environments in order to generate integrated working platforms fuelling the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and tools to align biomedical research with clinical need. However, barriers to scientific translation remain, and further progress is urgently required. Collective intelligence and crowdsourcing applications offer the potential for global online networks, allowing connection and collaboration between a wide variety of fields. This would drive the alignment of biomedical science with biotechnology, clinical need, and patient experience, in order to deliver evidence-based innovation which can revolutionize medical care worldwide. Here we discuss the critical steps towards implementing collective intelligence in translational medicine using the experience of those in other fields of science and public health

An Evaluation of Determinants that Influence Decisions to Adopt School-Based Dental Sealant Programs by Principals in Elementary Schools in Georgia that Predominantly Serve Low-income Children

About one in five children aged 5 to 11 years have at least one untreated, decayed tooth (Dye, Li, & Beltran-Aguilar, 2012) and tooth decay is the number one chronic disease in children (S. O. Griffin, Wei, Gooch, Weno, & Espinoza, 2016). More than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental health issues, making it the number one reason for missed school (Gift, Reisine, & Larach, 1992). Additionally, studies show that poor oral health is associated with lower school performance (Blumenshine, Vann, Gizlice, & Lee, 2008; National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center/Georgetown University, 1996; Satcher, 2000). Conversely, school attendance and performance by children are positively affected by good oral health (S. O. Griffin, Shillpa, Scherrer, Patel, & Sajal, 2017; S. Griffin et al., 2016; Reisine & Reisine, 1985; Seirawan, Faust, & Mulligan, 2012; United States General Accounting Office, 2003). The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry states that tooth decay is the most preventable disease in children (The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 2014). Preventive oral health services such as sealants are a cost-effective intervention when compared to costs of treating caries (S. Griffin et al., 2016). Additionally, school-based sealant programs (SBSP) are cost-effective (S. Griffin et al., 2016; Zabos et al., 2002) and are a recommended delivery mechanism (The Guide to Community Preventive Services, 2017) for dental sealants. Despite these facts, most elementary schools in Georgia do not have school-based sealant programs. This study identified factors that influence the SBSP adoption decision by elementary school principals in Georgia. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with 18 elementary school principals, six of whom hosted SBSP, and 12 of whom did not. Principals were found to be very aware of the needs of and were concerned with the well-being of the children they serve. In those principals not currently hosting SBSP, there was a total lack of awareness of SBSP, which was a critical barrier to adoption. The processes and authorities for program adoption decision-making include principals, but generally reside at or at a minimum include the school district. Public health is a major contributing factor to the presence of SBSP in elementary schools in Georgia.Doctor of Public Healt

The Risk of West Nile Virus Infection Is Associated with Combined Sewer Overflow Streams in Urban Atlanta, Georgia, USA

BACKGROUND: At present, the factors favoring transmission and amplification of West Nile Virus (WNV) within urban environments are poorly understood. In urban Atlanta, Georgia, the highly polluted waters of streams affected by combined sewer overflow (CSO) represent significant habitats for the WNV mosquito vector Culex quinquefasciatus. However, their contribution to the risk of WNV infection in humans and birds remains unclear.\ud \ud OBJECTIVES: Our goals were to describe and quantify the spatial distribution of WNV infection in mosquitoes, humans, and corvids, such as blue jays and American crows that are particularly susceptible to WNV infection, and to assess the relationship between WNV infection and proximity to CSO-affected streams in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.\ud \ud MATERIALS AND METHODS: We applied spatial statistics to human, corvid, and mosquito WNV surveillance data from 2001 through 2007. Multimodel analysis was used to estimate associations of WNV infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus, humans, and dead corvids with selected risk factors including distance to CSO streams and catch basins, land cover, median household income, and housing characteristics.\ud \ud RESULTS: We found that WNV infection in mosquitoes, corvids, and humans was spatially clustered and statistically associated with CSO-affected streams. WNV infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus was significantly higher in CSO compared with non-CSO streams, and WNV infection rates among humans and corvids were significantly associated with proximity to CSO-affected streams, the extent of tree cover, and median household income.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS: Our study strongly suggests that CSO-affected streams are significant sources of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes that may facilitate WNV transmission to humans within urban environments. Our findings may have direct implications for the surveillance and control of WNV in other urban centers that continue to use CSO systems as a waste management practice

New theropod dinosaur teeth from the Middle Jurassic of the Isle of Skye, Scotland

Appendix 3:Datasets of theropod crown measurements used in the discriminant analysis and result of the discriminant analysis. The Excel sheet includes an updated version of Hendrickx et al.'s (2015) dataset as well as Smith and Lamanna's (2006) and Gerke and Wings' (2016) datasets of theropod crown measurements, all used in the discriminant analysis

Phage Therapy and Photodynamic Therapy: Low Environmental Impact Approaches to Inactivate Microorganisms in Fish Farming Plants

Owing to the increasing importance of aquaculture to compensate for the progressive worldwide reduction of natural fish and to the fact that several fish farming plants often suffer from heavy financial losses due to the development of infections caused by microbial pathogens, including multidrug resistant bacteria, more environmentally-friendly strategies to control fish infections are urgently needed to make the aquaculture industry more sustainable. The aim of this review is to briefly present the typical fish farming diseases and their threats and discuss the present state of chemotherapy to inactivate microorganisms in fish farming plants as well as to examine the new environmentally friendly approaches to control fish infection namely phage therapy and photodynamic antimicrobial therapy

Formulation and Bioequivalence Testing of Fixed-Dose Combination Orally Disintegrating Tablets for the Treatment of Tuberculosis in the Paediatric Population

Tuberculosis (TB) is believed to affect around 10 million people worldwide. Treatment for TB includes isoniazid and rifampicin, with fixed-dose combination (FDC) recommended for improved patient compliance. Similarly, orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are an increasingly popular dosage form that aid compliance since they do not require swallowing. In this study ODTs of isoniazid and rifampicin, either as discrete or FDC doses, were formulated and bioequivalence between single and combination doses compared using in vitro and in silico approaches. Dissolution profiles were compared using FDA advised difference (f 1) and similarity (f 2) testing in biorelevant media. Rifampicin release from FDCs decreased by approximately 15% in fed-state media (failed f 1 and f 2), which was attributed to enhanced rifampicin degradation in the presence of isoniazid at lower pH. Apparent permeability (P app) values derived from Caco-2 transport studies were included alongside dissolution results into a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, to simulate in vivo bioavailability in healthy subjects. Models showed no difference in bioavailability between formulations or dosing (fasted or fed) state, despite the failures in dissolution-based bioequivalence testing, highlighting shortcomings in f 1 and f 2 assessment and the strength of PBPK models

Estabilidade em armazenamento da carne de tilápia-do-nilo mecanicamente separada, lavada, adicionada de conservantes e congelada

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência do processo de lavagem e da adição de eritorbato de sódio e tripolifosfato de sódio na estabilidade de carne mecanicamente separada (CMS), obtida a partir de resíduos da filetagem de tilápia-do-nilo (Oreochromis niloticus). Foram avaliados quatro tratamentos, em triplicata: CMS, lavada ou não e armazenada, com ou sem a adição de conservantes, durante 180 dias de armazenamento a -18ºC. Para a avaliação da estabilidade, foram realizadas análises microbiológicas de nitrogênio não proteico, bases nitrogenadas voláteis, oxidação lipídica pelo índice de Tbars, valor de pH e perda de líquido por descongelamento ("drip"). O processo de lavagem elevou o teor de umidade e diminuiu os teores de proteína bruta, lipídios e cinzas na CMS, bem como os níveis de nitrogênio não proteico, bases nitrogenadas voláteis e oxidação lipídica após a lavagem. Durante o armazenamento, não foram detectadas diferenças nos teores de nitrogênio não proteico, pH e "drip", mas houve aumento nos valores de bases nitrogenadas voláteis. O processo de lavagem favorece a estabilidade da CMS de tilápia, e a adição de tripolifosfato e eritorbato de sódio reduz a oxidação lipídica do produto não lavado