Given the common factor between conditioning protocols was repeated, high-intensity TMS, further experiments were performed to characterize this repetitive TMS (rTMS) protocol. In experiment 2, an intensity dependence of the rTMS protocol was revealed by a lack of change in MEPs elicited after repetitive low-intensity TMS (0.1 Hz; p=0.37). In experiment 3, MEP recruitment curve and paired pulse analyses showed that the high-intensity rTMS protocol increased MEPs over a range of stimulus intensities but that effects were not accompanied by changes in intracortical inhibition or facilitation (p>0.12). These experiments reveal a novel high-intensity, low-frequency rTMS protocol for enhancing corticospinal excitability.Aim To explore the reported diet of Australians with chronic pain and their perceived role of food within their pain experience. Methods A cross-sectional study of 50 participants reporting chronic pain was undertaken using pain and nutritional questionnaires as well as anthropometric measures. Results Participants rated their diet between 'good' and 'excellent' (76%) and one that promoted well-being (62%), however 74% were overweight or obese (average BMI 30) with multiple co-morbidities. There was no correlation between measures of dietary adherence and knowledge with reported pain. Conclusion Participants generally reported their diets to be good, however, this was not reflected in their habitual diet. There was a low perceived role of food altering pain perception.The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 is a genetically validated target for pain; pharmacological blockers are promising as a new class of nonaddictive therapeutics. The search for Nav1.7 subtype selective inhibitors requires a reliable, scalable, and sensitive assay. Previously, we developed an all-optical electrophysiology (Optopatch) Spiking HEK platform to study activity-dependent modulation of Nav1.7 in a format compatible with high-throughput screening. In this study, we benchmarked the Optopatch Spiking HEK assay with an existing validated automated electrophysiology assay on the IonWorks Barracuda (IWB) platform. In a pilot screen of 3520 compounds, which included compound plates from a random library as well as compound plates enriched for Nav1.7 inhibitors, the Optopatch Spiking HEK assay identified 174 hits, of which 143 were confirmed by IWB. The Optopatch Spiking HEK assay maintained the high reliability afforded by traditional fluorescent assays and further demonstrated comparable sensitivity to IWB measurements.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sn-011-gun35901.html  We speculate that the Optopatch assay could provide an affordable high-throughput screening platform to identify novel Nav1.7 subtype selective inhibitors with diverse mechanisms of action, if coupled with a multiwell parallel optogenetic recording instrument.Many healthcare workers are "on the road" traveling to and from fixed sites (eg, patients'/clients' homes). Qualitative interviews with nine Nova Scotian managers of mobile healthcare workers explored the conditions of workers' travel. Findings highlight challenges such as changing schedules, as well as positive features including flexibility over the travel schedule. Some managers noted worker mobility-related responsibilities including having to decide if travel is too dangerous due to poor weather. A few managers suggested that workers may not receive adequate economic reimbursement for travel costs (eg, wear and tear on vehicle), and in some instances, workers need to use a benefit (eg, vacation day) or are not paid if they cannot drive due to poor weather. Reported organizational supports for workers' travel were variable. This research indicates a need for supportive mobility-related policies and practices across all organizations, including policies that cover economic costs related to travel for all workers.Introduction Pharmacotherapy is a useful adjunct when patients with obesity are unable to achieve adequate benefit from lifestyle interventions.Areas covered This review covers the history of antiobesity drugs, efficacy, and risks of currently approved drugs, limits of their usefulness in clinical practice, gaps in knowledge, methodological limitations of clinical trials, and reasons for underutilization.Expert opinion In randomized controlled trials, currently approved antiobesity drugs have yielded an average weight loss ranging from approximately 3% to 9% relative to placebo at 1 year. Inadequate inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities and men, and high dropout rates in clinical trials limit generalizability of these findings to clinical practice. Weight loss achieved with antiobesity drugs is generally associated with lowered glycemia, but improvements in blood pressure and lipid measures tend to be marginal. There is limited evidence for sustained weight loss beyond 1 year and for safety and efficacy of antiobesity drugs in children and adolescents, and in post-bariatric surgery patients. None have demonstrated reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events or other significant disease outcomes. Limited health insurance coverage and negative perceptions of physicians have hindered the utilization of antiobesity drugs.Introduction Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly lethal disease. During the past 20 years, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been a relevant target for anticancer drug-design, and a large family of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) were designed, which improved therapeutic outcomes compared to conventional chemotherapy in NSCLC patients with specific EGFR mutations. However, resistance to these inhibitors occurs; therefore, the debate on which inhibitor should be used first is still open. Dacomitinib was approved in 2018 for the first-line treatment of NSCLC with EGFR activating mutations.Areas covered This manuscript reviews the properties of dacomitinib, including the current information from clinical trials and its potential application as stand-alone therapy, or in combination.Expert opinion Dacomitinib is a second-generation EGFR-TKI that has demonstrated significant improvement in overall survival in a phase III randomized study compared with gefitinib, a first-generation TKI.