cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resolving disease management problems in European-American and Latino couples with type 2 diabetes: the effects of ethnicity and patient gender.

The management of type 2 diabetes requires major life style changes. How patients and family members resolve disagreements about disease management affects how well the disease is managed over time. Our goal was to identify differences in how couples resolved disagreements about diabetes management based on ethnicity and patient gender. We recruited 65 Latino and 110 European-American (EA) couples in which one spouse had type 2 diabetes. Couples participated in a 10-minute videotaped, revealed differences interaction task that was evaluated with 7 reliable observer ratings: warm-engagement, hostility, avoidance, amount of conflict resolution, off-task behavior, patient dominance, and dialogue. A series of 2 × 2, Ethnicity × Sex ANOVAs indicated significant effects for Ethnicity and for the Ethnicity × Sex interaction, but not for Sex. Latino couples were rated as significantly more emotionally close, less avoidant, less hostile toward each other, and had less dominant patients than EA couples; however, Latino couples achieved significantly less problem resolution and were more frequently off-task than EA couples. These findings were qualified by patient gender. The findings highlight important differences in how couples manage diabetes based on ethnicity and patient gender, and suggest that effective family-based programs of intervention must take both characteristics into account.
Modeling of acoustic noise attenuation by the use of composites

The mechanism that causes noise reduction by means of composites is found to be conversion of acoustic to thermal energy as sound waves reverberate against walls of tiny voids in the composite materials. Experimental work is reviewed, and acoustic transmission functions are posed. Transmission loss is described using electrical analogies and classical wave theory. State variable and computer-aided design models that will analyze and predict the noise environment are described. The state variable model is appropriate if the number of state variables can be reduced and if the interdependence of state derivatives with state and control variables can be ascertained. The attenuation process is found to be composite-material-dependent and composite-dimension-dependent. >
Development and Characterization of a Magnetically Agitated Photocatalytic Reactor for Water Recovery

NASA has identified a number of water treatment options that have shown promise in space. The water recovery system on any particular mission will be a collection of individual treatment units, with each treatment unit focusing on a select group of contaminants. The project objective has been to develop a microgravity-compatible, compact post processor based on magnetic agitation that is safe and reliable and that provides product water that meets or exceeds NASA's potable water quality requirements. The micron-sized magnetic photocatalytic particles have been proven durable and capable of oxidizing synthetic organic chemicals. The reactor has been optimized with respect to agitation frequency (50 Hz), UV wavelength (312 nm), and geometry (circular coiled reactor cell).
Beyond yields: Climate change effects on specialty crop quality and agroecological management

Climate change is impacting the sustainability of food systems through shifts in natural and human dimensions of agroecosystems that influence farmer livelihoods, consumer choices, and food security. This paper highlights the need for climate studies on specialty crops to focus not only on yields, but also on quality, as well as the ability of agroecological management to buffer climate effects on quality parameters. Crop quality refers to phytonutrient and secondary metabolite profiles and associated health and sensory properties that influence consumer buying decisions. Through two literature reviews, we provide examples of specialty crops that are vulnerable to climate effects on quality and examples of climate-resilient agroecological strategies. A range of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, stimulants, and herbs were identified to respond to climate variables with changes in quality. The review on climate-resilient strategies to mitigate effects on crop quality highlighted a major gap in the literature. However, agricultural diversification emerged as a promising strategy for climate resilience more broadly and highlights the need for future research to assess the potential of diversified agroecosystems to buffer climate effects on crop quality. We integrate the concepts from our literature review within a socio-ecological systems framework that takes into account feedbacks between crop quality, consumer responses, and agroecosystem management. The presented framework is especially useful for two themes in agricultural development and marketing, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and terroir, for informing the design of climate-change resilient specialty crop systems focused on management of quality and other ecosystem services towards promoting environmental and human wellbeing.
Trauma coping self-efficacy: a context-specific self-efficacy measure for traumatic stress

OBJECTIVE: The psychometric properties of a Trauma Coping Self-Efficacy (CSE-T) scale that assesses general trauma-related coping self-efficacy perceptions were assessed. METHOD: Measurement equivalence was assessed using several different samples: hospitalized trauma patients (n₁ = 74, n₂ = 69, n₃ = 60), 3 samples of disaster survivors (n₁ = 273, n₂ = 227, n₃ = 138), and trauma-exposed college students (N = 242). This is the first multisample evaluation of the psychometric properties for a general trauma-related CSE measure. RESULTS: Results showed that a brief and parsimonious 9-item version of the CSE performed well across the samples with a robust factor structure; factor structure and factor loadings were similar across study samples. DISCUSSION: The 9-item scale CSE-T demonstrated measurement equivalence across samples indicating that the underlying concept of general posttraumatic CSE is organized in a similar manner in the different trauma-exposed groups. These results offer strong support for cross-event construct validity of the CSE-T scale. Associations of the CSE-T with important expected covariates showed significant evidence for convergent validity. Finally, discriminant validity was also supported. Replication of the factor structure, internal reliability, and other evidence for construct validity is a critical next step for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record Language: en
Research on key technologies of the IPv4/IPv6 hybrid network

In the IPv4address resources exhausted background,from IPv4 to IPv6 transition into the inevitable trend of the network developing.IPv6as a new generation of Internet protocol solves the problem of IPv4address range.But at present many network and application are based on the IPv4 protocol,network protocol there are inevitably two kinds.This paper analyzes the IPv6 core technology,and described the IPv4to IPv6 transition mixed networking technology and methods;finally through the 6to4technology on IPv4and IPv6 mixed under the environment of the network experiment.
Causative Analysis of Nursing Disputes and It's Precaution measures

Objective:To study the causes and precausion of nursing disputes.Methods:The causes of nursing disputes which happened during the past ten years were analysed and summarized.Results:The main causes leading to nursing disputes include service idea,law knowledge,nursing skill,nursing administration,medical cost.Conclusions : Improving the service and nursing quality is an effective method to prevent nursing disputes.
Assessment by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of whether sperm-associated immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA occur on the same sperm population

Two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorting of antisperm antibody-positive sperm was used to detect simultaneously the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG antisperm antibodies associated in vivo on a man's sperm. Sperm positive for sperm-associated Ig were analyzed using phycoerythrin-conjugated antihuman IgA and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated antihuman IgG; up to 87% of the same spermatozoa were stained with both labels. Sperm positive for only one of the antisperm antibody isotypes stained up to 90% of a man's sperm with only one fluorochrome. Immunocytochemistry studies revealed similar patterns of sperm binding for sperm-associated IgG and IgA. These results suggest that the sperm antigenic determinants reacting with antisperm IgA and IgG are present on the same sperm population at similar locations on the sperm surface.
Counseling and interventions to prevent tobacco use and tobacco-caused disease in adults and pregnant women.

Case study: A young married couple visits your office for their initial prenatal visit. They each smoke one pack of cigarettes daily.
Cost of Purchased Versus Produced Plasma from Donor Recruitment Through Transfusion.

Plasma is used to treat acquired coagulopathy or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or to reverse warfarin effect. Scant data are available, however, about its costs. To estimate total costs of plasma from production through administration, from the perspective of a US hospital blood donor center (BDC). Six sequential decision analytic models were constructed and informed by primary and secondary data on time, tasks, personnel, and supplies for donation, processing, and administration. Expected values of the models were summed to yield the BDC’s total cost of producing, preparing, and transfusing plasma. Costs ($US 2015) are reported for a typical patient using three units of plasma. Models assume plasma was obtained from whole blood donation and transfused in an inpatient setting. Univariate sensitivity analyses were performed to test the impact of changing inputs for personnel costs and adverse event (AE) rates and costs. BDC production cost of plasma was $91.24/patient ($30.41/unit), a $30.16/patient savings versus purchased plasma. Administration and monitoring costs totaled $194.64/patient. Sensitivity analyses indicated that modifying BDC personnel costs during donation and processing has little impact on total plasma costs. However, the probability and cost of transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) have a significant impact on costs. Plasma produced by our BDC may be less costly than purchased plasma. Though plasma processes have multiple tasks involving staff time, these are not the largest cost driver. Major plasma-related AEs are uncommon, but are the biggest driver of total plasma costs.
Introduction: The Hedgehog is Embarrassed by his Riches

The current eruption of political correctness on college campuses, as illustrated by the denunciation of Halloween costumes as vehicles for “cultural appropriation,” has even liberals saying that people have lost their minds. They are correct. This book is an exploration of the development of this madness.
Experimental validation of ray tracing as a means of image-based visual discomfort prediction

Abstract Image-based visual discomfort analysis has strong potential to detect glare in order to predict occupant satisfaction with a space. However, in order to design buildings with occupant visual comfort in mind, architects need the ability to predict glare through renderings, rather than photographs. In this paper, we compare glare measurements from high dynamic range photographs and computer renderings of the same daylit space under 240 clear and 38 cloudy sky conditions in order to assess how accurately architects can predict glare though simulation. We use two ray tracing engines, R adiance and Accelerad, on scenes illuminated by a mathematically defined sky model or by recorded outdoor luminance levels from photographs. Depending on the scene, these methods predict daylight glare probability levels due to bright sources with between 93% and 99% accuracy and discomfort glare due to contrast with between 71% and 99% accuracy. Glare predictions are more sensitive to modeling and measurement accuracy than to simulation parameters, so accurate results can come from relatively fast simulations. Furthermore, with graphics acceleration, we are able to produce accurate glare predictions within minutes using Accelerad, achieving a speedup over R adiance of between 16 and 44 times.
Metal Artifact Reduction and 3D CT Imaging After Joint Replacement of the Shoulder

Advanced 3D CT imaging of the shoulder using metal artifact reduction techniques have been developed and validated in pre-clinical and patient population using microscribe and RSA techniques. These studies demonstrate these methods to be highly accurate and reproducible in the measurement of implant position and implant migrations. 3D CT imaging is being used to study the anatomic and clinical factors associated with glenoid implant loosening. This imaging modality does not require marker based image registration and utilizes imaging equipment that is readily available in the clinical setting.
Realizing Improvement through Team Empowerment (RITE): A Team-based, Project-based Multidisciplinary Improvement Program

Performance improvement in a complex health care environment depends on the cooperation of diverse individuals and groups, allocation of time and resources, and use of effective improvement methods. To address this challenge, we developed an 18-week multidisciplinary training program that would also provide a vehicle for effecting needed improvements, by using a team- and project-based model. The program began in the radiology department and subsequently expanded to include projects from throughout the medical center. Participants were taught a specific method for team-based problem solving, which included (a) articulating the problem, (b) observing the process, (c) analyzing possible causes of problems, (d) identifying key drivers, (e) testing and refining interventions, and (f) providing for sustainment of results. Progress was formally reviewed on a weekly basis. A total of 14 teams consisting of 78 participants completed the course in two cohorts; one project was discontinued. All completed projects resulted in at least modest improvement. Mean skill scores increased from 2.5/6 to 4.5/6 (P < .01), and the mean satisfaction score was 4.7/5. Identified keys to success include (a) engagement of frontline staff, (b) teams given authority to make process changes, (c) capable improvement coaches, (d) a physician-director with improvement expertise and organizational authority, (e) capable administrative direction, (f) supportive organizational leaders, (g) weekly progress reviews, (h) timely educational material, (i) structured problem-solving methods, and ( j ) multiple projects working simultaneously. The purpose of this article is to review the program, including the methods and results, and discuss perceived keys to program success. © RSNA, 2016.
Making the leap from science to implementation: Strategic agricultural conservation in Michigan's Saginaw Bay watershed

Abstract There is growing evidence that addressing nonpoint source pollution within intensely agricultural regions of the Great Lakes will require innovative solutions to achieve meaningful ecological outcomes. Recognizing this, a broad coalition of partners is collaborating across Michigan's Saginaw Bay watershed to develop and test innovative approaches to achieve the vision of Strategic Agricultural Conservation. The strategy focuses on using science, technology, and new ways of incentivizing practices and delivering services to producers to address challenges and barriers to Strategic Agricultural Conservation. It uses science to model relations between conservation actions, water quality and fish community health, allowing the coalition to establish realistic ecological outcomes and both short and long-term implementation goals at a variety of scales. It uses a decision tool and pay-for-performance methods to strategically target conservation practices and increase their efficiency. It uses nontraditional partners to help increase the ability to engage landowners and streamlined the application process to help increase landowner participation. Finally, it uses secure, privacy respecting, methods to track practices and progress towards short and long-term goals. Herein we present three case studies that demonstrate the practical application of this strategy including developing and testing new innovative conservation programs across the Saginaw Bay watershed. The success of this work will ultimately be determined by a variety of factors that affect conservation at landscape scales. However, what is clear is that without the science and complementary decision tool, this collaborative adaptive management approach would be impossible to implement across such a large geography.
Traumatic brain injury and PTSD symptoms as a consequence of intimate partner violence

Abstract Objective To effectively diagnose and treat women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), it is important to identify the full range of physical and mental health consequences, including hidden wounds such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We aimed to identify the occurrence of IPV-related TBI and associated PTSD symptoms among women veterans who experienced IPV. Methods A web-based survey was administered in 2014 to a national sample of U.S. women veterans. Among 411 respondents (75% participation rate), 55% reported IPV during their lives. These participants (N = 224) completed screening measures of IPV-related TBI, PTSD, and past-year IPV and comprised the current sample. Results A total of 28.1% (n = 63) met criteria for IPV-related TBI history, and 12.5% (n = 28) met criteria for IPV-related TBI with current symptoms. When adjusting for race, income, and past-year IPV, women with IPV-related TBI with current symptoms were 5.9 times more likely to have probable IPV-related PTSD than those with no IPV-related TBI history. Despite symptom overlap between TBI and PTSD, women with IPV-related TBI with current symptoms were significantly more likely to meet criteria for all four DSM- 5 PTSD symptom clusters compared to women with an IPV-related TBI history without current symptoms (Cramer's V′s = .34–.42). Conclusion Findings suggest there may be clinical utility in screening women who experience lifetime IPV for both TBI and PTSD symptoms in order to help clinicians better target their examinations, treatment, and referrals.
Parasitism finds many solutions to the same problems in red algae (Florideophyceae, Rhodophyta)

Parasitic red algae evolve from a common ancestor with their hosts, parasitizing cousins using familiar cellular mechanisms. They have independently evolved over one hundred times within the exclusively multicellular red algal class Florideophyceae. Reduced morphology, a lack of pigmentation, and direct cell-cell connections with their hosts are markers of red algal parasitism. With so many potential evolutionary pathways, red algal parasite diversity offers a unique test case to understand the earliest stages of this lifestyle transition. Molecular and morphological investigations led to the categorization of these parasites based on their relationship to their host. "Adelphoparasites" are phylogenetically close to their hosts, often infecting a sister species, whereas "alloparasites" are more distantly related to their hosts. The differentiation of these parasites, based on their phylogenetic relationship to their host, has resulted in a simplified classification of these parasites that may not reflect the many evolutionary pathways they take to arrive at a similar endpoint. Accordingly, many parasites fall into a gray area between adelphoparasite and alloparasite definitions, challenging the established features we use to classify them. Molecular phylogenetic research has been essential in identifying gaps in knowledge, but microscopy needs to be reincorporated in order to address red algal parasite developmental variation to establish a new paradigm. The joint utilization of molecular and microscopic methods will be critical in identifying the genomic and physiological traits of both nascent and well-established parasites.
Predictors of Child Maltreatment Potential in a National Sample of Mothers of Young Children

ABSTRACTAlthough previous studies have furthered our broad ability to predict child maltreatment potential, young children remain at the highest risk for experiencing maltreatment. Thus, several variables of relevance for this population were examined. A national community sample of 158 mothers with young children between ages 1.5 and 5 years rated their young children’s temperament as well as their own temperament, emotion regulation, stress, coping, and child maltreatment potential. Young children’s mood quality as well as mothers’ mood quality, flexibility/rigidity, emotion dysregulation, parenting stress, cumulated severity of stress, and emotion-focused coping added unique incremental variance to the prediction of child maltreatment potential, accounting for 67% of the variance overall. Further, mothers’ emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between mothers’ flexibility/rigidity and child maltreatment potential. Consequently, emotion regulation skills represent an important point of interve...
Spatial and temporal analysis of energy use data in Los Angeles public schools

School buildings are significant energy consumers. They are important targets for energy efficiency improvements, which can reduce energy spending and meet energy policy goals for state and federal governments. In the US, few studies have quantified electricity and natural gas consumption patterns in schools. Such information vitally supports energy planning and benchmarking. We present an analysis of high-detail electricity and natural gas consumption for schools in Los Angeles County over an extended period of time. Using a robust database of monthly account-level consumption, we examine electricity and natural gas consumption trends for hundreds of schools in relation to key structural and categorical characteristics, including size, geography, and school type. Results show that school energy use varies greatly across socio-demographic, structural, and climate factors. Correlations between electricity and natural gas consumption are time dependent and seasonally distinct. The analysis provides a useful case study with benchmarks for US public schools and demonstrates challenges with devising large-scale studies of school energy use. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications.
Spontaneous and feedback-induced post-decision restructuring of decision aspects among experienced and novice external auditors

This study explores feedback-induced and spontaneous postdecision restructuring in a complex decision environment. We examine the impact of experience, decision norms, and the actual decision on postdecision restructuring tendencies. Experienced and novice auditors performed an aspect rating task as part of a going concern judgment. After a break, all participants were asked to recreate their decision stage aspect ratings, but only the experiment group received outcome feedback. We find that the restructuring tendencies are impacted primarily by experience and the original audit report choice. The post-decision restructuring more often than not is a result of adjustments made by participants lacking outcome feedback. This spontaneous defense is particularly vigorous when the report choice violates perceived experience-group norms and base-rates
Napier’s Wonderful Logarithms

The late sixteenth century was an age of numerical computation, as developments in astronomy and navigation called for increasingly accurate and lengthy trigonometric computations. Georg Joachim Rheticus (1514–1576) began the computation of a great collection of 15-place trigonometric tables which were completed and published by Otho in 1596 and by Pitiscus in 1613. The urgent need, for some device to shorten the labor of tedious multiplications and divisions with many decimal places, was met through the invention of logarithms by Napier and others around the turn of the seventeenth century.
Profit System Models of the Corporate Sector

This chapter applies the profit system model to the US corporate sector. The US corporate sector produced more than 75 percent of the output of the US business sector and about 60 percent of the US GDP in recent years. Like the aggregate business sector model in Chapter 3, estimated corporate sector models can be used for (1) forecasting the volumes of output and capital stock as well as profit rates, profit margins, and aggregate profits in the corporate sector; (2) macroeconomic policy analysis; and (3) business cycle analysis. However, here we focus on the aggregate profit of the corporate sector. The aggregate profit of the corporate sector is a crucial variable because its level and growth rate have important implications for market economies. Higher growth rates of aggregate corporate profits suggest that more business investments are passing the market tests of profitability. The historical simulation of aggregate corporate profit provides insights into its long-run path based on the values of fundamental variables, such as sales, capital stocks, profit rates, and profit margins. When aggregate corporate profit is discounted using an appropriate capitalization rate, the result is the total market valuation of aggregate corporate stocks. Chapter 6 extends the analyses to this stock market application.
The Contracting/Producing Ambiguity and Collapse of the Means/Ends Distinction in Employment

The principal source of instability in the employment/non-employment distinction is neither imprecision in the legal tests nor the disjuncture between static legal categories and the changing organization of work away from industrial forms since the 1970s. Rather, it is the contradiction between equality and servitude embedded within the employment contract. The employment contract in the United States is a product of the 19th century incorporation of master-servant status relations into contracts for labor services. The legal rendering of master servant authority as "contract" collapses a fundamental distinction on which contemporary decisionmakers rely to differentiate employment from other work relationships — the distinction between whether the alleged employer has a right to control the "means and manner" of the work — the process, as opposed to only a right to control the "ends" of the work — the product. It creates an ambiguity in employment between contracting (regarding the ends) and production (the means), or between contractual formation and performance. One manifestation of the collapse of the means/ends distinction due to the contradiction between servitude and equality in employment is judicial discord over the phenomenon of upfront contractual specification (UCS). In several legal disputes over whether certain work relationships are "employment" relationships, the written contract governing the work includes detailed and somewhat comprehensive rules. The alleged employer claims that the contractual rules describe the "results" and not the "work." It may even suggest that the rules are probative of non-employment, because they limit its authority. The workers claim that the contractual rules are an exercise of control over their work, thus demonstrating an employment relationship. The contracting/producing ambiguity poses intractable interpretative problems when evaluating claims of control over the work relationship based on UCS.The contracting/producing ambiguity is constant and permanent. The distinction between employment and non-employment depends on the institutionalization of employment as a social practice. Legal decisionmakers help to stabilize the distinction by constructing institutional markers that signify employment or non-employment, such as the bureaucratic and temporal markers of industrial work. The article proposes that decisionmakers often construct and interpose the written contract, and practice of signing it, as an institutional referent that signifies non-employment by purporting to separate contracting from producing and to defend a sphere of independence in production.
Food Safety Knowledge and Eating Behaviors in Low Income Adults Participating in SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education in DC Farmers Markets (P04-084-19)

Farmers Markets are a valuable source of affordable quality foods for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. However, according to a study in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, farmers markets increase the number of foodborne illnesses. Low-income individuals are at the highest risk of foodborne illnesses and is thought to be related to poor food safety knowledge and limited food preparation skills. Reduced produce consumption has also been indicated in low-income populations. Produce is a major source of foodborne illnesses. Therefore, in addition to increasing access to produce, efforts must be made to ensure that consumers practice proper food safety. The purposes of this study were to 1) assess the food safety knowledge of farmers-market consumers in low-income neighborhoods, 2) their likelihood to use food assistance benefits, 3) consume produce and 4) cook a recipe provided by a SNAP-Ed program. In 2018, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) SNAP-Ed nutrition educators delivered nutrition and food safety education in 17 DC Farmers Markets located in low-income communities. 822 subjects completed a 3 question post-assessment on eating behaviors and of those, 669 participated in an additional 2 question survey on food safety. The results show that after the education, 99.0% plan on eating more produce; 95.6% of participants plan to cook the provided recipe; and 92.7% will use SNAP, WIC, Produce Plus or Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program benefits at the Farmers’ Market that day. Additionally, 92.8% think that contamination of food by germs is a serious food safety problem, and 94.3% wash or rinse fresh produce purchased at the Farmers’ Market prior to consumption. Majority of low-income farmers market participants had general food safety knowledge and planned on consuming more produce, use food assistance benefits and try a new recipe. Further research is necessary to assess food safety knowledge of other domains and identify the impact of SNAP-Ed food safety education on behavior change. This project was funded through money appropriated by Congress through the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 to states for evidence-based nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions and projects.
Drug-Induced Hypertension

Untoward side effects of pharmaceuticals can result in considerable morbidity and expense to the health care system. There is likely a sizable fraction of the hypertensive population with disease either induced or exacerbated by polypharmacy. The elevation of blood pressure in drug-induced hypertension occurs through a variety of mechanisms, most notably, sodium and fluid retention, activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, alteration of vascular tone, or a combination of these pathways. Recognition of common medications causing drug-induced hypertension is important to effectively control blood pressure. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of these agents are discussed.
Variational Schrieffer-Wolff transformations for quantum many-body dynamics

Building on recent results for adiabatic gauge potentials, we propose a variational approach for computing the generator of Schrieffer-Wolff transformations. These transformations consist of block diagonalizing a Hamiltonian through a unitary rotation, which leads to effective dynamics in a computationally tractable reduced Hilbert space. The generators of these rotations are computed variationally and thus go beyond standard perturbative methods, with error controlled by the locality of the variational ansatz. The method is demonstrated on two models. First, in the attractive Fermi-Hubbard model with onsite disorder, we find indications of a lack of observable many-body localization in the thermodynamic limit due to the inevitable mixture of different spinon sectors. Second, in the low-energy sector of the XY spin model with a broken U(1) symmetry, we analyze ground-state response functions by combining the variational Schrieffer-Wolf transformation with the truncated spectrum approach.
Engineering Chaperones for Alzheimer’s Disease: Insights from Drosophila Models

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are involved in proper folding of nascent proteins along with re-folding of misfolded proteins and degradation of proteinaceous aggregates. Among these, the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) plays important neuroprotective roles in several CNS proteinopathies including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Interestingly, Hsp70 can bind and refold a wide repertoire of substrates in vitro. However, in the context of living organisms, the ability of this chaperone to interact with misfolded substrates depends on their subcellular localization. To bypass this limitation, and to specifically target extracellular deposition of amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) in vivo, we recently created a secreted version of Hsp70 (secHsp70) upon genetic engineering with signal peptides. Thus, in this chapter, we will review the protective effects of secHsp70 in a Drosophila model of AD expressing extracellular Aβ42. Special emphasis will be placed in the robust protection of secHsp70 against Aβ42 aggregation, neurodegeneration and memory impairments relative to the wild-type version of the chaperone. The successful targeting of secHsp70 against Aβ42-related phenotypes in the fly CNS suggests that this approach could be expanded to other extracellular amyloids. Therefore, we anticipate that additional chaperones engineered with different subcellular localization signals will provide new therapeutic insights for AD and related disorders.
P039 A central reference laboratory for antimicrobial resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae in the us department of defense

Background Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) Neisseria gonorrhoeae has emerged as a global public health concern. Widespread resistance to all known antibiotics prescribed for treatment greatly hinders prevention, control, and management of gonorrhea. Misuse of antibiotics and substandard antibiotic quality and dosing have contributed to the threat of untreatable gonorrhea. As a globally deployed force, the U.S. military is vulnerable to diminished operational capability and readiness as this threat looms overhead. Methods The need for rapid, timely, and actionable information for force health protection precipitated the establishment of the Department of Defense (DoD) Gonococcal (GC) Reference Laboratory and Repository in 2011. The aims of the Reference Laboratory are to monitor trends in AMR GC through confirmatory identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and advanced molecular characterization, and to improve N. gonorrhoeae culture capability at international DoD surveillance sites. To our knowledge, this is the only global AMR GC surveillance program led by a military organization. Results Gonococcal surveillance at international DoD sites is conducted at partner military medical centers, private medical clinics, and U.S. government-sponsored care clinics. Laboratories currently submitting isolates include: AFRIMS (Bangkok, Thailand); NAMRU-3 (Accra, Ghana); NAMRU-6 (Lima, Peru); USAMRD-G (Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia); and USAMRD-A (Nairobi, Kenya). To date, 436 presumptive isolates have been shipped, from which 247 isolates were confirmed as N. gonorrhoeae. Resistance is commonly observed in these isolates, particularly with respect to tetracycline, penicillin, and ciprofloxacin. Of greater concern, reduced susceptibility to azithromycin (MIC ≥ 0.125 µg/mL) and cefixime (MIC ≥ 0.06 µg/mL) have been observed. Conclusion The risk of AMR GC and the associated loss of convenient outpatient therapy is of great concern to the military medical community. Comparable data across geographically distinct regions is essential for monitoring AMR GC and implementing appropriate countermeasures in locations where service members are or could be deployed. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Pharmacokinetics of Alemtuzumab in Pediatric Patients Undergoing T-Cell Depleted Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT)

Introduction Haploidentical HCT is a viable option for patients with hematological malignancies who do not have a matched donor available. However, the presence of HLA-mismatch can be associated with increased risk of donor graft rejection, graft versus host disease (GVHD), infections due to delayed immune reconstitution and regimen-related toxicity. Methods We used alemtuzumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD52, for in vivo depletion of host and donor T cells - as CD52 is predominantly expressed in T cells. Recipients also received donor grafts that underwent ex vivo T-cell depletion (immunomagnetic depletion of CD3+ cells). The objective of this study is to study the pharmacokinetics of alemtuzumab in pediatric patients with hematological malignancies undergoing T-cell depleted haploidentical HCT, and to identify factors that might be associated with differences in drug exposure. Alemtuzumab was administered as described in Table 1, and levels were checked at days -10, -8, -3, and weeks 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 from serum samples of 13 patients. A compartmental pharmacokinetic model was fit to the data using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Results Out of the thirteen patients, twelve engrafted neutrophils at a median of day +11 and platelets at a median of day +15. Seven patients were alive one year after transplant. Our cohort included one primary and one secondary graft failure, three relapses and six patients who had grade II-IV acute GVHD. In addition, seven patients experienced mixed chimerism, and required donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) for correction. The median (range) clearance (ml/day/m2) and area under the curve (AUC) (µg*day/mL) were 255 (211, 600) and 117.1 (28.1, 165.4), respectively. The median serum level on day –3 was 3.8 µg/mL. 77% of the patients had detectable levels as late as week 4 and the median (range) half-life was 11 days (4.3, 12.9). Clearance increased with age, weight, and serum creatinine (p Conclusion While our study is limited by small sample size, to our knowledge this is the first pharmacokinetic study of alemtuzumab in pediatric haploidentical transplant patients using a body surface area dosing strategy.
Housing Price Dynamics within the U.S.: Evidence from Zip Codes with Different Demographics

We study time-series fluctuations in the United States housing market from 2010 to 2019 using the Gordon growth model. We apply a vector autoregressive model (VAR) with fixed coefficients to measure expectations at each point in time. Our results show that, using zip code level data, we are able to explain the broad movements in housing volatility with higher prediction power compared to previous studies. Using variance decomposition analysis, we find that the housing premium is the main driver of housing market fluctuations. Motivated by previous studies and using impulse response functions, we show how different components of the housing market respond over time to a shock in the interest rate in regions with different levels of income or demographics. Our findings suggest that the impact of monetary policy is bigger in the U.S. housing market when households have less income, more female members, more African Americans, or less well-educated members; a combination of these demographics and lower income in households results in a bigger impact of monetary policy in housing market, due to the necessity of housing for these families.
State handgun purchase age minimums in the US and adolescent suicide rates: regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences analyses.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the association between US state policies that establish age 18 or 21 years as the minimum purchaser age for the sale of handguns and adolescent suicide rate. Design Regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences analyses. Setting 46 US states without policy changes between 2001 and 2017; Missouri and South Carolina, which lowered the age for handgun sales in 2007 and 2008, respectively; and West Virginia and Wyoming, which increased the age for handgun sales in 2010. Participants Adolescents aged 13 to 20 years(554 461 961 from 2001 to 2017) in the regression discontinuity analysis, and adolescents aged 18 to 20 years (168 934 041 from 2002 to 2014) in the main difference-in-differences analysis. Main outcome measure Suicide rate per 100 000 adolescents. Results In the regression discontinuity analysis, state policies that limited the sale of handguns to those aged 18 or older (relative to 21 or older) were associated with an increase in suicide rate among adolescents aged 18 to 20 years equivalent to 344 additional suicides in each state where they were in place between 2001 and 2017. In the difference-in-differences analysis, state policies that limited the sale of handguns to those aged 21 or older were associated with 1.91 fewer suicides per 100 000 adolescents aged 18 to 20 years (95% confidence interval −3.13 to −0.70, permutation adjusted P=0.025). In the difference-in-differences analysis, there were 1.83 fewer firearm related suicides per 100 000 adolescents (−2.66 to −1.00, permutation adjusted P=0.002), with no association between age 21 handgun sales policies and non-firearm related suicides. Separate event study estimates indicated increases in suicide rates in states that lowered the age of handgun sales, with no association in states that increased the age of handgun sales. Conclusions A clear discontinuity was shown in the suicide rate by age at age 18 in states that limited the sale of handguns to individuals aged 18 or older. State policies to limit the sale of handguns to individuals aged 21 or older were associated with a reduction in suicide rates among adolescents. Increases in suicide rates were observed after states lowered the age of handgun sales, but no effect was found in states that increased the age of handgun sales.
Diverse and unified mechanisms of transcription initiation in bacteria

Transcription of DNA is a fundamental process in all cellular organisms. The enzyme responsible for transcription, RNA polymerase, is conserved in general architecture and catalytic function across the three domains of life. Diverse mechanisms are used among and within the different branches to regulate transcription initiation. Mechanistic studies of transcription initiation in bacteria are especially amenable because the promoter recognition and melting steps are much less complicated than in eukaryotes or archaea. Also, bacteria have critical roles in human health as pathogens and commensals, and the bacterial RNA polymerase is a proven target for antibiotics. Recent biophysical studies of RNA polymerases and their inhibition, as well as transcription initiation and transcription factors, have detailed the mechanisms of transcription initiation in phylogenetically diverse bacteria, inspiring this Review to examine unifying and diverse themes in this process.
MIT: Making use of XR: from Gaming at Home to ICUs at Hospitals to fight COVID-19

Wearable devices like XR glasses and headsets can support medical interventions and prevent the progression of the diseases like dementia, and support patients suffering from ALS, anxiety or depression. Augmenting such headsets with sensors that capture brain activity, heart rate variability or skin conductivity can give access to discovering new biomarkers. These biomarkers help modelling, simulating, and finally offering novel datasets with physiological modalities recorded over extended periods of time on an everyday basis. Moreover, patients are often older adults, frail and reluctant to travel for complex exams in hospitals. Hence remotely deployed wearable systems offer a promising alternative to current practices. An ongoing COVID-19 pandemic only added to the burden of these patients and confirmed a need to accelerate the deployment of such systems for pre-clinical and clinical trials. In this talk we will discuss several examples of these systems as well as touching upon the use cases beyond healthcare.
Effect of temperature on flocking propensity and species interactions in a subtropical mixed-species flocking system

Increased participation in mixed-species flocks is one hypothesized behavioral tactic used by forest birds to adjust to cold temperatures in winter. This phenomenon has been documented in temperate North America, but not at subtropical latitudes where temperatures are less extreme. To understand how temperature structures the size, richness, flocking propensity, and species interactions of subtropical mixed-species flocks, we performed paired mixed-species flock and point count surveys in upland hardwood forests in north-central Florida, USA. We described the composition of 92 mixed-species flocks across a ∼20 °C range of daytime temperatures, using linear mixed models and network analyses to test for effects of temperature. We found that both flock species richness and size were significantly smaller at higher temperatures while statistically controlling for effects of time of day, canopy height, and local site effects. Thirteen of 14 flocking species showed decreases in within-flock abundance with increasing temperature, although this effect was only significant for the nuclear Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). Flock composition and species flocking propensities were less plastic than in temperate systems. By comparing metrics from 7 social networks corresponding to temperature ranges, we found that strength of flocking interactions was lower and that species were significantly less likely to co-occur with similarly foraging species at temperatures above 20 °C. Flocking propensities were lower for many species in the warmest temperature range. Thirteen of 14 species joined flocks in all 7 networks, and dissimilarity of social networks was consequently best explained by changes in species co-occurrence patterns rather than species turnover within flocks. In contrast to boreal flocking systems, changes to flocking behavior were prompted by unseasonably warm weather rather than cold spells, which suggests that warming winter temperatures could lead to breakdown of social behaviors in our system.
Clinical Impact of the Institution of Moses Technology on Efficiency During Retrograde Ureteroscopy for Stone Disease: Single-Center Experience.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical benefits of Moses technology compared to the regular mode with the Lumenis® Pulse™ P120H holmium laser during ureteroscopy for stone disease. Patients and Method...
Supplemental fumigant placement improves root-knot and Fusarium wilt management for tomatoes produced on a raised bed, plasti-culture system in Florida's Myakka fine sand.

Fresh-market tomatoes are produced on a raised-bed, plasti-culture system that relies heavily on soil applied, pre-plant fumigants for the management of soil borne pathogens, nematodes and weeds. S...