cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breed relationships facilitate fine-mapping studies: A 7.8-kb deletion cosegregates with Collie eye anomaly across multiple dog breeds

The features of modern dog breeds that increase the ease of mapping common diseases, such as reduced heterogeneity and extensive linkage disequilibrium, may also increase the difficulty associated with fine mapping and identifying causative mutations. One way to address this problem is by combining data from multiple breeds segregating the same trait after initial linkage has been determined. The multibreed approach increases the number of potentially informative recombination events and reduces the size of the critical haplotype by taking advantage of shortened linkage disequilibrium distances found across breeds. In order to identify breeds that likely share a trait inherited from the same ancestral source, we have used cluster analysis to divide 132 breeds of dog into five primary breed groups. We then use the multibreed approach to fine-map Collie eye anomaly (cea), a complex disorder of ocular development that was initially mapped to a 3.9-cM region on canine chromosome 37. Combined genotypes from affected individuals from four breeds of a single breed group significantly narrowed the candidate gene region to a 103-kb interval spanning only four genes. Sequence analysis revealed that all affected dogs share a homozygous deletion of 7.8 kb in the NHEJ1 gene. This intronic deletion spans a highly conserved binding domain to which several developmentally important proteins bind. This work both establishes that the primary cea mutation arose as a single disease allele in a common ancestor of herding breeds as well as highlights the value of comparative population analysis for refining regions of linkage.
Distributed Resonant clOCK grid Synthesis (ROCKS)

Clock distribution networks can consume 35-70% of total chip power in high-performance designs [13]. Resonant clocks can potentially reduce this power by recycling the energy using on-chip inductors. We propose the first automated Resonant clOCK Synthesis (ROCKS) algorithm. Experimental results show that with 10% inductor area, clock power can be reduced by 34%. With more inductor area, up to 90% power savings is shown feasible.
Team frames : The multiple realities of the team

"Team Frames" is an experiential exercise designed to introduce students to the problem-solving skill of reframing by applying the concept to class teams. The activity also contributes to the development of more effective teams as students come to recognize the multiple realities and possibilities that they usually overlook in their task groups.
Biaxial Testing of Unidirectional Carbon-Epoxy Composite Using Biaxial Iosipescu Test Fixture

In this study, the biaxial Iosipescu test fixture has been employed to determine the failure properties of a unidirectional carbon-epoxy composite subjected to combined shear and transverse tensile stresses. The range of possible biaxial stress states has been extended by varying the fiber orientations in the Iosipescu specimens. Results obtained from the shear tests conducted using the biaxial Iosipescu test fixture have been compared with independent Iosipescu tests conducted at the University of Idaho, and with the 100 off-axis tension test. It is found that the Iosipescu shear testing of specimens with a fiber angle of 450 can provide reliable estimates for the transverse tensile strength of the material. Using this approach, the biaxial failure properties have been derived in the complete range of shear-transverse tension stress space.
Mountaintop removal mining reduces stream salamander occupancy and richness in southeastern Kentucky (USA)

Mountaintop removal mining with valley fills (MTR/VF) is a ubiquitous form of land conversion in central Appalachia, USA and threatens the integrity of stream ecosystems. We investigated the effects of MTR/VF on stream salamander occupancy and overall community composition in southeastern Kentucky by conducting area constrained active searches for salamanders within first-order streams located in mature forest (i.e., control streams) and those impacted by MTR/VF. We found high mean species occupancy across 5 species at control streams, ranging from 0.73 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.96) to 0.90 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.98). Occupancy was lower at MTR/VF streams, with mean estimated occupancy probability ranging from 0.23 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.51) to 0.62 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86). Additionally, the mean species richness for MTR/VF streams was 2.27 (±1.27 SD) whereas richness was 4.67 (±0.65 SD) for control streams. Numerous mechanisms may be responsible for decreased occupancy and species richness at MTR/VF streams, although water chemistry may be particularly important. Indeed, mean specific conductance was 30 times greater, sulfate (SO4) levels were 70 times greater, and concentrations of dissolved ions (Ca, Mg, K, Na) were greater in MTR/VF streams than in control streams. Our results indicate that MTR/VF operations lead to significant decreases in salamander occupancy and species richness.
The Comparative Effect of Oral Ingestion of Methyl Mercury on Chicks and Rats

Abstract Two experiments with day-old chicks and one experiment with weanling rats were conducted to determine: (1) whether low levels of mercury found in some feedstuffs would result in hazardous accumulations of mercury in their tissues, and (2) the effects of feeding various dietary levels of methyl mercury to chicks and rats. Data show that feeding animal protein (fish meal) containing higher than normal levels of mercury did not result in the concentration of mercury in poultry tissues that exceeded FDA guideline levels. In fact, breast muscle concentration of mercury averaged only 0.1 p.p.m. even when the fish meal made up 17% of the diet. Significant amounts of mercury were deposited in the feathers of the test birds. At 16.9 p.p.m. dietary mercury as methyl mercuric chloride, all chicks succumbed to mercury toxicity by 17 days of age. Total mercury dose was 28.3 mg./kg. body weight. At this level of dietary mercury, brain, liver, and breast tissue of chicks at death contained 19, 47, and 15 p.p.m., respectively. Within limits, tissue concentrations of mercury were proportional to dietary levels. After 7 weeks of mercury exposure chicks retained an average of 63% of the mercury consumed. During a 21-day depletion period, chicks excreted an average of 0.66% of the total body burden of mercury per day. Thus biological half-lives can be calculated to average about 97 days for all dietary levels. Rats fed diets containing 16 p.p.m. mercury did not show outward signs of toxicity until the 6th week of treatment. After 12 weeks of mercury exposure, the total mercury dose was 84 mg./kg. body weight. None of the rats receiving lower levels of mercury showed symptoms of toxicity. Liver and brain mercury levels in rats fed 16 p.p.m. mercury averaged 26 and 12 p.p.m., respectively. Male rats generally had higher tissue levels of mercury than females. In general, rats tolerated the highest level of dietary methyl mercury for a longer period of time than chicks which consumed three times as much mercury and deposited less mercury in their tissues.
Nonlinear consensus strategies for multi-agent networks under switching topologies: Real-time receding horizon approach

Abstract In this paper, based on real-time nonlinear receding horizon control methodology, a novel scheme is developed for multi-agent nonlinear consensus problem under jointly connected switching topologies. The consensus problem is converted into a family of finite horizon optimization control process and is solved numerically to generate distributed control protocols in real-time. The stability is proved without the assumption that the topology is connected for all the time. Two benchmark examples on nonlinear chaotic systems provide validated results which demonstrate the significant outcomes of such methodology.
Three Digital Collections on the History of Infectious Diseases

As people are more interested in disease outbreaks and epidemics, digital collections become more important for researching the history of various diseases.
Hemolysis in hydrogen peroxide of erythrocytes of premature infants; effect of alpha-tocopherol.

SummaryHemolysis of red blood cells in dilute hydrogen peroxide was determined for 23 premature infants. Three infants received evaporated cows'milk, and the remainder partially-skimmed cows'milk feeding mixtures. A significant degree of in vitro hemolysis was found and this persisted as long as the infants were observed without supplementation of their diets with tocopherol. In each of 9 trials in 8 infants the in vitro hemolysis was reversed by feeding alpha-tocopherol.
Distributed multisensor fusion

Lucy Y. Pao* Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208 There have been several algorithms proposed for multisensor tracking of multiple objects using a centralized processing architecture, but because of considerations such as reliability, survivability, and communication bandwidth, distributed processing architectures are often the only alternative. The distributed fusion problem is more complex than the centralized fusion problem due to correlation across track estimates for the same object. We propose an approach for distributed sensor fusion that bypasses this correlation problem and allows previously developed centralized fusion methods to be employed after a measurement reconstruction procedure. Limitations and assumptions are discussed, and simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performances obtained with this approach.
Ovipositional preferences of the European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) for field corn and cotton under field cage conditions in North Carolina

Ovipositional preferences of the European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), for several phenological stages of field corn and cotton in field cages were examined in North Carolina from 1981 through 1983. Adults preferred to oviposit on field corn in the silking stage, then shifted to cotton (especially flowering cotton) when the corn silks dried and plants senesced.
Evidence-Based Guidelines for Optimization of Nutrition for the Very Low Birthweight Infant

Inadequate nutrition of the preterm infant, especially the very low birthweight (VLBW) and extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infant, has long-lasting adverse consequences. Despite advancement in many aspects of clinical care of VLBW/ELBW infants, there is significant variability between neonatologists in the means of providing nutrition. More uniform guidelines based on the best available scientific evidence are needed. The objective of this review is to provide the neonatologist with evidence-based guidelines for the nutritional management of VLBW/ELBW infants.
The Perils of Regulatory Property in Land Use Regulation

"Regulatory property" is the right to engage in specified activities, made valuable by government prohibitions against competitors, and protected by de jure or de facto status as property. This Article explores regulatory property and focuses upon its applications in land use regulation. It considers, inter alia, transferrable development rights, exclusive leases of subsidized sports stadia, and urban revitalization condemnations for retransfer for pre-arranged private development. The Article concludes that these generally are unfair and inefficient practices.
Self-Esteem and Self-Evaluation: Feeling is Believing

Self-esteem is a hot topic. Educators believe that self-esteem plays an essential role in academic achievement. Politicians, business managers, and religious leaders extol the virtues of self-esteem as a vehicle for attaining success in numerous other pursuits and endeavors. Social scientists proclaim that self­ esteem is integral to life adjustment. And a slew of popular books have appeared in recent years promising to help people build and maintain high self-esteem. In short, self-esteem is a la mode.
Quantifying and reducing uncertainty in correlated multi-area short-term load forecasting

In this study, we represent and reduce the uncertainties in short-term load forecasting by integrating time series analysis tools including ARIMA modeling, sequential Gaussian simulation, and principal component analysis. The approaches are mainly focusing on maintaining the interdependency between multiple geographically related areas. These approaches are applied onto cross-correlated load time series as well as their forecast errors. Multiple short-term prediction realizations are then generated from the reduced uncertainty ranges, which are useful for power system risk analyses1.
Comprehending 3D Diagrams: Sketching to Support Spatial Reasoning

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines commonly illustrate 3D relationships in diagrams, yet these are often challenging for students. Failing to understand diagrams can hinder success in STEM because scientific practice requires understanding and creating diagrammatic representations. We explore a new approach to improving student understanding of diagrams that convey 3D relations that is based on students generating their own predictive diagrams. Participants' comprehension of 3D spatial diagrams was measured in a pre- and post-design where students selected the correct 2D slice through 3D geologic block diagrams. Generating sketches that predicated the internal structure of a model led to greater improvement in diagram understanding than visualizing the interior of the model without sketching, or sketching the model without attempting to predict unseen spatial relations. In addition, we found a positive correlation between sketched diagram accuracy and improvement on the diagram comprehension measure. Results suggest that generating a predictive diagram facilitates students' abilities to make inferences about spatial relationships in diagrams. Implications for use of sketching in supporting STEM learning are discussed.
Getting my tat on … and off: Consumer explanation of tattoos’ roles in presentation-of-self in everyday life

This study explores the attitudes and behaviors toward the wearing of tattoos. The areas of interest and discussion include the motivations of tattoo patrons, the advertising and marketing strategi...
Native brook trout and invasive rainbow trout respond differently to seasonal weather variation: Spawning timing matters

Salmonids have been introduced globally, and native and invasive salmonids co-exist in many regions. However, their responses to seasonal weather variation and global climate change are poorly known. The aim of this study was to compare effects of inter-annual variation in seasonal weather patterns on native brook trout (BKT) (Salvelinus fontinalis) versus invasive rainbow trout (RBT) (Oncorhynchus mykiss) abundance using summer electrofishing data (May through September) spanning 28 years in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A. (c. 200 stream sites per species). In particular, we tested if different spawning timing between BKT (autumn) and RBT (late winter) would result in heterogeneous population responses to high seasonal precipitation, which would negatively affect early life stages with impaired swimming ability. As predicted, young-of-the-year (YOY) abundance of autumn-spawning BKT was most strongly impacted by total precipitation between February and March, and RBT YOY abundance was most strongly impacted by peak precipitation between April and May. Despite the presence of these different key seasonal drivers, inter-annual variation in YOY density of these two species was positively correlated because precipitation in April and May also impacted the abundance of BKT YOY. Adult abundance was less responsive to weather variation than YOY abundance, and was most strongly correlated with YOY abundance in the previous year, indicating the importance of flow-driven population control influences on early life stages affecting population sizes into subsequent years. Adult BKT densities were not affected by any weather covariate, whereas adult RBT densities were correlated with four weather covariates in competing models. As a result, there was no correlation in the inter-annual variation in adult density in these two species. The differing responses of BKT and RBT to long-term seasonal weather patterns suggest that they will likely respond differently to global climate change. In particular, winter precipitation will likely be the key environmental driver of differences in their population responses.
Reconstructing the History and the Effects of Mechanization in a Small-Scale Fishery of Flores, Eastern Indonesia (1917–2014)

The number of studies on small-scale fishing communities has grown considerably over the past thirty years. Evidence on how the process of mechanization and technological expansion has affected traditional small-scale fishers in peripheral regions, however, is less abundant. For areas like Eastern Indonesia that are now facing important challenges in governance and resource degradation, lack of information impairs the design of long-term environmental solutions. This article explores the changes in fishing participation and per capita seafood intake in a small-scale fishery in Flores, Eastern Indonesia over the past hundred years (1917-2014). By combining multiple sources of information (ethnographic, observational, nutritional, and historical) to reconstruct the story of stocks, fishing effort, and consumption of marine products, long-term trajectories and trends in resource use practices are identified. Findings underline that mechanization and commercialization can have dire repercussions on food security and job stability within small-scale fishing sectors, especially if these processes are not part of comprehensive community development programs. The article concludes that understanding the outcomes of mechanization at the fringes of more centralized systems is essential to navigate the trade-offs among poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental degradation.
$R_{D^{(*)}}$ anomaly: A possible hint for natural supersymmetry with $R$-parity violation

Recently, several $B$-physics experiments have reported an appreciable deviation from the standard model (SM) in the tree-level observables ${R}_{{D}^{(*)}}$; the combined weighted average now stands at $\ensuremath{\approx}4\ensuremath{\sigma}$. We first show the anomaly necessarily implies model-independent collider signals of the form $pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}b\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\nu}$ that should be expeditiously searched for at ATLAS/CMS as a complementary test of the anomaly. Next we suggest a possible interconnection of the anomaly with the radiative stability of the standard model Higgs boson and point to a minimal effective supersymmetric scenario with $R$-parity violation as the underlying cause. We also comment on the possibility of simultaneously explaining the recently reported ${R}_{{K}^{(*)}}$ anomaly in this setup.
A model of thick scattering media using a series of random diffraction gratings

We use layers of random diffraction gratings to model the transmission of light through thick scattering media. It successfully describes the propagation features of shifted correlation (the memory effect) and its exponential decay with angle/thickness.
Deep Learning and Computer-Aided Diagnosis for Medical Image Processing: A Personal Perspective

These are exciting times for medical image processing. Innovations in deep learning and the increasing availability of large annotated medical image datasets are leading to dramatic advances in automated understanding of medical images. From this perspective, I give a personal view of how computer-aided diagnosis of medical images has evolved and how the latest advances are leading to dramatic improvements today. I discuss the impact of deep learning on automated disease detection and organ and lesion segmentation, with particular attention to applications in diagnostic radiology. I provide some examples of how time-intensive and expensive manual annotation of huge medical image datasets by experts can be sidestepped by using weakly supervised learning from routine clinically generated medical reports. Finally, I identify the remaining knowledge gaps that must be overcome to achieve clinician-level performance of automated medical image processing systems.
Diabetes: The diabetic brain

Dementia is a complication associated with diabetes mellitus. Evidence suggests that patients with diabetes mellitus who have dementia have a unique form of the disease, albeit with similarities to vascular dementia. A recent study by Juraj Secnik and colleagues confirms this suggestion and provides insights into the clinical characteristics and treatment of the disorder.
Grooming interchange for resource tolerance: biological markets principles within a group of free-ranging rhesus macaques

In group-living animals, allogrooming is a common, heterogeneously distributed affiliative behaviour. Among non-human primates, Barrett et al. (1999) predicted ways in which Biological Markets principles interact with competitive regimes to influence grooming reciprocity and interchange. Most tests of these predictions, done at a group level, have produced inconsistent results. Here we take a novel approach by testing these predictions across individuals within a group. This is based on the premise that in groups facing moderate-to-high within-group-competition, individuals vary in their abilities to access resources based on their competitive abilities, causing them to pursue different grooming exchange strategies. We examine evidence for grooming reciprocity and interchange for tolerance at drinking sources among adult females within a group of rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ) on Cayo Santiago. We test the above premise by assessing hierarchical steepness, and the relationship between individuals’ David’s scores (DS) and access to drinking sources. Finally, we examine the relationship of DS with grooming reciprocity and interchange to see whether they are consistent with the operation of market forces among individuals. Social network comparisons revealed that giving grooming was strongly predicted by both receiving drinking tolerance (interchange) and receiving grooming (reciprocity), despite strong associations with proximity and maternal kinship. The group showed a moderately steep hierarchy, and negative correlations between individuals’ David’s scores and difficulties in accessing drinking stations. Finally, we found partial support for a market-based explanation. Individuals with relatively low David’s scores were more likely to interchange grooming with drinking tolerance. However, grooming reciprocity wasn’t greater among individuals with higher David’s scores. Our findings suggest that multiple explanatory frameworks — reciprocity, market-based interchange, and/or proximity-mediated interchange/social bond investment — may all shape rhesus grooming exchange patterns. Future directions include examining evidence for additional forms of grooming interchange, and the influence of between-group-competition and stress-indicators on grooming reciprocity.
Helping Dementia Caregivers Manage Medical Problems: Benefits of an Educational Resource.

Background/Rationale:Family caregivers of people with dementia must attend to medical care needs of their relative, yet few available resources address comorbidities in dementia. Consequently, caregivers feel ill-equipped when medical concerns arise. In response, an educational resource—Alzheimer’s Medical Advisor (AlzMed)—was developed in 2 forms (website and book) and evaluated.Methods:Family caregivers (143 website and 51 book) used an educational resource that provides information on medical problems, vital signs, pain, dehydration, and the healthcare system. Data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months regarding confidence in sign/symptom management, burden, depression, and anxiety.Results:Caregivers reported significantly improved confidence and (for website users) decreased role strain. Anxiety and depression also decreased, although not significantly. Improved confidence related to a reduction in role strain and anxiety, and care recipients did not experience adverse events.Conclusion:A...
The value of pollinator species diversity

In a 1991 experiment that would be unlikely to pass a human-subject review today, eight intrepid adventurers were enclosed in a hermetically sealed structure (Biosphere 2), along with 3000 species of plants and animals and several habitats, including a coral reef, rainforest, mangrove, and wetland. However, most vertebrates and all pollinating insects went extinct, whereas ants and cockroaches multiplied. Carbon dioxide concentrations fluctuated wildly, and oxygen concentrations declined ( 1 ). The results highlighted how little we know about what it takes to maintain Earth's life-support system. On page 791 of this issue, Winfree et al. ( 2 ) investigate an important aspect of this problem: How many pollinators are needed to ensure crop pollination?
Training the next generation of HIV providers: impact of trainees on patient satisfaction in an urban HIV clinic

For persons living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), care by an HIV-specialist improves outcomes and satisfaction with one's HIV primary care provider (PCP) promotes engagement with care. In the United St...
Financial Success and Time-Management Factors in a Chemical Environment: A Case Study:

Time management and the need for management to relinquish control to the technical team members are important complements of the project management process. However, how do firmstrackthe time spent...
The relation between cognitive and behavioral therapies: Commentary on “extending the goals of Behavior Therapy and of cognitive Behavior Therapy”

Ellis (1997) describes how Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) can be distinguished from Behavior Therapy (BT) and, perhaps more significantly, “adds” to BT. Among the issues raised by Ellis is the suggestion that traditional BT may lead only to temporary or superficial behavior changes, and that the goals of BT should be extended to include more comprehensive and enduring “personality change.” In this commentary, I discuss the underlying medical model adopted by cognitive therapists, the empirical data that bear on the issue of “adding” to BT, and an alternative framework to evaluate clinical practice. It is suggested that there are more similarities among therapists, and their therapies, than differences. Thus, as Charles Ferster (1972) suggested 25 years ago, more effort should be devoted to studying what successful therapists do, and less to arguing the merits of therapists' theoretically informed explanations for success.
Regulation of mRNA in Peptidergic Systems: Quantitative and In Situ Studies

Understanding the physiology of the brain is the ultimate goal of the neurosciences. A wide variety of tools are used In the attempt to delve into the biology of the CNS, included among them are such disparate tools as those used in anatomy, physiology, protein chemistry, and molecular genetics. On the face of it several of these methods give such different types of information that they would appear to be almost unrelated. Yet in the last few years it has become abundantly clear that the integration of these methods, at differing levels of discourse, has aided powerfully in our Increasing understanding of brain biochemistry, anatomy, and to some degree its functioning.
Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor Using a Thin-Film Fabry-Perot Interferometer

A fiber-optic temperature sensor was developed that is rugged, compact, stable, and can be inexpensively fabricated. This thin-film interferometric temperature sensor was shown to be capable of providing a +/- 2 C accuracy over the range of -55 to 275 C, throughout a 5000 hr operating life. A temperature-sensitive thin-film Fabry-Perot interferometer can be deposited directly onto the end of a multimode optical fiber. This batch-fabricatable sensor can be manufactured at a much lower cost than can a presently available sensor, which requires the mechanical attachment of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to a fiber. The principal disadvantage of the thin-film sensor is its inherent instability, due to the low processing temperatures that must be used to prevent degradation of the optical fiber's buffer coating. The design of the stable thin-film temperature sensor considered the potential sources of both short and long term drifts. The temperature- sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometer was a silicon film with a thickness of approx. 2 microns. A laser-annealing process was developed which crystallized the silicon film without damaging the optical fiber. The silicon film was encapsulated with a thin layer of Si3N4 over coated with aluminum. Crystallization of the silicon and its encapsulation with a highly stable, impermeable thin-film structure were essential steps in producing a sensor with the required long-term stability.
Power scaling potential of continuous-wave Cr:LiSAF and Cr:LiCAF lasers in thin-disk geometry

Continuous-wave (cw) output power from Cr:Colquiriite lasers is currently limited to the 3 W level due to weak thermal and mechanical properties of the Colquiriite host that hinders power scaling efforts. Thin-disk (TD) geometry, which has enabled record power levels in Yb:YAG gain media, has not yet been thoroughly studied for Cr:Colquiriites. In this work, we have numerically investigated the cw lasing potential of TD Cr:LiSAF and Cr:LiCAF lasers in detail. Our analysis has shown that, due to their low thermal conductivity and high susceptibility to temperature quenching of fluorescence lifetime, TD lasers based on Cr:LiSAF will require usage of ultrathin (100 μm thick) crystals with large diameters (15–25 mm), which will be difficult to prepare/handle due to its glass-like thermomechanical strength. Assuming such TD crystals could be produced, we estimate that cw powers above 15 W might be feasible from Cr:LiSAF thin-disk lasers (TDLs) pumped by a 100 W red diode. As an alternative, usage of Cr:LiCAF, which is the strongest member of Cr:Colquiriites in terms of thermomechanical properties, enables tighter focusing of a pump beam on the TD, which in turn facilitates adoption of smaller-diameter samples (10 mm). We have estimated that, when the thermally stronger c axis is used for heat extraction and the a axis is used for lasing, cw powers exceeding 30 W could be achieved from Cr:LiCAF TDLs at an incident pump power of 100 W. On the other hand, our model shows that the small signal gain that could be achieved via cw pumping of Cr:Colquiriite TD elements is below 0.5%. Hence, the aforementioned performance requires usage of high-quality factor cavities with minimal intracavity losses.
Physical Activity Health Communication for Adults With Mood Disorders in the United States.

Using national representative data, this study sought to examine receipt of physical activity communication and counseling among adults with mood disorders in comparison to the general population i...
Reduced IgG titers against pertussis in rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence for a citrulline-biased immune response and medication effects.

BACKGROUND The antibody response to pertussis vaccination in rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, a concerning omission given the relatively low efficacy of the pertussis vaccine, a rise in pertussis infections, and a general increased susceptibility to infection in rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the contributions from an intrinsically dysregulated immune system in rheumatoid arthritis and immune-suppressing medications to the response to pertussis vaccination is poorly defined. This study examines antibody titers against pertussis in vaccinated rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls as well as evaluates potential contributions from demographic factors, immune suppressing medications, and reactivity against citrullinated pertussis. METHODS Serum IgG titers against native and citrullinated pertussis and tetanus were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in rheumatoid arthritis subjects and controls who were vaccinated within 10 years. Titers were compared by t-test and percent immunity by Fisher's exact test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify clinical factors that correlate with native pertussis titers. RESULTS Compared to controls, rheumatoid arthritis subjects had lower titers against pertussis, but not tetanus, and reduced immunity to pertussis. These results were even more prominent at 5-10 years post-vaccination, when rheumatoid arthritis patients had 50% lower titers than controls and 2.5x more rheumatoid arthritis subjects were not considered immune to pertussis. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that female sex and methotrexate use, but not TNF inhibiting medications, correlated with reduced immunity to pertussis. Finally, rheumatoid arthritis patients had higher IgG titers against citrullinated pertussis than native pertussis. CONCLUSIONS Pertussis titers are lower in vaccinated rheumatoid arthritis patients with evidence for contributions from female sex, a citrulline-biased immune response, and methotrexate use.
Quality Improvement for Asthmatics: Reducing Emergency Department Visits for High-risk Asthmatics through Clinical Informatics and Clinical Pharmacist Management Program

Background Asthma exacerbations leading to ED visits are prevalent (1 in 5 children/ year), associated with significant morbidity, health care utilization and even mortality. Among multiple predictors, recent exacerbation history is the strongest predictor of future exacerbations. This provides a window of opportunity to identify and educate high-risk asthmatics to reduce further exacerbation. Local problem At baseline, in our system, 52% of asthmatics did not have an assigned asthma severity in the problem list and there were 222 Emergency Department (ED) visits among high-risk asthmatics over a year. Objectives To improve classification of asthma into its severity in …
Designing a tablet-based prematurity education app for parents hospitalized for preterm birth.

Background As technology has advanced over the last decade, handheld Mobile Health (mHealth) applications have increased in popularity. Pregnancy is one area of mHealth that has rapidly expanded, however very few pregnancy apps are developed in collaboration with health professionals. This creates an environment where the pregnancy information women are accessing may be inaccurate or even dangerous. Additionally, there are relatively few medical apps devoted to prematurity or targeted to women at risk for premature birth. To address the gap in premature birth education, we assembled a multidisciplinary team, including health care professionals, and developed the Preemie Prep for Parents (P3) app. Methods Our team previously conducted 5 focus group meetings to assess the information needs of our target audience. Based on this information we developed a low fidelity P3 prototype. Our software development team transferred the low fidelity prototype into a high fidelity prototype which was hosted on Test Flight (a beta testing platform). We performed heuristic evaluation as well as user testing to improve the P3 app. Results User testing of the high fidelity P3 prototype was performed with 13 diverse participants. 6 participants were parents of currently admitted Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) babies and 7 participants were women who had been or were currently pregnant. The native language of participants included English, Spanish, and Hmong and their educational level varied between completing high school and graduate degree. Participants provided feedback on the content of the P3 app, as well as its organization and aesthetics. The feedback led to 83 iterations of the P3 app prior to its deployment. Overall, participants noted that the information was "informative" and "reliable". They also noted that the P3 app provided control over the information they could view and when they viewed it, stating "I could see info on my time". Overall, participants felt that the P3 app was a valuable tool for mothers in preterm labor and it would help them ask questions. Conclusions Development of a mHealth app provides unique challenges regarding content, reliability of information, organization, and aesthetics. Creation of the P3 app to address the educational needs of women at risk for premature birth required assembling a multidisciplinary team, which included target users, and implementing an iterative design process. The efficacy of this app in improving user knowledge and decreasing anxiety is currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial.
Contemporary Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation of Hypereosinophilia.

Objectives To provide an in-depth review of the classification and diagnostic evaluation of hypereosinophilia (HE), with a focus on eosinophilic neoplasms. Methods A review of published literature was performed, and exemplary HE cases were identified. Results Causes of HE are diverse and can be grouped under three categories: primary (neoplastic), secondary (reactive), and idiopathic. Advances in cytogenetics and molecular diagnostics have led to elucidation of the genetic basis for many neoplastic hypereosinophilic disorders. One common molecular feature is formation of a fusion gene, resulting in the expression of an aberrantly activated tyrosine kinase (TK). The World Health Organization endorsed a biologically oriented classification scheme and created a new major disease category, namely, "myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with eosinophilia and rearrangement of PDGFRA, PDGFRB or FGFR1, or with PCM1-JAK2." Rearrangement of other TK genes and activating somatic mutation(s) in TK genes have also been reported in eosinophilic neoplasms. Diagnostic evaluation of HE involves a combination of clinical, histopathologic, and immunophenotypic analyses, as well as molecular genetic testing, including next-generation sequencing-based mutation panels. The management of primary HE is largely guided by the underlying molecular genetic abnormalities. Conclusions A good knowledge of recent advances in HE is necessary to ensure prompt and accurate diagnosis, as well as to help optimize patient care.
Sex‐specific plasticity across generations I: Maternal and paternal effects on sons and daughters

Intergenerational plasticity or parental effects-when parental environments alter the phenotype of future generations-can influence how organisms cope with environmental change. An intriguing, underexplored possibility is that sex-of both the parent and the offspring-plays an important role in driving the evolution of intergenerational plasticity in both adaptive and non-adaptive ways. Here, we evaluate the potential for sex-specific parental effects in a freshwater population of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus by independently and jointly manipulating maternal and paternal experiences and separately evaluating their phenotypic effects in sons versus daughters. We tested the adaptive hypothesis that daughters are more responsive to cues from their mother, whereas sons are more responsive to cues from their father. We exposed mothers, fathers or both parents to visual cues of predation risk and measured offspring antipredator traits and brain gene expression. Predator-exposed fathers produced sons that were more risk-prone, whereas predator-exposed mothers produced more anxious sons and daughters. Furthermore, maternal and paternal effects on offspring survival were non-additive: offspring with a predator-exposed father, but not two predator-exposed parents, had lower survival against live predators. There were also strong sex-specific effects on brain gene expression: exposing mothers versus fathers to predation risk activated different transcriptional profiles in their offspring, and sons and daughters strongly differed in the ways in which their brain gene expression profiles were influenced by parental experience. We found little evidence to support the hypothesis that offspring prioritize their same-sex parent's experience. Parental effects varied with both the sex of the parent and the offspring in complicated and non-additive ways. Failing to account for these sex-specific patterns (e.g. by pooling sons and daughters) would have underestimated the magnitude of parental effects. Altogether, these results draw attention to the potential for sex to influence patterns of intergenerational plasticity and raise new questions about the interface between intergenerational plasticity and sex-specific selective pressures, sexual conflict and sexual selection.
Biomarkers for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. However, effective screening strategies have not been established and continue to be elusive. A good screening test must adequately address validity, reliability, yield, cost, acceptance and follow-up services. An ideal screening test for ovarian cancer must have a high sensitivity in order to correctly diagnose all women with the disease and a high specificity to avoid false-positive results. The current screening modalities of bimanual examination, CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasonography together allow us to detect only 30–45% of women with early-stage disease. Recent developments in proteomic and genomic research have identified a number of potential biomarkers. Although panels of tumor markers and proteomic-based technologies may improve the positive predictive value, all markers require validation and interfacing with newly developed diagnostic imaging technologies. While a large amount of information on miRNAs has been promising, much remai...
Cross-linked polymers increase nutrient sorption in degraded soils

Cross-linked polymer hydrogels, such as polyacrylamide co-polymer (XPAM) or polyacrylate (XPAA), can alter soil chemistry and crop nutrient uptake but the persistence of these effects has been little studied. This 9-y, irrigated, outdoor pot study evaluated a single, one-time addition of XPAM or XPAA at 0.25% or 0.5% dry wt. (5.6 or 11.2 Mg ha-1) in a degraded calcareous silt loam. Controls included an unamended degraded soil and an unamended, non-degraded soil (i.e. topsoil). Soils were hand-tilled and planted to crops each year. We measured nutrients in soil and leachate water each year, and in the first 5 y, crop yields and nutrient uptake. Both hydrogels increased average soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), soil extractable K, Na, and TOC, and decreased soil extractable Mg relative to the control. Unlike XPAM, XPAA produced a greater increase in soil extractable K, increased extractable Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu, increased Olsen P, and decreased total inorganic C. Neither hydrogel affected crop yields but XPAA increased K and Zn and decreased Mg and Na uptake in crops compared to controls. Relative to the control, both hydrogels decreased cumulative Ca, Mg, and S leaching mass losses and increased mean EC of leachate. Unlike XPAM, XPAA increased cumulative leaching mass losses of K, P, NO3-N, and NH4-N relative to the control. The hydrogels’ soil effects persisted for greater than or equal to 7 years and their effect differed as a function of the quantity of included counterions and the stability of the gel structure after soil placement.
A Healthcare System-Level Intervention to Increase Naloxone Availability for Patients With Opioid Prescriptions.

Background and objectives National guidelines recommend prescribing naloxone to patients receiving chronic opioids. However, provider adherence to naloxone co-prescribing best practices is poor and knowledge gaps for improvement efforts are large. As part of a system-wide quality improvement intervention to improve opioid safety, we sought to improve access to naloxone for patients with opioid prescriptions. Methods A prompt for naloxone co-prescribing was implemented in the electronic health record. Baseline data and data after implementation were collected for naloxone co-prescribing and fill rates on naloxone prescriptions s (n = 9122 pre, 8368 post). Results In the 9 months following the implementation of the electronic prompt, the total number of naloxone prescriptions increased more than 15-fold. Patients prescribed naloxone filled their naloxone prescriptions similarly (42%) before and after the prompt implementation, resulting in a marked increase in the absolute number of patients with access to naloxone. Patient fill rates varied by clinical area (33% emergency medicine to 47% general medicine). Conclusion and scientific significance An electronic prompt, encouraging providers to prescribe naloxone to at-risk patients led to a marked increase in the percentage of patients with an active naloxone prescription. The availability of naloxone in communities saves lives and this study is the first to demonstrate an intervention, which led to increased naloxone prescribing and reported on actual pharmacy fills of naloxone when co-prescribed with opioids. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00-00).
Vaping and Lung Inflammation and Injury.

The use of electronic (e)-cigarettes was initially considered a beneficial solution to conventional cigarette smoking cessation. However, paradoxically, e-cigarette use is rapidly growing among nonsmokers, including youth and young adults. In 2019, this rapid growth resulted in an epidemic of hospitalizations and deaths of e-cigarette users (vapers) due to acute lung injury; this novel disease was termed e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Pathophysiologic mechanisms of EVALI likely involve cytotoxicity and neutrophilic inflammation caused by inhaled chemicals, but further details remain unknown. The undiscovered mechanisms of EVALI are a barrier to identifying biomarkers and developing therapeutics. Furthermore, adverse effects of e-cigarette use have been linked to chronic lung diseases and systemic effects on multiple organs. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the diverse spectrum of vaping exposures, epidemiological and clinical reports, and experimental findings to provide a better understanding of EVALI and the adverse health effects of chronic e-cigarette exposure. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physiology, Volume 84 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Managing Operations of a Hog Farm Facing Volatile Markets: Inventory and Selling Strategies

Problem Definition: We study a dynamic finishing stage planning problem of a pork producer who gets to see how many market-ready hogs she has available for sale at the beginning of each week and the current market prices. Then, she must decide how many hogs to sell to a meatpacker and on the open market. The producer has a contract to deliver a fixed quantity to the meatpacker each week priced according to a predetermined formula that depends on market commodity indices. She pays a penalty if she fails to deliver. The numbers of hogs that become market-ready every week, all costs, and all prices fluctuate over time. Academic/Practical Relevance: We solve the finishing stage planning problem as a dynamic, multi-item (hogs of different weight fetch different prices) inventory model with uncertain supply and stochastic prices. Methodology: We use a dynamic programming approach to derive an optimal policy and a one-period look-ahead heuristic informing the farmer on what hogs to sell at the beginning of each week. Results: We show there are sell/hold thresholds that depend on the available hogs' weights, quantities, and prices. Unfortunately, identifying the thresholds requires messy computations. So, we propose an approximate dynamic programming approach that preserves the optimal policy structure and produces a sharp heuristic that is easy to implement. Managerial Implications: Numerical experiments calibrated to a pork producer's data (The Maschhoffs) reveal the optimal policy is a substantial improvement over the existing practice (around 25% on average), and the one-period look-ahead policy is as close as 1.76% from the optimal. The majority of the improvement value over the current practice is recognizing and exploiting the ``real option'' value of under-weight hogs in hedging supply uncertainty and stochastic prices.