cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Gen-Probe PACE 2 system, direct fluorescent-antibody, and cell culture for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in cervical specimens.

A chemiluminescent-labeled DNA probe (Gen-Probe PACE® 2 System) for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in endocervical specimens was evaluated. For each specimen, tissue cell culture, direct immunofluorescent staining (DFA), and DNA probe assay were performed. Thirty of 318 (9.4%) specimens were positive for C. trachomatis . The sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values of the DNA probe compared with cell culture were 93%, 98%, 85%, and 99%, respectively, and for DFA these same values were 81%, 99%, 83%, and 99%, respectively. The Gen-Probe PACE 2 System is a reliable method for the rapid detection of endocervical chlamydial infection.
A2-2: Improving Diabetes Management with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction

Background/Aims Managing diabetes can be challenging and stressful for many people resulting in poor diabetes control and increased mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
A new rainbowfish (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei: Bedotiidae) from the southeastern highlands of Madagascar, with comments on the biogeography of Bedotia

Bedotia albomarginata, a new species of Malagasy rainbowfish, is described from forested habitats in the southeastern highlands of Madagascar. The new species is distinguished from congeners by the presence of broad white margins on the second dorsal fin and anal fin in males, a markedly lanceolate caudal fin in adult males, and in life, by a bright yellow to orangish-red anal fin in both sexes. Bedotia albomarginata is known only from small streams and swamps within the upper to middle reaches of the Mananara and Rienana river drainage basins.
Animal Models of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in the Western world, accompanying the rise in obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Though research in the field is vibrant, enormous gaps in knowledge still remain about its physiology, how to identify patients who are most susceptible for adverse outcomes, and the best therapeutic approach. It is difficult to study NAFLD in humans, since the disease evolves slowly and encompasses diverse liver phenotypes that are challenging to differentiate noninvasively. Steatosis is the most clinically benign NAFLD phenotype, while nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has a much more variable prognosis that seems to depend upon the severity of hepatocyte injury and propensity for progressive fibrosis. NASH patients in whom fibrosis progresses to cirrhosis ultimately develop the worst liver-related outcomes because cirrhosis increases the risk for primary liver cancer, liver-related morbidity, and death from liver disease. Animal models that mimic the spectrum of human NAFLD pathology are crucial to overcome the challenges inherent in human NAFLD research so that knowledge about this disease can advance. There are many animal models for NAFLD, none of them perfect. Some are more suitable for studying the metabolic derangements, others for studying inflammation and fibrogenesis. The most used animals are rodents, particularly mice. NAFLD can be induced through specific diets or through genetic manipulation. This chapter will review the different animal models available, with a critical appraisal of their advantages and limitations.
Assessment of children with learning disabilities.

A behavioral method for the evaluation of children with learning disabilities is outlined within a four point assessment procedure: (a) baseline assessment, (b) assessment of behavioral components,...
Subclavian steal syndrome

Subclavian steal syndrome is caused by proximal subclavian occlusion with retrograde filling of the subclavian artery via the vertebral artery. This syndrome is characterized by symptoms due to decreased cerebral blood flow and decreased blood flow to the arm and hand. It is twice as common in men as in women. Diagnosis is confirmed with angiography. Medical management is of limited value. Surgery is the treatment of choice for the symptomatic patient.
The Association of Menthol Cigarette Use With Quit Attempts, Successful Cessation, and Intention to Quit Across Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States.

Author(s): Keeler, Courtney; Max, Wendy; Yerger, Valerie; Yao, Tingting; Ong, Michael K; Sung, Hai-Yen | Abstract: IntroductionFew studies have examined the relationship between menthol use and smoking cessation across various racial/ethnic groups; the findings were mixed. This study explored the association of menthol cigarette use with quit attempts, smoking cessation, and intention-to-quit among US adults and by race/ethnicity.MethodsUsing the 2006/2007 and 2010/2011 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey data, this study analyzed 54 448 recent active smokers, defined as current smokers or former smokers who quit less than 12 months ago. Three behaviors were examined: any quit attempts in the past 12 months, successful cessation for ≥3 months, and intention-to-quit smoking in the next 6 months. For each cessation behavior, multiple logistic regression models were estimated separately for the full-sample and stratified racial/ethnic subsamples.ResultsWhile 72.3% of African American recent active smokers typically smoked menthol cigarettes, this proportion was 21.7%, 21.5%, and 28.0% for whites, Asians, and Hispanics, respectively. African American menthol smokers had higher odds of quit attempts compared to non-African American, non-menthol smokers (full-sample analysis), as well as African American non-menthol smokers (subsample analysis). Menthol use was not significantly associated with quit attempts in other racial/ethnic subsamples. There was no significant difference in either successful cessation or intention-to-quit between menthol and non-menthol smokers.ConclusionsAfrican American menthol smokers were more likely to attempt to quit smoking than non-menthol smokers but these quit attempts did not translate into successful cessation. This study revealed no association of menthol use with quit attempts, successful cessation, and intention-to-quit among other racial/ethnic groups.ImplicationsThe findings suggested that African American menthol smokers were more motivated to quit smoking; yet, the results also indicated no significant differences in successful cessation between African American menthol and non-menthol smokers. Interventions targeting menthol smokers within the African American community may help bridge this gap. While more local sales restrictions are beginning to occur (eg, Tobacco 21 efforts), additional policies restricting price discounting as well as the regulation of access to and the time, place, and/or manner of menthol tobacco advertising could also improve cessation rates. Further evaluation is needed to determine the viability of these policies.
Using Soil Survey to Assess and Predict Soil Condition and Change

Soil survey organizes the landscape into units with common soil properties, characteristics, and classification. Soil survey units can be used to predict soil behavior and thus are useful for making management decisions and evaluating soil change. Traditionally, in the USA, soil survey mapping concepts have been developed with the dominant use of the landscape in mind. Current enhancement of soil survey includes documenting dynamic soil properties and soil change due to ecosystem management. Ecological sites are a concept used to describe “kinds of land” that have common potential kinds and amounts of vegetation and characteristic response to disturbance. In intensively managed (agronomic) systems, inputs (e.g., energy, fertilizer, irrigation water) can confound and homogenize vegetation indicators. In these situations, ecological site concepts, as constructed through state and transition models, can be differentiated based upon levels of soil function (indicated by dynamic soil properties) that occur as a result of the management (disturbance). Groupings and interpreting soil properties using an ecological site framework can serve as a useful tool for soil resource management and assessment and bring whole ecosystem insight into management decisions. Such organizational frameworks should provide information about both reference conditions and alternative management systems of soil functions or dynamic soil properties within an ecological site. Reference conditions might reflect either native or naturalized vegetation or the highest possible function that an ecological site could support. A framework for assessing soil condition in two ecological sites/soil types is examined. The capacity of each ecological site is different as indicated by soil carbon content and aggregate stability. This information allows for documentation of soil change (from reference to alternative states or management systems); it could also be used as a reference for soil health assessments and could be used to enhance soil survey with land use and management-specific information.
Precise and efficient scarless genome editing in stem cells using CORRECT

CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising tool for genome-editing DNA in cells with single-base-pair precision, which allows novel in vitro models of human disease to be generated-e.g., in pluripotent stem cells. However, the accuracy of intended sequence changes can be severely diminished by CRISPR/Cas9's propensity to re-edit previously modified loci, causing unwanted mutations (indels) alongside intended changes. Here we describe a genome-editing framework termed consecutive re-guide or re-Cas steps to erase CRISPR/Cas-blocked targets (CORRECT), which, by exploiting the use of highly efficacious CRISPR/Cas-blocking mutations in two rounds of genome editing, enables accurate, efficient and scarless introduction of specific base changes-for example, in human induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells. This protocol outlines in detail how to implement either the re-Guide or re-Cas variants of CORRECT to generate scarlessly edited isogenic stem cell lines with intended monoallelic and biallelic sequence changes in ∼3 months.
Associations between food insecurity and the severity of psychological distress among African-Americans

ABSTRACTBackground: Little research exists on the association between food insecurity and mild to moderate psychological distress (MPD) among Black/African-Americans. In this study, we assess the relationship between food insecurity with and without hunger to that of both MPD and serious psychological distress (SPD) among this population.Methods: 2009 and 2011/2012 adult public-use data from African-American respondents of the California Health Interview Survey were utilized for this study (n = 4003). Descriptive statistics were utilized to identify prevalence of psychological distress among sociodemographic and mental-health associated variables. Bivariate analyses were conducted between these variables and psychological distress using survey-weighted chi-square analyses. To evaluate the association between psychological distress, our primary exposure variable of food security, and other variables, we utilized survey-weighted multinomial logistic regression.Results: Prevalence of mild to MPD was higher a...
Communication Strategy in Quarterly Earnings Calls: The Importance of Tone and Agenda Setting Theory

This study aims to provide insight into communications strategy through the lens of agenda setting theory. Prior research finds that “positive tone” on an a company’s quarterly earnings call (QEC) can offset a negative earnings surprise; however, the concepts of “Positive” and “Negative” are seldom unpacked and thus difficult to operationalize from a practitioner’s point of view. Utilizing content analysis this paper disaggregates tone into 40 different verbal elements and measures the effectiveness (in terms of short term simple and abnormal returns of company market value) of the usage of these elements in situations when companies either met or underperformed their earnings targets. Additionally, these verbal elements are analyzed for both the prepared remarks and Q&A portions of verbal communication events between company management, analysts and investors. The empirical findings in this study show that communication strategy for the QEC event appears to not differ materially across either positive or negative earnings surprise contexts in either the prepared or spontaneous remarks. Thus, management does not appear to be using the call as a strategic communications opportunity. The results suggest that management is not actively employing agenda setting theory in the calls and as a result may be negatively impacting company value.
CLINICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS IN ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS

the article presents the results of clinical and economic analysis to substantiate the introduction of new methods of clinical and laboratory diagnostics to assess the efficacy of drug therapy of chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases and to evaluate the effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy.
Scaling by shrinking: empowering single-cell 'omics' with microfluidic devices.

As the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneities among cells become more appreciated, there is increasing demand for technologies that facilitate high-throughput and high-efficiency single-cell 'omic' analyses in miniaturized and automated formats. This Review discusses the diverse microfluidic methodologies — with a primary focus on valve-, droplet- and nanowell-based platforms — for characterization of the genomes, epigenomes, transcriptomes and proteomes of single cells, and addresses technical considerations and future opportunities.
Subcutaneous diphtheria and tetanus vaccines in children with haemophilia: A pilot study and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION Subcutaneous (SQ) vaccination has emerged as standard of care in children with severe bleeding disorders to reduce unnecessary factor exposure and avoid provoking an intramuscular bleed, but little is known about comparative immunogenicity to intramuscular (IM) vaccination. AIM To confirm immunogenicity of Diphtheria Tetanus acellular Pertussis (DTaP) vaccines administered SQ to individuals <6 years old with haemophilia. METHODS We performed a retrospective and prospective pilot study of tetanus and diphtheria antibody titres among patients evaluated at our Haemophilia Treatment Centre between 2015-2016. Children with haemophilia who had received three to four doses of DTaP containing vaccine administered SQ were eligible. RESULTS Eight children met inclusion criteria. The mean age at the time of diphtheria and tetanus antibody testing was 21.1±17.8 months. All children who received SQ diphtheria and tetanus developed a positive antibody titre to both antigens. There was no statistically significant difference in distribution of titre values. The average time between the last dose of vaccine and antibody testing was 6.6±3.9 months among SQ vaccinated subjects. Minor injection site reactions were common with SQ vaccines. CONCLUSION SQ administration of diphtheria and tetanus vaccination appears to be immunogenic in a pilot study of Haemophilia patients and supports this practice as the standard of care for this population.
Does Housing Make I.T. Boom? The Collateral Channel, Information Technology, and Skilled Labor

Is housing price growth causally linked with information technology (IT) investment among firms? Using establishment data between 1996-2007, we find that a percentage point rise in the growth rate of zipcode-level housing prices is associated with a 0.03-0.08% increase in information technology. Our results are robust to exploiting historical housing price shocks between 1980-1990, which generate housing market momentum between 1996-2007. We show that one major mechanism behind the housing-IT elasticity is the attraction of high skilled workers. We reconcile the internet productivity puzzle — that the adoption of advanced internet is associated with employment growth only in high-wage areas — by showing that the collateral channel is not present in these areas. Even in the presence of housing price growth, firms do not invest in IT when they do not have access to high skilled workers.
Home Formation and the Use of Violence in Zimbabwe

This chapter examines the notion of home within the historical development of Zimbabwe from colonial times to the present. Using an intersectional analysis perspective, it examines the sense of home based on race, gender, and class during colonialism, the first 20 years after independence and the contemporary 2000-plus era. The perception of home varied widely depending on the political and economic context of the period and the social location of each ethnic group. This chapter argues that state formation is linked to economic and political violence that contribute to the reality of home within the colonial and post-colonial society. Societies that seek to build exclusive notions of home rely on violence and instead end up promoting a sense of home insecurity. Lastly, it notes that people of different backgrounds conceive and perform home differently based on the Zeitgeist and the modus vivendi of political elites at particular times.
The Effects of Affirmative Action Bans on Low-Income College Access and Upward Mobility

In recent years, many states in the U.S. have banned race-based affirmative action in college admissions. Public universities in these states have put more weight on socioeconomic factors, such as family income, to ensure a diverse student body without the explicit consideration of race. This paper investigates whether statewide affirmative action bans improve college access for low-income students and subsequently help them climb the economic ladder. Using institution-level data, I find that the elimination of race-based preferences increases the enrollment share of low-income and first-generation students at selective public universities. The positive impact on college access is driven by low-income Asian students. Banning the use of race in admissions also raises the upward mobility rate, which measures the extent to which an institution contributes to intergenerational income mobility.
Graduate Medical Education Funding and Curriculum in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Survey of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department Chairs.

This national survey highlights graduate medical education funding sources for physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR more than 40% of PM&R chairs believe that their residency program is undersized and nearly a quarter feel at risk for losing positions. A total of 30% of respondents report PM&R resident experiences in home health, 15% in long-term acute care, and 52.5% in a skilled nursing facility/subacute rehabilitation facility. In programs that do not offer these experiences, most chairs feel that this training should be included. In addition, study results suggest that most PM&R graduates work in an outpatient setting. Based on the results that chairs strongly feel the need for resident education in postacute care settings and that most graduates go on to practice in outpatient settings, there is a potential discordance for our current Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services graduate medical education funding model being linked to the acute care setting.
Subcutaneoscopic Excision of External Angular Dermoid Cysts: Our Covert Scar Approach in 11 Cases.

Introduction External angular dermoid cysts, or epidermoid inclusion cysts, are a common subcutaneous tumor of the head and neck. For the majority of these lesions, excision is relatively simple and performed through an incision immediately overlying the mass. Facial lesions in pediatric patients present a unique challenge in that a direct approach carries the potential for visible scar formation. Objective This article aims to detail our experience with subcutaneoscopic excision of external angular dermoid cysts in pediatric patients using endoscopic instrumentation. Materials and Methods Retrospectively, we reviewed 11 cases, between the ages of 4 months and 3 years with external angular dermoid cysts. An incision is made on the scalp above the hairline, then a tunneled working space is created underneath the skin. 3 mm laparoscopy instruments were then used for providing excellent visualization and precise subcutaneoscopic dissection. Results There were no complications apparent in any of the 11 cases (except cyst rupture in one case), with mean procedure duration at 61 minutes. Final results at follow-up revealed aesthetically pleasing and well-healed skin incisions, hidden from view behind the hairline. Conclusion The subcutaneoscopic technique utilizing endoscopic instrumentation has the advantage of improved visualization of the cyst, greater precision of dissection, and excellent cosmesis. One disadvantage of this procedure is that this involves learning a new technique while the majority of surgeons are already comfortable with the open approach. Given the safety and efficacy observed for this subcutaneoscopic procedure, this technique can have tremendous possibilities.
Clustering versus regression trees for determining ecological land units in the Southern California mountains and foothills.

A landscape stratification was required for simulation modeling of fire disturbance and succession in the mountains and foothills region of the Peninsular Ranges within San Diego County, California. Two quantitative approaches to mapping ecological land units (ELUs) were compared for a 3,878 km 2 study area. These were: (a) clustering of climate overlain with key terrain variables; and (b) regression tree modeling of climate, geology, and terrain variables using a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from a Landsat Thematic Mapper image, as the dependent variable. Terrain variables derived from a digital elevation model included slope gradient, cosine transformed slope aspect, potential solar insolation, and a topographic moisture index. For the simulation model ELUs were required that would stratify the landscape according to biomass (fuel) accumulation dynamics, related to site productivity, and probabilities of plant species establishment. Therefore, ELUs were defined using abiotic variables, and the resulting stratifications were evaluated by their ability to reduce within-class variance in the NDVI (as an index of biological productivity), and by comparing them to a map of existing vegetation. While the regression tree method resulted in classes that explained more variance in NDVI than classes resulting from unsupervised clustering, the difference was not large. In contrast, the unsupervised approach resulted in ecological land classes that were more strongly related to existing vegetation patterns.
Fuse Opening Switches for Pulse Power Applications

The high power fuse represents a practical opening switch concept that is routinely used in circuits where currents can exceed 25 Megamps1 and in which the time scales range from 100–s of microseconds2 down to 10–s of nanoseconds.3 The fuse is an electrical conductor which experiences a very rapid rise in resistance as a result of ohmic heating. The heating is driven by the current which the fuse is intended to interrupt, and this heating leads to melting and eventually to vaporization of the conductor. The fuse is, thus, fundamentally a very reproducible one-shot device, and may, within limits, be thought of as totally passive.
Practical Reasoning in the Foundations of Quantum Theory

A popular formula for the vertical displacement sv of a body in free fall in a vacuum reads: $$ {s_v} = g{t^2}/2 $$ .
The use of splenic artery embolization to maintain adequate hepatic arterial inflow after hepatic artery thrombosis in a split liver transplant recipient.

Abstract Introduction Split liver transplant is gaining increasing use in the current environment of growing organ shortage. It is associated with a higher risk of complications, owing to its complexity and technical challenges. Splenic artery steal syndrome, is a complication that can occur following liver transplant and cause inadequate hepatic arterial inflow, hepatic artery thrombosis and graft loss. We report a successful management of hepatic artery thrombosis and splenic artery steal syndrome after a split liver transplant by surgical thrombectomy followed by angiography and splenic artery embolization. Case 60-year old female, with liver cirrhosis, who underwent a deceased donor right lobe orthotopic liver transplant. The procedure was complicated by hepatic artery thrombosis, requiring re-exploration. However, despite anastomotic revision the patient had poor hepatic arterial inflow. Both angiography and ultrasonography demonstrated splenic artery steal syndrome. This was successfully managed by splenic artery embolization with improved hepatic artery flow on ultrasonography and angiography. Conclusion Splenic artery steal syndrome is a rare complication that can occur after a liver transplant. Experience with this phenomenon is limited in split liver transplantation.We demonstrated successful early management of splenic artery steal syndrome with coil embolization in a split liver transplant preventing further morbidity and graft loss.
Persistent Pests: The role of gas diffusion in histotripsy bubble longevity

Histotripsy is a focused ultrasound therapy under development for tissue ablation via the mechanical action of bubble clouds. While strong bubble activity is a hallmark of histotripsy, persistent bubble clouds shield the focal zone from subsequent pulses and prevent complete liquefaction of the target tissues. The diffusion of gas into the bubble during histotripsy exposure may be a contributing factor to the longevity of histotripsy-induced cavitation. To investigate the role of gas diffusion in bubble persistence, the oscillations of a single nanoscale nucleus exposed to a histotripsy pulse were computed in parallel with a first-order diffusion equation. The bubble gas content increased more than five orders of magnitude during the expansion phase, inflating the equilibrium bubble diameter by more than a factor of 50. The inertial collapse of the gas-filled bubble was arrested significantly in comparison to computations neglecting diffusion, as indicated by the minimum bubble size and maximum bubble wall speed during the collapse. The residual gas bubble required more than 15 ms for passive dissolution post excitation, consistent with experimental observation. These results indicate gas diffusion does not influence the bubble dynamics during the excitation, but is a contributing factor to bubble persistence between histotripsy pulses. Histotripsy is a focused ultrasound therapy under development for tissue ablation via the mechanical action of bubble clouds. While strong bubble activity is a hallmark of histotripsy, persistent bubble clouds shield the focal zone from subsequent pulses and prevent complete liquefaction of the target tissues. The diffusion of gas into the bubble during histotripsy exposure may be a contributing factor to the longevity of histotripsy-induced cavitation. To investigate the role of gas diffusion in bubble persistence, the oscillations of a single nanoscale nucleus exposed to a histotripsy pulse were computed in parallel with a first-order diffusion equation. The bubble gas content increased more than five orders of magnitude during the expansion phase, inflating the equilibrium bubble diameter by more than a factor of 50. The inertial collapse of the gas-filled bubble was arrested significantly in comparison to computations neglecting diffusion, as indicated by the minimum bubble size and maximum bubble wal...
Theory of the unmagnetized plasma

The Vlasov mathematical model of a plasma, which has come to be thought more useful than any other in describing the dynamical behavior of the majority of plasmas of interest, is first examined. Macroscopic variables and moment equations; linear electrostatics solutions; plasma oscillations, ion acoustic waves, and linear instabilities are treated, as well as external fields, 'test' charges, and nonlinear Vlasov phenomena. Plasmas are statistically described, and attention is given to the kinetic theory of the stable, uniform plasma and the Balescu-Lenard equation; two-time ensemble averages and fluctuation spectra in stable plasmas; the kinetic theory of the unstable plasma; and ensembles of Vlasov plasmas. Some illustrative experiments are described. Four appendixes deal with the electrostatic approximation and transverse waves; solution of the linearized Vlasov equation in a magnetic field; estimates of correlation functions from thermal equilibrium; and equivalence of spatially uniform BBGKY and Klimontovich correlations.
Chemo-Mechanical Challenges in Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) could exhibit improved safety and energy density compared with traditional lithium-ion systems, but fundamental challenges exist in integrating solid-state electrolytes with electrode materials. In particular, the (electro)chemical evolution of electrode materials and interfaces can often be linked to mechanical degradation due to the all-solid nature of these systems. This review presents recent progress in understanding the coupling between chemistry and mechanics in solid-state batteries, with a focus on three important phenomena: (i) lithium filament growth through solid-state electrolytes, (ii) structural and mechanical evolution at chemically unstable interfaces, and (iii) chemo-mechanical effects within solid-state composite electrodes. Building on recent progress, overcoming chemo-mechanical challenges in solid-state batteries will require new in situ characterization methods and efforts to control evolution of interfaces.
Endoplasmic reticulum quality control in lipoprotein metabolism

Lipids play a critical role in energy metabolism, and a suite of proteins is required to deliver lipids to tissues. Several of these proteins require an intricate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control (QC) system and unique secondary chaperones for folding. Key examples include apolipoprotein B (apoB), which is the primary scaffold for many lipoproteins, dimeric lipases, which hydrolyze triglycerides from circulating lipoproteins, and the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), which clears cholesterol-rich lipoproteins from the circulation. ApoB requires specialized proteins for lipidation, dimeric lipases lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) require a transmembrane maturation factor for secretion, and the LDLR requires several specialized, domain-specific chaperones. Deleterious mutations in these proteins or their chaperones may result in dyslipidemias, which are detrimental to human health. Here, we review the ER quality control systems that ensure secretion of apoB, LPL, HL, and LDLR with a focus on the specialized chaperones required by each protein.
Band Project: A Model for Service Learning.

Real-world experiences, such as situated learning, fieldwork, and student teaching have been among the most prevalent examples employed in teacher preparation programs. Despite the increasing evide...
Continuity and change in the home environment: Associations with school readiness

Abstract The quality of the home environment is linked to children's development and learning. In early childhood, the ways that parents construct the home environment has been linked to school readiness outcomes, yet limited research has investigated the extent to which the quality of the home environment is stable or changes across the transition to school or whether this stability or change is related to children's outcomes. The current study examined the continuity and change in the level of the quality of the home environment across ages 3–and 5 and its association with school readiness outcomes (i.e., attention regulation, language skills, social–emotional skills) at age 5. Data for this study came from four waves (baseline, age 3, 5 and 9) of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, which includes 4898 children (52.4% male) and their primary caregivers. Twenty one percent of the mothers for the total sample were White, 47% were Black, 27% were Hispanic, and 4% identified as other. Sixty five percent of mothers had an education level of high school or less, 24% completed some college, 11% had a college degree or higher. Results indicated that there was not stability in the quality of the home environment between the ages of 3 and 5. In addition, higher quality home environments at age 3 and change in the quality of the home environment predicted greater gains in children's attention regulation, language, and social emotional competence. The importance of early environments for children's school readiness and potential implications for future research, policy, and interventions designed to promote healthy development in early childhood are discussed.
Coincidence between Bond Strength, Atomic Abundance, and the Composition of Rocky Materials

After removal the geologically and astrophysically underabundant Be, B, and F atoms from consideration, the strongest X–Y bonds in HnX–YHm hydrides are for O bonding with Al, Si, and Mg. These are ...
Family Meal Practices and Weight Talk Between Adult Weight Management and Weight Loss Surgery Patients and Their Children.

Abstract Objective To identify predictors associated with specific family meal practices and weight talk among patients participating in weight management programs (WMPs) and weight loss surgery (WLS) and their children. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Two US weight management centers. Participants 259 patients (aged ≥ 18 years) in either WMP (n = 101) or WLS (n = 158) and residing with a child (aged 2–18 years) Main Outcome Measure(s) Dependent variables: family meal practices (Project EAT) and weight talk (investigator-created). Covariates: family communication (Family Communication Scale), family discouragement for making eating habit change (Social Support for Eating Habits Survey), child age, sex, and perceived weight status, and WMP or WLS participation. Analysis Binomial and ordinal regression models determined the odds of engaging in specific family meal practices and weight talk, including covariates. Results Patients had increased odds of engaging in family dinners if they reported lower family discouragement (P = .003) and had younger children (P Conclusions and Implications Additional research assessing the family meal practices and weight talk in the families of adults pursuing weight loss could yield important evidence that could lead to improved patient outcomes, and safely promote healthy behaviors and prevention of obesity in children.
Clinical outcomes of solid organ transplant recipients with metastatic cancers who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A single-center analysis.

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy, but to the authors' knowledge, limited data exist regarding the safety and efficacy of these agents in transplant recipients. Herein, the authors have reported their experience with 17 patients who were treated with ICIs for metastatic malignancies after undergoing solid organ transplantation. Methods Data were abstracted for solid organ transplant recipients who received ICIs for the treatment of malignancy between January 1, 2016, and September 30, 2019. The authors identified 7 kidney, 8 liver, and 2 heart transplant recipients. Outcomes of interest were adverse drug reactions, cancer progression, and patient survival. Results The most common malignancies treated with ICIs were metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (5 patients; 29%) and hepatocellular carcinoma (5 patients; 29%), which were noted exclusively among liver transplant recipients. The median duration on ICIs was 1.7 months (interquartile range, 0.4-7.6 months). Five patients (29%) developed adverse reactions, including 4 patients (24%) with immune-related adverse events(irAEs), 3 patients (18%) with acute allograft rejections, 1 patient (6%) with autoimmune colitis, and 1 patient (6%) with ICI-induced cardiotoxicity (the patient was a heart transplant recipient). The cumulative incidence of cancer progression was 50% and 69%, respectively, at 6 months and 12 months. Eleven patients (65%) died over the median follow-up period of 4.6 months (interquartile range, 1.5-13.2 months) from the time of ICI initiation, with cancer progression being the most common cause of death. Conclusions ICIs can be used as individualized therapy in selected patients who have undergone solid organ transplantation but more studies are needed to determine how best to use these agents to improve outcomes further.
Sedation and Analgesia for Endotracheal Intubation

Endotracheal intubation is one of the most common procedures requiring sedation, analgesia, and neuromuscular blockade. This chapter discusses the need for these medications during the process of intubation as well as the selection of the most optimal agents for various patient scenarios. This chapter is based on extensive data analyzed from the NEAR4KIDs database. In addition, the chapter also provides information on high-risk tracheal intubations.
Increasing Accountability through the User Interface Design Artifacts: A New Approach to Addressing the Problem of Access-Policy Violations

Access-policy violations are a growing problem with substantial costs for organizations. Although training programs and sanctions have been suggested as a means of reducing these violations, evidence shows these persist. It is thus imperative to identify additional ways to reduce access-policy violations, especially for ubiquitous broad-access systems. We use accountability theory to develop four user-interface (UI) design artifacts that raise users’ accountability perceptions within systems and in turn decrease access-policy violations. To test our model, we uniquely applied the scenario-based factorial survey method to various graphical manipulations of a records system containing sensitive information at a large organization with over 300 end-users who use the system daily. We show that the UI design artifacts corresponding to four submanipulations of accountability can raise accountability and reduce access policy-violation intentions. Our findings have several theoretical, practice, and design-science implications for increasing accountability using UI design. Moreover, we are the first to extend the scenario-based factorial survey method to test design artifacts. This method provides the ability to use more design manipulations and to test with fewer users than is required in traditional experimentation and research on human-computer interaction. We also provide bootstrapping tests of mediation and moderation and demonstrate how to analyze fixed and random effects within the factorial survey method optimally.
A novel Mendelian randomization method with binary risk factor and outcome.

Background Mendelian randomization (MR) applies instrumental variable (IV) methods to observational data using a genetic variant as an IV. Several Monte-Carlo studies investigate the performance of MR methods with binary outcomes, but few consider them in conjunction with binary risk factors. Objective To develop a novel MR estimator for scenarios with a binary risk factor and outcome; and compare to existing MR estimators via simulations and real data analysis. Methods A bivariate Bernoulli distribution is adapted to the IV setting. Empirical bias and asymptotic coverage probabilities are estimated via simulations. The proposed method is compared to the Wald method, two-stage predictor substitution (2SPS), two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI), and the generalized method of moments (GMM). An analysis is performed using existing data from the CLEAR study to estimate the potential causal effect of smoking on rheumatoid arthritis risk in African Americans. Results Bias was low for the proposed method and comparable to 2SPS. The Wald method was often biased towards the null. Coverage was adequate for the proposed method, 2SPS, and 2SRI. Coverage for the Wald and GMM methods was poor in several scenarios. The causal effect of ever smoking on rheumatoid arthritis risk was not statistically significant using a variety of genetic instruments. Conclusions Simulations suggest the proposed MR method is sound with binary risk factors and outcomes, and comparable to 2SPS and 2SRI in terms of bias. The proposed method also provides more natural framework for hypothesis testing compared to 2SPS or 2SRI, which require ad-hoc variance adjustments.
Patient characteristics associated with retention in an asthma self-management trial for older adults.

OBJECTIVE New self-management interventions are being developed for older adults who suffer from worse asthma morbidity than their younger counterparts, but high rates of study drop out have hampered these efforts and there is limited literature on what factors may influence retention in behavioral intervention studies with older adults. This study analyzed illness beliefs and patient characteristics that may contribute to retention in an asthma self-management trial for older adults. METHODS This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of a self-management support intervention for adults 60 years and older with persistent, uncontrolled asthma. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of medication and illness beliefs, and other subject characteristics with study retention, which was defined as completion of the research study interview at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS The randomized trial enrolled 388 individuals; 261 (67.3%) completed the 12-month interview. Higher perceived threat of chronic diseases relative to asthma was associated with higher study retention (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.00-1.24) at 12 months. Other variables including asthma beliefs, age, cognitive function, health literacy, and asthma symptoms were not significantly associated with retention. CONCLUSIONS Concern about non-asthma chronic conditions, but no other illness beliefs, or patient characteristics, were associated with retention in an asthma self-management support intervention. Further research, including qualitative studies, is needed to better understand why patients drop out of asthma behavioral intervention studies.
Immunological variability of rice varieties depending on growing conditions

Blast (causative agent Pyriculariaoryzae Cavara) plays an important role among economically important, dangerous and harmful rice diseases of rice in all rice-growing countries, including Russia. The problem of resistance of rice plants to disease is one of the main problems in modern breeding in most countries. Intensification of rice cultivation creates a favorable microclimate in the sowing agrocenosis for the development of blast disease and leads to an increase in its harmfulness. The varieties quickly lose their resistance to new races of the pathogen, due to high spontaneous variability of the M. grisea fungus, its field populations are usually represented by a mixture of races with different virulence and aggressiveness, outstripping the evolution of the host plant. The nature of the blast manifestation depends on the agroclimatic conditions and genotype. The article presents the results of research at experimental and production plots of Federal Scientific Rice Centre (FSC of Rice) and Elite Seed-Production Experimental Statation Krasnaya (ESPES Krasnaya). It has been shown that a clear differentiation of rice varieties in terms of blast resistance and yielding properties is possible only when certain (provocative) conditions are created that contribute to the manifestation of their genetic potential, while the blast resistance of varieties cannot be provided only by the introduction of one gene of racespecific resistance. A close negative relationship was obtained between the yield and the intensity of blast disease on two backgrounds of mineral nutrition: N-1 - r = -0.93; N-2 - r = -0.95. The determination coefficients showed that in 86.8 - 90.1% of cases, the yield is due to the intensity ofblast development on the crops of the studied rice varieties.
Machine Learning Models Can Improve Efficiency of Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials. (521)

Objective: To investigate if machine learning (ML) models can effectively predict clinical disease progression in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients during the timeframe of a phase 3 clinical trial. Background: In AD trials active treatment is intended to slow down the rate of cognitive decline. Enrollment of participants who will not show cognitive decline reduce the chance of detecting therapeutic effects. One strategy to boost the power of trials is to enroll individuals likely to progress using data-driven predictive models. Design/Methods: We used data from 202 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and 77 participants from the placebo arm of the phase 3 trial of semagacestat for AD (LFAN) with diagnosis of mild-to-moderate AD at baseline. K-Nearest Neighborhood (kNN) models were trained using ADNI data to classify participants to 1) cognitive decliners, change of >0 from baseline in the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) score; and 2) Stable cognition, change of ≤0 from baseline ADAS-cog score, after 12 months of follow-up. Trained models were applied to data from LFAN trial (validation sample) to predict disease progression in 12 months. Feature-set in all models included demographics, Apo4 status, neurocognitive tests, and volumetric MRI. Results: kNN classifier had a sensitivity of 77.9% and specificity of 35.4% for identifying decliners in ADNI sample. In LFAN sample, the model showed an overall accuracy of 63.6%, sensitivity of 66.6%, and specificity of 50% in identifying decliners at the 12 months of follow-up. The model had a positive predictive value of 85.7%, which is 22.7% more than the base prevalence of 63% for decliners. Conclusions: Machine learning predictive models can be effectively used to boost the power of clinical trials by reducing the sample size. Disclosure: Dr. Ezzati has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Eisai. Dr. Lipton has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Teva Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lipton has received compensation for serving on the Board of Directors of eNeura and Biohaven. Dr. Lipton holds stock and/or stock options in Biohaven which sponsored research in which Dr. Lipton was involved as an investigator. Dr. Lipton holds stock and/or stock options in Biohaven. Dr. Lipton has received research support from Migraine Research Foundation the National Headache Foundation and Amgen.
Emulating electric vehicle regenerative and friction braking effect using a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) motor/dynamometer test bench

This paper provides a new approach for emulating electric vehicle (EV) braking performance on a motor/dynamometer test bench. The brake force distribution between regenerative braking and friction braking of both the front and rear axles are discussed in detail. A brake controller is designed, which represents a very close model of an actual EV braking system and takes into account both regenerative and friction braking limitations. The proposed brake controller is then integrated into the existing controller of an EV Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test bench, and its performance is validated in real-time using the same experimental setup.