The Association Between a History of Prior Experience with Meditation and the Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions: Evidence from the 2012 NHIS.

The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has grown in popularity since the 1990’s. One possible explanation is the Western medicine’s inability to adequately treat pain and chronic diseases. Hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity each pose significant public health challenges, and effective treatment requires lifestyle modification. Meditation, by attenuating the body’s stress response, may positively impact a wide range of chronic health concerns. However, research on meditation has been mixed and is often criticized for methodological shortcomings. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) most recently included questions about CAM in 2012. NHIS-based research describes differences in both CAM utilization and the prevalence of chronic health outcomes by region. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2012 NHIS data to test our hypothesis of a negative association between ever having meditated and select chronic health outcomes. Due to software limitations we conducted separate analyses to account for the complex sampling and multilevel data structure with clustering of observations by region. Hypertension and meditation were not associated in the weighted logistic (OR=1.05 (95%CI= (0.91, 1.22)] or the unweighted marginal (OR=1.00 95%CI= (0.85, 1.18)] adjusted models. High cholesterol was positively associated with ever having meditated in both the weighted logistic (OR=1.27, 95%CI= (1.11, 1.46)] and unweighted marginal (OR=1.23, 95%CI= (1.17, 1.28)] adjusted models. Diabetes was not associated with ever having meditated in the weighted adjusted logistic model (OR=0.81, 95%CI= (0.62, 1.07)]. However, a negative association with meditation was found in the unweighted adjusted marginal (OR=0.81, 95%CI= (0.70, 0.95)] model. The association of meditation with BMI was negative in all models

Air pollution, physical activity, and markers of acute airway oxidative stress and inflammation in adolescents

Background: The airway inflammatory response is likely the mechanism for adverse health effects related to exposure to air pollution. Increased ventilation rates during physical activity in the presence of air pollution increases the inhaled dose of pollutants. However, physical activity may moderate the relationship between air pollution and the inflammatory response. The present study aimed to characterize, among healthy adolescents, the relationship between dose of inhaled air pollution, physical activity, and markers of lung function, oxidative stress, and airway inflammation. Methods: With a non-probability sample of adolescents, this observational study estimated the association between air pollution dose and outcome measures by use of general linear mixed models with an unstructured covariance structure and a random intercept for subjects to account for repeated measures within subjects. Results: A one interquartile range (IQR) (i.e., 345.64 µg) increase in ozone (O3) inhaled dose was associated with a 29.16% average decrease in the percentage of total oxidized compounds (%Oxidized). A one IQR (i.e., 2.368E+10 particle) increase in total particle number count in the inhaled dose (PNT) was associated with an average decrease in forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75) of 0.168 L/second. Increasing activity levels attenuated the relationship between PNT inhaled dose and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). The relationship between O3 inhaled dose and percent oxidized exhaled breath condensate cystine (%CYSS) was attenuated by activity level, with increasing activity levels corresponding to smaller changes from baseline for a constant O3 inhaled dose. Conclusions: The moderating effects of activity level suggest that peaks of high concentration doses of air pollution may overwhelm the endogenous redox balance of cells, resulting in increased airway inflammation. Further research that examines the relationships between dose peaks over time and inflammation could help to determine whether a high concentration dose over a short period of time has a different effect than a lower concentration dose over a longer period of time

A Novel Method for Quantifying the Inhaled Dose of Air Pollutants Based on Heart Rate, Breathing Rate and Forced Vital Capacity

To better understand the interaction of physical activity and air pollution exposure, it is important to quantify the change in ventilation rate incurred by activity. In this paper, we describe a method for estimating ventilation using easily-measured variables such as heart rate (HR), breathing rate (fB), and forced vital capacity (FVC). We recruited healthy adolescents to use a treadmill while we continuously measured HR, fB, and the tidal volume (VT) of each breath. Participants began at rest then walked and ran at increasing speed until HR was 160–180 beats per minute followed by a cool down period. The novel feature of this method is that minute ventilation (V_ E) was normalized by FVC. We used general linear mixed models with a random effect for subject and identified nine potential predictor variables that influence either V_ E or FVC. We assessed predictive performance with a five-fold cross-validation procedure. We used a brute force selection process to identify the best performing models based on cross-validation percent error, the Akaike Information Criterion and the p-value of parameter estimates. We found a two-predictor model including HR and fB to have the best predictive performance (V_ E/FVC = -4.247+0.0595HR+0.226fB, mean percent error = 8.1±29%); however, given the ubiquity of HR measurements, a one-predictor model including HR may also be useful (V_ E/FVC = -3.859+0.101HR, mean percent error = 11.3±36%)

SAR-Based Vibration Estimation Using the Discrete Fractional Fourier Transform

A vibration estimation method for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented based on a novel application of the discrete fractional Fourier transform (DFRFT). Small vibrations of ground targets introduce phase modulation in the SAR returned signals. With standard preprocessing of the returned signals, followed by the application of the DFRFT, the time-varying accelerations, frequencies, and displacements associated with vibrating objects can be extracted by successively estimating the quasi-instantaneous chirp rate in the phase-modulated signal in each subaperture. The performance of the proposed method is investigated quantitatively, and the measurable vibration frequencies and displacements are determined. Simulation results show that the proposed method can successfully estimate a two-component vibration at practical signal-to-noise levels. Two airborne experiments were also conducted using the Lynx SAR system in conjunction with vibrating ground test targets. The experiments demonstrated the correct estimation of a 1-Hz vibration with an amplitude of 1.5 cm and a 5-Hz vibration with an amplitude of 1.5 mm

Characterization of Men with Hemophilia B and Factors Associated with Treatment Practices, Participating in the Community Counts Registry from 2014 to 2018.

Hemophilia B is an inherited, X-linked, bleeding disorder caused by a mutation of the clotting factor 9 (FIX) gene. The mutation reduces the amount of FIX protein and results in spontaneous and trauma-related bleeding episodes. In 1994, approximately 2,800 men with hemophilia B (MWHB) were treated at hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) in the United States (US). To date, studies examining health outcomes for MWHB in the US have not been compared across disease severities. Treatment of MWHB has become more complex with changes in prophylaxis practices in the US and the introduction of novel treatment products. Observational studies that describe health outcomes among MWHB and current treatment practices are important to inform future clinical practices. These cross-sectional analyses used data from MWHB enrolled in the Community Counts surveillance Registry (Registry) from 2014 to 2018. The first paper compared the sample of MWHB in the Registry to the population of MWHB who received treatment in HTCs and described the demographic, clinical factors, and health outcomes across disease severities. From 2014-2018, the population of MWHB who received care in HTCs included 4,816 MWHB, of which 2091 participated in the Registry. The second paper examined demographic, clinical factors, and health outcomes associated with treatment regimen, prophylaxis versus episodic; and used a marginal model. The final model included ethnicity, health insurance, history of a joint bleed, and interactions between severity by chronic pain as well as age by history of central venous access device utilization. The third paper examined demographic, clinical factors, and health outcomes associated with treatment product type utilization, standard half-life products versus extended half-life products, among MWHB on continuous prophylaxis; and used a marginal model. The final model included disease severity, enrollment year, HTC region, and percent of missed treatment dose. The second and third paper demonstrated that patient-level treatment outcomes were clustered by the HTCs where they received care. Future studies should examine the treatment dosage and frequency of administration of treatment products for MWHB on prophylaxis and replicate these studies for hemophilia A to determine if the factors associated with treatment are similar for all men with hemophilia

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an HIV-Positive Cohort

Background: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately burdened with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our objective was to evaluate prevalence and risks for MRSA colonization in PLWH. Methods: Adults were recruited from Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service in Baltimore, Maryland. A risk questionnaire and specimen collection from anatomic sites with culture susceptibility and genotyping were completed. Generalized estimating equation modeling identified MRSA colonization risk factors. Results: Of 500 participants,mostwere black (69%), on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (87%),with undetectable viral loads (73.4%). Median CD4 count was 487 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 316-676.5 cells/mm3). MRSA prevalence was 15.4%, predominantly from the nares (59.7%). Forty percent were nares negative but were colonized elsewhere. Lower odds for colonizationwere associatedwith recent sexual activity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]¼0.84, P$75,000; AOR ¼ 2.68, P \u3c .001), recent hospitalization (AOR ¼ 1.54, P \u3c .001), incarceration (AOR ¼ 1.55,

Factors Associated With Unplanned Hospitalizations Among Patients With Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancers Intended for Treatment in the Ambulatory Setting

Chemotherapy administration and supportive management for solid tumors is intended to take place in the ambulatory setting, but little is known about why some patients experience treatment-related, adverse events so severe as to require acute inpatient care

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an HIV-Positive Cohort

Background: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are disproportionately burdened with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our objective was to evaluate prevalence and risks for MRSA colonization in PLWH. Methods: Adults were recruited from Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service in Baltimore, Maryland. A risk questionnaire and specimen collection from anatomic sites with culture susceptibility and genotyping were completed. Generalized estimating equation modeling identified MRSA colonization risk factors. Results: Of 500 participants,mostwere black (69%), on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (87%),with undetectable viral loads (73.4%). Median CD4 count was 487 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 316-676.5 cells/mm3). MRSA prevalence was 15.4%, predominantly from the nares (59.7%). Forty percent were nares negative but were colonized elsewhere. Lower odds for colonizationwere associatedwith recent sexual activity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]¼0.84, P$75,000; AOR ¼ 2.68, P \u3c .001), recent hospitalization (AOR ¼ 1.54, P \u3c .001), incarceration (AOR ¼ 1.55,

Classification of three-family flavoured DFSZ axion models that have no domain wall problem

We provide an exhaustive classification of three-family DFSZ axion models that have no cosmological domain wall problem. This result is obtained by making the Peccei-Quinn symmetry flavour dependent in certain specific ways, thus reinforcing a possible connection between the strong CP problem and the flavour puzzle. Known DFSZ flavour variants such as the top-specific model emerge as special cases. Key features of the phenomenology of these models are briefly discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 3 table

Evaluations of Risks from the Lunar and Mars Radiation Environments

Protecting astronauts from the space radiation environments requires accurate projections of radiation in future space missions. Characterization of the ionizing radiation environment is challenging because the interplanetary plasma and radiation fields are modulated by solar disturbances and the radiation doses received by astronauts in interplanetary space are likewise influenced. The galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) flux for the next solar cycle was estimated as a function of interplanetary deceleration potential, which has been derived from GCR flux and Climax neutron monitor rate measurements over the last 4 decades. For the chaotic nature of solar particle event (SPE) occurrence, the mean frequency of SPE at any given proton fluence threshold during a defined mission duration was obtained from a Poisson process model using proton fluence measurements of SPEs during the past 5 solar cycles (19-23). Analytic energy spectra of 34 historically large SPEs were constructed over broad energy ranges extending to GeV. Using an integrated space radiation model (which includes the transport codes HZETRN [1] and BRYNTRN [2], and the quantum nuclear interaction model QMSFRG[3]), the propagation and interaction properties of the energetic nucleons through various media were predicted. Risk assessment from GCR and SPE was evaluated at the specific organs inside a typical spacecraft using CAM [4] model. The representative risk level at each event size and their standard deviation were obtained from the analysis of 34 SPEs. Risks from different event sizes and their frequency of occurrences in a specified mission period were evaluated for the concern of acute health effects especially during extra-vehicular activities (EVA). The results will be useful for the development of an integrated strategy of optimizing radiation protection on the lunar and Mars missions. Keywords: Space Radiation Environments; Galactic Cosmic Radiation; Solar Particle Event; Radiation Risk; Risk Analysis; Radiation Protection