Time-varying Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

The presence of methicillin-resistant \textit{Staphylococus Aureus} (MRSA) in complicated skin and soft structure infections (cSSSI) is associated with greater health risks and economic costs to patients. There is concern that MRSA is becoming resistant to other "gold standard" treatments such as vancomycin, and there is disagreement about the relative efficacy of vancocymin compared to linezolid. There are several review papers employing Bayesian Network Meta-Analyses (BNMAs) to investigate which treatments are best for MRSA related cSSSIs, but none address time-based design inconsistencies. This paper proposes a time-varying BNMA (tBNMA), which models time-varying treatment effects across studies using a Gaussian Process kernel. A dataset is compiled from nine existing MRSA cSSSI NMA review papers containing 58 studies comparing 19 treatments over 19 years. tBNMA finds evidence of a non-linear trend in the treatment effect of vancomycin - it became less effective than linezolid between 2002 and 2007, but has since recovered statistical equivalence

Criminal propensity, deviant sexual interests and criminal activity of sexual aggressors against women : a comparison of explanatory models

Three hypotheses have been used to describe the male propensity for sexual aggression towards women: a general propensity to offend, a specific propensity to sexually offend and a combination of both. In this paper, using structural equation modeling, we compared the relative utility of these three hypotheses in explaining criminal activity in adulthood of sexual aggressors of women. In total, 209 adult males who were convicted of at least one sexual offence were included in the study. Results indicate that a propensity model emphasizing the role of an early and persistent general propensity to act in an antisocial manner during childhood and adolescence is most adequate to explain sexual aggressors' criminal activity. After controlling for the role of this propensity, a specific propensity characterized by high sexualization and deviant sexual interests explained only a modest proportion of variance of the sexual criminal activity

A fascinating multifaceted redox-active chelating ligand: introducing the N,N′-dimethyl-3,3′-biquinoxalinium “methylbiquinoxen” platform

To intimately combine a chelating ligand function with the numerous properties of a viologen-like redox-active centre would offer a rare possibility to design controllable multi-redox states, whose properties arise from strongly correlated phenomena between the organic ligand as well as with any metalloid coordinated centres. Such a concept previously proved to be feasible, however is not widely applicable owing to challenges in terms of synthesis, isolation, and aerial sensitivity of both the ligand and its metal complexes. Here we report the first stable example of such a redox-active molecule, N,N′-dimethyl-3,3′-biquinoxalinium2+/˙+/0 “methylbiquinoxen, MBqn2+/˙+/0”, which shows a rich redox chemistry and chelates a metal ion in the case of the metal complex [CdCl2(MBqn0)]. This goes beyond what is possible to achieve using viologens, which are limited by not providing chelation as well as having no accessible biradicaloid state, corresponding to the neutral direduced MBqn0 open-shell behaviour we observe here

Validation of the TOLNet lidars: The Southern California Ozone Observation Project (SCOOP)

The North America-based Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) was recently established to provide high spatiotemporal vertical profiles of ozone, to better understand physical processes driving tropospheric ozone variability and to validate the tropospheric ozone measurements of upcoming spaceborne missions such as Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO). The network currently comprises six tropospheric ozone lidars, four of which are mobile instruments deploying to the field a few times per year, based on campaign and science needs. In August 2016, all four mobile TOLNet lidars were brought to the fixed TOLNet site of JPL Table Mountain Facility for the 1-week-long Southern California Ozone Observation Project (SCOOP). This intercomparison campaign, which included 400¿h of lidar measurements and 18 ozonesonde launches, allowed for the unprecedented simultaneous validation of five of the six TOLNet lidars. For measurements between 3 and 10¿km¿a.s.l., a mean difference of 0.7¿ppbv (1.7¿%), with a root-mean-square deviation of 1.6¿ppbv or 2.4¿%, was found between the lidars and ozonesondes, which is well within the combined uncertainties of the two measurement techniques. The few minor differences identified were typically associated with the known limitations of the lidars at the profile altitude extremes (i.e., first 1¿km above ground and at the instruments' highest retrievable altitude). As part of a large homogenization and quality control effort within the network, many aspects of the TOLNet in-house data processing algorithms were also standardized and validated. This thorough validation of both the measurements and retrievals builds confidence as to the high quality and reliability of the TOLNet ozone lidar profiles for many years to come, making TOLNet a valuable ground-based reference network for tropospheric ozone profiling.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Clinical Profile and Outcome among Infants of Diabetic Mothers Delivered At the Brooklyn Hospital Center

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the commonest complication of pregnancy, negatively impacting mothers and fetuses. Few studies suggest amelioration of negative outcomes of DM-associated pregnancies in recent years, due in part to improved care. But increasing prevalence of overweight in developed countries is also affecting many women of childbearing age with concomitant poor glycemic control especially in pregnancy. Hyperglycemia, even at sub-diabetic levels, is associated with increased risk of macrosomia and Cesarean section. There is evidence demonstrating that outcomes of DM-associated pregnancies are similar with those characterized by hyperglycemia of sub-diabetic levels. Perhaps, improvement of care for DM-associated pregnancies on one hand, and the impact of obesity epidemic may have changed the relative frequencies of negative outcomes typically reported for infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) compared with controls.Aims/Objective: We re-evaluated the relative frequencies of negative outcomes of pregnancies complicated by DM compared with non-diabetic pregnancies.Method/Design: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted.Result: There were 50 diabetic and 83 non-diabetic mother-infant pairs. Mothers with DM-associated pregnancies had increased risk of delivery by C/Sxn, macrosomic babies, admission to NICU and prolonged hospitalization. Only IDMs had documented birth defects. Notable improvements over previous studies for IDMs include similar gestational ages at delivery and excellent APGAR scores in both groups.Conclusion: IDMs still have higher frequencies of negative outcomes compared with controls but some improvements are noteworthy and should provide impetus for efforts at reducing prevalence of obesity while improving care for DM-associated pregnancies

Higher PLIN5 but not PLIN3 content in isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria following acute in vivo contraction in rat hindlimb

Contraction-mediated lipolysis increases the association of lipid droplets and mitochondria, indicating an important role in the passage of fatty acids from lipid droplets to mitochondria in skeletal muscle. PLIN3 and PLIN5 are of particular interest to the lipid droplet–mitochondria interaction because PLIN3 is able to move about within cells and PLIN5 associates with skeletal muscle mitochondria. This study primarily investigated: 1) if PLIN3 is detected in skeletal muscle mitochondrial fraction; and 2) if mitochondrial protein content of PLIN3 and/or PLIN5 changes following stimulated contraction. A secondary aim was to determine if PLIN3 and PLIN5 associate and whether this changes following contraction. Male Long Evans rats (n = 21;age, 52 days; weight = 317 6 g) underwent 30 min of hindlimb stimulation (10 msec impulses, 100 Hz/3 sec at 10–20 V; train duration 100 msec). Contraction induced a ~50% reduction in intramuscular lipid content measured by oil red-O staining of red gastrocnemius muscle. Mitochondria were isolated from red gastrocnemius muscle by differential centrifugation and proteins were detected by western blotting. Mitochondrial PLIN5 content was ~1.6-fold higher following 30 min of contraction and PLIN3 content was detected in the mitochondrial fraction, and unchanged following contraction. An association between PLIN3 and PLIN5 was observed and remained unaltered following contraction. PLIN5 may play a role in mitochondria during lipolysis, which is consistent with a role in facilitating/regulating mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. PLIN3 and PLIN5 may be working together on the lipid droplet and mitochondria during contraction-induced lipolysis

Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children

Among dietary factors, learning and behavior are influenced not only by nutrients, but also by exposure to toxic food contaminants such as mercury that can disrupt metabolic processes and alter neuronal plasticity. Neurons lacking in plasticity are a factor in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and mental retardation. Essential nutrients help maintain normal neuronal plasticity. Nutritional deficiencies, including deficiencies in the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, the amino acid methionine, and the trace minerals zinc and selenium, have been shown to influence neuronal function and produce defects in neuronal plasticity, as well as impact behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nutritional deficiencies and mercury exposure have been shown to alter neuronal function and increase oxidative stress among children with autism. These dietary factors may be directly related to the development of behavior disorders and learning disabilities. Mercury, either individually or in concert with other factors, may be harmful if ingested in above average amounts or by sensitive individuals. High fructose corn syrup has been shown to contain trace amounts of mercury as a result of some manufacturing processes, and its consumption can also lead to zinc loss. Consumption of certain artificial food color additives has also been shown to lead to zinc deficiency. Dietary zinc is essential for maintaining the metabolic processes required for mercury elimination. Since high fructose corn syrup and artificial food color additives are common ingredients in many foodstuffs, their consumption should be considered in those individuals with nutritional deficits such as zinc deficiency or who are allergic or sensitive to the effects of mercury or unable to effectively metabolize and eliminate it from the body