Lithium and carbon isotopic fractionations between the alteration assemblages of Nakhla and Lafayette

Nakhla and Lafayette delta 7Li values for samples and extracts (4.1-14.2�) are consistent with brine evaporation. Relatively 13C-poor siderite in Lafayette suggests more than one carbon source was sampled

Proprioceptive perception of phase variability

Previous work has established that judgments of relative phase variability of 2 visually presented oscillators covary with mean relative phase. Ninety degrees is judged to be more variable than 0° or 180°, independently of the actual level of phase variability. Judged levels of variability also increase at 180°. This pattern of judgments matches the pattern of movement coordination results. Here, participants judged the phase variability of their own finger movements, which they generated by actively tracking a manipulandum moving at 0°, 90°, or 180°, and with 1 of 4 levels of Phase Variability. Judgments covaried as an inverted U-shaped function of mean relative phase. With an increase in frequency, 180° was judged more variable whereas 0° was not. Higher frequency also reduced discrimination of the levels of Phase Variability. This matching of the proprioceptive and visual results, and of both to movement results, supports the hypothesized role of online perception in the coupling of limb movements. Differences in the 2 cases are discussed as due primarily to the different sensitivities of the systems to the information

Electrical Skin Impedance at Acupuncture Points

Objective: To test whether electrical skin impedance at each of three acupuncture points (APs) is significantly lower than at nearby sites on the meridian (MP) and off the meridian (NP). Design: Two instruments—Prognos (MedPrevent GmbH, Waldershof, Germany), a constant-current (DC) device, and PT Probe (designed for this study), a 100-Hz sinusoidal-current (AC) device—were used to record electrical impedance at three APs (right Gallbladder 14, right Pericardium 8, and left Triple Energizer 1), and two control sites for each AP. Each AP, MP, and NP was measured four times in random order with each device. Setting: The study was conducted over a period of 4 days at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM). Subjects: Twenty (20) healthy adults (14 women and 6 men), all recruited from the OCOM student body and faculty, participated in the study. Results: The Prognos measurements had an intraclass correlation (ICC) 0.84 and coefficient of variation (CV) 0.43. The PT Probe had ICC 0.81 and CV 0.31. Impedance values at APs were not significantly less than at MPs or NPs. Impedance values at MPs were also not significantly less than NPs, although their individual p values were 0.05 in 4 of 6 cases. There was a significant trend of increasing impedance with repeated measurements with both the Prognos (p 0.003) and the PT Probe (p 0.003). Conclusions: Within the reliability limits of our study methods, none of the three APs tested has lower skin impedance than at either of the nearby control points. These results are not consistent with previous studies that detected lower skin impedance at APs than nearby sites. Further study is necessary to determine whether MPs have lower skin impedance than nearby NPs. Our study suggests caution is warranted when developing, using, and interpreting results from electrodermal screening devices. Further studies are needed to clarify the clinically important and controversial hypothesis that APs are sites of lower impedance

Performing Qualitative Mask Fit Testing Without a Commercial Kit: Fit Testing Which Can Be Performed at Home and at Work.

OBJECTIVE: Qualitative fit testing is a popular method of ensuring the fit of sealing face masks such as N95 and FFP3 masks. Increased demand due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to shortages in testing equipment and has forced many institutions to abandon fit testing. Three key materials are required for qualitative fit testing: the test solution, nebulizer, and testing hood. Accessible alternatives to the testing solution have been studied. This exploratory qualitative study evaluates alternatives to the nebulizer and hoods for performing qualitative fit testing. METHODS: Four devices were trialed to replace the test kit nebulizer. Two enclosures were tested for their ability to replace the test hood. Three researchers evaluated promising replacements under multiple mask fit conditions to assess functionality and accuracy. RESULTS: The aroma diffuser and smaller enclosures allowed participants to perform qualitative fit tests quickly and with high accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Aroma diffusers show significant promise in their ability to allow individuals to quickly, easily, and inexpensively perform qualitative fit testing. Our findings indicate that aroma diffusers and homemade testing hoods may allow for qualitative fit testing when conventional apparatus is unavailable. Additional research is needed to evaluate the safety and reliability of these devices

Factors influencing multiple sclerosis disease-modifying treatment prescribing decisions in the United Kingdom: A qualitative interview study

Background The proportion of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis prescribed disease modifying treatments (DMTs) in the United Kingdom (UK) is considered low compared with other countries. There are differences in DMT prescription rates between UK nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland). Despite this, there has been little research into decision-making processes and prescribing practices. Objective To investigate views and experiences of neurologists prescribing DMTs and MS specialist nurses to identify factors influencing prescribing. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 18 consultant neurologists and 16 specialist nurses from diverse settings across the four UK nations. Data were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Results Prescribing practices are influenced by organisational prescribing “cultures”, informal “benchmarking” within peer networks, and prior experience with different DMTs. Health professionals differ in their perceptions of benefits and risks of DMTs and personal “thresholds” for discerning relapses and determining eligibility for DMTs. Prescribers in England felt most constrained by guidelines. Conclusion To achieve equity in access to DMTs for people with MS eligible for treatment, there is a need for public discussion acknowledging differences in health professionals’ interpretations of “relapses” and guidelines and perceptions of DMTs, variation in organisational prescribing “cultures”, and whether the prevailing culture sufficiently meets patients’ needs

Face mask fit hacks: Improving the fit of KN95 masks and surgical masks with fit alteration techniques.

INTRODUCTION: During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been suggestions that various techniques could be employed to improve the fit and, therefore, the effectiveness of face masks. It is well recognized that improving fit tends to improve mask effectiveness, but whether these fit modifiers are reliable remains unexplored. In this study, we assess a range of common "fit hacks" to determine their ability to improve mask performance. METHODS: Between July and September 2020, qualitative fit testing was performed in an indoor living space. We used quantitative fit testing to assess the fit of both surgical masks and KN95 masks, with and without 'fit hacks', on four participants. Seven fit hacks were evaluated to assess impact on fit. Additionally, one participant applied each fit hack multiple times to assess how reliable hacks were when reapplied. A convenience of four participants took part in the study, three females and one male with a head circumference range of 54 to 60 centimetres. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The use of pantyhose, tape, and rubber bands were effective for most participants. A pantyhose overlayer was observed to be the most effective hack. High degrees of variation were noted between participants. However, little variation was noted within participants, with hacks generally showing similar benefit each time they were applied on a single participant. An inspection of the fit hacks once applied showed that individual facial features may have a significant impact on fit, especially the nose bridge. CONCLUSIONS: Fit hacks can be used to effectively improve the fit of surgical and KN95 masks, enhancing the protection provided to the wearer. However, many of the most effective hacks are very uncomfortable and unlikely to be tolerated for extended periods of time. The development of effective fit-improvement solutions remains a critical issue in need of further development

Machine Learning-Based Method for Personalized and Cost-Effective Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often difficult, especially early in the disease process at the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Yet, it is at this stage that treatment is most likely to be effective, so there would be great advantages in improving the diagnosis process. We describe and test a machine learning approach for personalized and cost-effective diagnosis of AD. It uses locally weighted learning to tailor a classifier model to each patient and computes the sequence of biomarkers most informative or cost-effective to diagnose patients. Using ADNI data, we classified AD versus controls and MCI patients who progressed to AD within a year, against those who did not. The approach performed similarly to considering all data at once, while significantly reducing the number (and cost) of the biomarkers needed to achieve a confident diagnosis for each patient. Thus, it may contribute to a personalized and effective detection of AD, and may prove useful in clinical settings.</p

Redshifts and Velocity Dispersions of Galaxy Clusters in the Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster

We present 118 new optical redshifts for galaxies in 12 clusters in the Horologium-Reticulum supercluster (HRS) of galaxies. For 76 galaxies, the data were obtained with the Dual Beam Spectrograph on the 2.3m telescope of the Australian National University at Siding Spring Observatory. After combining 42 previously unpublished redshifts with our new sample, we determine mean redshifts and velocity dispersions for 13 clusters, in which previous observational data were sparse. In six of the 13 clusters, the newly determined mean redshifts differ by more than 750 km/s from the published values. In the case of three clusters, A3047, A3109, and A3120, the redshift data indicate the presence of multiple components along the line of sight. The new cluster redshifts, when combined with other reliable mean redshifts for clusters in the HRS, are found to be distinctly bi-modal. Furthermore, the two redshift components are consistent with the bi-modal redshift distribution found for the inter-cluster galaxies in the HRS by Fleenor et al. (2005).Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, Accepted to A

The Development and Implementation of a Culturally Safe Survey for Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Values around FASD and Alcohol Use During Pregnancy in a Remote Australian Aboriginal Community Setting

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability caused by prenatal alcohol exposure that has a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities. The prevalence of FASD is high in some Indigenous communities around the World and the only active case ascertainment prevalence study conducted in Australia found a rate of 19.44 per 100 children in the remote Fitzroy Valley region of Western Australia. Following this study community led FASD prevention activities were implemented under the Marulu (“Worth Nurturing”) Strategy in the Fitzroy Valley. A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey was designed to assess the impact of the prevention campaign and gather more information about knowledge of the dangers of alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD, local attitudes, and health behaviours both around alcohol and more generally including where residents received their health information. Best practices recommend including local Aboriginal people in the development of surveys and aiming to achieve cultural security. Actions taken included consulting with local health workers during survey development, translation of key sections of the survey into the local Kimberley Kriol, and performing the surveys with the assistance of Aboriginal Community Researchers. The full survey is made available in this paper. The surveys were conducted with 200 community members during August 2015 and 203 in October 2015. Surveys were updated between the first and second waves based on learnings during implementation. Key implementation details around weather and timing, gender/kinship issues, group participation, declining participation, problematic questions and responses to the survey are described. Cultural safety was achieved but further steps could be taken to ensure future cultural security by embedding cultural safety protocols in the survey and further community consultation