Personality Traits in Juvenile Delinquents: Associations with Peer and Family Relations

Objective: To establish family and peer correlates of personality traits shown to be predictive of future criminal recidivism. Method: 137 incarcerated boys aged 13-18 (x = 16 ± 1.2), 35% black, 21% Hispanic, 43% white, and 1% other completed the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI) and a psychosocial history obtained by a social worker. Records were summarized using two raters who assigned numerical ratings to dimensions of family and peer relations. Results: As expected, observer ratings of family and peer relationships were correlated with the personality characteristics of distress, denial and restraint as measured by the WAI. Conclusion: Family and peer relations are associated with certain personality traits that are predictive of criminal recidivism in delinquents. This study further expands the knowledge base regarding the social and interpersonal correlates of individual traits predicting criminal recidivism

Genetics of coronary artery calcification among African Americans, a meta-analysis

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of death in the United States. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores are independent predictors of CHD. African Americans (AA) have higher rates of CHD but are less well-studied in genomic studies. We assembled the largest AA data resource currently available with measured CAC to identify associated genetic variants.Methods: We analyzed log transformed CAC quantity (ln(CAC + 1)), for association with ~2.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and performed an inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis on results for 5,823 AA from 8 studies. Heritability was calculated using family studies. The most significant SNPs among AAs were evaluated in European Ancestry (EA) CAC data; conversely, the significance of published SNPs for CAC/CHD in EA was queried within our AA meta-analysis.Results: Heritability of CAC was lower in AA (~30%) than previously reported for EA (~50%). No SNP reached genome wide significance (p < 5E-08). Of 67 SNPs with p < 1E-05 in AA there was no evidence of association in EA CAC data. Four SNPs in regions previously implicated in CAC/CHD (at 9p21 and PHACTR1) in EA reached

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Variation in neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury

Background: Neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is challenging, with only low-quality evidence. We aimed to explore differences in neurosurgical strategies for TBI across Europe. Methods: A survey was sent to 68 centers participating in the Collaborative European Neurotrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. The questionnaire contained 21 questions, including the decision when to operate (or not) on traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and intracerebral hematoma (ICH), and when to perform a decompressive craniectomy (DC) in raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Results: The survey was completed by 68 centers (100%). On average, 10 neurosurgeons work in each trauma center. In all centers, a neurosurgeon was available within 30 min. Forty percent of responders reported a thickness or volume threshold for evacuation of an ASDH. Most responders (78%) decide on a primary DC in evacuating an ASDH during the operation, when swelling is present. For ICH, 3% would perform an evacuation directly to prevent secondary deterioration and 66% only in case of clinical deterioration. Most respondents (91%) reported to consider a DC for refractory high ICP. The reported cut-off ICP for DC in refractory high ICP, however, differed: 60% uses 25 mmHg, 18% 30 mmHg, and 17% 20 mmHg. Treatment strategies varied substantially between regions, specifically for the threshold for ASDH surgery and DC for refractory raised ICP. Also within center variation was present: 31% reported variation within the hospital for inserting an ICP monitor and 43% for evacuating mass lesions. Conclusion: Despite a homogeneous organization, considerable practice variation exists of neurosurgical strategies for TBI in Europe. These results provide an incentive for comparative effectiveness research to determine elements of effective neurosurgical care

Fresh Red Blood Cell Transfusion and Short-Term Pulmonary, Immunologic, and Coagulation Status A Randomized Clinical Trial AT A GLANCE COMMENTARY Scientific Knowledge on the Subject

Rationale: Transfusion-related pulmonary complications are leading causes of morbidity and mortality attributed to transfusion. Observational studies suggest an important role for red blood cell (RBC) storage duration in these adverse outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of RBC storage duration on shortterm pulmonary function as well as immunologic and coagulation status in mechanically ventilated patients receiving RBC transfusion. Methods: This is a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial comparing fresh (&lt;5 d of storage) versus standard issue single-unit RBC transfusion in adult intubated and mechanically ventilated patients. The primary outcome is the change in pulmonary gas exchange as assessed by the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen concentration ratio ( Since the first successful attempt at blood storage almost a century ago, advances in extracorporeal red blood cell (RBC) preservation have incrementally prolonged the viability of stored RBCs. With contemporary preservative solutions, the accepted duration of RBC storage has now been extended to 42 days (1). In the past two decades, there has been increased interest in the time-dependent changes in RBC quantity and quality during this storage period. The various changes that occur within both the RBC and storage media during ex vivo preservation have been collectively termed the RBC &quot;storage lesion.&quot; Importantly, alterations that occur during the RBC storage process are believed potentially responsible for many of the adverse effects associated with blood product administration (2). Among these concerns is a potentially increased risk of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) (3-6) as well as risk-adjusted mortality (7-10). Multiple publications have suggested that these associations become more significant with increased duration of RBC storage While the majority of TRALI cases are believed to be the result of an interaction between donor anti-HLA or anti-leukocyte antibodies and the cognate antigen on recipient leukocytes (20), a second &quot;two-hit&quot; model for TRALI has also been described (21). This model suggests that in a &quot;primed&quot; host, infusion of Author Contributions: D.J.K. contributed to the acquisition of data, and analysis and interpretation of the study results. R.K. contributed to the study design and procedures and the acquisition of the data. R.B.W. contributed to the study conception and design as well as the interpretation of the data. G.A.W. contributed to the study procedures and acquisition of the study data. C.M.v.B. contributed to the study conception and design as well as the study procedures. J.L.W. contributed to the study procedures as well as the interpretation of the study results. M.M. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data and study results R.D.H. contributed to the study conception and design as well as the interpretation of the study results. O.G. contributed to the study conception and design as well as the analysis and interpretation of the study results. All of the listed authors contributed to drafting and revising the manuscript and all have provided approval to the final version of the submitted manuscript. What This Study Adds to the Field In this investigation, the impact of a single unit of fresh red blood cell transfusion on markers of pulmonary, inflammatory, and coagulation status was similar to the impact seen with the transfusion of a single unit of standard issue red blood cells

Assessment of environments for Mars Science Laboratory entry, descent, and surface operations

The Mars Science Laboratory mission aims to land a car-sized rover on Mars’surface and operate it for at least one Mars year in order to assess whether its field area was ever capable of supporting microbial life. Here we describe the approach used to identify, characterize, and assess environmental risks to the landing and rover surface operations. Novel entry, descent, and landing approaches will be used to accurately deliver the 900-kg rover, including the ability to sense and “fly out” deviations from a best-estimate atmospheric state. A joint engineering and science team developed methods to estimate the range of potential atmospheric states at the time of arrival and to quantitatively assess the spacecraft’s performance and risk given its particular sensitivities to atmospheric conditions. Numerical models are used to calculate the atmospheric parameters, with observations used to define model cases, tune model parameters, and validate results. This joint program has resulted in a spacecraft capable of accessing, with minimal risk, the four finalist sites chosen for their scientific merit. The capability to operate the landed rover over the latitude range of candidate landing sites, and for all seasons, was verified against an analysis of surface environmental conditions described here. These results, from orbital and model data sets, also drive engineering simulations of the rover’s thermal state that are used to plan surface operations

The replication problem and its implications for policy studies

In this article we re-examine the epistemological basis for claims to ‘best evidence’ and ‘best practice’ in policy studies by tracing these to a Popperian model of theory development and testing. This model outlines how only scientific explanations that survive repeated testing count as good theory. Yet repeated testing (replication) is scarce across the social sciences – this is the ‘replication problem’. More specifically, the lack of replications in policy studies undermines the epistemological basis for policy transfer based on ‘best practice’ and ‘best evidence’. To resolve this, we offer an innovative explanation of the replication problem drawing on Foucault's concept of Episteme. In doing so, we outline two respectively different accounts of replication: ‘scientific project,’ and ‘aesthetic object.’ The latter offers alternative bases from which to pursue ‘best practice’ and ‘best evidence’