Search

School‐based supports, such as LGBTQ+‐themed curriculum, invite opportunities for challenging oppression with respect to gender and its intersections with other identities such as sexuality and race. However, more understanding is needed regarding how literacy educators might leverage these opportunities. This article describes how intimacy, oppressive actions, and activism functioned in relation to one another in an LGBTQ+‐themed literature course at a grassroots public charter high school for the arts in a mid‐sized Midwestern city. The larger study, from which this article is derived, is a hybrid of ethnography and practitioner inquiry. Therefore, this study draws on field notes, transcribed video recordings of class, transcribed audio recordings of interviews, and student assignments related to a young adult novel. Our analysis of gendered power relations suggests that oppression can hinder intimacy, intimacy can hinder activism, but intimacy can also foster activism. With the goal of leveraging opportunities to challenge gendered oppression, we argue that students and teachers must navigate intimacy and intersecting structures of oppression to enact activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodResultsConclusionsTransgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations have a higher prevalence of suicide outcomes compared to cisgender peers. Further, among TGD groups, young adults frequently demonstrate a higher risk compared to other age cohorts. While evidence supports sociodemographic differences in suicide risk, these relationships are not well-established for TGD young adults.A secondary data analysis of the young adult (18–24 years) subpopulation of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey was conducted. Predicted probabilities of 12-month and lifetime suicide outcomes by gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, homelessness, and poverty were estimated comparing fully adjusted models.Gender identity, race/ethnicity, and homelessness were significantly associated with all suicide outcomes. Comparisons of gender identities were significant for all outcomes and varied based on the outcome. American Indian/Alaska Native TGD young adults had the highest predicted probabilities compared to other race/ethnicity groups. Further, having a heterosexual/straight sexual identity was among the lowest predicted probabilities for suicide outcomes and significantly differed from several of the other sexual identities.Findings underscore the importance of heterogeneity among TGD young adults and the need for intersectional research within this population. Elucidating sociodemographic characteristics that contribute to differential suicide risk is necessary for effective intervention strategies and policy advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassicaceae oilseed crops have proven potential as vegetable oil feedstock for biofuels and food uses. However, meeting a growing demand for vegetable oils for food and industrial uses will require identifying oilseed species that are best suited for various growing environments within a particular region. The objective of this study was to compare growth dynamics, seasonal water use (WU), seed yields, and water use efficiency (WUE) of canola (Brassica napus L.), camelina (Camelina sativa L.), and white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) to determine their suitability under three different environments within the northern Great Plains. Comparisons were made among these species over three growing seasons between 2013 and 2016 at Morris, MN; Mandan, ND; and Sidney, MT, situated along a strong precipitation gradient from east to west. Generally, growing season precipitation was similar at Morris and Mandan, but both were considerably greater than at Sidney. Seasonal WU was similar among these oilseed species at Morris and Mandan but was greatest for camelina at the drier Sidney environment. Canola seed yield was the greatest at Morris and had higher WUE than camelina and white mustard. At Mandan and Sidney, canola and camelina had similar seed yields and WUE, which were generally greater than white mustard. Under abundant moisture and low stress (e.g., Morris), seed yield per millimeter of water used could be maximized by growing canola, while in a drier more stressful environment like Sidney, seed yield per millimeter of water used could be maximized by growing camelina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoimmunity, allergy, and transplant rejection are a collection of chronic diseases that are currently incurable, drastically decrease patient quality of life, and consume considerable health care resources. Underlying each of these diseases is a dysregulated immune system that results in the mounting of an inflammatory response against self or an innocuous antigen. As a consequence, afflicted patients are required to adhere to lifelong regimens of multiple immunomodulatory drugs to control disease and reclaim agency. Unfortunately, current immunomodulatory drugs are associated with a myriad of side effects and adverse events, such as increased risk of cancer and increased risk of serious infection, which negatively impacts patient adherence rates and quality of life. The field of immunoengineering is a new discipline that aims to harness endogenous biological pathways to thwart disease and minimize side effects using novel biomaterial-based strategies. We highlight and discuss polymeric micro/nanoparticles with inherent immunomodulatory properties that are currently under investigation in biomaterial-based therapies for treatment of autoimmunity, allergy, and transplant rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) report greater alcohol use in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts. Prior research has found that elevated alcohol use among SGMY can be explained by minority stress experiences. Sexual identity outness may be another factor that drives alcohol use among SGMY, given that outness is associated with alcohol use among older sexual and gender minority samples. We examined how patterns of sexual identity outness were associated with lifetime alcohol use, past-30-day alcohol use, and past-30-day heavy episodic drinking. Data were drawn from the LGBTQ National Teen Survey (N = 8884). Participants were SGMY aged 13 to 17 (mean age = 15.59) years living in the US. Latent class analysis was used to identify sexual identity outness patterns. Multinomial regressions were used to examine the probability of class membership by alcohol use. Six outness classes were identified: out to all but teachers (n = 1033), out to siblings and peers (n = 1808), out to siblings and LGBTQ+ peers (n = 1707), out to LGBTQ+ peers (n = 1376), mostly not out (n = 1653), and very much not out (n = 1307). SGMY in classes characterized by greater outness to peers, friends, and family had greater odds of lifetime alcohol use compared with SGMY in classes characterized by lower outness. These findings suggest that SGMY with greater sexual identity outness may be a target for alcohol use prevention programming. Differences in sexual identity outness may be explained by minority stress factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrational beliefs of Demandingness, Catastrophizing, Low Frustration Tolerance, and Depreciation have demonstrated prevalence in disparate areas of life, including psychopathology, the military, politics, religion, and education. Individuals with mental health concerns, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), endorse elevations in such thoughts compared to the general population. This commentary describes the rationale for focusing on irrational beliefs in efforts to address PTSD and presents the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)-Informed Group for PTSD as a potential novel application of a well-established intervention. In support of these suggestions, we present a narrative review of the published work on irrational beliefs and REBT tenets as relevant for PTSD. We then introduce and describe the REBT-Informed Group intervention, summarize the prior preliminary research conducted by our group, and present some novel data from a re-analysis of this prior work. We end with commentary related to future directions of REBT approaches for PTSD to address limitations and expand the impact of the treatment to military and other Veteran or civilian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If one thinks of a Riemannian metric, g 1 , analogously as the gradient of the corresponding distance function, d 1 , with respect to a background Riemannian metric, g 0 , then a natural question arises as to whether a corresponding theory of Sobolev inequalities exists between the Riemannian metric and its distance function. In this paper, we study the sub-critical case p < m 2 where we show a Sobolev inequality exists between a Riemannian metric and its distance function. In particular, we show that an L p 2 bound on a Riemannian metric implies an L q bound on its corresponding distance function. We then use this result to state a convergence theorem and show how this theorem can be useful to prove geometric stability results by proving a version of Gromov’s conjecture for tori with almost non-negative scalar curvature in the conformal case. Examples are given to show that the hypotheses of the main theorems are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the concept of creating a 'just culture' in healthcare to improve patient safety by shifting away from blame and punishment for medical errors. Topics include the need to recognize systemic errors and vulnerabilities, the challenge of finding the balance between blame and accountability; and the importance of training and understanding in implementing a just culture which prevails in healthcare.

Prior scholarship has documented health-relevant consequences of sexual minority youth (SMY) sexual identity disclosure (i.e., "outness"), yet most of the extant work focuses on one social context at a time and/or measures outness as dichotomous: out or not out. However, SMY are out in some contexts (e.g., family, friends) and not in others, and to varying degrees (e.g., to some friends, but not to all). Using a national sample of 8884 SMY ages 13–17 (45% cisgender female, 67% White, 38% gay/lesbian and 34% bisexual, and 36% from the U.S. South), this study used latent class analysis to identify complex patterns of outness among SMY, as well differences in class membership by demographics, depression, family rejection, and bullying. The results indicated six distinct classes: out to all but teachers (n = 1033), out to siblings and peers (n = 1808), out to siblings and LGBTQ peers (n = 1707), out to LGBTQ peers (n = 1376), mostly not out (n = 1653), and very much not out (n = 1307). The findings reveal significant differences in class membership by age, sexual identity, gender identity, race and ethnicity, geography, and well-being outcomes. Moreover, these findings underscore the complex role of outness across social contexts in shaping health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite consistent evidence that sexual communication positively correlates with relationship and sexual satisfaction, there has been empirical murkiness regarding which aspects of sexual communication matter more or less for relationship and sexual satisfaction. A systematic meta-analysis was conducted to investigate if the strength of the association between sexual communication and relationship and sexual satisfaction varied by dimensions of sexual communication and individual, interpersonal, and cultural factors. The meta-analysis included 93 studies with 209 unique effect sizes, which represented 38,499 unique individuals in a current relationship. The multilevel meta-analysis evidenced a positive association between sexual communication and both relationship (r =.37) and sexual satisfaction (r =.43). For relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction, the effect size for quality of sexual communication (r =.43;.52) was larger compared to the frequency of sexual communication (r =.31;.31) and sexual self-disclosure (r =.28;.39). After controlling for the average age and relationship length of the sample, samples with married participants (r =.49) had larger effect sizes compared to samples with mixed relationship statuses (r =.35). Higher levels of individualism (b =.003) strengthened, and higher levels of gender inequality (b = −.06) weakened, the association between sexual communication and sexual satisfaction. Finally, when sociosexuality was low, sexual communication had a large association with relationship satisfaction for men (r =.69) and a small association for women (r =.16). Measurement, sample characteristics, and cultural factors have an important role in understanding the link between partners' sexual communication and their relationship and sexual satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various treatments aimed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been developed for Veterans, but many are not formatted for use in groups, do not address common psychiatric comorbidities, and include inherent barriers (e.g., substantial time commitment). This program evaluation study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a five-session treatment, a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)- Informed Group focused on changing irrational beliefs to address comorbid depression and anxiety (as well as anger and guilt) among post-9/11 Veterans with PTSD. Participants (n = 47) completing the REBTInformed Group demonstrated significant reductions at posttreatment in depression and PTSD symptoms. Compared to Veterans in a ten-session treatment-as-usual group (n = 47), there was no significant difference in PTSD symptom improvement despite the reduction in number of sessions. The study demonstrates that a five-week group treatment for PTSD comorbid with depression or anxiety in post-9/11 Veterans -- a therapy that may be uniquely suited to a military or Veteran population, but potentially generalizable to civilians as well -- can lead to significant reductions in depression and PTSD symptoms. Future directions include development of a manual for dissemination and replication of findings of the REBT-Informed Group to other military or Veterans Affairs medical centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority youth (i.e., lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth; LGB) of color have multiple minoritized identities, and few studies examine the implications of intersectional minority stressors for their prospective mental health. The current study tested three intersectional hypotheses: the additive hypothesis—racial discrimination and LGB victimization are independently associated with mental health; the multiplicative hypothesis—racial discrimination and LGB victimization interact in to exacerbate their negative association with mental health, and the inuring hypothesis—only racial discrimination or LGB victimization is associated with mental health. Data come from a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth of color (36% Black, 30% Latino, 26% Multi-racial, 4% Native American, and 3% Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) from two U.S. cities, one in the Northeast (77%) and one in the Southwest, who were between ages 15–24 (M = 19) and surveyed four times over three years spaced nine months apart (N = 476; 38% bisexual; 67% free and reduced lunch; and 49% assigned female at birth). The multiplicative hypothesis was supported for depression symptoms, and the additive hypothesis was supported for suicidal ideation. Intersectional minority stressors undermine the mental health of sexual minority youth of color and warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonbrightband (NBB) rain is a shallow, orographic precipitation that does not produce a radar bright band as a result of melting ice crystals. However, NBB rain is not the same as warm rain, which excludes ice from being involved in the microphysical growth of precipitation. Despite this difference, NBB rain is often treated as warm rain in the literature, and past studies have mostly ignored the role of ice. Here, we use two wet seasons (2015/16 and 2016/17) at four precipitation-observing sites in the Northern Coast Ranges of California to show the role of echo top height and ice in determining NBB rain intensity. It was found that NBB rain was only absent of bright bands 32%–46% of the time depending on location of the site. Additionally, all NBB rain rates that exceeded 10 mm h−1 exhibited observable bright bands during the hour period. We also define growth efficiency (GE) as the ability of shallow rain clouds to produce raindrops larger than drizzle size (D > 0.5 mm). High-GE rain drop size distributions were composed of fewer small drops and more large drops than low-GE rain, which was mostly drizzle. High-GE rain occurred with echo top heights above the freezing level where rapid growth of precipitation was observed by radar. Echo tops that only extended 1 km or less above the freezing level suggested hydrometeor growth from mixed-phase processes, indicating that ice may be present in coastal precipitation at warmer temperatures than previously considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged periods (e.g., several days or more) of heavy precipitation can result in sustained high-impact flooding. Herein, an investigation of long-duration heavy precipitation events (HPEs), defined as periods comprising ≥3 days with precipitation exceeding the climatological 95th percentile, is conducted for 1979–2019 for the U.S. West Coast, specifically Northern California. An objective flow-based categorization method is applied to identify principal large-scale flow patterns for the events. Four categories are identified and examined through composite analyses and case studies. Two of the categories are characterized by a strong zonal jet stream over the eastern North Pacific, while the other two are characterized by atmospheric blocking over the central North Pacific and the Bering Sea–Alaska region, respectively. The composites and case studies demonstrate that the flow patterns for the HPEs tend to remain in place for several days, maintaining strong baroclinicity and promoting occurrences of multiple cyclones in rapid succession near the West Coast. The successive cyclones result in persistent water vapor flux and forcing for ascent over Northern California, sustaining heavy precipitation. For the zonal jet patterns, cyclones affecting the West Coast tend to occur in the poleward jet exit region in association with cyclonic Rossby wave breaking. For the blocking patterns, cyclones tend to occur in association with anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking on the downstream flank of the block. For Bering Sea–Alaska blocking cases, cyclones can move into this region in conjunction with cyclonically breaking waves that extend into the eastern North Pacific from the upstream flank of the block. Significance Statement: We sought to understand atmospheric processes that result in heavy precipitation events along the U.S. West Coast that span long durations (≥3 days) and thus pose significant flooding threats. We analyzed events over Northern California and identified four distinct flow patterns over the North Pacific that support their occurrence: two exhibiting a strong west–east jet stream and two exhibiting a wavy "blocked" jet stream. These patterns tend to persist for several days and promote the landfall of multiple extratropical cyclones in rapid succession along the West Coast, thereby maintaining the ingredients for precipitation over Northern California for extended periods (5–6 days). The physical understanding established by our results could have utility for forecasting heavy precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual minority people face greater risk for compromised sexual health than their heterosexual peers, yet school-based sexuality education often excludes them. Little is known about whether or how sexual minority people's sexuality education experiences have varied across sociohistorical contexts of rapid social change in both sexuality education and sexual minority visibility. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted among 191 sexual minority people from three distinct sociohistorical generations (ages 18–25, 34–41, and 52–59, respectively) and four geographic regions of the United States. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis following a consensual qualitative protocol. Fifty-one participants (i.e., 27%) discussed school-based sexuality education experiences despite the lack of an explicit question in the interview protocol prompting them to do so. Four distinct yet overlapping themes emerged in participants' experiences of sexuality education: 1) Silence; 2) The profound influence of HIV/AIDS; 3) Stigma manifest through fear, shame, and prejudice; and, 4) Comparing school-based experiences to sexuality education outside of school. The presence of themes varied across groups defined by sociohistorical generation. The implications of sexuality education experiences for the wellbeing of sexual minority people are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GENE solves the five-dimensional gyrokinetic equations to simulate the development and evolution of plasma microturbulence in magnetic fusion devices. The plasma model used is close to first principles and computationally very expensive to solve in the relevant physical regimes. In order to use the emerging computational capabilities to gain new physics insights, several new numerical and computational developments are required. Here, we focus on the fact that it is crucial to efficiently utilize GPUs (graphics processing units) that provide the vast majority of the computational power on such systems. In this paper, we describe the various porting approaches considered and given the constraints of the GENE code and its development model, justify the decisions made, and describe the path taken in porting GENE to GPUs. We introduce a novel library called gtensor that was developed along the way to support the process. Performance results are presented for the ported code, which in a single node of the Summit supercomputer achieves a speed-up of almost 15 × compared to running on central processing unit (CPU) only. Typical GPU kernels are memory-bound, achieving about 90% of peak. Our analysis shows that there is still room for improvement if we can refactor/fuse kernels to achieve higher arithmetic intensity. We also performed a weak parallel scalability study, which shows that the code runs well on a massively parallel system, but communication costs start becoming a significant bottleneck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disclosing a sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, or bisexual) identity to others is an ongoing process throughout life. Research shows that disclosure is stressful, and this stress is related to poorer mental health for sexual minority youth. However, there are few theoretically grounded studies examining disclosure stress and its prospective association with mental health. The current study utilizes 2 conceptualizations of sexual identity development—stage models and milestone models—to contextualize how changes in disclosure-related stress are associated with depression symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood. Data come from a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth between ages 15–24 surveyed over 3 years (N = 555; 82% youth of color; 40% bisexual; 63% free and reduced lunch; and 49% assigned female at birth). We estimated (a) parallel process models and (b) growth curve models with disclosure stress as a time-varying covariate, which were respectively informed by stage and milestone conceptualizations of sexual identity development. Results indicated that depression symptoms declined while disclosure stress increased. In the parallel process model, higher baseline disclosure stress correlated with higher baseline levels and steeper declines in depression symptoms. When disclosure stress was modeled as a time-varying covariate, it was most strongly associated with higher depression symptoms at earlier ages. Disclosure is a developmental process that confers differential risk for depression symptoms earlier in the life course, which can hinder the typical decline of depression symptoms in young adulthood. Supporting sexual minority youth when they disclose their sexual identity throughout adolescence can have long-term benefits for mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mean basal insulin dose is 0.2 U/kg/d at near normal glycaemia for type 1 or 2 diabetes on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or once-nightly basal insulin Prandial therapy, for example, rapid-acting insulin GLP-1 receptor agonists, should be considered earlier in basal insulin treatment. Basal insulin requirement is ~30% of the total daily insulin dose in type 1 diabetic patients who use the insulin pump. Dose estimation formulas for once-nightly insulin glargine and pre-meal insulin lispro in type 1 diabetes. [Extracted from the article]

It is difficult to discover pulsars via their gamma-ray emission because current instruments typically detect fewer than one photon per million rotations. This creates a significant computing challenge for isolated pulsars, where the typical parameter search space spans wide ranges in four dimensions. It is even more demanding when the pulsar is in a binary system, where the orbital motion introduces several additional unknown parameters. Building on earlier work by Pletsch & Clark, we present optimal methods for such searches. These can also incorporate external constraints on the parameter space to be searched, for example, from optical observations of a presumed binary companion. The solution has two parts. The first is the construction of optimal search grids in parameter space via a parameter space metric, for initial semicoherent searches and subsequent fully coherent follow-ups. The second is a method to demodulate and detect the periodic pulsations. These methods have different sensitivity properties than traditional radio searches for binary pulsars and might unveil new populations of pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a fundamental aspect of the human experience, sexuality is experienced at every stage in the life span. Sexual values, behaviors, and health are important components of individual and family well‐being. Educating about such a fundamental aspect of life is both obvious and crucial. In this article, we consider the potential of sexuality education in the field and profession of family life education (FLE). We critique sexuality education in the United States and the marginal place of human sexuality in the FLE field. We then offer recommendations for incorporating life span, socioecological, family systems, and intersectionality perspectives into sexuality education, and recommendations for FLE and sexuality education research and practice. We argue that educating about sexuality in the context of FLE—and activating the profession of FLE for sexuality education—will strategically advance sexuality education, sexual health, and the field of FLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiscale analysis is presented of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in Northern California during winter 2016–17, which caused flooding and contributed substantially to highly anomalous seasonal precipitation totals. The EPEs were characterized by long durations (≥7 days) and involved persistent large-scale flow patterns. The three largest EPEs involved blocking over the Bering Sea–Alaska region. A detailed investigation of the largest EPE, occurring on 2–10 February 2017, reveals that extreme precipitation was produced as four discrete cyclones moved across the eastern North Pacific equatorward of a high-amplitude blocking ridge and impacted the U.S. West Coast in rapid succession. The latter three cyclones developed and moved in conjunction with elongated negatively tilted troughs or PV streamers resulting from repeated episodes of baroclinic development and cyclonic Rossby wave breaking on the upstream flank of the block. Each of the four cyclones interacted with a PV streamer and an associated baroclinic zone established by anticyclonic wave breaking on the downstream flank of the block and, thereby, tracked into the U.S. West Coast. The serial clustering of the cyclones during the 9-day event resulted in persistent water vapor flux and lifting that supported extreme precipitation totals in Northern California. A climatological analysis for 1979–2017 reveals a significant statistical relationship between blocking over the Bering Sea–Alaska region and EPEs in Northern California, indicating that this type of blocking pattern represents a favorable large-scale scenario for extreme precipitation in Northern California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences between forecasts and observations at eight atmospheric river observatories (AROs) in the western United States during winter 2015/16 are analyzed. NOAA's operational RAP and HRRR 3-h forecasts of wind, integrated water vapor (IWV), integrated water vapor flux (IWV flux), and precipitation from the grid points nearest the AROs were paired with ARO observations presented in the NOAA/Physical Sciences Division's water vapor flux tool (WVFT). The focus of this paper is to characterize and quantify the differences in the WVFT observations and forecasts. We used traditional forecast evaluation methods since they were compatible with the design of the tool: a near-real-time visual depiction of hourly observed and forecasted variables at a single location. Forecast root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) and unbiased RMSEs, standard deviations of the observed and forecasted variables, and frequency bias scores (FBS) for all of the fields, plus equitable threat scores for precipitation, are presented. Both models forecasted IWV at all AROs and the winds that drive orographic precipitation at most AROs within a reasonable range of the observations as indicated by comparisons of the standard deviations and RMSEs of the forecasts with the standard deviations of the observations and FBS. These results indicated that forecasted advection of moisture to the stations was adequate for generating precipitation. At most stations and most hourly precipitation rates, the HRRR underpredicted precipitation. At several AROs the RAP precipitation forecasts more closely matched the observations at smaller (<1.27 mm h-1) precipitation rates, but underpredicted precipitation rates > 2 mm h-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In 2012 in the United States, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society of Surgical Oncology (ASCO/SSO) published a joint guideline about indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in cutaneous melanoma. The guideline supported completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for all patients with positive sentinel nodes. We examined the rates and predictors of SLNB and CLND for melanoma patients in Ontario (population 13.6 million) after publication of that guideline. Methods We used the Ontario Cancer Registry to identify patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma in 2013. Patient records were linked to prospectively maintained health administrative databases to obtain details for each patient, including surgical procedures. Results Of the 3298 patients with melanoma identified in Ontario in 2013, 1973 (59.8%) could be analyzed. Most of that group (n = 1227, 62.2%) underwent local excision alone; 746 (37.8%) had a SLNB. The SLNB was performed in 13.9%, 67.8%, 62.6%, and 47.2% of patients with T1, T2, T3, and T4 primary melanomas respectively. In multivariate analysis, receipt of SLNB was positively associated with younger age (<80 years), higher T stage, and a non-head-andneck primary. Of the patients who had a SLNB, 136 (18.2%) were found to be node-positive. A CLND was performed in 82 of those patients (60.3%). Conclusions In Ontario, only two thirds of patients with intermediate-thickness melanomas (T2, T3) underwent SLNB as recommended by the ASCO/SSO guideline. Use of SLNB was less frequent for patients with a head-and-neck primary and higher for younger patients (<80 years). The rate of CLND after a positive SLNB was also low relative to the guideline recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and clinical data have shown that couples with sexual problems report a lack of sexual communication. However, no published meta-analyses have evaluated the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function. This meta-analysis examines the correlation between couples' sexual communication and dimension of sexual function across 48 studies. Sexual communication was positively associated with sexual desire (r =.16), sexual arousal (r =.21), lubrication (r =.17), orgasm (r =.23), erectile function (r =.19), less pain (r =.12), and overall sexual function (r =.35). The effect sizes for sexual desire (r =.21; r =.12) and orgasm (r =.26; r =.16) were higher for women than for men. For overall sexual function, studies with married participants (r =.47) had a larger effect size than studies with participants with multiple relationship types (r =.31) or than studies with dating participants (r =.11). Effect sizes were larger for studies conducted outside of the United States (r =.39) compared to studies conducted in the United States (r =.12). We discuss the importance of addressing the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function, as well as future directions for research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of citrus fiber (CF) as a natural alternative to sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) in marinated broiler boneless chicken breast and inside beef skirt on overall retention rate, shear force, and consumer sensory attributes. Methods: Five different marinade formulations were targeted to include 0.9% salt, either 0.25% or 0.50% STPP or CF and water on a finished product basis. Water and salt only were considered the negative control (CON). Chicken breasts (n = 14) and inside beef skirt (n = 14) were randomly assigned to a treatment, raw weights recorded and then placed in a vacuum tumbler. Marinated weights were recorded, individually packed, and randomly assigned to either retail display for 10-day retention rate, shear force analysis, cook loss, or consumer sensory panel. Results: Pickup percentage, and overall retention was similar among treatments for chicken breast and inside beef skirt. Citrus fiber treatments resulted in higher cooking loss compared to the CON in chicken breast; though, CF050 resulted in similar cooking loss compared to STPP025 in inside beef skirt. No differences were found in sensory attributes for chicken breast, however, WBSF data showed CF025 was tougher than CF050, STPP050, and CON. Inside beef skirt with CF050 were least liked overall by the consumer panel. Conclusion: Citrus fiber included in marinades at a lower percentage rate can produce similar texture characteristics, and sensory properties compared with those marinated with STPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has largely focused on heterosexual relationships, but, in recent years, researchers have expanded their focus to include same-sex relationships. Using meta-analytic techniques, this study was conducted to examine the relative strength of various risk markers for men and women being perpetrators and victims of physical IPV in same-sex relationships. Articles were identified through research search engines and screened to identify articles fitting the inclusion criteria, a process that resulted in 24 studies and 114 effect sizes for the meta-analysis. The strongest risk marker among those with at least two effect sizes for both male and female perpetration was psychological abuse perpetration. The strongest risk marker among those with at least two effect sizes for IPV victimization was also perpetration of psychological abuse for males and psychological abuse victimization for females. Among same-sex-specific risk markers, internalized homophobia and fusion were the strongest predictors for being perpetrators of IPV for men and women, respectively. HIV status and internalized homophobia were the strongest risk markers for IPV victimization for men and women, respectively. Of 10 comparisons between men and women in risk markers for IPV perpetration and victimization, only 1 significant difference was found. The results suggest that although same-sex and heterosexual relationships may share a number of risk markers for IPV, there are risk markers for physical IPV unique to same-sex relationships. Further research and increased specificity in measurement are needed to better study and understand the influence of same-sex-specific risk markers for IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Standardized hospital mortality ratios (SHMRs) are widely used for quality improvement, hospital ratings, and health care payment. Objectives: (1) To characterize the programs implemented at hospitals in response to SHMRs. (2) To describe hospital leaders' perceptions of SHMRs as indicators of care quality. Methods: Electronic survey of administrative leaders at US academic medical centers who subscribed to Vizient leadership networks. Results: Forty-seven administrative leaders from 37 US academic medical centers completed the survey. Respondents reported that SHMRs had the largest role in the decision to implement inpatient hospice programs, electronic early warning systems, and clinical documentation specialist programs at their institution. Respondents perceived clinical documentation specialist programs and condition-specific care pathways as the most effective programs to improve performance on SHMRs. Only 29% of respondents agreed that SHMRs accurately reflect the number of preventable deaths in hospitals, but 78% agreed that SHMRs have helped their hospital reduce preventable deaths. Conclusions: Hospitals have employed various strategies in response to SHMRs--including clinical programs that focus on reducing preventable deaths and other programs that target improvement in SHMR performance without reducing preventable deaths. Hospital administrative leaders identify significant benefits and flaws of SHMRs as quality indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During winter 2016/17, California experienced numerous heavy precipitation events linked to land-falling atmospheric rivers (ARs) that filled reservoirs and ended a severe, multiyear drought. These events also caused floods, mudslides, and debris flows, resulting in major socioeconomic disruptions. During 2–11 February 2017, persistent heavy precipitation in the northern Sierra Nevada culminated in a rapid increase in the water level on Lake Oroville, necessitating the activation of an emergency spillway for the first time since the Oroville Dam was installed and forcing the evacuation of 188,000 people. The precipitation, which mostly fell as rain due to elevated freezing levels, was focused on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in connection with orographic forcing linked to two successive ARs. Heavy rain fell on saturated soils and a snowpack produced by antecedent storms and thereby resulted in excessive runoff into Lake Oroville that led to a damaged spillway and complicated reservoir operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted two studies to understand if reminiscing about early parts of a romantic relationship can increase positive affect and relationship satisfaction. In Study 1, we examined the psychometrics of an adapted relationship nostalgia measure, if relationship nostalgia changes positive affect, and if relationship nostalgia and relationship satisfaction are associated. In Study 2, we tested the longitudinal link between relationship nostalgia and relationship satisfaction. Rather than increasing positive affect, relationship nostalgia is associated with a movement toward emotional homeostasis. Additionally, relationship nostalgia is positively associated with relationship satisfaction at the same time point but in the short term, the association is negative-long term, this association disappears. Implications for using a relationship history in therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development and performance evaluation of a compact-converter-based power supply for plasma dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) devices. The developed power supply is designed to meet weight and size requirements for applications in aeronautical systems. Multistage and multilevel switch-mode converters are employed to construct the power supply. The multistage part of the power supply is constructed from multiple dc–dc boost converters that have their inputs fed by rechargeable batteries. The outputs of the dc–dc converters are used to feed different levels of a single phase cascaded $H$ -bridge (CHB) multilevel dc–ac converter. The switching signals for the CHB dc–ac converter are generated to facilitate the adjustments of the magnitude and/or frequency of the output voltage. Such adjustments are set to allow manipulating the generated plasma body force. A prototype for the multistage multilevel power supply is constructed for performance evaluation using a fiberglass DBD device. Performance results show an effective generation and control of plasma body force, which can be achieved by a modular, lightweight, and compact size power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

GhoT is a bacterial toxin of the type V toxin/antitoxin system that allows Escherichia coli to reduce its metabolism in response to oxidative and bile stress. GhoT functions by increasing membrane permeability and reducing both ATP levels and the proton motive force. However, how GhoT damages the inner membrane has not been elucidated. Here we investigated how GhoT damages membranes by studying its interaction with lipid bilayers and determined that GhoT does not cause macroscopic disruption of the lipid bilayer to increase membrane permeability to the dye carboxyfluorescein. Using circular dichroism, we found that GhoT forms an alpha helical structure in lipid bilayers that agrees with the structure predicted by the I-TASSER protein structure prediction program. The structure generated using I-TASSER was used to conduct coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, which indicate that GhoT damages the cell membrane, as a multimer, by forming transient transmembrane pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Supreme Court is a singular institution within the American judiciary, it remains recognizably a court. Among the many institutional characteristics that mark the Court as a court, perhaps the most defining is that it exercises its law-making function via justificatory opinions that accompany dispositions in individual cases. By conforming its law-making texts to the judicial genre, the Court distinguishes itself from other government actors, such as Congress and the president, that exercise government authority through other textual forms, such as statutes and executive orders. This Article presents the results of a quantitative analysis of Supreme Court opinions that measures the degree to which the content of the Court's opinions conforms to, or departs from, the judicial genre. With the opinions of the federal appellate courts as a baseline, we use topic modeling to estimate the degree of semantic distinctiveness of Supreme Court opinions and track changes in that distinctiveness over the second half of the twentieth century. We find that the Court has become measurably more distinctive over time. We further find that the divergence of the Court's opinions from the judicial genre is not due to the selection of an increasingly non-representative pool of cases for review. Rather, the Court is analyzing and writing about a similarly representative pool of cases, but in an increasingly idiosyncratic fashion. We accompany this quantitative analysis with a qualitative analysis of individual Supreme Court opinions that draws out the significance of this change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stochastic process {St}t∈[0,T] is called a martingale process if E[SnΙSm] = Sm almost surely for all m ≤ n. Martingale processes are often used in arbitrage-free pricing of financial assets due to its "fair game" property, that is, when an asset is modeled using martingales then no one can consistently make or lose money through trades in that asset. In this paper, we focus our attention on random variables that follow a Pareto distribution. We then look at the set of martingale measures on Rℝ² having marginal measures which are quantized using the so-called Un-quantization. We shall then represent the transition kernel of such martingale measures as bistochastic matrices. Finally, we shall give some characterization of the set of such matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing glycemic fluctuation is important for optimal diabetes management. This post hoc analysis examined glycemic fluctuations and the proportion of subjects achieving recommended blood glucose targets with the fixed ratio combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide (IDegLira) compared to insulin degludec (IDeg) and liraglutide alone.Methods: We analyzed nine-point self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) profiles from two randomized trials involving IDegLira in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data from a subset of patients in one of these trials to assess glycemic fluctuation and day-to-day variability.Results: Compared with IDeg, IDegLira resulted in a greater proportion of subjects with SMBG values within target ranges (3.9-9.0 mmol/L) than IDeg for all pre- and postprandial values, and for the full nine-point profile (P < 0.05 for all). IDegLira also resulted in a greater reduction in the range of SMBG values over 24 h than IDeg (P ≤ 0.0001). CGM data showed that IDegLira provided greater reductions in interstitial glucose (IG) fluctuation (P = 0.0018) and postprandial IG increment (P = 0.0288) compared with IDeg. Compared with liraglutide, IDegLira brought a higher proportion of subjects within SMBG target ranges (all pre- and all postprandial values, and the full nine-point profile, P < 0.01 for all) and resulted in a greater reduction of time outside the IG target range (P = 0.0072). IDegLira also reduced mean IG more than liraglutide (P < 0.0001).Conclusions: Treatment with IDegLira allows more patients with T2D to maintain blood glucose within target ranges throughout the day than either IDeg or liraglutide alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the kinetics of polymer chain exchange between mixed block copolymer-detergent micelles, a system relevant to the synthesis of protein-containing biomimetic membranes. While chain exchange between block copolymer (BCP) aggregates in water is too slow to observe, and detergent molecules exchange between micelles on a time scale of nanoseconds to microseconds, BCP chains exchange between mixed detergent-polymer micelles on intermediate time scales of many minutes to a few days. We examine a membrane-protein-relevant, vesicle-forming, ultrashort polymer, poly(ethyl ethylene)20-poly(ethylene oxide)18 (PEE20-PEO18). PEE20-PEO18 was solubilized in mixed micelles with the membrane protein compatible nonionic detergent octyl-β-D-glucoside (OG). Using cryo-TEM and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we demonstrate complete solubilization of the polymer into micelles. Using time-resolved SANS (TR-SANS), we provide the first direct evidence that detergents activate BCP chain exchange and determine kinetic parameters at two detergent concentrations slightly above the critical micellar concentration (CMC) of OG. We find that chain exchange increases 2 orders of magnitude when temperature increases from 35 to 55 °C and that even a 1 mg/mL increase in OG concentration leads to a noticeable increase in exchange rate. Our kinetic data are consistent with a single rate-limiting process rather than the distribution of exchange rates known to exist for BCPs in the absence of detergent, indicating a different exchange mechanism than the simple chain escape dominant in single-component micelles. Using the Arrhenius equation, we determine that at the detergent concentrations examined the activation energy for polymer chain exchange is only 2-3 times higher for PEE20PEO18 than for short-chained lipids and that the activation barrier decreases with increasing OG concentration. On the basis of these results, we postulate that mixed micelles exchange BCPs through a detergent-mediated process such as the fusion and fragmentation mechanisms also known to occur in micellar systems. These findings explain the need for high detergent concentration and/or temperature to synthesize polymer/protein membranes. Further, we postulate this is a more general phenomenon applicable to mixed micelle systems containing amphiphiles with vastly different solubilities and CMCs differing by many orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of IPV research has originated from western countries and neglected to examine cultural influences. We meta-analyzed the strength of various well-established risk markers (demographic, individual-level and relational) for male-perpetrated IPV across different cultures. Using Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov's (2010) individualism scale, we grouped studies from countries into individualist and collectivist categories, and then accounted for the influence of the large number of U.S.-based studies, by creating 3 groups: U.S., Individualistic, and Collectivist. Risk markers across collectivist and U.S. groups had similar effect sizes across while risk markers in the U.S. had larger effect sizes than those found in the international individualist countries. Our findings suggest that if a comprehensive understanding of IPV perpetration is to be achieved, cultural context cannot be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice formation in orographic mixed-phase clouds can enhance precipitation and depends on the type of aerosols that serve as ice nucleating particles (INPs). The resulting precipitation from these clouds is a viable source of water, especially for regions such as the California Sierra Nevada. Thus, a better understanding of the sources of INPs that impact orographic clouds is important for assessing water availability in California. This study presents a multi-site, multi-year analysis of single-particle insoluble residues in precipitation samples that likely influenced cloud ice and precipitation formation above Yosemite National Park. Dust and biological particles represented the dominant fraction of the residues (64% on average). Cloud glaciation, determined using satellite observations, not only depended on high cloud tops (>5.9 km) and low temperatures (<−23 °C), but also on the presence of what were likely dust and biological INPs. The greatest prevalence of ice-phase clouds occurred in conjunction with biologically-rich residues and mineral dust rich in calcium, followed by iron and aluminosilicates. Dust and biological particles are known to be efficient INPs, thus these residues likely influenced ice formation in clouds above the sites and subsequent precipitation quantities reaching the surface during events with similar meteorology. The goal of this study is to use precipitation chemistry information to gain a better understanding of the potential sources of INPs in the south-central Sierra Nevada, where cloud-aerosol-precipitation interactions are poorly understood and where mixed-phase orographic clouds represent a key element in the generation of precipitation and thus the water supply in California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Housing and supportive services improved young homeless mothers' behavioral health. • Only housing and supportive services improved sexual minority mothers' outcomes. • Supportive services are critical for homeless sexual minority mothers' unique needs. Sexual minority (SM) youth have twice the risk of experiencing homelessness compared to their heterosexual peers. Further, SM youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) report greater depression symptoms and substance use compared to heterosexual YEH. Housing First is an intervention that provides scattered-site individual apartments, without any prerequisite conditions for eligibility, and additional services to support long-term housing sustainment; however, few studies have examined the effectiveness of this approach for SM youth. The current study utilized data from a RCT that provided housing to young mothers experiencing homelessness to examine if treatment effects varied by mothers' sexual identity. Mothers were randomly assigned to services as usual (i.e., provided a referral sheet of all services available in the community; SAU), Housing only (i.e., three months of utility and rental assistance; Housing), or housing and supportive services (integrates independent housing, Strengths-Based Outreach and Advocacy (SBOA), HIV prevention, and substance use/mental health counseling; Housing + SS). Latent growth curve models were estimated to assess how substance use and depression symptoms changed over the 12 months. SM mothers receiving SAU or Housing did not experience a significant change in substance use or depression symptoms. All groups of heterosexual mothers and SM mothers receiving Housing + SS had less substance use and depression symptoms at twelve months, with SM mothers in Housing + SS evidencing a steeper decline in substance use and depression symptoms. This study provides some of the first evidence that Housing First can mitigate the mental health and substance use concerns of SM YEH. Given SM's higher rates of homelessness, substance use, and depression symptoms, Housing First should be further explored as an intervention to address their unique needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With funding provided by the 2012 Disaster Relief Act (Sandy Supplemental), NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Sciences Division has installed three Doppler wind-profiling radars and surface meteorology towers along the U.S. Gulf and southeast coasts to help detect and monitor land falling tropical storms and other high-impact weather events. This same combination of instruments has been used to monitor landfalling atmospheric rivers on the U.S. West Coast. For this reason, we refer to the whole collection of instruments at each site as an Atmospheric River Observatory (ARO). These three new AROs supported by the Sandy Supplemental complement a fourth ARO deployed in coastal North Carolina as part of NOAA's Hydrometeorology Testbed Southeast Pilot Study. These four AROs were installed in time to capture the 2014 hurricane season and will be operated through the 2015 hurricane season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marla's unbridled enthusiasm for scientific research has had a profound effect on people she has interacted with over the course of her illustrious career. Behavior genetics, Drosophila, woman in science, trailblazer Keywords: Behavior genetics; Drosophila; woman in science; trailblazer EN Behavior genetics Drosophila woman in science trailblazer 99 100 2 09/24/21 20210901 NES 210901 The first time I met Marla, she was a 14-year-old girl addressing a group of much older girls about an upcoming charity drive to solicit donations for a children's orphanage overseas. [Extracted from the article]

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are narrow regions of enhanced water vapor transport, usually found on the warm-sector side of the polar cold front in many midlatitude storms formed primarily over the oceans. Nonbrightband (NBB) rain is a shallow orographic rainfall process driven by collision and coalescence that has been observed in some of these storms. NBB rain accounts for about one-third, on average, of the total winter season rainfall occurring at a coastal mountain site in Northern California. During the California Energy Commission's CalWater project, nearly the same fraction of NBB rain was observed at a northern Sierra Nevada foothills site as compared to the coastal mountains, whereas less than half of the fractional amount of NBB rain was observed at a southern Sierra Nevada foothills site. Both Sierra Nevada sites often experience terrain-induced blocked flow, that is, Sierra barrier jet (SBJ) during landfalling winter storms. However, the northern Sierra Nevada site often is oriented geographically downwind of a gap in the coastal terrain near San Francisco during AR landfall. This gap allows maritime air in the AR to arrive at the northern site and enhance the collision-coalescence process in orographic feeder clouds as compared with the southern site. As a result, a greater amount and intensity of NBB rain and overall precipitation was produced at the northern site. This study uses a variety of observations collected in the coastal and Sierra Nevada ranges from the Hydrometeorology Testbed and CalWater field campaigns to document this behavior. A detailed case study provides additional context on the interaction between AR flow, the SBJ, and precipitation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we propose a clinical model for treating anxiety-related sexual dysfunctions that hinges on the use of mindfulness meditation practices. First, theoretical and empirical evidence for anxiety as either a cause or condition of several different sexual dysfunctions is provided. Next, the concept of mindfulness and the research that supports the use of mindfulness meditation practices in addressing anxiety are explained. The inherent link between mindfulness and sex-positivity is also addressed while acknowledging the need to emphasize both mindfulness and sex-positivity in therapy. The proposed model for the treatment of anxiety-related sexual dysfunctions using mindfulness practices within a sex-positive framework is outlined. It utilizes mindfulness-based practices such as body scan meditation and sitting meditation as well as several preexisting sex therapy interventions, including directed masturbation and sensate focus assignments. A case study is provided as an example of the progression of therapy and as a demonstration of the clinical viability of the model. Ultimately, this model illustrates a potential way in which mindfulness practices can be utilized within a sex-positive approach to sex therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A cationic protein isolated from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree has been extensively studied for use in water treatment in developing countries and has been proposed for use in antimicrobial and therapeutic applications. However, the molecular basis for the antimicrobial action of this peptide, Moringa oleifera cationic protein (MOCP), has not been previously elucidated. We demonstrate here that a dominant mechanism of MOCP antimicrobial activity is membrane fusion. We used a combination of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and fluorescence assays to observe and study the kinetics of fusion of membranes in liposomes representing model microbial cells. We also conducted cryo-EM experiments on E. coli cells where MOCP was seen to fuse the inner and outer membranes. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of membrane vesicles with MOCP molecules were used to elucidate steps in peptide adsorption, stalk formation, and fusion between membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]