Efficacy of Low-Cost Sensor Networks at Detecting Fine-Scale Variations in Particulate Matter in Urban Environments.

The negative health impacts of air pollution are well documented. Not as well-documented, however, is how particulate matter varies at the hyper-local scale, and the role that proximal sources play in influencing neighborhood-scale patterns. We examined PM variations in one airshed within Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN, USA) by utilizing data from 25 active PurpleAir (PA) sensors involving citizen scientists who hosted all but one unit (the control), as well as one EPA monitor.

Pembrolizumab Induced Acute Persistent Airway Disease in a Patient with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP).

Objective: To present an uncommon but serious, recently identified complication of checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a patient treated with pembrolizumab infusion for disseminated recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).

Methods: Case report.

Results: A 43-year-old woman with underlying asthma developed acute hypoxic respiratory failure within 24 hours of her third infusion of pembrolizumab for treatment of intractable, disseminated recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

Factorial Invariance of the Abbreviated Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale among Senior Women in the Nurses' Health Study Cohort.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factorial invariance of the Abbreviated Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS-A) across subgroups based on demographic, health-related, behavioral, and environmental characteristics among Nurses' Health Study participants ( = 2,919; age = 73.0, = 6.9 years) living in California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

Accelerometer and GPS Data to Analyze Built Environments and Physical Activity.

: Most built environment studies have quantified characteristics of the areas around participants' homes. However, the environmental exposures for physical activity (PA) are spatially dynamic rather than static. Thus, merged accelerometer and global positioning system (GPS) data were utilized to estimate associations between the built environment and PA among adults.

Accelerometer and GPS Analysis of Trail Use and Associations With Physical Activity.

Background: Concurrent use of accelerometers and global positioning system (GPS) data can be used to quantify physical activity (PA) occurring on trails. This study examined associations of trail use with PA and sedentary behavior (SB) and quantified on trail PA using a combination of accelerometer and GPS data.

Methods: Adults (N = 142) wore accelerometer and GPS units for 1-4 days.

The built environment predicts observed physical activity.

Background: In order to improve our understanding of the relationship between the built environment and physical activity, it is important to identify associations between specific geographic characteristics and physical activity behaviors.

Purpose: Examine relationships between observed physical activity behavior and measures of the built environment collected on 291 street segments in Indianapolis and St. Louis.

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in subjects with stable COPD: a randomized trial.

Background: The use of domiciliary noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure has yielded variable effects on survival, quality of life, and dyspnea. We hypothesized that use of NPPV in stable COPD and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) <52 mmHg might result in improvement in quality of life and dyspnea.

Methods: Thirty patients with stable COPD (forced expiratory volume in the first second <50% predicted and PaCO2 <52 mmHg) were prospectively randomized to receive domiciliary NPPV (bilevel positive airway pressure, 15/5 cm H2O) or usual therapy for 6 months.

Using Google Street View to audit the built environment: inter-rater reliability results.

Background: Observational field audits are recommended for public health research to collect data on built environment characteristics. A reliable, standardized alternative to field audits that uses publicly available information could provide the ability to efficiently compare results across different study sites and time.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess inter-rater reliability of built environment audits conducted using Google Street View imagery.

Assessing the built environment using omnidirectional imagery.

Observational audits commonly are used in public health research to collect data on built environment characteristics that affect health-related behaviors and outcomes, including physical activity and weight status. However, implementing in-person field audits can be expensive if observations are needed over large or geographically dispersed areas or at multiple points in time. A reliable and more efficient method for observational audits could facilitate extendibility (i.

Identifying risk factors for healthcare-associated infections from electronic medical record home address data.

Background: Residential address is a common element in patient electronic medical records. Guidelines from the U.S.

The built environment and location-based physical activity.

Background: Studies of the built environment and physical activity have implicitly assumed that a substantial amount of activity occurs near home, but in fact the location is unknown.

Purpose: This study aims to examine associations between built environment variables within home and work buffers and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) occurring within these locations.

Methods: Adults (n=148) from Massachusetts wore an accelerometer and GPS unit for up to 4 days.

Socioeconomic indicators of heat-related health risk supplemented with remotely sensed data.

Background: Extreme heat events are the number one cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. The current system of alert for extreme heat events does not take into account intra-urban spatial variation in risk. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a potential method to improve spatial delineation of risk from extreme heat events in urban environments by integrating sociodemographic risk factors with estimates of land surface temperature derived from thermal remote sensing data.

The influence of regional basic science campuses on medical students' choice of specialty and practice location: a historical cohort study.

Background: Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) employs eight regional basic science campuses, where half of the students complete their first two years of medical school. The other half complete all four years at the main campus in Indianapolis. The authors tested the hypothesis that training at regional campuses influences IUSM students to pursue primary care careers near the regional campuses they attended.

Neighborhood greenness and 2-year changes in body mass index of children and youth.

Background: Available studies of the built environment and the BMI of children and youth suggest a contemporaneous association with neighborhood greenness in neighborhoods with high population density. The current study tests whether greenness and residential density are independently associated with 2-year changes in the BMI of children and youth.

Methods: The sample included children and youth aged 3-16 years who lived at the same address for 24 consecutive months and received well-child care from a Marion County IN clinic network within the years 1996-2002 (n=3831).

The beneficial effects of dichloroacetate in acute limb ischemia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dichloroacetate (DCA) in acute limb ischemia.

Methods: Anterior tibialis muscle samples of DCA-treated and control animals (Sprague Dawley rats) were collected and assayed for pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, lactate, adenosine triphosphate, and creatine phosphate using spectrophotometry. A physiograph was used to measure fatigability.

Green neighborhoods, food retail and childhood overweight: differences by population density.

Purpose: This study examines relationships between overweight in children and two environmentalfactors--amount of vegetation surrounding a child's place of residence and proximity of the child's residence to various types of food retail locations. We hypothesize that living in greener neighborhoods, farther from fast food restaurants, and closer to supermarkets would be associated with lower risk of overweight.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Influence of hometown on family physicians' choice to practice in rural settings.

Objective: This study examines the influence of a physician's hometown location on the choice of practice location, adjusting for confounding variables.

Methods: Medical school records for 2,487 Indiana University graduates (classes of 1988--1997) were matched to the American Medical Association's Masterfile data to identify the graduates' current practice locations and specialties. Urban influence codes were assigned to each county in Indiana for the purposes of defining metro or nonmetro locations.

Improved outcomes in the recent management of secondary aortoenteric fistula.

Objective: We reviewed the presentation, management, and late events in a recent experience with aortic graft-enteric communications (secondary aortoenteric fistula) to identify variables associated with poor outcomes.

Methods: Since 1991, 29 patients (19 men, 10 women; mean age, 70) presented with a secondary aortoenteric fistula. The duration from aortic graft implantation to aortoenteric fistula development ranged from 8 months to 180 months (mean, 47 months).

Mediums and messages: an argument against biotechnical enhancement of soldiers in the armies of liberal democracies.

Assuming that one believes that individuals and states can morally defend values, beliefs, and institutions with force (in short, that just wars are morally possible), one logically wants just combatants to possess the physical, mental, and spiritual capacities that will enable them to win the war. On the other hand, being a just combatant in a just war does not morally entitle that combatant to do anything to win that war. The moral requirement for just combatants to fight justly is codified in international law of war and in state-specific legal documents such as the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Limb ischemia associated with persistent sciatic artery aneurysms-a report of 2 cases.

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare developmental anomaly, usually associated with iliofemoral hypoplasia and dependence on the sciatic artery as the dominant inflow to the lower extremity. Although rare, this anomaly is associated with a very high rate of aneurysm formation and frequent thromboembolic complications presenting as lower extremity ischemia, and requires familiarity on the part of the vascular surgeon to properly diagnose the disorder and plan therapy. The authors present 2 cases of PSA presenting with lower extremity ischemia and review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this rare but important anomaly.

Optimizing infrainguinal arm vein bypass patency with duplex ultrasound surveillance and endovascular therapy.

Objective: Infrainguinal bypass grafting with arm vein is associated with lower patency rates compared with saphenous vein conduits. In this study the effect of a duplex ultrasound surveillance program to enable identification and treat graft lesions with open or endovascular repair on patency was analyzed.

Methods: Over 9 years 89 infrainguinal arm vein (26% spliced vein) bypasses were performed to treat critical lower limb ischemia in 89 patients without adequate saphenous vein conduits.

Vascular injuries associated with elective orthopedic procedures.

The objective of this study was to review the diagnosis, management, and outcome of the rare iatrogenic arterial injury associated with elective orthopedic joint procedures. A retrospective review was conducted of all patients presenting to the vascular surgery service with arterial injury after elective orthopedic procedures between 1997 and 2002. Clinical records were reviewed for presentation, type of injury, management, and outcome.

The effects of dichloroacetate in a rabbit model of acute hind-limb ischemia and reperfusion.

Background: Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a drug that allows pyruvate dehydrogenase to remain active under anaerobic conditions by inhibiting the inactivating enzyme, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. We hypothesize that the administration of DCA during acute limb ischemia may have a beneficial effect by reducing the severity of anaerobic metabolism and lessening the irreversible injury.

Study Design: We studied a rabbit model using unilateral ligation of the iliac artery or femoral artery to evaluate two degrees of ischemia.