Like a Grinding Stone: How Crowdfunding Platforms Create, Perpetuate, and Value Health Inequities.

This article explores how inequities are reproduced by, and valued within, the increasingly ubiquitous world of medical crowdfunding. As patients use platforms like GoFundMe to solicit donations for health care, success stories inundate social media. But most crowdfunders experience steep odds and marginal benefits.

Synergistic epistasis enhances the co-operativity of mutualistic interspecies interactions.

Early evolution of mutualism is characterized by big and predictable adaptive changes, including the specialization of interacting partners, such as through deleterious mutations in genes not required for metabolic cross-feeding. We sought to investigate whether these early mutations improve cooperativity by manifesting in synergistic epistasis between genomes of the mutually interacting species. Specifically, we have characterized evolutionary trajectories of syntrophic interactions of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Dv) with Methanococcus maripaludis (Mm) by longitudinally monitoring mutations accumulated over 1000 generations of nine independently evolved communities with analysis of the genotypic structure of one community down to the single-cell level.

Abnormal Gait Detection Using Wearable Hall-Effect Sensors.

Abnormalities and irregularities in walking (gait) are predictors and indicators of both disease and injury. Gait has traditionally been monitored and analyzed in clinical settings using complex video (camera-based) systems, pressure mats, or a combination thereof. Wearable gait sensors offer the opportunity to collect data in natural settings and to complement data collected in clinical settings, thereby offering the potential to improve quality of care and diagnosis for those whose gait varies from healthy patterns of movement.

DeepTracer for fast de novo cryo-EM protein structure modeling and special studies on CoV-related complexes.

Information about macromolecular structure of protein complexes and related cellular and molecular mechanisms can assist the search for vaccines and drug development processes. To obtain such structural information, we present DeepTracer, a fully automated deep learning-based method for fast de novo multichain protein complex structure determination from high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) maps. We applied DeepTracer on a previously published set of 476 raw experimental cryo-EM maps and compared the results with a current state of the art method.

Adolescent Water Safety Behaviors, Skills, Training and Their Association with Risk-Taking Behaviors and Risk and Protective Factors.

: Drowning remains the third leading cause of unintentional injury death for adolescents in the United States. This study described adolescent swimming lessons, behaviors (life jacket wear while boating) and comfort (swimming in deep water) and their association with protective and risk factors and risk-taking behaviors reported by Washington State students in Grades 8, 10, 12, primarily comprised of youth ages 13 to 18 years. : This study used the 2014 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS), a publicly available dataset.

Ultraelastic Yarns from Curcumin-Assisted ELD toward Wearable Human-Machine Interface Textiles.

Intelligent human-machine interfaces (HMIs) integrated wearable electronics are essential to promote the Internet of Things (IoT). Herein, a curcumin-assisted electroless deposition technology is developed for the first time to achieve stretchable strain sensing yarns (SSSYs) with high conductivity (0.2 Ω cm) and ultralight weight (1.

The Ethical Justification for Conscience Clauses in Nurse-Midwifery Practice: Context, Power, and a Changing Landscape.

In the last century, conscientious objection has moved from objection to conscripted military service to include health care providers who have moral concerns about participation in specific aspects of health care. Although guidance for the use of conscientious objection has developed in both nursing and midwifery, changes in the political landscape may be creating a source of conflict between providers and the use of conscientious objection. Particularly in aspects of sexual and reproductive care like abortion, contraception, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer health care, the ethical requirement for prompt referral is becoming increasingly difficult to meet in many contexts.

Predicting PM in Well-Mixed Indoor Air for a Large Office Building Using Regression and Artificial Neural Network Models.

Although the exposure to PM has serious health implications, indoor PM monitoring is not a widely applied practice. Regulations on the indoor PM level and measurement schemes are not well established. Compared to other indoor settings, PM prediction models for large office buildings are particularly lacking.

A 10-year trend in income disparity of cardiovascular health among older adults in South Korea.

Objectives: Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has lessened in Korea, it is unclear whether older adults in all socioeconomic strata have benefited equally. This study explored trends in income disparities in CVD risk among older adults in Korea.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2008-2017), targeting 14,836 older adults (≥65 years).

Modification of Major Contributors Responsible for Latrine Malodor on Exposure to Hypochlorous Acid: The Potential for Simultaneously Impacting Odor and Infection Hazards to Encourage Latrine Use.

Open defecation remains a common practice in developing countries and leads to high incidence and prevalence of acute gastroenteritis, which is most often caused by human noroviruses (human NoV). Encouraging the use of toilets and pit latrines is one method of improving sanitation; however, it is often hindered by not only cultural traditions but also from a reluctance to use latrines and toilets due to their odor and impression of uncleanliness. In an effort to establish new means to encourage toilet and latrine use, laboratory experiments tested the ability of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to modify the malodorous compounds identified in the air in latrines in developing countries (indole, p-cresol, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), and butyric acid) and inactivate MS2 bacteriophage, a surrogate for human NoV.

Interrogating Whiteness in Community Research and Action.

Community psychology is expressly concerned with social justice. Such concern necessitates attention to race. Yet, nearly absent from the field's literature is explicit and critical attention to whiteness.

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

We present our current best estimate of the plausible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next several years, with the intention of providing information to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals for the third (O3), fourth (O4) and fifth observing (O5) runs, including the planned upgrades of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. We study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source for gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary systems of compact objects, that is binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems.

Acceptability of a Mobile Phone-Based Augmented Reality Game for Rehabilitation of Patients With Upper Limb Deficits from Stroke: Case Study.

Background: Upper limb functional deficits are common after stroke and result from motor weakness, ataxia, spasticity, spatial neglect, and poor stamina. Past studies employing a range of commercial gaming systems to deliver rehabilitation to stroke patients provided short-term efficacy but have not yet demonstrated whether or not those games are acceptable, that is, motivational, comfortable, and engaging, which are all necessary for potential adoption and use by patients.

Objective: The goal of the study was to assess the acceptability of a smartphone-based augmented reality game as a means of delivering stroke rehabilitation for patients with upper limb motor function loss.

Psychosocial Issues Associated with Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: a Literature Review.

Purpose Of Review: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic disease affecting breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this article is to update the scientific literature regarding psychosocial issues associated with BCRL.

Recent Findings: Reports describe economic burdens, social support, sexuality, BCRL patient-education needs, and interventions to reduce BCRL symptoms and improve QOL among women with breast cancer.

Engineering Education as the Development of Critical Sociotechnical Literacy.

Recent policy documents position engineering as a way to broaden participation for students in STEM fields. However, a recent review of the literature on engineering education found that fewer than 1% of reviewed articles focused on issues of equity and broadening participation. For this reason, there are few frameworks to build on when designing for equitable engineering instruction in K-12 settings.

Contrasting Controls on the Diel Isotopic Variation of Hg at Two High Elevation Sites in the Western United States.

The atmosphere is a significant global reservoir for mercury (Hg) and its isotopic characterization is important to understand sources, distribution, and deposition of Hg to the Earth's surface. To better understand Hg isotope variability in the remote background atmosphere, we collected continuous 12-h Hg samples for 1 week from two high elevation sites, Camp Davis, Wyoming (valley), and Mount Bachelor, Oregon (mountaintop). The samples collected at Camp Davis displayed strong diel variation in δHg values of Hg, but not in ΔHg or ΔHg values.

Impacts of Men's Gender-transformative Personal Narratives: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Men's Story Project.

Gender-transformative interventions have been found to help ameliorate gender-inequitable norms and improve health outcomes for women and men. While narrative-based strategies are increasingly being used in public health programs, no evaluation publications exist to date for gender-transformative programming that employs men's public narrative-sharing as a central means for promoting healthy masculinities. The Men's Story Project (MSP) creates live productions in which diverse men publicly perform personal narratives that challenge hegemonic masculinity, promote gender equality, and highlight intersections of masculinity with other social identities.

Risk factors and prevalence of symptoms of sexually transmitted infections in Rural Mayan Villages in Guatemala.

In this study, we identify and describe the risk factors and symptoms that are suggestive of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in rural Mayan villages of Guatemala. We used the World Health Organization's syndromic guidelines for diagnosis and management of STIs to design questionnaires and to identify STI symptoms among indigenous Mayans who presented to mobile clinics in villages served by Guatemala Village Health (GVH). Symptoms that include abdominal pain or pain on urination, genital discharge, itching and sores were highest among younger participants.

Development and Validation of the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults.

Purpose: We developed and validated a measure that assesses the latent construct of sexual and reproductive empowerment among adolescents and young adults. A specific measure for this group is critical because of their unique life stage and circumstances, which often includes frequent changes in sexual partners and involvement from parents in decision-making.

Methods: After formative qualitative research, a review of the literature, and cognitive interviews, we developed 95 items representing nine dimensions of sexual and reproductive empowerment.

Workplace Racial Discrimination, Negative Emotions Based on Treatment Due to Race, and Substance Use.

Experiencing racial discrimination may be associated with poor health outcomes including negative emotional states and substance use. The workplace is a setting where people may experience discriminatory treatment. This study examined associations, between negative emotions due to treatment based on race (NE), workplace racial discrimination (WRD), and substance use outcomes (drinking and smoking), stratified by race.

Performance evaluation of cetacean species distribution models developed using generalized additive models and boosted regression trees.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are important management tools for highly mobile marine species because they provide spatially and temporally explicit information on animal distribution. Two prevalent modeling frameworks used to develop SDMs for marine species are generalized additive models (GAMs) and boosted regression trees (BRTs), but comparative studies have rarely been conducted; most rely on presence-only data; and few have explored how features such as species distribution characteristics affect model performance. Since the majority of marine species BRTs have been used to predict habitat suitability, we first compared BRTs to GAMs that used presence/absence as the response variable.

Gendered health institutions: examining the organization of health services and men's use of HIV testing in Malawi.

Introduction: Men in sub-Saharan Africa are less likely to use HIV testing services than their female counterparts. Norms of masculinity are frequently cited as the main barrier to men's use of HIV testing services, but very little is known about how health institutions are organized to facilitate or impede men's care. We examined the organization of health institutions in Malawi, and implications for men's use of HIV testing services.

How patient-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes affect patient-clinician relationships: A systematic review.

Introduction: Many patients use mobile devices to track health conditions by recording patient-generated health data. However, patients and clinicians may disagree how to use these data.

Objective: To systematically review the literature to identify how patient-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes collected outside of clinical settings can affect patient-clinician relationships within surgery and primary care.