Additional Interaction Terms Research Articles

Valuing the SF-6Dv2 in the capital of Iran using a discrete choice experiment with duration.

The second version of the Short-Form 6-Dimension (SF-6Dv2) classification system has recently been developed. The objective of this study was to develop a value set for SF-6Dv2 based on the societal preferences of a general population in the capital of Iran. A representative sample of the capital of Iran (n = 3061) was recruited using a stratified multistage quota sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using binary choice sets from the international valuation protocol of the discrete choice experiment with duration. The conditional logit was used to estimate the final value set, and a latent class model was employed to assess heterogeneity of preferences. Coefficients generated from the models were logically consistent and significant. The best model was the one that included an additional interaction term for cases where one or more dimensions reached their most severe levels. It provides a value set with logical consistent coefficients and the lowest percentage of worse than death health states. Predicted values for the SF-6Dv2 were within the range of - 0.796-1. Pain dimension had the largest impact on utility decrement, whereas vitality had the least impact. The presence of preference heterogeneity was evident, and the Bayesian Information Criterion indicated the optimal fit for a latent class model with two classes. This study provided the SF-6Dv2 value set for application in the context of Iran. This value set will facilitate the use of the SF-6Dv2 instrument in health economic evaluations and clinical settings.

Learning-based multi-continuum model for multiscale flow problems

Multiscale problems can usually be approximated through numerical homogenization by an equation with some effective parameters that can capture the macroscopic behavior of the original system on the coarse grid to speed up the simulation. However, this approach usually assumes scale separation and that the heterogeneity of the solution can be approximated by the solution average in each coarse block. For complex multiscale problems, the computed single effective properties/continuum might be inadequate. In this paper, we propose a novel learning-based multi-continuum model to enrich the homogenized equation and improve the accuracy of the single continuum model for multiscale problems with some given data. Without loss of generalization, we consider a two-continuum case. The first flow equation keeps the information of the original homogenized equation with an additional interaction term. The second continuum is newly introduced, and the effective permeability in the second flow equation is determined by a neural network. The interaction term between the two continua aligns with that used in the Dual-porosity model but with a learnable coefficient determined by another neural network. The new model with neural network terms is then optimized using trusted data. We discuss both direct back-propagation and the adjoint method for the PDE-constraint optimization problem. Our proposed learning-based multi-continuum model can resolve multiple interacted media within each coarse grid block and describe the mass transfer among them, and it has been demonstrated to significantly improve the simulation results through numerical experiments involving both linear and nonlinear flow equations.

Effect of concomitant medications on treatment response and survival in non-metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer: Exploratory analysis of the SPARTAN trial

BackgroundWe performed an exploratory analysis of the SPARTAN trial to determine whether concomitant exposure to several classes of commonly prescribed medications influenced the effect of apalutamide on overall survival (OS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) in patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). Patients and methodsSPARTAN was a phase III randomized controlled trial in which nmCRPC patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive androgen deprivation therapy with or without apalutamide. We focused on 5 commonly prescribed classes of medications: metformin, statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) based on a plausible biological and clinical rationale. To determine the potential effect modification, we applied multivariable Cox regression models for OS and MFS separately with additional interaction terms. To determine the independent association of concomitant medications with OS and MFS, we used IPTW-based log-rank test. A 2-sided p < 0.01 was considered statistically significant. ResultsWe did not find statistically significant differences in effect from apalutamide on OS across subgroups stratified by concomitant exposure to any of the medication classes. While there was some difference in the treatment effect from apalutamide on MFS between patients with concomitant statins (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.20; 95 % CI: 0.15–0.28) versus without concomitant statins (aHR: 0.31 [0.24–0.39]), this did not reach the pre-specified threshold of statistical significance (p = 0.011). On IPTW-based analysis, patients treated concomitantly with metformin (median: not reached versus 31 months; p = 0.002), or ACEI (median: 37 versus 29 months, p = 0.006) had significantly improved MFS. ConclusionsIn this post-hoc exploratory analysis of SPARTAN, effects of apalutamide on MFS and OS were consistent across subgroups stratified by exposure to concomitant medications. Exposure to concomitant metformin and ACEI was independently associated with a significant improvement in MFS.

Beyond change scores: Employing an improved statistical approach to analyze the impact of entry fitness on physical performance during British Army basic training in men and women.

The aim was to use a robust statistical approach to examine whether physical fitness at entry influences performance changes between men and women undertaking British Army basic training (BT). Performance of 2 km run, seated medicine ball throw (MBT) and isometric mid-thigh pull (MTP) were assessed at entry and completion of Standard Entry (SE), Junior Entry-Short (JE-Short), and Junior Entry-Long (JE-Long) training for 2350 (272 women) recruits. Performance change was analyzed with entry performance as a covariate (ANCOVA), with an additional interaction term allowing different slopes for courses and genders (p < 0.05). Overall, BT courses saw average improvements in 2 km run performance (SE: -6.8% [-0.62 min], JE-Short: -4.6% [-0.43 min], JE-Long: -7.7% [-0.70 min]; all p < 0.001) and MBT (1.0-8.8% [0.04-0.34 m]; all p < 0.05) and MTP (4.5-26.9% [6.5-28.8 kg]; all p < 0.001). Regression models indicate an expected form of "regression to the mean" whereby test performance change was negatively associated with entry fitness in each course (those with low baseline fitness exhibit larger training improvements; all interaction effects: p < 0.001, > 0.006), particularly for women. However, when matched for entry fitness, men displayed considerable improvements in all tests, relative to women. Training courses were effective in developing recruit physical fitness, whereby the level of improvement is, in large part, dependent on entry fitness. Factors including age, physical maturity, course length, and physical training, could also contribute to the variability in training response between genders and should be considered when analyzing and/or developing physical fitness in these cohorts for future success of military job-task performance.

Regional associations of white matter integrity and neurological, post-traumatic stress disorder and autonomic symptoms in Veterans with and without history of loss of consciousness in mild TBI.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) share overlapping symptom presentations and are highly comorbid conditions among Veteran populations. Despite elevated presentations of PTSD after mTBI, mechanisms linking the two are unclear, although both have been associated with alterations in white matter and disruptions in autonomic regulation. The present study aimed to determine if there is regional variability in white matter correlates of symptom severity and autonomic functioning in a mixed sample of Veterans with and without PTSD and/or mTBI (N = 77). Diffusion-weighted images were processed to extract fractional anisotropy (FA) values for major white matter structures. The PTSD Checklist-Military version (PCL-M) and Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) were used to determine symptom domains within PTSD and mTBI. Autonomic function was assessed using continuous blood pressure and respiratory sinus arrythmia during a static, standing angle positional test. Mixed-effect models were used to assess the regional specificity of associations between symptom severity and white matter, with FA, global symptom severity (score), and white matter tract (tract) as predictors. Additional interaction terms of symptom domain (i.e., NSI and PCL-M subscales) and loss of consciousness (LoC) were added to evaluate potential moderating effects. A parallel analysis was conducted to explore concordance with autonomic functioning. Results from the two-way Score × Tract interaction suggested that global symptom severity was associated with FA in the cingulum angular bundle (positive) and uncinate fasciculus (negative) only, without variability by symptom domain. We also found regional specificity in the relationship between FA and autonomic function, such that FA was positively associated with autonomic function in all tracts except the cingulum angular bundle. History of LoC moderated the association for both global symptom severity and autonomic function. Our findings are consistent with previous literature suggesting that there is significant overlap in the symptom presentation in TBI and PTSD, and white matter variability associated with LoC in mTBI may be associated with increased PTSD-spectra symptoms. Further research on treatment response in patients with both mTBI history and PTSD incorporating imaging and autonomic assessment may be valuable in understanding the role of brain injury in treatment outcomes and inform treatment design.

RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN CAREGIVER BURDEN AMONG BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WHITE ALL-CAUSE CAREGIVERS

Abstract Introduction As life expectancy and the numbers of older adults in our society continue to rise, serving as a caregiver is more common. Caregivers assist with a variety of daily tasks as changes in functional status occur. The Stress Process Model informs that there are potential buffers to negative caregiver outcomes including religious commitment or involvement and cultural justifications for caregiving. Previously, research has shown that caregivers may turn to religion and cultural practices to cope with or explain their roles. Methods This investigation examines racial differences in caregiver burden and the potential roles of caregiver religiosity and cultural justifications for caregiving as moderators of this effect. Individuals providing care for an adult age 45 and older for at least five hours per week were recruited. Results The sample size for this study was 80 and included 49 Black/African American caregivers (61.25%) and 31 White caregivers (38.75%) between the ages of 23 and 78. Multiple regression models with age, gender, income difficulty, and race as predictors revealed that Black/African American caregivers reported lower levels of caregiver burden compared to White caregivers, p &amp;lt; .05. Additional interaction terms added to the model revealed that religious commitment or involvement and cultural justifications for caregiving did not moderate the effect of race on caregiver burden. Conclusion The initial findings of this investigation may be the result of the study’s small sample size and insufficient power. Recruitment is ongoing to help identify factors to potentially explain why Black/African American caregivers report less caregiver burden.

Meta-Analysis of National-Level Genotyping Datasets to Determine the Risk of Thrombosis in Double Heterozygous Carriers of Factor V Leiden and the Prothrombin G20210A Mutation across 876,417 Individuals

Introduction Factor V Leiden (FVL) and the prothrombin G20210A mutation (PTGM) are well-known genetic risk factors for venous thrombosis. However, the clinical significance of double heterozygosity (DH) for FVL and PTGM remains poorly understood. Prior studies of the DH genotype have produced varying risk estimates and were limited by small sample size, heterogenous case and control groups, inclusion restricted to patients presenting for medical attention, and a lack of adjustment for potential confounders. Leveraging deeply-phenotyped, population-scale genomic datasets offers a unique opportunity to surmount these shortcomings and arrive at a more robust estimate of the risk experienced by DH individuals. Methods We utilized two large-scale population-level registries with paired genetic and phenotypic data: the UK Biobank (UKBB) and the FinnGen project. Our analyses focused on 6 genotypes: FVL heterozygous (FVL het), PTGM heterozygous (PTGM het), FVL homozygous (FVL hom), PTGM homozygous (PTGM hom), double heterozygous (DH), and wild-type for both PTGM and FVL (WT). Four thrombotic phenotypes were evaluated, including stroke (CVA), myocardial infarction (MI), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Multivariate Firth's logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, and principal components of ancestry were used to assess risk of thrombotic events between genotypic groups. Sensitivity analyses included 1) restricting the Firth's regression to unrelated participants, and 2) controlling for additional covariates including body mass index (BMI), blood group, smoking status, platelet count, and C-reactive protein (CRP). An additional interaction term for the FVL and PTGM mutations was examined to evaluate whether the two variants functioned in an additive or multiplicative manner. The results were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. Rates of incident VTE were compared between WT and DH individuals using Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan Meier analysis. Results In total, we analyzed 485,835 individuals in the UKBB and 390,582 individuals in the FinnGen project. Between the two cohorts, 806,273 individuals were WT, 13,683 were PTGM het, 69 were PTGM hom, 36,600 were FVL het, 402 were FVL hom, and 646 were double heterozygous. As expected, after adjustment for age, sex, and ancestry, an increased risk of VTE was associated with PTGM het (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.56 - 2.26, p = 2.7 x 10 -11) and FVL het (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 2.03 - 2.54, p = 1.5 x 10 -47) relative to the WT genotype. By contrast, individuals with the DH genotype demonstrated a markedly higher VTE risk relative to WT than either singly heterozygous genotype (OR = 5.24, 95% CI: 3.99 - 6.89, p = 1.4 x 10 -32) ( Figure 1). None of the mutant genotypes was associated with a significantly increased risk of CVA, MI, or PAD, except FVL het carriers experienced a marginally increased risk for PAD, as previously described (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.10 - 1.24, p = 5.2 x 10 -7) ( Figure 2). Estimates for VTE risk associated with the DH genotype were not appreciably different after restricting the analysis to unrelated individuals (OR=5.66, 95% CI: 3.65-8.77, P = 9.7 x 10 -15) or adjusting for additional risk factors (OR=4.40, 95% CI: 3.33-5.72, P = &amp;lt; 1.0 x 10 -16). While VTE risk in individuals with DH genotype appeared additive, we observed a statistically significant interaction term for the two constituent genotypes (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.05 - 1.60, p = 0.017). This finding suggests that although there is a statistically significant multiplicative interaction between the two mutations, they likely behave in an additive manner for the purposes of clinical care. Finally, we found that the rate of incident VTE was significantly higher among PTGM het individuals (P=8.5 x 10 -15), FVL het individuals (P &amp;lt;2 x 10 -16), and DH individuals (P=7.6 x 10 -5) compared to those with the WT genotype. Conclusion and Relevance We have conducted the largest study to date of double heterozygosity for FVL and PTGM. After adjustment for common confounders, DH individuals demonstrate an increased risk of VTE relative to singly heterozygous individuals. By contrast, we found no evidence that DH individuals are at significantly increased risk for arterial thrombosis. Our work may help resolve longstanding uncertainty around the clinical impact of the DH genotype on thrombotic risk.

Isolating noise and amplifying the signal using weak quantum measurement and postselection

The so-called quantum Cheshire cat is a phenomenon in which an object, identified with a "cat", is dissociated from a property of the object, identified with the "grin" of the cat. We propose a thought experiment, similar to this phenomenon, with an interferometric setup, where a property (a component of polarization) of an object (photon) can be separated from the object itself and can simultaneously be amplified when it is already decoupled from its object. We further show that this setup can be used to dissociate two complementary properties, e.g., two orthogonal components of polarization of a photon and identified with the grin and the snarl of a cat, from each other and one of them can be amplified while being detached from the other. Moreover, we extend the work to a noisy scenario, effected by a spin-orbit-coupling -like additional interaction term in the Hamiltonian for the measurement process, with the object in this scenario being identified with a so-called confused Cheshire cat. We devise a gedanken experiment in which such a "confusion" can be successfully dissociated from the system, and we find that the dissociation helps in the amplification of signals.

Constraints from Λ hypernuclei on the ΛNN content of the Λ-nucleus potential

A depth of DΛ≈−28 MeV for the Λ-nucleus potential was confirmed in 1988 by studying Λ binding energies deduced from (π+,K+) spectra measured across the periodic table. Modern two-body hyperon-nucleon interaction models require additional interaction terms, most likely ΛNN three-body terms, to reproduce DΛ. Here we apply a suitably constructed Λ-nucleus density dependent optical potential to binding energy calculations of observed 1sΛ and 1pΛ states in the mass range 12≤A≤208. The resulting ΛNN contribution to DΛ, about 14 MeV repulsion at symmetric nuclear matter density ρ0=0.17 fm−3, makes DΛ increasingly repulsive at ρ≳3ρ0, leading possibly to little or no Λ hyperon content of neutron-star matter. This suggests in some models a stiff equation of state that may support two solar-mass neutron stars.

Association between hospital-physician vertical integration and medication adherence rates.

To test the association between vertical integration of primary care providers (PCPs) and adherence rates for anti-diabetics, renin angiotensin system antagonists (RASA), and statins. Medicare Part B outpatient fee-for-service claims and Medicare Part D event data from 2014 to 2017. We estimated difference-in-differences regressions, comparing changes in adherence among patients with PCPs who converted from independent to integrated to changes among patients whose PCPs remained independent or integrated during the study period. To test for heterogenous impacts by patient demographics, we estimated triple difference regressions that included additional interaction terms by comorbidity rates, age group, and race/ethnicity. We extracted Medicare claims for adults with continuous enrollment in Parts B and D during the study period. The proportion of patients who had a vertically integrated PCP increased by approximately 23% over the study period. Changes in adherence did not differ significantly between patients based on whether their PCP became integrated (Statins: 0.18, 95% CI -0.13, 0.49; RASA: -0.13, 95% CI -0.46, 0.19; Anti-Diabetics: -0.20, 95% CI -0.78, 0.38). Among patients with PCPs who became integrated, there were significant decreases in adherence for patients who were Black, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American, above 80 years old, and had greater comorbidities for all three classes. While there were no average changes in adherence following vertical integration of PCPs, health equity worsened, with significant declines in adherence for Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American patients, patients over 80 years old, and patients with greater comorbidities. These findings suggest that integration may reduce clinicians'incentives to compete based on the quality of care delivered. Given the price increases associated with integration, integration may be a net welfare loss.

The Ion-Dipole Correction of the 3DRISM Solvation Model to Accurately Compute Water Distributions around Negatively Charged Biomolecules.

The 3D reference interaction site model (3DRISM) provides an efficient grid-based solvation model to compute the structural and thermodynamic properties of biomolecules in aqueous solutions. However, it remains challenging for existing 3DRISM methods to correctly predict water distributions around negatively charged solute molecules. In this paper, we first show that this challenge is mainly due to the orientation of water molecules in the first solvation shell of the negatively charged solute molecules. To properly consider this orientational preference, position-dependent two-body intramolecular correlations of solvent need to be included in the 3DRISM theory, but direct evaluations of these position-dependent two-body intramolecular correlations remain numerically intractable. To address this challenge, we introduce the Ion-Dipole Correction (IDC) to the 3DRISM theory, in which we incorporate the orientation preference of water molecules via an additional solute-solvent interaction term (i.e., the ion-dipole interaction) while keeping the formulism of the 3DRISM equation unchanged. We prove that this newly introduced IDC term is equivalent to an effective direct correlation function which can effectively consider the orientation effect that arises from position dependent two-body correlations. We first quantitatively validate our 3DRISM-IDC theory combined with the PSE3 closure on Cl-, [ClO]- (a two-site anion), and [NO2]- (a three-site anion). For all three anions, we show that our 3DRISM-IDC theory significantly outperforms the 3DRISM theory in accurately predicting the solvation structures in comparison to MD simulations, including RDFs and 3D water distributions. Furthermore, we have also demonstrated that the 3DRISM-IDC can improve the accuracy of hydration free-energy calculation for Cl-. We further demonstrate that our 3DRISM-IDC theory yields significant improvements over the 3DRISM theory when applied to compute the solvation structures for various negatively charged solute molecules, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a short peptide containing 19 residues, a DNA hairpin containing 24 nucleotides, and a riboswitch RNA molecule with 77 nucleotides. We expect that our 3DRISM-IDC-PSE3 solvation model holds great promise to be widely applied to study solvation properties for nucleic acids and other biomolecules containing negatively charged functional groups.

Spatio-Temporal Variability of the Impact of Population Mobility on Local Business Sales in Response to COVID-19 in Seoul, Korea

Social distancing is an effective method for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic by decreasing population mobility, but it has also negatively affected local business sales. This paper explores the spatio-temporal impact of population mobility on local business sales in response to COVID-19 in Seoul, South Korea. First, this study examined the temporal variability by analyzing statistical interaction terms in linear regression models. Second, the spatio-temporal variability was captured using Moran eigenvector spatial filtering (MESF)-based spatially varying coefficients (SVC) models with additional statistical interaction terms. Population mobility and local business sales were estimated from public transportation ridership and restaurant sales, respectively, which were both obtained from spatial big datasets. The analysis results show the existence of various relationships between changes in the population mobility and local business sales according to the corresponding period and region. This study confirms the usability of spatial big datasets and spatio-temporal varying coefficients models for COVID-19 studies and provides support for policy-makers in response to infectious disease.

Entry Fitness And Subsequent Physical Performance Change In Recruits Across British Army Basic Training Courses.

Soldiers require high levels of fitness to perform physically demanding role-related tasks, such as load carriage and moving equipment. Developing cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength through progressive physical training programmes during Basic Training (BT) will support soldiers to perform their duties and reduce musculoskeletal injury risk. PURPOSE: To (1) quantify physical performance changes in recruits undertaking three British Army BT courses; Standard Entry (SE), Junior Entry Short (JE-Short) and Long (JE-Long) and (2) explore differences between courses, men and women, and entry fitness level. METHODS: Performance of 2 km run, medicine ball throw (MBT) and mid-thigh pull (MTP) were assessed at entry and completion of BT (14 [SE]), 23 [JE-Short] or 49 [JE-Long] weeks in duration) for 2350 (272 women) British Army recruits. Performance change was analysed with entry performance as a covariate (ANCOVA), before an additional interaction term allowing different slopes for course and gender. RESULTS: There was high heterogeneity, although BT courses saw average improvements in surrogate tests for cardiovascular endurance (2 km run: SE: -6.8% [-0.62 min], JE-Short: -4.6% [-0.43 min], JE-Long: -7.7% [-0.70 min]; all p < 0.001) and muscular strength and power (MBT: 1.0-8.8% [0.04-0.34 m]; all p < 0.05; MTP: 4.5-26.9% [6.5-28.8 kg]; all p < 0.001). Regression models indicated a form of regression to the mean whereby performance change was negatively associated with entry fitness (those with low baseline fitness exhibit larger improvements), particularly for women. However, when matched for entry fitness, men displayed considerable improvements in all tests, relative to women. CONCLUSIONS: British Army BT courses were effective in developing physical fitness and entry fitness was negatively associated with change over time. Other factors not measured including age and physical maturity could also be contributors to the training response. Individualising physical training may enhance physical fitness development and role-related job-task performance. Funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (Army).

Controlling the anisotropic self-assembly of polybutadiene-grafted silica nanoparticles by tuning three-body interaction forces.

Recently, the significant improvements in polymer composites properties have been mainly attributed to the ability of filler nanoparticles (NPs) to self-assemble into highly anisotropic self-assembled structures. In this work, we investigate the self-assembly of core-shell NPs composed of a silica core grafted with polybutadiene (PB) chains, generating the so-called "hairy" NPs (HNPs), immersed in tetrahydrofuran solvent. While uncoated silica beads aggregate forming uniform compact structures, the presence of a PB shell affects the silica NPs organization to the point that by increasing the polymer density at the corona, they tend to self-assemble into linear chain-like structures. To reproduce the experimental observations, we propose a theoretical model for the two-body that considers the van der Waals attractive energy together with the polymer-induced repulsive steric contribution and includes an additional three-body interaction term. This term arises due to the anisotropic distribution of PB, which increases their concentration near the NPs contact region. The resulting steric repulsion experienced by a third NP approaching the dimer prevents its binding close to the dimer bond and favors the growth of chain-like structures. We find good agreement between the simulated and experimental self-assembled superstructures, confirming that this three-body steric repulsion plays a key role in determining the cluster morphology of these core-shell NPs. The model also shows that further increasing the grafting density leads to low-density gel-like open structures.

Association of race and health insurance in treatment disparities of colon cancer: A retrospective analysis utilizing a national population database in the United States.

Both health insurance status and race independently impact colon cancer (CC) care delivery and outcomes. The relative importance of these factors in explaining racial and insurance disparities is less clear, however. This study aimed to determine the association and interaction of race and insurance with CC treatment disparities. Retrospective cohort review of a prospective hospital-based database. In this cross-sectional study, patients diagnosed with stage I to III CC in the United States were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB; 2006 to 2016). Multivariable regression with generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were performed to evaluate the association of insurance and race/ethnicity with odds of receipt of surgery (stage I to III) and adjuvant chemotherapy (stage III), with an additional 2-way interaction term to evaluate for effect modification. Confounders included sex, age, median income, rurality, comorbidity, and nodes and margin status for the model for chemotherapy. Of 353,998 patients included, 73.8% (n = 261,349) were non-Hispanic White (NHW) and 11.7% (n = 41,511) were non-Hispanic Black (NHB). NHB patients were less likely to undergo resection [odds ratio (OR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61 to 0.72, p < 0.001] or to receive adjuvant chemotherapy [OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.87, p < 0.001] compared to NHW patients. NHB patients with private or Medicare insurance were less likely to undergo resection [OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.91, p = 0.004 (private insurance); OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.66, p < 0.001 (Medicare)] and to receive adjuvant chemotherapy [0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.87, p < 0.001 (private insurance); OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.91, p < 0.001 (Medicare)] compared to similarly insured NHW patients. Although Hispanic patients with private and Medicare insurance were also less likely to undergo surgical resection, this was not the case with adjuvant chemotherapy. This study is mainly limited by the retrospective nature and by the variables provided in the dataset; granular details such as continuity or disruption of insurance coverage or specific chemotherapy agents or dosing cannot be assessed within NCDB. This study suggests that racial disparities in receipt of treatment for CC persist even among patients with similar health insurance coverage and that different disparities exist for different racial/ethnic groups. Changes in health policy must therefore recognize that provision of insurance alone may not eliminate cancer treatment racial disparities.

Positive Effects of Education on Cognitive Functioning Depend on Clinical Status and Neuropathological Severity.

Background: Variability in cognitive functions in healthy and pathological aging is often explained by educational attainment. However, it remains unclear to which extent different disease states alter protective effects of education. We aimed to investigate whether protective effects of education on cognition depend on (1) clinical diagnosis severity, and (2) the neuropathological burden within a diagnosis in a memory clinic setting.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 108 patients with subjective cognitive decline [SCD, median age 71, IQR (66–78), 43% men], 190 with mild cognitive impairment [MCI, median age 78, IQR (73–82), 44% men], and 245 with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD) [median age 80, IQR (76–84), 35% men]. We combined visual ratings of hippocampal atrophy, global atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI into a single neuropathology score. To investigate whether the contribution of education to cognitive performance differed across SCD, MCI, and AD, we employed several multiple linear regression models, stratified by diagnosis and adjusted for age, sex, and neurodegeneration. We re-ran each model with an additional interaction term to investigate whether these effects were influenced by neuropathological burden for each diagnostic group separately. False discovery rate (FDR) corrections for multiple comparisons were applied.Results: We observed significant positive associations between education and performance for global cognition and executive functions (all adjusted p-values < 0.05). As diagnosis became more severe, however, the strength of these associations decreased (all adjusted p-values < 0.05). Education related to episodic memory only at relatively lower levels of neuropathology in SCD (β = −0.23, uncorrected p = 0.02), whereas education related to episodic memory in those with higher levels of neuropathology in MCI (β = 0.15, uncorrected p = 0.04). However, these interaction effects did not survive FDR-corrections.Conclusions: Altogether, our results demonstrated that positive effects of education on cognitive functioning reduce with diagnosis severity, but the role of neuropathological burden within a particular diagnosis was small and warrants further investigation. Future studies may further unravel the extent to which different dimensions of an individual’s disease severity contribute to the waxing and waning of protective effects in cognitive aging.

Community-level factors and incidence of gun violence in the United States, 2014–2017

Rationale and objectiveIn the United States, gun violence claims thousands of lives each year and is a pressing public health issue. To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, this study spatially analyzed county- and state-level predictors of yearly gun violence rates and gun-related casualty rates. MethodsThis study modeled hypothesized predictors of gun violence incidence and casualties across four years. Data sources included the Gun Violence Archive (gun violence data in the United States for 2014–2017), the U.S. Census Bureau (socioeconomic, demographic, geologic features), ICPSR (crime reports), the U.S. Geologic Survey (elevation data), and U.S. gun laws and ownership. Random forest analyses identified relevant additional interaction terms to include. ResultsThe extent to which counties are urban was the most robust predictor of both gun violence incident and casualty rates. Similarly, places characterized by greater income disparity were also more likely to experience higher gun violence rates, especially when high income was paired with high poverty. ConclusionsCommunity- and state-level features are markedly associated with gun violence. Gun violence is higher in counties with both high median incomes and higher levels of poverty; poverty did not seem related to gun violence rates in counties with relatively low median incomes. Some of these findings may well be due to racial segregation and concentrated disadvantage, due to institutional racism, police-community relations, and related factors.

Nonmonotonic confining potential and eigenvalue density transition for generalized random matrix model

We consider several limiting cases of the joint probability distribution for a random matrix ensemble with an additional interaction term controlled by an exponent γ (called the γ ensembles). The effective potential, which is essentially the single-particle confining potential for an equivalent ensemble with γ=1 (called the Muttalib-Borodin ensemble), is a crucial quantity defined in solution to the Riemann-Hilbert problem associated with the γ ensembles. It enables us to numerically compute the eigenvalue density of γ ensembles for all γ>0. We show that one important effect of the two-particle interaction parameter γ is to generate or enhance the nonmonotonicity in the effective single-particle potential. For suitable choices of the initial single-particle potentials, reducing γ can lead to a large nonmonotonicity in the effective potential, which in turn leads to significant changes in the density of eigenvalues. For a disordered conductor, this corresponds to a systematic decrease in the conductance with increasing disorder. This suggests that appropriate models of γ ensembles can be used as a possible framework to study the effects of disorder on the distribution of conductances.

A coarse-grained xDLVO model for colloidal protein-protein interactions.

Colloidal protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of attractive and repulsive nature modulate the solubility of proteins, their aggregation, precipitation and crystallization. Such interactions are very important for many biotechnological processes, but are complex and hard to control, therefore, difficult to be understood in terms of measurements alone. In diluted protein solutions, PPIs can be estimated from the osmotic second virial coefficient, B22, which has been calculated using different methods and levels of theory. The most popular approach is based on the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory and its extended versions, i.e. xDLVO. Despite much efforts, these models are not fully quantitative and must be fitted to experiments, which limits their predictive value. Here, we report an extended xDLVO-CG model, which extends existing models by a coarse-grained representation of proteins and the inclusion of an additional ion-protein dispersion interaction term. We demonstrate for four proteins, i.e. lysozyme (LYZ), subtilisin (Subs), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin (IgG1), that semi-quantitative agreement with experimental values without the need to fit to experimental B22 values. While most likely not the final step in the nearly hundred years of research in PPIs, xDLVO-CG is a step towards predictive PPIs calculations that are transferable to different proteins.

Pauli approximation for a vector particle with anomalous magnetic moment in an external Coulomb field

Herein, a spin 1 particle with anomalous magnetic moment in an external Coulomb field is studied. We start with the relativistic tensor system of the Proca type in Cartesian coordinates. In these equations the Γ parameter is present related to an additional characteristic of the particle. In the case of an external magnetic field, it is interpreted as an anomalous magnetic moment. In the presence of an external electric field, additional interaction terms are presented as well; moreover, the terms of the first and second orders in parameter Γ appear. The case of an external Coulomb field is considered in detail. In the nonrelativistic approximation a Pauli type equation is obtained. In the nonrelativistic equation the separation of the variables with the use of spherical vectors is realized. One separate 2-nd order differential equation is found, in which additional interaction terms are missing. Besides, we derive systems of two coupled 2-nd order equations wherein linear and quadratic in parameter Γ interaction terms are presented. Previously, another approach was developed for analyzing the vector particle with anomalous magnetic moment. It was based on the use of tetrad formalism and separation of the variables in the Duffin – Kemmer equation with the help of the Wigner function. The nonrelativistic approximation was performed directly in the system of radial equations. Besides, previously formal Frobenius type solutions for an arising 4-th order differential equation were constructed; however, physically interpretable energy spectra were not found. We have proved that the radial equations derived by different methods are the same up to a simple liner transformation over two radial functions. In this paper, we have obtained a simpler 4-th order equation, the construction of Frobenius solutions becomes technically easier, but physical energy spectra are not found either.