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Building Community Through Data: The value of a Researcher Driven Open Science Ecosystem
Get PDFExponential scientific data growth presents challenges and opportunities for addressing complex public health issues like the opioid epidemic and chronic pain management. Despite the vast amount of research conducted globally, many datasets remain inaccessible or underutilized due to publication access policies and stringent data use agreements. The amount of data generated through research activities is enormous. Limited access to scientific datasets stifles discovery and delays the translation of proven scientific advances into real-world applications. To address these challenges, we argue for the critical importance of open science ecosystems, using the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative (NIH HEAL Initiative®) as a case study. We discuss how building community around data can accelerate scientific discovery by enabling dataset integration, increasing statistical power, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration
Rhodes, Alexa. 2024 Carolina Blue Honors Fellowship.
No full textDuring the summer of 2024, I worked for RDK Sport International in Gold Coast, Australia. My main task was to help expand the NFL Academy and NFL Flag Program
Stable Field Emissions from Zirconium Carbide Nanoneedle Electron Source
Get PDFIn this study, a single zirconium carbide (ZrC) nanoneedle structure oriented in the <100> direction was fabricated by a dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB-SEM) system, and its field emission characteristics and emission current stability were evaluated. Benefiting from controlled fabrication with real-time observation, the ZrC nanoneedle has a smooth surface and a tip with a radius of curvature smaller than 20 nm and a length greater than 2 μm. Due to its low work function and well-controlled morphology, the ZrC nanoneedle emitter, positioned in a high-vacuum chamber, was able to generate a single and collimated electron beam with a current of 1.2 nA at a turn-on voltage of 210 V, and the current increased to 100 nA when the applied voltage reached 325 V. After the treatment of the nanoneedle tip, the field emission exhibited a stable emission for 150 min with a fluctuation of 1.4% and an emission current density as high as 1.4 × 1010 A m−2. This work presents an efficient and controllable method for fabricating nanostructures, and this method is applicable to the transition metal compound ZrC as a field emission emitter, demonstrating its potential as an electron source for electron-beam devices
ACTION: Augmentation and computation toolbox for brain network analysis with functional MRI
Get PDFFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been increasingly employed to investigate functional brain activity. Many fMRI-related software/toolboxes have been developed, providing specialized algorithms for fMRI analysis. However, existing toolboxes seldom consider fMRI data augmentation, which is quite useful, especially in studies with limited or imbalanced data. Moreover, current studies usually focus on analyzing fMRI using conventional machine learning models that rely on human-engineered fMRI features, without investigating deep learning models that can automatically learn data-driven fMRI representations. In this work, we develop an open-source toolbox, called Augmentation and Computation Toolbox for braIn netwOrk aNalysis (ACTION), offering comprehensive functions to streamline fMRI analysis. The ACTION is a Python-based and cross-platform toolbox with graphical user-friendly interfaces. It enables automatic fMRI augmentation, covering blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal augmentation and brain network augmentation. Many popular methods for brain network construction and network feature extraction are included. In particular, it supports constructing deep learning models, which leverage large-scale auxiliary unlabeled data (3,800+ resting-state fMRI scans) for model pretraining to enhance model performance for downstream tasks. To facilitate multi-site fMRI studies, it is also equipped with several popular federated learning strategies. Furthermore, it enables users to design and test custom algorithms through scripting, greatly improving its utility and extensibility. We demonstrate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of ACTION on real fMRI data and present the experimental results. The software, along with its source code and manual, can be accessed online
Neonatal outcomes and resuscitation practices following the addition of heart rate-guidance to basic resuscitation
Get PDFAim To evaluate the impact of heart rate-guided basic resuscitation compared to Helping Babies Breathe on neonatal outcomes and resuscitation practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Methods We conducted a pre-post clinical trial comparing heart rate-guided basic resuscitation to Helping Babies Breathe in three facilities, enrolling in-born neonates ≥28 weeks gestation. We collected observational data during a convenience sample of resuscitations and extracted clinical data from the medical record for all participants. We evaluated our primary outcome of effective breathing at three minutes after birth among newborns not breathing well at 30 seconds after birth employing generalized linear models using maximum likelihood estimation. Results Among 1,284 newborns with observational data, there was no difference in the proportion effectively breathing at three minutes (adjusted relative risk 1.08 [95% CI 0.81, 1.45]). Among 145 receiving bag mask ventilation, time to bag mask ventilation decreased 64.3 seconds during heart rate-guided resuscitation (p<0.001). Among 10,906 enrolled in the trial, perinatal mortality was unchanged (adjusted relative risk 1.19 [95% CI 0.96, 1.48]) and death before discharge increased (adjusted relative risk 1.43 [95% CI 1.03, 1.99]). Expert review of stillborn cases demonstrated a stillbirth misclassification rate of 33.3% during Helping Babies Breathe versus 5.9% in heart rate-guided resuscitation. Conclusion During heart rate-guided basic resuscitation, time to bag mask ventilation was reduced by greater than one minute. The increase in death before discharge and unchanged perinatal mortality may be due to resuscitation of newborns with a higher risk of mortality who were previously presumed stillborn. A cluster-randomized trial of heart rate-guided basic resuscitation is needed to evaluate its impact on neonatal mortality in low-resource settings
With a new United Nations resolution on water, sanitation, hygiene, electricity, and waste in healthcare facilities, it is time for a logical framing and consistent vocabulary
Get PDFOn December 18, 2023, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted resolution A/78/130, “Sustainable, safe and universal water, sanitation, hygiene, waste, and electricity services in health-care facilities,” which recognizes the importance of these services for the health and safety of patients and healthcare workers and aims to advance progress toward universal access. This resolution is an important advocacy tool for safe healthcare systems and facilities. It advances decades of guidelines and policies from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and country governments
A Cascade of Conformational Switches in SARS-CoV‑2 Frameshifting: Coregulation by Upstream and Downstream Elements
Get PDFTargeting ribosomal frameshifting has emerged as a potential therapeutic intervention strategy against COVID-19. In this process, a -1 shift in the ribosomal reading frame encodes alternative viral proteins. Any interference with this process profoundly affects viral replication and propagation. For SARS-CoV-2, two RNA sites associated with ribosomal frameshifting are positioned on the 5' and 3' of the frameshifting residues. Although much attention has been focused on the 3' frameshift element (FSE), the 5' stem-loop (attenuator hairpin, AH) can play a role. Yet the relationship between the two regions is unknown. In addition, multiple folds of the FSE and FSE-containing RNA regions have been discovered. To gain more insight into these RNA folds in the larger sequence context that includes AH, we apply our graph-theory-based modeling tools to represent RNA secondary structures, "RAG" (RNA-As-Graphs), to generate conformational landscapes that suggest length-dependent conformational distributions. We show that the AH region can coexist as a stem-loop with main and alternative 3-stem pseudoknots of the FSE (dual graphs 3_6 and 3_3 in our notation) but that an alternative stem 1 (AS1) can disrupt the FSE pseudoknots and trigger other folds. A critical length for AS1 of 10-bp regulates key folding transitions. Together with designed mutants and available experimental data, we present a sequential view of length-dependent folds during frameshifting and suggest their mechanistic roles. These structural and mutational insights into both ends of the FSE advance our understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting mechanism by suggesting how alternative folds play a role in frameshifting and defining potential therapeutic intervention techniques that target specific folds
How neighborhood socioeconomic status, green space, and walkability are associated with risk for fracture among postmenopausal women
Get PDFAlthough most fractures, and about half of hip fractures, occur outdoors among older women, limited research has uncovered neighborhood predictors for fractures among older women. This study assessed the independent associations of neighborhood socioeconomic status, walkability, and green space with incident any and hip fracture among postmenopausal women. The Women’s Health Initiative recruited a national sample of postmenopausal women (50-79 years) across 40 U.S. clinical centers and conducted yearly assessments from 1993 to 2012 (n = 161 808). Women reporting a history of hip fracture or walking limitations were excluded from the analytic sample, yielding a final sample of 157 583 participants. Fracture events were self-reported and adjudicated annually. Walkability was calculated annually using measures of population density, land use mix, and presence/quantity of nearby high-traffic roadways. Neighborhood green space was calculated annually using measures of exposure to trees/vegetation. Neighborhood SES, walkability, and green space were categorized intro tertiles: high, intermediate, and low. The time-varying relationship between neighborhood environmental factors and age at first fracture (any; hip) was examined using extended Cox proportional hazards modeling with adjustment. Neighborhood socioeconomic status (intermediate vs low: hazard ratio = 1.03, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.01-1.05; high vs low, hazard ratio = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.99-1.03) and green space (intermediate vs low, hazard ratio = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12-1.18; high vs low hazard ratio = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.15-1.21) were associated with increased any incident fractures, while walkability had a mixed association (intermediate vs low hazard ratio = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04-1.07; high vs low, hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98). Neighborhood socioeconomic status, walkability, and green space did not have a relationship with hip fracture after adjustment for important covariates. Results indicate that macroscale neighborhood features did not protect against fractures. Additional research is needed to investigate more granual neighborhood features that might influence injury risk and support physical activity among postmenopausal women
Wave V Sexual Minority Policy User Guide
Get PDFThis contextual database further expands the collection of contextual data on sexual minority policies currently available to users of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) for Wave III and Wave IV through the provision of several state-level measures reported by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This database includes indicators of the policy context for sexual minorities (a population typically defined on the basis of co-residence with a same-sex partner or self-identification as gay, lesbian, or bisexual) in Wave V of Add Health. These data will enable researchers to examine how state-level policies in young adulthood are associated with a wide range of indicators of health and well-being among sexual minorities. The variables included in this contextual database measure context at the state level. Wave V measures correspond to the time period following Wave IV through to the start of Wave V (2010-2016). For instance, if a state implemented hate crime statutory provisions based on sexual orientation prior to or during 2016, then respondents are classified as having this provision at the time of the Wave V interview
The Role of Community Development Financial Institutions in Supporting Inclusive Economic Development
Get PDFWhile prior scholarship examines the relationship between community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and economic development, little is known about their effectiveness and impact on cultivating inclusive urban entrepreneurship. The authors contend that greater attention directed toward young firms’ persistent needs for early resource acquisition, coupled with increased emphasis on the activity among business owners from minoritized groups, can extend the extant literature in a more inclusive manner. To do so, the authors trace the diffusion of CDFIs across the United States between 2013 and 2021 to examine their association with underrepresented minority-owned and/or young firms. One finding is that the presence of CDFIs bolsters the share of minoritized firms at the city level. Further, the authors find that this positive relationship holds for young firms owned by minoritized groups. The empirical results are contextualized with a case study of a nonprofit community bank seeking CDFI certification. This example highlights the importance of providing business assistance and financial capital to urban entrepreneurs