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BackgroundPhysical capacity and physical activity are important aspects of physical functioning and quality of life in people with a chronic disease such as Parkinson disease (PD) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Both physical capacity and physical activity are currently measured in the clinic using standardized questionnaires and tests, such as the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). However, relying only on in-clinic tests is suboptimal since they offer limited information on how a person functions in daily life and how functioning fluctuates throughout the day. Wearable sensor technology may offer a solution that enables us to better understand true physical functioning in daily life. ObjectiveWe aim to study whether device-assisted versions of 6MWT and TUG, such that the tests can be performed independently at home using a smartwatch, is a valid and reliable way to measure the performance compared to a supervised, in-clinic test. MethodsThis is a decentralized, prospective, observational study including 100 people with PD and 100 with COPD. The inclusion criteria are broad: age ≥18 years, able to walk independently, and no co-occurrence of PD and COPD. Participants are followed for 15 weeks with 4 in-clinic visits, once every 5 weeks. Outcomes include several walking tests, cognitive tests, and disease-specific questionnaires accompanied by data collection using wearable devices (the Verily Study Watch and Modus StepWatch). Additionally, during the last 10 weeks of this study, participants will follow an aerobic exercise training program aiming to increase physical capacity, creating the opportunity to study the responsiveness of the remote 6MWT. ResultsIn total, 89 people with PD and 65 people with COPD were included in this study. Data analysis will start in April 2024. ConclusionsThe results of this study will provide information on the measurement properties of the device-assisted 6MWT and TUG in the clinic and at home. When reliable and valid, this can contribute to a better understanding of a person’s physical capacity in real life, which makes it possible to personalize treatment options. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05756075; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05756075 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/55452

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of 30 vinylpyrrolidone polymers as used in cosmetic products; most of these ingredients have the reported cosmetic function of film former in common. The Panel reviewed data relevant to the safety of these ingredients, and determined that 27 vinylpyrrolidone polymers are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment. The Panel also concluded that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that 3 vinylpyrrolidone polymers (all urethanes) are safe under the intended conditions of use in cosmetic formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of three methylxanthines, Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline, as used in cosmetics. All of these ingredients are reported to function as skin-conditioning agents in cosmetic products. The Panel reviewed the data relevant to the safety of these ingredients and concluded that Caffeine, Theobromine, and Theophylline are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of 10 alkanoyl lactyl lactate salts. These ingredients have the surfactant function in cosmetics in common. The Panel reviewed data relevant to the safety of these ingredients, and concluded that these 10 ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment when formulated to be nonirritating and nonsensitizing, which may be based on a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) or other accepted methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of 10 polyol phosphates. Some of the possible functions in cosmetics that are reported for this ingredient group are chelating agents, oral care agents, and skin conditioning agents. The Panel reviewed relevant data relating to the safety of these ingredients under the intended conditions of use in cosmetic formulations, and concluded that Sodium Phytate, Phytic Acid, Phytin, and Trisodium Inositol Triphosphate are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment. The Panel also concluded that the data are insufficient to determine the safety of the following 6 ingredients as used in cosmetics: Disodium Glucose Phosphate, Manganese Fructose Diphosphate, Sodium Mannose Phosphate, Trisodium Fructose Diphosphate, Xylityl Phosphate, and Zinc Fructose Diphosphate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAlthough effective mental health treatments exist, the ability to match individuals to optimal treatments is poor, and timely assessment of response is difficult. One reason for these challenges is the lack of objective measurement of psychiatric symptoms. Sensors and active tasks recorded by smartphones provide a low-burden, low-cost, and scalable way to capture real-world data from patients that could augment clinical decision-making and move the field of mental health closer to measurement-based care. ObjectiveThis study tests the feasibility of a fully remote study on individuals with self-reported depression using an Android-based smartphone app to collect subjective and objective measures associated with depression severity. The goals of this pilot study are to develop an engaging user interface for high task adherence through user-centered design; test the quality of collected data from passive sensors; start building clinically relevant behavioral measures (features) from passive sensors and active inputs; and preliminarily explore connections between these features and depression severity. MethodsA total of 600 participants were asked to download the study app to join this fully remote, observational 12-week study. The app passively collected 20 sensor data streams (eg, ambient audio level, location, and inertial measurement units), and participants were asked to complete daily survey tasks, weekly voice diaries, and the clinically validated Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) self-survey. Pairwise correlations between derived behavioral features (eg, weekly minutes spent at home) and PHQ-9 were computed. Using these behavioral features, we also constructed an elastic net penalized multivariate logistic regression model predicting depressed versus nondepressed PHQ-9 scores (ie, dichotomized PHQ-9). ResultsA total of 415 individuals logged into the app. Over the course of the 12-week study, these participants completed 83.35% (4151/4980) of the PHQ-9s. Applying data sufficiency rules for minimally necessary daily and weekly data resulted in 3779 participant-weeks of data across 384 participants. Using a subset of 34 behavioral features, we found that 11 features showed a significant (P

Abstract: The Social Media Directory of Academic Libraries (SMDAL) website is a directory of hundreds of international academic library social media accounts across numerous social media platforms. The SMDAL is an online resource designed by academic librarians in New Jersey that launched on May 31, 2018. In June 2018, the site had nearly 2,000 site visits by more than 600 unique users, across ten countries worldwide. This article presents the development of the SMDAL, discusses the value of the content it provides, details the technology and tools used to create the directory website, and touches on the ongoing expansion and new initiatives of the project. Of special interest are two challenges that were faced by the directory team: maintaining the long-term viability of the project and overcoming language barriers caused by an international expansion—which was solved by developing partnerships with librarians around the globe. The project site can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/SMDAL.

At any given time, a tropical cyclone (TC) vortex has multiple intensity pathways that are possible. We conceptualize this problem as a scenario where each of the TC's intensity pathways is a distinct attractor basin, and a combination of several external and internal factors across multiple scales dictates as to which of the many pathways the TC vortex actually takes. As with any complex system, it is difficult to know the details of the multiscale processes that cause or initiate the tipping of the TC vortex into an attractor basin. A stochastic shock arising from any of the various scales within a TC vortex and the subsequent cross‐scale energy transactions may rapidly increase the probability of the vortex intensifying or weakening. To address this problem and apply our conceptual framework to actual TC case studies, we formulate a novel scale‐specific stochastic model that examines the multiscale energetics at and across individual wave numbers within the TC vortex. The stochastic term is modeled in a realistic manner in that the lower and higher wave numbers are treated differently. High‐resolution Hurricane Weather and Research Forecast model outputs of two Bay of Bengal TCs, Phailin (intensifying) and Lehar (weakening), are used as case studies. An ensemble of intensity pathways is generated, and the nonstationary probability distributions of the intensity transitions at each time are examined. Our approach is another step toward an improved understanding of the stochastic dynamics of multiscale transitions of a TC vortex.

Abstract Predicting rapid intensity changes in tropical cyclones (TCs) is a major challenge due to the influence of multiple competing processes within the vortex and in the TC environment. We present an empirical framework that quantifies the relative importance of the various factors that influence critical transitions in TC intensities. Our analysis of model simulations of recent TCs over the Bay of Bengal identifies the following variables within the vortex as the biggest influence on TC rapid intensity changes: the amplitudes of wave number 1 of the precipitation in the rainband region and the 700‐to 850‐mb horizontal moisture flux convergence and the amplitude of wave number 0 of precipitation within the radius of maximum winds. Likewise, the most important environmental variables identified are the angle between the driest air and the shear vector and the magnitude of vertical wind shear. These findings provide guidance on guidance for future observational efforts and data assimilation into TC forecasting models.

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and 5 derivatives as used in cosmetics. These ingredients named in this report are reported to function in cosmetics as hair conditioning agents, and Panthenol also is reported to function as a skin-conditioning agent-humectant and a solvent. The Panel reviewed relevant data for these ingredients, and concluded that these 7 ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of 51 triglycerides; 25 of these ingredients were previously reviewed by the Panel, and 26 are reviewed herein for the first time. The majority of the ingredients named in this assessment have several functions, with most reported to function as skin conditioning agents (occlusive or emollient) and/or viscosity increasing agents in cosmetics; some are also reported to function as a fragrance or solvent. The Panel reviewed relevant new data, including frequency and concentration of use, and considered the data from previous reports. The Panel concluded the 51 triglycerides reviewed in this report are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) re-reviewed the safety of Malic Acid and Sodium Malate in cosmetics. Malic Acid is reported to function in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient and a pH adjuster and Sodium Malate functions as a skin-conditioning agent - humectant. The Panel reviewed the available data to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Malic Acid and Sodium Malate are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on both economic and sociological theory, the effects of supervisory control and organizational support on the frequency and effort of individuals in contributing their personally held valuable knowledge to a 'best practices-lessons learned, repository-based' knowledge management system (KMS) were compared. Supervisory control, as expected, had significant impact on frequency, but it also had unexpectedly significant influence on effort. When system variables--usefulness and ease of use--were controlled for, the organizational support measure had little effect on either outcome. These results provide greater support for economic-agency-theory motivators of knowledge sharing and lesser support for organizational support motivators than has been previously believed. They also emphasize the important impact of systems variables in motivating KMS use. Since the study was conducted in a government (joint civilian-military) organization, the organizational type may significantly influence the results. However, since the result is contrary to the conventional wisdom that suggests that a 'knowledge-sharing culture' is all-important, at the very least, this study shows that the nature of the organization may moderate the relationship between the motivational approach and the outcomes. Keywords: Knowledge sharing; Perceived organizational support; Supervisory control; Knowledge management systems; Motivation; Effectiveness, 1. Introduction Modern processes and systems enable the sharing of organizational knowledge in new ways [1,2]. Scholars and practitioners in various fields have turned their attention to knowledge management systems [...]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reviewed the safety of 8 palm tree (Euterpe edulis (juçara) and Euterpe oleracea (açaí))-derived ingredients as used in cosmetic products; these ingredients are reported to function mostly as skin conditioning agents. The Panel reviewed relevant data relating to the safety of these ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Industry should continue to use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities. The Panel concluded that palm tree (açaí and juçara)-derived ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of Basic Red 76, which is reported to function in cosmetics as a hair colorant and hair-conditioning agent. The Panel reviewed the available data to determine the safety of this ingredient. The Panel concluded that Basic Red 76 is safe for use as a hair dye ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) reassessed the safety of Capryloyl Salicylic Acid in cosmetic products; this ingredient is reported to function as a skin conditioning agent. The Panel reviewed relevant data relating to the safety of this ingredient in cosmetic formulations, and concluded that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Capryloyl Salicylic Acid is safe under the intended conditions of use in cosmetic formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of Hydroxyethyl Urea, which is reported to function as a humectant and a hair and skin conditioning agent. The Panel reviewed the available data to determine the safety of this ingredient. The Panel concluded that Hydroxyethyl Urea is safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment when formulated to be non-irritating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of Hydrogen Peroxide for use in cosmetics. This ingredient is reported to function in cosmetics as an antimicrobial agent, cosmetic biocide, oral health care agent, and oxidizing agent. The Panel reviewed the data relevant to the safety of this ingredient and concluded that Hydrogen Peroxide is safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxicodendron dermatitis (TD) is a common form of allergic contact dermatitis that affects millions of Americans every year. Studies have shown that although there are general recommendations for the treatment of TD, there are no treatment algorithms for clinicians to follow when patients present with TD. Objective: The objective of this study was to achieve consensus on the treatment of TD to create practical guidelines for physicians who treat TD. Methods: Data were collected from March 2020 to April 2021. This study included semistructured focus groups and a Delphi Study with dermatologists to achieve consensus. Results: A total of 51 dermatologists were included in the Delphi. Final agreement with proposed severity criteria ranged from 90.9% to 100.0%. Primary indicators of disease severity were body surface area, presence and severity of pruritus, and anatomic locations of eruptions with 77.4% agreement. Final agreement for the treatment algorithm was over the threshold majority agreement at 67.6%. Conclusions: Literature guiding the treatment of TD is scarce. The use of the Delphi method and focus groups can help expand dermatological resources both within dermatology and to other specialties that may need to treat skin conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This corrigendum corrects the time-averaged plots of the kinetic energy transfer terms in our published article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]