scholarly journals ToxPi*GIS Toolkit: Creating, viewing, and sharing integrative visualizations for geospatial data using ArcGIS

Author(s):  
Jonathon Fleming ◽  
Skylar W Marvel ◽  
Alison A Motsinger-Reif ◽  
David M Reif

Background: Presenting a comprehensive picture of geographic data comprising multiple factors is an inherently integrative undertaking. Visualizing such data in an interactive form is essential for public sharing and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis. The Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi) framework has been used as an integrative model layered atop geospatial data, and its deployment within the dynamic ArcGIS universe would open up powerful new avenues for sophisticated, interactive GIS analysis. Objective: We propose an actively developed suite of software, the ToxPi*GIS Toolkit, for creating, viewing, sharing, and analyzing interactive ToxPi figures in ArcGIS. Methods: The ToxPi*GIS Toolkit is a collection of methods for creating interactive feature layers that contain ToxPi diagrams. It currently includes an ArcGIS Toolbox (ToxPiToolbox.tbx) for drawing geographically located ToxPi diagrams onto a feature layer, a collection of modular Python scripts that create predesigned layer files containing ToxPi feature layers from the command line, and a collection of Python routines for useful data manipulation and preprocessing. We present workflows documenting ToxPi feature layer creation, sharing, and embedding for both novice and advanced users looking for additional customizability. Results: Map visualizations created with the ToxPi*GIS Toolkit can be made freely available on public URLs, allowing users without ArcGIS Pro access or expertise to view and interact with them. Novice users with ArcGIS Pro access can create de novo custom maps, and advanced users can exploit additional customization options. The ArcGIS Toolbox provides a simple means for generating ToxPi feature layers. We illustrate its usage with current COVID-19 data to compare drivers of pandemic vulnerability in counties across the United States. Significance: Development of new features, which will advance the interests of the scientific community in many fields, is ongoing for the ToxPi*GIS Toolkit, which can be accessed from www.toxpi.org.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Kang Wang ◽  
Weicheng Duan ◽  
Yijie Duan ◽  
Yuxin Yu ◽  
Xiuyi Chen ◽  
...  

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases have increased rapidly in recent decades, which is associated with various genetic abnormalities. To provide a better understanding of the genetic factors in ASD, we assessed the global scientific output of the related studies. A total of 2944 studies published between 1997 and 2018 were included by systematic retrieval from the Web of Science (WoS) database, whose scientific landscapes were drawn and the tendencies and research frontiers were explored through bibliometric methods. The United States has been acting as a leading explorer of the field worldwide in recent years. The rapid development of high-throughput technologies and bioinformatics transferred the research method from the traditional classic method to a big data-based pipeline. As a consequence, the focused research area and tendency were also changed, as the contribution of de novo mutations in ASD has been a research hotspot in the past several years and probably will remain one into the near future, which is consistent with the current opinions of the major etiology of ASD. Therefore, more attention and financial support should be paid to the deciphering of the de novo mutations in ASD. Meanwhile, the effective cooperation of multi-research centers and scientists in different fields should be advocated in the next step of scientific research undertaken.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S328-S357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Kearney ◽  
Robert D. Hisrich ◽  
Bostjan Antoncic

A model is proposed that tests the antecedents and the mediating effect of corporate entrepreneurship on the external environment-performance relationship within private and public sector organizations. Hypotheses were tested using data from a sample of chief executive officers in 51 private sector organizations in the United States, 141 private sector organizations in Slovenia and 134 public sector state and semi-state enterprises in Ireland. Data was analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. The results show that dynamism and munificence effects on performance are mediated by an organization's corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector and munificence effects on performance are mediated by an organization's renewal in the public sector and that renewal must be in place to maximize the effect of munificence on performance. The results support a model that incorporates an extensive and diverse literature into a single model and helps illuminate similarities and differences of corporate entrepreneurship between the private sector and the public sector. The study shows that an integrative model and the interplay among the constructs yields new insights unavailable to single and focused approaches. It offers new insights about corporate entrepreneurship, not only as a discrete pursuit, but also as a construct that shapes and extends organizational performance.


Blood ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (Suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 687-687
Author(s):  
Takuto Takahashi ◽  
Yusuke Okubo ◽  
Atsuhiko Handa ◽  
Scott T. Miller

Abstract Background: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) remains a leading cause of mortality among children with sickle cell disease (SCD); overall, nearly 50% of ACS is diagnosed during hospitalizations for other complications including painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOC). Methods: The present study assesses epidemiological features of children hospitalized with VOC and evaluates factors potentially associated with development of ACS utilizing the large national all-payer Kid's Inpatient Database over a recent 9 year period. Records of children (age < 20 years) were reviewed from 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012) and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess risk factors and adjust for patient and hospital characteristics. Results: Total annual hospitalization rates with VOC were variable, ranging from 26.4 per 100,000 children in 2009 to 29.5 in 2012. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed children age 5-9 years had 2.38 times higher odds of developing ACS than children age 15-19 (95%CI, 2.22 to 2.56). Comorbidity of asthma was a risk factor for ACS (OR, 1.44; 95%CI, 1.36 to 1.53). ACS was as common in Hb SC patients hospitalized for VOC as those with SS. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that despite increasing use of hydroxyurea in children shown in other reports, there has been no reduction in hospitalization rate for pain, and even young children are at risk for ACS. Though de novo ACS is less common in Hb SC, vigilance and prophylactic measures are required for those hospitalized for pain. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of prophylactic interventions including bronchodilator therapy for asthmatics hospitalized for VOC. Disclosures Miller: Pfizer Pharmaceutical: Research Funding.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy L. Hoffman ◽  
Melissa Thibault ◽  
Julie Hong

In March 2020, Americans began experiencing numerous lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some reports have suggested that pet acquisition and ownership increased during this period, and some have suggested shelters and rescues will be overwhelmed once pandemic-related restrictions are lifted and lifestyles shift yet again. In May 2021, the ASPCA hired the global market research company Ipsos to conduct a general population survey that would provide a more comprehensive picture of pet ownership and acquisition during the pandemic. Although pet owners care for a number of species, the term pet owner in this study specifically refers to those who had dogs and/or cats. One goal of the survey was to determine whether data from a sample of adults residing in the United States would corroborate findings from national shelter databases indicating that animals were not being surrendered to shelters in large numbers. Furthermore, this survey gauged individuals' concerns related to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and analyses examined factors associated with pet owners indicating they were considering rehoming an animal within the next 3 months. The data showed that pet ownership did not increase during the pandemic and that pets may have been rehomed in greater numbers than occurs during more stable times. Importantly, rehomed animals were placed with friends, family members, and neighbors more frequently than they were relinquished to animal shelters and rescues. Findings associated with those who rehomed an animal during the pandemic, or were considering rehoming, suggest that animal welfare organizations have opportunities to increase pet retention by providing resources regarding pet-friendly housing and affordable veterinary options and by helping pet owners strategize how to incorporate their animals into their post-pandemic lifestyles.


Author(s):  
Ersilia M. DeFilippis ◽  
Jennifer H. Haythe ◽  
Mary Norine Walsh ◽  
Michelle M. Kittleson

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women in the United States. Although peripartum cardiomyopathy is the most common diagnosis for pregnant women with HF, women with preexisting cardiomyopathies and systolic dysfunction are also at risk as the hemodynamic demands of pregnancy can lead to decompensation, arrhythmia, and rarely death. The differential diagnosis of HF in pregnancy is broad and includes Takotsubo or stress cardiomyopathy, exacerbation of a preexisting cardiomyopathy, such as familial cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or left ventricular noncompaction. This review will explore the implications of pregnancy in women with preexisting cardiomyopathies and de novo HF, risk assessment and preconception planning, decisions about contraception, the safety of HF medications and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators during pregnancy, pregnancy in women with left ventricular assist devices and following heart transplantation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
GE TAO ◽  
Elzbieta Klysik ◽  
Yuka Morikawa ◽  
James F Martin

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Compromised myocardial function, due to the lack of self-renewal capacity in mature hearts, is a major reason for heart failure. Available therapies can only ameliorate, but not reverse the loss of functional myocardium. With heart transplantation as the only available cure, design of an effective regenerative therapy has become imperative for cardiovascular research. To repopulate the heart with de novo cardiomyocytes, most attempts have been based on the transplantation of cardiac, non-cardiac stem cells or their derivatives, however a more profound knowledge of stem cells is required for achieving significant progress. Meanwhile, triggering endogenous regenerative capacity is a compelling strategy for cardiac repair. It has been reported that proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes strongly contributes to regeneration. Thus, efforts have been made to reintroduce mature cardiomyocytes into mitotic cycle. The mechanisms underlying the proliferation of cardiomyocytes during development and their homeostasis during adulthood are not fully understood, but likely require tight regulation of transcription factors in specific cell types. We have previously shown that the mouse Hippo kinase cascade is a major heart-size control pathway during development. In addition, activation of Yap, a transcriptional cofactor inhibited by Hippo, by genetically disrupting Hippo signaling is sufficient to induce juvenile and adult myocardial regeneration after surgery-induced myocardial infarction. Here we identified the paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 2 (pitx2) as a potential downstream target and cofactor of Yap in mouse heart. Our data indicates that Pitx2 expression is induced by myocardial injury, and is required for neonatal myocardial regeneration in a postnatal day 1 (P1) apex resection model. Further studies show that over-expression of pitx2 in adult cardiomyocytes is sufficient to promote the restoration of myocardial structure and function after myocardial infarction. Together, we show that pitx2 is a new manipulator of myocardial regeneration and could serve as a novel therapeutic target in cardiac regenerative therapy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110528
Author(s):  
Hue Trong Duong

Child corporal punishment (CP) is associated with child physical abuse, which is a public health problem in the United States. Informed by the integrative model of behavioral prediction, this study surveyed low-income Black, Hispanic, and White parents who had children younger than 6 years old ( N = 260) to identify major risk factors that determined intention to use CP to discipline children. Structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes, descriptive norms, and perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies were associated with intention to use CP. Additionally, parents’ childhood CP frequency and past use of CP with their own children were influential distal variables that indirectly predicted CP intention. Results indicated the utility of the model in this behavioral context. Communication intervention programs targeting low-income parents should leverage perceived norms, perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies, and attitudes to change CP behavior.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 3576-3600
Author(s):  
Di Chen ◽  
Marzia A Cremona ◽  
Zongtai Qi ◽  
Robi D Mitra ◽  
Francesca Chiaromonte ◽  
...  

Abstract Long INterspersed Elements-1 (L1s) constitute >17% of the human genome and still actively transpose in it. Characterizing L1 transposition across the genome is critical for understanding genome evolution and somatic mutations. However, to date, L1 insertion and fixation patterns have not been studied comprehensively. To fill this gap, we investigated three genome-wide data sets of L1s that integrated at different evolutionary times: 17,037 de novo L1s (from an L1 insertion cell-line experiment conducted in-house), and 1,212 polymorphic and 1,205 human-specific L1s (from public databases). We characterized 49 genomic features—proxying chromatin accessibility, transcriptional activity, replication, recombination, etc.—in the ±50 kb flanks of these elements. These features were contrasted between the three L1 data sets and L1-free regions using state-of-the-art Functional Data Analysis statistical methods, which treat high-resolution data as mathematical functions. Our results indicate that de novo, polymorphic, and human-specific L1s are surrounded by different genomic features acting at specific locations and scales. This led to an integrative model of L1 transposition, according to which L1s preferentially integrate into open-chromatin regions enriched in non-B DNA motifs, whereas they are fixed in regions largely free of purifying selection—depleted of genes and noncoding most conserved elements. Intriguingly, our results suggest that L1 insertions modify local genomic landscape by extending CpG methylation and increasing mononucleotide microsatellite density. Altogether, our findings substantially facilitate understanding of L1 integration and fixation preferences, pave the way for uncovering their role in aging and cancer, and inform their use as mutagenesis tools in genetic studies.


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