Water utility engagement in wildfire mitigation in watersheds in the western United States.

Scaling up climate-adaptation in wildfire-prone watersheds requires innovative partnerships and funding. Water utilities are one stakeholder group that could play a role in these efforts. The overarching purpose of this study was to understand water utility engagement in wildfire mitigation efforts in the western United States. We conducted an online survey of water utilities in nine states and received 173 useable responses. While most (68%) respondents were concerned or very concerned about future wildfire events and the impact of wildfire on their operations, only 39% perceived their organization as responsible for mitigating wildfire risk. Federal land ownership decreased feeling responsible for wildfire mitigation, while concern for and information on wildfire increased feeling responsible for mitigation. The perception of response efficacy of mitigation actions for the 68 water utilities engaged in wildfire risk mitigation activities was very high, with most agreeing that mitigation actions are effective. Self-efficacy to implement mitigation actions, however, was mixed, with most utilities wanting more information on wildfire risk and impacts to watershed services. The most reported wildfire mitigation actions were forest thinning and stream restoration. Water utilities engaging in these actions typically partnered with government agencies or other water utilities to complete the work and funded these activities through water user fees and grants. Our findings suggest that water utility engagement in wildfire mitigation for water security could be increased through providing more assessments of wildfire risk to water utilities and through more outreach and engagement with water utilities operating on federal lands.

Understanding Public Perspectives on Fracking in the United States using Social Media Big Data.

People's attitudes toward hydraulic fracturing (i.e., "fracking") to extract fossil fuels can be shaped by factors associated with socio-demographics, economic development, social equity and politics, environmental impacts, and fracking-related information obtainment. Existing research typically conducts surveys and interviews to study public attitudes toward fracking among a small group of individuals in a specific geographic area, where limited samples may introduce bias. Here, we compiled geo-referenced social media big data from Twitter during 2018-2019 for the entire United States to present a more holistic picture of people's attitudes toward fracking. We used a multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to investigate county-level relationships between the aforementioned factors and percentages of negative tweets concerning fracking. Results clearly depict spatial heterogeneity and varying scales of those associations. Counties with higher median household income, larger African American populations, and/or lower educational level are less likely to oppose fracking, and these associations show global stationarity in all contiguous U.S. counties. Eastern and Central U.S. counties with higher unemployment rate, counties east of the Great Plains with less fracking sites nearby, and Western and Gulf Coast region counties with higher health insurance enrollments are more likely to oppose fracking activities. These three variables show clear East-West geographical divides in influencing public perspective on fracking. In counties across the southern Great Plains, negative attitudes toward fracking are less often vocalized on Twitter as the share of Republican voters increases. These findings have implications for both predicting public perspectives and needed policy adjustments. The methodology can also be conveniently applied to investigate public perspectives on other controversial topics.

Towards Synoptic Water Monitoring Systems: A Review of AI Methods for Automating Water Body Detection and Water Quality Monitoring Using Remote Sensing.

Water features (e.g., water quantity and water quality) are one of the most important environmental factors essential to improving climate-change resilience. Remote sensing (RS) technologies empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) have become one of the most demanded strategies to automating water information extraction and thus intelligent monitoring. In this article, we provide a systematic review of the literature that incorporates artificial intelligence and computer vision methods in the water resources sector with a focus on intelligent water body extraction and water quality detection and monitoring through remote sensing. Based on this review, the main challenges of leveraging AI and RS for intelligent water information extraction are discussed, and research priorities are identified. An interactive web application designed to allow readers to intuitively and dynamically review the relevant literature was also developed.

Assessing the impact of adding pharmacist management services to an existing discharge planning program on 30-day readmissions.

BACKGROUND: Although hospital readmission rates are declining nationally, avoidable readmissions remain a public health concern. Effective readmission interventions are multifaceted and include discharge planning and transition-of-care coordination. Clinical pharmacists are effective contributors to these processes, bringing expertise to discharge counseling, medication reconciliation, medication adherence, and postdischarge follow-up counseling. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the impact of adding health plan clinical pharmacy management services to an existing discharge program on all-cause readmissions and postdischarge primary physician visits. METHOD: Pharmacy management services by health plan clinical pharmacists of a large regional integrated delivery system were added to an existing optimal discharge planning (ODP) program. Criteria for eligibility for these pharmacists' services included patients who prescribed a new maintenance medication after discharge, received a therapeutic substitution, had a previous discharge within 30 days, or were taking a high-risk medication. A retrospective, observational analysis of a subgroup of patients, who received the pharmacy management services as part of ODP, was performed using a difference-in-difference model, by comparing propensity-matched discharges from February 22, 2016, to January 31, 2017 (preprogram implementation) with discharges from February 22, 2017, to January 31, 2018 (implementation period), to estimate changes in 30-day readmission rates and postdischarge primary physician visits. RESULTS: A total of 111 of the propensity matched received the pharmacy management services; of these, 73% (ODP) versus 64% (non-ODP) were ≥58 years, 60% were females, and 62% (ODP) versus 52% (non-ODP) were Medicare beneficiaries. There was a 16.7% (P = 0.022) statistically significant reduction in combined inpatient and observation 30-day readmissions and a 19.7% increase in 5-day postdischarge follow-up physician visits (P = 0.037) for the subgroup who also received the pharmacy management services. CONCLUSION: Addition of pharmacist management services to an existing hospital discharge program for select at-risk patients was associated with reduced inpatient and observation 30-day readmissions.

Elevated gray matter volume of the emotional cerebellum in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is characterized by severe, negative mood symptoms during the luteal phase of each menstrual cycle. We recently reported that women with PMDD show a greater increase in relative glucose metabolism in the posterior cerebellum from the follicular to the luteal phase, as compared with healthy women, and that the phase-related increase is proportional to PMDD symptom severity. We extended this work with a study of brain structure in PMDD. METHODS: High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from 12 women with PMDD and 13 healthy control subjects (whole-brain volume-corrected p<.05). Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess group differences in cerebral grey-matter volume (GMV), using a statistical criterion of p<.05, correcting for multiple comparisons in the whole-brain volume. RESULTS: PMDD subjects had greater GMV than controls in the posterior cerebellum but not in any other brain area. Age was negatively correlated with GMV within this region in healthy women, but not in women with PMDD. The group difference in GMV was significant for women over age 30(p=.0002) but not younger participants (p>.1). CONCLUSIONS: PMDD appears to be associated with reduced age-related loss in posterior cerebellar GMV. Although the mechanism underlying this finding is unclear, cumulative effects of symptom-related cerebellar activity may be involved.

Clitoral and vulvar vestibular sensation in women taking 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol combined oral contraceptives: a preliminary study.

INTRODUCTION: Many women taking low-dose (20 mcg) oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) complain of decreased libido and arousal and some develop vulvar vestibular pain and dyspareunia. Free testosterone concentrations are decreased by the OCP. Genital sensation has not been objectively measured in women taking OCPs. AIM: We assessed whether the 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol combined OCP and associated decrease in free testosterone levels affected genital sensation in a pilot study of a group of asymptomatic OCP users and controls. METHODS: Clitoral thermal, vibratory, and vestibular pain thresholds, sexual functioning, and free testosterone levels were measured in 24 women taking 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol combined OCPs and 28 comparison women not using hormonal contraception. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI), free testosterone, and clitoral heat, cold, and vibratory thresholds for sensation and vestibular pain thresholds. RESULTS: Free testosterone levels were lower in OCP users. There were no differences in FSFI scores, clitoral thermal or vibratory thresholds, or vestibular pain thresholds between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose (20 mcg) oral contraceptives decrease free testosterone but are not associated with alterations in clitoral or vestibular sensation. Further studies of genital sensation in women with OCP-related sexual dysfunction are warranted.

Neuroimaging evidence of cerebellar involvement in premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating cyclic disorder that is characterized by affective symptoms, including irritability, depression, and anxiety, which arise in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and resolve soon after the onset of menses. Despite a prevalence of up to 8% in women of reproductive age, few studies have investigated the brain mechanisms that underlie this disorder. METHODS: We used positron emission tomography with [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose and self-report questionnaires to assess cerebral glucose metabolism and mood in 12 women with PMDD and 12 healthy comparison subjects in the follicular and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The primary biological end point was incorporated regional cerebral radioactivity (scaled to the global mean) as an index of glucose metabolism. Relationships between regional brain activity and mood ratings were assessed. Blood samples were taken before each session for assay of plasma estradiol and progesterone concentrations. RESULTS: There were no group differences in hormone levels in either the follicular or late luteal phase, but the groups differed in the effect of menstrual phase on cerebellar activity. Women with PMDD but not comparison subjects showed an increase in cerebellar activity (particularly in the right cerebellar vermis) from the follicular phase to the late luteal phase (p = .003). In the PMDD group, this increase in cerebellar activity was correlated with worsening of mood (p = .018). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the midline cerebellar nuclei, which have been implicated in other mood disorders, also contribute to negative mood in PMDD.

Neuroactive steroids after estrogen exposure in depressed postmenopausal women treated with sertraline and asymptomatic postmenopausal women.

Neuroactive steroids (NAS) allopregnanolone (ALLO), Allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are important in the regulation of mood and behavior. Knowledge about these steroids in postmenopausal depression and the effect of estrogen on NAS is lacking. We elected to determine if there were differences in NAS between postmenopausal depressed women and age matched controls. We also investigated the effect of estradiol on NAS in post menopausal depressed women receiving a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and in non-depressed postmenopausal controls. As part of a previously published double blind study on estrogen acceleration of antidepressant action, post menopausal women with major depression receiving sertraline and healthy non depressed controls were randomized to transdermal estrogen patch 0.1 mg or placebo. NAS were measured at baseline and after 10 weeks of treatment. Depressed subjects were treated with sertraline 50 mg/day to 100 mg/day for 9 weeks. At the baseline and after treatment ALLO and DHEA were significantly lower in depressed women compared to controls. Although all depressed subjects experienced a positive clinical response, estrogen administration was not associated with changes in NAS in either the depressed or the asymptomatic postmenopausal women. The lower ALLO and DHEA in postmenopausal depressed women suggests that symptoms of depression may be influenced by the synthesis or fluctuation of these NAS. Estradiol exposure did not alter ALLO, DHEA, or THDOC, implying these NAS are unlikely to play a role in any mood changes in post menopausal women given estrogen therapy.

Changes in brain function during administration of venlafaxine or placebo to normal subjects.

Previous research has demonstrated neurophysiologic effects of antidepressants in depressed subjects. We evaluated neurophysiologic effects of venlafaxine in normal subjects. Healthy adults (n=32) received a 1-week placebo lead-in followed by 4 weeks randomized double-blind treatment with venlafaxine IR 150 mg. (n = 17) or placebo (n = 15). Brain function was examined using quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) power and theta cordance. Normal subjects receiving venlafaxine showed a decrease in theta-band cordance in the midline-and-right-frontal (MRF) region at 48 hours and at 1 week after randomization. Decreases in relative power also were seen in the MRF region; there were no significant changes in absolute power. These changes were significantly different from those in subjects receiving placebo. Changes in MRF cordance accurately identified treatment condition at 48 hours in 81.3% of subjects, and relative power from this region identified 60.7% of subjects. In conclusion, cordance may detect the pharmacological effects of antidepressant medication in normal subjects. Future studies should examine other classes of medication, as well as antidepressants with other mechanisms of action, to determine if cordance detects antidepressant medication effects in general in normal subjects.

Multilevel local anesthetic nerve blockade for the treatment of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome is a major cause of dyspareunia. This pilot study was designed to evaluate a novel treatment approach. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective study of 27 women with vulvar vestibulitis. The protocol included 5 treatment sessions with caudal epidural, pudendal nerve block, and vestibular infiltration of local anesthetic agents. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in vestibular pain as determined by the vulvalgesiometer, McGill pain questionnaire, self-report, and the Female Sexual Functioning Inventory. CONCLUSION: Serial multilevel nerve blocks administered for the treatment of vulvar vestibulitis is a conceptually neurophysiologically based modality that may be effective and merits a placebo-controlled study.

Accuracy of pedometer steps and time for youth with disabilities.

The purpose of the study was to examine the accuracy of pedometer steps and activity time (Walk4Life, WL) for youth with developmental disabilities. Eighteen youth (11 girls, 7 boys) 4-14 years completed six 80-meter self-paced walking trials while wearing a pedometer at five waist locations (front right, front left, back right, back left, middle back). Trials were video taped to determine actual steps and activity time. Time exhibited a smaller percent error in comparison to steps across locations. Apart from the front left, location had minimal influence on accuracy. The WL demonstrates acceptable accuracy for steps and activity time.

Neurophysiologic changes during estrogen augmentation in perimenopausal depression.

BACKGROUND: Estrogen augmentation of antidepressant medication has been an effective treatment in a subgroup of women experiencing affective symptoms during perimenopause. It has been suggested that estrogen facilitates serotonergic transmission in brain regions involved in mood disorders. We investigated differences in physiologic brain changes with estrogen augmentation in women with perimenopausal depression who reached remission compared to those who did not reach remission. We also assessed whether such changes were correlated with serum hormone levels. METHODS: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) was used to examine neurophysiologic brain changes in remission and non-remission of depressive symptoms. Women with major depressive disorder (MDD) in partial remission who were taking antidepressant medication for a minimum of 8 weeks and were experiencing two or more perimenopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, memory impairment, vaginal dryness) were recruited from the community. Absolute power, relative power, and QEEG cordance, a measure that has moderately strong associations with cerebral perfusion, were obtained before and after 6 weeks of treatment with 0.625 mg of conjugated estrogen per day. RESULTS: Women who experienced remission of depressive symptoms (Ham-D< or =7) had a significant decrease in right frontal QEEG cordance (p=0.008, t((8))=-3.54) which was not present in non-remitters. No significant correlations were found between hormone levels and QEEG cordance. CONCLUSION: In women with perimenopausal depression, physiologic brain changes in the right frontal region during estrogen augmentation were associated with remission of depression.

Changes in brain function (quantitative EEG cordance) during placebo lead-in and treatment outcomes in clinical trials for major depression.

OBJECTIVE: Decreases in prefrontal electroencephalogram (EEG) cordance that are detectable as early as 48 hours after the start of medication have been related to clinical outcome in treatment trials for major depressive disorder. The relationship between brain changes during the placebo lead-in phase and medication treatment outcome is unknown. The authors hypothesized that decreases in prefrontal cordance during the placebo lead-in phase would be associated with better clinical outcome in subjects treated with antidepressants. METHOD: Data were pooled examining 51 adults with major depressive disorder from two independent double-blind placebo-controlled trials. A 1-week single-blind placebo lead-in phase preceded 8 weeks of randomized treatment with medication (fluoxetine 20 mg or venlafaxine 150 mg) or placebo. The authors obtained quantitative EEG cordance measures at baseline and at the end of the placebo lead-in period. Relationships between regional cordance changes at the end of the placebo lead-in period and clinical outcome (the final 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores) were examined using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: As hypothesized, decreases in prefrontal cordance during the placebo lead-in period were associated with lower final Hamilton depression scale scores in subjects randomly assigned to medication. Prefrontal changes explained 19% of the variance in final Hamilton depression scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological changes during a placebo lead-in period may serve as nonpharmacodynamic biomarkers of eventual treatment outcomes in clinical trials for major depressive disorder.

Decreased neuroactive steroids induced by combined oral contraceptive pills are not associated with mood changes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a low-dose combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on peripheral neuroactive steroid concentrations, precursors for neuroactive steroid synthesis, and mood in healthy women desiring contraception. These neuroactive steroids are gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor agonists and are important in the modulation of affect and adaptation to stress. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Human ambulatory patient study. PATIENT(S): Healthy OCP-naive women without current or history of affective disorder. INTERVENTION(S): A 0.020-mg ethinyl E2-0.1-mg levonorgestrel containing OCP for 3 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum neuroactive steroids allopregnanolone, allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, and DHEA; neuroactive steroid precursors P and pregnenolone; E2; and mood and anxiety as assessed by the Premenstrual Syndrome Daily Ratings Form, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Profile of Mood States. RESULT(S): The combined OCP resulted in a decrease in neuroactive steroids and neuroactive steroid precursors as well as in E2. However, this decline was not associated with adverse mood changes on any of the well-validated assessment tools. CONCLUSION(S): Healthy women without underlying mood or anxiety disorder who were given a low-dose OCP did not experience adverse psychological symptoms despite a significant reduction in neuroactive steroids.

"Learning to live with what you can't rise above": control beliefs, symptom control, and adjustment to tinnitus.

The relations between 3 types of perceived control, symptom severity, and 2 adaptational outcomes, depressive symptoms and psychological well-being, were examined in a sample of 319 people with tinnitus. Consistent with previous studies of control and adjustment to chronic health conditions, general health and symptom control were associated with better psychological adjustment, and retrospective control was associated with worse psychological adjustment. Only symptom control emerged as a significant moderator in the symptom severity-adjustment relationship, such that stronger beliefs in one's ability to control symptoms were most strongly associated with better adjustment among those with more severe tinnitus symptoms. These findings were consistent with coping perspectives and cognitive adaptation theory and suggest that symptom-related perceptions of control may be an effective coping resource to nurture in chronic health contexts with severe symptoms.

Influence of age, gender, health status, and depression on quantitative EEG.

Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) has shown increasing utility in assessing brain function in clinical research studies of depression. QEEG findings may be influenced by a variety of factors other than the presence of depression, including age, gender, depression severity, and physical health status. Many of these factors have not been systematically evaluated. We therefore examined QEEG measures in 104 subjects with depression and normal controls to determine the influence of these factors. We examined QEEG power as well as cordance, a QEEG measure that has a stronger association with cerebral perfusion than conventional QEEG measures. Prefrontal cordance in the theta band has been associated with the pathophysiology of depression and response to treatment. We found that prefrontal cordance and relative power in the theta band were unaffected by age, gender, severity of depression, and health status, while prefrontal absolute power was higher in women than men. All of these measures were different from global measures of absolute and relative power, which were influenced by age, gender, and health status. These findings suggest that prefrontal cordance in depressed patients is not significantly affected by factors of age, gender, severity of depression, or physical illness. Global measures of power, and to a lesser extent prefrontal absolute power, must be interpreted with regard to confounding factors of age, gender, physical illness, and severity of depression.

Changes in prefrontal activity characterize clinical response in SSRI nonresponders: a pilot study.

Previous studies in unipolar depression have shown that early decreases in prefrontal values of the QEEG cordance measure identified responders to pharmacotherapy. These studies have all examined individuals who were drug-free prior to the first physiologic assessment, yet in the clinical management of treatment resistant depression (TRD), many patients undergo changes in treatment without a drug-free interval between treatments. Here, we investigated whether cordance decreases were associated with response in Stage I TRD subjects without wash-out between treatment trials. Awake EEGs were recorded from 12 adults with unipolar depression. Subjects were receiving naturalistic treatment, had failed SSRI monotherapy, and were starting a new treatment prescribed by their treating psychiatrists. EEG data were recorded before starting the new treatment and after approximately 1 week. Six of the 12 subjects responded to treatment after 8--10 weeks. Five of the six responders showed an early cordance decreases, compared with two of the six nonresponders (accurate characterization in 75% of the cases). Consistent with previous treatment trials, decreases in prefrontal cordance differentiated responders from nonresponders in this setting as well. These findings suggest that cordance biomarkers may be a useful tool in effectiveness trials that parallel clinical practices in SSRI nonresponders, and may not require a wash-out period between treatments.

Estrogen augmentation of antidepressants in perimenopausal depression: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of estrogen augmentation on mood and memory in women with perimenopausal depression who had experienced a partial response to antidepressant medications. METHOD: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 17 subjects taking antidepressant medication were randomly assigned to either 0.625 mg/day of conjugated estrogen (N = 11) or matching placebo (N = 6) for 6 weeks. Women between the ages of 40 and 60 years with DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) in partial remission who had been taking antidepressant medication for a minimum of 8 weeks and were experiencing 1 or more perimenopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, sleep disturbance, memory impairment) were recruited from the community. The primary outcome measures were the final scores for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Buschke Selective Reminding Test. Data were gathered from April 2002 to August 2003. RESULTS: Women receiving estrogen had a significantly larger decrease in HAM-D scores than women receiving placebo (t = 2.86, df = 15, p = .012). Group differences in tests of verbal memory were not significant, although improved scores in verbal memory were significantly correlated with a decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone (p = .021). CONCLUSION: Short-term, low-dose estrogen augmentation of antidepressant medication was significantly associated with improved mood, but not memory, in perimenopausal women with MDD in partial remission.

Neurophysiologic correlates of side effects in normal subjects randomized to venlafaxine or placebo.

Adverse events reported in the context of medication administration may be due to pharmacodynamic and/or nonpharmacodynamic effects (eg, nocebo phenomena). Neurophysiological substrates of side effects may be examined in placebo-controlled antidepressant treatment trials. We explored the relationship between side effects and regional neurophysiologic changes in normal subjects receiving a 1-week placebo lead-in followed by 4 weeks randomized treatment with placebo (n = 15) or venlafaxine IR (n = 17). Quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) cordance measures were obtained before and during treatment, and side effects were assessed weekly using semistructured interviews. Side effect burden, characterized as the mean number of side effects per postrandomization visit, correlated significantly with neurophysiologic changes in the antidepressant group but not the placebo group. Medication group side effects were negatively correlated with changes in prefrontal cordance at end of placebo lead-in (r = -0.67, p < 0.003), at 2 weeks (r = -0.77, p < 0.002), and at 4 weeks (r = -0.77, p < 0.004) post randomization. After controlling for the prefrontal change at the end of placebo lead-in, postrandomization brain changes did not further explain side effect burden. Changes in prefrontal brain function associated with later antidepressant side effects were observed during placebo lead-in-prior to the administration of medication. Prefrontal brain function during brief placebo administration may help explain susceptibility to the development of antidepressant side effects. Results of these exploratory hypothesis-generating analyses should be considered tentative until replicated.