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The diffusion of dilute molecular penetrants within polymers plays a crucial role in the advancement of material engineering for applications such as coatings and membrane separations. The potential of highly cross-linked polymer networks in these applications stems from their capacity to adjust the size and shape selectivity through subtle changes in network structures. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics simulation to understand the role of penetrant shape (aspect ratios) and its interaction with polymer networks on its diffusivity. We characterize both local penetrant hopping and the long-time diffusive motion for penetrants and consider different aspect ratios and penetrant–network interaction strengths at a variety of cross-link densities and temperatures. The shape affects the coupling of penetrant motion to the cross-link density- and temperature-dependent structural relaxation of networks and also affects the way a penetrant experiences the confinement from the network meshes. The attractive interaction between the penetrant and network primarily affects the former since only the system of dilute limit is of present interest. These results offer fundamental insights into the intricate interplay between penetrant characteristics and polymer network properties and also suggest future directions for manipulating polymer design to enhance the separation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the dynamics of bottlebrush polymer molecules in dilute solutions subjected to shear and uniaxial extensional flows using Brownian dynamics simulations with hydrodynamic interaction (HI). Bottlebrush polymers are modeled using a coarse-grained representation, consisting of a set of beads interacting pairwise via a purely repulsive potential and connected by finitely extensible nonlinear springs. We present the results for molecular stretching, stress, and solution viscosity during the startup of flow as well as under steady state as a function of side chain length while keeping the backbone length fixed. In extensional flow, the backbone fractional extension and the first normal stress difference decrease with an increase in side chain length at a fixed Weissenberg number (Wi). Using simulation results both in the presence of and in the absence of HI, we show that this is primarily a consequence of steric interaction resulting from the dense grafting of side chains. In shear flow, we observe a shear-thinning behavior in all cases, although it becomes less pronounced with increasing side chain length. Furthermore, nonmonotonicity in the backbone fractional extension is observed under shear, particularly at high Wi. We contextualize our simulation results for bottlebrush polymers with respect to existing studies in the literature for linear polymers and show that the unique dynamical features characterizing bottlebrush polymers arise on account of their additional molecular thickness due to the presence of densely grafted side chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between continuous glucose monitoring in pregnant people with type 2 diabetes and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant people with type 2 diabetes who received prenatal care and delivered singleton, nonanomalous neonates at a single academic tertiary care center from November 1, 2019, to February 28, 2023. The primary outcome was a composite of neonatal morbidity, including hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, shoulder dystocia, large for gestational age at birth, preterm birth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, or perinatal death. Demographics and outcomes were compared by type of monitoring (continuous glucose monitoring vs intermittent self-monitoring of blood glucose), and multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between continuous glucose monitoring use and perinatal outcomes. RESULTS: Of 360 pregnant people who met the inclusion criteria, 82 (22.7%) used continuous glucose monitoring. The mean gestational age at continuous glucose monitoring initiation was 21.366.4 weeks. The use of continuous glucose monitoring was associated with lower odds of the primary composite neonatal morbidity (65.9% continuous glucose monitoring vs 77.0% selfmonitoring of blood glucose, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.48, 95% CI, 0.24-0.94). Continuous glucose monitoring use was also associated with lower odds of preterm birth (13.4% vs 25.2%, aOR 0.48, 95% CI, 0.25-0.93) and NICU admission (33.8% vs 47.6%, aOR 0.36, 95% CI, 0.16-0.81). CONCLUSION: In pregnant people with type 2 diabetes, continuous glucose monitoring use was associated with less neonatal morbidity, fewer preterm births, and fewer NICU admissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several higher-order statistical metrics are used to evaluate the significance of waveform nonlinearities in the sound field of a laboratory-scale coaxial, corotating rotor in hover. These comprise the magnitude-squared coherence, skewness, and kurtosis of the pressure waveform and its time derivative, number of zero crossings per rotation, a wave steepening factor, and the quadrature spectral density and its integral. A unique feature of this rotor setup is the constructive and destructive interference of sound waves produced by neighboring blades, which are incubators for signal distortion effects. Waveform distortions are evaluated for changes to rotor index angle, the separation distance between the upper and lower rotors, as well as changes to rotor speed for different observer positions. Significant sensitivities in the kurtosis of the pressure waveform and its time derivative, the number of zero crossings, and the integral of the quadrature spectral density are shown for changes in rotor index angle, observer position, and rotor speed; stacking distance appears less important at affecting changes to these metrics. The trade space between these metrics and rotor figure of merit demonstrates how changes to the rotor index angle can invoke relatively small changes in rotor performance while generating large changes in acoustic waveform nonlinearities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic changes in the lives of children that impact cardiometabolic health. Cities and counties had varying policies with respect to school closure, recreational programs, and efforts to mitigate food insecurity and economic distress. Our objective was to evaluate changes in BMI-z score and prevalence of overweight/obesity prior to and during the pandemic among children in San Francisco, CA, where public schools were closed for 18-months. Methods: This was an electronic medical record-based retrospective cohort study. We included 15,401 children, 4–17 years of age at study onset. Our exposure was time into each of three time periods: (1) March 2018-February 2019; (2) March 2019-February 2020; (3) March 2020-August 2021 (the pandemic period of school closure). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to assess changes in BMI-z score and overweight/obesity across the three time periods. We assessed for effect modification by age-category, insurance status, and race/ethnicity. Results: Mean BMI-z score increased by 0.06 per year in time period 2, the year prior to the pandemic (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.09), and by 0.12 per year during time period 3, the first 18 months of the pandemic (p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.10, 0.13). The proportion of children with overweight/obesity increased by 1.4% points per year during time period 2 (p = 0.012, 95% CI: 0.03, 2.46) and by 4.9% points per year during the first 18 months of the pandemic (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 4.11, 5.67). The effect modification analysis demonstrated that the youngest age group, publicly insured children (versus privately insured), and Black, Latino, and Asian children (versus White children) experienced greater increases in BMI-z score during the pandemic (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). The youngest age group (p = 0.022) and publicly insured children (versus privately insured children) (p < 0.001) also experienced greater increases in the proportion of children with overweight/obesity during the pandemic. Conclusions: Among children in San Francisco, increases in BMI-z score and overweight/obesity were greater during the pandemic compared to prior changes, with the most pronounced increases among younger and publicly insured children. These findings support the need for more targeted and effective policies for addressing childhood overweight/obesity, especially among these high-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent polymer chains are known to undergo mechanochemical events when subjected to mechanical forces. Such force‐coupled reactions, like C−C bond scission in homopolymers, typically occur in a non‐selective manner but with a higher probability at the mid‐chain. In contrast, block copolymers (BCPs), composed of two or more chemically distinct chains linked by covalent bonds, have recently been shown to exhibit significantly different mechanochemical reactivities and selectivities. These differences may be attributable to the atypical conformations adopted by their chains, compared to the regular random coil. Beyond individual molecules, when BCPs self‐assemble into ordered aggregates in solution, the non‐covalent interactions between the chains lead to meaningful acceleration in the activation of embedded force‐sensitive motifs. Furthermore, the microphase segregation of BCPs in bulk creates periodically dispersed polydomains, locking the blocks in specific conformations which have also been shown to affect their mechanochemical reactivity, with different morphologies influencing reactivity to varying extents. This review summarizes the studies of mechanochemistry in BCPs over the past two decades, from the molecular level to assemblies, and up to bulk materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphatic dysfunction is an underlying component of multiple metabolic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. We investigated the roles of KATP channels in lymphatic contractile dysfunction in response to acute metabolic stress induced by inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Ex vivo popliteal lymphatic vessels from mice were exposed to the electron transport chain inhibitors antimycin A and rotenone, or the oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor/protonophore, CCCP. Each inhibitor led to a significant reduction in the frequency of spontaneous lymphatic contractions and calculated pump flow, without a significant change in contraction amplitude. Contraction frequency was restored by the KATP channel inhibitor, glibenclamide. Lymphatic vessels from mice with global Kir6.1 deficiency or expressing a smooth muscle-specific dominant negative Kir6.1 channel were resistant to inhibition. Antimycin A inhibited the spontaneous action potentials generated in lymphatic muscle and this effect was reversed by glibenclamide, confirming the role of KATP channels. Antimycin A, but not rotenone or CCCP, increased dihydrorhodamine fluorescence in lymphatic muscle, indicating ROS production. Pretreatment with tiron or catalase prevented the effect of antimycin A on wild-type lymphatic vessels, consistent with its action being mediated by ROS. Our results support the conclusion that KATP channels in lymphatic muscle can be directly activated by reduced mitochondrial ATP production or ROS generation, consequent to acute metabolic stress, leading to contractile dysfunction through inhibition of the ionic pacemaker controlling spontaneous lymphatic contractions. We propose that a similar activation of KATP channels contributes to lymphatic dysfunction in metabolic disease. Graphical Abstract Depiction of events by which metabolic stress associated with multiple diseases/conditions of metabolic dysfunction results in ROS production and reduced ATP/ADP following inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport complex, activating KATP channels in lymphatic muscle cells to inhibit the frequency of spontaneous action potentials generated and impair active lymph transport. For context, other pathways are shown that similarly modulate lymphatic muscle KATP channels, including Gain-of-Function (GoF) KATP channels expressed in patients with Cantu syndrome and the phosphorylation of KATP channels subsequent to PKA/PKG activation by nitric oxide/prostanoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasminogen activation inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plays a central role in thrombus formation leading to stroke; however, the contributions of PAI-1 to cellular damage in response to reactive oxygen species which are elevated during reperfusion are unknown. Given that PAI-1 can limit apoptosis, we hypothesized that PAI increases the resilience of cerebral arteries to H2O2 (200 µM). Cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial ROS production were evaluated in pressurized mouse posterior cerebral arteries from males and females. The effects of pharmacological and genetic inhibition of PAI-1 signaling were evaluated with the inhibitor PAI-039 (10 µM) and PAI-1 knockout mice, respectively. During exposure to H2O2, PCAs from male mice lacking PAI-1 had reduced mitochondrial depolarization and smooth muscle cell death, and PAI-039 increased EC death. In contrast, mitochondrial depolarization and cell death were augmented in female PCAs. With no effect of PAI-1 inhibition on resting mitochondrial ROS production, vessels from female PAI-1 knockout mice had increased mitochondrial ROS generation during H2O2 exposure. During acute exposure to oxidative stress, protein ablation of PAI-1 enhances cell death in posterior cerebral arteries from females while limiting cell death in males. These findings provide important considerations for blood flow restoration during stroke treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of Arctic lakes to climate change are complex and heterogeneous at regional to local scales, but there are few studies comparing multiple sites within the same landscape. We studied sediment cores recovered from seven lake sites located within the forest-tundra biome of northern Manitoba, Canada. We first used sediment core pollen from the seven sites to reconstruct July temperatures and total annual precipitation for the past 7500 years based on the modern analog technique. Lake responses and peatland expansion were analyzed based on changes in the concentration and quality of organic matter, biogenic silica (bSi), Sphagnum spores, and published peat core basal dates. Changes in sediment organic matter and bSi were concentrated prior to 4500 cal. Yr BP. From 7500 to 3100 cal. Yr BP, July temperatures rose by ~3°C, and total annual precipitation fell by 200 mm; there was little change in temperature or precipitation after 3100 cal. Yr BP. Sphagnum spore concentrations exceeded 0.5% at all of the sites at 7500 cal. Yr BP indicating the early presence of peatlands. Spores increased markedly after 4500 cal. Yr BP in agreement with timing of peat basal dates, but the magnitude and timing of changes varied widely among sites likely reflecting local differences in hydrology or topography. The use of hierarchical generalized additive models provided a unified regional pattern of Holocene climate for northern Manitoba, even though lake responses to climate and peatland expansion differed greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I use a path/confirmatory factor analytic framework to present an under‐the‐hood introduction to (a) the effects of measurement error and method variance on observed measures, (b) the effects of common latent Trait and Method factors on relationships between observed measures in the presence of measurement error and (c) examine implications of developments presented here for the possible reinterpretation of Campbell and Fiske's original criteria for convergent and discrimainat validity and presence of common method bias. I use results from one previously published and often‐cited primary study and four meta‐analyses of multitrait–multimethod studies to provide empirical examples to illustrate points made here. I show analytically that (a) some common interpretations of method effects are correct, (b) others are incorrect and (c) still others are more nuanced than is usually recognised. Finally, I offer some suggested directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Products of conception samples are often collected and analyzed to try to determine the cause of an early pregnancy loss. However, sample collection may not always be possible, and maternal cell contamination and culture failure can affect the analysis. Cell-free DNA-based analysis of a blood sample could be used as an alternative method in early pregnancy loss cases to detect if aneuploidies were present in the fetus. Methods: In this prospective study, blood samples from early pregnancy loss patients were analyzed for the presence of fetal aneuploidies using a modified version of a noninvasive prenatal testing assay for cell-free DNA analysis. Results from cell-free DNA analysis were compared against the gold standard, microarray analysis of products of conception samples. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04935138. Results: Of the 76 patient samples included in the final study cohort, 11 were excluded from performance calculations. The 65 patient samples included in the final analysis included 49 with an abnormal microarray result and 16 with a normal microarray result. Based on results from these 65 samples, the study found that genome-wide cell-free DNA analysis had a sensitivity of 73.5% with a specificity of 100% for the detection of fetal aneuploidies in early pregnancy loss cases. Conclusions: This prospective study provides further support for the utility of cell-free DNA analysis in detecting fetal aneuploidies in early pregnancy loss cases. This approach could allow for a noninvasive method of investigating the etiology of miscarriages to be made available clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted the Adolescent Behavior and Experiences Survey (ABES) to examine disruption and adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the association between social determinants of health (SDoH) and cognitive problems attributed to physical or mental health problems among high school students. Method The ABES was an online survey. Perceived cognitive problems were assessed with the question: "Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?" A SDoH index was created by summing endorsements to 12 variables. Results Participants were 6,992 students, age 14–18, with 3,294 boys (47%) and 3,698 girls (53%). Many adolescents reported experiencing cognitive problems (i.e. 45%), with girls (56%) more likely to report cognitive difficulties than boys (33%) [χ2(1) = 392.55, p  < 0.001]. Having poor mental health was strongly associated with cognitive problems in both girls [81%, χ2(1, 3680) = 650.20, p  < 0.001] and boys [67%, χ2(1, 3267) = 418.69, p  < 0.001]. There was a positive, linear association between the number of SDoH experienced and reporting cognitive problems. Binary logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of cognitive difficulty for both boys and girls (e.g. being bullied electronically, experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic, being treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity, and being in a physical fight). Conclusions A strikingly high proportion of adolescents reported experiencing problems with their cognitive functioning. After adjusting for current mental health problems, several SDoH remained associated with adolescents' reported cognitive difficulties, including experiencing racism, bullying, parental job loss, and food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we examine whether community policing policies (CPPs), community policing training for new recruits or regular community policing training, impact who is killed by a law enforcement officer in terms of the victim’s race. We seek to present one of the few empirical studies of evidence on whether community policing has the potential to address racial disparities. Using a unique dataset and multinomial logistic models, we found that the presence of community policing policies does not reduce the relative likelihood of law enforcement officers using lethal force against minority citizens. However, we did find evidence that white police officers who received at least eight hours of community policing training were negatively associated with using lethal force against black suspects. We suggest that strategies to improve the effectiveness of CPPs are necessary, and these efforts will contribute to improving the perceived legitimacy of policing agencies and addressing the disproportionate killings of minority residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent state-trait research on work-family conflict confirms that occasion-specific variation in work-related demands is related to corresponding variations in perceptions of work interfering with family (WIF), but WIF also displays moderate (~35%) to substantial (~80%) trait-like stability over time. What is not clear to date is whether this cross-situational stability in WIF is due to stable respondent characteristics (e.g. personality traits) or intrinsic situational stability in the work environment (e.g. work demands). Results from secondary analyses of four diary study data sets indicated that Trait-based (time-invariant) WIF primarily reflects intrinsic stability in work situations (e.g. especially workload) and to a lesser extent Negative (but not Positive) affect. Results support recent theory and add to a growing body of research on stability in work-family conflict across both daily and weekly assessments. Implications for interventions aimed at ameliorating WIF are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early observations that only a small proportion of U.S. adults were engaging in enough aerobic physical activity to provide substantial health benefit helped shape our public health messaging for physical activity. This messaging has consistently indicated that most adults should increase their activity levels. However, it has been difficult to accurately estimate the proportion of adults who engage in sufficient levels of aerobic activity in the population, with survey-based estimates ranging from 22% in 1994 to 54% in 2018 and widely differing estimates from device-based measures. Recent accelerometer-based studies of physical activity and mortality risk provide new evidence that at least 50% of U.S. adults engage in enough aerobic physical activity to be at low risk for premature mortality. We argue that this observation should lend greater confidence to our current survey-based surveillance estimates, which indicate that a large proportion of adults is physically active. This new insight may also provide clues that could further strengthen our public health messaging for physical activity by placing more emphasis on the maintenance of healthy activity levels throughout life and possibly by using descriptive social norms as an additional intervention element--while continuing current efforts to encourage the adoption of healthy activity levels for less active adults in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most current methods to value healthcare treatments only incorporate measures such as quality-adjusted life-years, combining gains in health-related quality of life and life expectancy in specific ways. Failure of these methods to recognize other dimensions of value has led to calls for methods to include additional values that are associated with the healthcare treatments but not captured directly by quality-adjusted life-years. This article seeks to provide methodologically sound ways to incorporate additional health-related outcomes, focusing on budget-constrained healthcare systems, in which using standard welfare economics methods are often eschewed. The analysis develops standard extra-welfarist approaches to maximizing aggregate health, subject to fixed-budget constraints, using Lagrange multiplier methods. Then, additional valuable health-related outcomes, eg, reduced caregiver burden, real option value, and market- and non-market productivity are introduced. The article also introduces a social welfare function approach to illuminate how disability, disease severity and other equity-related issues can be incorporated into complete welfare measures. Resulting analysis, fully developed in an Appendix in Supplemental Materials found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2024.02.005 and summarized in the main text, show that understanding how average and marginal healthcare costs increase with output and how health augments "additional values" provides ways to assess willingness to pay for them in these fixed-budget situations. In budget-constrained healthcare systems, only from actual budget allocations can values both of health itself and "additional values" be inferred. These methods, combined with methodologically sound social welfare functions, demonstrate how to move from "health" to "welfare" in measuring the value of increased healthcare use. • Most analyses using extra-welfarist approaches rely solely on "health" as the measure of value. Methods to assess and use "additional values" beyond health have been sporadic, with no unifying methods available. Few existing analyses of healthcare values have incorporated formal social welfare functions to assess aggregate benefit from health gains, relying instead on ad hoc approaches to adjust for disease severity, disability, and other ethical issues. • Specific formulations are developed to show how to combine values of health improvements and "additional values." This requires that decision makers understand the incremental costs of increasing health levels, the processes by which health adds to "extra values," and the values themselves for health and each "additional value" incorporated into overall value measures. Measuring "additional values" can also be combined with formal social welfare functions to truly move from "health" to "welfare." • In systems with centralized budgets, value is inferred from budget allocations to provide both healthcare services and additional budget augmentations to further gain desired "extra values." In fixed-budget systems, ambiguity may exist as to which funding body should augment healthcare systems' budgets to appropriately increase health output to properly capture "added values." Full social welfare analysis requires knowing not only how much health and "other values" are produced but also who receives them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical models incorporating cluster-specific intercepts are commonly used in hierarchical settings, for example, observations clustered within patients or patients clustered within hospitals. Predicted values of these intercepts are often used to identify or "flag" extreme or outlying clusters, such as poorly performing hospitals or patients with rapid declines in their health. We consider a variety of flagging rules, assessing different predictors, and using different accuracy measures. Using theoretical calculations and comprehensive numerical evaluation, we show that previously proposed rules based on the 2 most commonly used predictors, the usual best linear unbiased predictor and fixed effects predictor, perform extremely poorly: the incorrect flagging rates are either unacceptably high (approaching 0.5 in the limit) or overly conservative (eg, much <0.05 for reasonable parameter values, leading to very low correct flagging rates). We develop novel methods for flagging extreme clusters that can control the incorrect flagging rates, including very simple-to-use versions that we call "self-calibrated." The new methods have substantially higher correct flagging rates than previously proposed methods for flagging extreme values, while controlling the incorrect flagging rates. We illustrate their application using data on length of stay in pediatric hospitals for children admitted for asthma diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 1866, the Sicangu (Brulé) Lakota chief Spotted Tail brought the body of his seventeen- or eighteen-year-old daughter, Mni-Akuwin, to Fort Laramie. She had died somewhere in the Powder River country. Before she died, she had asked her father to bury her among the Whites at the fort. Her subsequent scaffold burial in the post cemetery was an unusual mix of military display, Christian rites, and Lakota traditions; and the events surrounding it became a dramatic episode in the story of Native-White relations and western settlement. Almost 140 years later she was memorialized at the fort, a National Park Service site, as a symbol of racial reconciliation. The story of Mni-Akuwin has been told and retold many times through the years, often as a romantic tragedy comparable to the story of early Jamestown and the much-celebrated Pocahontas. The two Native women had a surprising amount in common, including what we know and don't know about them, what has been ascribed to their motives, and how they have been championed as defenders of European colonists and non-Native settlers. Indian princess mythology, with its insistence on innocence, purity, romantic purpose, and tragedy, has been vital to the persistence of this view—a perspective that has often put reconciliation in the service of White supremacy, dispossession, and rejection of Native culture. As the Mni-Akuwin story illustrates, reconciliation can be problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author Summary: The Powassan virus causes a nationally notifiable disease which can cause severe neurological disease in humans owing to the lack of approved vaccines or therapeutics. Although two distinct lineages circulate in North America, clinical differentiation does not typically occur because pathology has been assumed to be similar between lineages. In this work, a direct comparison of lineage I (Powassan virus) and lineage II (deer tick virus) demonstrated distinct differences in the clinical presentation, pathology of the central nervous system, and immune response in immunocompetent mice. These differences suggest that the deer tick virus and Powassan virus do not utilize the same mechanisms for neuroinvasion and dissemination within the CNS. This is clinically relevant as the development of treatments and therapeutics needs to be evaluated for these virus lineages. Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFV) can cause severe neuroinvasive disease which may result in death or long-term neurological deficit in over 50% of survivors. Multiple mechanisms for invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) by flaviviruses have been proposed including axonal transport, transcytosis, endothelial infection, and Trojan horse routes. Flaviviruses may utilize different or multiple mechanisms of neuroinvasion depending on the specific virus, infection site, and host variability. In this work we have shown that the infection of BALB/cJ mice with either Powassan virus lineage I (Powassan virus) or lineage II (deer tick virus) results in distinct spatial tropism of infection in the CNS which correlates with unique clinical presentations for each lineage. Comparative transcriptomics of infected brains demonstrates the activation of different immune pathways and downstream host responses. Ultimately, the comparative pathology and transcriptomics are congruent with different clinical signs in a murine model. These results suggest that the different disease presentations occur in clinical cases due to the inherent differences in the two lineages of Powassan virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost-affected ecosystems of the Arctic–boreal zone in northwestern North America are undergoing profound transformation due to rapid climate change. NASA's Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) is investigating characteristics that make these ecosystems vulnerable or resilient to this change. ABoVE employs airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a powerful tool to characterize tundra, taiga, peatlands, and fens. Here, we present an annotated guide to the L-band and P-band airborne SAR data acquired during the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 ABoVE airborne campaigns. We summarize the ∼80 SAR flight lines and how they fit into the ABoVE experimental design (Miller et al., 2023; https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2150). The Supplement provides hyperlinks to extensive maps, tables, and every flight plan as well as individual flight lines. We illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of airborne SAR data with examples of preliminary results from ABoVE studies including boreal forest canopy structure from TomoSAR data over Delta Junction, AK, and the Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS) area in northern Saskatchewan and active layer thickness and soil moisture data product validation. This paper is presented as a guide to enable interested readers to fully explore the ABoVE L- and P-band airborne SAR data (https://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/data.pl). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued smoking following a cancer diagnosis is associated with poorer cancer treatment outcomes and survival times. Little is known about how cancer treatment status at the time of tobacco treatment enrollment impacts long-term smoking cessation outcomes. Using data from a smoking cessation RCT, this study compared long-term cessation outcomes of women undergoing active treatment for cervical cancer at trial enrollment (n=40) to outcomes of women with a history of cervical cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) who were not undergoing active cancer treatment at enrollment (n=154). Participants (n=194) were randomized to Standard Treatment (ST) or ST plus a 6-session Motivation And Problem Solving (MAPS) telephone counseling protocol (data collected: 2017–2021; analyzed: 2023). Sociodemographic differences between participants undergoing (versus not undergoing) active cancer treatment at enrollment were examined. Significant covariates were included in a logistic regression analysis comparing the 2 groups' smoking cessation outcomes at 12 months, the end of the tobacco treatment period. Participants in active cancer treatment at enrollment were significantly younger and less educated than those not in active cancer treatment. Race/ethnicity, relationship status, household income, nicotine dependence, and tobacco treatment condition did not vary by cancer treatment status. After adjusting for tobacco treatment condition, age, and education, being in active cancer treatment at the time of enrollment was associated with lower odds of abstinence at 12 months (5% vs 20%, aOR=0.22, 95% CI [0.05–0.998]). Further research is necessary to identify and overcome barriers to abstinence among cancer survivors undergoing active treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: What is the best treatment strategy after initial treatment failure for smoking cessation? Findings: Participants receiving varenicline or combination nicotine replacement therapy who were nonabstinent after 6-weeks were rerandomized to continue their medication, increase the dosage, or switch medications, for another 6-weeks. Increasing the dosage led to the greatest benefit for those originally taking varenicline, whereas those receiving combined nicotine replacement therapy benefited similarly from the dosage increase and switching to varenicline, although secondary abstinence measures suggested that the dosage increase may provide longer-term benefit. Meaning: This study provides clinicians with guidance on the best rescue strategies for nonabstinence following an initial quit attempt. Importance: Most people who smoke do not quit on their initial attempt. Objective: To determine the best subsequent strategy for nonabstinence following initial treatment with varenicline or combined nicotine replacement therapy (CNRT). Design, Setting, and Participants: Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, 490 volunteers were randomized to receive 6 weeks of varenicline or CNRT. After 6 weeks, nonabstainers were rerandomized to continue, switch, or increase medication dosage for 6 additional weeks. The study was conducted from June 2015 through October 2019 in a Texas tobacco treatment clinic. Interventions: The initial treatment was 2 mg/d of varenicline or the combined replacement therapy of a 21-mg patch plus 2-mg lozenge. The rerandomized participants either continued with their initial therapies, switched between varenicline and CNRT, or increased dosages either to 3-mg or more of varenicline or to a 42-mg patch and lozenges. All received weekly brief counseling. Main Outcomes and Measures: Biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence at the end of treatment at 12 weeks. Results: The 490 randomized participants (210 female [43%], 287 non-Hispanic White [58%], mean age, 48.1 years) smoked an average of 20 cigarettes per day. After the first phase, 54 participants in the CNRT group were abstinent and continued their therapy; of the 191 who were not abstinent, 151 were rerandomized, and the 40 who did not return for rerandomization were assigned to continue their initial CNRT condition in phase 2. The end-of-treatment abstinence rate for the 191 phase 1 nonabstainers was 8% (95% credible interval [CrI], 6% to 10%) for the 90 (47%) who continued at the dosage condition, 14% (CrI, 10% to 18%) for the 50 (33%) who increased their dosage, and 14% (95% CrI, 10% to 18%) for the 51 (34%) who switched to varenicline (absolute risk difference [RD], 6%; 95% CrI, 6% to 11%) with more than 99% posterior probability that either strategy conferred benefit over continuing the initial dosage. After the first phase, 88 participants in the varenicline group were abstinent and continued their therapy; of the 157 who were not abstinent, 122 were rerandomized and 35 who did not return for rerandomization were assigned to continue with the varenicline condition. The end-of-treatment abstinence rate for the 157 phase 1 nonabstainers was 20% (95% CrI, 16% to 26%) for the 39 (32%) who increased their varenicline dosage, 0 (95% CrI, 0 to 0) for the 41 (34%) who switched CNRT, and 3% (95% CrI, 1% to 4%) for the 77 (49%) who were assigned to the continued varenicline condition (absolute RD, −3%; 95% CrI, −4% to −1%) with more than 99% posterior probability that continuing varenicline at the initial dosage was worse than switching to a higher dosage. Furthermore, increasing the varenicline dosage had an absolute RD of 18% (95% CrI, 13% to 24%) and a more than 99% posterior probability of conferring benefit. The secondary outcome of continuous abstinence at 6 months indicated that only increased dosages of the CNRT and varenicline provided benefit over continuation of the initial treatment dosages. Conclusions and Relevance: For individuals who smoked but did not achieve abstinence after treatment with varenicline, increasing the dosage enhanced abstinence vs continuing, whereas for nonabstainers initially treated with CNRT, a dosage increase or switch to varenicline enhanced abstinence and may be viable rescue strategies. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02271919 This sequential, multiple assignment randomized trial compares treatment strategies and dosages after abstinence from smoking was not achieved after 6 weeks of first-line therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) coding variants, termed G1 and G2, are established genetic risk factors for a growing spectrum of diseases, including kidney disease, in individuals of African ancestry. Evidence suggests that the risk variants, which show a recessive mode of inheritance, lead to toxic gain-of-function changes of the APOL1 protein. Disease occurrence and presentation vary, likely due to modifiers or second hits. To understand the role of the epigenetic landscape in relation to APOL1 risk variants, we performed methylation quantitative trait locus (meQTL) analysis to identify differentially methylated CpGs influenced by APOL1 risk variants in 611 African American individuals. We identified five CpGs that were significantly associated with APOL1 risk alleles in discovery and replication studies, and one CpG-APOL1 association was independent of other genomic variants. Our study highlights proximal DNA methylation alterations that may help explain the variable disease risk and clinical manifestation of APOL1 variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can impair vascular function and contribute to brain injury. However, aging can also promote resilience to acute oxidative stress. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that advanced age protects smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) of posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs; diameter, ∼80 μm) during exposure to H2O2. PCAs from young (4–6 months) and old (20–26 months) male and female C57BL/6 mice were isolated and pressurized (~70 mm Hg) to evaluate cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), ROS production, and [Ca2+]i in response to H2O2 (200 μM, 50 min). SMC death and ΔΨm depolarization were greater in PCAs from males vs. females. Aging increased ROS in PCAs from both sexes but increased SMC resilience to death only in males. Inhibiting TRPV4 channels with HC‐067047 (1 μM) or Src kinases with SU6656 (10 μM) reduced Ca2+ entry and SMC death to H2O2 most effectively in PCAs from young males. Activating TRPV4 channels with GSK1016790A (50 nM) evoked greater Ca2+ influx in SMCs and ECs of PCAs from young vs. old mice but did not induce cell death. However, when combined with H2O2, TRPV4 activation exacerbated EC death. Activating Src kinases with spermidine (100 μM) increased Ca2+ influx in PCAs from males vs. females with minimal cell death. We conclude that in males, chronic oxidative stress during aging increases the resilience of cerebral arteries, which contrasts with inherent protection in females. Findings implicate TRP channels and Src kinases as targets to limit vascular damage to acute oxidative injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Residence in rural areas is often a barrier to health care access. To date, differences in access to kidney transplantation among children who reside in rural and micropolitan areas of the US have not been explored. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of children < 18 years who developed kidney failure between 2000 and 2019 according to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). We examined the association between rurality of patient residence and time to living and/or deceased donor kidney transplantation (primary outcomes) and waitlist registration (secondary outcome) using Fine–Gray models. Results: We included 18,530 children, of whom 14,175 (76.5%) received a kidney transplant (39.8% from a living and 60.2% from a deceased donor). Residence in micropolitan (subhazard ratio (SHR) 1.16; 95% CI 1.06–1.27) and rural (SHR 1.18; 95% CI 1.06–1.3) areas was associated with better access to living donor transplantation compared with residence in metropolitan areas. There was no statistically significant association between residence in micropolitan (SHR, 0.95; 95%CI 0.88–1.03) and rural (SHR, 0.94; 95%CI 0.86–1.03) areas compared with metropolitan areas in the access of children to deceased donor transplantation. There was also no difference in the time to waitlist registration comparing micropolitan (SHR 1.04; 95%CI 0.98–1.10) and rural (SHR 1.05; 95% CI 0.98–1.13) versus metropolitan areas. Conclusions: In children with kidney failure, residence in rural and micropolitan areas was associated with better access to living donor transplantation and similar access to deceased donor transplantation compared with residence in metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically analyzes the distinctive role and evolution of the Black church, with an emphasis on its preaching traditions and its impact on social and political activism within the Black community. The focus is on the shift from collectivism to individualism within the Black church, exploring its implications for community activism and the perpetuation of structural inequities. By delving into traditions of Black preaching and the historical context of the Black church's activism, the article strives to illustrate the benefits of a more collectivistic approach. Finally, it outlines potential strategies to encourage a return to collectivism, as well as means to counter the persistent structural inequities within the Black community. This examination adds to the discourse on the prevailing influence of religious institutions on societal change and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis results from the deposition and proliferation of extracellular matrix components in the lungs. Despite being an airway disorder, pulmonary fibrosis also has notable effects on the pulmonary vasculature, with the development and severity of pulmonary hypertension tied closely to patient mortality. Furthermore, the anatomical proximity of blood vessels, the alveolar epithelium, lymphatic tissue, and airway spaces highlights the need to identify shared pathogenic mechanisms and pleiotropic signaling across various cell types. Sensory nerves and their transmitters have a variety of effects on the various cell types within the lungs; however, their effects on many cell types and functions during pulmonary fibrosis have not yet been investigated. This review highlights the importance of gaining a new understanding of sensory nerve function in the context of pulmonary fibrosis as a potential tool to limit airway and vascular dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the joint recommendations of the project group "Biostatistical DNA Calculations" and the Stain Commission on the Biostatistical Evaluation of Forensic DNA Analytical Findings with Fully Continuous Models (FCM). While the adoption of FCMs in Germany is praised, the authors point out some issues with the recommendations. They discuss the different zones defined by the authors for reporting likelihood ratios (LRs) obtained from FCMs and highlight the need for evaluating the performance and calibration of LR systems. The article emphasizes the importance of analyzing a large set of LRs and comparing their performance rather than directly comparing individual LRs from different systems. The authors argue that the current recommendations do not effectively ensure safe and comparable application of forensic DNA analysis. They highlight the need for proper testing of LR systems to evaluate their performance and increase trust in their output. The authors also emphasize the importance of informing the court about the probabilistic nature of forensic findings without giving an illusion of achieved certainty. They suggest that implementing the current recommendations may result in many impactful forensic results never reaching the courts. [Extracted from the article]

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare bone marrow failure disorder that is treated with either allogeneic stem cell transplant or immunosuppressive therapy (IST) consisting of antithymocyte globulin (ATG), cyclosporine (CSA), and eltrombopag. While outcomes are favorable in younger patients, older patients (>60) have significantly worse long‐term survival. The dose of ATG is often reduced in older patients and those with multiple comorbidities given concerns for tolerability. The efficacy and safety of dose‐attenuated IST in this population is largely undescribed. We performed a retrospective review of patients with AA treated with IST. Our analysis was confounded by changes in practice patterns and the introduction of eltrombopag. We identified 53 patients >60 years old, of which, 20 received dose‐attenuated IST, with no statistically significant difference in overall survival between full and attenuated dose cohorts. Overall response rates in both cohorts were similar at 6 months at 71% and 68%. There were more documented infectious complications in the full dose cohort (13 vs. 3). This supports the consideration of dose‐attenuated IST in older patients with concerns about tolerance of IST. Lastly, our data confirmed favorable outcomes of younger patients receiving IST, especially in combination with eltrombopag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embolism, hyperglycemia, high intraocular pressure-induced increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and microglial activation result in endothelial/retinal ganglion cell death. Here, we conducted in vitro and in vivo ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) efficacy studies of a hybrid antioxidant–nitric oxide donor small molecule, SA-10, to assess its therapeutic potential for ocular stroke. Methods: To induce I/R injury and inflammation, we subjected R28 and primary microglial cells to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) for 6 h in vitro or treated these cells with a cocktail of TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ for 1 h, followed by the addition of SA-10 (10 µM). Inhibition of microglial activation, ROS scavenging, cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities were measured. In vivo I/R-injured mouse retinas were treated with either PBS or SA-10 (2%) intravitreally, and pattern electroretinogram (ERG), spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, flash ERG and retinal immunocytochemistry were performed. Results: SA-10 significantly inhibited microglial activation and inflammation in vitro. Compared to the control, the compound SA-10 significantly attenuated cell death in both microglia (43% vs. 13%) and R28 cells (52% vs. 17%), decreased ROS (38% vs. 68%) production in retinal microglia cells, preserved neural retinal function and increased SOD1 in mouse eyes. Conclusion: SA-10 is protective to retinal neurons by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation and chemotherapy are recommended for the treatment of nonmetastatic esophageal cancer. The benefit of neoadjuvant treatment is mostly limited to patients who exhibit pathologic complete response (pCR). Existing estimates of pCR rates among patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy have not been synthesized and lack precision. Methods: We conducted an independently funded systematic review and meta‐analysis (PROSPERO CRD42023397402) of pCR rates among patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemo(radiation). Studies were identified from Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL database searches. Eligible studies included trials published from 1992 to 2022 that focused on nonmetastatic esophageal cancer, including the gastroesophageal junction. Histology‐specific pooled pCR prevalence was determined using the Freeman–Tukey transformation and a random effects model. Results: After eligibility assessment, 84 studies with 6451 patients were included. The pooled prevalence of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in squamous cell carcinomas was 9% (95% CI: 6%–14%), ranging from 0% to 32%. The pooled prevalence of pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in squamous cell carcinomas was 32% (95% CI: 26%–39%), ranging from 8% to 66%. For adenocarcinoma, the pooled prevalence of pCR was 6% (95% CI: 1%–12%) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 22% (18%–26%) after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Conclusions: Under one‐third of patients with esophageal cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemo(radiation) experience pCR. Patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinomas had higher rates of pCR than those with adenocarcinomas. As pCR represents an increasingly utilized endpoint in neoadjuvant trials, these estimates of pooled pCR rates may serve as an important benchmark for future trial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether social determinants of health are associated with clinical outcome following concussion among adolescents is not well established. The present study examined whether neighborhood-level determinants are associated with clinical recovery time following concussion in adolescents. Participants included adolescent student athletes (n = 130; mean age = 16.6, standard deviation = 1.2; 60.8% boys, 39.2% girls) who attended one of nine selected high schools in Maine, USA. The Area of Deprivation Index (ADI), an indicator of neighborhood disadvantage was used to group high schools as either high or low in neighborhood disadvantage. Athletic trainers entered injury and recovery dates into an online surveillance application between September 2014 and January 2020. Chi-squared analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to compare the groups on two clinical outcomes: days to return to school and days to return to sports. Results of chi-squared tests did not reveal between-group differences in return to school at 21 or 28 days. However, groups differed in the percentage of adolescents who had returned to sports by 21 days (greater neighborhood disadvantage, 62.5%, lesser neighborhood disadvantage 82.0%, χ2 = 4.96, p = 0.03, odds ratio [OR] = 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-6.74) and 28 days (greater neighborhood disadvantage, 78.6%, lesser neighborhood disadvantage 94.0%, χ2 = 5.18, p = 0.02, OR = 4.27, 95% CI, 1.13-16.16) following concussion. A larger proportion of adolescents attending schools located in areas of greater neighborhood disadvantage took more than 21 and 28 days to return to sports. These results indicate an association between a multi-faceted proxy indicator of neighborhood disadvantage and clinical outcome following concussion. Further research is needed to better characterize factors underlying group differences in time to return to sports and the interactions between neighborhood disadvantage and other correlates of clinical recovery following concussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is used to assess environmental heat stress and accounts for the influences of air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and radiation on heat stress. Measurements of WBGT are highly sensitive to slight changes in environmental conditions and can vary several degrees Celsius across small distances (tens to hundreds of meters). Relative to observations with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compliant WBGT meter, this work assesses the accuracy of WBGT measurements made with a popular handheld meter (the Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker) and WBGT estimates. Measurements were made during the summers of 2019–21 in a variety of suburban and urban environments in North Carolina, including three high school campuses. WBGT can be estimated from standard weather station variables, and many of these stations report cloud cover in lieu of solar radiation. Therefore, this work also evaluates the accuracy of clear-sky radiation estimates and adjustments to those estimates based on cloud cover. WBGT estimated with the method from Liljegren et al. from a weather station were on average 0.2°C warmer than Observed WBGT, while the Kestrel 5400 WBGT was 0.7°C warmer. Large variations in WBGT were observed across surfaces and shade conditions, with differences of 0.9°C (0.3°–1.4°C) between a tennis court and a neighboring grass field. The method for estimating clear-sky radiation in Ryan and Stolzenbach was most accurate and the clear-sky radiation modified by percentage cloud cover was found to be within 75 W m−2of observations on average. Significance Statement: Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a heat stress index that accounts for the effects of air temperature, humidity, wind, and radiation on humans. However, WBGT is not routinely measured at weather stations. This work demonstrated the accuracy of estimating WBGT with methods from Liljegren et al. (2008), finding it to be more accurate than measurements from a popular handheld meter, the Kestrel 5400 Heat Stress Tracker. Variations in WBGT that result in different danger levels were found between measurements over a tennis court and a neighboring grass field, and between sun and shade conditions. Understanding the magnitude of these differences and the biases with WBGT estimates and measurements can inform the planning of outdoor activity to robustly safeguard health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States. Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a heat stress index commonly used among active populations for activity modification, such as outdoor workers and athletes. Despite widespread use globally, WBGT forecasts have been uncommon in the United States until recent years. This research assesses the accuracy of WBGT forecasts developed by NOAA's Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) and the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA). It also details efforts to refine the forecast by accounting for the impact of surface roughness on wind using satellite imagery. Comparisons are made between the SERCC/CISA WBGT forecast and a WBGT forecast modeled after NWS methods. Additionally, both of these forecasts are compared with in situ WBGT measurements (during the summers of 2019–21) and estimates from weather stations to assess forecast accuracy. The SERCC/CISA WBGT forecast was within 0.6°C of observations on average and showed less bias than the forecast based on NWS methods across North Carolina. Importantly, the SERCC/CISA WBGT forecast was more accurate for the most dangerous conditions (WBGT > 31°C), although this resulted in higher false alarms for these extreme conditions compared to the NWS method. In particular, this work improved the forecast for sites more sheltered from wind by better accounting for the influences of land cover on 2-m wind speed. Accurate forecasts are more challenging for sites with complex microclimates. Thus, appropriate caution is necessary when interpreting forecasts and onsite, real-time WBGT measurements remain critical. Significance Statement: This research assesses the accuracy of wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) forecasts. WBGT is a heat stress index that accounts for impacts of air temperature, humidity, wind, and radiation. It is widely used in occupational, athletic, and military settings for heat stress assessment, yet WBGT forecasting in the United States is a relatively new development. These forecasts can be used by decision-makers to better plan activities. We found that WBGT forecasts by NOAA's Southeast Regional Climate Center and Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments were within 0.6°C of observations overall in North Carolina and less biased than forecasts based on methods used by the U.S. National Weather Service, which had larger, colder biases that present potential safety issues in planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic pigs are a critical component of the food supply and one of the most commonly raised production animals. Pork consumption has driven the intensification of pig production expanding into environments conducive to increased emergence and spread of infectious diseases, including the spillover of pathogens into human populations. One of these emerging viruses, Reston virus (RESTV), is an enigma among the Orthoebolavirus genus in that its lack of human pathogenicity is in stark contrast to the high virulence associated with most other ebolaviruses. RESTV is, however, associated with outbreaks of highly lethal hemorrhagic disease in non-human primates (NHP), as well as poorly understood clinical manifestations of mixed virulence and lethality in naturally and experimentally infected domestic pigs. Our results show it is possible for RESTV derived from an NHP to infect domestic pigs resulting in a spectrum of disease, from asymptomatic to severe respiratory distress. Further, we report on the first experimental transmission of RESTV between infected pigs and a co-housed, naïve animal, as well as the first report of the successful use of group oral fluids for the detection of RESTV RNA and virus-specific IgA antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ebolavirus genus contains several of the deadliest zoonotic viruses known. One of these, Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), has been the causative agent of two outbreaks of human disease that have resulted in 211 known cases with a case fatality rate of 33.6%. Although bats are routinely implicated as the possible reservoir species for the ebolaviruses, the source of infection for index cases in almost all outbreaks is unknown with only limited epidemiological evidence directly linking human cases to bats. This lack of evidence leaves open the possibility that maintenance of one or more of these viruses could involve multiple host species or more complex spillover dynamics. Domestic pigs have been found naturally infected with Reston virus (RESTV) and are experimentally susceptible to infection with Ebola virus (EBOV), two other members of the Ebolavirus genus. Infection of pigs resulted in shedding of infectious virus with subsequent transmission to naïve animals being documented, including transmission to humans for RESTV and to nonhuman primates for EBOV. The susceptibility and subsequent viral shedding and pathogenesis of domestic pigs to other ebolaviruses and the potential role this species may play in virus ecology, spillover dynamics, and human public health risk is unknown. For these reasons, we conducted a series of studies aimed at determining the susceptibility of domestic pigs to BDBV thereby demonstrating that pigs are not only susceptible to experimental infection but that the development of productive infection, tissue dissemination, and shedding of infectious virus can also occur while animals remain clinically normal. The role of pigs as a possible interim or amplifying host for ebolaviruses is a concern for both human public health and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of epilepsy in Taenia solium -endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa but is often undiagnosed because of an absence of affordable diagnostic tools. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a T solium cysticercosis antibody-detecting lateral-flow point-of-care assay (TS POC test) for the neuroimaging-based diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Patients with epileptic seizures or severe progressive headache were recruited consecutively from three hospitals in southern Tanzania. All patients were tested with the TS POC test. All patients positive for cysticercosis on the TS POC test and every tenth patient who was negative for cysticercosis received a brain CT examination and underwent reference testing for T solium cysticercosis (ie, rT24H-EITB, LLGP-EITB, and antigen ELISA). The primary outcome of the study was the sensitivity of the TS POC test for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Of the 601 recruited participants, 102 (17%) tested positive for cysticercosis with the TS POC test. Overall, 48 (62%) of the 77 patients positive for cysticercosis and five (17%) of the 29 patients negative for cysticercosis on the TS POC test had CT-confirmed neurocysticercosis. The TS POC test yielded a sensitivity of 49% (uncertainty interval [UI] 41–58) for neurocysticercosis. Sensitivity was similar to that of the rT24H-EITB (44%, UI 37–51) and the antigen ELISA (50%, 43–56). For the subset of neurocysticercosis cases with at least one active (ie, vesicular) lesion, sensitivity was above 98% for the TS POC test, the rT24H-ETIB, and the antigen ELISA. The TS POC test showed promising results for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis in patients with vesicular lesions, which need to be confirmed in a larger study. This test could be considered to support policies on screening patients with suspected neurocysticercosis in clinical settings, which would allow appropriate referral for neuroimaging and early treatment. German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. For the Swahili translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arachis hypogaea L. originated in South America and has been taken to most of the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world as a valuable food crop with high protein content and a source of high energy unsaturated oil. The origin of the cultivated peanut, 2n = 4x = 40, has been the subject of many discussions, but the primitive parents have been agreed on by most as A. duranensis being the A genome donor and A. ipaënsis the B donor; both diploids with 2n = 20. Whether the chromosome doubling of this hybrid occurred in a natural setting or in the garden of a hunter-gatherer-cultivator is also a subject of debate, but most likely it occurred in nature. Molecular analyses have established that A. duranensis was the female of the cross. Until recently no one had been successful in making and establishing plants of the cross in that direction. However, the reciprocal cross is easily accomplished and has been reported several times. The primary objective of this paper is to report the successful cross and development of hybrid plants, amphidiploids and populations from the hybrid, A. duranensis × A. ipaënsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstrained C─C bond activation is attained in homopolymers through mechanochemical bond scission followed by functionalization to yield mostly semi‐telechelic polymer chains. Ball milling poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in the presence of 1‐(bromoacetyl)pyrene (BAPy) yields the pyrene terminated PEO. Similarly, milling with 2,4′‐dibromoacetophenone followed by Suzuki coupling allows the introduction of various aryl end groups. PEOs with a molecular weight below 20 kDa show no functionalization, supporting a mechanochemical mechanism. The protocol is also tested with doxorubicin, yielding the drug‐polymer conjugate. PEO halogenation is also demonstrated by milling PEO with iodine, N‐bromosuccinimide, or N‐iodosuccinimide, which can then be reacted with an amine substituted anthracene. Grinding additional carbon polymers with BAPy indicates that this functionalization method is general for different polymer chemistries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region bordering the Mediterranean Sea offers historical archaeologists unique opportunities for developing in-depth interpretations of global/local connections. Archaeologists can learn from reading Fernand Braudel's study of the Mediterranean and from thinking specifically about the role of intercultural trade in the region. Shipwrecks, when combined with terrestrial information, provide a particularly rich environment for study. Italian maiolica adds another dimension to the examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the significance of identifying substance use disorders (SUDs) and co-occurring disorders (CODs) in individuals involved in the criminal justice system. It emphasizes the need for specialized interventions and integrated mental health and substance use services for this population. The authors present a study that utilizes Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract information on substance use, mental illness diagnoses, and treatment history from probation records. The findings reveal high rates of substance use issues and co-occurring mental illnesses, underscoring the importance of evidence-based policies and programs to reduce repeat offenses and enhance public safety. The study demonstrates the potential of technology to extract and analyze probation narrative text, providing valuable insights from administrative records. [Extracted from the article]

While welfarist economics (WE) methods rely wholly on individuals' valuations, extra-welfarist (EW) methods seek alternative measures of value. Major reviews of the EW literature conclude that EW studies almost universally replace "utility" with "health" as the maximand. This analysis seeks to understand what conclusions are necessary and sufficient to make EW and WE methods concurrent and discusses implications for measuring social value. Using standard WE methods, I demonstrate that EW is equivalent to WE with 2 key restrictions—individuals have constant returns to health in producing utility and health budgets are fixed. Fixing budgets removes a key WE step, determining the marginal rate of substitution between consumption and health, the willingness to pay for health gains. Because EW methods equate with WE with these 2 restrictions, I show how formal models to construct aggregated social welfare functions (SWFs) in WE frameworks lead directly to SWF models using EW models of value. I also show that, in fixed-budget health systems, when SWFs place different values for improving health of different subpopulations, aggregate health output fails as a SWF criterion. I demonstrate how different societal values can and should enter EW SWF models using WE criteria. I also discuss the implications when either of these key restrictions does not properly represent people's preferences. Once EW methods are shown to be a restricted form of WE methods, those WE methods can illuminate how best to measure SWFs in EW environments. • Extra-welfarist (EW) economics eschews using individuals' own utilities, the only proper value measure in standard welfarist economics (WE). By far the most common practice in EW replaces "utility" with "health" to measure of value. This analysis focuses on that specific definition of EW. Proof is given that EW then coincides with WE when constant return to health and fixed budgets are assumed, which are the necessary and sufficient restrictions to make WE and EW equivalent. • Proper WE social welfare functions (SWFs) are restricted to linear weighted sums of individual utilities, in which the weights come from political or ethical but not economic analyses. In cases which WE and EW are equivalent, these same WE approaches guide the proper construction of EW SWFs. When "health" is the maximand, and every person has equal weight in the SWF, this justifies maximizing total population health within a fixed healthcare system budget. • Proof is given that use of standard incremental cost-effectiveness analysis achieves this goal. However, if different societal members have different SWF function weights, for example, by sex, income, or racial disparities, then maximizing SWFs requires measuring actual amounts interventions used and their marginal productivity on each relevant subgroup. If "health" is not the sole maximand, more-complex methods are required to measure total social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video surveillance has almost universally been employed by professional sports to identify signs of concussion during competition. This study examined associations between video-identified possible loss of consciousness (LOC), acute concussion evaluation findings, and recovery time in concussed professional rugby league players. Medical personnel and sideline video operators identified head impact events sustained during three seasons of National Rugby League (NRL) matches to determine the need for further medical evaluation. If a concussion was suspected, players were removed from play and underwent a Head Injury Assessment, including the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool, Fifth Edition (SCAT5). Video footage was later examined to identify signs of possible LOC (i.e., observed LOC, no protective action in the fall, and unresponsiveness or lying motionless). Possible LOC was identified in 99 of the 1706 head impact events (5.8%). The median duration of apparent unresponsiveness was 4.2 sec (M = 7.4, standard deviation [SD] = 12.8, interquartile range [IQR] = 2.5–6.6). In the 661 athletes for whom SCAT5 data were available, those with possible LOC endorsed more SCAT5 symptoms and performed worse on Maddocks questions, Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) total scores, orientation, immediate recall, concentration, and delayed recall. For the 255 players with medically diagnosed concussions, SCAT5 data were available for 245. Concussed players with possible LOC performed significantly worse on Maddocks questions. However, there were no group differences in SCAT5 symptom endorsement, SAC total scores, orientation, immediate recall, concentration, delayed recall, or the modified version of the Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS) total errors. Further, the presence or absence of possible LOC was not associated with number of games missed or time to medical clearance for match play. The duration of possible LOC was not associated with the number of games missed or time to medical clearance for match play. According to video review in NRL players, brief LOC might be more common than previously thought. The present study reveals possible LOC is not predictive of missed games or time to recover following concussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational structure has evolved over the past several decades, with physicians assuming more or fewer leadership positions over time. Regardless of the role of physicians in health care organizational leadership, constant meaningful communication with the hospital, radiology group, or greater physician group administrative leadership is vital for any group of IR physicians to be successful. Understanding what is considered important to hospital administration and, in particular, being closely aligned with the C-suite leadership, is paramount to having successful communication with these stakeholders. Although each situation will obligatorily be unique, certain themes can be followed to optimize the working relationship between an interventional radiology service and organizational administration. This article provides guidelines and suggestions specifically in communicating with health care system leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on a review of biodevelopmental mechanisms influencing sexual orientation. They discuss the distinction between direct and indirect evidence made by the researchers and their failure to address the limitations of the supporting studies. The authors also describe the results of various studies to explore whether genetic, hormonal and immune influences act independently, or are additive and only determine a certain type of sexual orientation when acting together.

Permafrost-affected ecosystems of the Arctic-boreal zone in northwestern North America are undergoing profound transformation due to rapid climate change. NASA's Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) is investigating characteristics that make these ecosystems vulnerable or resilient to this change. ABoVE employs airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a powerful tool to characterize tundra, taiga, peatlands, and fens. Here, we present an annotated guide to the L-band and P band airborne SAR data acquired during the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 ABoVE airborne campaigns. We summarize the ~80 SAR flight lines and how they fit into the ABoVE experimental design. We provide hyperlinks to extensive maps, tables, and every flight plan as well as individual flight lines. We illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of airborne SAR data with examples of preliminary results from ABoVE studies including: boreal forest canopy structure from tomoSAR data over Delta Junction, AK and the BERMS site in northern Saskatchewan and active layer thickness and soil moisture data product validation. This paper is presented as a guide to enable interested readers to fully explore the ABoVE L55 and P-band SAR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lacrimal gland stone(s) (LGSs) are rare and usually asymptomatic. LGSs should be distinguished from dacryoliths, as the former arise in the lacrimal gland. The aetiology of LGSs in many cases is likely related to a reaction to a hair within the palpebral lobe of lacrimal gland. Eye rubbing may contribute to the migration of the hair into the lacrimal gland. This case report describes the rare occurrence of an LGS with a central hair shaft (cilium) and associated sinus formation in a 39-year-old male presenting with persistent redness of, and discharge from the right eye for 4 weeks. Examination revealed a sinus opening onto the inferonasal surface of the palpebral lobe of the right lacrimal gland. The patient was treated with surgical excision of the sinus, with rapid and complete resolution of his symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose We address four questions about interventions to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: (a) How often is both the adoption and maintenance of behavior change tested in trials? (b) How often do interventions generate adoption-plus-maintenance of behavior change? (c) Are intervention strategies specifically geared at promoting maintenance of behavior change deployed in trials? and (d) Which intervention strategies distinguish trials that promote both the adoption and maintenance of physical activity from trials that promote adoption-only or generate no behavioral changes? Methods Computerized literature searches identified 206 reports of randomized trials that measured physical activity in the wake of the intervention. Results Only 51 reports (24%) measured both behavioral adoption (postintervention) and behavioral maintenance (≥3 months follow-up). The 51 reports included 58 tests of interventions; 22% of tests observed both adoption and maintenance of physical activity, 26% reported adoption-only, and 52% found no change in behavior. Change techniques designed to promote behavioral maintenance were used much less frequently than adoption techniques or adoption and maintenance techniques. Interventions that aimed to improve quality of life, used supervised exercise sessions, were undertaken in community centers, and deployed fewer behavior change techniques were associated with adoption-plus-maintenance of physical activity in cancer survivors. Conclusions The present findings offer new insights into the adoption and maintenance of physical activity and highlight the need to routinely assess these forms of behavior change in future trials. More extensive testing of intervention strategies specifically geared at maintenance of behavior change is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]