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Male veterans are vastly over-represented in suicide rates relative to non-veterans. A critical avenue for improving male veterans' mental health outcomes is improving their engagement with mental health services. This study presents a qualitative investigation of mental health practitioners' perspectives on enhancers of engagement in, and drivers of dropout from therapy among male veterans. Participants were 138 mental health practitioners across Australia, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK (44.9% male; age M = 47.5 years, SD = 12 years). Participants responded to qualitative survey items inquiring about their perspectives on what works to engage male veterans in therapy, alongside common drivers of therapy dropout. Under an overarching theme contextualising the therapeutic alliance between veterans and mental health practitioners, interpretive description analyses led to eight distinct subthemes. Results highlight the range of areas in which mental health practitioners can thoughtfully adapt their practice to engage male veterans and align with military masculinities. In addition, findings underscore the range of barriers facing veterans when they seek help, which can precipitate dropout if not overcome by the right balance between practitioner engagement and veteran persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses the comparison of 12-month prevalence estimates of substance use disorders using DSM-5 versus DSM-IV criteria among U.S. nonelderly adults with substance use. The study found that the shift from DSM-IV to DSM-5 criteria led to marked increases in the prevalence of common substance use disorders, with the addition of craving criteria explaining some of the increase. The findings suggest that a larger proportion of nonelderly adults may have substance use disorders than previously reported, highlighting the need for timely interventions. The study used data from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and was sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. [Extracted from the article]

Key Points: Question: How many children in the US lost a parent to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021, and does the rate vary by parent age, sex, or race and ethnicity? Findings: In this cross-sectional study from 2011 to 2021, an estimated 321 566 community-dwelling children in the US lost a parent aged 18 to 64 years to drug overdose, and the rate of children who lost a parent to overdose increased during this period. In 2021, the highest rate was found among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native individuals. Meaning: The findings indicate that responses to the overdose crisis should account for the full burden of overdose on families and children, including addressing the economic, social, educational, and health care needs of children who have lost parents to overdose. This cross-sectional study estimates the number of children who lost a parent to drug overdose in the US from 2011 to 2021. Importance: Parents' overdose death can have a profound short- and long-term impact on their children, yet little is known about the number of children who have lost a parent to drug overdose in the US. Objective: To estimate the number and rate of children who have lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021 overall and by parental age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cross-sectional study of US community-dwelling persons using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2010-2014 and 2015-2019) and the National Vital Statistics System (2011-2021). Data were analyzed from January to June 2023. Exposure: Parental drug overdose death, stratified by age group, sex, and race and ethnicity. Main Outcomes and Measures: Numbers, rates, and average annual percentage change (AAPC) in rates of children losing a parent aged 18 to 64 years to drug overdose, overall and by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Results: From 2011 to 2021, 649 599 adults aged 18 to 64 years died from a drug overdose (mean [SD] age, 41.7 [12.0] years; 430 050 [66.2%] male and 219 549 [33.8%] female; 62 606 [9.6%] Hispanic, 6899 [1.1%] non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native, 6133 [0.9%] non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, 82 313 [12.7%] non-Hispanic Black, 485 623 [74.8%] non-Hispanic White, and 6025 [0.9%] non-Hispanic with more than 1 race). Among these decedents, from 2011 to 2021, an estimated 321 566 (95% CI, 276 592-366 662) community-dwelling children lost a parent aged 18 to 64 years to drug overdose. The rate of community-dwelling children who lost a parent to drug overdose per 100 000 children increased from 27.0 per 100 000 in 2011 to 63.1 per 100 000 in 2021. The highest rates were found among children of non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native individuals, who had a rate of 187.1 per 100 000 in 2021, more than double the rate among children of non-Hispanic White individuals (76.5 per 100 000) and non-Hispanic Black individuals (73.2 per 100 000). While rates increased consistently each year for all parental age, sex, and race and ethnicity groups, non-Hispanic Black parents aged 18 to 25 years had the largest AAPC (23.8%; 95% CI, 16.5-31.6). Rates increased for both fathers and mothers; however, more children overall lost fathers (estimated 192 459; 95% CI, 164 081-220 838) than mothers (estimated 129 107; 95% CI, 112 510-145 824). Conclusions and Relevance: An estimated 321 566 children lost a parent to drug overdose in the US from 2011 to 2021, with significant disparities evident across racial and ethnic groups. Given the potential short- and long-term negative impact of parental loss, program and policy planning should ensure that responses to the overdose crisis account for the full burden of drug overdose on families and children, including addressing the economic, social, educational, and health care needs of children who have lost parents to overdose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tuning of the luminescent properties of PtII complexes for possible use in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and sensing applications is commonly achieved by altering the electronic properties of the ligands. Our group recently demonstrated that the trifluoropropynyl ligand is strongly electron-withdrawing and possibly useful for blueshifting emission. Herein, we report the synthesis of two complexes of this trifluoropropynyl ligand, namely PtLC2CF3 and PtLFC2CF3 (L = 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene; LF = 4,6-difluoro-1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene). The PtLC2CF3 complex crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/n with Z = 4. The PtLFC2CF3 complex crystalized in the triclinic space group P-1 with Z = 2. Changing the tridentate ligand from L to LF resulted in a change in the packing structure, with the latter showing a metallophilic interaction (Pt-Pt distance = 3.3341(3) Å). The solution photophysics of the trifluoropropynyl complexes is compared with that of the corresponding Cl complexes, PtLCl and PtLFCl. Replacement of the chloro ligand with the trifluoropropynyl ligand blueshifted the monomer emission by less than 5 nm but blueshifted the excimer emission peaks by 15–20 nm. The complexes of the trifluoropropynyl ligand also favor the excimer emission more than the complexes of the chloro ligand. The excimer emission is quenched by dissolved oxygen significantly more than the corresponding monomer emission. The excimer emission and monomer emission are well separated, and the ratio of monomer to excimer emission is strongly dependent on oxygen concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a deterioration in the quality of life (QoL) of survivor victims of warlike conflicts. Because there is a need to guarantee the effectiveness of assessment tools for these populations, we studied the adequacy of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF) to assess the QoL of 1,136 surviving victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. Although this questionnaire has yielded promising results, questions remain about its psychometric suitability for specific populations. We used model modification at the item level, comparisons of models with different factor structures, and dimensionality analysis to address the psychometric problems encountered. Dimensionality analysis using a bifactor model suggests that WHOQoL-BREF total scores might be a more appropriate way of reporting results when model fit adequacy is not reached. Conclusions are offered on the psychometric properties of the WHOQoL-BREF, the evaluation of special populations, and possible strategies to address future questionnaire modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the development of a novel embedded waveguide ultrasonic sensor for detecting the onset of damage in reinforced concrete structures. A sleeved waveguide is proposed to confine guided ultrasonic waves in one-dimension, with leakage to the surrounding media only through specially created openings, thus reducing attenuation losses and enhancing the capability to inspect large structures from a single transducer location. The test frequency and mode are identified through modelling, and the interaction of leaky guided ultrasonic waves with delamination within the concrete volume is studied. Numerical simulations validated by experiments are used to study the changes in wave features such as mode velocity, wavelength and wave reflection in the delamination region, helping to estimate its location. Further simulation studies are carried out to demonstrate the possibility of using multiple waveguide sensors and sleeve openings to provide a full view of the concrete volume. The results are encouraging for practical long-range and large-scale monitoring of concrete volumes using the proposed sleeved waveguide ultrasonic sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present initial results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) complete calibration of the colour–redshift relation (DC3R2) secondary target survey. Our analysis uses 230 k galaxies that overlap with KiDS-VIKING ugriZYJHK s photometry to calibrate the colour–redshift relation and to inform photometric redshift (photo- z) inference methods of future weak lensing surveys. Together with emission line galaxies (ELGs), luminous red galaxies (LRGs), and the Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) that provide samples of complementary colour, the DC3R2 targets help DESI to span 56 per cent of the colour space visible to Euclid and LSST with high confidence spectroscopic redshifts. The effects of spectroscopic completeness and quality are explored, as well as systematic uncertainties introduced with the use of common Self-Organizing Maps trained on different photometry than the analysis sample. We further examine the dependence of redshift on magnitude at fixed colour, important for the use of bright galaxy spectra to calibrate redshifts in a fainter photometric galaxy sample. We find that noise in the KiDS-VIKING photometry introduces a dominant, apparent magnitude dependence of redshift at fixed colour, which indicates a need for carefully chosen deep drilling fields, and survey simulation to model this effect for future weak lensing surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, 81,806 opioid-involved overdose deaths were reported in the United States, more than in any previous year. Medications for opioid use disorder (OUD), particularly buprenorphine and methadone, substantially reduce overdoserelated and overall mortality. However, only a small proportion of persons with OUD receive these medications. Data from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were applied to a cascade of care framework to estimate and characterize U.S. adult populations who need OUD treatment, receive any OUD treatment, and receive medications for OUD. In 2022, 3.7% of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years needed OUD treatment. Among these, only 25.1% received medications for OUD. Most adults who needed OUD treatment either did not perceive that they needed it (42.7%) or received OUD treatment without medications for OUD (30.0%). Compared with non-Hispanic Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino adults, higher percentages of non-Hispanic White adults received any OUD treatment. Higher percentages of men and adults aged 35-49 years received medications for OUD than did women and younger or older adults. Expanded communication about the effectiveness of medications for OUD is needed. Increased efforts to engage persons with OUD in treatment that includes medications are essential. Clinicians and other treatment providers should offer or arrange evidence-based treatment, including medications, for patients with OUD. Pharmacists and payors can work to make these medications available without delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a religious libel, well-known in Turkish as 'putting out the candle' (mum söndürmek), that levels the accusation of orgiastic activities against Bektashi Sufis and Kızılbaş-Alevis. Dating back to at least the second century B.C.E. the accusation of debauchery following the extinguishing of candles has had a long and varied history in the Mediterranean that knows neither linguistic nor confessional boundaries. In the early twentieth century, the orgy libel was transformed by Turkish authors and propagated via modern fiction, particularly in novels and short stories. I argue that this change in authorship and genre had the effect of adapting ancient slanders and giving them new dimensions of appeal and credibility among modern audiences. Namely, modern Turkish literature wielded the orgy libel to entertain the public, support the reform and suppression of Sufi lodges, and express patriarchal views about women's roles in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the lessons learned by the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) initiative from COVID-19 testing research. Topics include the effectiveness of partnering with trusted community organizations, faith-based groups, and local leaders, disparities along lines of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in COVID-19 testing behavior and vaccine access and uptake, and lesson on interventions to reduce racial and ethnic minority disparities.

Key Points: Questions: How did pregnant and postpartum overdose decedents aged 10 to 44 years differ from obstetric decedents in the US? Findings: In this cross-sectional study including 17 458 decedents, from 2018 to 2021, drug overdose mortality ratios rose (more than 3-fold in pregnant and postpartum individuals aged 35 to 44 years) across the pregnancy-postpartum continuum (the highest during late postpartum period since July 2020). Overdose decedents differed from obstetric decedents in sociodemographic characteristics (younger, less education, unmarried), place of death (outside health care settings), and available health care resources. Meaning: To reduce pregnancy-associated mortality, evidence-based interventions are needed at the individual, health care, community, state, and national levels along with nonpunitive approaches that incentivize pregnant and postpartum women to seek treatments for their substance use disorder. This cross-sectional study examines individual sociodemographic characteristics and residing county's health care resources and socioeconomic factors among pregnancy-associated overdose decedents in comparison with obstetric decedents and overdose decedents who were not pregnant in the past year in the US. Importance: Knowledge about characteristics of US pregnancy-associated decedents is needed to guide responses. Objective: To examine individual sociodemographic characteristics and residing county's health care resources and socioeconomic factors among pregnancy-associated overdose decedents in comparison with obstetric decedents and overdose decedents who were not pregnant in the past year. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional, exploratory study included 1457 pregnant and postpartum overdose decedents, 4796 obstetric decedents, and 11 205 nonpregnant overdose decedents aged 10 to 44 years from 2018 to 2021. Data were analyzed August 2023. Exposures: Decedents from the 2018-2021 Multiple Cause of Death Files linked to the 2021 Area Health Resources Files and the 2018-2021 County Health Rankings data at the county level. Main Outcomes and Measures: Pregnancy-associated deaths were defined as deaths during pregnancy or within 1 year of pregnancy termination. This study focused on unintentional drug overdoses or drug overdoses with undetermined intent involving the most common psychotropic drugs of misuse. Results: From 2018 to 2021, across the pregnancy-postpartum continuum, pregnancy-associated overdose mortality ratios consistently increased among women aged 10 to 44 years. Mortality ratio more than tripled among pregnant and postpartum women aged 35 to 44 years from 4.9 (95% CI, 3.0-8.0) per 100 000 mothers aged 35 to 44 years with a live birth in January to June 2018 to 15.8 (95% CI, 12.3-20.4) in July to December 2021 (average semiannual percentage changes, 15.9; 95% CI, 8.7-23.6; P <.001). Compared with pregnant obstetric decedents, pregnant overdose decedents had increased odds of being aged 10 to 34 years (75.4% vs 59.5%; range of odds ratios [ORs], 1.8 [95% CI, 1.3-2.5] for ages 10 to 24 years to 2.2 [95% CI, 1.7-2.8] for ages 25 to 34 years), being non–college graduates (72.1% vs 59.4%; range of ORs, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.7-4.3] for those with some college education to 3.9 [95% CI, 2.4-6.1] for those with less than high school education), being unmarried (88.0% vs 62.1%; OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 3.7-6.0), and dying in nonhome, non–health care settings (25.9% vs 4.5%; OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8-3.6) and were associated with decreased odds of dying in health care settings (34.7% vs 77.6%; range of ORs, 0.1 [95% CI, 0.1-0.1] for those who died in hospital inpatient settings to 0.4 [95% CI, 0.3-0.6] for those who died in hospital outpatient/emergency room settings). Conclusions and Relevance: From 2018 to 2021, the mortality ratio more than tripled among pregnant and postpartum women aged 35 to 44 years, consistent with increases in overdose mortality across US populations. Most pregnancy-associated overdose deaths occurred outside health care settings, indicating the need for strengthening community outreach and maternal medical support. To reduce pregnancy-associated overdose mortality, evidence-based interventions are urgently needed at individual, health care, local, and national levels, along with nonpunitive approaches incentivizing pregnant and postpartum women to seek substance use disorder treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic selection has remarkably helped U.S. dairy farms to decrease their carbon footprint by more than doubling milk production per cow over time. Despite the environmental and economic benefits of improved feed and milk production efficiency, there is a critical need to explore phenotypical variance for feed utilization to advance the long-term sustainability of dairy farms. Feed is a major expense in dairy operations, and their enteric fermentation is a major source of greenhouse gases in agriculture. The challenges to expanding the phenotypic database, especially for feed efficiency predictions, and the lack of understanding of its drivers limit its utilization. Herein, we leveraged an artificial intelligence approach with feature engineering and ensemble methods to explore the predictive power of the rumen microbiome for feed and milk production efficiency traits, as rumen microbes play a central role in physiological responses in dairy cows. The novel ensemble method allowed to further identify key microbes linked to the efficiency measures. We used a population of 454 genotyped Holstein cows in the U.S. and Canada with individually measured feed and milk production efficiency phenotypes. The study underscored that the rumen microbiome is a major driver of residual feed intake (RFI), the most robust feed efficiency measure evaluated in the study, accounting for 36% of its variation. Further analyses showed that several alpha-diversity metrics were lower in more feed-efficient cows. For RFI, [Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group was the only genus positively associated with an improved feed efficiency status while seven other taxa were associated with inefficiency. The study also highlights that the rumen microbiome is pivotal for the unexplained variance in milk fat and protein production efficiency. Estimation of the carbon footprint of these cows shows that selection for better RFI could reduce up to 5 kg of diet consumed per cow daily, potentially reducing up to 37.5% of CH4. These findings shed light that the integration of artificial intelligence approaches, microbiology, and ruminant nutrition can be a path to further advance our understanding of the rumen microbiome on nutrient requirements and lactation performance of dairy cows to support the long-term sustainability of the dairy community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We present a case of a 55‐year‐old woman presenting for an elective minor procedure. Following a previous anaesthetic, a 'can't intubate, can't oxygenate' incident had been documented. She had since undergone awake tracheal intubation for procedures requiring general anaesthesia. We were able to safely facilitate awake tracheal intubation using remimazolam for sedation. Remimazolam is a novel ultra‐short acting benzodiazepine with similar pharmacodynamic effects to its parent compound midazolam, having minimal cardiovascular or respiratory effects and offering excellent anxiolysis and amnesia. It has a significantly shorter duration of action than midazolam, making it a valuable sedative agent for awake tracheal intubation. The patient remained stable throughout the procedure, with minimal effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The quality of sedation was reported as highly satisfactory by both the patient and the team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This study examined trajectories of tobacco dependence (TD) in relationship to changes in tobacco product use, and explored the effects of product-specific adding, switching, or discontinued use on dependence over time. Aims and Methods Data were analyzed from the first three waves from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of adults and youth in the United States. Data included 9556 wave 1 (2013–2014) adult current established tobacco users aged 18 or older who completed all three interviews and had established use at ≥2 assessments. Mutually exclusive groups included: users of cigarettes only, e-cigarettes only, cigars only, hookah only, any smokeless only, cigarette + e-cigarette dual users, and other multiple product users. A validated 16-item scale assessed TD across product users. Results People who used e-cigarettes exclusively at wave 1 had small increases in TD through wave 3. Wave 1 multiple product users' TD decreased across waves. TD for all other wave 1 user groups remained about the same. For wave 1 cigarette only smokers, switching to another product was associated with lower levels of TD than smokers whose use stayed the same. Movement to no established use of any tobacco product was consistently associated with lower TD for all product users. Conclusions Except for wave 1 e-cigarette only users (who experienced small increases in TD), TD among U.S. tobacco product users was stable over time, with daily users less likely to vary from baseline. Implications The level of TD among most U.S. tobacco users was stable over the first three waves of the PATH Study and trends in levels of TD were predominantly unrelated to changes in patterns of continued product use. Stable levels of TD suggest a population at persistent risk of health impacts from tobacco. Wave 1 e-cigarette users experienced small increases in levels of TD over time, perhaps due to increases in quantity or frequency of their e-cigarette use or increasing efficiency of nicotine delivery over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the broader implications of natural hazards on public health, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to disaster response. Topics discussed include the long-term health consequences of disasters, the impact of Typhoon Haiyan on the Philippines, and recommendations for improving disaster preparedness and response through government-community partnerships and research investment.

The editorial discusses the urgent need for new medications and treatments for substance use disorders in the United States, focusing on reductions in substance use as outcome targets for treatment development. The main outcome currently used for FDA approval of medications for substance use disorders is abstinence, which is challenging to achieve and sustain. The study by McClure and colleagues explores the benefits of reductions in cannabis use for patients with cannabis use disorder, showing that even partial reductions can lead to clinically meaningful improvements in outcomes. The findings suggest that identifying alternative meaningful outcomes beyond abstinence could facilitate the development of new treatments for substance use disorders, potentially saving lives and aiding in recovery. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: The practice of inguinal hernia repair varies internationally. The global practice of inguinal hernia repair study (GLACIER) aimed to capture these variations in open, laparoscopic, and robotic inguinal hernia repair. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was created on a web-based platform, and the link was shared on various social media platforms, personal e-mail network of authors, and e-mails to members of the endorsed organisations, which include British Hernia Society (BHS), The Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Society (TUGSS), and Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC). Results: A total of 1014 surgeons from 81 countries completed the survey. Open and laparoscopic approaches were preferred by 43% and 47% of participants, respectively. Transabdominal pre-peritoneal repair (TAPP) was the favoured minimally invasive approach. Bilateral and recurrent hernia following previous open repair were the most common indications for a minimally invasive procedure. Ninety-eight percent of the surgeons preferred repair with a mesh, and synthetic monofilament lightweight mesh with large pores was the most common choice. Lichtenstein repair was the most favoured open mesh repair technique (90%), while Shouldice repair was the favoured non-mesh repair technique. The risk of chronic groin pain was quoted as 5% after open repair and 1% after minimally invasive repair. Only 10% of surgeons preferred to perform an open repair using local anaesthesia. Conclusion: This survey identified similarities and variations in practice internationally and some discrepancies in inguinal hernia repair compared to best practice guidelines, such as low rates of repair using local anaesthesia and the use of lightweight mesh for minimally invasive repair. It also identifies several key areas for future research, such as incidence, risk factors, and management of chronic groin pain after hernia surgery and the clinical and cost-effectiveness of robotic hernia surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tasmannia lanceolata (native pepper) has been reported as susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi and the objective of this study was to identify variability in native pepper resistance to P. cinnamomi. Plant material was collected from native pepper populations across Tasmania (four regions) and selected commercially grown cultivars, and 47 clones were successfully propagated. Two disease screening experiments were conducted in "soil-free plant growth system" (SPS) units. Native pepper roots were inoculated with P. cinnamomi zoospores and maintained in controlled conditions. After one week, the pathogen was re-isolated to confirm infection success, and after two weeks root discolouration was visually assessed with images, which were then analysed with an automated machine learning system, using colour thresholds. The SPS was a successful approach to screen the early response of native pepper to P. cinnamomi. Based on pathogen re-isolation success and total root discolouration percentage, clones were categorised using a susceptibility rating method across multiple categories from highly resistant to highly susceptible. In the first experiment, all 47 propagated clones were challenged with one isolate of P. cinnamomi (Pc1), and pathogen re-isolation percentage and total root discolouration (brown and black) percentage differed significantly with clone (P < 0.001). In the second experiment, three representative clones of experiment 1 were challenged with two isolates of P. cinnamomi (Pc1 and Pc2) and clone response was similar. This study has highlighted that there is a range of responses to P. cinnamomi, from highly susceptible to highly resistant, in native pepper clones from different regions of Tasmania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy plays a vital role in cell homeostasis by eliminating nonfunctional components and promoting cell survival. Here, we examined the levels of autophagy signaling proteins after 7 days of overload hypertrophy in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of control and diabetic rats. We compared control and 3‐day streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats, an experimental model for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). EDL muscles showed increased levels of basal autophagy signaling proteins. The diabetic state did not affect the extent of overload‐induced hypertrophy or the levels of autophagy signaling proteins (p‐ULK1, Beclin‐1, Atg5, Atg12‐5, Atg7, Atg3, LC3‐I and II, and p62) in either muscle. The p‐ULK‐1, Beclin‐1, and p62 protein expression levels were higher in the EDL muscle than in the soleus before the hypertrophic stimulus. On the contrary, the soleus muscle exhibited increased autophagic signaling after overload‐induced hypertrophy, with increases in Beclin‐1, Atg5, Atg12‐5, Atg7, Atg3, and LC3‐I expression in the control and diabetic groups, in addition to p‐ULK‐1 in the control groups. After hypertrophy, Beclin‐1 and Atg5 levels increased in the EDL muscle of both groups, while p‐ULK1 and LC3‐I increased in the control group. In conclusion, the baseline EDL muscle exhibited higher autophagy than the soleus muscle. Although TDM1 promotes skeletal muscle mass loss and strength reduction, it did not significantly alter the extent of overload‐induced hypertrophy and autophagy signaling proteins in EDL and soleus muscles, with the two groups exhibiting different patterns of autophagy activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel open-source anisotropic k − ε − v 2 − f model is presented for turbulent viscoelastic duct flow with dilute polymeric solutions described by the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic-Peterlin constitutive model. The turbulence model for channel and square duct flow of Newtonian fluids is adapted to incorporate the polymeric terms within the governing equations. All the required non-linear terms are validated with simple closure models and are assessed a priori against independent direct numerical simulation data in fully developed channel flow. The NLTij term, which accounts for the interaction between fluctuating components of the conformation tensor and the velocity gradient tensor, is modeled with the mean flow direction, ti, and wall-normal, ni, present in the Newtonian model, based on the streamwise alignment of mean polymer stretch. The implicit polymer effects on pressure–strain are assessed with a simple ad hoc closure accounting for the reduced near-wall production of turbulent kinetic energy. The same closure is also adapted for the spanwise Reynolds stress predictions of polymer-enhanced secondary flow. The model performs well in channel flow and captures low, intermediate, and high drag reduction features for a wide range of rheological parameters. The capabilities are extended for square ducts (or any regular polygon) due to the symmetric modeling of the closure models, which can predict the mean streamwise and secondary flow features associated with second normal Reynolds stress differences. Accessible codes and models are crucial for the advancement and improvement of turbulent viscoelastic models, and an OpenFOAM C++ code package is developed and freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/MikeMcDermott-Code/v2f). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipase enzyme-mediated processes have biological significance and tremendous potential in various industrial and technological areas due to the enzymatic properties and broad specificity for a wide spectrum of substrates. This research involved the production of hydrolytic lipase enzyme by Aspergillus terreus extracted from petroleum- contaminated soil and optimising the environmental parameters that may affect lipase production. Hydrolytic lipase enzyme activity of the isolated Aspergillus terreus from petroleum-contaminated soil was undertaken in submerged fermentation. Dry cell weight, lipase enzyme pellets, and lipase enzyme concentration by measuring the percentage transmission by spectrophotometry were measured to determine the effects of various abiotic factors (pH, temperature, carbon and nitrogen sources, lipid substances and vegetable oils) affecting cell growth and lipase enzyme production by Aspergillus terreus on modified lipase production media. The results showed a precipitate on Tween 20 and a bright pink-fluorescent halo on the rhodamine B agar plate. After temperature adjustment to 35 °C, statistical analysis showed that Aspergillus terreus produced a dry cell weight of 3.14 g/L and a lipase enzyme pellet of 0.33 g with a spectrophotometric transmission of 0.03%. The sucrose substrate displayed a dry cell weight of 3.11 g/L and a lipase enzyme pellet of 1.15 g. Spectrophotometric analysis showed that sucrose, glucose and peptone had a similarity in transmission at p = 0.321. The addition of Neem oil improved enzyme yield as a dry cell weight of 3.02 g/L and a lipase enzyme pellet of 0.95 g was obtained. Statistically, sunflower and tributyrin similarly affected enzyme production by showing a spectrophotometric transmission at p = 0.024. This study has indicated that Aspergillus terreus could be employed as a reliable source of lipase enzymes for industrial processes due to its stability across different abiotic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the VST ATLAS Quasar Survey, consisting of ∼1229 000 quasar (QSO) candidates with 16 < g < 22.5 over ∼4700 deg2. The catalogue is based on VST ATLAS+NEOWISE imaging surveys and aims to reach a QSO sky density of 130 deg−2 for |$z$| < 2.2 and ∼30 deg−2 for |$z$| > 2.2. To guide our selection, we use X-ray/UV/optical/MIR data in the extended William Herschel Deep Field (WHDF) where we find a g < 22.5 broad-line QSO density of 269 ± 67 deg−2, roughly consistent with the expected ∼196 deg−2. We find that ∼25 per cent of our QSOs are morphologically classed as optically extended. Overall, we find that in these deep data, MIR, UV, and X-ray selections are ∼70–90 per cent complete while X-ray suffers less contamination than MIR and UV. MIR is however more sensitive than X-ray or UV to |$z$| > 2.2 QSOs at g < 22.5 and the |$S_X(0.5-10\, {\rm keV})\gt 1\times 10^{-14}$| ergs cm−2 s−1 limit of eROSITA. We adjust the selection criteria from our previous 2QDES pilot survey and prioritize VST ATLAS candidates that show both UV and MIR excess, also selecting candidates initially classified as extended. We test our selections using data from DESI (which will be released in DR1) and 2dF to estimate the efficiency and completeness, and we use ANNz2 to determine photometric redshifts. Applying over the ∼4700 deg2 ATLAS area gives us |$\sim 917\,000\, z\lt 2.2$| QSO candidates of which 472 000 are likely to be |$z$| < 2.2 QSOs, implying a sky density of ∼100 deg−2, which our WHDF analysis suggests will rise to at least 130 deg−2 when eROSITA X-ray candidates are included. At |$z$| > 2.2, we find ∼310() 000 candidates, of which 169 000 are likely to be QSOs for a sky density of ∼36 deg−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: Were new federal authorities to expand telehealth use for substance use disorder treatment and to facilitate provision of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic associated with a lower risk for fatal drug overdose among Medicare beneficiaries initiating a new episode of opioid use disorder (OUD)–related care? Findings: In this cohort study of a prepandemic cohort comprising 105 162 beneficiaries and a pandemic cohort comprising 70 479 beneficiaries, receipt of OUD-related telehealth services and receipt of MOUD during the pandemic were associated with reduced odds for fatal drug overdose. Meaning: This study found that emergency authorized telehealth expansion and MOUD provision during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with lower odds of fatal drug overdose, demonstrating the potential benefits of continuing these services. Importance: Federal emergency authorities were invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand clinical telehealth for opioid use disorder (OUD). Objective: To examine the association of the receipt of telehealth services and medications for OUD (MOUD) with fatal drug overdoses before and during the pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used exploratory longitudinal data from 2 cohorts (prepandemic cohort: September 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020; pandemic cohort: September 1, 2019, to February 28, 2021) of Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries aged 18 years or older initiating an episode of OUD-related care using Medicare Fee-for-Service data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and National Death Index data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data analysis was performed from September 19 to October 17, 2022. Exposures: Prepandemic vs pandemic cohort demographic, medical, substance use, and psychiatric characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Receipt of OUD-related telehealth services, receipt of MOUD, and fatal drug overdose. Results: The prepandemic cohort comprised 105 162 beneficiaries (58.1% female; 67.6% aged 45-74 years). The pandemic cohort comprised 70 479 beneficiaries (57.1% female; 66.3% aged 45-74 years). The rate of all-cause mortality was higher in the pandemic cohort (99.9 per 1000 beneficiaries; 7041 deaths) than in the prepandemic cohort (76.8 per 1000; 8076 deaths) (P <.001). The rate of fatal drug overdoses was higher in the pandemic cohort (5.1 per 1000 beneficiaries; n = 358) than in the prepandemic cohort (3.7 per 1000; n = 391) (P <.001). The percentage of deaths due to a fatal drug overdose was similar in the prepandemic (4.8%) and pandemic (5.1%) cohorts (P =.49). In multivariable analysis of the pandemic cohort, receipt of OUD-related telehealth was associated with a significantly lower adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for fatal drug overdose (aOR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48-0.92) as was receipt of MOUD from opioid treatment programs (aOR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.68) and receipt of buprenorphine in office-based settings (aOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43-0.91) compared with those not receiving MOUD; receipt of extended-release naltrexone in office-based settings was not associated with lower odds for fatal drug overdose (aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.41-3.26). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that, among Medicare beneficiaries initiating OUD-related care during the COVID-19 pandemic, receipt of OUD-related telehealth services was associated with reduced risk for fatal drug overdose, as was receipt of MOUD from opioid treatment programs and receipt of buprenorphine in office-based settings. Strategies to expand provision of MOUD, increase retention in care, and address co-occurring physical and behavioral health conditions are needed. This cohort study examines the association of the receipt of telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) with fatal drug overdoses before and during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the need to assess the inability to reduce or discontinue opioids when benefits do not outweigh harms in patients on long-term opioid therapy for pain (LTOT). Topics include two forms of substance use disorders (SUD) contained in previous editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), how clinicians and patients can determine the harms and benefits LTOT for chronic pain, and the use of the term "substance use disorder" according to the DSM-5.

Introduction This study examined trajectories of tobacco dependence (TD) in relation to changes in tobacco product use and explored the effects of product-specific adding, switching, or discontinued use on dependence over time. Aims and Methods Data were analyzed from the first three waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of adults and youth in the United States. Data included 9556 Wave 1 (2013/2014) adult current established tobacco users who completed all three interviews and had established use at ≥2 assessments. Groups included cigarettes-only users, e-cigarettes-only users, cigars-only users, hookah-only users, any smokeless-only users, cigarette + e-cigarette dual users, and multiple product users. A validated 16-item scale assessed TD across product users. Results Wave 1 e-cigarette-only users' who maintained exclusive e-cigarette use increased levels of TD through Wave 3 as did those who added or switched to another product. Wave 1 multiple product users' TD decreased across waves. TD for all other Wave 1 user groups remained about the same. For Wave 1 cigarette-only smokers, switching to another product or moving to a pattern of no established use was associated with lower levels of TD than smokers whose use stayed the same. Movement to no established use of any tobacco product was consistently associated with lower TD for all other product users. Conclusions Except for Wave 1 e-cigarette-only users, TD among US tobacco product users was stable over time, with daily users less likely to vary from baseline. Implications The level of TD among most US tobacco users was stable over the first three waves of the PATH Study and trends in levels of TD were predominantly unrelated to changes in patterns of continued product use. Stable levels of TD suggest a population at persistent risk of health impacts from tobacco. Wave 1 e-cigarette users, including those maintaining exclusive e-cigarette use, experienced increasing levels of TD over time, perhaps because of increases in quantity or frequency of their e-cigarette product use or increasing efficiency of nicotine delivery over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This study examines predictors of trajectories of cigarette and e-cigarette use among a cohort of US adolescents transitioning into young adulthood. Comparing trajectories of each tobacco product is important to determine if different intervention targets are needed to prevent progression to daily use. Methods Latent trajectory class analyses identified cigarette and e-cigarette use (never, ever excluding past 12-month, past 12-month (excluding past 30-day (P30D)), P30D 1–5 days, P30D 6+ days) trajectory classes, separately, among US youth (12–17; N = 10,086) using the first 4 waves (2013–2017) of data from the nationally representative PATH Study. Weighted descriptive analyses described the class characteristics. Weighted multinomial logistic regression analyses examined demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral predictors of class membership. Results Younger adolescents 12–15 years had lower tobacco use compared to 16–17 year olds and less stable classes. In the 16–17 year group, there were five unique trajectories of cigarette smoking, including a Persistent High Frequency class. Four e-cigarette use trajectories were identified; but not a persistent use class. Shared predictors of class membership for cigarettes and e-cigarettes included mental health problems, other tobacco use, marijuana use, and poorer academic achievement. Male sex and household tobacco use were unique e-cigarette trajectory class predictors. Conclusions There was no evidence that initiation with e-cigarettes as the first product tried was associated with cigarette progression (nor cigarettes as first product and e-cigarette progression). Interventions should focus on well-established risk factors such as mental health and other substance use to prevent progression of use for both tobacco products. Implications Using nationally representative data and definitions of use that take into account frequency and recency of use, longitudinal 4-year trajectories of e-cigarette and cigarette use among US adolescents transitioning into young adulthood were identified. Results among 16–17-year olds revealed a class of persistent high frequency cigarette smoking that was not identified for e-cigarette use. Cigarette use progression was not associated with e-cigarettes as the first product tried. Risk factors for progression of use of both products included mental health and other substance use, which are important prevention targets for both tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warm (several eV to 100 eV) ions are an important, and still poorly understood, component of the magnetospheric plasma environment. We present the first comprehensive statistical analysis of several distinct populations of warm ions in the dayside middle and outer magnetosphere. We analyze 7 months (1 September 2015–31 March 2016) of Magnetospheric Multiscale Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer data comprising 734,200 moments (density, temperature) and energy‐dependent pitch angle distributions (PADs) of three major ion species (H+, He+, and O+) with energy ≤100 eV. PADs are represented by an energy‐averaged index that characterizes the shape of the PAD as field‐aligned (FA), pancake, or isotropic. We use filtering by temperature, pitch angle, and concentration to distinguish different populations, and obtain new and more complete information about average density, temperature, PADs, and composition. Our analysis explores two known populations of warm ions: the warm plasmasphere (WPS) and the warm cloak/trough (C/T). The WPS is a higher‐temperature, higher‐L extension of the duskside plasmaspheric bulge, containing mostly trapped (pancake/isotropic) ions with an H+:He+:O+ order of ion dominance. The C/T contains mostly FA warm ions with a dawnward (duskward) temperature gradient for H+ (He+ and O+), lower densities, and an H+:O+:He+ order of ion dominance. The WPS‐C/T overlap contains a mixture of the two populations (e.g., FA He+ in WPS, trapped O+ in C/T). Pancake (FA) PADs are correlated with higher (lower) density/temperature. Our analysis also identifies warm ions in the low‐energy plasma sheet. Our work consolidates and systematically extends the characterizations of warm ions reported in previous studies. Plain Language Summary: The plasmasphere is often defined as the cold and dense innermost region of the magnetosphere. The ring current may be defined as the torus of hot ions encircling the planet at several Earth radii of geocentric distance. Warm plasma (several eV to 100 eV) is an intermediate‐energy population. In this paper, we present the first comprehensive statistical analysis of several distinct populations of warm ions in the dayside middle and outer magnetosphere. We analyze 7 months (1 September 2015–31 March 2016) of data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. Several‐eV to 100‐eV ions constitute a large reservoir of mass and momentum that can influence numerous basic, system‐level aspects of the magnetosphere. Warm ions are also a "bridge population" whose intermediate‐energy dynamics reveal heating and energization processes that trap ions to enable plasmaspheric refilling and transform very cold, ionospheric‐origin plasma into an integral component of the stormtime plasma sheet and ring current. Key Points: Statistical analysis of dayside warm (≤100 eV) ions uses 734,200‐point database of density, temperature, and pitch angle (PA) distributionsFiltering by temperature, PA, and concentration helps distinguish and separate different warm ion populationsThis analysis consolidates and systematically extends the characterizations of the warm plasmasphere and the warm cloak/trough (C/T) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past years studies were conducted on natural fibre reinforced polymer composites to observe their mechanical properties in order to decide their industrial applications. These composites have already been used in many applications from aerospace to sporting equipment. These green composites can be used as a replacement for synthetic composites. This is because the natural fibres are eco-friendly, biodegradable, renewable, etc. In this work, an attempt is made to reinforce fly ash, coir fibre and sugarcane fibre with epoxy polymer matrix. Central composite design under response surface methodology (RSM), one of the approaches of design of experiments (DOE) is used to determine optimum sample preparation conditions of fly ash, coir fibre and sugarcane fibre. Both tensile and flexural (three-point bending) tests are conducted on these fabricated composites to determine their materialistic characteristics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is carried out using Minitab software to find the influence of fly ash, coir fibre, sugarcane fibre on composites. Regression equations obtained from analysis of variance is used to calculate values. Experimental and calculated values are compared and their error % are calculated and tabulated. Response surface optimization study is carried to find the optimized parameters of composites. It is observed that, increase in wt.% of coir fibre and decrease in wt.% of fly ash and sugarcane fibre, increases yield stress and these parameters have mixed impact on ultimate tensile stress. The addition of fly ash, coir fibre and sugarcane fibre in low percentages increases Young’s modulus. Increase in wt.% of fly ash and coir fibre and decrease in wt.% of sugarcane, increases flexural modulus and flexural stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HiQuake database documents all cases of earthquake sequences proposed on scientific grounds to have been induced by anthropogenic industrial activity. Because these cases range from being highly plausible to unpersuasive, stakeholders have requested cases to be allocated plausibility grades. Since no questionnaire scheme existed that was sufficiently generalized to be applied to the diverse cases in HiQuake, we developed a new scheme for the task. Our scheme for Evaluating Proposals of Induced Earthquakes (E-PIE) comprises nine generalized questions with a simple weighting system to adjust for the variable diagnostic strength of different observations. Results are illustrated using a simple colored pie chart. We describe the E-PIE scheme and illustrate its application in detail using the example cases of the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands, the November 2017 M5.4 Pohang Enhanced Geothermal Systems-related earthquake sequence in South Korea, and the 2001 deep-penetrating bombing of Tora Bora, Afghanistan. To test the performance of E-PIE, five analysts independently applied it to a suite of 23 diverse cases from HiQuake. By far the most diagnostic questions are those concerning spatial and temporal correlations with industrial effects. Other data are diagnostically subsidiary. For individual cases, the agreement between analysts correlated positively with the strength of evidence for human induction. E-PIE results agree well with those from a specialist scheme tailored to fluid-injection cases. Its strong performance confirms its suitability to apply to the entire HiQuake database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review computer simulation studies of aided and self-assembly of nanoparticles that are decorated with liquid crystalline (mesogenic) ligands, termed hereafter as liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs). In bulk, LCNPs self-assemble into ordered morphologies, typically displaying a polydomain structure. We demonstrate that a range of monodomain morphologies can be grown by changing the density of ligands and employing external fields of specific symmetry, which act on mesogens. It is also demonstrated that the speed of self-assembly of LCNPs with chromophoric (e.g. azobenzene) mesogens can be increased by applying illumination at a certain wavelength and polarisation. Another case study covers the formation of an interconnected macromolecular network in a solution of the LCNPs in a polar solvent. Here, the network structure depends strongly on the decoration pattern of the LCNPs. Finally, the adsorption of LCNPs on a compatible liquid crystalline brush is discussed with a focus on the prerequisites and optimal conditions for this phenomenon. The review demonstrates the ability of classical particle-based models to produce a molecular-based understanding of the structure and interactions of LCNPs, and also to reproduce a wide set of physicochemical phenomena related to LCNP aided- and self-assembly processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Anomia is usually assessed using picture-naming tests. While many tests evaluate anomia for nouns, very few tests have been specifically designed for verb anomia. This article presents the DVAQ-30, a new naming test for detecting verb anomia in adults and elderly people. Method The article describes three studies. Study 1 focused on the DVAQ-30 development phase. In Study 2, healthy participants and individuals with post-stroke aphasia, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, or primary progressive aphasia were assessed using the DVAQ-30 to establish its convergent and discriminant validity, test–retest reliability, and internal consistency. In Study 3, a group of adults and elderly Quebec French-speaking adults were assessed to obtain normative data. Results The DVAQ-30 had good convergent validity and distinguished the performance of healthy participants from that of participants with pathological conditions. The test also had good internal consistency, and the test–retest analysis showed that the scores had good temporal stability. Furthermore, normative data were collected on the performance of 244 participants aged 50 years old and over. Conclusions The DVAQ-30 fills an important gap and has the potential to help clinicians and researchers better detect verb anomia associated with pathological aging and post-stroke aphasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the relationship between physiological encoding of surprise and the learning of anticipatory eye movements. Active inference portrays perception and action as interconnected inference processes, driven by the imperative to minimise the surprise of sensory observations. To examine this characterisation of oculomotor learning during a hand–eye coordination task, we tested whether anticipatory eye movements were updated in accordance with Bayesian principles and whether trial-by-trial learning rates tracked pupil dilation as a marker of 'surprise'. Forty-four participants completed an interception task in immersive virtual reality that required them to hit bouncing balls that had either expected or unexpected bounce profiles. We recorded anticipatory eye movements known to index participants' beliefs about likely ball bounce trajectories. By fitting a hierarchical Bayesian inference model to the trial-wise trajectories of these predictive eye movements, we were able to estimate each individual's expectations about bounce trajectories, rates of belief updating, and precision-weighted prediction errors. We found that the task-evoked pupil response tracked prediction errors and learning rates but not beliefs about ball bounciness or environmental volatility. These findings are partially consistent with active inference accounts and shed light on how encoding of surprise may shape the control of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TNF mediates a variety of biological processes including cellular proliferation, inflammatory responses, and cell death and is therefore associated with numerous pathologies including autoinflammatory diseases and septic shock. The inflammatory and cell death responses to TNF have been studied extensively downstream of TNF-R1 and are believed to rely on the formation of proinflammatory complex I and prodeath complex II, respectively. We recently identified a similar multimeric complex downstream of TLR4, termed the TRIFosome, that regulates inflammation and cell death in response to LPS or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.We present evidence of a role for the TRIFosome downstream of TNF-R1, independent of TLR3 or TLR4 engagement. Specifically, TNF-induced cell death and inflammation in murine macrophages were driven by the TLR4 adaptor TRIF and the LPS co-receptor CD14, highlighting an important role for these proteins beyond TLR-mediated immune responses. Via immunoprecipitation and visualization of TRIF-specific puncta, we demonstrated TRIF- and CD14-dependent formation of prodeath and proinflammatory complexes in response to TNF. Extending these findings, in a murine TNF–induced sepsis model, TRIF and CD14 deficiency decreased systemic inflammation, reduced organ pathology, and improved survival. The outcome of TRIF activation was cell specific, because TNF-induced lethality was mediated by neutrophils and macrophages responding to TNF in a TRIF-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that in addition to their crucial role in TNF production, myeloid cells are central to TNF toxicity and position TRIF and CD14 as universal components of receptor-mediated immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Loop ileostomy (LI) is commonly employed during colorectal surgeries to reduce the consequences of anastomotic leak. Unfortunately, LI is associated with a 10–30% incisional hernia (IH) rate after closure. We hypothesized that prophylactic mesh reinforcement during LI takedown would safely prevent subsequent IH formation. Methods : This single-center, phase I/II prospective study evaluated adult patients undergoing LI closure after left-sided colorectal cancer procedures. After LI closure, the posterior rectus sheath was mobilized and reapproximated with absorbable suture. A reduced-weight, macroporous, polypropylene mesh (Softmesh, BD) was placed in the retrorectus position to allow 3 cm of overlap and secured with fibrin sealant. The anterior fascia was closed with slowly absorbable suture. CT images obtained for cancer surveillance were reviewed by a radiologist blinded to the study intervention to evaluate for evidence of hernia or surgical site occurrence (SSO). Results : Twenty patients were included with mean defect and mesh sizes of 11.2 cm2 and 64.2 cm2, respectively. Mean operative time for LI takedown and mesh augmented closure was 84 min with mesh implantation time being 16.4 min. Two patients were readmitted within 30 days for ileus, no patient required procedural intervention. Over a mean follow-up period of 20 ± 7 months, no SSO or hernias were observed clinically or on CT imaging. Conclusion : In our small series, retromuscular mesh reinforcement of LI closure appears feasible, safe and effective. This mesh reinforcement approach should be further investigated to evaluate its long-term effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADx-UP), an academic-community partnership with the goal of improving COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates in underresourced communities. Topics covered include the uniqueness of RADx-UP program, how RADx-UP research teams were selected, and its scientific goals and the targeted areas of research supported by each RADx-UP phase.

Background: We examined the association of non-cigarette tobacco use on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.Methods: There were 13,752 participants ≥ 40 years with Wave 1 (W1) data for prevalence analyses, including 6945 adults without COPD for incidence analyses; W1-5 (2013-2019) data were analyzed. W1 tobacco use was modeled as 12 mutually-exclusive categories of past 30-day (P30D) single and polyuse, with two reference categories (current exclusive cigarette and never tobacco). Prevalence and incidence ratios of self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD were estimated using weighted multivariable Poisson regression.Results: W1 mean (SE) age was 58.1(0.1) years; mean cigarette pack-years was similar for all categories involving cigarettes and exclusive use of e-cigarettes (all > 20), greater than exclusive cigar users (< 10); and COPD prevalence was 7.7%. Compared to P30D cigarette use, never tobacco, former tobacco, and cigar use were associated with lower COPD prevalence (RR = 0.33, (95% confidence interval-CI) [0.26, 0.42]; RR = 0.57, CI [0.47, 0.70]; RR = 0.46, CI [0.28, 0.76], respectively); compared to never tobacco use, all categories except cigar and smokeless tobacco use were associated with higher COPD prevalence (RR former = 1.72, CI [1.33, 2.23]; RR cigarette = 3.00, CI [2.37, 3.80]; RR e-cigarette = 2.22, CI [1.44, 3.42]; RR cigarette + e-cigarette = 3.10, CI [2.39, 4.02]; RR polycombusted = 3.37, CI [2.44, 4.65]; RR polycombusted plus noncombusted = 2.75, CI]1.99, 3.81]). COPD incidence from W2-5 was 5.8%. Never and former tobacco users had lower COPD risk compared to current cigarette smokers (RR = 0.52, CI [0.35, 0.77]; RR = 0.47, CI [0.32, 0.70], respectively). Compared to never use, cigarette, smokeless, cigarette plus e-cigarette, and polycombusted tobacco use were associated with higher COPD incidence (RR = 1.92, CI [1.29, 2.86]; RR = 2.08, CI [1.07, 4.03]; RR = 1.99, CI [1.29, 3.07]; RR = 2.59, CI [1.60, 4.21], respectively); exclusive use of e-cigarettes was not (RR = 1.36, CI [0.55, 3.39]).Conclusions: E-cigarettes and all use categories involving cigarettes were associated with higher COPD prevalence compared to never use, reflecting, in part, the high burden of cigarette exposure in these groups. Cigarette-but not exclusive e-cigarette-use was also strongly associated with higher COPD incidence. Compared to cigarette use, only quitting tobacco was protective against COPD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]