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In her new memoir, ''Grief Is for People,'' Sloane Crosley works through the death of a beloved friend and mentor. GRIEF IS FOR PEOPLE, by Sloane Crosley Sloane Crosley opens [...]

NICE IS FAKE.' It's an August Sunday in Los Angeles and Megan Thee Stallion--the at once benevolent and brutal queen of the Hotties--is reintroducing herself. 'Playtime is over and all [...]

IN THE months leading up to the November 2020 presidential election, the name Stacey Abrams was on everybody's lips. Whenever a pundit or reporter attempted to predict what Georgians would [...]

We present an annotated checklist of fleas (Siphonaptera) known to occur in the state of Delaware based on an examination of Siphonaptera collections at the University of Delaware and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, as well as new specimens of fleas we collected from wildlife, other hosts, and tick flags. We review published records and compile them herein with our new records, which include 3 species previously unreported from Delaware. With these additions, there are now 18 flea species from 19 avian and mammalian hosts documented from Delaware.

IMPORTANCE: Factors associated with clinical heterogeneity in Alzheimer disease (AD) lay along a continuum hypothesized to associate with tangle distribution and are relevant for understanding glial activation considerations in therapeutic advancement. OBJECTIVES: To examine clinicopathologic and neuroimaging characteristics of disease heterogeneity in AD along a quantitative continuum using the corticolimbic index (CLix) to account for individuality of spatially distributed tangles found at autopsy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study was a retrospective medical record review performed on the Florida Autopsied Multiethnic (FLAME) cohort accessioned from 1991 to 2020. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to December 2023. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tau positron emission tomography (PET) were evaluated in an independent neuroimaging group. The FLAME cohort includes 2809 autopsied individuals; included in this study were neuropathologically diagnosed AD cases (FLAME-AD). A digital pathology subgroup of FLAME-AD cases was derived for glial activation analyses. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Clinicopathologic factors of heterogeneity that inform patient history and neuropathologic evaluation of AD; CLix score (lower, relative cortical predominance/hippocampal sparing vs higher, relative cortical sparing/limbic predominant cases); neuroimaging measures (ie, structural MRI and tau-PET). RESULTS: Of the 2809 autopsied individuals in the FLAME cohort, 1361 neuropathologically diagnosed AD cases were evaluated. A digital pathology subgroup included 60 FLAME-AD cases. The independent neuroimaging group included 93 cases. Among the 1361 FLAME-AD cases, 633 were male (47%; median [range] age at death, 81 [54-96] years) and 728 were female (53%; median [range] age at death, 81 [53-102] years). A younger symptomatic onset (Spearman ρ = 0.39, P < .001) and faster decline on the Mini-Mental State Examination (Spearman ρ = 0.27; P < .001) correlated with a lower CLix score in FLAME-AD series. Cases with a nonamnestic syndrome had lower CLix scores (median [IQR], 13 [9-18]) vs not (median [IQR], 21 [15-27]; P < .001). Hippocampal MRI volume (Spearman ρ = −0.45; P < .001) and flortaucipir tau-PET uptake in posterior cingulate and precuneus cortex (Spearman ρ = −0.74; P < .001) inversely correlated with CLix score. Although AD cases with a CLix score less than 10 had higher cortical tangle count, we found lower percentage of CD68-activated microglia/macrophage burden (median [IQR], 0.46% [0.32%-0.75%]) compared with cases with a CLix score of 10 to 30 (median [IQR], 0.75% [0.51%-0.98%]) and on par with a CLix score of 30 or greater (median [IQR], 0.40% [0.32%-0.57%]; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Findings show that AD heterogeneity exists along a continuum of corticolimbic tangle distribution. Reduced CD68 burden may signify an underappreciated association between tau accumulation and microglia/macrophages activation that should be considered in personalized therapy for immune dysregulation.

Named for the TV writer Laura Chinn's lifelong nemesis, ACNE: A Memoir (306 pp., Hachette, $29) uses the author's skin as a marker of time, a memorable indicator of who [...]

This article has been abstracted from a series of telephone conference discussions among E. Christopher Johnson, Jr., John H. Stout, and Ashley C. Walter, each of whom has chaired committees of the Business Law Section and served as a member of the Council. The discussions focused on the evolution, meaning and critical importance of the ideas, meanings, and principles embodied in the terms 'sustainability,' CSR (corporate social responsibility), and ESG (environment, social, and governance). The discussion began before the novel coronavirus pandemic and the killing of George Floyd impacted our lives and our country's and the world's social, political, and economic well-being and order. The discussion and preparation of this article was heavily influenced by these events as they forced not only an examination of the history of the above terms but also a reflection on their application to, and relevance for, strategically charting a path forward., JOHN H. STOUT ('JOHN'): Ashley, I'm looking at the outstanding book that you and your co-editors prepared: The Lawyer's Corporate Social Responsibility Deskbook (1) The book references several key terms: [...]

Objective: To assess the relationship between county-level eviction rates and drug and alcohol mortality rates. Data Sources: Eviction rates from 2003 to 2016 provided by the Princeton University Eviction Lab were merged with Multiple Cause-of-Death Mortality Files and aggregated to the county-year level. Study Design: All opioid (prescription and heroin), cocaine, psychostimulant, benzodiazepine, antidepressant, and alcohol poisoning-related deaths per 100 000 people, eviction rates, and socioeconomic indicators were merged at the county-year level from 2003 to 2016. We estimated a series of mortality rate models with county and year fixed effects and used a control function (2SRI) method to adjust for the endogeneity of eviction rates. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: We matched retrospectively collected datasets. Principal Findings: Higher levels of eviction rates were consistently associated with higher rates of mortality across six of nine substance categories studied when all counties were combined. Subanalysis by USDA population density measures indicated this positive association was almost entirely driven by urban counties; few systematic associations between the eviction rate levels and mortality were observed for suburban or rural counties. Conclusions: Risk of eviction appears to exacerbate the current 'deaths of despair' crisis associated with substance use. Proposed changes to Housing and Urban Development policy that are expected to substantially increase the risk of eviction may worsen an already-acute mortality crisis. KEYWORDS deaths of despair, evictions, substance use, substance use mortality, 1 | INTRODUCTION On April 25, 2018, acting Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson proposed the 'Making Affordable Housing Work 8 Act of 2018.' This initiative, if implemented, [...]

ABSTRACTAccording to the traditional memory-systems view, the hippocampus is critical during explicit (conscious) long-term memory, whereas other brain regions support implicit (nonconscious) memory. In the last two decades, some fMRI studies have reported hippocampal activity during implicit memory tasks. The aim of the present discussion paper was to identify whether any implicit memory fMRI studies have provided convincing evidence that the hippocampus is associated with nonconscious processes without being confounded by conscious processes. Experimental protocol and analysis parameters included the stimulus type(s), task(s), measures of subjective awareness, explicit memory accuracy, the relevant fMRI contrast(s) or analysis, and confound(s). A systematic review was conducted to identify implicit memory studies that reported fMRI activity in the hippocampus. After applying exclusion criteria, 13 articles remained for analysis. We found that there were no implicit memory fMRI studies where subjective awareness was absent, explicit memory performance was at chance, and there were no confounds that could have driven the observed hippocampal activity. The confounds included explicit memory (including false memory), imbalanced attentional states between conditions (yielding activation of the default-mode network), imbalanced stimuli between conditions, and differential novelty. As such, not a single fMRI study provided convincing evidence that implicit memory was associated with the hippocampus. Neuropsychological evidence was also considered, and implicit memory deficits were caused by factors known to disrupt brain regions beyond the hippocampus, such that the behavioral effects could not be attributed to this region. The present results indicate that implicit memory is not associated with the hippocampus.

Previous research suggests that enrolling in Medicaid reduces evictions by improving health and providing financial protection. However, previous studies have not examined whether the loss of Medicaid affects eviction outcomes. We analyzed eviction filings and completed evictions after a large, mandatory Medicaid disenrollment in Tennessee in 2005. We conducted a difference-in-differences analysis using data from the Eviction Lab at Princeton University and found that relative to other southern states, the TennCare disenrollment led to a 27.6 percent greater increase in the average annual number of eviction filings at the county level during the period 2005–09 and a 24.5 percent greater increase in the average annual number of completed evictions at the county level during that same period. Our findings have implications for the housing stability of Medicaid recipients today, many of whom are being disenrolled because of the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision that is occurring across the country. To protect housing stability for people disenrolled from Medicaid, policy makers may wish to consider new initiatives aimed at preventing an increase in eviction.

RESPECT M.E. On successful artists: 'One thing I always say, you will always get respect, but you won't be hot forever.... Yon have to mentally be prepared for those ups [...]

Objective: To identify geographic disparities in access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment medications and county demographic and economic characteristics associated with access to buprenorphine and oral naltrexone prescribers in Medicare Part D. Data Sources/Study Setting: We utilized data from the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Event Standard Analytic File (2010-2015). Study Design/Data Collection: We used logistic regression to examine county-level access to OUD medication prescribers. Principal Findings: There was a 5.6 percentage point increase in counties with access to an OUD prescriber over the study period. However, in 2015, 60 percent of US counties lacked access to a Medicare Part D buprenorphine prescriber and over 75 percent lacked access to an oral naltrexone prescriber. Increased access to OUD prescribers was largely concentrated in urban counties. Results of logistic regression indicate regional differences and potential racial disparities in access to OUD prescribers. Conclusions: To improve access to buprenorphine and naltrexone treatment for Medicare Part D enrollees, CMS may consider implementing educational and training initiatives focused on OUD treatment, offering training to obtain a buprenorphine waiver at no cost to providers, and sending targeted information to providers in low OUD treatment capacity areas. KEYWORDS access, buprenorphine, medicare, naltrexone, opioid use disorder, 1 | INTRODUCTION The United States is facing a growing public health crisis as opioid-related overdose deaths continue to rise. (1) Approximately 115 people a day are now dying from [...]

Non-invasive brain imaging has played a critical role in establishing our understanding of the neural properties that contribute to the emergence of psychiatric disorders. However, characterizing core neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric symptomatology requires greater structural, functional, and neurochemical specificity than is typically obtainable with standard field strength MRI acquisitions (e.g., 3T). Ultra-high field (UHF) imaging at 7 Tesla (7T) provides the opportunity to identify neurobiological systems that confer risk, determine etiology, and characterize disease progression and treatment outcomes of major mental illnesses. Increases in scanner availability, regulatory approval, and sequence availability have made the application of UHF to clinical cohorts more feasible than ever before, yet the application of UHF approaches to the study of mental health remains nascent. In this technical review, we describe core neuroimaging methodologies which benefit from UHF acquisition, including high resolution structural and functional imaging, single (1H) and multi-nuclear (e.g., 31P) MR spectroscopy, and quantitative MR techniques for assessing brain tissue iron and myelin. We discuss advantages provided by 7T MRI, including higher signal- and contrast-to-noise ratio, enhanced spatial resolution, increased test-retest reliability, and molecular and neurochemical specificity, and how these have begun to uncover mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. Finally, we consider current limitations of UHF in its application to clinical cohorts, and point to ongoing work that aims to overcome technical hurdles through the continued development of UHF hardware, software, and protocols.

Given the prevalence of alcohol and cannabis co-use among college students, prevention for co-use is crucial. We examined hypothetical receptiveness to substance-specific interventions among students who reported co-use. Students who use alcohol and cannabis were more receptive to alcohol interventions than cannabis interventions. Campus prevention experts should consider offering evidence-based, alcohol-focused interventions as a potential pathway for decreasing substance use among college students who engage in co-use.

Athleta CEO Mary Beth Laughton says this initial line - the first of several to be designed with Keys - is intended to help introduce the brand to new consumers. Though she still uses cosmetics, Keys's more unadorned approach to beauty has resonated - and is what E.L.F. is tapping into with Keys Soulcare, which is sold online and distributed by Ulta and Athleta. Keys and the dedicated team at E.L.F. that's responsi ble for Keys Soulcare had to conduct crucial product and packaging reviews over Zoom. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract:The hidden histories of Black towns from post-Reconstruction, namely Nicodemus, Kansas, and Colonel Allensworth, California, can provide public awareness of the black experience. In this article, we draw upon previous research by the authors to further emphasize and compare designation outcomes related to representation, equity-based preservation planning, and maintenance backlogs issues. Key partners from both sites were interviewed and central preservation planning documents were analyzed. Key findings emphasized limited opportunities for community involvement, and historic structures preservation and maintenance work. Additionally, some action has been taken by the National Park Service and California State Parks to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite these efforts, there are still alarming indicators of systematic underrepresentation within both systems. Recommendations and best practices include increasing racial equity and diversity training, evaluating diversity hiring practices and public memory awareness, practicing inclusive partnership planning, redesigning maintenance backlog funding systems, engaging economic revitalization, practicing inclusive and digitally enhanced programming, and expanding virtual presence. Consideration of this study's recommendations could provide meaningful preservation change for the Nicodemus National Historic Site, Allensworth State Historic Park, and other similar African American historical locations.

When I was a kid, I wanted to design clothes. I kept a dollar-store sketchbook and a case full of pencils. At first, I used them to trace and color [...]

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is associated with many different cancers, including early onset breast cancer. Due to an increased risk of radiation-induced malignancy, radiation therapy is often avoided in this patient population. This case study evaluates a 38-year-old female with a history of juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the ovary and malignant phyllodes tumor of right breast, who subsequently developed bilateral invasive ductal carcinoma and was treated with bilateral mastectomies. Studies show that in a high-risk patient, post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) should not be ruled out due to a history of LFS, as the benefit of PMRT may outweigh the risk of a radiation-induced malignancy.

IMPORTANCE: The assessment and management of surgical margins in stage I and II oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most important perioperative aspects of oncologic care, with profound implications for patient outcomes and adjuvant therapy. Understanding and critically reviewing the existing data surrounding margins in this context is necessary to rigorously care for this challenging group of patients and minimize patient morbidity and mortality. OBSERVATIONS: This review discusses the data related to the definitions related to surgical margins, methods for assessment, specimen vs tumor bed margin evaluation, and re-resection of positive margins. The observations presented emphasize notable controversy within the field about margin assessment, with early data coalescing around several key aspects of management, although studies are limited by their design. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Stage I and II oral cavity cancer requires surgical resection with negative margins to obtain optimal oncologic outcomes, but controversy persists over margin assessment. Future studies with improved, well-controlled study designs are required to more definitively guide margin assessment and management.

Macrophages play a pivotal role in wound healing and tissue regeneration, as they are rapidly recruited to the site of injury or implanted foreign material. Depending on their interaction with the material, macrophages can develop different phenotypes, with the M1 pro-inflammatory and M2 pro-regenerative phenotypes being highly involved in tissue regeneration. M2 macrophages mitigate inflammation and promote tissue regeneration and extracellular matrix remodeling. In this study, we engineered a gelatin-heparin-methacrylate (GelMA-HepMA) hydrogel that gradually releases interleukin-4 (IL-4), a cytokine that modulates macrophages to adopt the M2 phenotype. Methacrylation of heparin improved the retention of both heparin and IL-4 within the hydrogel. The GelMA-HepMA hydrogel and IL-4 synergistically downregulated M1 gene expression and upregulated M2 gene expression in macrophages within 48 h of in vitrocell culture. However, the M2-like macrophage phenotype induced by the GelMA-HepMA-IL-4 hydrogel did not necessarily further improve endothelial cell proliferation and migration in vitro.

Increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption would have important health benefits but would also have significant impacts on the U.S. agricultural system. The United States is currently a net importer of these foods but global agricultural systems face growing pressure to feed more people with fewer resources while also adapting to climate change. Thus, increasing self‐reliance may become a key strategy to ensuring a stable supply of nutrient‐dense foods in the United States. However, the capacity to increase the production of specific foods to accommodate shifts towards healthier dietary patterns or increase self‐reliance is not well documented. We estimated the extent to which the United States could meet current and recommended F&V consumption through domestic production based on biophysical capacity at the national and regional levels. Land suitability maps from a previous study were combined with state‐level yield data to estimate biophysical capacity and food availability data were used to estimate F&V consumption. A net‐balance analysis was conducted to compare production capacity to food consumption under both diet scenarios. Our results indicate that the United States could meet current and recommended F&V needs of Americans through domestic production and that each region could meet regional F&V consumption. However, while self‐reliance is biophysically possible, it would require substantial changes in dietary patterns and land use. These findings provide insight into the feasibility and agricultural implications of self‐reliance at the national and regional levels. A net‐balance analysis was used to compare production capacity to food consumption.United States could meet current and recommended F&V needs of Americans through domestic production.Each region could be self‐sufficient but changes in dietary patterns would be necessary.Self‐reliance is biophysically possible but would require substantial changes in land use.

Fluctuations in ultra high purity (UHP) helium supply has the potential to negatively impact critical research efforts. Disruptions have increased significantly with suppliers prioritizing delivery to medical facilities. Due to the greater demand for helium, supply issues are likely to continue through the coming years. Many gas chromatography (GC)-based analytical methods rely on the supply of UHP helium, including those developed for the quantification of trace explosives. Vapor validation is critical in establishing sensor performance, limits of detection, and instrument performance. An alternate carrier gas must be established to maintain these critical functionalities. To circumvent the UHP helium disruptions, UHP nitrogen was explored as a replacement carrier gas in negative mode chemical ionization-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (CI-GC/MS). Although, hydrogen is considered an acceptable alternative to helium in most GC-based separations, its' use as a replacement was omitted due to reactivity resulting in degradation of the CI-MS detector and incompatibility with the programmable temperature vaporization inlet on the GC used in this work. Herein discusses the method development of nitrogen carrier gas in the separation of an explosives mixture. Adjustments in flow rate, initial oven temperature, and ramp rate were made to achieve comparable analysis to that of helium. By lowering the flow rate and initial oven temperature peak resolution and sensitivity increased when using nitrogen carrier gas. Development of this method allows for continual laboratory output in times of helium scarcity.

Chronic non-healing wounds are a significant healthcare challenge. Various biomaterials have been developed to treat chronic wounds but there are still opportunities for improvement of biomaterial therapeutics. This review discusses how fetal wound healing could be used as inspiration to develop pro-healing materials. Compared to adults, fetuses have enhanced wound healing outcomes and healing without scarring. Scarless fetal wound healing is associated with various key differences in several growth factors, cytokines, extracellular matrix components, and coagulation parameters. Mimicking the fetal wound healing environment through bioinspired materials could create improved therapeutics to treat chronic wounds. This review addresses the key differences between adult and fetal wound healing that allow for enhanced scarless fetal healing and discusses how these differences can be used to develop pro-healing materials.

•Fibrotic therapies are often tested on biomaterial platforms which do not mimic in vivomechanics.•In these studies, we use various viscoelastic substrates to mimic healthy and fibrotic cardiac tissue and evaluate the efficacy of a novel anti-fibrotic therapy on relevant cardiac cell types.•Cellular responses were evaluated on soft and stiff polyacrylamide substrates and compared to responses on high and low loss tangent microgel thin films.•In the presence of Y-27632 containing nanogels, a reduction of fibrotic marker expression was noted on linear elastic healthy and fibrotic cardiac mimetics.•Cellular responses differed on nonlinear elastic mimetics, where early treatment with the ROCK inhibitor increased fibrotic marker expression.

Trauma patients are especially vulnerable to inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the USA Health University Hospital’s incidence and type of inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies among trauma patients. Patients were interviewed for accuracy of their admission medication reconciliation (AMR). Eighty-nine patients were included in this study. Twenty-six patients (29%) never received an AMR. There were 107 inadvertent medication reconciliation errors identified from 30 separate patients (48%), for a rate of 3.6 errors per patient with any error. There was a significant difference in the frequency of inadvertent medication reconciliation discrepancies for patients with >5 medication compared to those with fewer (P= .00029). In conclusion, trauma centers must be adequately staffed to provide timely, accurate, and available medication lists so that patients can be appropriately cared for.

Diabetes is a major determinate for mortality in trauma patients. Many diabetics are undiagnosed or poorly controlled. Trauma patients disproportionately come from lower socioeconomic status, making missed diagnoses more likely. We aimed to quantify the incidence of undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetics assessed at a Level 1 Trauma Center. We did a retrospective chart review of admitted trauma patients over a one-month period. Past Medical History, home medication lists, and Hemoglobin A1c on admission were recorded for each patient. We determined that 30 of 173 trauma patients qualifying for the study were diabetic. Furthermore, 30% of these diabetics were undiagnosed or had poorly controlled diabetes. Undiagnosed pre-diabetics made up 20% of the entire study group. Our data show that 26% of trauma patients would benefit from an intervention for improved glucose control. Trauma centers should consider creating routine clinical practice guidelines to identify at-risk patients and provide intervention for long-term management.

Respiratory diseases are a global burden, with millions of deaths attributed to pulmonary illnesses and dysfunctions. Therapeutics have been developed, but they present major limitations regarding pulmonary bioavailability and product stability. To circumvent such limitations, we developed room-temperature-stable inhalable lung-derived extracellular vesicles or exosomes (Lung-Exos) as mRNA and protein drug carriers. Compared with standard synthetic nanoparticle liposomes (Lipos), Lung-Exos exhibited superior distribution to the bronchioles and parenchyma and are deliverable to the lungs of rodents and nonhuman primates (NHPs) by dry powder inhalation. In a vaccine application, severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein encoding mRNA-loaded Lung-Exos (S-Exos) elicited greater immunoglobulin G (IgG) and secretory IgA (SIgA) responses than its loaded liposome (S-Lipo) counterpart. Importantly, S-Exos remained functional at room-temperature storage for one month. Our results suggest that extracellular vesicles can serve as an inhaled mRNA drug-delivery system that is superior to synthetic liposomes.

In the United States, the production of many fruits and vegetables (F&Vs) is concentrated in a few key regions of the country, and it may not be possible to maintain or increase output from these areas due to natural resource constraints and climate change. Rather, developing new and more geographically diverse production systems may be necessary to meet food needs and adapt to changing conditions. However, there is currently a limited understanding of the availability and location of suitable land where future production could occur. In this project, we developed geospatial models to identify and quantify land suitable for producing F&V crops across the contiguous United States based on biophysical constraints. Suitability was based on key criteria related to land cover and use, topography, soil properties, and climate. We found tremendous potential to expand F&V production at the national level, identifying 333 million hectares of suitable land, 47% of which is currently used for agriculture. Suitable land to produce most F&Vs exists across the United States, indicating that there is significant potential to geographically diversify production in the future, though tropical and sub‐tropical fruits are restricted to the southern areas of the country. These results provide a starting point for identifying opportunities to expand F&V production, reduce geographic concentration, and establish new supply chains. Geospatial models were used to identify land biophysically suitable for producing fruit and vegetable crops.Three hundred and thirty‐three million hectares of suitable land were identified across the contiguous United States.Forty‐seven percent of suitable land is currently used for agriculture.Results indicate significant potential to geographically diversify production in the future.

Purpose: The goal of this paper is to evaluate the PEARL Network's satisfaction with training/support and assess the relationship between practice research coordinators (PRCs) involvement and study participation. Methods: At [...]

Byline: Ashley C. Chin, PhD, MPH, MA (Louisiana Office of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit, Metairie, Louisiana); Leann Myers, PhD (Biostatistics, Tulane University School of Public Health [...]

Most organizations have measures to protect their network infrastructure from intruders. With the growth AND AVAILABILITY of wireless, some intruders now are aiming their attacks there. The potential for damage from these types of attacks is significant due to their nature. However, there is another type of wireless attack on organizational resources that also poses a significant vulnerability. That is electromagnetic radiation, also called radio frequency emissions (RFE), from unprotected systems and networks. KEYWORDS radio frequency emissions (RFE), vulnerability, TEMPEST, security, electromagnetic radiation

In Bradford and Bradford, (1) the years listed for the study data in Data Sources and Study Design sections of the Abstract should be '2004 to 2016' instead of '2003 [...]

Although modern comprehensive conceptual models of sexual identity development acknowledge contextual factors, existing models have placed less emphasis on (a) the influence of multiple domains of identity on sexual identity formation and (b) centrality and negotiation of various domains of identity. The present study sought to explore processes, identity conflicts, and management of sexual identity relative to other identity domains among sexual minority emerging adults in the United States. Fourteen sexual minority emerging adults (20–25 years) with a diverse array of identities participated in semistructured individual interviews, and five participants engaged in two follow-up focus groups. Findings supported two broad categories with subthemes: identity conflict (unaffirming and oppressive contexts, lack of resources to explore identity) and identity coherence (resources used to manage and facilitate identity coherence; acceptance, affirmation, and harmony; and centrality and salience of sexual identity within identity configurations). Findings have implications for the study of sexual identity development within the context of other domains of identity.

The recent global outbreaks of epidemics and pandemics have shown us that we are severely under-prepared to cope with infectious agents. Exposure to infectious agents present in biofluids (e.g., blood, saliva, urine etc.) poses a severe risk to clinical laboratory personnel and healthcare workers, resulting in hundreds of millions of hospital-acquired and laboratory-acquired infections annually. Novel technologies that can minimize human exposure through remote and automated handling of infectious biofluids will mitigate such risk. In this work, we present biofluid manipulators, which allow on-demand, remote and lossless manipulation of virtually any liquid droplet. Our manipulators are designed by integrating thermo-responsive soft actuators with superomniphobic surfaces. Utilizing our manipulators, we demonstrate on-demand, remote and lossless manipulation of biofluid droplets. We envision that our biofluid manipulators will not only reduce manual operations and minimize exposure to infectious agents, but also pave the way for developing inexpensive, simple and portable robotic systems, which can allow point-of-care operations, particularly in developing nations.

Neonates possess a molecular variant of fibrinogen, known as fetal fibrinogen, characterized by increased sialic acid, a greater negative charge, and decreased activity compared with adults. Despite these differences, adult fibrinogen is used for the treatment of bleeding in neonates, with mixed efficacy. To determine safe and efficacious bleeding protocols for neonates, more information on neonatal fibrin clot formation and the influence of sialic acid on these processes is needed. Here, we examine the influence of sialic acid on neonatal fibrin polymerization. We hypothesized that the increased sialic acid content of neonatal fibrinogen promotes fibrin B:b knob-hole interactions and consequently influences the structure and function of the neonatal fibrin matrix. We explored this hypothesis through analysis of structural properties and knob:hole polymerization dynamics of normal and desialylated neonatal fibrin networks and compared them with those formed with adult fibrinogen. We then characterized normal neonatal fibrin knob:hole interactions by forming neonatal and adult clots with either thrombin or snake-venom thrombin-like enzymes that preferentially cleave fibrinopeptide A or B. Sialic acid content of neonatal fibrinogen was determined to be a key determinant of resulting clot properties. Experiments analyzing knob:hole dynamics indicated that typical neonatal fibrin clots are formed with the release of more fibrinopeptide B and less fibrinopeptide A than adults. After the removal of sialic acid, fibrinopeptide release was roughly equivalent between adults and neonates, indicating the influence of sialic acid on fibrin neonatal fibrin polymerization mechanisms. These results could inform future studies developing neonatal-specific treatments of bleeding.

Objectives: (1) To determine how otologic/neurotologic surgeons counsel patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD). (2) To understand the plethora of presenting symptoms associated with SSCD and appropriate management. (3) To suggest appropriate management; oftentimes avoiding surgery.Methods: This was a survey study of both community and academic physicians. A 23-question survey was distributed to all members of the American Neurotological (ANS) and American Otologic Societies (AOS) via email in the Fall of 2018. A total of 54 responses were received from a possible pool of 279 for a response rate of 19.4%. Inferences were made about the population through sample proportions and confidence intervals.Results: All respondents use computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing SSCD and 11.1% use CT exclusively. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP; 77.8%) are used more often than ocular VEMPs (38.9%). Magnetic resonance imaging (7.4%) is used infrequently; 96.3% of surgeons surveyed have seen patients with SSCD on imaging that are asymptomatic. Following surgical treatment, respondents reported balance issues and mild-to-moderate high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (88.4%); 32.6% reported that the majority (>50%) of their patients needed further intervention after surgery, typically aggressive vestibular rehabilitation.Conclusions: There is a discrepancy in the systematic approach to SSCD between both the surgeons and the published literature. Patients with SSCD on ultra-high-resolution CT may have myriad symptoms while others are asymptomatic, and surgery may lead to additional complications. We will present a methodical recommendation to assist in the management of patients with SSCD depending upon their symptoms. This may improve patient selection, counseling, and outcomes.