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Introduction: The Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) industry recently introduced non-tobacco nicotine (NTN), which is not tobacco-derived and is often marketed as "tobacco-free nicotine." Given its novelty, it is important to understand where young adults learn about NTN ENDS. This study examined sources of exposure to NTN ENDS and relationships with NTN ENDS use and susceptibility. Methods: We analyzed online survey data collected in Fall 2021 from 642 young adults (18–25 years) who had heard of NTN ENDS. We assessed 9 sources of NTN ENDS exposure (e.g., retail stores, social media) and examined associations between sources of exposure and NTN current (past-month) use, lifetime (non-current) use, and susceptibility to use, adjusting for demographics and other tobacco product use. Results: Participants reported current NTN ENDS use (37.4%), lifetime use (12.0%), susceptibility (18.5%), or no susceptibility to use (32.1%). The most common sources of NTN ENDS exposure were retail stores (87.7%) and social media (81.0%). Exposure to NTN ENDS via social media was associated with greater odds of current NTN ENDS use (vs. no susceptibility) (aOR = 1.83, 95%CI: 1.02–3.28). Exposure via online streaming platforms was associated with greater odds of current (aOR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.08–2.82) and lifetime NTN ENDS use (aOR = 2.42, 95%CI: 1.25–4.68). Conclusions: Young adults were exposed to and learned about NTN ENDS from diverse sources, primarily retail shops and social media. Further, exposure via social media and streaming platforms were associated with NTN ENDS use. Future studies should explore the content of NTN information from various sources to inform prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current e-cigarette use has increased among young adults in the USA despite a consistent decrease in perceiving e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes over time. This study examined time-varying predictors associated with the changes in e-cigarette relative harm perception over time among US young adults. Methods: Data were from the 2013–2018 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study for young adults (18–24 years). A time-varying effect model (TVEM) was applied to examine the association between the relative harm perception change and the associated time-varying predictors. Results: Of the 8427 young adults, the prevalence of those who perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes decreased from 50.3% in Wave 1 (2013–2014) to 27.7% in Wave 4 (2016–2018). Young adults who were male were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes over time (OR = 1.58; 95%CI, 1.53–1.64). In addition, the changes in e-cigarette relative harm perception were less noticeable among those with advanced degrees, who had non-combustible smoke-free home rules, who held negative tobacco-related attitudes, and those who were current e-cigarette users or ever used alcohol (all p values < 0.05). Conclusions: A decline was observed in US young adults who perceived e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes from the PATH Study across four waves (2013–2018). The study findings underscore the importance of risk communication that focuses on harm perception profiles and the need for appropriate interventions to balance the considerations of e-cigarette use among young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most critics focus on the pain and suffering of the first-generation Vietnamese immigrants depicted in Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge. This paper explores how Cao strategically uses the philosophy of karma in Vietnamese Buddhism to provide a method for alleviating their suffering in this novel. It argues that she employs karma to investigate the origins of the adversity and trauma experienced by the first-generation Vietnamese immigrants, including the pro-American attitude of the early Vietnamese authorities during the Vietnam War, the imperialistic actions of the United States, and the resulting karmic consequences. In addition, they demonstrate, through actions like forming "hui", a way to change their fate and heal their trauma for later generations of Vietnamese immigrants, emphasizing positive transformation of karma. This paper suggests that the Buddhist philosophy of karma provides an effective strategy for Vietnamese American immigrants to reflect on the Vietnam War, overcome adversity, and heal their own trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of autonomous vehicles on the spatial size of cities remains ambiguous, as the future is highly uncertain. This paper uses counterfactual analysis techniques to examine the effects of autonomous vehicles on urban expansion for metropolitan areas in the United States if autonomous vehicles had been introduced before. We argue that distance cost and congestion cost, which are the two components of transportation cost with different effects on urban expansion, should be addressed in autonomous vehicle research. By coupling historical data with hypothetical scenarios of introducing autonomous vehicles to cities, we find that urban expansion, rather than urban densification, would have been the dominant effect if autonomous vehicles had been introduced into cities. The finding indicates that if autonomous vehicles are widely adopted in the future, they are likely to have similar, or even larger, effects on future urban expansion than in the counterfactual past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-cigarette flavors can create sensations of sweetness and coolness while masking the aversiveness of nicotine. Recently, non-tobacco nicotine (NTN) products were introduced to the market, but little is known about flavors in NTN e-cigarette use. We examined associations between flavors (i.e., sweet, mint/menthol) and susceptibility to and use of NTN e-cigarettes. 1239 US young adults (18–25 years) completed an anonymous, online survey in Fall 2021. The analytic sample included 520 participants who had used e-cigarettes and heard of NTN. Multinomial logistic regression models analyzed associations of flavored e-cigarette use (sweet and mint/menthol) with NTN e-cigarette use status (i.e., current [past-month] use, past [ever but not current] use, susceptible to use, and non-susceptible to use [reference]). Overall, 46.2% of participants reported current NTN use, 14.8% reported past use, 16.7% were susceptible to use, and 22.3% reported no susceptibility. Participants reported dual-use of sweet and mint/menthol NTN e-cigarette flavors (56.5%), sweet flavors use (24.8%), and mint/menthol flavor use (1.7%). Ever dual use of sweet and mint/menthol flavors was associated with current (OR = 9.64, 95%CI: 3.21–28.98) and past NTN e-cigarette use (8.30, [2.10–32.80]). Ever sweet flavor use was associated with current NTN use (3.80, 95%CI: 1.44–10.03) and susceptibility to future use (4.25, [1.53–11.81]). Similar findings were observed for mint/menthol flavors (current: 5.03, [1.41–17.99]; susceptible: 5.65, [1.64–19.51]). The use of sweet and mint/menthol flavors was significantly associated with NTN e-cigarette use among US young adults, highlighting the need for ongoing surveillance of flavored NTN e-cigarettes and appropriate regulations to discourage use. • Sweet flavor use was related to current use and susceptibility to NTN e-cigarettes. • Mint/menthol flavor use was related to current use and susceptibility to NTN e-cigarettes. • Dual sweet and mint/menthol flavor use was related to current and past NTN e-cigarette use. • Regulating sweet and mint/menthol flavors may help to reduce NTN product use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and cannabis (marijuana) use is rapidly increasing. Objectives: To report percentage prevalence and changes over time in current (past 30 days) e-cigarette, cannabis, and dual (concurrent) use in the population of reproductive age women (18–44 years old) in the United States. Methods: Our cross-sectional analysis involved data of 11, 004 women from Waves 1 to 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (2013–2016). We estimated weighted percentage prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and changes between 2013 and 2016 in current e-cigarette, cannabis, and dual use at each wave overall and across race/ethnicity, age, education, cigarette smoking status, alcohol use, and perceived mental health. Changes were reported as p for trend. Results: Between 2013 and 2016, e-cigarette use increased 13.6% (p for trend <.001) [15.2% (95% CI:14.2, 16.2) in 2013–2014; 22.2% (95% CI: 20.2, 24.3) in 2014–2015; and 28.8% (95% CI: 26.3, 31.3) in 2015–2016]; cannabis use increased 6.2% (p for trend <.001) [23.6% (95% CI: 22.1, 25.1) in 2013–2014; 28.5% (95% CI: 26.0, 31.0) in 2014–2015; and 29.8% (95% CI: 27.9, 31.1) in 2015–2016]; and dual use declined 0.3% (p for trend <.001) [5.8% (95% CI: 5.2, 6.3) in 2013–2014; 4.8% (95% CI: 3.7, 5.8) in 2014–2015; and 5.5% (95% CI: 4.2, 6.7) in 2015–2016]. Increases and declines in prevalence varied across sociodemographic characteristics, cigarette smoking status, alcohol use, and perceived mental health. Conclusions: Continued monitoring can capture further changes in prevalence and patterns to inform targeted public health intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug abuse poses great physical and psychological harm to humans, thereby attracting scholarly attention. It often requires experience and time for a researcher, just entering this field, to find an appropriate method to study drug abuse issue. It is crucial for researchers to rapidly understand the existing research on a particular topic and be able to propose an effective new research method. Text mining analysis has been widely applied in recent years, and this study integrated the text mining method into a review of drug abuse research. Through searches for keywords related to the drug abuse, all related publications were identified and downloaded from PubMed. After removing the duplicate and incomplete literature, the retained data were imported for analysis through text mining. A total of 19,843 papers were analyzed, and the text mining technique was used to search for keyword and questionnaire types. The results showed the associations between these questionnaires, with the top five being the Addiction Severity Index (16.44%), the Quality of Life survey (5.01%), the Beck Depression Inventory (3.24%), the Addiction Research Center Inventory (2.81%), and the Profile of Mood States (1.10%). Specifically, the Addiction Severity Index was most commonly used in combination with Quality of Life scales. In conclusion, association analysis is useful to extract core knowledge. Researchers can learn and visualize the latest research trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) with its advantages continues to gain popularity among surgeons. This study analyzed the increased costs of RAS in common surgical procedures using the National Inpatient Sample.Methods: Retrospective analysis of the 2012-2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-NIS was performed for the following laparoscopic/robotic procedures: cholecystectomy, ventral hernia repair, right and left hemicolectomy, sigmoidectomy, abdominoperineal resection, and total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). Patients with additional concurrent procedures were excluded. Costs were compared between the laparoscopic procedures and their RAS counterparts. Total costs and charges for cholecystectomy (the most common procedure in the dataset) were compared based on the payer and characteristics of hospital (region, rural/urban, bed size, and ownership).Results: A total of 91,630 surgeries (87,965 laparoscopic, 3665 robotic) were analyzed. The average cost for the laparoscopic group was $10,227 ± $4986 versus $12,340 ± $5880 for the robotic cases (p < 0.001). The overall and percentage increases for laparoscopic versus robotic for each procedure were as follows: cholecystectomy $9618 versus $10,944 (14%), ventral hernia repair $10,739 versus $13,441 (25%), right colectomy $12,516 versus $15,027 (20%), left colectomy $14,157 versus $17,493 (24%), sigmoidectomy $13,504 versus $16,652 (23%), abdominoperineal resection $17,708 versus $19,605 (11%), and TAH $9368 versus $9923 (6%). Hysterectomy was the only procedure performed primarily using RAS and it was found to have the lowest increase in costs. Increased costs were associated with even higher increases in charges, especially in investor-owned private hospitals.Conclusion: RAS is more costly when compared to conventional laparoscopic surgery. Additional costs may be lower in centers that perform a higher volume of RAS. Further analysis of long-term outcomes (including reoperations and readmissions) is needed to better compare the life-long treatment costs for both surgical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on the analysis of a pair of cross‐national parallel surveys on Chinese students, respectively inside the People's Republic of China and in the US. Specifically, it makes comparisons between two cross‐sectional groups: 1) Chinese students in a PRC university who intend to study abroad (with a subset that stated that the United States is their top destination), versus 2) Chinese students already at a US university. Building on a "motility" concept while using an "Intellectual Migration" conceptual framework and chi‐square and logistic regression analyses, it demonstrates that Chinese students' possibly returning to the PRC are significantly influenced by their gender, college GPA, family finance, assessment of China's current and future development. The results on outmigration or return migration intentions are presented, and it concludes with some policy implications and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using publicly available data, this article aims to understand how immigration policies in Canada and the United States have affected the flow and utilization of highly‐skilled migrants from China and India. Reviewing existing literature on the policies about, and utilization of, human capital among highly‐skilled migrants, and describing the policy contexts in both receiving countries, we present detailed empirical evidence to show that in spite of their higher education attainment than the general population and the total foreign‐born population, China‐ and India‐born migrants are not immune from the brain waste phenomenon. This is especially so among the India‐born. We end the article with policy implications for both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An estimated 38 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. Pharmacists are well positioned to provide care to patients with HIV, but gaps in HIV education among pharmacists exist. Recognizing the need to educate and prepare future pharmacists, a 2-credit advanced HIV elective course was created for Doctor of Pharmacy students at Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the United States, and Masters of Clinical Pharmacy students from University of Western Cape School of Pharmacy in South Africa. Methods: Course topics included diagnosis and treatment of HIV in children and adults, management of common comorbidities, pre-exposure prophylaxis, pharmacogenetic applications, and antiretroviral drug-drug interactions. Course effectiveness was evaluated using student examination results. Student perceptions were evaluated using pre- and post-course self-assessments involving abilities, confidence, and attitudes toward caring for people living with HIV. Results: Student pharmacists demonstrated competency in HIV knowledge, demonstrated skills in application to clinical-based scenarios, and reported significantly improved confidence and abilities as well as positive changes in attitudes toward people with HIV. Conclusion: This course contributed to student learning across different student cohorts in an institutional program in the United States including successful execution of distance learning and clinical application for students at a program in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pedestrian road safety remains a public health priority. The objective of this study is to describe trends in fatalities and injuries after pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions in the U.S. and identify associated risk factors for pedestrian fatalities.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of U.S. pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions from 2006 to 2015 (performed in 2017). Pedestrian fatality and injury data were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System. Frequencies of fatalities, injuries, and associated characteristics were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was performed for risk of fatality, controlling for demographic and crash-related factors.Results: There were 47,789 pedestrian fatalities and 674,414 injuries during the 10-year study period. Fatality rates were highest among the elderly aged 85 years and older (2.95/100,000 population), whereas injury rates were highest for those aged 15-19 years (35.23/100,000 population). Predictors associated with increased risk for death include the following: male sex (AOR=1.36, 95% CI=1.15, 1.62), age ≥65 years (AOR=3.44, 95% CI=2.62, 4.50), alcohol involvement (AOR=2.63, 95% CI=1.88, 3.67), collisions after midnight (AOR=5.21, 95% CI=3.20, 8.49), at non-intersections (AOR=2.76, 95% CI=2.21, 3.45), and involving trucks (AOR=2.15, 95% CI=1.16, 3.97) and buses (AOR=5.82, 95% CI=3.67, 9.21).Conclusions: Potentially modifiable factors are associated with increased risk of death after pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. Interventions including elder-friendly intersections and increasing visibility of pedestrians may aid in decreasing pedestrian injuries and deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study aimed to explore the gap of prevalence of healthy lifestyle behaviors including smoking cessation, quitting drinking, physical activity and healthy eating between Chinese adults with and without cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Methods: This study is a cross-sectional component of Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE)-China study, which recruited ~46,000 participants from 70 rural and 45 urban communities between 2005 and 2009. Participants were divided into disease (with CVDs) and control (without any diseases) groups. The adjusted rates were estimated for different strata by the generalized, linear mixed-effects model, including community as a random effect with additional adjustment for age, sex, education and income. Results: Among 40,490 participants, <10% had all four healthy lifestyle behaviors (disease group versus control group: urban areas: 7.8% versus 8.1%; rural areas: 3.4% versus 3.2%). The rates of smoking cessation and quitting drinking were significantly higher in disease group for both urban and rural residents (P<0.001). In urban areas, higher rates were observed in all other three healthy lifestyle behaviors except physical activity in low-income regions (P<0.05). Similarly, the higher trends were observed for stopping smoking and drinking while opposite trends for healthy eating among rural residents from low-income regions (P<0.05). Conclusions: Our study showed that the prevalence of adopting all four behaviors was low among Chinese adults. Individuals with CVDs were more likely to follow healthy lifestyle behaviors, but it still indicated a large gap between the actual and ideal adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors, which called for the promotion of population-wide strategies to modify lifestyle behaviors in addition to individual health-care intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite significant declines in cigarette smoking during the past decade, other tobacco products gained popularity among middle and high school students. This study examined temporal trends in exclusive and concurrent use of tobacco products among middle and high school students in the United States from 2011 through 2020. Methods: We used multiple annual datasets from the National Youth Tobacco Survey from 2011 through 2020 (N = 193 350) to examine trends of current (past 30 days) exclusive, dual, and poly use of tobacco products (ie, cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [e-cigarettes], cigars, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco). We used joinpoint regression models to calculate log-linear trends in annual percentage change (APC). Results: During 2011-2020, exclusive use of any tobacco product decreased significantly, except for e-cigarettes, which increased significantly at an APC of 226.8% during 2011-2014 and 14.6% during 2014-2020. This increase was more pronounced among high school students (APC = 336.6% [2011-2014] and 15.7% [2014-2020]) than among middle school students (APC = 10.4% [2014-2020]) and among male students (APC = 252.8% [2011-2014] and 14.8% [2014-2020]) than among female students (APC = 13.6% [2014-2020]). During 2011-2020, we also found upward trends in dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes (APC = 17.3%). Poly use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and any other tobacco products increased significantly at an APC of 57.1% during 2011-2014. Conclusions: The emergence of new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes in the US market has shifted the landscape of tobacco use among adolescents in the last decade toward poly product use, in which e-cigarettes are a prominent component. Our findings underscore the increasing complexity of tobacco use among adolescents in the United States and the need for strong policies and regulations adapted to evolving trends in cigarette and noncigarette tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated interim assessments effects on the achievement gap. The data were collected from a field experiment conducted in 2010–2011 in K-8 public schools in Indiana in the U.S. Two-level models were utilized to determine whether interim assessments interacted with student SES, race, level of prior achievement, gender, school composition and urbanicity. The results are overall mixed. The majority of the interaction effects are close to zero and statistically non-significant. However, the treatment may have helped reduce the gender and race gaps in reading and mathematics in grades 3–8. The treatment may also have helped reduce the achievement gap between middle- and high-achievers in grades 3–8. The interactions between interim assessments and school composition and urbanicity were overall non-significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the trend and factors associated with smoking marijuana from a hookah device among US adults. Methods: Data were drawn from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, an ongoing nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of the US population. Adult respondents who self-reported ever smoking marijuana from a hookah at Wave 5 (2018–19, N = 34,279 US adults) were included in the multivariable analysis. Trend analysis also was conducted using National Cancer Institute JoinPoint software from 2015 to 2019. Results: In 2018–19, an estimated 23.6 million (9.7%) US adults reported ever smoking marijuana from a hookah. Trend analysis showed the increasing prevalence of using marijuana from a hookah device from Wave 3 (8.9%) to Wave 5 (9.7%; time trend p =.007). Adults aged 25–44 years old (vs. 18–24; 13%, vs. 9%), whites (vs. Black; 11% vs. 9%), and lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB vs. straight; 17% vs. 9%) were more likely to report ever smoking marijuana from a hookah (ps <.05). Former and current users (vs. never users) of e-cigarettes (19% and 25% vs. 5%), cigarettes (11% and 21% vs. 2%), cigars (17% and 27% vs. 3%), and pipes (21% and 33% vs. 7%) and past 30-day blunt users (vs. non-users; 39% vs. 9%) were more likely to ever smoke marijuana from a hookah (ps <.05). Pregnant women (vs. non-pregnant; 12.8% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.03) were more likely to smoke marijuana from a hookah. Conclusions: Smoking marijuana from a hookah device is prevalent among young adults in the US, especially among vulnerable populations, and has increased significantly from 2015–2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we demonstrated that overall 51.2% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. The proportion of patients with elevated AFP levels was stationary in the period from 2011 to 2020. The proportion of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification (BCLC) stages 0–A HCC decreased from 2011 to 2020, whereas the proportion of patients with non-HBV- and non-HCV (NBNC)-HCC increased in the same period. Furthermore, the proportion of patients with early-stage HCC (i.e., BCLC stages 0–A) was lower for NBNC-HCC than for HBV- or HCV-related HCC. Advanced tumor stage, severe underlying liver disease, viral etiology, and female gender are associated with elevated AFP levels in HCC patients. A recent study from the US showed a decreasing trend in the elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (i.e., ≥20 ng/mL) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, advanced tumor stage and severe underlying liver disease were associated with elevated AFP levels. We aimed to evaluate this issue in an area endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV). Between 2011 and 2020, 4031 patients were newly diagnosed with HCC at our institution. After excluding 54 patients with unknown AFP data, the remaining 3977 patients were enrolled in this study. Elevated AFP level was defined as ≥20 ng/mL. Overall, 51.2% of HCC patients had elevated AFP levels; this proportion remained stationary between 2011 and 2020 (51.8% vs. 51.1%). Multivariate analysis showed that female gender (odds ratio (OR) = 1.462; p < 0.001), tumor size per 10 mm increase (OR = 1.155; p < 0.001), multiple tumors (OR = 1.406; p < 0.001), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages B–D (OR = 1.247; p = 0.019), cirrhosis (OR = 1.288; p = 0.02), total bilirubin > 1.4 mg/dL (OR = 1.218; p = 0.030), and HBV- or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive status (OR = 1.720; p < 0.001) were associated with elevated AFP levels. In conclusion, a stationary trend in elevated serum AFP level in HCC patients has been noted in the past 10 years. Advanced tumor stage, severe underlying liver disease, viral etiology, and female gender are associated with elevated AFP levels in HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pictorial health warning label (PHWL) is an effective risk communication measure among cigarette smokers. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of PHWL on low- and high-frequency waterpipe (WP) smokers. This study examined the effects of PHWL on puffing behavior, subjective experiences, and toxicant exposures among low- and high-frequency WP smokers in the United States (US). Methods: Sixty current (past-month) WP smokers (low-frequency; n = 30 and high-frequency; n = 30) completed two 45-min ad libitum WP smoking sessions in a cross-over design study (WP with no-PHWL vs. WP with PHWL). We compared the mean differences of puff topography, expired carbon monoxide (eCO), plasma nicotine concentration, and subjective experiences between the two smoking groups. Results: Mean age of low-frequency smokers was 21.5 years and high-frequency smokers was 21.3 years. Compared to high-frequency, low-frequency smokers had significant reduction in average total smoking time [mean difference (SD) = −7.6 (10.2) min vs. −2.6 (6.7) min, p = 0.03] and number of puffs [mean difference (SD) = −33.37 (70.7) vs. −0.70 (29.2), p = 0.02] following exposure to PHWL compared to no-PHWL condition. Post-session subjective experiences were lower among high-frequency smokers compared to low-frequency smokers following smoking WP with PHWL compared to the no-PHWL session (puff liking −1.2 vs. −0.5; puff satisfaction −1.0 vs. −0.3; craving reduction −0.5 vs. 1.2) (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that placing PHWL on the WP device may be a promising strategy with differential effectiveness among WP smokers: low-frequency (reduce puffing behaviors) and high-frequency (reduce smoking experience). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The rise of zoonotic diseases has become a global health issue around the world. The present study is aimed at assessing the global status and the trends in scrub typhus (ST) research. Methods. Publications related to ST studies from 1945 to 21st July 2020 were retrieved from the Scopus database. The search for the ST literature was conducted using the entry terms of the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) database. Full research articles and reviews were included in the analysis, and no limitation to the language was specified. Key bibliometric indicator analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, Bibliometrix (an R package), GraphPad Prism 5, and VOSviewer (version 1.6.6). Results. A total of 1567 publications were retrieved. The results revealed a significant increase in the number of ST publications over time. The documents received an average of 11.22 citations per document. Mahidol University in Thailand (258, 16.46%) was the most productive institution, while the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene published the most ST articles (88, 5.62%). Korea (195, 12.44%) was the most productive country, followed by India (178, 11.36%) and China (106, 6.76%). Richards AL was the most productive author with 36 articles. Conclusions. The study findings provide useful insights into the global efforts and works related to the progress of ST research, which can be used to identify future research areas, such as vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of the foreclosure crisis have been widespread, catalyzing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and leading to dramatic declines in housing equity and wealth. However, Black and Hispanic households and communities have been disproportionately affected by the crisis, contributing to a tightening of credit standards and a retrenchment of lending in these communities. This study uses a unique, national data set of purchase mortgages originated between 2004 and 2007 to examine the racial and ethnic dimensions of subprime lending practices that were prevalent during the boom and explores the role that these lending practices had on subsequent rates of default. This study thus contributes to the debate on the causes of the housing crisis and its implications for racial inequality in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of the association between global cognitive function and mortality is much, but whether specific cognitive function is related to mortality is unclear. To address the paucity of knowledge on younger populations in the US, we analyzed the association between specific cognitive function and mortality in young and middle-aged adults. We analyzed data from 5,144 men and women between 20 and 59 years of age in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–94) with mortality follow-up evaluation through 2006. Cognitive function tests, including assessments of executive function/processing speed (symbol digit substitution) and learning recall/short-term memory (serial digit learning), were performed. All-cause mortality was the outcome of interest. After adjusting for multiple variables, total mortality was significantly higher in males with poorer executive function/processing speed (hazard ratio (HR) 2.02; 95% confidence interval 1.36 to 2.99) and poorer recall/short-term memory (HR 1.47; 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.12). After adjusting for multiple variables, the mortality risk did not significantly increase among the females in these two cognitive tests groups. In this sample of the US population, poorer executive function/processing speed and poorer learning recall/short-term memory were significantly associated with increased mortality rates, especially in males. This study highlights the notion that poorer specific cognitive function predicts all-cause mortality in young and middle-aged males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the link between impaired lung function and cardiovascular events and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been recognized, the association between impaired lung function and metabolic syndrome has not been comprehensively assessed in the United States (U.S.) population. The aim of our study was to explore the association between impaired lung function and metabolic syndrome in a nationally representative sample of men and women. This cross-sectional population-based study included 8602 participants aged 20–65 years in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). We examined the relationship between the different features of metabolic syndrome and lung function, including forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). After adjusting for potential confounders such as age, body mass index, inflammatory factors, medical condition, and smoking status, participants with more components of metabolic syndrome had lower predicted values of FVC and FEV1 (p for trend <0.001 for both). Impaired pulmonary function was also associated with individual components of metabolic syndrome, such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p<0.05 for all parameters). These results from a nationally representative sample of US adults suggest that a greater number of features of metabolic syndrome is strongly associated with poorer FVC and FEV1. In clinical practice, more comprehensive management strategies to address subjects with metabolic syndrome and impaired lung function need to be developed and investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. A multinational cross‐sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted from 12 countries. Infant breastfeeding was recalled by parents or legal guardians. Height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat were obtained using standardized methods. The overall prevalence of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age at delivery, body mass index (BMI), highest maternal education, history of gestational diabetes, gestational age, and child's age, sex, birth weight, unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, sleeping, and sedentary time, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval, CI [0.57, 1.00]) and high body fat (OR 0.60, 95% CI [0.43, 0.84]) compared with exclusive formula feeding. The multivariable‐adjusted ORs based on different breastfeeding durations (none, 1–6, 6–12, and > 12 months) were 1.00, 0.74, 0.70, and 0.60 for obesity (Ptrend =.020) and 1.00, 0.64, 047, and 0.64 for high body fat (Ptrend =.012), respectively. These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for maternal BMI. Breastfeeding may be a protective factor for obesity and high body fat in 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children from 12 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a major health problem in the United States with extremely high mortality. The detection and isolation of cancer cells are becoming increasingly important for cancer diagnosis. We describe a microfluidic device modified with silica nanoparticles to enhance the isolation of cancer cells using affinity separation. The isolation of seven different cancer cell lines spiked into liquid biopsies was demonstrated and compared with unmodified separation devices. Cancer cells were isolated using CD71 which has already been demonstrated to be a widespread "net" for capturing cancer cells of any phenotype as the affinity target. The capture efficiency of our nanoparticle (NP)-modified HB chip showed significant differences compared with the normal HB chip, exhibiting an average increase of 16%. The cell enrichment increased by a factor of 2 over unmodified chips. Patient-derived ALL cells, COG-LL-332, were spiked into blood with concentrations ranging from 1% to 20% of total leukocytes, and isolated with the purity of 41%–65%. The results of this study demonstrated that the increase of cell–chip interactions after nanoparticle modification improved capture efficiency and capture purity, and can be applied to a wide range of cell separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meningioma incidence was reported to have risen substantially in the United States during the first decade of the 21st century. There are few reports about subsequent incidence trends. This study provides updated data to investigate trends in meningioma incidence by demographic and tumor characteristics at diagnosis in the United states from 2004 to 2015. Methods: Trends in meningioma incidence were analyzed using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐18 (SEER‐18) registry database of the National Cancer Institute. The joinpoint program was used to calculate annual percent change (APC) in incidence rates. Results: The overall incidence of meningioma increased by 4.6% (95% CI, 3.4‐5.9) annually in 2004‐2009, but remained stable from 2009 to 2015 (APC, 0; 95% CI, −0.8 to 0.8). Females (10.66 per 100 000 person‐years) and blacks (9.52 per 100 000 person‐years) had significant predominance in meningioma incidence. Incidence in many subgroups increased significantly up to 2009 and then remained stable until 2015. However, meningioma incidence in young and middle‐aged people increased significantly throughout the entire time period from 2004 to 2015 (APC: 3.6% for <20‐year‐olds; 2.5% for 20‐39‐year‐olds; 1.8% for 40‐59‐year‐olds). The incidence of WHO II meningioma increased during 2011‐2015 (APC = 5.4%), while the incidence of WHO III meningioma decreased during 2004‐2015 (APC = −5.6%). Conclusion: In this study, the incidence of meningioma was found to be stable in recent years. Possible reasons for this finding include changes in population characteristics, the widespread use of diagnostic techniques, and changes in tumor classification and risk factors in the US population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osimertinib is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that is clinically effective in patients with EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the use of this treatment is limited by its high cost. A cost-effectiveness analysis of different sequences of osimertinib administration in China and the United States was conducted in the present study. Markov models were established based on data from the FLAURA and AURA3 trials. First-line osimertinib was compared with both first-generation EGFR-TKIs and second-line osimertinib after the failure of first-generation EGFR-TKIs. The analysis also considered different payment modalities available in China. Additionally, one-way and probability sensitivity analyses, with a willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP) of three times the per capita gross domestic product [$27,783/quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for China and $100,000/QALY for the United States], were performed. The first-line osimertinib group displayed higher QALYs and costs than those of the first-generation EGFR-TKI group. The first generation EGFR-TKI group displayed an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $212,252/QALY in China and $151,922/QALY in the United States. In addition, the ICERs were negative in the second-line osimertinib group, with higher QALYs and lower costs compared with those in the first-line osimertinib group. Furthermore, osimertinib company donation was of benefit in China, with an average cost-effectiveness of $836/QALY. The one-way sensitivity analysis highlighted the influence of utilities in different states. First-line osimertinib could be cost-effective either with higher WTP or a price reduction of 68% in China and 9% in the United States. Although first-line osimertinib therapy could have health benefits, it was not cost-effective compared with first-line first-generation EGFR-TKIs and second-line osimertinib therapy. However, paying via company donation may be a good choice in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Fuscoporia of the Hymenochaetaceae is characterized by resupinate to pileate basidiocarps, a dimitic hyphal system with fine crystal aggregates and encrusted generative hyphae in dissepiment edge and tube trama, the presence of hymenial setae, and hyaline, thin-walled, smooth basidiospores. Members of the F. contigua group are easy to distinguish from other species of Fuscoporia because of the moderately large pores, presence of mycelial setae, and large hymenial setae. Here, we explore phylogenetic relationships among 20 species of Fuscoporia based on examination of some 90 collections sampled worldwide. Seven new species are recognized in the F. contigua group--F. americana, F. centroamericana, F. costaricana, F. latispora, F. monticola, F. septiseta, and F. sinica--described from China, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from DNA sequences of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), D1-D2 domains of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), and translation elongation factor EF-1 alpha (tef1) support the F. contigua group as one of two major clades within Fuscoporia comprising nine species worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of urban expansion and population change on vacant land patterns are not fully understood. While the majority of previous research documents that depopulation can result in increased vacant urban areas, there are conflicting findings in regards to the effects of urban expansion. What remains unclear is whether higher urban elasticity (expansion in size) contributes to increases in urban vacancies, or the inverse. While elastic cities extend their boundaries and develop outwardly, inelastic cities contract or stay the same in size and utilize infill development. This research sought to determine if urban elasticity plays a significant role in contributing to urban vacancy increases through an exploratory, quasi-experimental longitudinal analysis of vacant address data from 40 U.S. cities of over 100,000 persons from 2000 to 2010. We compared the top 20 elastic (boundaries expanded the most) and inelastic (boundaries contracted the most) cities. A fixed effects panel model was developed to observe changes over time and differences in total, residential, and business land uses. Results indicate that aggressive urban expansion can contribute to increased urban vacancies, specifically in reference to residential land uses. This finding clarifies what had heretofore been a murky aspect of the urban studies literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the United States, and the gut microbiome has recently emerged as a potential etiologic factor in OA development. Recent studies have shown that a microbiome is present at joint synovia. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the intra-articular microbiome within osteoarthritic synovia and to illustrate its role in OA disease progression. RNA-sequencing data from OA patient synovial tissue was aligned to a library of microbial reference genomes to identify microbial reads indicative of microbial abundance. Microbial abundance data of OA and normal samples was compared to identify differentially abundant microbes. We computationally explored the correlation of differentially abundant microbes to immunological gene signatures, immune signaling pathways, and immune cell infiltration. We found that microbes correlated to OA are related to dysregulation of two main functional pathways: increased inflammation-induced extracellular matrix remodeling and decreased cell signaling pathways crucial for joint and immune function. We also confirmed that the differentially abundant and biologically relevant microbes we had identified were not contaminants. Collectively, our findings contribute to the understanding of the human microbiome, well-known OA risk factors, and the role microbes play in OA pathogenesis. In conclusion, we present previously undiscovered microbes implicated in the OA disease progression that may be useful for future treatment purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]