Search

With an electroless Ni-P (EN) layer thickness of 38-40 lm and a high P content of around 18 wt.%, the fatigue and corrosion-fatigue properties of a 7075-T6 aluminium alloy have been investigated. The findings demonstrate that the EN layer significantly enhances the substrate's resistance to fatigue and corrosion fatigue, but how much this happens depends on how the testing was set up. As the amount of alternating stress increases, the rise in fatigue characteristics seen during air tests of the coated system goes down. The fatigue life is almost doubled when there are between 0.4% and 0.2% of stresses. At 0.7% to 0.2% stress, however, the system's fatigue performance is not much different from that of the uncoated base. It is said that corrosion-fatigue conditions can improve fatigue life by up to 70%, depending on how hard the stress is. It has been proven that wear cracks cause bumpy spots on the surface of the coating. More alternating pressure makes the bad effects of these abnormalities worse. Meyer's law can be used to figure out the absolute hardness of the deposit, which can be estimated to be around 4 GPa based on the EN coating's yield strength, which can be measured using the tension method. It is also shown that the EN deposit sticks onto the base very well. Still, the system is put through tensile loads higher than the yield strength. In addition to these benefits, the coated system works better under stress because the EN coating has better mechanical properties than a substrate made of aluminium alloy and can keep the structure's consistency despite exhaustion tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Obesity is a major public health issue, significantly affecting national and individual health and economic well-being. This study quantifies the economic impact of excess body weight on employers and employees in 2023, offering insights for obesity prevention and treatment., Methods: We utilized data from the National Health Interview Survey, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and Current Population Survey. Published reports and original estimates were combined to assess the economic burden for the U.S. and across seven major industries (Construction, Education & Health, Financial Activities, Government, Manufacturing, Professional & Business Services, and Transportation & Utilities). We compared the economic outcomes for adults with obesity and overweight to those with healthy weight, focusing on direct and indirect costs. Potential savings from different weight loss scenarios were estimated using the Disease Prevention & Treatment Microsimulation Model., Results: In 2023, among 158 million civilian employees on nonfarm payrolls, 30% had obesity and 34% had overweight, resulting in a combined economic burden of $425.5 billion (obesity: $347.5 billion; overweight: $78 billion). This includes excess medical costs of obesity ($115 billion), presenteeism (obesity: $113.8 billion; overweight: $46.5 billion), absenteeism from obesity ($82.3 billion), excess medical costs of overweight ($31.5 billion), obesity-related disability payments ($31.1 billion), and workers' compensation payments ($5.2 billion). For a hypothetical firm with 10,000 employees (plus dependents), the annual costs were $22 million for obesity and $4.9 million for overweight, with average costs of $6472 per employee with obesity, $1244 per employee with overweight, $1514 per adult dependent with obesity, and $380 per adult dependent with overweight. Medical savings over 5 years range from $153.3 billion with a 5% weight loss to $326.1 billion with 25% weight loss at the industry level., Conclusion: The substantial economic costs imposed by obesity and overweight on employers and employees highlight the need for resources dedicated to treatment and prevention, which can result in reduced medical expenses and improved productivity., Competing Interests: Competing interests: TMD, TS, ZN, TL, and FC are consultants with GlobalData Plc and received funding from Eli Lilly and Company to conduct this study. Additionally, these authors provide paid consulting services to other life sciences companies, trade associations, and government entities. The authors declare no competing financial interests in relation to this work. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study did not involve human participants or live vertebrates and therefore did not require approval from an ethics committee. All methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Family members of incarcerated persons may experience grief related to the incarceration. We examined laypeople's perceptions of family members grieving the loss of an individual to incarceration. Participants ( N = 1,095) were randomized to read vignettes that varied by grief trajectory (prolonged vs. resilient), race (Black vs. White vs. Latine), and crime type (violent vs. non-violent). Participants answered questions assessing grief response appropriateness, comfort providing support to the grieving person, beliefs that the grieving person should seek therapy, and how severe they believed the incarcerated person's crime was. Results indicated that prolonged grief trajectories and greater perceived crime severity were associated with decreased ratings of grief response appropriateness. Participants were more likely to endorse the need for therapy-seeking for individuals with prolonged grief (vs. resilience). Participants were less likely to recommend therapy for Black (vs. White) individuals, and women were more likely to recommend seeking therapy than men. The results suggest stigma might exist toward family members grieving the loss of individuals who committed crimes perceived to be more severe by laypeople, which could contribute to negative bereavement outcomes.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused the 2019 COVID pandemic by infecting almost eight hundred million people worldwide. Because it was a new viral infection, there were no vaccines or small molecule medications that could prevent or treat the disease.  This chapter provides some details for an obscure treatment for COVID-19, that has decades of anti-viral activity data both in vitro and in vivo in the literature. The medicinal molecules are compared to other small molecules that were identified as possible medications for COVID-19.  We developed a computational method that ranks small molecules and their ability to penetrate mucus in the lungs of a COVID-19 patient. Our focus is ethanol as a COVID-19 treatment. The results discussed here are based on Lipinski Rules and QSAR computational methods as well as in vitro and in vivo data. These parameters indicate that ethanol should be a strong candidate for future evaluations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Key unmet needs in multiple sclerosis (MS) include detection of early pathology, disability worsening independent of relapses, and accurate monitoring of treatment response. Collaborative approaches to address these unmet needs have been driven in part by industry-academic networks and initiatives such as the Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation (GMSI) and Multiple Sclerosis Leadership and Innovation Network (MS-LINK ™ ) programs. We review the application of recent advances, supported by the GMSI and MS-LINK ™ programs, in neuroimaging technology to quantify pathology related to central pathology and disease worsening, and potential for their translation into clinical practice/trials. GMSI-supported advances in neuroimaging methods and biomarkers include developments in magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, ocular imaging, and machine learning. However, longitudinal studies are required to facilitate translation of these measures to the clinic and to justify their inclusion as endpoints in clinical trials of new therapeutics for MS. Novel neuroimaging measures and other biomarkers, combined with artificial intelligence, may enable accurate prediction and monitoring of MS worsening in the clinic, and may also be used as endpoints in clinical trials of new therapies for MS targeting relapse-independent disease pathology., Competing Interests: JO has received research funding from Biogen, Brain Canada, EMD Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, the MS Society of Canada, the National Institutes of Health, the National MS Society, and Roche; and has received personal compensation for consulting/speaking from Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi. LA has received institutional research support from Genzyme, Merck, and Novartis; and personal compensation for lectures/advising from Biogen, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi. DH has received research funding from EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA and Roche Genentech; has received consulting honoraria from Horizon Therapeutics; and has received authorship fees/royalties from American College of Physicians and Up To Date, Inc. EJ is an employee of Merck OY, Espoo, Finland, an affiliate of Merck KGaA. TL is an employee of EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. SL is a former employee of EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, and is currently an employee of Keros Therapeutics, Inc., Lexington, MA, USA. RM has received institutional research support from Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar National Research Fund and personal compensation for lectures/advising from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Proctor & Gamble, and Sanofi. DO has received personal compensation for consulting/advisory services from Alexion, Biogen, Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Serono Inc., Rockland, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Genentech, Genzyme, Janssen, Novartis, Osmotica Pharmaceuticals, RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc., TG Therapeutics, and Viela Bio, Inc.; has received research support from Biogen and EMD Serono Inc., Rockland, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA; has issued national and international patents along with pending patents related to this current work and other developed technologies; and has received royalties for intellectual property licensed by The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. PV holds stocks and has received consultancy fees from Accure Therapeutics, Attune Neurosciences, CLight, NeuroPrex, QMENTA, and Spiral Therapeutics. HV has received research funding/speaker fees from Merck. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Oh, Airas, Harrison, Järvinen, Livingston, Lanker, Malik, Okuda, Villoslada and de Vries.)

Background: Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) offer opportunities to improve the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), but decisions about treatment are difficult. People with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) want more involvement in decisions about DMTs, but new approaches are needed to support shared decision-making (SDM) because of the number of treatment options and the range of outcomes affected by treatment. We designed a patient-centered tool, MS-SUPPORT, to facilitate SDM for pwMS. We sought to evaluate the feasibility and impact of MS-SUPPORT on decisions about disease modifying treatments (DMTs), SDM processes, and quality-of-life., Methods: This multisite randomized controlled trial compared the SDM intervention (MS-SUPPORT) to control (usual care) over a 12-month period. English-speaking adults with relapsing MS were eligible if they had an upcoming MS appointment and an email address. To evaluate clinician perspectives, participants' MS clinicians were invited to participate. Patients were referred between November 11, 2019 and October 23, 2020 by their MS clinician or a patient advocacy organization (the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America). MS-SUPPORT is an online, interactive, evidence-based decision aid that was co-created with pwMS. It clarifies patient treatment goals and values and provides tailored information about MS, DMTs, and adherence. Viewed by patients before their clinic appointment, MS-SUPPORT generates a personalized summary of the patient's treatment goals and preferences, adherence, DMT use, and clinical situation to share with their MS clinician. Outcomes (DMT utilization, adherence, quality-of-life, and SDM) were assessed at enrollment, post-MS-SUPPORT, post-appointment, and quarterly for 1 year., Results: Participants included 501 adults with MS from across the USA (84.6% female, 83% white) and 34 of their MS clinicians (47% neurologists, 41% Nurse Practitioners, 12% Physician Assistants). Among the 203 patients who completed MS-SUPPORT, most (88.2%) reported they would recommend it to others and that it helped them talk to their doctor (85.2%), understand their options (82.3%) and the importance of taking DMTs as prescribed (82.3%). Among non-users of DMTs at baseline, the probability ratio of current DMT use consistently trended higher over one-year follow-up in the MS-SUPPORT group (1.30 [0.86-1.96]), as did the cumulative probability of starting a DMT within 6-months, with shorter time-to-start (46 vs 90 days, p=0.24). Among the 222 responses from 34 participating clinicians, more clinicians in the MS-SUPPORT group (vs control) trended towards recommending their patient start a DMT (9 of 108 (8%) vs 5 of 109 (5%), respectively, p=0.26). Adherence (no missed doses) to daily-dosed DMTs was higher in the MS-SUPPORT group (81.25% vs 56.41%, p=.026). Fewer patients forgot their doses (p=.046). The MS-SUPPORT group (vs control) reported 1.7 fewer days/month of poor mental health (p=0.02)., Conclusions: MS-SUPPORT was strongly endorsed by patients and is feasible to use in clinical settings. MS-SUPPORT increased the short-term probability of taking and adhering to a DMT, and improved long-term mental health. Study limitations include selection bias, response bias, social desirability bias, and recall bias. Exploring approaches to reinforcement and monitoring its implementation in real-world settings should provide further insights into the value and utility of this new SDM tool., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Funding for this research was provided by EMD Serono Inc., USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, through MS-LINK, a scientific consortium with a mission to improve patient outcomes by advancing MS science to generate actionable real-world data and patient-centered solutions. Further research supported by MS-LINK is designed to close existing scientific gaps identified by the MS community to advance discovery, care, and outcomes for patients with MS. NC: reports research grants and payment for participation in Advisory Board from EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, during the conduct of the study; grants from Pfizer, grants from Biogen, grants from Edwards Lifesciences, LLC, and grants from MSAA (Multiple Sclerosis Association of America). EA: reports consultation or advisory fees for Alexion, Biogen, Celgene/BMS, EMD Serono/Merck, Genentech/Roche, Horizon, Motric Bio, Novartis, Sanofi, and TG Therapeutics; and funding or grants from: Biogen, Genentech/Roche, Novartis, TG Therapeutics, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Institutes of Health, and Rocky Mountain MS Center, LP: has nothing to disclose. CI: (Carolina) has received research support from Riccio Neuroscience Fund and compensation from Sanofi Genzyme and Bristol Myers Squibb for advisory board participation. IBM: has nothing to disclose. AJS: reports funding by NIH/NINDS K02NS109340; compensation for consulting or advisory boards from EMD Serono, Genentech, Biogen, Alexion, Celgene, Octave Bioscience, and Greenwich Biosciences, compensation for nonpromotional speaking from EMD Serono, and research support from Biogen; and participated in contracted research with Biogen, Novartis, Actelion, and Genentech. CK: Consultant for EMD Serono, Biogen, Genzyme, BMS, Amgen, Teva, and Alexion. TL: is an employee of EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, JC: reports personal fees from EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Biogen, Allergan, and Biohaven, CIw (Crystal): has nothing to disclose. HC: has nothing to disclose. LN: has nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative inflammatory disease that requires long-term commitment to treatment for optimal outcomes. A variety of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are now available that reduce relapses and delay disease progression in people with MS. However, adherence remains a significant issue, with a variety of mental, physical, and emotional factors contributing to non-adherence. In a large number of studies, non-adherence has been associated with worse clinical outcomes (relapses and disease severity), a higher economic burden, and loss of work productivity. However, many of these studies were short-term (1-2 years) or cross-sectional studies; thus, more data are needed on the long-term clinical and economic impacts of DMT non-adherence. The objective of this study was to determine the longer-term impact of adherence to DMTs on disease activity and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in people with MS. The study hypothesis was that non-adherence to DMTs would be associated long-term with worse clinical outcomes and a higher economic burden., Methods: A retrospective administrative claims analysis of the US MarketScan® Commercial database (2011-2017) in individuals (18-65 years) with MS (based on International Classification of Disease coding) was conducted. Adherence was classified by proportion of days covered (PDC) ≥0.8 and non-adherence by PDC <0.8; sensitivity analyses helped further categorize as moderately (PDC ≥0.6-<0.8) or highly (PDC <0.6) non-adherent. Cohorts were matched using propensity score matching. Time to first relapse, annualized relapse rate (ARR), time to use of assistive devices (cane/walker or wheelchair), and annual HCRU (inpatient, emergency room [ER], outpatient, and MRI visits and costs) were compared between cohorts., Results: 10,248 MS cases were identified; 58% met adherence criteria, and 42% met non-adherence criteria. Mean follow-up from diagnosis or first DMT claim was 5.3 years. Adherent individuals had a longer time to first relapse (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-0.90; p<0.0001), a lower ARR (0.13 vs. 0.18, respectively; rate ratio [RR] 0.75 [95% CI: 0.71-0.79]; p<0.0001), and longer lag times to cane/walker use (HR 0.79 [95% CI: 0.66-0.94]; p=0.0067) and wheelchair use (HR 0.68 [95% CI: 0.55-0.83]; p=0.0002) than non-adherent individuals. Adherent individuals had fewer annual inpatient and ER visits and lower total costs than those who were non-adherent (p<0.0001). Sensitivity analyses showed that differences in disease activity and HCRU were generally more pronounced between matched adherent and highly non-adherent pairs than between matched adherent and moderately non-adherent pairs., Conclusion: Significant differences in MS disease activity and HCRU were observed based on adherence to DMTs. Our study underscores the negative impact of non-adherence to DMTs on long-term clinical and economic outcomes in MS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest L. Amezcua has consulted for EMD Serono, Biogen, and Novartis; receives research support from NMSS, NIH NINDS, and Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation; and receives clinical trial research support from Genentech. M. J. Williams is an employee of Joi Life Wellness Group, LLC, which received funding from EMD Serono to conduct this study. J. Zhou, B. Hayward, and T. Livingston are employees of EMD Serono. M. Gough was an employee of Ashfield MedComms (Macclesfield, UK), an Ashfield Health company, at the time of manuscript development and was funded by the study sponsor to provide medical writing support., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, media sources dedicated significant time and resources to improve knowledge of COVID-19 precautionary behaviors (eg, wearing a mask). Many older adults report using the television, radio, print newspapers, or web-based sources to get information on political news, yet little is known about whether consuming news in the early phase of the pandemic led to behavior change, particularly in older adults., Objective: The goals of this study were to determine (1) whether dosage of news consumption on the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with COVID-19 precautionary behaviors; (2) whether being an ever-user of social media was associated with engagement in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors; and (3) among social media users, whether change in social media use during the early stages of the pandemic was associated with engagement in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors., Methods: Data were obtained from a University of Florida-administered study conducted in May and June of 2020. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between traditional news and social media use on COVID-19 precautionary behaviors (eg, mask wearing, hand washing, and social distancing behaviors). Analyses were adjusted for demographic characteristics, including age, sex, marital status, and education level., Results: In a sample of 1082 older adults (mean age 73, IQR 68-78 years; 615/1082, 56.8% female), reporting 0 and <1 hour per day of media consumption, relative to >3 hours per day, was associated with lower engagement in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors in models adjusted for demographic characteristics (β=-2.00; P<.001 and β=-.41; P=.01, respectively). In addition, increasing social media use (relative to unchanged use) was associated with engagement in more COVID-19 precautionary behaviors (β=.70, P<.001). No associations were found between being an ever-user of social media and engaging in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors., Conclusions: The results demonstrated an association between higher media consumption and greater engagement in COVID-19 precautionary behaviors in older adults. These findings suggest that media can be effectively used as a public health tool for communication of prevention strategies and best practices during future health threats, even among populations who are historically less engaged in certain types of media., (©Emily J Smail, Torie Livingston, Adam Wolach, Erta Cenko, Christopher N Kaufmann, Todd M Manini. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 22.05.2023.)

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) typically presents in young adulthood. Recent data show the highest prevalence of MS in people aged 55 to 64 years; however, there are limited studies of this population., Methods: Administrative US claims data from IBM-Truven MarketScan commercial and Medicare databases (2011-2017) were analyzed. People with MS 50 years or older were assigned to the aging MS cohort (n = 10,746). The matched controls were people 50 years or older without MS (n = 10,746). Multivariable models compared outcomes between groups., Results: Infections were more frequent in the aging MS cohort vs matched controls (61% vs 45%; P < .0001); urinary tract, acute upper respiratory tract, and herpes zoster were the most frequent infection types. Malignancy rates were 20% for both groups ( P = .8167); skin, breast, and prostate malignancies were the most frequent types. Skilled nursing facilities (aging MS cohort, 12%; matched controls, 3%; P < .0001) and MRI (aging MS cohort, 87%; matched controls, 37%; P < .0001) were used more frequently in the aging MS cohort; brain and spine were the most frequent types of MRI in the aging MS cohort. Time to first cane/walker or wheelchair use was shorter in the aging MS cohort (cane/walker use: HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.9-2.3; P < .0001; wheelchair use: HR, 6.9; 95% CI, 6.0-8.1; P < .0001)., Conclusions: In people 50 years or older, measures typically associated with worse health primarily resulted from having MS rather than being a consequence of aging alone., Competing Interests: FUNDING/SUPPORT: Funding for this research was provided by EMD Serono, (CrossRef Funder ID: 10.13039/100004755) through the Multiple Sclerosis Leadership and Innovation Network, a scientific consortium created to advance MS science by generating actionable real-world data and patient-centered solutions to improve patient outcomes. The authors had full control of the manuscript and provided their final approval of all content., (© 2023 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.)

In Florida, almost all citrus trees are affected with Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). We characterized various parameters of HLB-affected sweet orange trees in response to yield-improving nutritional treatment, including canopy volume, canopy density and CLas Ct values, and found that the treatment improved yield and maintained canopy density for over three years, whereas untreated HLB-affected trees declined in canopy density. The nutritional treatment did not affect CLas titer or the tree canopy volume suggesting that canopy density is a better indicator of fruit yield. To further validate the importance of canopy density, we evaluated three independent orchards (different in tree age or variety) to identify the specific traits that are correlated with fruit yields. We found that canopy density and fruit detachment force (FDF), were positively correlated with fruit yields in independent trials. Canopy density accurately distinguished between mild and severe trees in three field trials. High and low producing HLB trees had the same Ct values. Ct values did not always agree with CLas number in the phloem, as visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Our work identifies canopy density as an efficient trait to predict yields of HLB-affected trees and suggests canopy health is more relevant for yields than the CLas population.