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Abstract Background The beverage industry’s role in undermining nutrition-related population health is a growing global concern. Industry strategies that affect policy, science, and public opinion are increasingly exposed. However, those used in the retail space—known as market strategies—remain largely unspecified. The purpose of this study was to uncover the market strategies beverage companies use with US retailers to secure their influence and control in the primary setting where the public purchases their products—food retail. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on multiple data sources: 49 interviews with industry insiders, including chain retail managers, independent store owners, and sales representatives and distributors of major food and beverage companies; 15 business files shared by participants, including written beverage marketing agreements and contracts; and 27 purposively sampled, publicly-available industry documents. All data were thematically analyzed. Results We identified that beverage agreements, which dictate the products, space, marketing, and prices of company products in retail settings, are universal regardless of the retailer’s market size. While ubiquitous, the agreement terms, services, and treatment beverage companies provided varied widely—with large US retail chains receiving superior opportunities, such as financial incentives and additional services, and independent and small chain retailers often experiencing disadvantaged, more expensive, non-negotiable terms. Despite this, companies also used several strategies that diminished concerns of differential treatment and thus effectively managed their reputation among independent and small chain retailers. Conclusions Findings suggest a use of the consolidated power among beverage companies with significant implications for the healthfulness of food retail settings. We conclude by highlighting key policy and legal targets that could be leveraged in the US to address power imbalances in the retailer-beverage company relationship and ultimately shift retail towards promoting public health.

Populistische und extremistische Akteur:innen gewinnen unabhängig von ihrer ideologischen Verortung stetig an Popularität. Digitale Medien spielen dabei eine zentrale Rolle. Obwohl in Medienberichten spekuliert wird, dass das von Populist:innen geschaffene einfache Weltbild zu extremeren Positionen beiträgt, gibt es bisher keine Untersuchungen dazu, inwiefern Extremist:innen in ihren Mitteilungen auf populistische Kommunikationsmuster zurückgreifen. Außerdem gibt es keine Studie, welche unterschiedliche Ideologien diesbezüglich gegenüberstellt. Die vorliegende Studie schließt diese Lücke und präsentiert eine quantitative Inhaltsanalyse von N=51 extremistischen YouTube-Videos (n=25 rechtsextremistisch, n=26 islamistisch extremistisch). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass 30 Prozent der Videos die drei zentralen Elemente des Populismus aufweisen (Volkszentrismus, Anti-Elitismus und Wiederherstellung der Souveränität). Zudem unterscheiden sich rechtsextremistische und islamistische Videos nur geringfügig hinsichtlich der verwendeten populistischen Kommunikationsmuster.

Abstract The resonant excitation of electronic transitions with coherent laser sources creates quantum coherent superpositions of the involved electronic states. Most time-resolved studies have focused on gases or isolated subsystems embedded in insulating solids, aiming for applications in quantum information. Here, we focus on the coherent control of orbital wavefunctions in the correlated quantum material Tb2Ti2O7, which forms an interacting spin liquid ground state. We show that resonant excitation with a strong THz pulse creates a coherent superposition of the lowest energy Tb 4f states. The coherence manifests itself as a macroscopic oscillating magnetic dipole, which is detected by ultrafast resonant x-ray diffraction. We envision the coherent control of orbital wavefunctions demonstrated here to become a new tool for the ultrafast manipulation and investigation of quantum materials.

Communication research has long recognized the dynamic nature of most media stimuli and the corresponding dynamic emotional processing implied on the side of the audience. Capturing and analyzing these emotional dynamics during media reception is imperative for advancing our understanding of media processing and effects, but is not common practice in most communication research. This article highlights several methodological approaches to measuring the physiological, behavioral, and experiential components of emotions during media exposure: Electrodermal activity, automated facial expression analysis, continuous response measurement, and self-probed emotional retrospections. We discuss these methods in terms of what they measure, their practical application to different research contexts, and aspects of data-analysis. We further highlight ways to adapt and apply these methods to advance research on hot topics in communication science, psychology, and related fields and provide recommendations for scholars who wish to integrate continuous measures of emotional responses into their research.

Abstract Environmental toxins are known to have many impacts on growth and development in humans, starting in utero. Alterations in amelogenesis, caused by chemical and physical trauma that occur during the antenatal, perinatal and postnatal time periods, may result in developmental defects in deciduous and permanent tooth enamel, as demonstrated in animal studies. These defects can be clinically visible and result in a variety of morphological and functional problems in the dentition. Since enamel does not remodel after formation, it may serve as a permanent record of insults during organ development. Our primary purpose was to investigate any possible relationship between intrauterine exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (phenols and phthalates) and developmental defects in enamel in children, while also accounting for fluoride exposure. Our secondary purpose was to report descriptively on findings from comprehensive dental examinations performed on 356 children that were drawn from the general paediatric population. A cohort of children from the Utah Children’s Project (N = 356) that had full medical exams, comprehensive medical and family histories and available biospecimens were given extraoral and intraoral examinations. They also completed an oral health questionnaire. Standardized intraoral photographs were taken of the teeth and viewed by standardised examiners and the dental observations were recorded for a full inventory of findings, including: tooth morphology, caries, restorations, colorations, attrition, erosion, fractures and hypomineralization. Perinatal maternal urine samples were assessed for the concentration of fluoride, phenols and phthalates, including bisphenol A (BPA). Pairwise statistical analyses were done to correlate the dental findings with one another and with the presence of environment chemicals found in the urine samples. Hypomineralization was the most common finding (96% of children; 37% of deciduous teeth, 42% of permanent teeth), consistent with molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) described in other human populations. No consistent correlations were seen between dental findings and the presence of phenols and phthalates in prenatal urine, but the number of samples available for the assessment was limited (n = 35). In conclusion, we found a high proportion of dental hypomineralization in a population based paediatric cohort, but did not find an association with prenatal exposure to phenols and phthalates.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular health is linked to sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages (SSBs and ASBs). Prior studies document declines in SSB purchases. However, it is unclear if similar trends exist at convenience and other small food outlets, which often serve lower-income communities and where objective point-of-sales data are difficult to obtain. We examined trends (2014–2017) in observed SSB, ASB, and water purchases at convenience and other small stores as well as differences in purchasing by customer characteristics. Methods We used observational purchase data collected annually (2014–2017) from 3010 adult customers at 147 randomly-sampled stores in Minneapolis/St. Paul, USA. SSB sub-types included any ready-to-drink sweetened soda, fruit, sport, energy, tea, or other drink, and ASBs included artificially-sweetened versions. Unsweetened water included ready-to-drink water. Mixed regression models examined trends over time and associations with customer characteristics, accounting for customers nested within stores and stores repeatedly measured over time. Results Nearly 50% of purchases included an SSB. Approximately 10% included an ASB. There was no evidence of change over time in SSB or ASB purchasing. Customer purchasing of unsweetened water significantly increased over time (5.7 to 8.4%; P for trend = 0.05). SSB purchasing was highest among men, young adults, customers with lower education/ income, and customers that shopped frequently. ASB purchasing was highest among women, those 40–59 years, non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, and customers with higher education/ income. Conclusions Despite research suggesting previous declines in SSB consumption and purchasing in the US, we identified a persistent, high trend of SSB purchasing overtime at convenience and other small food stores. Consumption of SSBs and water are growing targets for public policy and health campaigns. Results demonstrate additional work is needed curb sweetened beverage purchasing and promote water purchasing at convenience and other small food stores, which are often prevalent in low-income and marginalized communities.

Abstract Background The global incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is increasing. Dental professionals play a key role in the detection of oral lesions that could lead to cancer. However, scientific-based HPV-OPC visual inspection guidelines are underdeveloped and HPV knowledge and awareness has been reported to be low among dental students and professionals. The present study adapted and performed pretesting of a multi-scale survey evaluating knowledge, perceptions, and clinical practices regarding HPV and HPV-OPC for Latin American Spanish-speaking populations. Methods A previously developed questionnaire for English-speaking dental students was translated to Spanish. The questionnaire was administered to first year dental students at two Latin American universities with dental programs. Internal consistencies were measured using Cronbach Alpha. Analyses were conducted in SAS Version 9.4. Results Data from a total of 114 students, a majority of the which were female (61%), and Hispanic/Latino(a)/Spanish (91%). The HPV, HPV-OPC, and HPV vaccine knowledge subscales demonstrated good internal consistency, the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83, 0.75, and 0.86 respectively. The Barriers subscale had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93, showing excellent internal consistency. The Clinical Procedures subscale, focused on factors surrounding dental students’ hypothetical clinical practice procedures, had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86. The Scope of Practice scale had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93. Conclusions Ultimately, this survey demonstrated reliability and applicability for the assessment of dental students’ knowledge, perceptions, and clinical practices regarding HPV and HPV-OPC in Latin America.

Abstract Background Early adulthood is a period of rapid personal development when individuals experience major life transitions (e.g. leaving the parental home, leaving education, beginning employment, cohabitation and parenthood). Changes in social and physical environments associated with these transitions may influence development of health-related behaviours. Consumption of fast food is one behaviour associated with poor diet and long-term health outcomes. In this study we assess how frequency of fast food consumption changes across early adulthood, and how major life transitions are associated with changes in fast food intake. Methods Data were collected across four waves of the Project EAT study, from mean age 14.9 (SD = 1.6) to mean age 31.1 (SD = 1.6) years. Participants reporting data at two or more waves were included (n = 2902). Participants reported past week frequency of eating food from a fast food restaurant and responded to questions on living arrangements, education and employment participation, and having children. To assess changes in fast food we developed a latent growth model incorporating an underlying trajectory of fast food intake, five life transitions, and time-invariant covariates. Results Mean fast food intake followed an underlying quadratic trajectory, increasing through adolescence to a maximum of 1.88 (SE 0.94) times/week and then decreasing again through early adulthood to 0.76 (SE 2.06) times/week at wave 4. Beginning full-time employment and becoming a parent both contributed to increases in fast food intake, each resulting in an average increase in weekly fast food intake of 0.16 (p

Volcanic eruptions comprise an important airborne hazard for aviation. Although significant events are rare, e.g. compared to the threat of thunderstorms, they have a very high impact. The current state of tools and abilities to mitigate aviation hazards associated with an assumed volcanic cloud was tested within an international demonstration exercise. Experts in the field assembled at the Schwarzenberg barracks in Salzburg, Austria, in order to simulate the sequence of procedures for the volcanic case scenario of an artificial eruption of the Etna volcano in Italy. The scope of the exercise ranged from the detection (based on artificial observations) of the assumed event to the issuance of early warnings. Volcanic-emission-concentration charts were generated applying modern ensemble techniques. The exercise products provided an important basis for decision-making for aviation traffic management during a volcanic-eruption crisis. By integrating the available wealth of data, observations and modelling results directly into widely used flight-planning software, it was demonstrated that route optimization measures could be implemented effectively. With timely and rather precise warnings available, the new tools and processes tested during the exercise demonstrated vividly that a vast majority of flights could be conducted despite a volcanic plume being widely dispersed within a high-traffic airspace over Europe. The resulting number of flight cancellations was minimal.

Abstract Background Policies to improve healthy food retail have been recognized as a potential means of reducing diet-related health disparities. The revised 2014 Minneapolis Staple Foods Ordinance instituted minimum stocking standards for healthy, staple foods. The objective of this study was to examine retailer compliance with the policy, and whether compliance varied by neighborhood and store characteristics. Methods In this natural experiment, audits were conducted annually pre- and post-ordinance (2014–2017) in 155 small/nontraditional stores in Minneapolis, MN and a comparison city (St. Paul, MN). Compliance measures for 10 product categories included: (1) met requirements for ≥8 categories; (2) 10-point scale (one point for each requirement met); and (3) carried any item in each category. Store characteristics included store size and ownership status. Neighborhood characteristics included census-tract socioeconomic status and low-income/low-access status. Analyses were conducted in 2018. Results All compliance measures increased in both Minneapolis and St. Paul from pre- to post-policy; Minneapolis increases were greater only for carrying any item in each category (p

Including dental health providers in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination could reduce rising rates in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC). This study assessed Utah dentists’ perspectives on providing HPV vaccination education and services in the dental setting. A cross-sectional, 70-item self-administered survey was conducted among a convenience sample of N = 203 practicing Utah dentists. Statistical analyses included Chi Square tests of independence, scaled scores and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Majority of Utah dentists surveyed perceived that discussing the link between HPV and OPC and recommending the HPV vaccine is within their scope of practice, but not administration of the HPV vaccine. Dentists with >10 minutes of patient education per week were less likely to be concerned about the cultural, social norms or religious ideology of discussing HPV with their patients (p = .024). Rural dentists were more concerned about the safety and liability of the HPV vaccine (p = .011). Good internal consistency was observed survey items regarding barriers and willing to engage in HPV vaccination practices. Dental providers were interested in HPV training and patient education brochures as strategies, but less interested in administering the HPV vaccine. Dental associations support dentists’ engagement in HPV education and HPV-OPC prevention. This is the first study in Utah to examine dentists’ perspectives on HPV vaccination. Findings have implications for program planning, intervention development, and future research.

Recent advances in single-cell sequencing technologies enable the generation of large-scale data sets of paired TCR sequences from patients with autoimmune disease. Methods to validate and characterize patient-derived TCR data are needed, as well as relevant model systems that can support the development of antigen-specific tolerance inducing drugs. We have generated a pipeline to allow streamlined generation of ‘artificial’ T cells in a robust and reasonably high throughput manner for in vitro and in vivo studies of antigen-specific and patient-derived immune responses. Hereby chimeric (mouse-human) TCR alpha and beta constructs are re-expressed in three different formats for further studies: (i) transiently in HEK cells for peptide-HLA tetramer validation experiments, (ii) stably in the TCR-negative 58 ​T cell line for functional readouts such as IL-2 production and NFAT-signaling, and lastly (iii) in human HLA-transgenic mice for studies of autoimmune disease and therapeutic interventions. As a proof of concept, we have used human HLA-DRB1∗04:01 restricted TCR sequences specific for a type I diabetes-associated GAD peptide, and an influenza-derived HA peptide. We show that the same chimeric TCR constructs can be used in each of the described assays facilitating sequential validation and prioritization steps leading to humanized animal models.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses a large number of genes of unknown or predicted function, undermining fundamental understanding of pathogenicity and drug susceptibility. To address this challenge, we developed a high-throughput functional genomics approach combining inducible CRISPR-interference and image-based analyses of morphological features and sub-cellular chromosomal localizations in the related non-pathogen, M. smegmatis. Applying automated imaging and analysis to 263 essential gene knockdown mutants in an arrayed library, we derive robust, quantitative descriptions of bacillary morphologies consequent on gene silencing. Leveraging statistical-learning, we demonstrate that functionally related genes cluster by morphotypic similarity and that this information can be used to inform investigations of gene function. Exploiting this observation, we infer the existence of a mycobacterial restriction-modification system, and identify filamentation as a defining mycobacterial response to histidine starvation. Our results support the application of large-scale image-based analyses for mycobacterial functional genomics, simultaneously establishing the utility of this approach for drug mechanism-of-action studies.

Background: Physical activity and sleep are two time-dependent behaviors with important health implications. The amount of time people have to engage in these behaviors may vary based on their everyday work, social circumstances (e.g., parenthood), and social location (e.g., gender). Aims: The current study aimed to explore the ways work, social circumstances, and social locations combine that lead to heterogeneity in the time-dependent health behaviors of physical activity and time spent in bed (i.e., sleep) among a young adult population. We drew upon two conceptual frameworks—Constrained Choices and an intersectionality perspective—and examined multiple work characteristics (e.g., number of jobs), social circumstances (e.g., household income), and social locations (e.g., U.S. nativity) relevant to young adulthood. Methods: 2015–2016 data from a Minneapolis-St. Paul, U.S. cohort of 1830 young adults (25–36 years) were analyzed using conditional inference tree (CIT)—a data-driven approach which identifies population sub-groups that differ in their outcome values as well as in the interacting factors that predict outcome differences. Sensitivity analyses to evaluate CIT robustness were also performed. Results: CITs revealed four relevant sub-groups for physical activity (sub-group averages ranged = 2.9–4.9 h per week), with working mothers achieving the least activity, and six relevant sub-groups for time in bed (range = 7.8–8.7 h per day), with full-time working men obtaining the least. In both models, parent status and employment status/hours were found to consistently differentiate behavior among women but not men. Conclusion: According to these data, time to engage in physical activity and time in bed was constrained by particular everyday contexts (work and parent status) and the extent to which these contexts mattered also depended on gender. If replicated in other studies, results suggest equitable strategies are necessary to assist all parents and workers in engaging in these time-dependent health behaviors for long-term health.

The last century has seen dramatic shifts in population work circumstances, leading to an increasing normalization of non-standard work schedules (NSWSs), defined as non-daytime, irregular hours. An ever-growing body of evidence links NSWSs to a host of non-communicable chronic conditions; yet, these associations primarily concentrate on the physiologic mechanisms created by circadian disruption and insufficient sleep. While important, not all NSWSs create such chronobiologic disruption, and other aspects of working time and synchronization could be important to the relationships between work schedules and chronic disease. Leveraging survey data from Project EAT, a population-based study with health-related behavioral and psychological data from U.S. adults aged 25–36 years, this study explored the risks for a broad range of less healthful behavioral and well-being outcomes among NSWS workers compared to standard schedule workers (n = 1402). Variations across different NSWSs (evening, night/rotating, and irregular schedules) were also explored. Results indicated that, relative to standard schedule workers, workers with NSWSs are at increased risk for non-optimal sleep, substance use, greater recreational screen time, worse dietary practices, obesity, and depression. There was minimal evidence to support differences in relative risks across workers with different types of NSWSs. The findings provide insight into the potential links between NSWSs and chronic disease and indicate the relevancy social disruption and daily health practices may play in the production of health and well-being outcomes among working populations. Keywords: United States, Work schedule tolerance, Health behavior, Mental health, Substance abuse, Obesity

HPV oropharyngeal cancers have now surpassed cervical cancer rates in the US. Dental providers' engagement in HPV education and vaccination efforts may help reduce the burden of HPV oropharyngeal cancers. We examined factors associated with oral health students' willingness to train and administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in dental settings. US students in 15 oral health programs participated in an online survey in 2016. Unadjusted and adjusted multivariable logistic regression were conducted and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Analyses were conducted in SAS Version 9.4. Data from a total of N = 306 students were analyzed to examine sociodemographic, educational, practice, and attitudinal factors associated with willingness to train and administer the HPV vaccine. Majority of the participants were female (70.3%), non-Hispanic/Latino (90.8%), and White (62.1%). Perceiving that HPV vaccination recommendation (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.14–3.35) and administration (OR = 3.79, 95% CI = 1.63–8.81) was in the dental professional's scope was positively associated with outcome measures when other factors were held constant. Students with greater patient contact time (OR = 4.47, 95% CI = 1.14–17.58) and lower role conflict (agreed that HPV vaccine administration was in the dental professional's scope) had higher odds of willingness to administer the HPV vaccine when other factors were held constant (OR = 5.9, 95% CI = 2.27–15.3). The major barrier to engaging oral health students in HPV vaccination efforts was role conflict. Professional organizations and oral health programs should strongly support the role of oral health professionals in HPV oropharyngeal prevention. Keywords: Papillomavirus vaccines, Preventive dentistry, HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, Health services research, Dental health education

We develop a comprehensive quantitative theory for magnetoelectricity in magnetically ordered quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) systems whereby in thermal equilibrium an electric field can induce a magnetization and a magnetic field can induce an electric polarization. This effect requires that both space-inversion and time-reversal symmetry are broken. Antiferromagnetic order plays a central role in this theory. We define a Néel operator τ such that a nonzero expectation value 〈τ〉 signals collinear antiferromagnetic order in the same way a magnetization signals ferromagnetic order. While a magnetization is even under space inversion and odd under time reversal, the operator τ describes a toroidal moment that is odd both under space inversion and under time reversal. Thus the magnetization and the toroidal moment 〈τ〉 quantify complementary aspects of collinear magnetic order in solids. Focusing on quasi-2D systems, itinerant-electron ferromagnetic order can be attributed to dipolar equilibrium currents that give rise to a magnetization. In the same way, antiferromagnetic order arises from quadrupolar equilibrium currents that generate the toroidal moment 〈τ〉. In the magnetoelectric effect, the electric-field-induced magnetization can then be attributed to the electric manipulation of the quadrupolar equilibrium currents. We develop a k·p envelope-function theory for the antiferromagnetic diamond structure that allows us to derive explicit expressions for the Néel operator τ. Considering ferromagnetic zincblende structures and antiferromagnetic diamond structures, we derive quantitative expressions for the magnetoelectric responses due to electric and magnetic fields that reveal explicitly the inherent duality of these responses required by thermodynamics. Magnetoelectricity is found to be small in realistic calculations for quasi-2D electron systems. The magnetoelectric response of quasi-2D hole systems turns out to be sizable, however, with moderate electric fields being able to induce a magnetic moment of one Bohr magneton per charge carrier. Our theory provides a broad framework for the manipulation of magnetic order by means of external fields.

US organic poultry producers are under pressure to find feed alternatives to corn and wheat. Hulless oats offer advantages such as wide geographic adaptation of the plant and high concentrations of protein and oil in the grain. They have shown considerable potential in experimental work as a feed grain for poultry, but more research is needed into their influence on the sensory and nutritional properties of eggs. In this study, hulless oats were substituted for corn or wheat at 200 g kg−1 in diets fed to Hy-Line Brown hens and eggs were sampled for sensory evaluation after 8 weeks. Discrimination tests of blended and baked egg samples found evidence of difference between eggs from oat-based diets and those from the oat-free control (p