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Objectives. Although the burden of lead poisoning has decreased across developed countries, it remains the most prevalent environmental poison worldwide. Our objective was to investigate the sources of an outbreak of lead poisoning in Monterey County, California. Methods. An investigation in 3 county health department clinics in Monterey County, California, was conducted between 2001 and 2003 to identify risk factors for elevated blood lead levels (≥ 10 pg/dL) among children and pregnant women. Results. The prevalence of elevated blood lead levels was significantly higher in 1 of the 3 clinics (6% among screened children and 13% among prenatal patients). Risk factors included eating imported foods (relative risk [RR]=3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 9.5) and having originated from the Zimatlan area of Oaxaca, Mexico, compared with other areas of Oaxaca (RR=4.0; 95% CI=1.7, 9.5). Home-prepared dried grasshoppers (chapulines) sent from Oaxaca were found to contain significant amounts of lead. Conclusions. Consumption of foods imported from Oaxaca was identified as a risk factor for elevated blood lead levels in Monterey County, California. Lead-contaminated imported chapulines were identified as 1 source of lead poisoning, although other sources may also contribute to the observed findings. Food transport between binational communities presents a unique risk for the importation 900-906.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we demonstrated that ADP-induced platelet aggregation activates the binding of testosterone (T) to its receptor. It is well known that binding of ADP to its receptors induced the release of Ca2+ ions from dense bodies into the cytosol of platelets. In this work, we compared the binding of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone to their receptors using cytosol obtained from ADP-treated and non-treated platelets. These experiments were repeated using EGTA (a calcium chelator) or U73122 (a phospholipase C enzymatic activity inhibitor) to the ADP-treated platelets. In addition, we also developed a competition analysis for the androgen receptors (AR) using [3H]DHT, non-radioactive T, DHT or cyproterone acetate from ADP-treated platelets cytosol. The results from this study indicate that the cytosol obtained from non-ADP-treated platelets did not show any binding to [3H]T or [3H]DHT, whereas cytosol from ADP-treated platelets binds to the radio-labeled androgens. Furthermore cytosol from ADP plus U73122-treated platelets did not show binding to [3H]T or [3H]DHT. These data suggest that intracellular Ca2+ ions stimulates the binding of androgens to their receptors in platelets cytosol. The competition analysis shows that T and DHT have high affinities for the androgen receptors with similar IC50 values, whereas cyproterone acetate shows a lower affinity. The results from these data clearly indicate the presence of androgen receptors in platelets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Spin squeezing can improve atomic precision measurements beyond the standard quantum limit (SQL), and unitary spin squeezing is essential for improving atomic clocks. We report substantial and nearly unitary spin squeezing in 171Yb, an optical lattice clock atom. The collective nuclear spin of ~10³ atoms is squeezed by cavity feedback, using light detuned from the system's resonances to attain unitarity. The observed precision gain over the SQL is limited by state readout to 6.5(4) dB, while the generated states offer a gain of 12.9(6) dB, limited by the curvature of the Bloch sphere. Using a squeezed state within 30% of unitarity, we demonstrate an interferometer that improves the averaging time over the SQL by a factor of 3.7(2). In the future, the squeezing can be simply transferred onto the optical-clock transition of 171Yb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Limited research exists on the impact of type and number of traumatic events on the incidence of suicide ideation and attempts (suicidality) among adolescents in low/middle income countries where violence is common., Method: We estimated prospective associations of 7 types of events on the new occurrence of suicidality from a follow-up conducted in 2013 (n = 1071; ages 19-26) of the original Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey conducted in 2005 (ages 12-17), by using Hazard Ratios (HR) estimates., Results: For new onset of suicide ideation, those reporting "Ever raped or sexually assaulted" had the highest adjusted HR (3.8), followed by "Ever other traumatic event" (HR = 1.9), "Ever committed or witnessed violence" (HR = 1.7) and "Beaten as a child or witnessed physical fights at home" (HR = 1.5). For suicide attempt, those reporting "Ever beaten up by spouse, partner, someone else, mugged with a weapon, or stalked" (HR = 3.8) and "Ever other traumatic event" (HR = 2.0) had the higher hazards. Compared to those without a traumatic event, increased hazards of ideation and attempt were found for those reporting a greater number of types of events., Conclusions: Our sample is representative of the largest metropolitan area in Mexico but does not include other cities or age groups that may differ in risk factors. Traumatic events that happened in the eight years between waves are not considered. Traumatic events increased the risk of suicidality, independent of common mental disorders. Identifying and addressing these events in clinical settings may therefore be important for preventing suicide in this population., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

State-of-the-art atomic clocks are based on the precise detection of the energy difference between two atomic levels, which is measured in terms of the quantum phase accumulated over a given time interval 1-4 . The stability of optical-lattice clocks (OLCs) is limited both by the interrupted interrogation of the atomic system by the local-oscillator laser (Dick noise 5 ) and by the standard quantum limit (SQL) that arises from the quantum noise associated with discrete measurement outcomes. Although schemes for removing the Dick noise have been recently proposed and implemented 4,6-8 , performance beyond the SQL by engineering quantum correlations (entanglement) between atoms 9-20 has been demonstrated only in proof-of-principle experiments with microwave clocks of limited stability. The generation of entanglement on an optical-clock transition and operation of an OLC beyond the SQL represent important goals in quantum metrology, but have not yet been demonstrated experimentally 16 . Here we report the creation of a many-atom entangled state on an OLC transition, and use it to demonstrate a Ramsey sequence with an Allan deviation below the SQL after subtraction of the local-oscillator noise. We achieve a metrological gain of [Formula: see text] decibels over the SQL by using an ensemble consisting of a few hundred ytterbium-171 atoms, corresponding to a reduction of the averaging time by a factor of 2.8 ± 0.3. Our results are currently limited by the phase noise of the local oscillator and Dick noise, but demonstrate the possible performance improvement in state-of-the-art OLCs 1-4 through the use of entanglement. This will enable further advances in timekeeping precision and accuracy, with many scientific and technological applications, including precision tests of the fundamental laws of physics 21-23 , geodesy 24-26 and gravitational-wave detection 27 .

Background and Aims: DSM-5 includes Internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a condition for further study. While online and offline gaming may produce undesired negative effects on players, we know little about the nosology of IGD and its prevalence, especially in countries with emerging economies., Methods: A self-administered survey has been employed to estimate prevalence of DSM-5 IGD and study the structure and performance of an instrument in Spanish to measure DSM-5 IGD among 7,022 first-year students in 5 Mexican universities that participated in the University Project for Healthy Students (PUERTAS), part of the World Health Organization's World Mental Health International College Student Initiative., Results: The scale for IGD showed unidimensionality with factor loadings between 0.694 and 0.838 and a Cronbach's α = .816. Items derived from gaming and from substance disorders symptoms mixed together. We found a 12-month prevalence of IGD of 5.2% in the total sample; prevalence was different for males (10.2%) and females (1.2%), but similar for ages 18-19 years (5.0%) and age 20+ (5.8%) years. Among gamers, the prevalence was 8.6%. Students with IGD were more likely to report lifetime psychological or medical treatment [OR = 1.8 (1.4-2.4)] and any severe role impairment [OR = 2.4 (1.7-3.3)]. Adding any severe role impairment to the diagnostic criteria decreased the 12-month prevalence of IGD to 0.7%., Discussion and Conclusions: Prevalence of DSM-5 IGD and the performance of diagnostic criteria in this Mexican sample were within the bounds of what is reported elsewhere. Importantly, about one in every seven students with IGD showed levels of impairment that would qualify them for treatment under DSM-5.

Spin squeezing can improve atomic precision measurements beyond the standard quantum limit (SQL), and unitary spin squeezing is essential for improving atomic clocks. We report substantial and nearly unitary spin squeezing in ^{171}Yb, an optical lattice clock atom. The collective nuclear spin of ∼10^{3} atoms is squeezed by cavity feedback, using light detuned from the system's resonances to attain unitarity. The observed precision gain over the SQL is limited by state readout to 6.5(4) dB, while the generated states offer a gain of 12.9(6) dB, limited by the curvature of the Bloch sphere. Using a squeezed state within 30% of unitarity, we demonstrate an interferometer that improves the averaging time over the SQL by a factor of 3.7(2). In the future, the squeezing can be simply transferred onto the optical-clock transition of ^{171}Yb.

Background: One of the fastest growing risk groups for early onset of diabetes is women with a recent pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes, and for this group, Latinas are the largest at-risk group in the USA. Although evidence-based interventions, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which focuses on low-cost changes in eating, physical activity and weight management can lower diabetes risk and delay onset, these programs have yet to be tailored to postpartum Latina women. This study aims to tailor a IT-enabled health communication program to promote DPP-concordant behavior change among postpartum Latina women with recent gestational diabetes. The COM-B model (incorporating Capability, Opportunity, and Motivational behavioral barriers and enablers) and the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) framework, convey a theoretically based approach for intervention development. We combined a health literacy-tailored health IT tool for reaching ethnic minority patients with diabetes with a BCW-based approach to develop a health coaching intervention targeted to postpartum Latina women with recent gestational diabetes. Current evidence, four focus groups (n = 22 participants), and input from a Regional Consortium of health care providers, diabetes experts, and health literacy practitioners informed the intervention development. Thematic analysis of focus group data used the COM-B model to determine content. Relevant cultural, theoretical, and technological components that underpin the design and development of the intervention were selected using the BCW framework., Results: STAR MAMA delivers DPP content in Spanish and English using health communication strategies to: (1) validate the emotions and experiences postpartum women struggle with; (2) encourage integration of prevention strategies into family life through mothers becoming intergenerational custodians of health; and (3) increase social and material supports through referral to social networks, health coaches, and community resources. Feasibility, acceptability, and health-related outcomes (weight loss, physical activity, consumption of healthy foods, breastfeeding, and glucose screening) will be evaluated at 9 months postpartum using a randomized controlled trial design., Conclusions: STAR MAMA provides a DPP-based intervention that integrates theory-based design steps. Through systematic use of behavioral theory to inform intervention development, STAR MAMA may represent a strategy to develop health IT intervention tools to meet the needs of diverse populations., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02240420.

Repeat cesarean delivery (CD) rates among US Hispanic women are the highest of all racial/ethnic groups (90%). Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is an alternative delivery method, but requires medical records documentation of a non-vertical incision and favorable conditions in the current pregnancy. VBAC rates for Hispanic women are extremely low. This study explores the birth histories and medical records access among Hispanic women in California, taking into account the potential role of immigration on access to VBAC. Study aims are to describe for a sample of Hispanic women: (1) CD and VBAC histories as well as history of vaginal delivery preceding CD; and (2) medical records access, among women who had previous births in Mexico. Chart review was conducted for prenatal patients from three safety net clinics in two California counties with large Mexican migrant populations between August, 2003 and February 2004--during which VBAC was widely available in these two counties to determine: obstetric histories, CD details, birthplace and whether or not medical records had been requested/obtained for CD. 355 multiparous Hispanic women were included. Thirty-three percent had a previous CD, almost two-thirds (64%) had only one CD. Over half of the women (55%) with 2+ births and CD history also reported a vaginal birth history. Medical records for CD were infrequently requested (29%). Of those requested, records were received for 77% of women with a US CD, compared with 13% of women with Mexican CD histories. Policies to address: (1) VBAC opportunities for low risk women, such as those with prior vaginal births and one CD, and (2) overcoming limited medical records access, could mitigate against unnecessary CD and associated medical expenditures and risks for future complications.

We describe a promising approach to the processing of micro-optical components, where CO(2) laser irradiation in raster scan is used to generate localized surface melting of binary or multilevel structures on silica, fabricated by conventional reactive-ion etching. The technique is shown to provide well-controlled local smoothing of step features by viscous flow under surface tension forces, relaxing the scale length of etch steps controllably between 1 and 30 microm. Uniform treatment of extended areas is obtained by raster scanning with a power stabilized, Gaussian beam profile in the 0.5 to 1 mm diameter range. For step heights of 1 microm or less, the laser-induced relaxation is symmetric, giving softening of just the upper and lower corners at a threshold power of 4.7 W, extending to symmetric long scale relaxation at 7.9 W, with the upper limit set by the onset of significant vaporization. Some asymmetry of the relaxation is observed for 3 microm high steps. Also, undercut steps or troughs produced by photolithography and etching of a deep 64 level multistep surface are found to have a polarization-dependent distortion after laser smoothing. The laser reflow process may be useful for improving the diffraction efficiency by suppressing high orders in binary diffractive optical elements, or for converting multilevel etched structures in fused silica into smoothed refractive surfaces in, for example, custom microlens arrays.

It has been postulated that in blood vessels under alpha(1)-related stimulation, the endothelial intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) increases, which is necessary to induce nitric oxide synthesis, is the result of an increase in vascular smooth muscle, which subsequently, flows into the endothelial cells through gap junctions and it is not the result of a direct adrenergic stimulation of endothelial receptors. Others, however, postulate that endothelial alpha(1D)-adrenoceptors, have a direct effect on nitric oxide synthesis. In order to clarify this phenomena, in this work we analyzed the presence of alpha(1)receptor subtypes and their functional association with nitric oxide synthesis in rat coronary microvascular endothelial cells in culture, with pharmacological, immunological and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction approaches. Our results show the presence and functional coupling with nitric oxide synthesis of alpha(1A) and alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor subtypes. alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor subtype is not coupled with nitric oxide production.

Aromatase CYP19 catalyzes the synthesis of estrogen from androgens in a tissue-specific manner. This enzyme is present in several tissues, including gonads, brain and fatty tissue. More recently, its presence has been described in vessels. Here, we describe the expression of aromatase in human uterine artery and compare its expression with that found in arteries of estrogen-dependent uterine leiomyomata from women. To do this, we employed immunohystochemical and in situ hybridization techniques. We used, a polyclonal antibody raised against the carboxyl terminus of aromatase (ARO) and RNAm probes, of the exon 1 of ARO. We found an increased immunoreactivity of ARO in uterine arteries of patients with leiomyoma as compared with control group. Probe showing positive signal in skin fibroblasts (1b), showed positive hybridization signal in normal artery, while probes with positive signal in placenta (1a), ovary (1c) and testis (1d) were over-expressed in arteries of leiomyomas.

Caveolins are a family of integral membrane proteins implicated in various cell functions, including the organization and inactivation of signaling molecules of G protein-coupled receptors. We tested the ability of human caveolin scaffolding peptide-1 (CSP-1) to regulate norepinephrine- (NE) or histamine (HIS)-induced increases on intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i). In cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), CSP-1 inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner NE- and HIS-induced increases in [Ca(2+)]i. This effect can be explained by the fact that CSP-1 inhibited a common signaling pathway. We tested the ability of this peptide to decrease the activation of PLC-beta3 and MAPK. CSP-1 inhibited the expression of the activated form of both enzymes, suggesting a direct effect of the peptide on the signaling cascade. CSP-1 readily enters VSMC in culture, as observed when FITC-conjugated CPS-1 is added to cell culture media. Taken together, these data suggest that CSP-1 blocks the effects of NE and HIS on [Ca(2+)]i of VSMC by inhibiting the activation of PLC-beta3 and MAPK.