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The purpose of this study was to apply a propensity score method that could control for selection bias at both the student-level and school-level in an investigation of the causal effect linking participation in school-based extracurricular activity (SBEA) to adolescents' learning outcomes. The data for this study were drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) data set. The final sample comprised 12,247 10th graders; 6,026 (49.20%) were males. A propensity score method incorporating marginal mean weighting through stratification was implemented to analyze the data. Results showed that 10th graders who had proper intensity of participation in SBEA (6-15 hours a week) slightly outperformed peers who did not participate in SBEA on the performance of mathematics achievement in 12th grade. Regarding the link between SBEA participation and adolescents' long-term learning outcomes, results indicated 10th graders in 2002 with low to moderate levels of intensity (i.e., 1-15 hours) were more likely to achieve higher education credentials by the year 2012 when compared to non-participating peers.

This study aims to explore the relationship between dimensions of collegiate sport club experiences and the development of harmonious and obsessive passions. A measure of serious leisure qualities was employed to assess members' systematic pursuit with both the sporting and social facets of clubs. Dual passions signify contrasting psychological inclinations arising from optimal and excessive engagement, respectively. Online surveys were administered to collegiate sport club members from two universities. Completed responses from 145 individuals were included for analysis. Regression models revealed that identification and personal rewards facilitated harmonious passion. Notably, no serious leisure qualities fostered obsessive passion, but weekly practice hours did. Our results suggest that club members' development of their identities and meanings to clubs are crucial to foster an optimal club experience. This finding adds knowledge to recent literature concerning club factors and mechanisms enhancing personal development and successful club operations. Moreover, the exploration of obsessive passion also underscores the needs to further examine the factors that drive members to overly engage in sport clubs. Future research utilising the concept of dual passions can help elucidate the psychological processes club members undergo in balancing their club commitments with other aspects of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study compared opioid prescribing among ambulatory visits with systemic autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatic diseases (SARDs) or without and assessed factors associated with opioid prescribing in SARDs. Methods: This cross‐sectional study used the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey between 2006 and 2019. Adult (≥18 years) visits with a primary diagnosis of SARDs, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or systemic lupus erythematosus were included in the study. Opioid prescribing was compared between those with vs without SARDs using multivariable logistic regression accounting for the complex survey design and adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need factors within Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Another multivariable logistic regression examined the predictors associated with opioid prescribing in SARDs. Results: Annually, an average of 5.20 million (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.58–6.82) visits were made for SARDs, whereas 780.14 million (95% CI 747.56–812.72) visits were made for non‐SARDs. The SARDs group was more likely to be prescribed opioids (22.53%) than the non‐SARDs group (9.83%) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.65; 95% CI 1.68–4.18). Among the SARDs visits, patient age from 50 to 64 (aOR 1.95; 95% CI 1.05–3.65 relative to ages 18–49) and prescribing of glucocorticoids (aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.20–2.54) were associated with an increased odd of opioid prescribing, whereas private insurance relative to Medicare (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.31–0.82) was associated with a decreased odds of opioid prescribing. Conclusion: Opioid prescribing in SARDs was higher compared to non‐SARDs. Concerted efforts are needed to determine the appropriateness of opioid prescribing in SARDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study and application of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) will be enhanced by the availability of well-characterized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) detecting cell-surface epitopes. Here, we report generation of seven new mAbs that detect cell surface proteins present on live and fixed human ES cells (hESCs) and human iPS cells (hiPSCs), confirming our previous prediction that these proteins were present on the cell surface of hPSCs. The mAbs all show a high correlation with POU5F1 (OCT4) expression and other hPSC surface markers (TRA-160 and SSEA-4) in hPSC cultures and detect rare OCT4 positive cells in differentiated cell cultures. These mAbs are immunoreactive to cell surface protein epitopes on both primed and naive state hPSCs, providing useful research tools to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying human pluripotency and states of cellular reprogramming. In addition, we report that subsets of the seven new mAbs are also immunoreactive to human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), normal human breast subsets and both normal and tumorigenic colorectal cell populations. The mAbs reported here should accelerate the investigation of the nature of pluripotency, and enable development of robust cell separation and tracing technologies to enrich or deplete for hPSCs and other human stem and somatic cell types. Stem Cells 2017;35:626-640.

This paper groups persons who have transitioned into family caregiving using a latent class analysis and examines class differences on measures of well-being. Latent classes were identified for a sample of 251 participants who became family caregivers while participating in a longitudinal national study, and linear regression analyses compared average well-being change scores across classes. Fit indices supported a four-class solution dispersed along two conceptual dimensions: caregiving intensity and caregiving stain. The largest class (35.5%) was characterized as low intensity, low strain. The smallest class (12.7%) was characterized as high intensity, high strain, and these caregivers had significantly worse well-being change scores compared to the other caregiving classes. Categorizing caregivers by differing levels of care intensity and caregiving strain helps identify caregivers who are at most risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, determines which caregivers might benefit from specific caregiver support programs, and informs investigators on possible refinements to interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Opioid tapering and discontinuation have increased in recent years with the implementation of national prescribing guidelines. This study aimed to examine the relationship between opioid tapering velocity and mental health crisis events in older Medicare beneficiaries. Methods: A nested case–control study was conducted using the 2012–2018, 5% national Medicare claims data. Older adults with chronic non‐cancer pain (CNCP) who were receiving long‐term opioid therapy (LTOT) were included in the study. Cases were defined as individuals experiencing mental health crisis events; controls were identified using incidence density sampling. The opioid tapering velocity was measured in the 120‐day hazard period that yielded a monthly percentage of dose change. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the relationship of interest. Results: A total of 42 091 older adults with CNCP were eligible for the study. Cases (n = 952) were matched with controls in a 1:2 ratio based on age (±1 year) and time of cohort entry (±30 days). A higher percentage of controls (67.65%) were on steady dose compared with cases (59.03%). In the adjusted model, tapering (aOR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.02–1.83), rapid tapering (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.11–1.91), and dose escalation (aOR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.32–2.39) were significantly associated with the mental health crisis, compared with steady dose. Conclusion: Both opioid tapering and dose escalation are associated with mental health crisis events. Patient‐driven and gradual dose tapering, as recommended by prescribing guidelines, should be promoted to prevent mental health crisis events among older adults on LTOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An equation published by Loftin, Waddell, Robinson, and Owens (2010) was cross-validated using ten normal-weight walkers, ten overweight walkers, and ten distance runners. Energy expenditure was measured at preferred walking (normal-weight walker and overweight walkers) or running pace (distance runners) for 5 min and corrected to a mile. Energy expenditure per mile was predicted using the Loftin et al. (2010) equation yielding a mean predicted value of 99.7 ± 13.8 kcal · mile[superscript -1]. This was significantly different (p < 0.05) than the mean actual value from the cross-validation group (107.8 ± 15.5 kcal · mile[superscript -1]), although the difference was within the published standard error of estimate. A Chow test revealed no significant differences between regression coefficients of the original equation and the cross-validation group equation. It appears the Loftin et al. (2010) regression equation is useful for exercise prescription of energy expenditure for walking or running a mile in normal-weight and overweight adults.