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Abstract Allostatic load (AL) is a biological measure of cumulative exposure to socioenvironmental stressors (e.g., poverty). This study aims to examine the association between allostatic load (AL) and postoperative complications (POC) among patients with breast cancer. Females ages 18+ with stage I-III breast cancer who received surgical management between 01/01/2012-12/31/2020 were identified in the Ohio State Cancer registry. The composite AL measure included biomarkers from the cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and renal systems. High AL was defined as composite scores greater than the cohort’s median (2.0). POC within 30 days of surgery were examined. Univariable and multivariable regression analysis examined the association between AL and POC. Among 4459 patients, 8.2% had POC. A higher percentage of patients with POC were unpartnered (POC 44.7% vs no POC 35.5%), government-insured (POC 48.2% vs no POC 38.3%) and had multiple comorbidities (POC 32% vs no POC 20%). Patients who developed POC were more likely to have undergone sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by axillary lymph node dissection (POC 51.2% vs no POC 44.6%). High AL was associated with 29% higher odds of POC (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01–1.63). A one-point increase in AL was associated with 8% higher odds of POC (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.16) and a quartile increase in AL was associated with 13% increased odds of POC (aOR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01–1.26). Among patients undergoing breast cancer surgery, increased exposure to adverse socioenvironmental stressors, operationalized as AL, was associated with higher odds of postoperative complications.

Data indicate that negative anxiety response styles (NARS; anxious rumination and anxious hopelessness) may elevate or generate depressive symptoms among individuals with anxiety, though the nature of this relationship is unclear and has limited support from longitudinal investigations. The current study evaluated the longitudinal effects of NARS on the relationship between anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms. It was hypothesized that 1) worry/trait anxiety would predict NARS and subsequent depressive symptoms; and 2) anxious rumination would moderate the relationship between anxiety symptoms and depression. Participants (N = 55) were recruited and administered measures of worry, trait anxiety, NARS, and depression at 0 weeks (Time 1), 4-5 weeks (Time 2), and 9-10 weeks (Time 3). NARS mediated the relationship between worry and depressive symptoms, and an exploratory moderated-mediation model showed that low attentional control scores were associated with a stronger relationship between NARS and depression. NARS did not mediate the relationship between trait anxiety and depression, but instead predicted Time 2 NARS and Time 3 depression. When evaluating the mediational effect of subscales in parallel, only anxious hopelessness accounted for the indirect effect of worry on depressive symptoms. The convenience sample completed measures over a relatively large span of time, which could have allowed for a natural regression of symptoms. These data represent important advances in understanding the mechanisms for and assessment of anxiety-depression comorbidity. Maladaptive cognitive responses to anxiety may be a risk factor for depression, and low attentional control may strengthen this link., Author(s): Danielle L. Taylor [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jacob D. Kraft [sup.3] , Danielle E. Deros [sup.4] , Burkhart J. Hahn [sup.4] , Kaitlyn M. Nagel [sup.4] , Evan J. White [...]

Regulatory agencies require data on genetic stability as part of the safety assessment for biotech crops, even though the genetic stability of a plant is not necessarily an environmental, human or animal health safety concern. While sexual reproduction has the potential to introduce genomic variation in conventionally bred and biotech crops, vegetative propagation is genetically stable. In vegetatively propagated crops, meiosis does not occur thus limiting the number of homologous recombination events that could lead to chromosomal rearrangements in progeny plants. Genetic stability data is often, but should not be, an automatic requirement for the safety assessment of vegetatively propagated biotech crops. Genetic stability data from biotech potato events has demonstrated that vegetative propagation of potato tubers does not affect the stability of introduced DNA sequences or lead to loss of trait efficacy. The knowledge and experience gained from over 30 years of assessing the safety of biotech crops can be used by regulatory authorities to eliminate data requirements that do not address environmental, food or feed safety concerns. As a first step, regulators should consider removing requirements for genetic stability as part of the safety review for vegetatively propagated biotech crops.

Worry is a key feature of anxiety disorders and is associated with biased attention with respect to threat and safety signals. The current study evaluated whether worry affects attentional processes during an emotional conditioning paradigm using event-related potentials. Participants high (n = 27) and low (n = 28) in worry completed an emotional S1-S2 task to evaluate fear acquisition, and a subsequent neutral S1-S2 task to evaluate extinction. The stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) was used to evaluate preparatory resources for subsequent images, and the late positive potential (LPP) was used to evaluate emotional processing of threatening and neutral images. Results indicated that all participants displayed a more negative SPN for threatening images during the learning block, although across blocks worriers' SPN amplitude was not different for threat and safety cues. Additionally, high worriers displayed increased LPP for neutral images compared to low worriers. Results suggest that examining attentional processes during conditioning paradigms may increase our understanding of how worry affects fear learning., Author(s): DeMond M. Grant [sup.1] , Matt R. Judah [sup.2] , Evan J. White [sup.3] , Adam C. Mills [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.65519.3e, 0000 0001 0721 7331, Department of [...]

Small procedural changes in how regulatory agencies implement biotech policies can make significant differences in improving regulatory efficiency. This paper discusses how science based, crop specific guidance documents can improve dossier content and the review and approval of biotech varieties. In addition, we describe how the adoption of established risk assessment methodology and applying policy-linked decision making at the agency level can boost both efficiency and developer, public and government confidence in agency decision making and in biotech crops.

Medicinal plants have significant socioeconomic and health benefits, especially in developing countries with high poverty rates and limited health care coverage. However, the continuous utilization of medicinal plants without conservation efforts leads to species scarcity, especially for endangered species. This study, therefore, assessed the economic benefits and conservation status of medicinal plants in the Asukese and Amama Forest Reserves in Ghana. Field visits, structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used to survey 172 respondents focusing on their socio-demographic characteristics, medicinal plants used to treat diseases in the communities and plant parts used, preparation and administration of remedies, availability trend of medicinal plants, drivers of loss of medicinal plants, contribution of medicinal plants to gross incomes and conservation strategies. The study identified 143 plant species used to treat 135 ailments and diseases. The mostly highly cited plant family was Fabaceae (15 spp.). On average, medicinal plants contributed 64 % of gross annual income. Income from medicinal plants varied significantly across marital status and primary occupation but was similar across gender, religion, and educational levels. Thirty-three (33) of these plants were perceived to be threatened by over-harvesting, agricultural expansion, mining, logging, and climate change. Consequently, the cultivation of medicinal plants on farms, creation of medicinal plants nurseries, integration of medicinal plants in home gardens, creation of botanic gardens, and indigenous knowledge systems and practices were suggested as strategies for their conservation and sustainability utilization. There is therefore the need for increased conservation efforts to protect medicinal plant species from anthropogenic disturbance and the imminent threat of climate change. This will be critical for biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development in local communities.

Social anxiety and depression are commonly comorbid and cause significant impairment in college students. Past research suggests that both poor attentional control and increased rumination are related to these disorders and independently mediate their relationship. Theory suggests that social anxiety loads working memory, thus decreasing attentional control, which influences rumination and depression. The current study aimed to investigate the potential combined influence of attention control and rumination on social anxiety and depression. Participants: Participants (80) were recruited from a large Midwestern university in September 2017. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires regarding social anxiety, attentional control, rumination, and depression and data were analyzed using bias-corrected bootstrapping analyses. Results: Results demonstrate a significant indirect relationship between social anxiety and depression through attentional control and rumination. Conclusions: Results indicated that college students with social anxiety may be at risk for depression due to decreased attentional control and increased rumination. Clinical implications are discussed.

Objective: Data indicate that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a risk factor for cognitive and attentional vulnerabilities. A vulnerability linked to these impairments is repetitive negative thinking (RNT), and data suggest that RNT and anxiety symptoms may be moderated by attentional control. The current study investigated the effect of these risk factors on symptoms of anxiety. Participants: College students (N = 376) were recruited from a university. Methods: Participants were administered questionnaires online to assess retrospective ACEs, current RNT, attentional control, and anxiety symptoms. Results: There was an indirect effect of ACEs on anxiety symptoms through RNT. High attentional control moderated the indirect effects, such that high compared to low attentional control was associated with an increased effect of RNT on anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Increased ACEs may be a risk factor for RNT among college students. Combined with high attentional control, these may be risk factors for anxiety symptoms.

Research attempting to identify pathways from childhood maltreatment to adulthood posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) implicates cognitive vulnerabilities that may increase risk for mental health concerns. The present study examined two cognitive vulnerabilities and their relation to PTSS amongst individuals with and without childhood maltreatment histories: attentional control and repetitive negative thinking (RNT). This research surveyed college students (N = 376) on constructs of interest. Results revealed that attentional control and RNT demonstrated significant indirect effects on PTSS (95% CI =0.0003, 0.0336 and 95% CI =0.0643, 0.1857, respectively). Findings suggest that childhood maltreatment severity was related to decreased attentional control and increased RNT, which were then both related to increased PTSS. Interventions for increasing attentional control and decreasing RNT should be implemented and evaluated for young adults with early adversity currently experiencing PTSS.

Background: Early neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium has been associated with improved outcomes in moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous studies have demonstrated increased drug utilization without benefits in oxygenation using fixed dose cisatracurium compared to train-of-four (TOF) titration. Objective: We sought to compare a novel, lower fixed dose cisatracurium protocol to TOF titration evaluating the impact on PaO2:FiO2 ratio (P/F). Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study comparing fixed dose cisatracurium to TOF titration. We included patients aged 18-89 treated for COVID-19 ARDS with a baseline P/F≤200 who received a cisatracurium infusion for ≥12 h. The primary outcome was change in P/F at 48 h from baseline. Secondary outcomes included change in P/F at 24 h and 7 days, need for mechanical ventilation at day 28, and cisatracurium utilization. Results: Analyses included 125 patients (fixed dose = 65, TOF = 60). Severe ARDS was common with a baseline median P/F of 73.7 vs 79.5, P =.133. The change in P/F at 48 h was larger in the TOF cohort in the adjusted analysis (24.9 vs 70.8, P <.005). The rate and total cumulative dose of cisatracurium were higher in the fixed dose cohort (5 vs 3 mcg/kg/min, P <.001; 1034 vs 612 mg, P <.001) despite similar infusion durations (44.1 h vs 48.5 h, P =.642). Conclusions: Patients in the TOF cisatracurium cohort had improved P/F at 48 h compared to the fixed dose cohort, while also using only 60% of the cumulative dose. Future directions should include analysis of the implications of increased cisatracurium exposure on patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]