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PDF file - 1.3MB, H/E (A) and IHC staining of adenocarcinoma with CK5/6 (B), p63 (C), TTF-1 (D), and NAPSIN-A (E). magnification: 400X.

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PDF file - 99K, The number of animals in each score category from the behavioral index scoring system in the 4mM and 8mM treatment groups.

PDF file - 24K, Differences in lesion number between the males and females of the 40mM cohort.

PDF file - 152K, weight fluctuation in animals receiving 40mM NTCU. This group was divided into two waves (panels A and B), with differing periods of suspensions (arrows) throughout the study. Weight recovery is observable following treatment suspensions. Cessation of treatment is represented with an arrowhead.

Justice-involved adolescents (JIA) are at higher risk for opioid misuse (OM) and opioid-related overdose than nonoffending adolescents. Untreated OM can lead to severe consequences (e.g., trauma), which may be harsher for female JIA. Therefore, examining risk and protective factors, such as parental supervision, is essential to identify factors that may impact OM. The current study used a statewide, cross-sectional dataset including 79,960 JIA from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Stratified logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results indicated that JIA who experienced sporadic or inadequate supervision had 2.14 and 3.54 higher odds, respectively, of misusing opioids compared to JIA who experienced consistent supervision. Female JIA who experienced sporadic or inadequate supervision had 2.23 and 3.70 higher odds, respectively, of misusing opioids. Results suggest parental supervision is an important protective factor that should be considered in developing prevention and treatment efforts that serve JIA who misuse opioids, especially females.

The prevalence of opioid misuse (OM) among justice-involved children (JIC) is significantly higher than children in the general population, yet little research has examined the predictors of OM among JIC. Goldstein’s “economic compulsive model” hypothesizes that JIC who commit crimes for material gain will have a higher likelihood of meeting past-30 day (P30D) OM criteria. The data in this study were cross-sectional and represented 79,960 Florida JIC. To test the hypothesis, logistic regression analyses were utilized. Over 2000 JIC (2.67%) met P30D OM criteria and JIC who committed crimes for material gain were 2.55 times as likely to meet P30D OM criteria. Findings indicate that children may be incarcerated due to an inability to afford their addiction, contributing to the criminalization of mental health. JIC could benefit from the increased utilization of drug courts and the implementation of a cascade of care model.

This study used a sample from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (n= 79,960) to analyze the association between runaway history and past 30-day opioid misuse (OM) among justice involved adolescents. Past 30-day OM was confirmed using a urine analysis. Adolescents who were runaways in their lifetime were twice as likely to misuse opioids, and those who were runaways at the time of arrest were three times as likely to be opioid misusers compared to adolescents who never ran away or been kicked out of a home. These findings emphasize a need for resources that focus on developing strong attachment bonds.

AIM: Opioid misuse is a severe threat to justice-involved children and adolescents. Identifying risk factors and sex differences is critical to design accurate risk assessments and person-centered interventions. Stress theory and research posit that abuse may be linked to opioid misuse, and the consequences may be harsher for females. The study tests the hypothesis that physical and sexual abuse will individually and cumulatively increase the risk for opioid misuse, and females will have a higher risk than males. METHODS: A statewide sample of 79,960 justice-involved children in Florida were examined. Opioid misuse, illicit and non-medical use, was measured by urine analysis or self-disclosure within the past-30 days. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. Marginal effects were estimated to investigate the interaction between abuse and sex. RESULTS: Over 2000 youth met the criteria for opioid misuse. One-third of female opioid users experienced both physical and sexual abuse. Compared to those with no history of physical or sexual abuse, those who were physically abused had 43% higher odds of opioid misuse, those who were sexually abuse had 78% higher odds, and those who experienced both had twice as high odds of opioid misuse. The individual and combined effects of these abuse types were higher for females. For example, female youth who were sexually abused had 2.7-times higher odds of opioid misuse than males who were sexually abused. CONCLUSION: Intervention efforts can be improved by integrating physical and sexual abuse into risk assessments and tailoring assessments by sex.

OBJECTIVE: Participation in extracurricular activities has been largely shown to be protective against adolescent substance use. However, research has yet to examine whether extracurricular activities are specifically protective against adolescent opioid misuse and if these protective effects vary by race/ethnicity. This study focuses on a high-risk population for drug use (i.e., justice-involved adolescents [JIAs]) that is not often captured in population-based surveys. The goals of the current study were twofold: (a) determine the prevalence of opioid misuse for White, Black, and Latinx JIAs and (b) assess the influence of participation in extracurricular activities on opioid misuse risk among White, Black, and Latinx JIAs. METHOD: Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (n = 65,248), multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to determine which racial/ethnic groups experienced protective effects from participation in extracurricular activities. RESULTS: Results show that 2.3% of the sample met criteria for past-30-day opioid misuse and participation in extracurricular activities lowered the risk for opioid misuse by 36%. However, although involvement in extracurricular activities was protective for White and Latinx youth, Black youth received no such protective effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a fairly strong protective effect (36% risk reduction) for extracurricular activities against opioid misuse, but our results caution against assuming that youth from all racial/ethnic backgrounds benefit similarly from extracurricular activities because Black adolescents may not experience the same protective benefit that White and Latinx youth receive. Programs should be aware that the protection extracurricular activities offer varies across racial/ethnic lines and tailoring may be warranted to see protective effects for Black youth.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid misuse remains a chief public health concern in the United States, especially among justice-involved children and adolescents (JIC). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent among JIC and are associated with a higher risk for opioid misuse. Justice involvement can be harsher for females, who tend to have higher ACE scores and experience more physiological and psychological risk factors than males. However, this study was the first to examine how sex may moderate the link between ACEs and opioid misuse. This study hypothesized that females will have higher odds of opioid misuse than males with equivalent ACEs. METHODS: The study team examined cross-sectional data on 79,960 JIC in the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice from 2007 to 2015. The study measured ACEs using 10 questions from the Positive Achievement Change Tool. Opioid misuse was reported by either self-disclosure, positive urinalysis, or other evidence of opioid consumption within the past 30 days. The team estimated logistic regression, marginal effects, and multiplicative interaction terms to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: JIC with an ACE score of 4 or higher were 2.59 times more likely to misuse opioids than JIC with lower ACE scores. Among JIC with 4 or more ACEs, females had significantly higher odds of opioid misuse than males. CONCLUSION: Reducing exposure to ACEs may decrease the risk for opioid misuse, particularly among females. These findings corroborate trauma-informed and sex-responsive prevention programs in the juvenile justice system.

Background There is a higher prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) among justice-involved children (JIC). It is critical to ensure that JIC who report current use are referred for SUD assessment and potentially life-saving treatment services. Prior research suggests that certain minoritized groups may be less likely to have ever been referred for screening, and research on intersectionality suggests that these disparities may be exacerbated for racially minoritized females. Methods Multivariate logistic regression and interaction effects were employed to analyze longitudinal data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice on 12,128 JIC who reported SU in the past 6 months. The main and interaction effects of race and gender on the odds of having a history of reporting a referral to SUD assessment were tested. The primary outcome variable was a self-reported measure of a youth’s history of being referred to service. The control variables included substance type, household income, current SU problems, history of mental health problems, number of misdemeanors, risk to recidivate, and age at first offense. Results There were no significant differences in the likelihood of having a history of reporting being referred to SUD assessment between White females, White males, and Latinx females. However, Black females (AOR = 0.62), Latinx males (AOR = 0.71), and Black males (AOR = 0.65) were significantly less likely to self-report having a history of being referred than White males. Black females were 34% likely to report a history of being referred as White males and females. Conclusion In this sample, Black females who use substances were substantially less likely to self-report being referred to SUD screening. According to officials, FLDJJ has solid process to ensure referrals are made. Therefore, the results are likely to be due to external factors and alternative explanations. Community leaders and stakeholders may consider culturally relevant and gender-sensitive programs to expand access to services for minoritized adolescents in their communities, schools, and other institutions.

BACKGROUND. Individuals in the criminal justice system are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of opioid misuse. Research on justice-involved children (JIC) is needed to uncover the variables that predict opioid misuse initiation to prevent misuse or reduce harm in this population. Somatic symptoms are symptoms experienced in the body, such as physical sensations, movements or experiences, which can cause severe distress and dysfunction. These include pain, nausea, dizziness, and fainting. In this study, we hypothesize that somatic complaints will be associated with a higher likelihood of opioid misuse among Florida JIC. METHODS. The study examined statewide data on 79,960 JIC in the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice database. Logistic regression was employed to investigate an ordinal measure of somatic complaints at first screen and a binary outcome measure of past-30 day illicit or nonmedical opioid use at final screen while controlling for sociodemographic and mental health factors. RESULTS. Nearly 28% of JIC had a history of one or more somatic complaints. Compared to those with no history of somatic complaints, JIC with a history of one or two somatic complaints were 1.23 times more likely to misuse opioids in the past 30 days and those with three or four somatic complaints were 1.5 times more likely to meet criteria for past-30 day opioid misuse. CONCLUSIONS. Individuals may consume illicit or non-medical prescription opioids to manage somatic symptoms — indicating that increased access to healthcare may reduce misuse. Risk of opioid overdose sharply increases as justice-involved individuals are released from correctional settings largely due to a reduced tolerance to opioids as a result of incarceration and diminished access to legal medicines that are provided in the justice system. Justice systems must ensure seamless access to quality healthcare services as individuals transition from correctional settings to their communities.

This study explores the double consciousness of black American patriotism in the modern era marked by publicized police killings of blacks, widespread antiracism protests, and concern for racially motivated violence. This analysis provides timely ethnographic insights into black identities that vividly captures black voices; fuses classical and contemporary race theories and extends them into the literature on patriotism; and proposes a model for understanding how double consciousness is negotiated in personal identity construction. I conducted twenty-two in-depth interviews of black Americans. I explored three questions: (1) how they interpret patriotism; (2) whether their interpretations affirm or defy their black identity; and (3) how tensions between race and nation manifest in their patriotic identity development. Many denounced hegemonic patriotism and constructed alternative patriotic brands. These brands are situated on an “Axis of Identities”, which is comprised of four profiles: the bystander, the sycophant, the subverter, and the conscious patriot.

AIMS: Community-based organizations (CBOs) must have the capacity to adopt, implement, and sustain evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, limited research exists examining CBOs’ ability/capacity to implement EBPs. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate how staff of CBOs perceive implementation practice capacity, determine factors needed for adequate capacity for implementing EBPs, and examine which perspectives of capacity are shared across organizational levels. METHODS: Ninety-seven administrators and practitioners of CBOs were surveyed using the Implementation Capacity Survey, which examines perceived importance, presence, and organizational capacity of the CBO in nine implementation practice areas (IPAs) (e.g., leadership). RESULTS: Results revealed participants rated IPAs on the importance scale higher than IPAs on the presence scale. Presence and organizational capacity scales were strongly correlated, and results showed significant differences between administrators and practitioners on ratings of presence and organizational capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for future research aimed at examining/building implementation practice capacity in community settings will be discussed.

Background: Justice-involved children (JIC) have a high risk for illicit substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD). Females are particularly vulnerable. It is critical that JIC who report current SU are referred for SUD screening to be provided with potentially life-saving treatment services. Florida law and Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FLDJJ) policy mandate that JIC who report current SU be referred for SUD screening. Evidence suggests a racial referral gap among JIC who require SUD screening, and research on intersectionality suggests that these disparities may be exacerbated for minority females. Therefore, we hypothesize that Black and Latinx females will be less likely to be referred for SUD screening than White children despite reporting current substance use to FLDJJ. Methods: Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze cross-sectional data from FLDJJ on 35,884 JIC who reported SU in the past six months. The main and interaction effects of race and gender on the likelihood of referral for SUD screening were tested. The control variables included substance type, age, household income, current SU problems, history of mental health problems, number of misdemeanors, and risk to recidivate. Results: There were no significant differences in the likelihood of being referred for SUD screening between White females and White males. However, Black females (AOR= 0.48), Latinx females (AOR= 0.77), and Black males (AOR= 0.76) were significantly less likely to be referred than White males. Black females were half as likely to be referred as White males and females. Conclusion: This study finds evidence that Black females in the juvenile justice system are significantly underserved. The justice community must leverage these findings to implement protocols that ensure equal services for all children and eliminate gender and racial disparities in SUD screening.

Electroencephalography (EEG), easily deployed at the bedside, is an attractive modality for deriving quantitative biomarkers of prognosis and differential diagnosis in severe brain injury and disorders of consciousness (DOC). Prior work by Schiff has identified four dynamic regimes of progressive recovery of consciousness defined by the presence or absence of thalamically-driven EEG oscillations. These four predefined categories (ABCD model) relate, on a theoretical level, to thalamocortical integrity and, on an empirical level, to behavioral outcome in patients with cardiac arrest coma etiologies. However, whether this theory-based stratification of patients might be useful as a diagnostic biomarker in DOC and measurably linked to thalamocortical dysfunction remains unknown. In this work, we relate the reemergence of thalamically-driven EEG oscillations to behavioral recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a cohort of N = 38 acute patients with moderate-to-severe TBI and an average of 1 week of EEG recorded per patient. We analyzed an average of 3.4 hr of EEG per patient, sampled to coincide with 30-min periods of maximal behavioral arousal. Our work tests and supports the ABCD model, showing that it outperforms a data-driven clustering approach and may perform equally well compared to a more parsimonious categorization. Additionally, in a subset of patients (N = 11), we correlated EEG findings with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity between nodes in the mesocircuit-which has been theoretically implicated by Schiff in DOC-and report a trend-level relationship that warrants further investigation in larger studies.

Justice-involved adolescents (JIAs) have an increased risk for opioid use disorder and overdose related to opioid misuse (OM). Consequences of untreated OM include recidivism and poor educational outcomes, which can be harsher for female JIA. Therefore, identifying relevant factors and settings that reduce the risk for OM is critical. Schools are a central institution in adolescent development. Drawing on social control theory, JIA with higher levels of school bonding was hypothesized to attenuate risk for OM. Cross-sectional data on 79,960 JIA from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice were examined. Multivariate and stratified logistic regression analyses were employed. On average, for every one-unit increase in school bonding, JIA had 22%, female JIA had 23%, and male JIA had 22% lower odds of OM. Results suggest school bonding and the school context should be considered in treatment and how this setting may impact OM intervention outcomes among JIA.

GelSight Mobile is a handheld, high-resolution, 3D surface measurement system. The system uses an elastomeric gel with a painted membrane that conforms to the inspection surface together with a camera and custom algorithms. The device is capable of quantifying surface geometry down to one micrometer on any rigid material, including metals, composites, plastics, and glass, regardless of the optical properties of the surface. A detailed 3D surface is reconstructed within seconds. GelSight, Inc., has validated the performance results for spatial (X-Y) and depth (Z) measurements, and developed several novel measurement algorithms of specific interest in the aerospace industry, including fastener flushness.

AIM: Prevention of illicit or nonmedical opioid use, called opioid misuse (OM) is a key public health concern that requires research on the factors that influence OM initiation among high-risk populations. Justice-involved children (JIC) have more risk factors and fewer resources. Antisocial peers have been linked to adolescent substance abuse and delinquency. However, the association between the admiration of antisocial peers and OM among JIC has not yet been studied. This study hypothesizes that admiration of antisocial peers will be associated with a higher likelihood of OM among Florida JIC. METHODS: Cross-sectional data on 79,960 JIC from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FLDJJ) were examined. To test the hypothesis, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. The multivariate models controlled for gender, race, age in 2007, family income, history of mental health, history of depression, and optimism. RESULTS: Nearly 2.7% of the sample met the criteria for past 30-day OM, and over 75% of those current users admired or somewhat admired their antisocial peers. Compare to JIC who did not admire their antisocial peers, those who had some admiration of antisocial peers were 2.39 times more likely to misuse opioids in the past 30-days and those who admired their antisocial peers were 4.40 times more likely to meet the criteria for past 30-day OM. CONCLUSIONS: Cultivating positive peer interactions and providing positive peer role models may help to reduce illicit opioid use among JIC.