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Background: Individuals with low socioeconomic position (SEP) experience disproportionately greater alcohol-attributable harm than individuals with high SEP despite similar or less alcohol use (i.e., the alcohol harm paradox). We examined the sex/gender- specific independent and joint effects of education and heavy drinking or volume of alcohol use on 100% alcohol-attributable hospitalization or death. Methods: We conducted a cohort study among 199,125 current and former alcohol users aged 15–64 years from population-representative Canadian Community Health Surveys (2000–2008) linked to hospitalization and mortality records through 2017. We estimated the sex/gender-specific associations between education and heavy drinking or volume of alcohol use and incident 100% alcohol-attributable hospitalization or death using multivariable Fine and Gray subdistribution hazard models with competing risk (non-100% alcohol-attributable deaths), assessing additive interactions using the Synergy Index (S). Results: Overall, heavy drinking prevalence and volume of alcohol use were similar or lower in individuals with lower education compared with higher education. Lower education levels compared with a bachelor's degree or above were associated with increased 100% alcohol-attributable hospitalization or death [e.g., less than high school, men: hazard ratio (HR) = 2.78; 95% CI = 2.17, 3.56; women: HR = 2.98; 95% CI = 2.00, 4.44]. We found superadditive joint effects between low education and heavy drinking (men: S = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.14, 1.30; women: S = 1.34; 95% CI = 0.88, 2.04) and low education and higher volume of alcohol use (e.g., excess volume, men: S = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.62; women: S = 1.41; 95% CI = 0.77, 2.58), with larger inequities in women than men with similar alcohol use. Conclusions: Our study is consistent with the hypothesis that increased vulnerability to alcohol use among individuals with lower education partially explains the alcohol harm paradox in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures that can provide reasonably accurate estimates of sugar-containing beverage (SCB) intake among children are needed. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relative validity of a short beverage screener (Nutrition and Health Questionnaire, NHQ) compared to a 24-hour recall (Automated Self-Administered 24-h (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool-Canada) for assessing parent proxy-reported daily SCB intake among children aged 4–14 years from the TARGet Kids! research network in Toronto, Canada. Children for whom a NHQ completed between March 2018 and June 2019 and an ASA24 completed within one year were included. A total of 471 parents who completed the NHQ beverage screener were also asked to complete the ASA24. One-hundred sixty-three completed the ASA24 and of this group, 109 were analyzed. Estimates of daily intake of 100% juices, sweetened drinks and soda, and total SCBs from the two measures were compared. The mean difference in beverage intake, Spearman correlations, and Bland-Altman plots were estimated for continuous measures. The kappa coefficient, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for dichotomous measures of any daily intake versus none. The mean difference in total SCB intake between the NHQ and ASA24 was 0.14 cups/day (95% CI 0.01, 0.29) and the correlation was 0.43 (95% CI 0.26, 0.57). Sensitivity and specificity for any daily SCB intake were 0.63 and 0.76, respectively. Overall, parent proxy-reporting of children's total SCB intake from a beverage screener can provide reasonable estimates of SCB intake when detailed dietary assessment is not feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology involves non-dermatologists sending clinical images to dermatologists. This improves patient care while reducing unwarranted face-to-face (FTF) specialist office visits. Comparisons between dermatologist diagnostic concordance with referring provider, treatment change recommendations, and FTF referrals have yet to be compared by type of provider and practice setting.Methods: This retrospective chart review examined SAF teledermatology eConsults from four practice settings: Doctor of Medicine (MD)/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) office visits, MD/DO walk-in clinics, nurse practitioner (NP)/physician assistant (PA) office visits and NP/PA walk-in clinics. The most recent 100 MD/DO office- and 100 NP/PA walk-in-referred patient charts were reviewed. There were only 71 NP/PA office and 47 MD/DO walk-in eConsults to review.Results: Teledermatologists agreed with referring provider diagnoses 50% of the time for MD/DO office visits, 29.8% for MD/DO walk-in clinics, 33.8% for NP/PA office visits and 34% for NP/PA walk-in clinics. Diagnostic concordance was significantly higher for eConsults from MD/DO office visits than MD/DO walk-in clinics (p = 0.021), NP/PA office visits (p = 0.035) or NP/PA walk-in clinics (p = 0.022). There were significantly more treatment changes recommended after walk-in eConsults than office visits (67 versus 44%, p < 0.0001). FTF visits were recommended more after office visits than walk-in clinics (46 versus 27%, p = 0.001). Overall, 21% (68/318) of patients ultimately attended FTF appointments.Discussion: SAF teledermatology improves diagnosis, reducing barriers to specialty care. Overall, potential FTF visit reduction was 79%. Expanding eConsult programmes, particularly in walk-in settings, and for use by NP/PAs or early career internists, may render dermatological care more expeditiously and avoid unnecessary FTF visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, mobile Mu transposons and their autonomous regulator MuDR have been found only in the two known Mutator lines of maize and their immediate descendants. To gain insight into the origin, organization, and regulation of Mutator elements, we surveyed exotic maize and related species for cross-hybridization to MuDR. Some accessions of the mexican land race Zapalote chico contain one to several copies of full-length, unmethylated, and transcriptionally active MuDR-like elements plus non-autonomous Mu elements. The sequenced 5.0-kb MuDR-Zc element is 94.6% identical to MuDR, with only 20 amino acid changes in the 93-kD predicted protein encoded by mudrA and ten amino acid changes in the 23- kD predicted protein of mudrB. The terminal inverted repeat (TIR) A of MuDR-Zc is identical to standard MuDR; TIRB is 11.2% divergent from TIRA. In Zapalote chico, mudrA transcripts are very rare, while mudrB transcripts are as abundant as in Mutator lines with a few copies of MuDR. Zapalote chico lines with MuDR-like elements can trans-activate reporter alleles in inactive Mutator backgrounds; they match the characteristic increased forward mutation frequency of standard Mutator lines, but only after outcrossing to another line. Zapalote chico accessions that lack MuDR-like elements and the single copy MuDR a1-mum2 line produce few mutations. New mutants recovered from Zapalote chico are somatically stable.

Background There are important information gaps concerning the prevalence and distribution of infection control practices (ICPs) within workplaces continuing to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data and methods To address these gaps, this paper examines the prevalence of workplace ICPs among employed respondents to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey in the months of July, August and September 2020 (n = 53,316). The article also seeks to identify sociodemographic, occupational and workplace factors associated with the level and type of workplace ICPs. ICPs included the reorganization of the workplace to allow for physical distancing, increased access to hand sanitizer or handwashing facilities, enhanced cleaning protocols and access to personal protective equipment. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the number of ICPs in place and the absence of specific ICPs. Results Generally high levels of reported protections among workers (15% of the sample had three ICPs and 72% had four or more ICPs) were observed. However, certain subgroups of workers were less likely to have ICPs in place. These included workers who were male; those with lower levels of education, shorter job tenure, or non-permanent work; and those working in the agricultural, construction, transportation and warehousing, and education industries. Interpretation In a large sample of Canadian employees, generally high levels of workplace ICPs to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 were observed. Groups with lower levels of ICPs included workers at the start of their employment, workers with low levels of education, and certain industry groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison of inactive and non-Mutator stocks of maize reveals an excellent correlation between the presence of the major MuDR transcripts and Mutator activity, which suggests that they may encode gene products required for element activity. These convergent transcripts are obtained from opposite ends of the element within the 220-bp terminal inverted repeats. The 200-bp of internal MuDR sequences are not transcribed, and the converging transcripts do not overlap.

Background: Dermatologists play an important role in diagnosing and managing hospitalized patients with cutaneous abnormalities. Skin biopsies remain an indispensable tool for aiding dermatologists in accurate diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to determine the range of conditions, and the most common conditions, prompting skin biopsy by dermatology hospital consultation (HCON) services to aid in evaluation of hospitalized patients. Methods: All hospitalized patients seen by a single tertiary care center dermatology HCON service between 2015 and 2018 who had associated skin biopsies were identified. Histologic features and clinical diagnoses of each patient were classified into 13 histologic reaction pattern categories. Results: Eight hundred and thirty one inpatients evaluated by our dermatology HCON service had 914 skin biopsies. The most frequent diagnostic categories prompting biopsy were vasculopathic (17.6%), interface dermatitis (16.5%), infectious (12.6%), and spongiotic dermatitis (10.9%). The most frequent diagnostic categories included drug reaction (13.2%), leukocytoclastic vasculitis (8.5%), skin cancer (5.4%), graft‐vs‐host disease (3.5%), connective tissue disease (3.3%), and calciphylaxis (3.0%). Conclusion: Our study suggests a variety of serious diseases affecting inpatients prompts biopsy by dermatology consultation services. Educational curricula for dermatology and pathology residents, fellows, and staff designed with these data may enhance knowledge that improves the quality of inpatient dermatology care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]