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We demonstrate an on-wafer liquid crystal phase shifter which has a tunable 0-300°/cm phase shift at 110 GHz. The results show no dispersion over the entire frequency range indicating a tunable 'true time delay' of up to 2.5 ps/cm at all frequencies. The inherent losses in the liquid crystal are small, less than 1 dB/cm over the range of 1-110 GHz. The full tunability is achieved using small voltages, close to 10 V. We anticipate that one could achieve a phase shift of 600°/cm at 220 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a new geometry allowing effective excitation of the lowest antisymmetric standing spin wave mode in ferromagnetic metallic films with symmetrical boundary conditions. The approach is based on the use of a coplanar waveguide with the ferromagnetic film, Permalloy (Py), playing the role of the signal line. In addition, we study a signal line which is a sandwich of Py inside two nonmagnetic metallic films. We find that the thickness and conductivity of the metal films can significantly alter the amount of absorption, at ferromagnetic resonance, between the symmetric and antisymmetric spin wave modes. The experimental results are supported by numerical calculations indicating the origin of the strength of the absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing patients with the basic information they need to reduce their caloric intake and increase activity levels may not be as challenging as doing a complex diagnostic work-up or performing an intricate surgical procedure. But the clinical results can be just as rewarding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between two common apoA-IV variants (Thr347→Ser; Gln360→His), and body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Eight-hundred and forty-eight subjects screened for participation in ongoing clinical studies. MEASUREMENTS: ApoA-IV genotype, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and percentage body fat by bioelectric impedance. RESULTS: Participants had an average age of 41±12 y and an average BMI of 28.2±5.5 kg/m2. Individuals homozygous for the Ser347 allele had higher BMI (32.3±6.6 vs 28.6±5.3 kg/m2; P<0.01) and percentage body fat (36.9±7.8 vs 31.0±9.6%; P<0.05) compared with individuals homozygous for Thr347. In contrast, the presence of at least one copy of the His360 allele was associated with lower BMI (27.2±5.0 vs 28.4±5.6 kg/m2; P<0.05) and percentage body fat (28.6±8.2 vs 30.7±9.1%; P<0.05). The genotype effects persisted after normalization of the data for the potential confounding effects of gender, age and race. When grouped by BMI percentile, the frequency of the Ser347/Ser347 genotype increased while the frequency of the His360 allele decreased with increasing BMI. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest a role for apoA-IV in fat storage or mobilization and that genetic variations in the apoA-IV gene may play a role in the development of obesity. International Journal of Obesity (2000) 24, 945–953 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mouse spleen cells, before and after treatment with glutaraldehyde or mild hyperthermia, we observe a strong correlation between permeability to fluorescein and susceptibility to staining with N epsilon-dansyl-L-lysine (irrespective of the cells' ability to exclude trypan blue). We observe the same correlation using liposomes prepared from phosphatidylcholine and varying amounts of cholesterol. We have recently introduced N epsilon-dansyl-L-lysine as a fluorescent membrane stain, or "probe," whose uptake, we propose, is selective for phospholipid domains in membranes (G.M.K. Humphries & J.P. Lovejoy Biophys. J. 42:307-310, 1983; G.M.K. Humphries & J.P. Lovejoy J. Membrane Biol. 77:115-122, 1984). The results presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that the presence or absence of phospholipid domains in membranes also modifies their permeability toward fluorescein, and suggests that permeability towards other chemical species may be similarly affected. On the basis of work using liposomes, we believe this to be the case for carboxyfluorescein and for glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the nonlinear mixing and amplification of magnetic polariton modes in ultrasmall waveguides. Ultrasmall waveguide geometries can produce large oscillating microwave fields-up to about 500 Oe. Using these large fields, we examine nonlinear ferromagnetic dynamics in ribbons of Permalloy and Fe. In particular if two microwave signals at different frequencies are sent into the waveguide, we can increase the transmission of one wave by adding energy to the other wave. We also demonstrate the creation of new frequencies and the development of a comb of equally spaced frequencies. These experimental results are explained with perturbation theory and micromagnetics calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the habitual low intake of fiber together with high intake of dietary fat. Correlation with diminished insulin sensitivity in lean and obese subjects who are otherwise healthy.

Aim: The challenge of distal femoral replacement (DFR) longevity remains a priority for orthopaedic oncologists as the overall survival and activity level of young patients with osteosarcoma continues to improve. This study hypothesized that increased extracortical osseointegration at the bone-implant shoulder (i.e., where the metal implant shaft abuts the femur) will improve stress transfer adjacent to the implant, as evidenced by reduced cortical bone loss, radiolucent line progression and implant failure in young patients (< 20 years) following DFR surgery., Methods: Twenty-nine patients of mean age 13.09 ± 0.56 years received a primary DFR. The clinical outcome of 11 CPS®, 10 GMRS®, 5 Stanmore® and 3 Repiphysis® implants was evaluated over a mean follow-up period of 4.25 ± 0.55 years. The osseous response to a bone-implant shoulder composed of either a hydroxyapatite-coated grooved ingrowth collar (Stanmore®), a porous metal coating (GMRS®) or a polished metal surface (Repiphysis®) was quantified radiographically., Results: All (100.0%) of the Stanmore® implants, 90.0% of GMRS®, 81.8% of CPS® and 33.3% of the Repiphysis® implants survived. Significantly increased extracortical bone and osseointegration were measured adjacent to the Stanmore® bone-implant shoulder when compared with the GMRS® and Repiphysis® implants (p < 0.0001 in both cases). Significantly decreased cortical loss was identified in the Stanmore® group (p = 0.005, GMRS® and p < 0.0001, Repiphysis®) and at 3 years, the progression of radiolucent lines adjacent to the intramedullarly stem was reduced when compared with the GMRS® and Repiphysis® implants (p = 0.012 and 0.026, respectively)., Conclusions: Implants designed to augment osseointegration at the bone-implant shoulder may be critical in reducing short- (≤ 2 years) to mid- (≤ 5 years) term aseptic loosening in this vulnerable DFR patient group. Further longer-term studies are required to confirm these preliminary findings., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Patient-provider shared decision-making is associated with better treatment adherence and pain outcomes in opioid-specific pain management. One possible mechanism through which shared decision-making may impact pain management outcomes is trust in one's prescribing provider. Elucidating relationships between factors that enhance the patient-provider relationship, such as shared decision-making and trust, may reduce risks associated with opioid treatment, such as opioid misuse., Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of trust in one's prescribing provider on the relationship between shared decision-making and current opioid misuse., Design: A secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of US Veterans (N = 1273) prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic non-cancer pain., Participants: Eligibility criteria included being prescribed LTOT, ability to speak and read English, and access to a telephone. Veterans were excluded if they had a cancer diagnosis, received opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder, or evidence of pending discontinuation of LTOT. Stratified random sampling was employed to oversample racial and ethnic minorities and women veterans., Main Measures: Physician Participatory Decision-Making assessed level of patient involvement in medical decision-making, the Trust in Provider Scale assessed interpersonal trust in patient-provider relationships, and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure assessed opioid misuse., Key Results: Patient-provider shared decision-making had a total significant effect on opioid misuse, in the absence of the mediator (c =  - 0.243, p < 0.001), such that higher levels of shared decision-making were associated with lower levels of reported opioid misuse. When trust in provider was added to the mediation model, the indirect effect of shared decision-making on opioid misuse through trust in provider remained significant (c' =  - 0.147, p = 0.007)., Conclusions: Shared decision-making is associated with less prescription opioid misuse through the trust that is fostered between patients and providers., (© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Background: Comprehensive treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) requires not only pharmacologic treatment but also management of existing medical conditions and lifestyle modifications including diet, cognitive training, and exercise. Personalized, multimodal therapies are needed to best prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Objective: The Coaching for Cognition in Alzheimer's (COCOA) trial was a prospective randomized controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a remotely coached multimodal lifestyle intervention would improve early-stage AD., Methods: Participants with early-stage AD were randomized into two arms. Arm 1 (N = 24) received standard of care. Arm 2 (N = 31) additionally received telephonic personalized coaching for multiple lifestyle interventions. The primary outcome was a test of the hypothesis that the Memory Performance Index (MPI) change over time would be better in the intervention arm than in the control arm. The Functional Assessment Staging Test was assessed for a secondary outcome. COCOA collected psychometric, clinical, lifestyle, genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and microbiome data at multiple timepoints (dynamic dense data) across two years for each participant., Results: The intervention arm ameliorated 2.1 [1.0] MPI points (mean [SD], p = 0.016) compared to the control over the two-year intervention. No important adverse events or side effects were observed., Conclusion: Multimodal lifestyle interventions are effective for ameliorating cognitive decline and have a larger effect size than pharmacological interventions. Dietary changes and exercise are likely to be beneficial components of multimodal interventions in many individuals. Remote coaching is an effective intervention for early stage ADRD. Remote interventions were effective during the COVID pandemic.

The application of viscoelastic hemostatic assays (VHAs) (e.g., thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)) in orthopedics is in its relative infancy when compared with other surgical fields. Fortunately, several recent studies describe the emerging use of VHAs to quickly and reliably analyze the real-time coagulation and fibrinolytic status in both orthopedic trauma and elective orthopedic surgery. Trauma-induced coagulopathy-a spectrum of abnormal coagulation phenotypes including clotting factor depletion, inadequate thrombin generation, platelet dysfunction, and dysregulated fibrinolysis-remains a potentially fatal complication in severely injured and/or hemorrhaging patients whose timely diagnosis and management are aided by the use of VHAs. Furthermore, VHAs are an invaluable compliment to common coagulation tests by facilitating the detection of hypercoagulable states commonly associated with orthopedic injury and postoperative status. The use of VHAs to identify hypercoagulability allows for an accurate venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment and monitoring of VTE prophylaxis. Until now, the data have been insufficient to permit an individualized approach with regard to dosing and duration for VTE thromboprophylaxis. By incorporating VHAs into routine practice, orthopedic surgeons will be better equipped to diagnose and treat the complete spectrum of coagulation abnormalities faced by orthopedic patients. This work serves as an educational primer and up-to-date review of the current literature on the use of VHAs in orthopedic surgery.

The hypothesis was that probiotic Lactobacillus species (spp.) or their cell-free supernatant (CFS) are effective in inhibiting (a) planktonic growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), (b) its adhesion to a Ti6Al4V-alloy surface, and (c) in dispersing biofilm once formed. (a) A planktonic co-culture containing PA(10 4  colony-forming unit [CFU]/ml) was combined with either Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), or Lactobacillus fermentum (LF) at a suspension of 10 4 (1:1) or 10 8  CFU/ml (1:2). Lactobacillus and PA CFUs were then quantified. (b) Ti-6Al-4V discs were inoculated with PA followed by supplementation with CFS and adherent PA quantified. (c) Biofilm covered discs were supplemented with Lactobacillus CFS and remaining PA activity quantified. Results showed that whole-cell cultures were ineffective in preventing PA growth; however, the addition of CFS resulted in a 99.99 ± 0.003% reduction in adherent PA in all Lactobacillus groups (p < .05 in all groups) with no viable PA growth measured in the LF and LP groups. Following PA biofilm formation, CFS resulted in a significant reduction in PA activity in all Lactobacillus groups (p ≤ .05 in all groups) with a 29.75 ± 15.98% increase measured in control samples. Supplementation with CFS demonstrated antiadhesive, antibiofilm, and toxic properties to PA., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Telemedicine, or telehealth, is broadly defined as the use of technology to deliver health care or health education at distance. Synchronous communication telemedicine, which involves the use of real time audio and video between patient and provider, is a developing field and its use in the pediatric orthopaedic population is not well defined. To better understand the existing use of and challenges posed by telemedicine for pediatric orthopaedic providers, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) practice management committee conducted a survey of current POSNA members., Methods: A 33-question survey was created by the POSNA Practice Management Committee, piloted among committee members and approved by the POSNA Evidence Based Practice Committee. A total of 167 responses were complete (75% complete response rate). Telemedicine use questions referred to the use of synchronous communication telemedicine., Results: A total of 50% reported being "moderately" or "not really" familiar with telemedicine. Sixty percent of study participants reported their hospital systems utilize telemedicine; however, only 40% reported utilizing telemedicine in their own practice. Sixty-seven percent indicated interest in telemedicine training. Telemedicine was utilized for a variety of patient pathology and visit types 57% of study participants did not bill for telemedicine services. Sixty-three percent were unaware of their states' billing rules regarding telemedicine., Conclusion: The survey is an attempt to understand the current landscape of telemedicine use within pediatric orthopaedics. Currently, a minority of survey participants utilize synchronous communication telemedicine. There is a desire for telemedicine training and best billing practices education. Further study to evaluate the limitations and efficacy of telemedicine in the pediatric orthopaedic population will be necessary as its use increases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Longitudinal multi-omics measurements are highly valuable in studying heterogeneity in health and disease phenotypes. For thousands of people, we have collected longitudinal multi-omics data. To analyze, interpret and visualize this extremely high-dimensional data, we use the Pareto Task Inference (ParTI) method. We find that the clinical labs data fall within a tetrahedron. We then use all other data types to characterize the four archetypes. We find that the tetrahedron comprises three wellness states, defining a wellness triangular plane, and one aberrant health state that captures aspects of commonality in movement away from wellness. We reveal the tradeoffs that shape the data and their hierarchy, and use longitudinal data to observe individual trajectories. We then demonstrate how the movement on the tetrahedron can be used for detecting unexpected trajectories, which might indicate transitions from health to disease and reveal abnormal conditions, even when all individual blood measurements are in the norm.

Background: This study compared the incidence of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and revision following use of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) or conventional polyethylene (CPE) at medium to long-term (>5 to 15 years) follow-up in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Incidences were quantified and compared with regard to age and method of implant fixation., Methods: Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, 12 randomized controlled trials and 18 cohort studies were investigated for evidence-based outcomes following HXPLE and CPE use in 2,539 hips over a 5 to 15-year follow-up., Results: Lower rates of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and implant revision were reported following use of HXLPE liners. Osteolysis was reduced from 25.4% with CPE to 4.05% with HXLPE in young patients, and from 29.7% to 6.6% in the older patient cohort. Similarities in osteolysis rates were observed when cemented (24.9% for CPE and 6.5% for HXLPE) and uncemented components (32.8% for CPE and 7.1% for HXLPE) were compared. No clear advantage in the type of HXLPE used was observed., Conclusions: Over a follow-up period of up to 15 years, when compared with CPE, use of HXLPE liners reduced the incidence of osteolysis, aseptic loosening, and implant revision, regardless of the fixation method and including in younger and potentially more active patients., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors indicated that no external funding was received for any aspect of this work. The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJS/G272)., (Copyright © 2021 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Abstract: Approximately one-half of patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience chronic pain. Yet, how patients perceive the relationship between their substance use and chronic pain remains poorly understood. We sought to identify how patients with comorbid SUD and chronic pain describe the relationship between, and mechanisms linking, these conditions. We conducted qualitative interviews with 34 patients engaged in SUD treatment who were also diagnosed with chronic pain. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded by both primary and secondary coders. Qualitative content analysis guided coding and analysis. Patient interviews revealed 3 primary pathways. One group of participants described SUD as developing independently from their experiences of chronic pain. A second group of participants described turning to substances to self-manage or cope with the physical and emotional aspects of chronic pain. A third group of participants described encounters with opioid medications as the causal agent initiating a SUD. Our findings build on research that has identified chronic pain and SUD as developmentally similar and mutually reinforcing, by revealing the ways in which patients themselves understand and experience the interconnections between their substance use and chronic pain., (Copyright © 2020 International Association for the Study of Pain.)

The Pioneer 100 Wellness Project involved quantitatively profiling 108 participants' molecular physiology over time, including genomes, gut microbiomes, blood metabolomes, blood proteomes, clinical chemistries, and data from wearable devices. Here, we present a longitudinal analysis focused specifically around the Pioneer 100 gut microbiomes. We distinguished a subpopulation of individuals with reduced gut diversity, elevated relative abundance of the genus Prevotella , and reduced levels of the genus Bacteroides We found that the relative abundances of Bacteroides and Prevotella were significantly correlated with certain serum metabolites, including omega-6 fatty acids. Primary dimensions in distance-based redundancy analysis of clinical chemistries explained 18.5% of the variance in bacterial community composition, and revealed a Bacteroides/Prevotella dichotomy aligned with inflammation and dietary markers. Finally, longitudinal analysis of gut microbiome dynamics within individuals showed that direct transitions between Bacteroides -dominated and Prevotella -dominated communities were rare, suggesting the presence of a barrier between these states. One implication is that interventions seeking to transition between Bacteroides - and Prevotella -dominated communities will need to identify permissible paths through ecological state-space that circumvent this apparent barrier., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)

Many studies have demonstrated that biological age (BA) varies significantly among individuals of similar chronological age. A recent study by Ahadi et al. used longitudinal and deep multi-omic profiling to identify individuals with distinct BA phenotypes or 'ageotypes'. These ageotypes open new avenues to creating diagnostic and treatment strategies that may slow the aging process based on the unique biochemistry of each individual., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biological age (BA), derived from molecular and physiological measurements, has been proposed to better predict mortality and disease than chronological age (CA). In the present study, a computed estimate of BA was investigated longitudinally in 3,558 individuals using deep phenotyping, which encompassed a broad range of biological processes. The Klemera-Doubal algorithm was applied to longitudinal data consisting of genetic, clinical laboratory, metabolomic, and proteomic assays from individuals undergoing a wellness program. BA was elevated relative to CA in the presence of chronic diseases. We observed a significantly lower rate of change than the expected ~1 year/year (to which the estimation algorithm was constrained) in BA for individuals participating in a wellness program. This observation suggests that BA is modifiable and suggests that a lower BA relative to CA may be a sign of healthy aging. Measures of metabolic health, inflammation, and toxin bioaccumulation were strong predictors of BA. BA estimation from deep phenotyping was seen to change in the direction expected for both positive and negative health conditions. We believe BA represents a general and interpretable "metric for wellness" that may aid in monitoring aging over time., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Depleted gut microbiome α-diversity is associated with several human diseases, but the extent to which this is reflected in the host molecular phenotype is poorly understood. We attempted to predict gut microbiome α-diversity from ~1,000 blood analytes (laboratory tests, proteomics and metabolomics) in a cohort enrolled in a consumer wellness program (N = 399). Although 77 standard clinical laboratory tests and 263 plasma proteins could not accurately predict gut α-diversity, we found that 45% of the variance in α-diversity was explained by a subset of 40 plasma metabolites (13 of the 40 of microbial origin). The prediction capacity of these 40 metabolites was confirmed in a separate validation cohort (N = 540) and across disease states, showing that our findings are robust. Several of the metabolite biomarkers that are reported here are linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney function. Associations between host metabolites and gut microbiome α-diversity were modified in those with extreme obesity (body mass index ≥ 35), suggesting metabolic perturbation. The ability of the blood metabolome to predict gut microbiome α-diversity could pave the way to the development of clinical tests for monitoring gut microbial health.

Background: Smoking cessation often results in weight gain which discourages many smokers from quitting and can increase health risks. Treatments to reduce cessation-related weight gain have been tested in highly controlled trials of in-person treatment, but have never been tested in a real-world setting, which has inhibited dissemination., Methods: The Best Quit Study (BQS) is a replication and "real world" translation using telephone delivery of a prior in-person efficacy trial., Design: randomized control trial in a quitline setting. Eligible smokers (n = 2540) were randomized to the standard 5-call quitline intervention or quitline plus simultaneous or sequential weight management. Regression analyses tested effectiveness of treatments on self-reported smoking abstinence and weight change at 6 and 12 months., Results: Study enrollees were from 10 commercial employer groups and three state quitlines. Participants were between ages 18-72, 65.8% female, 68.2% white; 23.0% Medicaid-insured, and 76.3% overweight/obese. The follow-up response rate was lower in the simultaneous group than the control group at 6 months (p = 0.01). While a completers analysis of 30-day point prevalence abstinence detected no differences among groups at 6 or 12 months, multiply imputed abstinence showed quit rate differences at 6 months for:simultaneous (40.3%) vs. sequential (48.3%), p = 0.034 and simultaneous vs. control (44.9%), p = 0.043. At 12 months, multiply imputed abstinence, was significantly lower for the simultaneous group (40.7%) vs. control (46.0%), p < 0.05 and vs. sequential (46.3%), p < 0.05. Weight gain at 6 and 12 months was minimal and not different among treatment groups. The sequential group completed fewer total calls (3.75) vs. control (4.16) and vs. simultaneous group (3.83), p = 0.01, and fewer weight calls (0.94) than simultaneous (2.33), p < 0.0001. The number of calls completed predicted 30-day abstinence, p < 0.001, but not weight outcomes., Discussion: This study offers a model for evaluating population-level public health interventions conducted in partnership with tobacco quitlines., Conclusions: Simultaneous (vs. sequential) delivery of phone/web weight management with cessation treatment in the quitline setting may adversely affect quit rate. Neither a simultaneous nor sequential approach to addressing weight produced any benefit on suppressing weight gain. This study highlights the need and the challenges of testing intensive interventions in real-world settings., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01867983 . Registered: May 30, 2013.

Background: Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis and promoting health. Previous studies show that shorter sleep duration is associated with elevated body mass index (BMI) and other cardiovascular risk factors. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of habitual sleep duration and nightly sleep duration variation based on daily device-recorded data on BMI and obesity-related biomarkers., Methods: In all, 748 individuals (50.6% females, 85.4% European-Americans, average age: 49.7 years old) participated in a commercial lifestyle coaching program beginning in July 2015. Daily sleep data were recorded by Fitbit Charge HR wristbands. Clinical laboratory blood tests were measured up to three times over a 12-month period. Linear regression models were used for cross-sectional analyses, and generalized estimating equations for longitudinal analyses. All models were adjusted for age, sex, geographic location, season, genetic ancestry inferred from whole genome sequencing data, and BMI (if applicable). Multiple testing issues were corrected by false discovery rate., Results: We calculated habitual sleep duration and nightly sleep duration variation. In general, females slept 15-min longer on average than males. A negative correlation was found between habitual sleep duration and BMI (β=-1.12, standard error=0.25, P<0.001). Moreover, we identified a positive correlation between sleep duration variation and BMI (β=2.97, standard error=0.79, P<0.001) while controlling for sleep duration, indicating that larger sleep duration variation is significantly and independently associated with increased BMI., Conclusions: We explored the impact of habitual sleep duration and sleep duration variation, and identified that shorter habitual sleep duration and larger duration variation were independently associated with increased BMI.

Background: Two-thirds of treatment-seeking smokers are obese or overweight. Most smokers are concerned about gaining weight after quitting. The average smoker experiences modest post-quit weight gain which discourages many smokers from quitting. Although evidence suggests that combined interventions to help smokers quit smoking and prevent weight gain can be helpful, studies have not been replicated in real world settings., Methods: This paper describes recruitment and participant characteristics of the Best Quit Study, a 3-arm randomized controlled trial testing tobacco cessation treatment alone or combined with simultaneous or sequential weight management. Study participants were recruited via tobacco quitlines from August 5, 2013 to December 15, 2014., Results: Statistical analysis on baseline data was conducted in 2015/2016. Among 5,082 potentially eligible callers to a tobacco quitline, 2,540 were randomized (50% of eligible). Compared with individuals eligible but not randomized, those randomized were significantly more likely to be female (65.7% vs 54.5%, p<.01), overweight or obese (76.3% vs 62.5%, p<.01), more confident in quitting (p<.01), more addicted (first cigarette within 5 minutes: 50.0% vs 44.4%, p<.01), and have a chronic disease (28.6% vs. 24.4%, p<.01). Randomized groups were not statistically significantly different on demographics, tobacco or weight variables. Two-thirds of participants were female and white with a mean age of 43., Conclusions: Adding weight management interventions to tobacco cessation quitlines was feasible and acceptable to smokers. If successful for cessation and weight outcomes, a combined intervention may provide a treatment approach for addressing weight gain with smoking cessation through tobacco quitlines., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors at Alere Wellbeing declare that they are employed by Alere Wellbeing and have no other competing interests. The author at SRI International declares that he has no competing interests. The Co-PI, Dr. Bonnie Spring, declares that she has no competing interests. The Co-I, Jennifer Lovejoy, declares that she has no competing interests.