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Background: Attrition is a significant methodological concern in longitudinal studies. Sample loss can limit generalizability and compromise internal validity. Methods: Wave one ( n = 346) and wave two follow-ups ( n = 196) of the 1Florida ADRC clinical core were examined using a 24-month visit window. Results: The sample (59% Hispanic) demonstrated retention rates of 77.2% and 86.2% in waves one and two, respectively. Predictors of lower retention in wave one included older age, amnestic MCI or dementia, and lower cognition and function scores. Completing a baseline MRI and lack of hippocampal atrophy were associated with higher retention in both waves. In wave two, a greater neighborhood disadvantage score was associated with attrition. Discussion: Predictors of retention changed over time, possibly due to the early withdrawal of the most vulnerable in the initial wave. Understanding predictors of retention can facilitate retention strategies, reduce attrition, and increase the validity of findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Due to multiple minority statuses, transgender women of color are exposed to minority stress through distal (external) stressors from society causing proximal (internal) stress, leading to potentially negative physical and mental health outcomes. Often considered allies to the transgender community, cisgender members of the LGBTQIA+ "community" have historically presented different plights resulting in divergent rights, protections, and societal views. Guided by the minority stress framework, a secondary analysis of individual interviews and focus groups ( n  = 20) with transgender women of color was performed. Participants shared experiences of distal and proximal minority stressors when discussing the cisgender LGBTQIA+ "community" and mitigating resilience factors. Four main themes emerged: 1) preference for cisgender presentation; 2) discrimination and exclusion; 3) mistrust; and 4) resilience. This is the first study to demonstrate direct mental and physical health risks for transgender women of color associated with discrimination and exclusion by members of the cisgender LGBTQIA+ "community." Negative experiences resulted in health care avoidance, verbal assault, social exclusion, mistrust of providers, and barriers to transgender-affirming care. Future research must consider minority stress to advance the understanding of LGBTQIA+ within-group marginalization and foster equitable opportunities for transgender women of color and other gender minorities.

Background: Older Latino adults with HIV are at increased risk for mild cognitive impairment and earlier onset of aging-related cognitive decline. Improvements in cognitive functioning and cognitive outcomes are possible among people with HIV who adopt health promotion behaviors. However, health promotion interventions for older Latino adults with HIV have not been extensively used or widely recognized as viable treatment options. Happy Older Latinos are Active (HOLA) is a multicomponent, health promotion intervention that is uniquely tailored for older Latino adults with HIV., Objective: This study aims to (1) determine the feasibility and acceptability of an adapted version of HOLA aimed at improving cognitive functioning among older Latino adults with HIV; (2) explore whether HOLA will produce changes in cognitive functioning; (3) explore whether HOLA will produce changes in activity, psychosocial functioning, or biomarkers of cognition; and (4) explore whether changes in activity, psychosocial functioning or cognitive biomarkers correlate with changes in cognition, while accounting for genetic risk for dementia., Methods: A single-arm pilot trial with 30 Latino (aged 50 years and older) men and women with HIV was conducted to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects on cognition. Participants were assessed at 2 time points (baseline and postintervention) on measures of neurocognitive and psychosocial functioning. In addition, blood samples were collected to determine biomarkers of cognition at baseline and postintervention. Successful recruitment was defined as meeting 100% of the targeted sample (N=30), with 20% (n=6) or less of eligible participants refusing to participate. Adequate retention was defined as 85% (n=25) or more of participants completing the postintervention assessment and acceptability was defined as 80% (n=38) or more of sessions attended by participants., Results: Participant recruitment began on February 22, 2022, and was completed on August 15, 2022. The last study visit took place on February 20, 2023. Data analysis is currently ongoing., Conclusions: Encouraging findings from this exploratory study may provide a blueprint for scaling up the HOLA intervention to a larger cohort of older Latino adults with HIV who may be currently experiencing or are at risk for HIV-related cognitive challenges., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04791709; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04791709., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/55507., (©Daniel E Jimenez, Emily J Ross, Elliott Weinstein, Hetta Gouse, Yue Pan, David Martinez Garza, Shanna L Burke, Jin Hui Joo, Victoria Behar-Zusman. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 12.08.2024.)

The impact of APOE on HIV and HCV disease course, cognition, and memory has been understudied in minoritized populations. This study examined whether scores on cognition and depression measures differed by APOE ε4 carrier status while considering HCV and HIV seropositivity and whether these measures were moderated by substance use. A retrospective analysis examined cognitive and psychological data from participants (n = 493) in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort. APOE genotyping was performed on banked blood samples. Multiple linear regression was employed to examine differences across participants living with and without HIV and/or HCV and by APOE ε4 genotype. APOE ε4 carriers living with HCV who used cannabis had higher depression scores than non-ε4 carriers, while nonusers had fewer depressive symptoms. APOE ε4 carriers living with HCV had better cognition scores after adjusting for cocaine, opiate, and cannabis use than non-ε4 carriers. Scores on cognitive and depression measures did not differ between APOE ε4 carriers and non-ε4 carriers in participants living with HIV, and substance use did not moderate this relationship. This study was the first of its kind to examine substance use as a moderator for cognition and depression among individuals with HIV and/or HCV stratified by APOE genotype. Findings support further research evaluating the frequency and duration of 1) domains of cognitive functioning impacted by APOE genotype relevant to substance use and 2) the influence of substance use on cognitive and depressive outcomes among adults living with HIV and HCV, HIV, or HCV., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Journal of NeuroVirology, Inc.)

A glioma is a solid brain tumor which originates in the brain or brain stem area. The diagnosis of gliomas based on standard-of-care (SOC) techniques includes karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and chromosomal microarray (CMA), for detecting the pathogenic variants and chromosomal abnormalities. But these techniques do not reveal the complete picture of genetic complexity, thus requiring an alternative technology for better characterization of these tumors. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance and feasibility of using optical genome mapping (OGM) for chromosomal characterization of gliomas. Herein, we evaluated 10 cases of gliomas that were previously characterized by CMA. OGM analysis showed concordance with the results of CMA in identifying the characterized Structural Variants (SVs) in these cases. More notably, it also revealed additional clinically relevant aberrations, demonstrating a higher resolution and sensitivity. These clinically relevant SVs included cryptic translocation, and SVs which are beyond the detection capabilities of CMA. Our analysis highlights the unique capability of OGM to detect all classes of SVs within a single assay, thereby unveiling clinically significant data with a shorter turnaround time. Adopting this diagnostic tool as a standard of care for solid tumors like gliomas shows potential for improving therapeutic management, potentially leading to more personalized and timely interventions for patients.

Short tandem repeat (STR) expansions are associated with more than 60 genetic disorders. The size and stability of these expansions correlate with the severity and age of onset of the disease. Therefore, being able to accurately detect the absolute length of STRs is important. Current diagnostic assays include laborious lab experiments, including repeat-primed PCR and Southern blotting, that still cannot precisely determine the exact length of very long repeat expansions. Optical genome mapping (OGM) is a cost-effective and easy-to-use alternative to traditional cytogenetic techniques and allows the comprehensive detection of chromosomal aberrations and structural variants >500 bp in length, including insertions, deletions, duplications, inversions, translocations, and copy number variants. Here, we provide methodological guidance for preparing samples and performing OGM as well as running the analysis pipelines and using the specific repeat expansion workflows to determine the exact repeat length of repeat expansions expanded beyond 500 bp. Together these protocols provide all details needed to analyze the length and stability of any repeat expansion with an expected repeat size difference from the expected wild-type allele of >500 bp. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Genomic ultra-high-molecular-weight DNA isolation, labeling, and staining Basic Protocol 2: Data generation and genome mapping using the Bionano Saphyr® System Basic Protocol 3: Manual De Novo Assembly workflow Basic Protocol 4: Local guided assembly workflow Basic Protocol 5: EnFocus Fragile X workflow Basic Protocol 6: Molecule distance script workflow., (© 2024 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Anxiety has been associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Existing research has identified structural differences in regional brain tissue in participants with anxiety, but results have been inconsistent. We sought to determine the association between anxiety and regional brain volumes, and the moderation effect of APOE ε4. Using data from participants in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) Uniform Data Set, with complete imaging (MRI) and biomarker data ( n  = 1533), multiple linear regression estimated the adjusted effect of anxiety on 30 structural MRI regions. The moderation effect of APOE ε4 on the relation between structural MRI regions and anxiety was assessed as was the moderation effect of cognitive status. False discovery rate was used to adjust for multiple comparisons. After controlling for intracranial volume, age, sex, years of education, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and cognitive status, seven MRI regions demonstrated lower volumes among participants with anxiety: total cerebrum gray matter volume, right hippocampus volume, hippocampal volume (total), right and left frontal lobe cortical gray matter volume, and right and total temporal lobe cortical gray matter volume. Findings suggest that anxiety is associated with significant atrophy in multiple brain regions, with corresponding ventricular enlargement. Future research should investigate if anxiety-related changes to brain morphology contribute to greater AD risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience significant financial hardship, which could improve through financial planning and utilization of accounts such as the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE). Unfortunately, current rates of banking are low among individuals with disabilities, and no study has examined this phenomenon specifically among families of children with IDD. In this cross-sectional study, 176 parents shared their financial planning and utilization experience. Findings indicate that parents worry about their child's financial future, however, paradoxically, are not engaging in financial planning. Utilization of ABLE, checking and savings accounts, and special needs trusts are also low. Parents reported several programmatic and personal barriers which could inform immediate programmatic changes and long-term policy considerations., (©AAIDD.)

Cardiovascular ailments are a major cause of mortality where over 1.3 billion people suffer from hypertension leading to heart-disease related deaths. Snake venoms possess a broad repertoire of natriuretic peptides with therapeutic potential for treating hypertension, congestive heart failure, and related cardiovascular disease. We now describe several taipan ( Oxyuranus microlepidotus ) natriuretic peptides TNPa-e which stimulated cGMP production through the natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A) with higher potencies for the rat NPR-A (rNPR-A) over human NPR-A (hNPR-A). TNPc and TNPd were the most potent, demonstrating 100- and 560-fold selectivity for rNPR-A over hNPR-A. In vivo studies found that TNPc decreased diastolic and systolic blood pressure (BP) and increased heart rate (HR) in conscious normotensive rabbits, to a level that was similar to that of human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP). TNPc also enhanced the bradycardia due to cardiac afferent stimulation (Bezold-Jarisch reflex). This indicated that TNPc possesses the ability to lower blood pressure and facilitate cardiac vagal afferent reflexes but unlike hANP does not produce tachycardia. The 3-dimensional structure of TNPc was well defined within the pharmacophoric disulfide ring, displaying two turn-like regions (RMSD = 1.15 Å). Further, its much greater biological stability together with its selectivity and potency will enhance its usefulness as a biological tool.

Poor sleep health is consistently associated with the initiation of substance use, development of substance use disorders (SUDs), dropout from treatment, and return to use. Quality sleep health holds promise as a modifiable factor that can reduce the occurrence and severity of SUDs. Unfortunately, social workers typically receive little to no training in the assessment and evidence-based treatment of sleep disorders. This article, authored by an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers, provides important sleep and SUD considerations for social workers. After providing a summary of the empirical literature surrounding the relationship between sleep and SUDs, we discuss the inclusion of the following in SUD treatment settings: (1) sleep health assessments, (2) psychoeducation on behaviors to promote healthy sleep, (3) referral to appropriate specialists when sleep disorders are suspected, (4) the promotion of a healthy sleep environment in residential treatment settings, and (5) evidenced-based behavioral interventions., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Objectives: Negative perceptions of one's neighborhood are linked to poor mental and physical health. However, it is unclear how caregiver's neighborhood perception affects health outcomes in children. This study assessed the mediating effect of maternal wellbeing on the association between neighborhood perception and child wellbeing at different time points and overall., Method: A structural equation model (SEM) was used to evaluate whether maternal wellbeing mediates the influence of neighborhood perception on child wellbeing at different ages. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study data from years 3, 5, and 9 was analyzed. The delta method evaluated the mediation effect of maternal wellbeing, controlling for mothers' age. Direct and indirect effects of neighborhood perception at year 3 on child wellbeing at year 9 via maternal wellbeing at year 5 were analyzed via a longitudinal mediation with a two time points lag., Results: Maternal wellbeing partially mediated the effect of neighborhood perception on child wellbeing at different ages. Longitudinal mediation analyses revealed that better neighborhood perception at year 3 improved maternal wellbeing at year 5 and child wellbeing at year 9; maternal wellbeing at year 5 partially mediated the effect of neighborhood perception at year 3 on child wellbeing at year 5., Conclusions for Practice: Our findings suggest that it may be beneficial for mental health practitioners to discuss relationships between neighborhood environment and wellbeing with caregivers, with a focus on reframing negative self-perceptions. Future research should evaluate longitudinal relationships between changes in neighborhood infrastructure and corresponding wellbeing in caregivers and children., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The period between adolescence to young adulthood can be stressful for parents of transition-aged children (14 to 22 years old) with autism spectrum disorder. A systematic review was undertaken to examine if existing interventions address the unique parental stressors of this phase and if the scales used to measure parental stress and anxiety are suitable for this group. Of the 9813 studies screened, only 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that interventions focused on mindfulness, social functioning, or multiple components, of which only two addressed the transition period and only three specifically targeted parents of this age group. Moreover, of the six scales which assessed stress or anxiety, none were designed for these parents. Findings highlight the urgent need for more suitable scales and targeted interventions., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Since its founding in 1990, the profession of oncology navigation has grown and evolved. Although core concepts serve as a unifying thread throughout the profession, there has not been formal agreement on standardization of definitions, scopes, and roles for the various types of navigators. This has created challenges for sustainability, including reimbursement for navigation services. Emerging from the Biden Cancer Initiative's patient navigation working group, the Professional Oncology Navigation Task Force was created to serve as the voice of professional oncology organizations with an ultimate goal of solidifying definitions, scopes, and roles of navigators across the care continuum. Task group members are committed to cross-disciplinary partnership (including nursing, social work, and nonclinically licensed navigation). As the Task Force worked to define, refine, and disseminate professional standards (with input from the navigation community), the work done by the National Navigation Roundtable was vital to our evolving understanding of the profession. This article outlines the importance of that partnership and highlights the relevant findings of each article in this supplement of Cancer to the standardization work. LAY SUMMARY: Within the profession of oncology navigation, definitions, scopes, and roles of navigators have not been solidified. Standardization of the profession is critical to allow for continued growth and evolution as well as policy direction. This article introduces the work of the Professional Oncology Navigation Task Force, which created the Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice with input from professional leaders and community stakeholders. The article also links the work of the National Navigation Roundtable and the critical need to coordinate and amplify efforts across groups., (© 2022 American Cancer Society.)